The Hindu : Karnataka News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

BSNL coupons

MYSORE JAN. 3. The Department of Posts has agreed to sell BSNL Excel Recharge Coupons in denominations of Rs. 70, Rs. 150, Rs. 300, Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 2,000 at the Mysore HPO, Saraswathipuram HPO, Ittigegud Sub Post Office, Jayalakshmipuram, K.R. Mohalla, N.R. Mohalla, K.R. Circle, H.D. Kote, Kuvempunagar, D.R. Mohalla, Manasagangotri, Mysore University, Mandimohalla, Lakshmipuram, Bannimantap, V.V. Mohalla, Hunsur and Yadavgiri.

IS0 certification

MYSORE Jan. 3. ISO 9001-2000 certification has been awarded to Marc Battery Industries located in Hootagalli Industrial Area on the outskirts of Mysore.

The award was handed over to Chief Executive Officer of Marc Battery Industries, John Thayil, by Ramachandra from BV, the Netherlands. On the occasion, a new battery heat-scaling plant was inaugurated on the factory premises.

New system

MYSORE Jan. 3. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will hand over a "Computerised Pilot Selection System" for field trials to No. 2. Air Force Selection Board, Mysore, on Tuesday. Air Marshall A.K. Nagalia and W. Selvamurthy from the DRDO headquarters will be present.

The "Computerised Pilot Selection System" has been developed by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Delhi, and the Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bangalore.

Run over

Chamarajanagar Jan. 3. Sujatha (18) who was riding a bicycle died on the spot when a private bus ran over her at Mariyala Railway Gate here on Monday.

The bus was on its way from Mysore to Chamarajanagar.

Sujatha was a student of JSS Women's College here.

The Town Police have registered a case. The body was handed over to the girl's parent after post-mortem.

Dharam Singh greets Krishna

Bangalore Jan. 3. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, today called on the Maharashtra Governor and former Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, at the latter's residence here and exchanged New Year greetings. It was said to be a courtesy call by the Chief Minister. Mr. Dharam Singh and Mr. Krishna spent nearly an hour over breakfast discussing current affairs and developmental works, particularly those pertaining to Bangalore. Later, Mr. Dharam Singh said he had sought Mr. Krishna's on various matters pertaining to the development of the State.

Load shedding continues

Bangalore Jan. 3. Unscheduled load shedding is continuing across the State. According to officials in Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL), this is mainly because generation from the six functional units of the Raichur Thermal Power Station (the first unit is not working) is less owing to coal shortage. "We have a shortage of 300 to 450 megawatts of power," the officials say. KPTCL's load despatch centre is regulating loads at all 220 KV stations in the State, to cut the electricity supply companies' requirement by 10 per cent. Bangalore gets 24-hour power supply even now because it yields the most revenue. According to the KPTCL website, the State has been overdrawing from the central generating stations to meet the demand. The site says that though the State's share is 28.786 million units (MUs), it has been drawing 35.502 MUs from these stations. Compared to last year, the State has more water in its three major reservoirs — Linganamakki, Supa and Mani — this year to generate power. But there has been no inflow into the reservoirs for quite some time. Besides, power consumption continues to be high. According to the KPTCL website, the consumption stood at 93.7 MUs on Sunday.

2,000 new buses in two years

BANGALORE JAN. 3. The Minister for Water Resources and Transport, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, has said that the four transport corporations will secure a loan of Rs. 400 crores from financial institutions to introduce 2,000 new buses in two years. Addressing presspersons after an all-party meeting here on Monday, he said the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North-West State Road Transport Corporation (NWSRTC) and North-East State Road Transport Corporation (NESRTC) will secure loans from financial institutions. Nearly 30 per cent of the buses will be replaced in phases. New hi-tech Volvo buses will be introduced on long routes. High maintenance cost and consumption of more fuel by old buses are the major reasons for their replacement, he said. The KSRTC has taken a loan of Rs. 50 crores, and if required, it will seek another loan of Rs. 50 crores. The other corporations will also take loans and introduce new buses, he said. About the Rajasthan Government's decision to wind up the road transport corporation of that State, Mr. Kharge said passenger-friendly initiatives are being introduced in Karnataka to make all corporations financially viable.

Appointed to JD(S) wing

Bangalore Jan. 3. Prahalad Rao Pundalik Rao Morey was today appointed General Secretary of the State unit of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC and ST)Wing of the Janata Dal (Secular). The former Minister and President of the SC and ST Wing, B.B. Ningaiah, has called upon Mr. Morey to work for strengthening the Janata Dal (S) at all levels.

`Implement order on temple'

TUMKUR JAN. 3. Members of the Kanaka Yuvaka Sangh, those of several pro-Dalit organisations, and people of Veeraganahalli, Kamagondanahalli, Emdorai, and Pattanayakanahalli today staged a demonstration demanding that the Government obey the Supreme Court directive on taking over the Srikrishna Temple, Udupi, from the control of mutts. They gathered at Pattanayakanahalli in Sira Taluk of the district and took out a procession on the main streets, shouting slogans against the Government. They burned an effigy of Krishna Bhat, a social worker, for his "statement against the Kuruba community."

Honour for

AIR station

CHITRADURGA JAN. 3. Two persons representing All India Radio, Chitradurga, have bagged the first place in A State-level quiz competition organised by Prasara Bharathi, All India Radio. According to official sources, K.N. Niranjan, a civil service aspirant, and Prashant S. Chinnappanavar, a pre-university student from Chitradurga, represented AIR, Chitradurga, in the competition held at the All India Radio station, Hassan, on Monday.

Mutt chief dies in accident

BIJAPUR JAN. 3. Nagaraj Shastri, 45, head of Vajjal Mutt in Surpur taluk of Gulburga district, died in a road accident on the National Highway 13 at Hitnalli near here today.

He died on the spot when a Bijapur-bound bus hit the car by which he was travelling. The car driver, Chandappa, has been admitted to the District Hospital.

Awareness programme

HASSAN JAN. 3. The Deputy Commissioner, K.H. Ashwathanarayana Gowda has said that the district administration commenced a month-long awareness programme on January 1 against trafficking in children.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, he said a district-level committee headed by him had been formed to implement the directions of the Commissioner of the Department of Women and Child Welfare.

Bus passes

Bidar Jan. 3. Bus passes for the disabled will be renewed in bus stands in all taluks this month. According to a press release, passes will be renewed in Aurad and Bidar taluks on January 10, in Bhalki on January 22, in Basavakalyan on January 25, and in Humnabad on January 28.

The Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare has asked the beneficiaries to apply for the passes by obtaining a demand draft of Rs. 250 in favour of the Divisional Controller of the North Eastern Karnataka Transport Corporation, and send it along with the original bus pass and two passport size photographs to the corporation.

Two killed

CHITRADURGA Jan. 4. Two persons were killed in road accidents in the district in the past 24 hours.

A private bus hit a man who was crossing the road at Barekatte Cross near Budipura of Holalkere taluk on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Nagaraja (26) of Nandanahosur of Holalkere taluk. A man was run over by a lorry near the Ningappa Dhaba on National Highway 4 near Hiriyur on Monday. The deceased was identified as Shankarappa (30).

Dharna

Raichur Jan. 3. Members of the Raichur District Gram Panchayat Employees' Union staged a dharna on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner's office here on Monday demanding the Government to fulfil their demands.

They demanded the Government to initiate action to regularise the services of the employees of gram panchayats who had been appointed on a temporary basis, promote all eligible employees, release arrears and pay salary before the fifth of every month.

Strike

DAVANGERE JAN. 3. The Davangere district unit of the Karnataka State Gram Panchayat Employees' Association today launched a strike in front of the zilla panchayat office here demanding the Government to fulfil their long pending demands'. Their demands included enhancing the pay scale of the employees on a par with the municipality employees, promotions to those who have put in more than 10 years' service and drop the proposal of engaging members of self-help groups to collect tax.

13 huts destroyed in blaze

KOLAR JAN. 3. Thirteen huts were destroyed in a fire accident at Morakinda village in Srinivasapur taluk on Sunday. Reports said that the fire started in one of the huts where women were preparing meals. The blaze soon spread to other huts in the area. As the village does not have a "pucca" road the fire tenders could not reach the spot on time.

Shortfall in tax collection

TUMKUR JAN. 3. The president of Tumkur City Municipal Council, Pranalinga Shivasali, has said that the CMC has been able to collect only one-third of taxes due to it. Interacting with members of Tumkur Chamber of Commerce here today, Mr. Shivasali said that 34,000 buildings had been assessed for tax and owners of 17,000 vacant sites have also been levied tax, but only one-third of the taxes due has been remitted. Mr. Shivasali, a government official who holds charge of president in the absence of an elected candidate for the post, defended the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS) for property tax. "SAS has brought transparency in the assessment system," he said. Mr. Shivasali said that Rs. 30 crores had been spent on providing under-ground drainage network.

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