Contribution of leaders who built coastal Karnataka needs to be documented: KDA Chairperson

Purushottama Bilimale, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (third from left), releases a book written by Aravind Chokkady, in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Supplied photo Expressing dismay over the lack of permanent memorials for Molahalli Shiva Rao and Shrinivas Mallya, who contributed significantly to the coastal region’s development, Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairman Purushottama Bilimale on Sunday said the authority is ready to support any initiative in this regard.Speaking at the release of “Mogedastu Moleyuva Molahalli”, a book on cooperative leader the late Molahalli Shiva Rao written by Aravind Chokkady, Mr. Bilimale said Shiva Rao used the cooperative sector to build schools in rural areas. Meanwhile, Shrinivas Mallya helped establish an airport, opened the National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NIT-K), Surathkal, and worked towards improving the region’s urban areas.“These two toiled, and therefore we are now in a developed state. They are the eyes of the region, and knowing about them means knowing ourselves and the development measures they took in the 20th century. It is sad that there is no work so far in the region to remind people of the contributions of these two stalwarts and others who worked for the region’s development,” Mr. Bilimale said.Elaborating on Shiva Rao’s contributions, Mr. Bilimale said he travelled across the state to acquire land from willing donors to build government schools. According to data collected by the KDA, 3,200 government schools were built in Karnataka between 1915 and 2024. Sixteen schools established in the Sullia region during Shiva Rao’s time have now completed 100 years. Unfortunately, no steps have been taken by 1,970 schools to include their names in the property records of the land on which they were built. “We have failed to impart education with the values that Molahalli Shiva Rao believed in,” he said.The schools opened by Shiva Rao reflected the values of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, whom he greatly admired.Speaking about the book, Mr. Bilimale commended the author for travelling extensively to meet different people and weaving their thoughts on Shiva Rao into the work. Published - August 30, 2026 08:11 pm IST