Karnataka - Madikeri   

Kodagu Abhivridhi Vedike to back Congress

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, FEB. 19. Kodagu Abhivridhi Vedike has come into being in the district with B.T. Pradeep, former vice-president of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, as its president.

Announcing this at a press conference here today, A.K. Subbaiah, former MLC, said the vedike will keep away from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) led by the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the elections to gram panchayats.

It will support Congress-backed candidates in many gram panchayats in Madikeri and Virajpet taluks, where the Janata Dal (S) is a non-entity, he added.

In Somwarpet taluk, the vedike is carefully watching the situation, Mr. Subbaiah said. It is learnt that there is a rift between the factions led by V.P. Shashidhar, a prominent member of the district Janata Dal (S) unit, and its president, V.P. Aiyappa. Mr. Deve Gowda is expected to visit Somwarpet in a bid to work out a compromise between the two. The vedike will support Mr. Shashidar, Mr. Subbaiah said.

The convener of the vedike in Madikeri taluk is Neravanda Umesh while Hafeez Khan and Kechettira Harish hold the post in Virajpet. Noufel, P.S. Mutha, Indra Kumar, Mohammad Jais, Ajjikuttira Raghu Aiyanna, M.M. Tahir and Sharfuddin are its members in Virajpet taluk.

Accused

Mr. Subbaiah accused the BJP of kidnapping a Kudiya tribal woman from the Ballamavati Gram Panchayat in Madikeri taluk for opposing the party's candidate in that panchayat. Police should initiate action against the kidnappers, he urged.

Mr. Pradeep said youth from any party are welcome to join the vedike to cleanse the administration of corruption and work for the people.

Debate

Mr. Subbaiah, who leads the district unit of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, announced that the sangha will organise a debate to ascertain the stand of various organisations, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. and residents of villages in the southern parts of the district on the controversial Barapole mini-hydel power project in Virajpet taluk, in the second week of March.

Following this, the sangha will, with the help of an expert, undertake a survey to assess the project.

Mr. Subbaiah blamed the Forest Department for stalling some mini-hydel projects such as Irpu in Virajpet taluk.

He also made it clear that landholders in Kodagu will not allow the proposed timber auctions in government depots at Thithimathi and other places in Kodagu on February 24 till the issue of according rights over trees grown on their land to landholders is not resolved by the Government. At the same time, the Government must also ask the Forest Department to release the auction proceeds of the unredeemed timber to landholders who had deposited timber in the depots for sale, he said.

Denying that he is interested in joining the Samajwadi Party to be led by the former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa in Karnataka, Mr. Subbaiah said Mr. Bangarappa should first resign as BJP MP before leading the Samajwadi Party.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Rs. 77 lakhs spent on solar fencing, elephant-proof trenches
Kodagu Abhivridhi Vedike to back Congress
Stir to press for law on admissions
Bank manager suspended

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu