The Hindu : Karnataka News : Lambani hamlet done up for Chief Minister’s visit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 14, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

Lambani hamlet done up for Chief Minister’s visit

Suresh Bhat

Rathods are staying at a relatives’ place to keep renovated house clean

PROUD HOSTS: Members of the Rathod family in front of their house at Surmutyan tanda of Indi taluk where Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is scheduled to stay overnight on September 16.

SURMUTYAN TANDA (INDI TALUK): This small Lambani hamlet bordering Maharashtra is again gearing up to welcome Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is scheduled to stay here overnight on Sunday.

He will have dinner with Maruti Vithoba Rathod and his family members in their single-room house and spend a night in the adjacent community hall. In fact, the Rathods were prepared to host the high profile guest on June 22 but the programme was cancelled at the eleventh hour because of rain.

When the tanda was chosen for VIP’s visit in June, it hardly had basic amenities. The official machinery swung into action. A four-km asphalted road was laid to the tanda from Jigajinagi in 48 hours.

A one-and-a-half km water pipeline was laid. More electric poles were erected for streetlights.

The crumbling thatched house of the Rathods was rebuilt. Earlier, it had a mud wall but now it has proper walls, mud coat is given. The floor is replaced with slabs of “shabadi” stone. A four-foot high front door is the ventilation for this 18x9 feet sized hut (There is no window).

The roof continues to be thatched one but it is laid robustly. A strong bamboo mesh is put underneath the thatched cover. Electrification was done. A compound was built, and a roofless (open) “bathroom” and a “toilet” came up adjacent to the compound wall.

The Rathods could not believe the pace at which the work was going on. However, much to their disappointment they were told by the officials not to stay in the renovated house till the Chief Minister’s arrival. It was done so to keep the house clean for the VIP dinner. Almost for three months, the Rathods stayed in a nearby “rented” outhouse owned by their relative Gangaram Jadav, alias Dharma Pujari.

Dinner

They were keen to prepare dinner for the VIP on their own. Ms. Rathod’s menu includes ‘chapati, ‘vegetable sabji’, ‘kal bazi’, ‘rice bath’ ‘shenga holige’ and chicken masala.

According to official sources, dinner would have all these items but some chefs were engaged for the purpose. However, the Rathods would be asked to serve the food, they said.

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

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section