Date:22/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/22/stories/2004022208780300.htm

Body found

BIJAPUR FEB. 21. The body of a newborn was found on the premises of a private school at Talikot near here today.

Schoolchildren and a teacher, Gururaj Sharanar, who saw the body of a baby boy on the premises of the school, complained to the police.

Traffic hit

GULBARGA FEB. 21 . Residents of Jagat and Bheemanagar in the city disrupted traffic near Jagat Circle today for some time seeking drinking water supply in their localities.

They said that they had not received water for the past few days. An argument broke out between them and Janata Dal (S) activists who took out a procession along with the newly appointed working president of the party, B.R. Patil, to Jagat Circle. The residents said they would not allow the procession to pass through their localities. However, Mr. Patil and the activists proceeded to Jagat Circle to garland the statues of B.R. Ambedkar and Basaveshwara.

The residents withdrew their protest when officials of the Gulbarga City Municipal Corporation promised them that water would be provided to them through tankers.

Sangha plea

BHADRAVATI FEB. 21. H.R. Basavarajappa, Secretary of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, has urged the Government to reopen maize purchase centres in the interest of the district farmers.

As the centres had been closed down, farmers were finding it difficult to sell maize at a fair price, he said.

Voting machine

UDUPI FEB. 21. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for the first time in Udupi district in the forthcoming Parliamentary and Assembly elections, the Headquarters Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, Madan G. Naik, has said.

He told presspersons here on Saturday that the district administration was in possession of 2,000 EVMs which would be used in 831 polling booths. All officials on election duty had been trained in this connection.

The EVMs were tamper proof, he said. Political parties would be shown the working of the EVMs shortly. The usage of EVMs would help in quick announcement of results, Mr. Naik added.

Medals

MANGALORE FEB. 21. Students of Bertrand Russel High School, Bykampady, have bagged medals at the State, district, taluk, and school-level science talent examinations conducted in 2003 by Puttani Vijnana, Chitradurga.

A press release from the principal of the school said the school had been declared the best school at the State-level competition and its teacher, Vidyavathi, the best examination coordinator.

Advani visit

MANGALORE FEB. 21. The Deputy Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, is scheduled to visit Mangalore on February 29.

He is expected to take part in the "Bharatmatha Pujan" programme to be held at the Nehru Maidan here at 4.30 p.m. as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of Hosadigantha. Bangalore students on top

By Our Staff Correspondent

Belgaum Feb. 21. Students from Bangalore have fared better than those from the other districts of the State in the final year degree examinations conducted by the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in June-July 2003. Of 113 gold medals, students from Bangalore have won 28, according to the VTU Vice-Chancellor, K. Balaveera Reddy. He was addressing presspersons in connection with the VTU's third annual convocation, to be held here on Monday.

Jamaat public meeting tomorrow

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Feb. 21. The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Bangalore, is organising a public meeting on Monday at 7 p.m. at National College Grounds, Basavanagudi, to stress the importance of communal harmony. Saad Belgaumkar, who heads the Advisory Council of the Jamaat, told presspersons that the meeting event was part of the campaign, "Shun hatred, Save India' in Karnataka and Goa. "We stand for communal harmony, tolerance, and mutual respect among people of all faiths. Politicians will make tall claims during the election campaign, but the people are wise enough to see through them,'' he said. Religious leaders from various communities will participate.

KSRTC workers plan dharna

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Feb. 21. The KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) Staff and Workers' Federation will stage a dharna in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga, where the central offices of the four road transport corporations (RTCs) are located, on February 27, to press for their demands. H.V. Anantha Subba Rao, General Secretary of the federation, told presspersons here on Friday that it was a protest against privatisation and "anti-labour" policies.

Musical evening

Mysore Feb. 21. Mysore Ananthaswamy Memorial Trust will present a musical evening, Anantha Vishwa Manava, on February 26 to mark the birth centenary of poet laureate Kuvempu. A press release said Mysore Ananthaswamy had composed music for many of Kuvempu's poems and took the poet's works to the masses. The venue of the concert was the Jaganmohan Palace auditorium. The singers, Ratnamala Prakash, Malathi Sharma, Nagara Srinivas Udupa, and J. Mohan, would render various compositions of Kuvempu.

Coaching

Mysore Feb. 21. Adichunchanagari Shikshana Trust and Krishik Sarvodaya Foundation will organise coaching classes for those appearing for the sub-inspector and police constable recruitment test. The classes will commence on April 1 at Adichunchanagari School, Kuvempunagar. The common entrance test coaching will be held from April 16. Those interested may contact the coordinator between 5 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. on the school campus (ph. 2561562).

Support to stir

Mysore Feb. 21. The Mysore University Private College Teachers' Association has supported the nation-wide stir on February 24 called by various trade unions on the issue of right to strike. In a press release, the association said its members would stage a dharna in front of their respective colleges during leisure hours. The strike is being supported by government employees, bank, telecom, and insurance staff, and administrative staff of colleges and other institutions.

Health mela

Chamarajanagar Feb. 21. The Deputy Commissioner, G.L. Chandrashekaraiah, has said that the swasthya mela concluded here with a decision by the authorities concerned to organise such events at the taluk level.

At a press conference here on Friday, he said 11,106 people were treated at the mela. Doctors, nurses, health assistants, pharmacists and technicians from the Kidwai Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, Mysore Medical College, Government Ayurvedic College, Mysore, JSS Dental College, Mysore, and the District Rehabilitation Centre, Mysore, participated. Eighteen cancer, six HIV, seven leprosy, and 70 eye ailment cases detected at the camp had been referred for further treatment.

Rice seized

Chamarajanagar Feb. 21. A man was arrested on Friday following a raid on three godowns here. According to the Chamarajanagar police, 300 quintals of rice stored illegally was seized and 1,000 litres of kerosene in the raid. The grain has been supplied for the food-for-work programme.

The police said they were action on a tip off that these items were being hoarded in the godowns.

Voting machine