Mangaluru: Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda visited the residence of international athlete M.R. Poovamma in Mangaluru and felicitated her for her remarkable achievement at the Asian Games.

Poovamma, who hails from Kodagu, won a gold medal for India at the Asian Games. Her achievement has brought pride to the country as well as Karnataka.

Dr. Mantar Gowda congratulated Poovamma and appreciated her contribution to Indian athletics. He praised her for making Kodagu proud through her outstanding performance in sports.

“Poovamma is a daughter of Kodagu who has achieved great success in the field of sports. Her accomplishment is a matter of pride for the entire region,” the MLA said.

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During the visit, Dr. Mantar Gowda also extended a special invitation to Poovamma to attend the famous Madikeri Dasara celebrations as the chief guest.

The MLA wished her continued success in her sporting career.

Mangaluru: Asian Games gold medallist M.R. Poovamma was felicitated by the Dakshina Kannada district administration at her residence in Urwa Stores, Mangaluru.

District In-charge Minister U.T. Khader honoured Poovamma for her outstanding achievements in athletics. She had won a gold medal in the women’s 400-metre relay and a silver medal in the 400-metre mixed relay at the Asian Games.

Speaking on the occasion, Khader said Poovamma, who originally hails from Kodagu, pursued her education at SDM College in Mangaluru and brought great recognition to India and Karnataka through her achievements in international athletics.

He said her success was a matter of pride for the entire region. Her dedication, hard work and determination to win another gold medal for the country would continue to inspire students and young athletes, he added.

Khader also stressed the need for greater government support for Poovamma. He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also congratulated her for her achievement.

He further said sports personalities would be felicitated by the people at an event in front of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on October 6. The government is also expected to announce further support for sports and athletes on the occasion.

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Poovamma’s coach, Dinesh Kunder, was also felicitated during the programme.

Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V., Zilla Panchayat CEO Vinayak Karbari, MUDA Chairman Santosh Kumar, Congress district president Padmaraj, and Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports Pradeep D. Soma were among those present.

Mangaluru: The family of Manish Karkada, a resident of Haleyangadi who died in the MRPL unit accident on September 30, will receive compensation of up to ₹1.20 crore. One member of the deceased worker’s family will also be provided employment, Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta said.

Speaking to reporters, Chowta said local elected representatives and community leaders stood by the family after the accident and during the funeral. Mulki-Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotyan, Mangaluru City North MLA Dr. Y. Bharath Shetty, gram panchayat leaders, MRPL employees’ unions, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Karmachari Sangha representatives extended their support to the family.

Chowta thanked the MRPL management, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, senior officials of the Petroleum Ministry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their support following the incident.

He said the government had taken steps to provide immediate assistance to the affected family and demonstrate its support during the difficult period.

Health Insurance for Contract Workers

Chowta also said that a long-pending demand to provide health insurance to MRPL’s secondary workforce, including contract workers and their dependants, has reached its final stage.

Discussions on the proposal began in February 2025. MRPL officials, employee unions, BMS, Karmachari Sangha representatives and elected representatives have been involved in the discussions.

Since MRPL is associated with ONGC, major policy decisions require approval from the ONGC Board. Chowta said he had taken up the matter with ONGC Chairman Arun Kumar Singh and officials of the Petroleum Ministry to speed up the process.

“MRPL officials have assured us that a policy will be formulated and announced within the next one month,” Chowta said.

He added that a meeting had already been held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Another meeting will be held next week to discuss the technical aspects and framework of the proposed policy. The proposal will subsequently be placed before the ONGC Board for approval.

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Chowta thanked the MRPL Employees Union, BMS and Karmachari Sangha for consistently pursuing the demand for health insurance coverage.

He said the continued efforts of employee organisations, elected representatives and officials had helped move the proposal towards the final stage.

Chowta assured MRPL’s contract workforce that efforts would continue to ensure the proposed health insurance scheme is implemented at the earliest.