The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 03, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

Krishna visiting Gulbarga today

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Feb. 2. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, will inaugurate the Kallur Barrage in Jewargi taluk of Gulbarga district on Tuesday. He will also inaugurate a section of the national highway connecting Jewargi with Shahapur built with assistance from the World Bank. He will throw open the Raichur-Wadi highway built by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) and the Hire Anoor-Igalgi barrage. He will inaugurate the circular road built by KRDCL in Gulbarga city and also commission a water treatment plant built by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.

Jaiprakash Alva to contest polls

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Feb. 2. Jaiprakash Alva, son of the former Minister, K. Nagappa Alva, has announced his decision to contest from the Jayamahal constituency in Bangalore in the Assembly elections. Dr. Alva is the brother of the late Jeevaraj Alva, former Minister and a close associate of the late Ramakrishna Hegde. He told presspersons today that he had joined the Janata Dal (Secular) and expected that party to field him from Jayamahal. He had been serving as a doctor in Doddaballapur in Bangalore Rural district. To a question, he said he was unaware of any plan of Nandini Alva, wife of Jeevaraj Alva, to enter politics.

Tributes paid to Y.K. Ramaiah

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE Feb. 2. Leaders recalled the contributions made by late Y.K. Ramaiah in the field of irrigation and rural development at a condolence meeting held on Monday. B.R. Yavagal, MLA, said Ramaiah relentlessly fought to bring Hemavathi waters to Tumkur district. Many villages had received drinking water supply and road connection because of his commitment to the development of the district. V.S. Ugrappa, MLC, recalled the contributions made by Ramaiah in the field of sericulture. When he was a Minister in Ramakrishna Hegde's Government, Ramaiah had initiated many schemes for the welfare of silk growers in the State. Thontada Siddalinga Swamy of Thontadarya Math, Gadag, Sowmyanath Swamy of Adichunchanagiri Math, M. Krishnappa, MLC, and Anusuya, wife of Ramaiah, were present.

BHEL gets new directors

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Feb. 2 . A. Bhattacharya (in picture) took over as the Executive Director of the Electronics division of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) here on Monday. Prior to this, Mr. Bhattacharya was the Executive Director of the Corporate Monitoring unit of the company in New Delhi. Ramji Rai has taken over as Director (Engineering, Research and Development) and as a member of the Board of BHEL. Prior to this, Mr. Rai was heading BHEL's Electronics division in Bangalore. During his tenure, BHEL's Electronics division received ISO 140001 and OHSAS 18001 certification.

`Negation of workers' rights'

By Our Staff Correspondent

Belgaum Feb. 2. The Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) will hold a nationwide protest on February 24 against the Supreme Court decision terming strikes by workers illegal. The CITU State General Secretary, Prasanna Kumar, told presspersons here on Monday that his organisation was of the view that the court ruling was contrary to the workers' rights as enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution had recognised the rights of workers' association. Assembly and strike was only concomitant to the term association. He termed the Centre's decision to announce a new pension scheme for 40 crore people in the unorganised sector an election gimmick. Instead of ensuring early approval for the Regulation of Service and Welfare Bill by Parliament, the Centre had been misleading the people with an eye on votes.

Mangalore lecturer wins award

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE Feb. 2. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi, has conferred the national-level "Career Award for Young Teacher" to B.K. Sarojini, lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at P.A. College of Engineering, Nadupadavu, near here. The award comprises a three-year research grant of Rs. 10.50 lakh. Dr. Sarojini has won the award for her project, "Effect of laser on certain special objects, use in preparation of liquid crystals and its use". She did her doctoral studies in Mangalore University under the guidance of Shivaram Holla, Department of Chemistry.

Sarvodaya conference

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mysore Feb. 2. Eminent Gandhians and intellectuals will participate in the Sarvodaya conference to be held at Paschima Vahini near Srirangapatna, from February 10 to 12. K. Srinivasan, well-known Gandhian, has been selected "Acharya" for this year's conference to be held on the banks of the Cauvery at Paschima Vahini. He is considered an authority on Gandhian thought and on contemporary socio-economic and political problems plaguing the country. He had participated in the M.N. Roy movement and the J.P. movement. The other main speakers at this year's Sarvodaya conference include Rajiv Dixit of Azadi Bachao Andolan, B.P. Indira, C. Bandigowda, and Satyavratha. The three-day event will discuss many topics of relevance. One of them is "Save freedom, save nation". Mahatma Gandhi's views on eliminating corruption in public life will be discussed.

`Rising income will fuel growth'

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore Feb. 2. Rising household incomes, low inflation rate, and increased employment opportunities will fuel economic growth over the next 25 years, Rakesh Mohan, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has said. Speaking at the twenty-third annual Ayaz Peerbhoy Memorial Lecture held in Bangalore recently, Mr. Mohan predicted that increased spending power would lead to an unparalleled boom in the consumer market. He said: "India's growth in the past 10 years is nothing compared to what we will see over the next 25 years." The proportion of low-income households (defined as households with a combined income of less than Rs. 45,000 a year) had halved since the beginning of the Nineties from 60 per cent to around 30 per cent. Concurrently, high-income households (with over Rs. 1,75,000 a year) had increased by a factor of three and middle-income households had doubled over the same time span. The growth in consumer spending would not be a specifically urban phenomenon. About 600 million people were expected to enter the consumer class in the rural areas in the next 25 years as compared to 300 million in urban areas. "The rural areas already account for over half the total sales of low-income goods such as wrist-watches and radios and this will happen for middle and higher income categories, such as refrigerators and mopeds. This will be the emerging market," he said.

Nine injured in road accident

MADIKERI Feb. 2. Nine persons travelling in a Tata Sumo van suffered minor injuries when the vehicle overturned near Boikeri, about seven km. from here, on Monday afternoon. It is said that the steering of the vehicle locked itself, causing the accident.

The injured, who were from Kasargod in Kerala, were returning to Madikeri after visiting the Golden Temple and the Nisargadhama. They were treated as outpatients in the District Hospital.

Govt. move welcomed

Udupi Feb. 2. The Sri Krishna Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti has welcomed the move of the State Government to include the name of the exponent of the Dwaita philosophy, Madhwacharya, in the Nada Geethe. In a press release here on Monday, the secretary of the samiti, Subrahmanya Perampalli, said Kuvempu had included the name of the saint in the song. With the inclusion of the name, the Nada Geethe would now be sung unabridged.

`Fund music festivals'

Udupi Feb. 2. Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swamiji, junior seer of Pejawar Math, on Monday said that it was up to music lovers to fund music festivals which were facing a resource crunch. He was speaking after inaugurating the 26th annual Vadiraja Kanakadasa Music Festival.

The swamiji said that it was essential to provide all possible support to the festival, the silver jubilee of which was celebrated last year.

Couple burnt alive

BIJAPUR Feb. 2. A middle-aged man and his wife were burnt alive in a mishap at Salotagi village in Indi taluk last night.

They were identified as Mahalingappa Biradar (40) and Kasthuri (35). A buffalo was also burnt alive.

The couple were asleep when a blaze engulfed their house.

Villagers tried to douse the fire and made an unsuccessful attempt to save them.

The Indi police have registered a case on the complaint filed by the father of Biradar.

Two die in accidents

RAICHUR Feb. 2. Two persons died in road mishaps in the district on Sunday. Marenna died on the spot when a NEKRTC bus hit him on the Manvi-Raichur Road near Nallabai Camp in Manvi taluk.

The Manvi Police have registered a case.

Siddanna (12) was fatally injured when a vehicle in which he was travelling overturned and fell into a ditch on the Deodurga-Jalahali Raod near Amarapur Cross in Deodurga taluk.

Twelve fellow passengers were also injured.

The Jalahalli Police, who registered a case, said Siddanna died while he was being taken to hospital.

Trade leader dead

BIDAR Feb. 2. Nagashettappa Gunnalli, president of the district Lingayat Samaj and the commission agents association, died here on Monday.

He was 65.

The District Chamber of Commerce and Industry has condoled the death of the senior trader, who also served as the founder-member of two cooperative banks.

Auto driver killed in accident

MYSORE FEB. 2. An autorickshaw driver was crushed to death by a speeding lorry here on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Satish (31), a resident of Kyatahamanahalli.

Police said the accident occurred when Satish saw a truck heading towards his vehicle and jumped out of it in a desperate bid to save his life. But his head was reportedly crushed by the rear wheels of the truck.

The truck driver, identified as B.M. Poojary, reportedly tried to flee from the scene. But he was chased by people, who handed him over to the police. Lashkar traffic police have registered a case.

Postgraduate programme

MYSORE FEB. 2. The SDM Institute for Management Development has invited applications for its two-year PGDBM programme, which will commence from June 2004.

Graduates who have scored a minimum of 50 per cent marks and appeared for CAT 2003 are eligible to apply for the programme. Final year students who will complete their examination by April are also eligible to apply.

Applications will be issued till Wednesday, and the last date for submitting them is Saturday. For details, contact the institute on ph: 2429772/2429161/2420490 or visit the website: www.sdmimd.net

Nine injured in road accident

MADIKERI FEB. 2. Nine persons travelling in a Tata Sumo van suffered minor injuries when the vehicle overturned near Boikeri, about seven km. from here, on Monday afternoon. It is said that the steering of the vehicle locked itself, causing the accident.

The injured, who were from Kasargod in Kerala, were returning to Madikeri after visiting the Golden Temple and the Nisargadhama. They were treated as outpatients.

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