Karnataka to get three new railway lines: Gadag-Wadi

Source: Economics Times

"Three new railway lines - Gadag-Wadi, Kengeri-Chamrajnagar and Srinivasapura-Madanapalled - have been approved (by the Railway Board)," he said delivering keynote address at Business Standard Infrastructure Round Table 2011 here.

About Rs 24,000 crore worth projects are being undertaken in the state, including 2,137 km of new railway line in Karnataka, Gowda said. "Gauge conversion and line doubling works also are being undertaken," he added.

The state government has also received in-principle approval for Metro Phase II from the Central Government, he added.

About air connectivity, Gowda said both Shimoga and Gulbarga airports, being developed under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), would be operational before July 2012.

As many as 105 infrastructure projects under PPP format are underway in the state and are at various stages of development involving an investment of Rs 80,946 crore, he said.

Karnataka has been at the forefront in various sectors including education, health, business, communication and information technology, he said.

"The state contributes up to 8 per cent of India's industrial income and 9.8 per cent of product exports," Gowda said. Karnataka is the seventh largest and fifth most urbanised state and ranks third as a recipient of FDI, the chief minister said.

Gowda also said the government was taking up major projects like the greenfield port at Tadadi, Dabhol-Bangalore gas pipeline, city gas distribution for Bangalore, international transit centre at Subhashnagar and traffic/transport management centre at Hebbal.

Gulbarga - Inter-State highway: 65 p.c. work completed

Source: The Hindu

Nearly 65 per cent of the upgrading of the 139-km long inter-State highway connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, passing through Gulbarga district, has been completed, according to sources.

The remaining portion is likely to be completed well before the deadline of December 2012.

The Government awarded the work on Build-Own-Operate-and Transfer (BOOT) model to a Hyderabad-based consortium for Rs. 240 crore.

Sixty-two per cent of the cost is being borne by the contractor, 20 per cent by the Union Government, and 18 per cent by the State Government.

Official sources told The Hindu that the Government and the consortium were in the final stages of reaching an agreement on toll rates for vehicles .

According to sources, the final black-topping has been completed up to 95 km of the total road length. As per the contractual agreement, the consortium would be allowed to own and operate the road for 28 years and the maintenance would be looked after by the contractor.

The work in the remaining length had been hastened along with the remodelling of small bridges. However, the Government had not cleared the proposal for construction of a new bridge across the Kagina near the Uttaridi Math in Malkhed. During monsoon, the bridge gets submerged and the traffic is disrupted.

Sharanprakash Patil, Sedam MLA, had proposed the construction of a new bridge across the river and Public Works Minister C.M. Udasi had given consent for that.

He asked the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) to submit a proposal to the Government.

The KRDCL had proposed a new bridge costing Rs. 50 crore, but it has not been approved.

Textile parks to come up in five districts - One in Belgaum

Source: DHNS
The Textiles Department will set up Textile Parks in Belgaum, Chitradurga, Kolar, Tumkur and Chikkaballapur, Textiles Minister Varthur Prakash said on Thursday.

Addressing the media in Bangalore, Prakash said the government would give a subsidy of Re 1 per unit of the electricity consumed by factories that will be set up in the Textile Parks.

The minister said there were around 55,000 weavers in the State and efforts were being made to provide houses to all of them.

Presently, housing has been provided to 25,000 weavers. Around 350 families have been identified in the Naxal-hit areas of the State, where the department will impart training in weaving.

Prakash said the Textile sector had attracted an investment of around Rs 500 crore. He said he would shortly hold discussions with Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri to resolve the school uniform distribution problem.

His department is presently finding it difficult to meet the Education department’s demand.
He said the actual requirement would be ascertained from the Education department, following which a decision will be taken on the total number of uniforms to be distributed.

[Dharwad] Prepaid autorickshaw counter opened

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article2539386.ece

A prepaid autorickshaw counter was inaugurated at the railway station hereby Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissioner K. Ramachandra Rao on Friday.

He said the prepaid counter was a long-pending demand of the public. Such counters would be set up at the new bus-stand, Hubli railway station, and Hubli old bus-stand, he added.

The notification issued by the Government on fares to be charged by prepaid autorickshaw drivers had been displayed at the counter. Policemen would be deployed to monitor its functioning, he said.

Notification

As per the notification, the minimum fare is Rs. 15 for the first 1.6 km and after that Rs. 10 for every km. Presiding over the programme, Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain said auto service should improve along with public transport.

Service tax

A service tax of Re. 1 would be charged towards the maintenance of the counter and salary of the operator manning the counter, he said.

Regional Transport Officer J. Purshottam, Deputy Commissioner of Police P.R. Bhatkurki and Assistant Commissioners of Police Sanjiv Patil and N.S. Patil spoke.

Two new ITIs sanctioned for Haveri

Source: The Hindu

The Government has sanctioned two new Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) for the district that would come up at Hanagala and Ranebennur, said Minister for Labour B.N. Bache Gowda.

Inaugurating a new ITI building constructed at a cost of Rs. 3 crore at Akkialur here on Monday, Mr. Gowda said the Government was committed to sanctioning ITIs based on the requirement of the region to train the rural youth.

It was important to provide industrial training to the youth to tap job opportunities in the growing industrial sector. The Government had decided to set up at least 37 new ITIs in the State, of which 10 had already come up.

Construction of ITIs in Shiggaon and Guttala was under progress, the Minister informed.

Recruitment @ Bidar

Direct recruitment of drivers and staff nurses for Arogya Kavacha, the emergency ambulance service, would be held at the district employment exchange here on September 23. Details can be had from the employment exchange office by calling 7829993753 or 9686569793, said a release. — Staff Correspondent

Rahi venture begins Gulbarga airport project

Source: http://www.inewsone.com/2011/08/11/rahi-venture-begins-gulbarga-airport-project/68039

Bangalore, Aug 10 (IANS) Regional Airport-Holdings International Ltd (Rahi), a joint venture (JV) between Comet Infra-Developments Pvt. Ltd (CIDL) and IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL), commenced project work on building a regional airport at Gulbarga in north Karnataka, about 600 km from here, a top company official said Wednesday.

‘After achieving financial closure in June with our equity partners and banks, we have started the project work to build the regional airport on the outskirts of Gulbarga for commencing operations by July 1, 2012,’ Rahi founder-chairman Umesh Kumar Baveja told reporters here.

The JV also plans to launch a feeder airline service with four-five short-haul aircraft and offer the airstrip with 1,900 metres runway, airport terminal and associated services to state-run and private airlines to make optimal utilisation of the upcoming aviation infrastructure.

The Rs.210-crore greenfield project is coming up in 371 acres of land, 15 km from Gulbarga, on build, operate and transfer (BOT) model under public-private partnership between the state government and a consortium comprising the JV partners, Nagarjuna Constructions Company (NCC) and Vienna International Airport (VIE Indien).

Holding 22 percent (Rs.15.5 crore) in the equity capital of Rs.70.25 crore, Rahi raised the remaining Rs.54.75 crore from ITNL, NCC and VIE, who hold 26 percent each in the consortium.

With a debt-equity ratio of 3:1, Rahi raised Rs.139.75 crore towards debt from three state-run banks, with Bank of Baroda as the lead bank.
‘In the remaining 322 acres of the total land, measuring 692 acres, we propose to build clusters for setting up industrial units in diverse verticals such as aerospace, electronics, horticulture, floriculture and retail for speedy transportation of their goods and services,’ Baveja said.
Though the project was originally allotted to the consortium led by the Hyderabad-based Mytas Infra Ltd, founded by scam-tainted B. Ramalinga Raju of Satyam Computer Services Ltd, Rahi became the lead promoter after IL&FS acquired Mytas and formed the JV with 40 percent holding.
‘The 30-year concession period given by the state government for the project is extendable by another 30 years as part of the bid,’ Baveja pointed out.

The consortium will pay the state government Rs.20,232 per annum towards lease for the entire land with 10 percent increase after every three years.
The consortium also bagged the Rs.240-crore regional airport project near Shimoga, about 280 km from here in central Karnataka, geographically known as Malnad region.
‘Work on the Shimoga airport project will commence soon after achieve financial closure in September on the lines of the Gulbarga project under BOT and will be made operational by Sep 1, 2012,’ Baveja noted.
The state government has allotted the consortium 662 acres of land about 9km from Shimoga city for the airport project in 342 acres and the industrial clusters around it in the remaining 320 acres with a 30-year concession period.

Public Notice: Sanjay B Tenginkai Complaints - Fraud cheating

Source: http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/sanjay-b-tenginkai-c585174.html

Fraud cheating

Sanjay Tenginkai MD of of www.smsprojects.biz (sai multi services Belgaum) absconding.
Collected about 100 crores of money by luring with 10% interest per annum and is now absconding.
Only one month interest he paid thereafter nothing. All the phone lines of him were closed and not working.
When contacted his wife at Belgaum she says that her husband is KIDNAPPED and kidnappers asking huge sum of money. Its all drama.
Its a big cheating and fraud company. He used to say he has big Buffallo farm at Belgaum giving huge returns.
Please dont invest in his company.
He has now opened new website to cheat ie www.pmshelpline.net (Portfolio Management Services). Trading in share market, investing in real estate, financing, etc.
DONT INVEST....

Sai multi services group

http://pmshelpline.net/cmd_desk.asp (Portfolio Management Services) new website from the fraudsters group Sai Multi Services, Belgaum.

http://www.saimultiservices.com/

http://www.smsprojects.biz/

http://smsshoppe.com/

all r run by the same group of fraudsters. its a very big gang of fraudsters continuously cheating and expanding into different regions.
LEADERS ARE:
BASAVARAJ MANNUR, MARUTI PONDE, SHRIDHAR, PRABHU ARAGODDI, ANJINAPPA AND MANY MORE...

sai multi services contact numbers
ADMIN - 0831-4217430
Customer care - 0831-4216387
Inward - 0831-4217425
Outward - 0831-4217427
Bonds - 0831 - 4217428
Backoffice - 0831 - 4217423
FAX - 0831 - 4216386
Accounts - 0831 - 4217424
Belgaum Shop - 0831 - 4217429
No one is lifting the above phone numbers

[Belgaum] Sugarcane Research and Development Centre planned

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article2291660.ece

The State Government has decided to establish Sugarcane Research and Development Centre in Yargatti in Hukkeri taluk, the home taluk of Agriculture Minister and district in-charge Umesh V. Katti.

According to Mr. Katti, the centre would come up under the aegis of the Belgaum-based S. Nijalingappa Sugar Institute, University of Agriculture Sciences Dharwad and Department of Agriculture.

The Government will provide Rs. 5 crore towards establishment of the centre.

The establishment of the centre in this part of the State was in view of the fact that both Belgaum and Bagalkot districts in north Karnataka with 28 sugar mills in cooperative and private sectors have emerged as major sugarcane and sugar producers in the State. But though the sugar recovery percentage was relatively more than in the mills in south Karnataka there is a strong need to improve crop yield and productivity as well in this region.

The centre will help sugarcane growers adopt scientific farming practices to boost production of sugarcane in the State.

Bus Rapid System gets Govt nod - Hubli-Dharwad included

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/171140/bus-rapid-system-gets-govt.html

The State Cabinet on Thursday approved the scheme for introducing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system proposed in the recent budget with a nominal outlay of Rs 25 crore.

Aimed at offering seamless travel through on dedicated bus lanes, there are proposals of introducing the system in Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli and Dharwad. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Higher Education Minister V S Acharya said a 30-km corridor between Silk Board Junction and Hebbal has been identified in Bangalore for introducing BRT at an estimated cost of Rs 550 crore. Similarly, the Mysore BRT will have corridors totalling 160 km at an estimated cost of Rs 1,173 crore, while the Hubli-Dharwad corridors will stretch for 31 km. Unhindered movement Stating that these dedicated bus lanes will be constructed for unhindered movement of buses, Acharya said the State might utilise funds from the Jawharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for parts of the projects in Bangalore and Mysore. The detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor in Bangalore is ready, he said, adding: “But it is going through some modification.” The DPR for the Mysore project is under review. In Hubli and Dharwad, they said, the DPR is in the process of being prepared. “Roads are being widened in Hubli and Dharwad, and the BRT corridor will be part of this project –– with four lanes dedicated for the BRT,” he said, adding that DPR for Hubli-Dharwad was being prepared. Further, he said the Centre (Urban Development Department) has given approval in principle for the project and the same, after the completion of procedures, could be submitted to avail assistance from the World Bank, through its sustainable urban transport development scheme.

NWKRTC gets approval to take up infrastructure work

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/article2085719.ece

Hubli, June 7: The North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) has got approval its governing council to take up infrastructure, developmental and several other works, including expanding Bilagi bus depot, constructing new bus stations at Siddapur, Hangal, Kamadolli, Sankeshwar and Mishrikoti, developing the Gokak bus depot, and upgrading bus stations at Munavalli, Amingad, Rona and other places. According to NWKRTC the release, the council also cleared recruitment drive to fill the posts of technical assistant, driver and driver-cum-conductor as per the requirement. — Our Bureau

[Dharwad] Campus interview @ JSS College by First Source, a BPO firm

Source: The Hindu



First Source, a BPO firm, will conduct interviews at JSS College here on May 30. Students who have passed PUC/diploma/degree and those who have passed SSLC with minimum six months of experience can take part. Candidates should have knowledge of computers and know Kannada, English and Hindi. For details, call 0836-2460886. — Staff Correspondent

[Gulbarga] Phase I of IT park almost ready

Source: The Hindu


Works under this phase will be over in August; leading IT firms invited

Much-awaited:The establishment of the IT park will open employment avenues for engineering graduates of Gulbarga region.

The much-awaited information technology (IT) park that will provide employment opportunities for trained professionals in Gulbarga is in its final stages of completion. The first phase of the building, which will house offices, is coming up fast on the outskirts of Gulbarga on the ring road.

The Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. (KEONICS), which was entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the IT park, decided to take up the work in three phases.

Budget

Official sources toldThe Hinduhere on Saturday that KEONICS had prepared an estimate of Rs. 26 crore to establish the IT park over 1.5 lakh sq.m.

In the first phase, it has proposed to set up infrastructure over 50,000 sq.m. at a cost of Rs. 10.57 crore.

The first phase of works, which began in October last year, is expected to be completed in August.As per the information available, many leading IT companies had been approached by the State Government and KEONICS to encourage them to establish units in Gulbarga and open employment avenues for trained professionals.

Gulbarga, which has at least four engineering colleges and two more in the offing, trains thousands of professionals every year, none of whom get a chance to work within the city. The establishment of the IT park would open avenues of employment to these professionals not only from Gulbarga but also from the neighbouring Bidar, Bijapur and Raichur districts.

Firstsource to hire 500 in Hubli unit over 2-3 months

Source: http://www.sify.com/finance/firstsource-to-hire-500-in-hubli-unit-over-2-3-months-news-economy-lesrOseaiib.html



Firstsource Solutions plans to hire 500 employees at its BPO centre in Hubli, Karnataka, over the next two to three months, an official source told Reuters on Monday.
The firm plans to hire staff to service two telecom clients, the source said.
The company started its Hubli centre in 2007 with 200 employees.
Shares of the Mumbai-based firm, which the market values at 8.35 billion rupees, closed down 3.09 percent in a weak Mumbai market.

Five new layouts planned in Belgaum

BELGAUM: Belgaum Urban Development Authority (BUDA) has identified 455 acres of land at Kanabargi, Anagol, and Hindalaga on the outskirts of the city to develop five layouts.
The process to acquire 160.1 acres in Kanabargi is in final stages. As many as 2,120 sites will be developed there. About 145.35 acres have been identified at Bhagyanagar in Anagol, where 1,700 sites will come up.

BUDA will acquire 114.33 acres and 29.34 acres for the two layouts planned in Hindalaga, which will collectively have 1,740 sites. The government has approved four projects, while the one for Kapileshwar Layout -where 50 sites will come up on 5.33 acres - is awaited.

BUDA is offering 40% of the developed land to farmers, instead of compensation. BUDA commissioner D S Chougula and local representatives convened several meetings with farmers to convince them. "Over 50% of them are committed to BUDA," Chougula told STOI.

"The farmers will benefit from the 40:60 deal with BUDA. The present per-acre rate is Rs 18-20 lakh, but they will get around Rs 50-70 lakh after getting 7-8 gunta developed land," he said.

Trial run conducted on new Bidar-Gulbarga railway line

Source: The Hindu

Get set, go: An engine leaves Khanapur junction near Bidar for the trial run on the new Khanapur-Humnabad line.

South Central Railway officials conducted a trial run on the newly-constructed Khanapur-Humnabad line on Monday.

This 38-km stretch has been completed in the first phase of the 108-km Bidar-Gulbarga railway line. “The work on the line is complete and it is ready for inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety,” S. Subramanya, Deputy Chief Engineer (Construction), South Central Railway, told presspersons at the Khanapur junction on Monday.

The Khanapur junction was being used for operations and track-changing. But it was not yet being used for passenger services. Mr. Subramanya said work on the Bidar-Gulbarga line had been divided into three parts. “The first phase of 38 km is complete. Earth work is complete in the second phase of 17 km and railway tracks are being laid. Of the 43 km in the third phase, earth work is under progress in the 10-km stretch between Gulbarga and Tajsultanpur,” he said.

Officials estimate the total line between Khanapur and Gulbarga will be completed by 2014. The total cost of the project is around Rs. 400 crore. Of this, Rs. 150 crore has been spent on the first phase.

Work on Gulbarga airport starts from April 1

Source: The Hindu

At long last: The airport will be constructed on 693 acres of land at Srinivas Saradgi village on the outskirts of Gulbarga. — FILE PHOTO

The construction of the much-delayed greenfield airport on the outskirts of Gulbarga is scheduled to take off on April 1.

The airport will be constructed on 693 acres of land at Srinivas Saradgi village.

Official sources told The Hindu here on Sunday that a high-level team from Gulbarga Airport Developers Ltd. (GADL), a conglomeration of financial companies and infrastructure developers who have been awarded the contract for construction, would arrive here soon to begin work on the runway and other infrastructure.

Within two years

In May 2010, the State Government inked a memorandum of understanding with GADL in this regard, with a condition to complete work within two years. A spokesperson of the GADL said the group was confident that they would complete the construction of all facilities within the stipulated period and introduce air services to the people here.

GADL has also assured the State that the runway will be complete by May 21.

According to sources in the State Government, once the runway is complete, a team from the Airports Authority of India would visit the site and give its final nod for the installation of infrastructure that would enable the landing and taking off of aircrafts.

GADL is also expected to start negotiations with air service operators when construction work takes off.

As per latest details available, the airport is likely to be made operational as soon as June 21 this year.

Remaining land

The initial proposal suggested that the airport would come up on 400 acres. GADL is yet to decide on how to use the remaining 293 acres available. The group plans to take up a feasibility study of the remaining land. There was also a proposal to increase the area for the airport by adding more facilities, sources said.

The Gulbarga airport would initially have a medium-sized runway of 1,550 m, which is sufficient to operate ATR 72 aircrafts. In the second phase, the runway length would be extended to 3,100 m, to enable larger aircrafts such as those from Airbus and 737s to land. The second phase will be taken up based on demand and the traffic situation after five years.

---

Airport likely to be made operational by June 21

GADL yet to decide how to use remaining land

Karnataka to relocate Bellary zoo near Hampi

Source: DHNS

Karnataka will soon come up with a world-class zoo near heritage site Hampi by relocating the Bellary zoo, officials said.

The zoo in Bellary would be relocated to a new site, next to Hampi, in Kamalapura reserve forest in Hospet Taluk as conditions for animals and birds are not ideal there, Karnataka's Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests M N Jayakumar told PTI. "Government of India has already given its approval for this new zoo to be built with an investment of nearly Rs 70 crore and for which construction will begin very soon," said Jayakumar, who is also Member-Secretary of Zoo Authority of Karntaka. The new zoo with larger space for animals will be easily accessible for tourists coming to Hampi, he said.

[Bellary] Swastik Steel plans to set up integrated steel plant in Karnataka.

Source: http://domexinfo.in/blog/?p=1566

Metallurgy
Status: Planning
Promoter: Swastik Steel (Hospet) Private Limited
Project Name: Integrated Steel Plant
Capacity: Sponge Iron-200 TPD, Beneficiated Iron Ore-1.2 MTPA, Iron Ore Pellets-1.2 MTPA, Bar And Rolled Products – 482,500 TPA and CPP-140 MW
Location: Hospet, Dist Bellary, Karnataka
Current Status: As of March 2011, work on the project is under planning stage. Necessary clearances for the project are awaited.

Airtel unveils 3G services in North Karnataka

Source: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/airtel-unveils-3G-services-in-North-Karnataka/5113113082

The North Karnataka region has over 30% of airtel’s customer base having GPRS connectivity. Besides, the region has the second largest number of 3G enabled handsets in Karnataka after the city of Bangalore.

Bharti airtel, India’s largest telecommunications company, announced the launch of its 3G service in the North Karnataka towns of Hubballi, Dharwad & Belagavi today. Home to the largest customer base of airtel mobile customers in Karnataka, these towns today joined the airtel 3G map in India, to offer unparalleled airtel internet experience on 3G. This follows the successful 3G launches in Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore, Udupi, Manipal, Shimoga, Davanagere & Tumkur.  The North Karnataka region has over 30% of airtel’s customer base having GPRS connectivity. Besides, the region has the second largest number of 3G enabled handsets in Karnataka after the city of Bangalore. With nearly 50% of retailers in North Karnataka selling airtel GPRS packs, this is a very apt region for the availability of 3G services.    Firmly entrenched as an industrial hub in Karnataka, airtel’s 3G operations are set to change the way North Karnataka functions.  When 3G operations are underway, many customers will get to experience the differentiators that airtel brings to the table.  airtel internet on 3G gives customers the power of higher speeds to enjoy multimedia services, high-speed mobile broadband and internet access with the ability to view videos on your mobile phone, make video calls, watch live TV, access high speed internet and enjoy live streaming at never before speeds.  Speaking at the launch, Mr. Venkatesh V, CEO - Karnataka Circle, Mobile Services, Bharti airtel Ltd said, "The launch of our 3G services is the start of a new era, the beginning of a journey of mobile internet revolution in Karnatak. As we begin our operations in North Karnataka, we believe that it is a transformational shift we are ushering in. We aim to bring to our customers an enriched user experience on the back of a world class delivery. The launch of mobile number portability services is an added bonus for all those seeking 3G services for video calls and enjoy the advantage to the power of mobile internet"  airtel’s 3G services, delivered on a state-of-the-art high speed HSPA network, usher in a new era of unique life enriching services in entertainment, utility, commerce and health – all now on the customer’s mobile phone.  The launch of its 3G services is a key milestone in Bharti airtel’s vision to play a leading role in delivering the power of the mobile internet to an increasing number of people in India. With the mobile industry across the world expecting to connect 2.4 billion people to the internet over the next five years, most for the first time, it is incumbent upon service providers to bring all the ecosystem players together in a cohesive manner – handset manufacturers, equipment vendors, application developers and even consumers – to scale up the penetration for 3G services in the country.  Comparison between 2G and 3G  2G/ 2.5G 3G Speed 10 kbps to 256 kbps Up to 21 Mbps EXPERIENCE Voice plus basic  Data Applications Advanced data applications APPLICATIONS Digital Voice & Circuit switched Digital voice, Packet & Circuit Switched 2G 3G Music download 1 min 6s Blogs 37 s 7s Email ppt 4 min 25s Photo viewing 10s 1s Video clip viewing 2 min 12s PPT viewing 4 min 24 s Latency 100ms 50 ms Keeping the focus on the user experience and relevant services, airtel’s 3G price plans are personalised and simple to understand:  1. PAYG VBC (Pay as you go): For all existing airtel 2G customers who want to experience the power of airtel internet on 3G for a short while, this tariff plan is the solution. The customer will pay the same prevailing data rates as on 2G service, but with the advantage of a faster mobile broadband. 2. Sachet Plans: The objective of these plans is to drive mass trial and adoption of 3G, and will serve as the natural upgrade path to higher rental plans. These plans will have validity of lesser than or equal to 10 days. Name of the plan MRP Free Data Validity Sachet Plan Rs. 9 10 MB 1 day (Same day) Sachet Plan (Time based) Rs. 45  30 minutes 1 day (Same day) Sachet Plan Rs. 60 65 MB 3 day 3. Standard Plans: These plans are best suited for the mid to high-end users of data and will have a validity of 30 days. Name of the plan MRP - Prepaid MRP - Postpaid Free Data Validity Standard Plan Rs. 103 Rs. 100 100MB 30 Days Standard Plan Rs. 200 Rs. 200 250MB 30 Days Standard Plan Rs. 450 Rs. 450 600MB 30 Days Standard Plan Rs. 750 Rs. 750 2GB 30 Days 4. FlexiShield Plan: This plan has a combination of free data usage and a low inbuilt VBC rate. The plan is constructed in a way that it provides the customer, the flexibility to start from a relatively lower initial rental commitment and shields from a bill shock. Name of the plan MRP -Prepaid MRP - Postpaid Plan Details Validity FlexiShield Plan Rs. 675 Rs. 675 Initial Free Data of 1.25GB. After the initial free data is exhausted, VBC rate of 1p/100Kb, will be applicable for data usage at 3G speed, till total Data Bill reaches Rs. 2000. After reaching bill cap, customer can continue to enjoy internet access, at speed of  20Kbps 30 Days Note: Sachet Plans available only on Prepaid, FlexiShield Plan available on both postpaid & prepaid airtel has also introduced a first of its kind internet usage calculator that will help customers monitor and analyse their current internet data usage and choose an airtel 3G plan accordingly.

First Multiplex of Gulbarga-Fun cinemas @ Shetty Town Talkies(4 screens)

About SHETTY’S TALKIE TOWN, GULBARGA
* 1st Multiplex in Gulbarga
* 4 Screens – more variety, more choice!
* Splendid Picture Quality, Terrific Audio System
* Movies in All Languages – Hindi, Kannada, Telgu, English & many more…
* Pleasant & Comfortable Air-Cooled Auditoriums
* Neat ‘n Clean Snack-Bars



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[Gulbarga] Rs. 8.27 cr. released for 220 drinking water schemes in the 13th Plan

Source: The Hindu

Water Resources Minister and district in charge Basavaraj Bommai has said the Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat had released Rs. 8.27 crore for 220 drinking water schemes in the 13th Plan.

Of this, the zilla panchayat will get Rs 1.18 crore, gram panchayats Rs. 4 crore and taluk panchayats Rs. 2.3 crore, Mr. Bommai said during the Karnataka Development Programme review meeting here on Wednesday.

He said that all panchayats should approve action plans by April 15. He lamented that 13 of the 90 works approved last year under the Calamity Relief Fund were yet to be completed. He asked officials to complete the works immediately.

He asked Gescom officials to provide power supply for drinking water schemes on priority. Mr. Bommai directed officials to provide water to villages on the banks of the Bheema by drawing water from the river. He promised to release funds for the project.

He asked ZP officials to release money to the taluk-level drinking water task force.

Mr. Bommai also asked panchayat development officers to pay surprise visits to sites where work on drinking water supply schemes was under way.

[Belgaum] Zuari in process of acquiring land for urea plant in Karnataka

Source: Economic Times


NEW DELHI: Fertiliser-maker Zuari Industries Ltd on Wednesday said it is in the process of acquiring land to set up a Rs 5,000 crore gas-based urea plant in Karnataka with an annual capacity of 1.3 million tonnes a year.

"The company has got approval from the Karnataka government to go ahead with the project. We have started the process of acquiring land in Belgaum district," Zuari Industries Executive Vice Chairman H S Bawa told reporters on the sidelines of a press conference.

"The project is estimated at Rs 5,000 crore," and it will will be built in Belgaum district, bordering Maharashtra and Goa, which has a gas pipeline running through it, he said. Natural gas is a feedstock for fertiliser plants.

The plant will be built near the Dabhol-Bangalore gas pipeline project, which is expected to complete by 2012-13, he added.

Bawa was here at a ceremony to reposition 21 group companies, including Zuari Industries, led by industrialist Saroj Poddar, under an unified banner -- Adventz.

The Belgaum plant will be commissioned by 2015-16 after the government's new fertiliser investment policy comes into force, he said, hoping the policy will be constructive and it will be investor-friendly.

Apart from Belgaum, Zuari Industries is also looking at land acquisition near Karwar, in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, for building a phosphate and customised fertiliser plant at an estimated investment of Rs 700 crore, he noted.

Regarding the conversion of its Goa fertiliser plant from naptha to a gas unit, Bawa said, "By 2012, we are hopeful that the plant will be converted to a gas-based unit with the use of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) initially".

As and when the domestic gas becomes available, the unit will switch over to gas, he added.

Presently, the Goa plant has the capacity to produce 8,00,000 tonnes of phosphate a year. After the revamp, the capacity would rise to one million tonnes a year.

The country imported 16.17 million tonnes fertilisers in April-November this fiscal, almost equal to the total import of 16.38 million tonnes during the entire 2009-10.

India meets 85 per cent of its urea requirement through indigenous production, but is largely dependent on imports for meeting the phosphorus and potassium requirement, either as finished fertilisers or raw materials.

[Hubli] Proposal to set up ITSEZ

Source: The Hindu

An Information Technology Special Economic Zone (ITSEZ) has been proposed to be set up in Hubli to tap the potential in the IT sector.

Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain told The Hindu that the proposed ITSEZ has been planned to be set up on 100 acres of land belonging to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) at Gamanagatti village near Hubli.

The KIADB possesses around 500 acres of lands of which 100 acres had been proposed to be set apart for the proposed ITSEZ. The process of land acquisition completed a year ago and there would be no hurdles to kick off ITSEZ works once the Government gives a nod to it and the statutory requirements were met, he said.

According to Mr. Jain there a proposal to this effect was pending as it could not be moved forward due to the global economic meltdown that left IT sector in bad shape. Now, as the recession period was over and the IT sector was looking for expansion, it would be in the fitness of things to set up ITSEZ in Hubli.

Besides, the cost factor, improved infrastructure and recreation facilities along with availability of trained human resource makes Hubli an ideal destination for the ITSEZ.

Stakeholders of the IT industry, academicians and several others stressed on the need to set up the ITSEZ at a meeting on IT-related issues convened by the district administration recently. It would also help tap potentials of north Karnataka and promote economic activities in the region.

However, whether the ITSEZ is to be established by the KIADB or by private parties was under contemplation. A majority people at the meeting opined that it would be better if a private party established the ITSEZ.

“In that case, an anchoring IT company has to be identified. I have already sent a communication to some major IT companies in this regard”, Mr. Jain added.

[Gulbarga] Infosys to take up sanitation project

Source: The Hindu

Infosys Foundation has evinced interest in constructing toilets in the houses of both below the poverty line (BPL) and above the poverty line (APL) families in rural areas in the Hyderabad Karnataka region to improve sanitation.

The foundation has been in touch with the officials of the zilla panchayat to work out details of funding the project and on how to get beneficiaries also involved. According to a note submitted by the foundation, the toilets would be different from those constructed earlier at a cost of Rs. 4,000 each. They would be strong and durable structures that would last at least 25 years. The design of the toilets includes a two-compartment plastered septic tank, a soak pit, 6-ft-high brick walls, an RCC roof, a ventilator and a metal door, costing around Rs. 18,000 in all. The foundation said that the existing toilets constructed under the Total Sanitation Campaign were primitive, and the pits designed for them were faulty as they got filled with water during the rainy season.

When contacted, Chief Executive Officer of the Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat Salma Fahim confirmed that the proposal had been received from Infosys Foundation, including a formula for meeting the expenditure. While the zilla panchayat would contribute Rs. 3,000 each for BPL families, APL families would have provide this amount. The beneficiaries would be provided bank loans of Rs. 7,000 each. The Krishna Grameena Bank had agreed to provide loans to one village on a pilot basis and later extend it to other villages.

Ms. Fahim said that the bank had also agreed to treat the release of Rs. 7,000 as a long-term loan so that the beneficiaries could repay it in five years at Rs. 140 a month. The remaining Rs. 8,000 would be borne by the foundation.

The foundation proposes to construct at least 10,000 toilets on a pilot basis in the villages selected by the administration in the Hyderabad Karnataka region.

Fly into Belgaum after sunset: DGCA Clearance For Night Landing Facility

Source: TOI

BELGAUM: The much awaited night landing facility at Belgaum airport, Sambra, has been cleared by the Airport Authority of India in view of the World Kannada Meet (WKM) to be held in Belgaum from March 11-13. This was a long pending demand of the people of Belgaum.

Though the facility was set up about six months ago, officials were awaiting clearance from the authorities concerned. With WKM approaching, the night landing facility was cleared by the Director General of Civil Aviation, said Prabhakar Kore, chairman, World Kannada Meet Reception Committee.

"We were worried about receiving those arriving by flight. We were constantly in touch with the civil aviation ministry and insisted that they inspect the facility for clearance. On Sunday afternoon, we got information from the DGCA that the night landing facility has got the nod," he added.

Currently only a Kingfisher flight operates from Belguam to Mumbai. There are no flights to Bangalore from Belgaum.

"We have requested UB chairman Vijay Mallya to introduce air services directly from Belgaum to Bangalore. We have got a positive response from him. If everything goes well, we will soon have air service to Bangalore from Belgaum," he added.

The clearance has a big relief for s delegates coming from other countries can now easily land in Belgaum without any worries, Kore said.

He said even private air service providers are expected to introduce chartered flight service to Belgaum and Bangalore for people arriving from other states.

"The district administration is in touch with SpiceJet and Kingfisher to to introduce air service from Belgaum to Bangalore following this clearance," said Ekroop Kaur, deputy commissioner, Belgaum.

[Davangere] UBDT college brought under VTU

Source: The Hindu

‘Longstanding demand of the students and faculty has been fulfilled'

Welcome change: The UBDT College of Engineering in Davangere.

The UBDT College of Engineering here has been brought under Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, said A.H. Shivayogiswamy, Chief Whip in the Legislative Council. He noted that the Government had issued an order to this effect on February 24.

This college, the first ever government engineering college, was under Mysore University in the beginning. Later it was brought under Kuvempu University. After the formation of Davangere University, the college was brought under it.

Talking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Mr. Shivayogiswamy said that with this, the longstanding demand of students, and teaching and non-teaching staff of the college had been fulfilled. With the inclusion of the college in the VTU, more attention could be expected for the college. Most of the perennial problems such as shortage of teaching staff and inadequate infrastructure would now be solved, he said.

The college at present offers seven undergraduate courses and eight postgraduate courses. There are over 1,800 students in the college.

Revanasiddappa, principal of the college, said degrees obtained by students of the college would hereafter be recognised outside the State as well.

He noted that students pursuing higher education would also be benefitted by this development. Many students of the college too have expressed joy over the inclusion of the UBDT college in the VTU. Pavan, Prasanna Kumar, Panikumar and Sridhar, student leaders of the college, who had led the agitations to bring pressure on the Government, said that students of the college would hereafter get better recognition. Industries, IT and BT companies, which had had reservations over the quality of technical training being given at the college, would now change their mindset.

[Hubli-Dharwad] Work on four-lane road to be launched on Saturday

Source: The Hindu

The Rs. 177.73-crore project to link Hubli and Dharwad

Preparatory talks: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar speaking in Hubli on Wednesday.

The four-lane road between Hubli and Dharwad, a longstanding demand of the residents of the twin cities, is another step closer to being realised with the bhoomi puja for the project to be performed on Saturday.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and in charge of Dharwad district Jagadish Shettar told presspersons here on Wednesday that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa would perform the bhoomi puja for the Rs. 177.73-crore project.

While the Centre has sanctioned Rs. 100 crore towards the project, the State Government's share is Rs. 77.73 crore. The tender had been finalised and the work order issued to the contractor.

Rapid transit system

As there was a proposal to have a World Bank-funded Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) between the twin cities, the contractor would work in coordination with the officials of the Directorate of Urban Transport; the four-lane road would be laid keeping in mind the requirements of the BRTS, Mr. Shettar said.

Two dedicated lanes would be required for the BRTS, which is a Rs. 500-crore project, making it a six-lane road. “However since the proposal is still in an initial stage, we will be implementing the four-lane project,” he said.

The Minister said a stretch of 19 km between Hosur Circle in Hubli and Jubilee Circle in Dharwad would be developed as part of the project. Of this, 13.75 km of concrete road would be laid between Naveen Hotel near Unakal Tank in Hubli and JSS College at Vidyagiri in Dharwad, he said.

Underpasses would also be constructed at Unakal, Navanagar and Bhairidevarakoppa, and an overbridge at Navalur.

Besides, junction improvement work would be taken up at the Jubilee Circle, Court Circle and NTTF Junction in Dharwad, and Hosur Circle in Hubli, Mr. Shettar said.

Afforestation

The Minister said the Forest Department had completed the survey on the number of trees to be felled to facilitate the road widening. A sum of Rs. 27.27 lakh had been paid to the department for afforestation.

Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Darpan Jain said the administration was also contemplating shifting the trees where possible.

The Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board had also been paid Rs. 2.84 crore to shift existing water supply lines along the route, Mr. Shettar added.

---

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to perform the bhoomi puja

A 19-km stretch to be developed as part of the project

[Hubli] Plans to develop APMC yards

Source: The Hindu

The new Dharwad Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard was inaugurated here on Wednesday by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and in charge of Dharwad district Jagadish Shettar.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Shettar said the district administration had been asked to submit a proposal for the development of the APMC yard in Hubli, which was the biggest in Asia. There were plans to develop infrastructure and build facilities for the merchants and workers, he said.

Similarly, the Assistant Commissioner of Dharwad had been told to submit a plan for developing infrastructure at the Dharwad APMC yard.

The Minister said the State was committed to developing infrastructure for agriculture and had allocated funds in the budget for this. He also appealed to the APMC authorities and senior merchants to take a delegation to Bangalore to hold discussions in this regard with APMC Minister Laxman Savadi.

Earlier, APMC director Deepak Chinchore urged the Minister, and legislators Chandrakant Bellad and Seema Masuti to ensure that necessary infrastructure was provided at the new APMC yard. The yard, he said, was opened without the required infrastructure in place.

26 parks to come up in Bellary

Source: The Hindu

G. Somashekara Reddy, MLA and chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation, on Wednesday performed ‘bhoomi puja' for a park at Renukacharya Nagar and also set in motion the strengthening of the stretch of National Highway 63 that passes through the city.

Mr. Reddy said the Bellary Urban Development Authority (BUDA) was developing the park at an estimated cost of Rs. 35 lakh. It was one among the five parks proposed to be developed by it. He hoped that the park would be completed early so that people could enjoy the benefits.

Beautification

A total of 26 parks were being developed in various localities of the city, he said. The city corporation was developing 10 parks and the remaining with private participation.

All of them were expected to be ready in two years adding that all efforts were being made for beautification of city, maintain cleanliness and provide basic infrastructure facilities

The repairs on a stretch of NH 63 between the railway station and Allipur had taken up at a cost of Rs. 7.77 crore.

Mr. Reddy said the work would be completed in six months.

He said the busy Gadagi Chennappa Circle in the city was being developed at a cost of Rs. 5 crore as part of the beautification of the city.

The widening of the road to Bangalore and other busy main roads had begun and the work would be completed at the earliest.

Mayor Noorjahan, Deputy Mayor Torpu Yellappa, BUDA chairman S. Gurulinganagoud, chairman of Central Relief Committee, K.A. Ramalingappa, city corporation commissioner and BUDA officials were present.

JLR to launch blackbuck resort in Bidar on March 1

Source: The Hindu

A cottage on offer at the blackbuck resort of Jungle Lodges and Resorts near Vilaspur lake in Khanapur forest range in Bidar.

Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) will inaugurate a property in the Khanapur forest range in Bidar on March 1.

“Online bookings for the blackbuck resort will start from Wednesday,” Deputy Commissioner Sameer Shukla said here on Tuesday. It will be formally inaugurated later. JLR officials will take a decision on who will inaugurate the resort and when, Mr. Shukla said.

He was speaking to journalists after inspecting work on the lakeside property.

According to him, the property on the banks of the Vilaspur lake will have 18 cottages of three categories and one royal suite. The blackbuck resort is the first JLR property to have a royal suite. The resort is situated on seven acres of revenue land gifted to JLR by the district administration. The tariff ranges from Rs. 2,750 to Rs. 3,250 per person per day for the cottages. Tariff for the suite is yet to be decided.

Each cottage has a waiting room, double bed, wash room, and a balcony that opens to the water front. “The specialty of this resort is that each cottage is on the water front. Cottages are designed in such a way that privacy is ensured for each cottage. One balcony is not visible from the other,” he said.

JLR is offering joy fishing, coracle rides, nature treks and star gazing in the Khanapur forest. Wildlife tour guides will accompany campers to blackbuck spotting and bird watching in the woods around the resort.

Water sports will be organised in the Karanja dam. JLR will take campers to guided tours around national monuments in Bidar, including the Bidar Fort, Mahamud Gawan Madrassa and the Ashtur tombs.

The cost of the project is around Rs. 3.5 crore. Of this, Rs. 2.75 crore has been spent. “We have sought assistance from the Union Government and are hopeful of getting around Rs. 1.2 crore,” Mr. Shukla said. As many as 10 youth from surrounding villages are employed here, he said.

Bookings can be done from Wednesday on www.junglelodges.com. Details can be had on Ph: 080 40554055, 9449599774.

[Dharwad] Karnatak University to provide land for IIIT

Source: The Hindu

Dharwad: Vice-Chancellor of Karnatak University – Dharwad H.B. Walikar has said that the university was ready to hand over 20 acres of land for the establishment of the proposed Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Dharwad.

Speaking to presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Walikar said the Centre has sanctioned one of 14 new IIITs proposed to be set up in different parts of the country. Earlier, a proposal was mooted to set up the IIIT in Gulbarga but Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya, who is the alumni of Karnatak University, has favoured setting up of IIIT in Dharwad. So, the Government sought land for the purpose.

The KUD has submitted a proposal urging the Government to set up the prestigious institute on the varsity premises. And, the Government has been requested to allow the faculty of the proposed IIIT to teach postgraduate students of KUD. According to Prof. Walikar, once the proposal gets Government's approval, the institute would be set up on KUD premises.

Research centre

On the new projects to be launched in the next academic year, he said Rs. 1.5 crore has been earmarked for the construction of Mathematics Research Centre in the varsity which would be named after the former Vice-Chancellor and mathematician D.C. Pavate. It will provide opportunities for students to take up research in mathematics.

Scholarship

Besides, the varsity would launch scholarship programmes for the students taking up courses in basic sciences. A 100 would be provided annual scholarship of Rs. 10,000 each for three years. While the varsity will contribute funds for providing scholarship to 50 students, managements of educational institutions will contribute the rest of the amount. During the second phase, the scholarship programme would be extended to postgraduate science students, he added.

In order to select eligible students for the scholarship, State-level test on par with the CET would be held followed by counselling. Those who secure the first hundred ranks would be given scholarships. And, only students interested to take up B.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology (PCMB) combination would be eligible.

Correspondence course

Karnatak University will launch postgraduate correspondence course in mathematics, MBA and mass communication and Journalism from the next academic year. It is proposed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangalore University to offer M.Sc. in electronic media. An additional MoU with the VTU will ensure faculty development programme for the teachers in basic sciences. In reply to a query, Prof. Walikar said mineral water plant would be set up in every hostel to ensure that the students get clean drinking water.

A plan to distribute meals at Rs. 1 has been mooted and will be implemented soon, he added.

Registrar S.B. Hinchigeri and Prof. A.S. Balasubramanya were present.

[Belgaum] MLAs to organise 15-km human chain

Source: The Hindu

A 15-km human chain from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Machhe to Pune-Bangalore NH4 will be formed on Wednesday to urge the Centre to provide funds to implement Rs. 5,000-crore Belgaum Vision 2030 plan. The vision document lists out projects to be taken up for the development of Belgaum district.

MLAs Abhay Kumar Patil, Feroz Nooruddin Sait and Sanjay Patilare organising the human chain.

Mr. Abhay Kumar Patil said a large number of people from all sections of society will participate in the formation of human chain. A signature campaign seeking support of the citizens for the cause of Belgaum will also be launched on the same occasion. Later, a memorandum would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to favourably consider the demand for implementation of the vision plan under a “special package”.

The MLAs said that the State Government has promised to contribute 10 per cent of the project cost and the Centre will be urged to make a generous contribution for the development of Belgaum.

Belgaum District State Government Employees'Association president Jagdish Patil appealed to the members of the association to extend their support.

MLAs and Deputy Mayor of Belgaum City Corporation Dhanraj Gavali have appealed to the people to participate in large numbers.

Multi-speciality hospital planned in Hubli

Source: Times of India

HUBLI: A group of city-based doctors, who are also specialties, have come together to set up a 150-bed multi-specialty and multi-super specialty hospital behind NWKRTC office off Gokul Road. The ground-breaking ceremony of the hospital will be held on Thursday at 10.30 am.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Tatwadarsha Healthcare Solutions Pvt Ltd chairman Dr S P Baligar said the hospital will have CT/ MRI scans, specialized ICU, surgical ICU, paediatric ICU and neonatal ICU among other facilities, "making it the only hospital in north Karnataka to have all such facilities under one roof".

Dr Baligar said the hospital will be equipped to provide emergency treatment to accident victims and other patients within the golden hour. Services like kidney transplant will be added in future.

Tatwadarsha Hospital, which will be ready in one year, is being built with a vision and mission to provide best and affordable healthcare and the doctors involved in this are committed to revolutionize healthcare services in Hubli. Plans are on to set up a trust to provide subsidized treatment to the poor.

Hubli gets a new luxury hotel

Source: The Hindu

HUBLI: “Ananth Executive”, a new hotel to be managed by promoters ‘Ananth Residency' in Hubli will be inaugurated on Friday.

Located in the heart of the city behind St. Mary's School at Keshwapur, Hotel “Ananth Executive” offers 54 air-conditioned rooms, including 13 suites, a coffee shop vegetarian, multi-cuisine restaurant, a banquet hall to accommodate 50 or 100 guests for workshop, interviews, symposium, seminars and so on and a board room to accommodate 20 or 30 people for board meetings. The hotel has a huge parking lot, a release said.

Arvind Kalburgi Enterprises, which owns the property, has designed, developed, and constructed the environment-friendly hotel and it will be managed by “Ananth Residency”.

[Belgaum] Karnataka seeks Rs 4329.40 crore central assistance

Source: Deccan Herald

The Karnataka Government today requested the Centre to extend Rs 4329.40 crore financial aid to transform Belgaum into the 'City of the Decade 2011-2021.'

"The project envisaged by the state proposes to provide citizens a safe and sustainable environment, with state-of-the-art infrastructure, service delivery, connectivity, and economic well-being, supported by an efficient governance framework," Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

To achieve the desired results in consonance with the Mission statement,the state government has prepared a detailed "City Development Strategy and Investment Plan for Belgaum City" , he said.

Total investments estimated for development infrastructure would be around Rs 4329.40 crore, he said and urged the Prime Minister to include the project in the ensuing budget as a special project.

Karnataka Government would be willing to bear 10 per cent of the cost as per Government of India guidelines, he said.

"I shall be thankful if you could kindly issue directions to the Union Urban Development Ministry to incorporate this project on priority to commemorate visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Belgaum City for the 39th Annual Session of the Congress and hope our request is considered favourably", he said.

The Karnataka Government is organising the second World Kannada literary conference in Belgaum next month.

[Haveri] Byatanal project to bring relief to many villages

Source: Times of India

HAVERI: Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in Haveri district. Irrigation plays a significant role in obtaining increased yields from the land. The potential for irrigation in the district is being tapped in a slow manner. Though the state government has prepared master plans for various river basins, they are yet to fulfill the dreams of dryland farmers in Haveri -- a much-awaited one being the Byatanal project.

The verdict of Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) has breathed life into several irrigation projects in Krishna basin, including the Byatanal project. This was proposed in 2001 to construct a dam for Varada river near Byatanal, Hangal taluk at an estimated cost of Rs 422 crore to utilize 20.52 tmc feet of water.

The project is expected to utilize land, both forests and farms, in over 13 villages of Haveri district and 18 in Sorab taluk of Shimoga district. Farmers of Anavatti said that the project would irrigate large tracts of land in the region, otherwise devoid of such a facility. The Byatanal project will benefit Haveri, Dharwad and Gadag districts, but people in Sorab would have to pay the price.

H K Patil told TOI, "It is a major irrigation project, the survey of which was over in 2001. The government needs to revise the estimate and give technical approval to fully utilize its share as per KWDT. The project includes construction of an 84 km long canal to the east and a 104 km long canal to the west. This comes as a boon as it will be a source of drinking water for more than 100 villages in three districts."

Posco to set up plant in Gadag

Source: Times of India

BANGALORE: Posco, the South Korean steel giant, has zeroed in on Gadag to set up its steel manufacturing unit.

Principal secretary to the commerce and industries department V P Baligar said the unit will come up on 3,000 acres at Haligudi in Mundargi taluk, Gadag district. Similarly, Coca Cola will set up its plant on 250 acres in backward Yadgir district.

[Dharwad] New truck terminus to come up

Source: Times of India

DHARWAD: A new truck terminus will soon come up on a 7.26-acre land at Belur Industrial Area off Dharwad. The terminus, being developed at a cost of Rs 8 crore, will accommodate 184 trucks. Facilities like dormitory, drinking water, retail shops, toilets, dhaba and police station will also come up there.

District minister Jagadish Shettar visited the site on Monday along with DC Darpan Jain. He said the project launched in September 2010 would be completed before December this year. "A proposal has been submitted to the government, demanding funds to construct a hi-tech truck terminus at Anchatgeri near Hubli. Once the funds are sanctioned, the work on the terminus will be taken up on 50 acres," he added.

MP Pralhad Joshi and MLA Shankarpatil Munenkoppa were present.

[Hampi] Rs. 300 crore for Vijayanagar theme park

Source: The Hindu

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said on Thursday that he would earmark Rs. 100 crore in the forthcoming budget for the theme park on the Vijayanagar empire planned by the Government to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the coronation of Sri Krishnadevaraya.

“I wish to release Rs. 300 crore to the Vijayanagar Pratishthan, which has been entrusted with the task of setting up the theme park at Kamalapur, adjacent to Hampi, for which the former Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, laid the foundation stone during last year's celebrations.

The Rs. 100 crore to be set aside in this year's budget will be continued for the next two years,” he added after inaugurating the Hampi Utsav here on Thursday.

Stating that the Vijayanagar empire had a distinct place in Indian history, he said that Sri Krishnadevaraya had a special place among its rulers with his multifaceted personality as a warrior, administrator, patron of art, culture and literature. “Is a great honour for us to establish a theme park on the glorious past of the Vijayanagar period at Hampi and make it a major tourist attraction. I appeal to G. Janardhan Reddy and his colleagues to commence the work on the theme park immediately and complete it at the earliest. I promise to set aside Rs. 100 crore every year in the budget for the next two years,” he said.

Powet Chennaveera Kanavi, Sri Vidyaranya Bharati Swami of Vidyaranya Peetha of Hampi, and Ministers Govind Karjol and V.S. Achar were present.

[Hubli] Sankalp Semiconductor Private Ltd. moved to the Aryabhata Technology Park

Source: The Hindu

Sankalp Semiconductor Private Ltd. moved to the Aryabhata Technology Park on Wednesday.

Sankalp Semiconductor, with an employee base of 140, caters to the top 10 semiconductor companies in the world. It is the second company to begin its operations from the tech park set up at Navanagar between Hubli and Dharwad with the objective of promoting IT companies in the region. ITES company N.S. Infotech was the first to begin its operations from the tech park last year.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Dharwad district in charge Jagadish Shettar inaugurated the new premises of the company on Wednesday.

The company, which shifted its base from Bangalore to Hubli a few years ago, was hitherto operating from the campus of BVB College of Engineering and Technology.

Lauding the company for involving itself with various initiatives aimed at helping students from the region, Mr. Shettar promised all help for IT companies willing to operate from Hubli. Mr. Shettar said the State Government was making focussed efforts for promoting the IT industry in the Hubli-Dharwad region. The Minister warned that if companies failed to make use of the land for which it was allotted to them at the tech park, it would be taken back by the administration.

Trustee of the Deshpande Foundation Gururaj Deshpande spoke.

Commissioner of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation K.V. Trilokchandra listed out the steps taken for the development of the twin cities and also for attracting IT companies. Chief executive officer of Sankalp Semiconductor Vivek Pawar was among those present.

Prizes

On the occasion, prizes were given away to the winners of the ‘Aavishkar' science project competition conducted by the company.

Dharwad to have new IIIT

Source: DHNS

The IT dream in north Karnataka has just gotten more distant. In a surprising volte-face, the state government has proposed shifting the new Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) from Gulbarga to Dharwad.

Earlier this month, the state government had announced that a new IIIT would be housed at Gulbarga as part of the 20 such  institutes being set up by the Centre across the country. But the state government has now written to the Centre to locate the new IIIT in Dharwad instead of at Gulbarga. Confirming the move, state Higher Education Minister V S Acharya said the IIIT was being shifted as Gulbarga already had two universities—a central university and a state university. “Moreover, the Employment State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is establishing a medical college and hospital in Gulbarga. Since there is a constraint on land, we decided to shift the IIIT to Dharwad,” he said. Acharya said Dharwad was chosen as Hubli-Dharwad was the second largest city in Karnataka. “Dharwad has a very supportive academic environment, and we felt that it would be better suited to have the IIIT in Dharwad,” he said. Since Karnatak University in Dharwad was nearly 50 years old, it would provide a supporting environment for the IIIT. The state government will now have to identify around 50 acres  to hand over to the Central government. Interestingly, Hubli-Dharwad already has a functional IIIT. With the present proposal, the twin city will have two IIITs. The Bangalore unit of IIIT has opened a centre in Hubli that offers a finishing school programme in collaboration with the IT industry. Currently, it offers certification programme in Information Technology Management, and Embedded and Real Time systems. The institute has also been holding special recruitment drives for students from the region. The IIIT will be established on a private-public partnership model, with Centre bearing 50 per cent of the cost of establishing the institute.  The state government will bear 35 per cent, and industry will bear 15 per cent of the total cost. The capital expenditure will be around Rs 128 crore, while the Centre  will provide partial support towards recurring expenditure of upto Rs 10 crore to the IIIT depending on requirements.

Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation to build ‘magic boxes' at two junctions

Source: The Hindu

The Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation plans to build ‘magic boxes' at two junctions in Hubli as part of its initiative to improve traffic management in the twin cities.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, HDMC Commissioner K.V. Trilokchandra said the State had given in-principle approval for an additional grant of Rs. 100 crore in the coming financial year 2011-2012. This was in addition to the Rs. 100-crore grant sanctioned earlier.

He said that on the State Government's instruction, the corporation prepared and submitted an action plan for Rs. 100 crore.

Mr. Trilokchandra said that Rs. 5 crore had been set aside for improving traffic management. Of this, Rs. 2 crore would be used for the magic boxes and development of parking lots. The remaining Rs. 3 crore would be used to install surveillance cameras, signages and develop link roads.

Mr. Trilokchandra said that the corporation had earmarked Rs. 35 crore for construction and development of roads, drains, pavements and pedestrian subways. As many as 214 works would be taken up under this.

He said that the corporation would take up expansion of the underground drainage system and lateral works at a cost of Rs. 5 crore to begin with.

“Initially, we plan to take up such works in the Old Hubli area,” he said.

The Commissioner said that keeping in view the problems faced by people living in low-lying areas, Rs. 5.5 crore had been set aside to take up works to strengthen storm-water drains in those areas and also ensure clear passage for overflowing water bodies.

He said Rs. 14.50 crore would be spent to develop Ashraya colonies, graveyards and villages that had been brought under the jurisdiction of the corporation.

He said Rs. 10 crore would be spent on development of parks, tanks and afforestation and another Rs. 10 crore to promote cultural and sports activities.

Mr. Trilokchandra said the corporation had kept aside Rs. 10 crore to asphalt roads that were developed four years ago under the Rs. 30-crore road development plan.

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Rs. 5 crore has been set aside to build magic boxes, install surveillance cameras

Rs. 35 crore earmarked for construction of roads, drains, pavements, subways

[Bellary] The stretch between HRG Circle and APMC Circle on the Bidar-Srirangapatna State Highway 19 here will be developed into a six-lane road

Source: The Hindu

The stretch between HRG Circle and APMC Circle on the Bidar-Srirangapatna State Highway 19 here will be developed into a six-lane road, according to G. Somashekara Reddy, MLA and Chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation.

Mr. Reddy told presspersons here on Wednesday that the Government had sanctioned Rs. 15 crore to the Public Works Department for implementing this project.

As this narrow stretch is a prominent thoroughfare leading to Bangalore, there were complaints of traffic snarls for quite some time now, especially after the Central Bus Stand was shifted. The problem was further compounded when several commercial shops were opened at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Commercial Complex constructed by the Bellary Urban Development Authority (BUDA).

Mr. Reddy said that PWD officials had been asked to make optimum use of the open space available along the stretch and minimise the demolition of buildings that had come up on either side of the road. As per the information made available by the authorities, a 120-metre stretch at the beginning and the end will be a four-lane road and about 1,110 m will be developed into six lanes.

Minister to inaugurate newly developed park at Kuvempu Nagar in Bellary on Saturday

Source: The Hindu

PICTURESQUE: A view of the newly developed park at Kuvempu Nagar in Bellary.

Till recently, a plot of over three acres at Kuvempur Nagar here was covered with weeds . However, a lush park has come up there.

The park has been developed by the city corporation, in association with JSW Steel, at an estimated cost of around Rs. 1.2 crore at the behest of Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy. The park, which will be inaugurated on January 22, has been named after the late actor Vishnuvardhan.

A life-size bronze statue of Vishnuvardhan installed at the entrance to the park will be unveiled by Bharathi Vishnuvardhan on the inaugural day. Mr. Janardhan Reddy and Health Minister B. Sriramulu will inaugurate the park while G. Somashekara Reddy, MLA and Chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation, will preside. Mayor Noorjahan and many elected representatives will be present on the occasion, according to Thimmappa, Municipal Commissioner.

Mr. Thimmappa told presspersons here on Wednesday that by developing a park and naming it after Vishnuvardhan, the city corporation had implemented a promise made to the people by Mr. Janardhan Reddy while unveiling the life-size bronze statue of Rajkumar at another park named after him (Rajkumar) in October last.

The corporation planned to develop 29 parks in Bellary. In addition to the five parks to be developed on its own, it had entrusted the development of 11 parks to JSW Steel. Of them, seven had been completed and four were in various stages of completion, Mr. Thimmappa said. A civic reception would be accorded to Ms. Bharathi Vishnuvardhan on January 22. A music programme would be organised at BDAA Grounds the same day at 6.30 p.m.