The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

Killed in accident

RAICHUR MARCH 27. A man was killed on the spot when a North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation bus hit the motorcycle he was riding on Sirwar-Lingsugur Road near Patapur Cross in Manvi taluk on Friday. The police gave the name of the victim as Mallikarjuna. The pillion rider was injured in the accident. The Sirwar police have registered a case.

`Immunise cattle'

MADIKERI MARCH 27. The Department of Animal Husbandry has appealed to farmers living in the periphery of the Nagarhole National Park to immunise their cattle in the wake of the death of elephants in the park due to anthrax in the past few days.

A press release from the Deputy Director of the department said immunising animals would prevent the spread of the disease. Suspected cases should be immediately reported to the nearest veterinary clinic, the release said.

Bags award

SIRSI MARCH 27. Chintamani Kodlekere, writer, has been selected for the B.H. Shreedhar Literary Award for 2004.

In a release, T. Narayan Bhat, president of the Award Selection Committee, said the award was being conferred on Mr. Kodlekere for his anthology of poems, Talemarina Koneya Kondi.

Mr. Kodlekere hails from Gokarna, and is working in Bangalore as a Sub-Divisional Engineer with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

`Sky show'

MANGALORE MARCH 27. The Amateur Astronomers' Association here has made arrangements to view five planets "visible to the naked eye" on Monday.

In a press release, the convenor of the association, H. Jayantha, said these planets would be visible to the naked eyes for two weeks from March 22. The "sky show" had been arranged by the association and the Science Centre, Pilikula Nisargadhama, at 7 p.m. at Spoorthi complex opposite Cordel Church hall, Kulshekar.

Group clash

BHADRAVATI MARCH 27. Two persons were injured in a group clash that took place at the Lower Hutha Extension near BH Road on Friday night. They have been admitted to the government hospital.

The injured have been identified as Balakrishna, General Secretary of the Janata Dal (Secular) taluk unit, and his friend, Papanna. According to reports, the clash erupted over the display of poll publicity material, including banners and cut-outs.

Mr. Balakrishna has alleged that three persons belonging to the other group — Kumar, Meshan, and Raghu — attacked him and his friend with knives and blades. However, no arrests have been made.

Upon learning about the incident, an enraged group in Bhutanagudi Extension in the old town removed banners of the former MLA, M.J. Appaji, following which tension prevailed in the area.

Workshop

MANGALORE MARCH 27. The Women's Entrepreneurship Development Cell, Canara Bank, with assistance from the Department of Social Work, Srinivas College, has organised a one-day seminar for women entrepreneurs at 9 a.m. at Hotel Srinivas on Monday.

A press release said the seminar would discus problems faced by women who earn a livelihood through small businesses, and also explore the possibility of networking them.

Experts from Sri Dharmasthala Rural Development project would impart training on fixation of price, maintaining quality, and marketing skills.

Details could be had from the regional office of the bank on Ph: 22422475 or Srinivas College (Ph: 2441022).

Vajpayee to campaign

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore March 27. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be campaigning in the State on April 14 and 17, according to the BJP here. Prior to the Prime Minister's visit, senior BJP leaders will descend on Karnataka for the election campaign, starting with the Union Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, and the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, on April 6. The former Union Information Minister, Sushma Swaraj, will be here on April 10 and 11. The State BJP spokesperson, S. Suresh Kumar, said Mr. Vajpayee's programme in the State would be announced soon.

Farmer ends life in Bidar

By Our Staff Correspondent

Bidar March 27. A farmer reportedly committed suicide in Sikandarpur village of Bidar taluk today. Babu Rajappa Maitre (40) was said to have killed himself in his fields. In a complaint filed by Indumati, Maitre's wife, he had taken a loan of Rs. 1 lakh from the District Central Cooperative Bank and some moneylenders, which he was unable to repay. He also did not get remunerative prices for his produce. She has sought compensation from the Government for her husband's death. A case has been registered at the Bidar rural police station. Senior police officers visited the spot and sent the body for post-mortem.

Not many nominations filed

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore March 27. Even on the fourth day today of filing of nominations for the elections to the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha, not many candidates filed their papers. Till 3 p.m., only three candidates had filed nominations for the Lok Sabha seats, including one for the Bangalore North constituency. Twenty-nine nominations were filed for the Assembly constituencies, including eight from Bangalore. One candidate each filed papers for the Bellary, Tumkur and Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituencies. Two candidates each filed their papers for the Assembly constituencies of Hospet, Davangere, Sira, Rajajinagar and Chickpet and one each for Hulsoor (SC), Gangavati, Kurugodu, Kudligi, Hadagali, Jagalur, Channagiri, Bellavi, Kunigal, Tiptur, Bagepalli, KGF (SC), Malleswaram, Gandhinagar, Binnypet, Jayanagar, Bharatinagar, Varthur and Devanahalli.

Election panel's nod sought

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore March 27. The State Government has asked the Election Commission for approval to include 14 more taluks in the list of drought-affected taluks to supply drinking water there. Already, 162 of the 175 taluks have been declared drought affected. Speaking to presspersons here, the Chief Electoral Officer, Abhijit Dasgupta, said the 14 taluks were facing a severe shortage of drinking water. The Government had sought permission for supplying drinking water supply there. Similarly, the Karnataka Agricultural Marketing Corporation had asked for clearance to buy tomato at Re.1 a kg from tomato farmers in Kolar district. The farmers were dumping tomato on the roads in the district. In many places, this was causing problems for road users too. He said the corporation has asked the commission to allow it to help the farmers and the commission had agreed, in principle to give permission. The corporation had earmarked Rs.10 lakh for the purchase of tomato, he added.

Plea on model code of conduct

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore March 27. The Karnataka Wakf Development and Protection Council has urged the State Government to strictly implement the model code of conduct around places of worship, including mosques. The chairman of the council, A.G. Mohammed Adman, has in a letter to the Secretary, Revenue (Wakf) Department, urged the department to instruct the Deputy Commissioners, and the Chief Executive Officers of panchayats, the Karnataka State Board of Wakf and other authorities not to allow any candidate or their supporters canvass for elections near places of worship. Making speeches and distributing handbills should be prohibited around these places in the interest of maintaining the peace, he said.

Guilty officials being protected: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore March 27. The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has condemned the State Government for "protecting" three senior officials allegedly involved in irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). The BJP spokesperson, S. Suresh Kumar, told presspersons here today that instead of initiating a departmental inquiry into the irregularities, the Government had filed a criminal complaint against a senior IAS officer and former Secretary to the KPSC, A.K. Monnappa; K.S. Shivanna of Mysore University; and K. Rameshwarappa, KAS officer. He said the Government, by filing a criminal complaint, had shown its "cleverness" but not "sincerity" in tackling the issue of corruption, which had become "synonymous with the Congress." In a rebuttal of the Congress General Secretary and former Mayor, Ramachandrappa's charge that the former Union Minister and State BJP President, H.N. Ananth Kumar's contribution to Karnataka had been "zero," Mr. Suresh Kumar said it was far from true. He said that during the Cauvery dispute and the Veerappan crisis, it was Mr. Ananth Kumar who had acted as a bridge between the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, and the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna.

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