Karnataka   

Briefly

Standoff continues in Council

BANGALORE: The Legislative Council was adjourned for the day again on Friday without any business being transacted.

When the House met at 10 a.m., members of the ruling coalition partners and the Opposition held up placards calling for a discussion on the order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. Congress members renewed the demand that an election be held to pick the Chairman of the House, leading to arguments with the Treasury benches.

The officiating Chairman, N. Thippanna, adjourned the House saying he was disappointed with the attitude of the members.

— Staff Reporter

Farmer commits suicide

TUMKUR: A farmer in Manchakalkuppe, near here, committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his house on Thursday, the police said.

The police and the Revenue Department officials identified him as Vasudev, 40. His wife told presspersons that Vasudev asked her to take a cow into the cattle shed. When she returned, she found his body hanging from the ceiling. Vasudev, she said, was in debt and was finding it difficult to repay creditors. — Staff Correspondent

Folk art to be popularised

Bangalore: Minister for Science and Technology Ramachandra Gowda on Friday said the Government would extend support to bring the brilliance of folk art to urban people.

Speaking after inaugurating Suvarna Lokotsava at Janapada Loka near Ramanagaram, he said it was the duty of every citizen to encourage rural and folk art.

Janapada Loka chairman G. Narayana said Karnataka was in the forefront in encouraging folk art in South India.

Ramanagaram MLA C.M. Lingappa inaugurated the handicrafts and food counters. — Staff Reporter

KSRTC gets OHSAS certification

BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has become the first public transport organisation in the country to be certified under the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS 18001:1999) for adopting good practices on occupational health and safety of its employees, a press release from the corporation said on Thursday. Det Norske Veritas, a global provider of risk management services, has awarded the certificate, the release said. — Staff Reporter

Kasaravalli's films to be screened

Manipal: Kasaravalli Film Festival, a two-day screening of films by the renowned director Girish Kasaravalli, will be held at the MIT Auditorium on the Manipal University campus here on February 11 and 12. A Manipal Film Study Centre (MSFC) press release here on Friday said the event was being held to commemorate the centre's first anniversary.

"Dweepa," "Haseena" and "Nayi Neralu" (with English subtitles) will be screened. Mr. Kasaravalli will choose the fourth film. — Staff Correspondent

Man sentenced to three years in jail

HASSAN: Additional District and Sessions Judge H.S. Ramanna on Thursday sentenced N.C. Shanmukappa, 22, of Lakkundi village in Sakleshpur taluk to three years' rigorous imprisonment ordered him to pay a fine of Rs. 5,000.

Shanmukappa hit L.N. Manjunatha Gowda on his head with a sickle and caused grievous injuries. The attack was attributed to a land dispute. — Staff Correspondent

Inauguration

HASSAN: Minister for Public Works and Power H.D. Revanna on Friday inaugurated a gopuram and a "kalasa" at Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in Holenarsipur, 40 km from Hassan. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H.D. Deva Gowda were to attend the function too but could not make it. Mr. Gowda, who was held up in New Delhi, arrived in Bangalore at noon and is likely to visit the temple on Saturday. Mr. Kumaraswamy, however, cancelled his visit at the last minute. Mr. Revanna and wife Ms. Bhavani performed pooja at the temple. — Staff Correspondent

Lawyers protest

HASSAN: Advocates of the Hassan Law Association protested against the statement of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph in Mysore on February 3 that lawyers with a criminal record were being elected to the State Bar Association and Bar Council. Lawyers throughout the State wore red badges. Association president S. Dyave Gowda, Secretary B. Chandrasekhar and Joint Secretary M. Suma led the protest. — Staff Correspondent

Double murder

BELLARY: A case of double murder was reported from Kappagal village near the city on Thursday night. Shubavati (28) and her son Navin (4) were allegedly set on fire by her husband Siddarama. In a complaint filed by Jambanna, Shubavati's father, Siddarama, from Janakunta village in Bellary taluk, came to Kappagal and, dousing his wife and son with petrol, set them ablaze. The Bellary (rural) police have registered a case. — Staff Correspondent

`Hike price'

BIJAPUR: Some farmers of Indi taluk in the district have opposed the decision of Jnanayogi Shivkumar Sugars Ltd. of Hirebevanur to reduce the sugarcane procurement price to Rs. 850 a tonne. At a meeting held in Indi, leaders of farmers such as Appu Suregaum, Shrishaila Jivur, Mahadev Guddodagi, and Shankar Andewadi have alleged that the factory is exploiting the farmers by taking advantage of excess production of sugarcane in the region. — Staff Correspondent

Dharna

GULBARGA: Members of the All-India Agriculture Workers' Association and the Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha on Friday staged a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner's office here demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh take steps to ensure the smooth passage of a Bill to protect the rights of farm workers. — Special Correspondent

`Suspend police personnel'

PANAJI: Chairman of Students Cell of Goa Youth Congress Sunil Kavthankar has demanded that the State Government should immediately suspend police personnel responsible for the alleged "misbehaviour" with female students in the morcha held by students in the city on Tuesday demanding computers under State Cyberage scheme. Mr. Kavthankar said on Thursday, "We support the cause of the students, but blame the erstwhile Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition Government for the mess under the Cyberage scheme." — Special Correspondent

Phone services disrupted

Sirsi: A number of telephone subscribers of Dorangiri area in Kakkalli Telephone Exchange have complained that telephone services are being disrupted from the past one month. Complaints have been lodged with the Telephone Exchange and memorandums submitted to the officials concerned but no action has been taken so far, according to a release here on Friday. Telephone subscribers have said that they are regularly paying telephone bills. Moreover, the area is about 40 km from Sirsi and in hilly terrain. Telephone services are essential here. So immediate repair work should be taken up, said the telephone subscribers. — Correspondent

Market for vanilla

Sirsi: The future of vanilla market is bright because MTR is going to purchase 37 per cent of vanilla products for its food products if the processing system is improved, said Canara MP Anant Kumar Hegde at a seminar and workshop on Cocoa and Cashew Development and information on National Horticulture Mission at Vanalli in Sirsi taluk on Friday. Cashew growers should take the help of the Cashew Board along with National Horticulture Mission. There is ample opportunity for horticulture in the district as Uttara Kannada has been declared as a "Horticulture District", he said. Assistant Director of Agriculture Subramanya welcomed the gathering.

— Correspondent

Homoeo clinics

PANAJI: Goa Minister for Health Dayanand Narvekar has said Homoeopathic clinics manned by Homoeopathic doctors will be established in the State within next three months. Mr. Narvekar was speaking at Shivshail-Shiroda in Central Goa after inaugurating Phoenix-07, a two-day cultural event for professional colleges in the faculty of medicine, engineering, pharmacy and architecture on Friday.

— Special Correspondent

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