Karnataka   

Briefly

Urban-rural divide to be addressed

Bangalore: The emphasis of the Government in the Suvarna Karnaka year is on solving problems of the common man, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has said.

Speaking during a phone-in programme on a private Kannada television channel on Saturday, he said his `Janata Darshan' and `Grama Vastavya' programmes were an effort at getting to know ordinary people from up close. The Government had several programmes on the anvil to address the urban-rural divide, he said. A comprehensive education policy and a housing policy to help the poor would be drafted by the next financial year, he promised. — Special Correspondent

`Withdraw order on teaching English'

BANGALORE: In a resolution adopted by its executive committee on Friday, the Kannada Sahitya Parishat demanded that the Government withdraw its order on introducing English from the first standard as it was against the resolution adopted at the 72nd Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelan held in Bidar in January 2006.

In a release here on Saturday, the parishat said the order was also not in compliance with the language policy announced by the State Government in 1994. The parishat had authorised the president to take further action in consultation with legal experts, the release added. — Staff Reporter

Suvarna Karnataka notion ridiculed

BANGALORE: Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha president Vatal Nagaraj, MLA, has said that the purpose of `ekikarana' has not been fulfilled even five decades after the formation of the State.

He told presspersons here on Saturday that barring the S. Nijalingappa government, which came to power soon after the formation of the State, no other government had served the cause of Kannada.

Ridiculing the notion of Suvarna Karnataka, he said the State had not registered any development in five decades. The observation of the State's golden jubilee year was only glamorous festival, he said. — Staff Reporter

Congress plans Statewide protests

BANGALORE: State Congress leaders have decided to organise protests and public meetings in all districts in November to highlight what it terms the Janata Dal (S)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government's failure to implementing development works and maintain law and order.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with District Congress Committee presidents here on Saturday to work out a strategy for the protests.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Kharge demanded that the Government bring out a White Paper on the utilisation of funds released by the Centre under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). — Special Correspondent

Ugandan Ministers to meet students

Bangalore: A delegation of high-ranking Ministers and diplomats from Uganda will be visiting Bangalore and will have an interactive session with Ugandan students in various colleges in Bangalore on October 31 from 10.30 am.

College principals have been invited to attend the session on the campus of Dayanand Sagar Institutions and also send their students from Uganda. For details, dial 26662226 or fax 26660789. — Special Correspondent

Full-fledged police station for Hampi

Bangalore: Home Minister M.P. Prakash on Friday said that a full-fledged police station will be established at Hampi in Bellary district for providing security to the growing number of tourists to the world famous Vijayanagar ruins and to prevent offences such as drug peddling in the abandoned mantapas. Mr. Prakash, also the District in-charge Minister, admitted that anti-social activities were going on at various mantapas. — Staff Reporter

Injured man dies

Raichur: Hanumantha (45) sustained severe head injury when a branch of a dried up tree fell on him at Gillesugur village near here on Thursday. He was admitted to a private hospital in Raichur city and later shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality Hospital where he died. The Idapanur police have registered a case. — Staff Correspondent

Workshop

SHIMOGA: Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said here on Saturday that the coir products could enter the export market only if they were globally competent qualitatively. Inaugurating the workshop on coir fibre industries organised by the Coir Board, Parisara Prabha and Abhydaya, he called upon women, farmers and youth to come forward to take up self-employment by starting small-scale industries making use of the schemes and incentives introduced by the government to promote industrialisation. — Special Correspondent

CPI protest

Bidar: The Communist Party of India (CPI) will organise a protest in Bidar on November 7 demanding job security and other benefits to unorganised labour. In a memorandum to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi, party members urged the Union and State Governments to enact laws to protect the interests of unorganised labour. They needed ration cards, provident fund, health insurance benefits, accident insurance, old age pension, and other benefits, party members said. "If the demands are not met, we will organise a nation-wide protest on December 14 and a protest outside Parliament on December 23," said district secretary Baburao Honna. — Staff Correspondent

Education Adalat postponed

DHARWAD: The "Education Adalat" by the Secretary of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education scheduled for October 31 at Dharwad has been put off indefinitely, Additional Commissioner of Public Instruction P.S. Vastrad has said in a press release. — Staff Correspondent

Body found

SIRSI: The half-burnt body of a man was found in the thick forests of Challehole-Kurse village on Sirsi-Kumta Road near here on Thursday, according to police. On a tip-off given by employees of a private telephone company about stench emanating in the mouth of the forest, police found the body. Police suspect the man might have been murdered three or four days ago. A motorcycle was also found at the spot.

— Correspondent

Dance competition

HUBLI: Hangal Music Foundation will organise a classical dance competition in Hubli in November. The competition will be held at Sawai Gandharva Hall in Hubli on November 10, 11 and 12 and on the occasion the Foundation plans to felicitate senior dance teachers of the region. The competition is restricted to the artists of north Karnataka and the winners will get cash prize of Rs. 10,000 and a title "Natya Mayuri/ Mayura", according to a press release. Interested persons can contact Hangal Music Foundation (9886782152), Pushpa Rao (9886177665) or Manjula Kavare (9342684884) for details. — Staff Correspondent

Separate department

PANAJI: Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane on Friday announced that the State Government is contemplating establishing a separate department for pre-primary and primary education. He was speaking at a function organised by Children's Rights in Goa to release a directory of support service for children in Goa. Mr. Rane said the Government wanted to ensure that no child was deprived of education in the State.

— Special Correspondent

Website launched

PANAJI: Chief Minister Prataspingh Rane on Thursday launched the official website www.globalgoans.org.in of Office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs of the State Government. "This website is intended to be a channel of communication between the Office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs and the entire Goan Diaspora worldwide," said Commissioner for NRI Affairs Eduardo Faleiro.

— Special Correspondent

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