The Hindu : Karnataka News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

Rs. 1,600-cr. aid for 21 towns

Bijapur Sept. 27. The World Bank will grant Rs. 1,600-crore aid for developing 21 towns in north Karnataka districts, the Municipal Administration Minister, S.R. More, said today. Addressing presspersons here, he said an assistance of Rs. 175 crores would be granted for Bijapur under the Integrated Town Development Project. The Union and State governments would contribute 30 per cent of the project cost, he added. Laying new roads, widening existing roads, implementing drinking water projects and drainage facility and shifting of slums were some of the works to be taken up under the project, the Minister said. — UNI

Congress expels Ghorpade's son

BELLARY Sept. 27. Karthik Ghorpade, son of the Congress leader and former Minister, M.Y. Ghorpade, is among 18 persons to be expelled from the party for a period of six years. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary, Prakash Rathod, who has signed the order of expulsion dated September 20, has stated that the 18 persons had indulged in anti-party activities that had affected the honour and image of the party and caused the defeat of the party's candidate in the elections to the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha. The 18 persons had been expelled from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years with immediate effect, the order said. Mr. Karthik Ghorpade had protested against the functioning of a few members and said he was being sidelined. He contested the Assembly elections from Sandur against his uncle, Venkatarao Ghorpade, who was the party nominee. The Janata Dal (S) won the Sandur seat. Later, the district Congress committee was divided over bringing back Mr. Karthik into party fold.

Macaque was poisoned

MYSORE Sept. 27. A laboratory report has confirmed that the lion-tailed macaque which died in Mysore Zoo under mysterious circumstances last month was poisoned. Sources told The Hindu that forensic reports as well as an analysis conducted by the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Biologicals, Bangalore, corroborated the reports which expressed suspicion that the macaque had died of poisoning. It was suspected that miscreants tested the poison on the macaque and later used it to kill two elephants.

`Speed governors must'

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Sept. 27. The Commissioner for Transport has said that all stage carriages, contract carriages, maxi-cabs and buses of educational institutions have to be fitted with "speed governors" on or before November 30. A notification has been issued by the State Government in this connection.

Direct recruitment proposed

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Sept. 27. The Government is thinking of making direct recruitment to Group A posts (tahsildars and above) without reference to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Giving this information here today, the Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, M.P. Prakash, said the proposal was made for various reasons and it would be discussed with the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, and placed before the Cabinet for approval. The direct recruitment would be a one-time affair, and the task would be handed over to the KPSC.

Nominated to TTD panel

Bangalore Sept. 27. The Andhra Pradesh Government has nominated A. Radhakrishna Raju (in picture), Chairman of the Karnataka Telugu Academy, to the Development and Advisory Board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The others nominated to the board as members are: R.P. Goenka, Indu Jain, Girish Sanghi, Mukesh Ambani, Rahul Bajaj, Kumaramangalam Birla, G. Mallikarjuna Rao, Manojkumar Sonthalia, Ramalingaraju, Sajjan Jindal and V. Radhakrishnaa (industrialists) and Suresh Kalmadi, MP. Mr. Raju told The Hindu that the TTD Chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy, MP, had finalised a project under which the TTD would develop Divya Kshetrams in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. A huge Lord Venkateswara Temple, kalyana mantapam, dhyana mandira, and an information centre with digital facility for on-line booking would be developed on large plots in each of those cities. In Bangalore, Mr. Raju said that the TTD had identified a 10-acre plot near Hebbal. He said the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, had, during his visit to the Tirumala temple, assured him and the Chairman that he would allot land for developing the Divya Kshetram on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Rain brings relief

HASSAN SEPT. 27. The district has been receiving good rainfall for the past three days. The rain has provided much-needed relief to farmers cultivating potato, groundnut and tobacco.

The rain has, however, affected normal life. Low-lying areas have been flooded and vehicular traffic in Gandhi Bazaar and Santepete was affected on Sunday.

While Channarayapatna, Arkalgud and Arsikere received good rainfall, Belur, Sakleshpur, and Holenarsipur taluks did not receive as much rain. Alur recorded 13 mm rainfall in two days.

Two dead

CHITRADURGA SEPT. 27. Two persons were killed on the spot and five injured in a collision between a truck and a private bus near Adiwala village in Hiriyur Police Station limits on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Nasir Hussein (55) of Davangere, driver of the bus, and Venkoba Rao (45), a passenger from Bangalore.

According to the police, the bus was heading towards Bangalore from Davangere and the truck was coming from Bangalore. The injured were treated at a hospital in Hiriyur.

The Hiriyur police have registered a case.

Rice seized

Bidar Sept. 27. The Bidar police seized 25 tonnes of rice worth Rs. 1.56 lakhs, meant to be distributed under the food-for-work programme, but was being diverted to the open market in Maharashtra.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of officers of the district crime investigation branch raided a private godown and seized the rice that was being packed into small plastic bags. A commission agent, Veershetty Gandage, was arrested.

Police also booked cases against the taluk panchayat junior engineer, Mustaf, on charges of selling the rice to Mr. Gandage.

A case has been registered at the Aurad police station.

Pulse polio

Belgaum Sept. 27. The fifth round of the Pulse Polio programme will be held in the district from October 10.

According to an official press release issued here today, the immunisation programme will be held for three days in rural areas and four days in the city. The Deputy Commissioner, M. Maheshwar Rao, who presided over a meeting recently, called upon the officials to make the programme a success.

He also called upon social organisations and individuals to cooperate with the administration and create awareness about the Pulse Polio programme.

Withdrawn

MANGALORE SEPT. 27. Consequent to the introduction of the IVRS trunk call service facility, the Dakshina Kannada Telecom has decided to withdraw the only manual trunk call service in Mangalore with effect from Thursday.

A press release from the Principal General Manager of Dakshina Kannada Telecom here on Monday said the IVRS system was working effectively and the decision to withdraw the manual service was based on an order from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

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