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Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

House session from January 20

Bangalore Dec. 27. After a gap of nearly five months, a legislature session has been convened from January 20. The 10-day session will, among other issues, take up 30 Bills, according to the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, H.K. Patil. He told presspersons here today that he will discuss with the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, the need to have more sessions of the legislature. Among the major Bills that will come up during the session are the Karnataka Women and Child Domestic Violence Prevention Bill; the Karnataka Electricity Reform (Amendment) Ordinance, 2004; Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Institutions Bill, 2003; Karnataka Municipalities Amendment Bill; and, Basava Kalyana Development Authority Bill. Mr. Patil said the Bill on prevention of domestic violence on women and children was conceived after discussions with the Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Bhagirathi Marulasiddanagowda and the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Women's Commission, Philomena Peris. On Basava Kalyana Development Authority, he said it is important, as 21 heritage sites have been identified for preservation and development. The Karnataka Electricity Reform (Amendment) Ordinance, 2004, which the Governor promulgated on December 24 will also be taken up. The Ordinance provides for transfer of property and assets from one electricity company to another. Mr. Patil said the State is seeking the President's assent for the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositions in Financial Institutions Bill.

Education seminar begins

Bangalore Dec. 27. Teachers from the State's unaided schools are meeting here to discuss issues such as easing the burden of homework on children in primary classes. The seminar, organised by the Karnataka Unaided Schools' Managements' Association (KUSMA), began on Monday and is on till Wednesday at the KUSMA office on Vani Vilas Road. According to the association member, B.K. Seshachar, the idea behind reducing homework in smaller classes is to impart quality education to the children. Other topics that will come up at the seminar include the need for intensive learning courses for schoolteachers. "This is especially relevant given the new syllabi that are to be introduced in schools across the State," he said. The teachers will also discuss the problems of implementing a new plan to have the trimester system in schools. Another contentious issue is the demand to review the Education Act. KUSMA is located at No. 9, Vani Vilas Road, near Lalbagh West Gate, V. V. Puram and can be contacted on phone (26619035).

JD(S) meet today

Sirsi Dec. 27. The Janata Dal (S) President and former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, will participate in the party's Uttara Kannada district unit office-bearers' meeting which will be held on Tuesday at 11 a.m. The Janata Dal (S) State unit President, N. Thippanna; the party's working President, H.D. Kumaraswamy; and the Minister for Small Savings, Basavaraj S. Horatti, will participate in the meeting.

All-party meeting put off

Bangalore Dec. 27. In view of the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh's visit to the calamity-hit areas, the all-party meeting called to discuss the problems faced by the residents of the areas submerged in the backwaters of Alamatti Dam has been postponed. The Chief Minister has said he will hold the meeting soon, with prior intimation to leaders of all political parties.

NCDC to grant Rs. 80 crores

Bangalore Dec. 27. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has made a tentative allocation of Rs. 80 crores for the State for 2004-05. The NCDC is considering granting assistance of Rs. 163.71 crores of the total outlay of Rs. 345.19 crores for 21 projects. This was announced at a meeting held today to review the implementation of NCDC schemes in the State. The NCDC Regional Director, N.P. Velumani, said 10 other proposals (with an outlay of Rs. 33.97 crores) for sanction of financial assistance of Rs. 25.15 crores are under consideration. Among proposals under consideration are the integrated cooperative development project in Gulbarga district (Rs. 14.61 crores) and 11 other projects with an outlay of Rs. 311.22 crores. Mr. Velumani said Karnataka ranks third in the country, after Maharashtra and Kerala, in cumulative NCDC assistance received. As on March 31, 2004, Karnataka has received NCDC assistance of Rs. 631.27 crores of Rs. 7,723.24 crores released in the country.

Water scheme sought

TUMKUR DEC. 27. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the Government to plan a comprehensive irrigation scheme for Tumkur district. The party passed several resolutions today, the last day of its two-day "zilla sammelan" here. In a resolution, it said only a small part of Tumkur district is provided with irrigation under the Hemavathy Tumkur Canal Project. The party appealed to the coalition Government to formulate a plan to provide irrigation to all areas of the district. The sammelan urged the Government to prepare for taking up drought relief works in the 10 taluks. It demanded that the Government order a probe into irregularities in the implementation of the Rs. 63-crore Tumkur urban infrastructure development.

New chairman for grameena bank

BELLARY DEC. 27. Vincent J. D' Silva, Deputy General Manager of Canara Bank, will take over as the Chairman of the Tungabhadra Grameena Bank, which has the distinction of earning profit since its inception in 1976. It is among the top ten banks of the 196 regional rural banks in the country.

He will take charge on January 1 from P.N. Murthy, who has been transferred to Canara Bank Circle Office in Lucknow.

Man murdered near Kudligi

BELLARY DEC. 27. A cleaner of a lorry was murdered and two others were injured when two persons attacked them on Monday. The incident occurred near a petrol station at Kudligi in Bellary district.

The police said some lorry drivers and cleaners from Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh were taking rest near the petrol station on their return from Mangalore to Torangal-Sandur to reload iron ore when Srinivas (25) was stabbed by two persons. They also attacked a few drivers and cleaners who rushed to the rescue of Srinivas.

A case has been registered.

Meeting postponed

DAVANGERE DEC. 27. The monthly meeting of the zilla panchayat was postponed today in the wake of the Tsunami tragedy. The meeting also condoled the death of P.V. Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister.

Parvathamma, President of the zilla panchayat, wanted to continue the meeting, but many members opposed her decision. By the time Siddeshwar, Davangere MP, Karunakar Reddy, Bellary MP, and Jalaja Naik and K.S.L. Swamy, MLCs, reached the venue, the meeting was postponed.

Rasta roko staged

Madikeri Dec. 27. Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by K.G. Bopaiah, MLA, on Monday, staged a rasta roko at General Thimmaiah Circle, protesting against what they call the anti-Hindu stand adopted by the State Government with regard to Datta Jayanti celebrations.

Vehicular traffic came to a halt with protestors squatting on roads around the circle.

The party workers shouted slogans against the State Government for the ban on shobha yatra at Datta Peetha at Bababudangiri in Chikmagalur on Sunday.

The Government had insulted Hindus by banning the yatra, against the orders of the courts, Mr. Bopaiah alleged. He condemned the arrest of the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa, and other BJP MLAs.

Mr. Bopaiah said the Government-sponsored Datta Jayanti celebrations at the peetha were an attempt to suppress the voice of Hindus.

Seized

BELLARY DEC. 27. The police seized explosives stored in a house at Basvanakunte here on Sunday. Sharma (25) has been arrested in this connection.

A case has been registered.

Drowned

MANGALORE DEC. 27. A man drowned in a tank while taking bath at Ilanthila under Uppinangady police limits yesterday, police said.

They gave his name as Raghava (30).

Two held

BELLARY DEC. 27. Sirguppa police have arrested Mohideen (38) and Pumpset Eeranna (45) and recovered two stolen mopeds from them.

A case has been registered.

Karanji Lake open today

MYSORE DEC. 27. The Karanji Lake in Mysore will be kept open for visitors on Tuesday. A press release from Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens said that in view of visitors coming to Mysore for Christmas holidays, the lake will be kept open for viewing.

Programme on

Kuvempu

MYSORE DEC. 27. The All India Radio, Mysore Station, will broadcast special programmes on poet laureate Kuvempu on the occasion of his birth centenary on December 29. According to a press release, that programmes will be aired in the morning between 6.35 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., and at 9.30 p.m. Also, programmes pertaining to Kuvempu would be aired in the afternoon.

Award for scientist

MYSORE DEC. 27. M. Mahadevaiah, former scientist at the Central Food Technological Research Institute here, has been awarded the Dr. J.S. Pruthi Memorial Award for 2003 by the All India Food Producers' Association. The award was presented to him at the 60th General Conference of the association held in Bangalore recently. The award has been conferred on Dr. Mahadevaiah for his contribution in food processing and entrepreneur development areas in the last 43 years.

Farmers' protest

MYSORE DEC. 27. Activists of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha will lay siege to the office of Mescom in the City on Tuesday in protest against irregular power supply in rural areas. According to a press release, the KRRS leader K.S. Puttanaiah and other leaders will participate in the protest. The farmers will later take out a protest march to the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Award for Ashwath

MYSORE DEC. 27. The Swara Madhurya Trust will honour light music singer C. Ashwath with the "Sugama Sangeetha Kalanidhi" award for his contribution in the area of light music. According to a press release, the award would be presented to him by the former Chairperson of Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy H.R. Leelavathi on January 2 at Kalamandira. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5,000 and a citation. Noted poet B.R. Lakshman Rao and the Deputy Director, Department of Kannada and Culture, M.G. Sadanandaiah, would take part in the function, the release added.

Seized

BELLARY DEC. 27. The police seized explosives stored in a house at Basvanakunte here on Sunday. Sharma (25) has been arrested in this connection.

Explosives seized

BELLARY DEC. 27. The police seized explosives stored in a house at Basvanakunte here on Sunday. Sharma (25) has been arrested in this connection.

A case has been registered.

Programme on Kuvempu

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