Karnataka

Briefly

Bangalore-Puttaparthy flight

Chennai Oct. 5. Indian Airlines (IA) today said it would be introducing a new service between Bangalore and Puttaparthy, the abode of Sathya Sai Baba, from October 11. An IA release said here that an Airbus A-320 service would operate on the route on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and would leave Bangalore at 1.30 p.m. and reach Puttaparthy at 2.00 p.m. The flight would leave Puttaparthy at 2.40 p.m., reaching Bangalore at 3.10 p.m. The one-way fare for executive class would be Rs. 2,640 and for economy class Rs. 1,825, it said. — PTI

CBI files chargesheets

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE OCT. 5. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the multicrore stamp paper scam, on Monday filed chargesheets against three police officers, Sangram Singh, Vali Pasha and V.A. Khan, in the First Additional City Metropolitan Magistrate court. The former police officers were accused of being associated with the prime accused, Abdul Karim Telgi. The chargesheet against Singh, a former Assistant Commissioner of Police, was filed in Crime No. 109/97, while the chargesheets against Pasha and Khan, police inspectors, were filed in Crime. No. 17/98. Both the cases are registered in the City Market police station. The CBI has charged the three officers with conniving with Telgi and subverting investigations after taking "illegal gratifications" from him when they were working in the City Market police station during 1997-98. Sources said the chargesheet against Sangram Singh was a complete one containing details of his alleged connivance with Telgi. The charges against the inspectors, sources said, were under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI also filed a chargesheet against Syed Mohiyuddin. He has been charged with disbursing from his two bank accounts the sale proceeds of fake stamp papers to Telgi and his brother, Rahim Telgi. The court, on September 25, had ordered the release Mohiyuddin on bail on the ground that the CBI had not filed the chargesheet within 90 days from the date of taking him into custody.

BJP Yuva Morcha threatens stir

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Oct. 5. The State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha, C.T. Ravi, MLA, has said it is highly condemnable that the Government deleted the names of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rani Chennamma, Veer Savarkar, Chandrashekar Azad and Subhas Chandra Bose from textbooks. In a press release issued here today, Mr. Ravi said the Government should rectify the mistake and restore the honour of the leaders, failing which the Yuva Morcha would organise agitations across the State. Efforts were on to mislead the people that the chairman of the Textbook Review Committee, S. Shettar, was the one who had recommended the deletion of the names of the freedom fighters and national heroes from the textbooks.

`Wrong notion about banks'

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Oct. 5. The president of the State Bank of India Officers' Association, Karnataka, (SBIOA-K), G.D. Nadaf, has said that it is a wrong notion that private sector banks are more efficient than public sector banks. Participating in a combined zonal conference of the SBIOA-K here today, Mr. Nadaf quoted the example of the merger of Global Trust Bank (GTB), a private bank, with the Oriental Bank of Commerce, a public sector bank. "A public sector bank was made to pay for the sins of GTB's maladministration. Individual directors of private loss-making banks should be made accountable." Mr. Nadaf said that cooperation of the association should not be construed as weakness and insisted that the "right to strike" could not be taken away by anybody. The SBIOA-K general secretary, G. Muthuswamy, said the reform process had benefited only a microscopic minority. Welfare schemes such as pension were going to be placed in the hands of private operators and that was fraught with risk. Reduction in the interest rate on Provident Fund (PF) and negation of contributory PF indicated that the Government was shying away from its social responsibilities. Mr. Muthuswamy said that some of the suggestions made by the association had not been accepted by the bank management, but the same suggestions mooted by McKinsey & Co. were accepted.

Dalit groups to stage dharna

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE OCT. 5. The Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti and other Dalit organisations have announced a dharna on October 7 to protest against the "exploitation and persecution" of Dalit employees and officials by the secretariat staff in the Vidhana Soudha. The immediate provocation for the dharna is the alleged slander and character assassination of T. Rajanna, legislature secretary, over the past several weeks. After some differences arose between Mr. Rajanna and Ramapriya, private secretary to the Speaker, Krishna, Dalit employees have been demanding the arrest of Mr. Ramapriya under the Act against untouchability. The federation of all Dalit organisations in the State says the Dalit employees are agonised and find the "persecution at the workplace unbearable and oppressive." They have alleged that Mr. Ramapriya was spreading canards and false stories in the media against Dalit officials and other staff. In a statement, the president of the State Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, N. Murthy, said Mr. Ramapriya was "leaking" to the media reports about appointments and transfers, and instances of notice being served on employees and orders issued for inquiry. The dharna, to be held in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue here would demand the arrest of Mr. Ramapriya and his immediate dismissal, he said. The organisations that have come together for this campaign are Ambedkar Prachara Samiti, Karnataka Rajya Madiga Dandora, Praja Vimochana Chaluvali, Samajika Parivarthana Mahasabha, Karnataka Raja Dalit Horata Samiti, Akhila Karnataka Bhovi Sangha, Karnataka Valmiki Yuvasabha, Karnataka Pradesh Dalit Jagruthi Samiti, and Akhila Bharatiya SC-ST Federation.

Hullahalli Somashekar dead

Mysore Oct. 5. Hullahalli Somashekar (46), Bhayatiya Janata Party leader, died at Nanjangud this morning following a heart attack. He had recently contested the Assembly elections from Nanjangud Assembly segment, which comes under the Chamarajanagar Parliamentary constituency.

Illegal cultivation

Mysore Oct. 5. Former MP and president of the Mandya Raitha Hitaraskhana Samithi, G. Made Gowda, has said that farmers in the Varuna command area were cultivating water-intensive crops such as paddy and sugarcane in violation of the law.

He said that as per the original plan, water to be released into the Varuna canal was meant only for dry crops such as ragi and jowar. This would affect the water requirements of farmers in Mandya, he said.

Works stopped

Mysore Oct. 5. Members of the Corporation Works Committee on Tuesday stopped the construction of police quarters on the grounds. The corporator, Sandesh Swamy, alleged that State Police Housing Corporation had not submitted the building plan and the question of obtaining sanction did not arise.

Lightning

Raichur Oct. 5. A woman was killed on the spot and another woman was injured when lightning struck them at Yeklaspur village near here on Tuesday.

The police identified the dead as Shanthamma (25) and the injured as Hampamma. They were reportedly standing under a tree in a field near the village when lightning struck them.

In another incident, a man died and two were hurt when lightening struck them at Davalagi village in Muddebihal taluk in Bijapur on Monday night. The police identified the dead as Shivanand Chikkanna Suthgonda. Seized

BIJAPUR OCT. 5. The police arrested one person and seized 29 compact disks containing pornographic movies and some electronic gadgets in Sindagi town last night.

The arrested was identified as Sanjeevkumar Bheemrao Thuppad, a resident of Sindagi.

The police raided a shop run by Thuppad and seized a colour television and a video compact disk player.

Ranks secured

Raichur Oct. 5. The Taranath Sikshana Samsthe's Soma Subhadramma Raman Gouda Women's College, Raichur, has bagged four of the top ten ranks in the B.Com. final year examinations of Gulbarga University.

In a statement here today, N.S. Madni, principal of the college, said that Narmatha Bohra had secured the third rank (80.06%), Swetha Innani, fourth rank (79.28%), Sapna Innani, seventh rank (77.94%), and Komal Jain, tenth rank (76.16%).

The president and secretary of the samsthe and managing committee of the college have congratulated the rank holders.

Imprisoned

Bidar Oct. 5. The Bidar District and Sessions Court sentenced a to three years imprisonment, on charges of murdering his wife.

Justice N.K. Sudheendra Rao also slapped a fine of Rs. 10,000 on Sharanappa Balshetty Kumbar of Manhalli after finding him guilty under section 304/2 of the Indian Penal Code.

Training for farmers

Belgaum Oct. 5. The Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Government of India, the Regional Office of Save Grain Campaign, Bangalore, the Rural Welfare Trust, Santibastwad, Belgaum, and the Department of Agriculture will jointly organise a training camp for 10 days at Teerthkunde of Khanapur taluk in the district from October 7.

The camp has been arranged for 50 farmers. The participants will be given a stipend of Rs. 250 and another Rs. 200 incentive to buy equipment.

During the training, emphasis will be on grain storage, distribution, pest control, and improved varieties.

At the end of the programme, the successful candidates will be given a certificate.

Art camp

inaugurated

SHIMOGA Oct. 5. S. Ushalatha, Programme Executive of AIR Bhadravati, said here on Tuesday that children could shape their personality well if allowed to develop their latent talents. "Proficiency in fine arts is more important than scoring high in examinations," she said. She was inaugurating the training camp in fine arts for high school students organised by the National Education Society at the Kasturba Girls High School.

She said parents tried to thrust their preferences on children. The participation of students in art, literature, and music would certainly help them concentrate on their studies.

PU exam from today

Belgaum Oct. 5. To prevent malpractice and any untoward incident during the Pre-University Course second year examinations commencing on Wednesday, the Deputy Commissioner, M. Maheshwar Rao, has imposed ban orders in and around a radius of 200 metres of all examination centres. The orders will be in force till October 20. Twenty centres have been identified to conduct the examinations.

Heavy tankers banned

MANGALORE OCT. 5. The Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Arvind Shrivastava, has banned heavy tankers on the Kana-Thokkur Road with immediate effect.

Killed in accident

MANGALORE OCT. 5. One person was killed when a tanker collided with a motorcycle, which he was riding, near Mallemar on National Highway 17 in Kavoor Police Station limits on Tuesday.

The police said the victim, Sarvothama Nayak (53), was going to Nanthoor from Kottara Chowki.

He was shifted to a nearby hospital where he died.

Drowned

MANGALORE Oct. 5. A 10-year-old boy was drowned when he fell into a well on K.C. Road, Talapady, near here on Tuesday.

The police said the victim, Jahim (10), was playing in the courtyard of his house when he ventured near a well that did not have a retaining wall and fell into it.

The Ullal Police have registered a case.

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