Kingfisher announces five new domestic flights - Belgaum included

Source: Hindustan Times


The Vijay Mallya promoted Kingfisher Airlines Limited launched five new flights on its domestic network on Monday. The new flights will connect Mumbai with Jabalpur, Belgaum and Indore, while the remaining flight services will provide inter-connectivity between Jabalpur, Indore, Belgaum and Mumbai.
"These flights are open for sale from Monday. The flights to Belgaum will commence from Jan 10, 2011 while the flights from Mumbai to Jabalpur and Indore will commence from Jan 24, 2011," said Manoj Chacko, executive vice president commercial, Kingfisher Airlines Limited.
According to him, the flights to Belgaum, Jabalpur and Indore will enhance connectivity between these cities and major Indian and International destinations.
Currently, Kingfisher Airlines flies to 59 cities in the country and 8 international destinations with over 360 daily departures serviced by a fleet of 66 aircraft.

Affordable, quality education to soon be a reality in Gulbarga

Source: The Hindu 

Affordable quality education at state-of the-art schools will be a reality in Gulbarga district from the next academic year, thanks to an initiative by Everonn Education Ltd., which has revolutionised school education in rural areas.

The company which has extended online teaching of the CBSE syllabus to remote villages in the country, will now set set up model schools with state-of-the-art facilities in tier II cities.

Select cities

The Everonn-assisted KenBridge School will start functioning at Mayiladuthurai and Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Madhya Pradesh, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and Gulbarga in Karnataka from the next academic year, starting in July 2011.

B.M. Bopanna, president and chief mentor of Everonn School Ltd., a subsidiary of Chennai-based Everonn Education Ltd, said that the KenBridge School would be different from conventional schools, with a motto to provide intensive, project-based, and career-oriented education.

Mr. Bopanna said that the key features of the school would be enquiry-based learning, co-curricular activities to develop the child's innate potential, continuous teacher empowerment and professional development programme and framing a curriculum that emphasised the development of intelligence of every child.

To a question, Mr. Bopanna said that it would be a day school to begin with.

After two or three years the question of starting a residential school would be considered.

Union Labour and Employment M. Mallikarjun Kharge will perform the ‘bhoomi puja' for the school on Shahabad Road on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday.

Soon, a footpath for pedestrians in Haveri

Source: Times of India

 

HAVERI : Pedestrians, who had to dodge vehicles on the main road from KPTCL- cross to town police station, can now heave a sigh of relief. The road will soon be widened and will get a footpath too, by the end of March. The public works department has taken up a major work on the main road, aimed at easing congestion.

In the absence of a footpath, people had a harrowing experience walking on the road. Even vehicle riders had a tough time, owing to trees and electric poles spread haphazardly on the road. Now, with the initiative taken by the public works department, the longstanding public demand is being met in two ways. The main road has now got wide tunnels to allow smooth passage of municipal sewage, and above the tunnels, a footpath is being constructed with granite stones.

The main road is being widened by cutting trees and shifting electric poles. The work will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore, said PWD engineer Shivanna.

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Recruitment 2010 Online Registration Commences on December 22

Source: http://updates.highereducationinindia.com/2010/karnataka-vikas-grameena-bank-5114.php

Dharwad: Karnataka Vikas Grameena (KVG) Bank has invited applications from Indian citizens for appointment as Officer Scale I, Officer Scale II and Officer Scale III and Office Assistants (Multipurpose). Candidates desirous to apply can register themselves online by visiting the Bank's official website: http://www.kvgbank.com/.

 

The online registration will commence from December 22, 2010. Last date of online registration for the aforesaid post is January 21, 2011. Selection of the candidates will be made on the basis of a written test. The written test for the post of Officers (all scales) is scheduled to be held on April 17, 2011(tentative). Whereas, written test for the post of Office Assistants (multipurpose) will be conducted on April 24, 2011 (tentative).

 

The written test will be held at Dharwad (11), Belgaum (12) and Bijapur (13). Interested candidates can apply online by visiting the Bank's aforementioned website. Candidates must have a valid E-mail ID. In case a candidate does not have a valid E-mail ID, he/she should create the same. After filling the online application form, candidates will have to send the print out of the same along with all the required documents through ordinary post. Candidates must write, Print out of Application for the post of (name of the post applied for) in Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank, on top of the envelope containing the application form. For further details, candidates can visit the Bank's aforementioned website

Janapada Loka proposed near Hubli

Source: Times of India

HUBLI: If everything goes as per the plan of the Kannada and culture department, then the commercial city of Hubli will soon have Janapada Loka, which would display the rich customs and rural lifestyle of the state. The state already has one such Janapada Loka in Ramanagaram.

The Kannada and culture department, which has earmarked Rs 50 lakh for the purpose in its action plan for 2010-11, is trying to locate a suitable place, preferably off Pune-Bangalore NH to house the project.

Kannada and culture department assistant director B D Hiregoudar said at least 20 acres of land is required for the project, and that they have been finding it difficult to locate the same off PB Road. But he said the DC is trying his best to locate the land somewhere off NH itself as setting up the centre there will help attract more people.

Hiregoudar said the Janapada Loka of Ramanagaram will be kept as a model for the new one, which will emphasize on north Karnataka lifestyle and culture. About 80% of artifacts and rural creations will represent the rural folk of north Karnataka, while the rest will highlight that of Old Mysore region and coastal Karnataka.

The folklore centre will introduce people to the collection of local agricultural equipment that have almost disappeared, models of men wearing `Reshme Pataga' (silk turban) which was a must for those attending marriages, women draped in indigenous Ilkal and Chandrakale sarees, some folk dances like Hejje Mela and Doddata, dressing of tribals and Lambani.

He said the centre will have a museum to display artifacts, a Samskrutika Bhavana where cultural programmes and festivals will be held, a research centre to help university students carry out research activities on rural life, a residential school, etc. The works towards the centre will start as soon as the land is made available and the department director has promised to sanction the funds as and when required.

DC Darpan Jain said the location to set up the folklore centre will be announced shortly.

More funds for Hubli Railway Central Hospital

Source: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4737911


The Railway Board's health services has sanctioned Rs 8.5 crore more for the upgradation of operation theatres at the Railway Central Hospital-Hubli.

“The investment in Central Hospital-Hubli is part of hospital upgradation exercise being carried out in all the Railway hospitals in the country. We have advised them to go for four latest modular operation theatres,” said Dr V.K.Ramteke, Director-General (Railway Health Services), Railway Board.

Along with new operation theatres, Central Hospital-Hubli is also to get a modern ICU to cater to the region's need, he added.

The Railway Board, based on local needs, is sanctioning funds to Railway hospitals to procure medical equipment and also provide necessary infrastructure to perform advanced surgeries.

“Most Railway hospitals are now getting good ICU facilities and modular operation theatres,” he explained.

Dr Ramteke, said Railways is working out modalities with the MCI in setting up a Railway medical college at Mysore.

“Here, land is not an issue. But MCI has raised the issue of ownership.”

The Railways is pursuing Public Private Partnership model to set up medical colleges in Mysore.

“There are some technical issues like ‘dual ownership' which MCI has raised. We are in consultation with MCI and working out the modalities,” he added.
Addressing the nursing staff, Dr Ramteke said, “patient care with safety has been a sea change due to introduction of newer techniques and technology in this field. Use of newer medicines, newer equipment has necessitated the nursing staff to educate themselves on software based equipment.”

“Also importance of critically ill patient management has led to updating of overall knowledge for the staff and stated that at present nursing services have become highly accountable and full of responsibility, therefore, introduction of management techniques to increase the efficiency has become an important tool, which needs to be practiced by nursing administrators,” he added.

Dr N.Parashivamurthy, Chief Medical Director, South Western Railway, speaking on the occasion said Railway hospital has provision to empanel eminent private doctors as consultants.

“In Hubli, we have provision to nominate 10 doctors as consultants and so far seven have come on board and we are exploring three more in specialised field,” he added

Reliance Communications launches 'Netconnect Plus’ in Belgaum and Hubli

Source: http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Reliance-Communications-launches-Netconnect-Plus-in-Belgaum-and-Hubli/5017938156


Netconnect Plus has a downlink speed of upto 3.1 Mbps and a uplink speed of upto 1.8 Mbps, offering the fastest speeds in wireless broadband

In a significant move towards the mission of spreading the usage of wireless internet to the masses across the country, Reliance Communications announced the launch of its high speed wireless internet service, “Netconnect  Plus’’ in Belgaum and Hubli. Popular Kannada actress Pooja Gandhi has launched the service in the city.

Netconnect Plus has a downlink speed of upto 3.1 Mbps and a uplink speed of upto 1.8 Mbps, offering the fastest speeds in wireless broadband. This makes Netconnect Plus best suited for video streaming, video surveillance, rich media content & superior Internet browsing.

Reliance is embarking on the largest and most aggressive roll-out of broadband internet service in India, with coverage extending to more than 150 towns.

Announcing the launch in Belgaum and Hubli, Swaminathan Hub Head Karnataka, Reliance Communications said, “The launch of Netconnect Plus is an important milestone for Reliance and will act as a catalyst in the government’s effort to drive broadband penetration in India. Reliance Netconnect Plus will significantly enhance the broadband coverage in India and make broadband Internet available to customers in many areas and localities that have been waiting for years to be broadband enabled”.

The wireless Net connect service will ride on Reliance Communication’s extensive pan-India, next generation and integrated, convergent digital network spanning over 175,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable syste. This network is capable of supporting best-of-class services spanning the entire communications value chain.

Winter legislature session at Vidhana Soudha, Belgaum

Source: Times of India

 

BELGAUM: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa announced that the winter legislature session at the newly constructed building of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum would be held from January 15.

He was speaking to reporters at Bellad Bagewadi in Hukkeri taluk of the district on Friday, where he attended the marriage ceremony of agriculture minister Umesh Katti's daughter.

Expressing the confidence of winning 24 of the 30 zilla panchayats of the state in the coming election, Yeddyurappa said he would give a befitting answer to opposition parties after the result of TP and ZP polls. He denied making any comments on the Governor and Lokayukta. 

Sugar factory to come up in Bijapur district

Source: Times of India

 

BIJAPUR: An integrated sugar complex will come up in the district with an investment of Rs 400 crore.

This was disclosed here at a press conference by BLDE association president, Babaleshwar MLA and Basaveshwar Sugars Ltd director M B Patil on Friday.

The bhumi puja of the factory will be held on December 12 at 10.30 am at the factory near Karjol on NH 218, which is 29 km from Bijapur.

He said that, for the construction of factory, nearly 300 acres of land purchased from the farmers of the village at a reasonable market price. The Sriniwasan group which owns the company, hails from Peramblur (Tamil Nadu). The group also owns another sugar factory along with medical and engineering colleges.

The farmers of Bijapur and Basavana Bagewadi taluk stand to benefit as nearly 500 youth will get employment directly and 5000 may get seasonal employment, Patil said.

Union labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge, former chief minister Dharmsingh, opposition leader Siddharamaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar, former minister H K Patil, MP Ramesh Jigajinagi, Kannada culture minister Govind Karjol and city MLA Appasaheb Pattanashetty will participate in the bhumi puja. Dhanalakshmi Sriniwasan group founder chairman A Sriniwasan will preside over the function.

The factory will come up within 18 months and the foundation stone laying ceremony will be held in January by Union energy minister Sushilkumar Shinde, he said.

Boating, amusement park planned at Tolanakere (Hubli)

Source:


Barring one structure, there is no encroachment on the tank area: Deputy Commissioner
First phase of work likely to be completed in five to six months

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Development plan:Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Darpan Jain speaking to presspersons after inspecting ongoing work at Tolanakere HUBLI: The Dharwad district administration, which has chalked out a plan for the comprehensive development of Tolanakere (a tank) near Ramalingeshwar Nagar in Hubli, will initially begin work on strengthening the tank bund.
Speaking to presspersons after reviewing the ongoing work at Tolanakere on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Darpan Jain said that Rs. 1.8 crore would be spent for fencing the tank area, strengthening the tank bund and other related work in the first phase.
Mr. Jain said that the boundary of the 23-acre tank had been demarcated.
He clarified that barring one structure, there was no encroachment on the tank area. The tank area was being used by brick manufacturers who had set up kilns.
“We have informed the brick manufacturers, and will soon clear the kilns once the work gets going,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner said the work had been undertaken under the Rs. 100-crore grant sanctioned by the State Government to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. The first phase of work was likely to be completed in five to six months.
Second phase
Mr. Jain said that in the next phase, steps would be taken to divert sewage entering the tank. A viewing point would be created and landscaping done. There were plans to start boating once the development work was completed, he said.
“We are planning a children's amusement park and other facilities. We are working out a system to ensure there is no dearth of funds for their maintenance.”
Regarding development of the Unakal tank, Mr. Jain said that sewage entering the tank had been diverted by laying underground drainage pipes in residential areas located around the tank.
Waste management
To a query, he said the district administration had submitted an integrated solid waste management proposal to the State Government and was awaiting its approval.
On unauthorised religious structures in the twin cities and in the district, Mr. Jain said the process of clearing such structures would begin in a day or two.
“Once again our officials have issued notices, conducted spot verifications and interacted with local residents and organisations. We want them to clear such structures on their own and if they don't, we will step in and do it after taking all those concerned into confidence,” Mr. Jain added.

Wind energy in Byadagi soon

Source: Times of India

HAVERI: Wind mills which brought about a revolution in the hillocks of Gadag and Chitradurga districts are now slowly coming to Byadagi taluk in Haveri district which will soon contribute to the state's power generation grid.

Realising the demerits of thermal power stations, the government, of late, has started giving more importance to establishing wind mills as these units are eco-friendly. A New Delhi-based company, Sujalana, has come forward to establish the units.

Project engineer Patil told TOI that a power accumulation grid would come up near Biadarakatti of Lakamajikoppa village. The first ever wind power unit will generate 22 mega watt power in Haveri district. The project is being taken up at a cost of Rs 150 crore. The power generated by wind energy at the village would be sold to the state government at a reasonable rate (Rs3.4 per unit), sources said.

Belgaum Chamber seeks early implementation of Sahyadri eco project

Source: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4719280

Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has demanded early implementation of the ‘Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area' project.

A delegation of the BCCI, which met Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Forest and Environment, recently urged him to take up ‘Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area' project on priority, as it benefits Belgaum and its surrounding areas.

The project envisages protection of large contiguous forests, traversing boundaries of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, under the Environment Protection Act (EPA). It shall consequently help check rising temperatures and rainfall in Belgaum district, which are adversely affecting agriculture and the people through regular flooding, and the city that is facing water shortages.

Also key for implementing ‘Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area' is that the Western Ghats around Belgaum are being undermined and destroyed at an increasing pace. Forests are being lost, degraded and fragmented for private and illegal gain through encroachments, tree felling and forest clearance for illegal or poorly planned development including mining. Mr Jaideep Siddannavar, President, BCCI, said, “One needs to make a beginning and the Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area proposal submitted to the Ministry is one such endeavour. We recognise that the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee (WGEEP) and the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) are in the process of identifying ecologically sensitive areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats.”

“But the recent notes circulated by the WGEEP about rethinking the ESA and making it more broad-based with the involvement of local public bodies are a cause for worry. We do recognise the need for consultations at all levels, but we also see the need to keep focus on the larger picture,” he added.

Lifelines

BCCI, which submitted a memorandum to the MoEF, said forests in Western Ghats are the birth place of two rivers — Mahadai (that becomes the Mandovi River, which is Goa's lifeline) and Mallaprabha (a major tributary of the Krishna, a lifeline for the Deccan region).

Mandovi river is crucial for transport in Goa, and it is also a source of livelihood for thousands who depend on it for fishing. The river and its estuary act as breeding ground for numerous species which support commercial marine fishery.

The Mallaprabha river is a critical source of drinking and irrigation water in northern Karnataka. These forests also provide ecosystem services other than their functions as water catchments, pollinators for crops and fruit trees, climate moderation, flood control (in recent years, the district has become prone to flooding.). Most of these ecosystem services have been little understood and much less quantified or recognised.

According to Mr Mallikarjun Jagajampi, Secretary, BCCI, “The activities like poaching, unsustainable removal of natural produce, poorly planned or unjustified developmental activities are all undermining biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism potential in Western Ghats.”

“Illegal or poorly planned mining is resulting in our mineral being depleted with little gain for the country, its people or future generations,” he added.

More sugar factories to come up in Belgaum

Source: http://sify.com/finance/more-sugar-factories-to-come-up-in-belgaum-news-news-kmeaO0gdcid.html

Sugarcane growers from Belgaum district will have more options when supplying their produce, and to get a competitive price in the coming years, with the government giving licences to nine more companies to establish sugar factories.
The district is the largest producer of sugar cane in the state having 200,842 hectares of land growing the cane. Of the 20 factories, 16 are functioning.
The newly-approved sugar factories are Shiraguppa Sugars at Kagwad in Athani taluk, Basaveshwar Sugars at Belagiri in Athani taluk, Beereshwar Sugars at Alagawadi in Raibag taluk, Devachand Sugars at Shivapurwadi in Athani taluk, Gokak Sugars at Hirenandi in Gokak taluk, Shivashakti Sugars at Savadatti in Raibag taluk, Uttam Sugars at Mallapur in Bailhongal taluk, Shivasagar Sugars at Udapudi in Ramdurg taluk and Om Sugars at Jainapur in Chikkodi taluk.

Bellary readies for Hampi Utsava

Source: Times of India

BELLARY: Tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy said here on Friday that a committee meeting would be convened in the second week of December to chalk out plans for the Hampi Utsava. The festival is scheduled for January 27, 28 and 29. Primary health care centres in Kampli, Rupangudi and Moka villages would be upgraded to 30 bed hospitals and tenders will be invited for the same. "This is to overcome the shortage of primary health care centres in the district," Reddy said.

The tennis court in Bellary gymkhana would be upgraded to international levels.

Replying to a query about leadership change in the state government, he said it was left to the party's national leaders to decide. "We are ready to follow any decision taken by the party high command," he added.

Asked about damage to the party's image due to recent political developments in the state, he said, the election results of the local body which will come shortly would be the perfect yardstick as an answer, Reddy added.

Industries to invest over Rs. 15,000 cr. in Gulbarga

 Source: The Hindu

Zawar, Rajashree, Lafarge among those planning to set up cement plants in the district
New projects expected to provide employment to many in the region

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— File photo

Big plans:Vasavadatta Cement in Sedam taluk of Gulbarga district is one of the many companies seeking to expand existing plants. GULBARGA: Gulbarga district looks set to divest its tag as an industrially backward district with the setting up of at least 12 new industries and the expansion of existing cement plants, at a combined investment of Rs. 15,063 crore.
Official sources told The Hindu here on Sunday that apart from the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed during the Global Investors Meet in June this year, a few more industries have applied for licences to set up units in the district. They have also sought infrastructure facilities, including land, for the proposed projects.
Among the existing cement plants that have sought permission to expand their capacities are Zawar Cement Pvt. Ltd. in the industrial township of Shahabad and Rajashree Cement at Malkhed in Sedam taluk of Gulbarga district.
The Zawar plant has sought permission to increase the installed capacity of its Shahabad plant to 6 million tonnes per annum (MPTA) from the existing 0.5 MTPA, and to install a captive power generation plant of 70 MW. The company has also sought to convert the existing wet process technology to dry process technology at a cost of Rs. 3,180 crore.
Sources said the project would provide employment to an additional 4,050 persons, apart from its existing workforce of 570.
Meanwhile, the capacity of the Rajashree Cement plant would be enhanced from 4.2 MTPA to 8.45 MTPA, with a captive power generation plant of 185.5 MW also being installed. The total investment for this would be Rs. 3,000 crore.
While Zawar has sought an additional 472.18 acres for their expansion activities, Rajashree has sought 971.38 acres of land.
Besides, Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. has decided to establish a cement plant with an initial capacity of 3 MPTA, and a 43-MW coal-based thermal plant to meet its power requirement in Chitapur taluk of Gulbarga district, at a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore. This unit will provide employment to 355 people.
The company has sought 601.12 acres of land for setting up the unit.
India Cements too has decided to establish a cement plant with an initial capacity of 2 MTPA, and a 60-MW thermal power plant at a cost of Rs. 850 crore in Chincholi taluk of the district. The company has been permitted to acquire 1,263.45 acres of land directly from the farmers for the project.
Shree Cements has decided establish a 3-MTPA cement plant at Sedam taluk, with a 35-MW captive power plant at a cost of Rs. 1,000 crore.
Vasavadatta Cement in Sedam taluk has been permitted to take up expansion of its existing plant at a cost of Rs. 800 crore. Orient Cement too have expressed interest in establishing a unit in Chitapur taluk at a cost of Rs. 700 crore.
Besides, several entrepreneurs have proposed to establish other industries.

Kingfisher may fly from Belgaum next month

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/11/27/stories/2010112752241900.htm


Kingfisher Airlines is likely to commence flights from Belgaum city in December.
An assurance to this effect was given to a trade delegation led by Mr Jaideep Siddannavar, president, Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries, when it met Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr Praful Patel and Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Mr Vijay Mallya in New Delhi.
The Chamber had approached both the Central and State governments for early resumption of flights from Sambra airport in Belgaum.
According to Mr Siddannavar, Mr Mallya has promised to introduce commercial flights from December 15. Kingfisher Airlines plans to connect Belgaum to Bangalore, Mumbai and Mysore.
Mr Basavaraj S. Javali, vice-president of the Chamber, said the trade delegation from Belgaum met Union Minister of State for Finance Mr Palani Manikkam in New Delhi and submitted a pre-budget memorandum. Later, it met Union Labour Minister Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and briefed him on the problems faced by traders and industrialists in Belgaum. The team also discussed issues relating to ESI and PPF.
The delegation met Union Commerce Minister Mr Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr Vilas Rao Deshmukh and Union Railway Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.

Integrated textile park in Gulbarga to be ready soon

 
Source: The Hindu

Discussing strategy:(From left) Mukta Nidhi Samnotra, Director, Ministry of Textiles; V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; and A.B. Joshi, Textile Commissioner; at a road show inBangalore on Friday.
Bangalore: The integrated textile park at Gulbarga “will soon be a reality”, a top official of the Union Ministry of Textiles said on Friday. Participating in a road show for the new Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), Textile Commissioner A.B. Joshi said the park in Gulbarga was “at an advanced stage of development.” Officials in the Textile Ministry said similar parks were being considered at Shimoga, Tunkur and Bellary.
Mr. Joshi said Karnataka, which has a “strong and vibrant weaving tradition, had taken the initiative in promoting textiles”. He said apart from the garment-manufacturing cluster in Doddaballapur, a power loom cluster was also emerging in the State.
The new SITP scheme, which was launched recently, is aimed at providing a fillip to the industry so that it retains its global competitiveness, Mr. Joshi said. “The Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF), which has been in ‘ pause mode,' is likely to be resumed soon,” he remarked.
The Indian textile industry is the largest in the world in terms of loomage, Mr. Joshi pointed out. He said spun yarn output in the current year increased by 7.3 year over the previous year, and that cloth production increased by 2.1 per cent.
V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, said the SITP, initiated in Public-Private Partnership mode, would enjoy Government support to the extent of 40 per cent of the project cost with a limit of Rs. 40 crore. The subsidy would not be available for land acquisition. The integrated parks would have facilities for cotton processing, ginning, weaving, fabric processing, garmenting and made-ups, Mr. Srinivas said.
Mukta Nidhi Samnotra, Director, Ministry of Textiles, participated in the road show.

Nabard prepares Rs 1,597-cr credit plan for Dharwad

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/11/26/stories/2010112652191900.htm


The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has prepared Rs 1,596.68-crore potential linked credit plan (PLPs) for Dharwad district for the financial year (FY) 2011-12.
Unveiling the Dharwad district credit plan at the DCC meet, Mr Y.N. Mahadevaiah, Nabard- AGM, said “Of the total credit plan amount, Rs 829.20 crore is set aside for investment under agriculture and allied activities, for non-farm sector Rs 146.52 crore, and for other priority sector Rs 620.96 crore.”
According to the district's potential linked credit plan (PLPs) for the FY 2011-12, Nabard has identified the potential for setting up rural godowns and market yards under centrally sponsored schemes of rural godowns, and also to strengthen agriculture marketing infrastructure. “Banks in the district have disbursed only Rs 1 crore. As for the rural godowns and market yard infrastructure in Dharwad district, there are 11 godowns having a capacity of 7,900 tonnes. Whereas neighbouring districts such as Koppal, Raichur and Bellary have already spent and created huge capacities. Compared to those districts, Dharwad has negligible infrastructure,” he added. Mr Mahadevaiah said that there are 22 nationalised, RRBs and co-operative banks having 257 branches. Definitely, the banks can take up funding of rural godowns and market yards to the extent of Rs 53.70 crore in the financial year 2011-12.
At the DCC meet, the Reserve Bank of India Manager Mr R Ramachandran, Vijaya Bank's AGM Mr B.A. Tata, Lead district bank manager Mr Basavarajaiah and representatives of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat were present.
The DCC meet discussed broad sector-wise PLP projections for FY 2011-12 and is as follows: For crop production, Rs 632.82 crore is planned.
Activities to be taken up under this are water resources, land development, farm mechanisation, plantation, horticulture and sericulture, dairy and storage godowns and market yard.

Source: Times of india

BELGAUM: Prof H Maheshappa, vice-chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) said the State government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 2 crore to the university, for the overall development of Kannada.

He was speaking after felicitating the three Karnataka Rajyotsava awardees from Belgaum district -- Dr R B Nerli (medical), Sangamesh Savadattimath (literature and research) and Malabai Sambrekar (folk), on behalf of the VTU at Jnana Sangam campus here on Tuesday.

Maheshappa said the grants will be utilized to translate technology-related books into Kannada to take knowledge to the doorsteps of the common people. Besides this, a separate publication wing and Kannada experimental wing will be established at VTU, to organize cultural programmes, he said.

Pradhan Gurudatt, president of Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati Authority (KBBA) praised the efforts of VTU.

President of the district Kannada Sahitya Academy (KSA)Basavaraj Jagajampi, VTU books publication committee head C K Subbarai were present.

Mudhol hound exhibition today - 25th Nov 2010

Source: Times of India

BAGALKOT: North Karnataka, famous for the hunting Mudhol hound dog, has organized an exhibition at Mudhol on Thursday. More than 750 dogs are expected to participate in this unique exhibition.

The exhibition has been jointly organized by the animal husbandry department, Veterinary Science and Fishery University of Bidar, Dog Research Centre, Timmapur, at the Ranna Stadium in Mudhol.

The selected 124 Mudhol hound dogs will be eligible to participate in the International Dog Exhibition scheduled to be held on December 8 at Chennai.

Dr Manjunath S Palegar, deputy director of animal husbandry, told The Times of India that various breeds of dogs from Belgaum, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts will participate in the exhibition, which will be conducted in separate age group divisions -- 7 to 12 months, 13 to 24 months and above 25 months. Apart from the exhibition, medicines, milk, egg and anti-disease vaccines will be distributed to the dog owners during the exhibition. Finally, 24 dogs will be selected for the prize, along with an extra 100 dogs which will be selected for their eligibility to participate in the international contest at Chennai. All participating dogs will be given a certificate which will make this breed become popular at the international level. An Australian team will inspect the dog breed for this purpose, he said.

The Mudhol hound is famous for hunting and is the only breed which is known internationally. A research centre was recently established at Timmapur village in Mudhol taluk and Rs 5 crore sanctioned, to develop this breed.

It may be noted that there is a huge worldwide demand for the Mudhol hound, and it is bound to increase in future.

District in charge minister Govind Karjol will inaugurate the exhibition, while animal husbandry minister Revu Naik Belamagi will release the souvenir. Bidar Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science University vice-chancellor Dr Suresh Honnappagol will preside.

SDM College to celebrate 30th year with a bang

Source: Times of India

DHARWAD: The SDM Utsav-2010 to be hosted by SDM College of Engineering and Technology in Dharwad on November 25 and 26, promises to be a cultural treat for the connoisseurs. SDM Education Society secretary Jinendra Prasad said the mega event is to mark the 30th anniversary of SDM College of Engineering and Technology.

Danceuse Nirupama Rajendran, noted playback singer Kunal Ganjawala, dancers from Orissa and Rajasthan, besides local artistes will enthral the audience. An air show, technical exhibition, robotic competition and religious discourse by Swamy Sukhabodhananda add to the attractions. Business tycoon Captain Gopinath will be there to inspire the students with his pep talk.

AICTE chairman S S Mantha will inaugurate the event on Thursday and water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai will inaugurate the air show. Director of NAL A R Upadhya will declare open the technical exhibition.

Swamy Sukhabodhanand will deliver a discourse at 6 pm, followed by Nirupama Rajendran's dance.

On November 26, VTU VC H Maheshappa will inaugurate the robotic competition and Captain Gopinath will deliver the key-note address. SDME Society president D Veerendra Heggade will preside.

Kunal Ganjawala's concert will be followed by an attractive fire cracker show. Special arrangements have been made for the schoolchildren to visit the exhibition and also participate in the air show.

A runway has been laid at the college grounds and a demo on unmanned aerial vehicles will also be held

State to get 2 innovative varsities - The legislation aims to turn the University of Mysore and Karnatak University (Dharwad) into model universities for excellence in the state.

BANGALORE: One university with two systems of governance, freedom for students to switch from one subject to another, flexi working hours and research project for every faculty, an induction programme with free classes on life/soft skills for every enrolled student and twinning programmes with foreign and other Indian universities.

All these radical changes are part of the landmark legislation __ Karnataka State Innovative Universities Bill, 2010 __ that will be placed before the cabinet for approval on Thursday. The legislation aims to turn the University of Mysore and Karnatak University (Dharwad) into model universities for excellence in the state.

Under the proposed bill, the two universities will have a new system of governance. The position of chancellor, vice-chancellor, registrar and syndicate will be done away with. These universities will be governed by a visitor, who will be an eminent scholar or professional; a president chosen among distinguished academics with capacities for managing large educational organisations and two directors __ one to deal with research and post-graduate education and other to handle affiliated and autonomous colleges.

"The proposed bill is based on a recommendation made by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission (KKC). The idea is to exclude the two universities from the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 and have a separate legislation to promote excellence. I have discussed the bill with law minister and we will seek cabinet approval on Thursday," higher education minister V S Acharya told TOI.

In addition to UG programmes, every school of the university will offer an integrated PG and integrated PhD programme. Choice-based credit system will be offered to students to enable them to acquire credits from different clusters. Students will be allowed to move from one subject to another area, subject to certain conditions, within the purview of the school.

Every faculty will be asked to take up at least one research project and will have flexi working hours for consultancy and participation in extension services. The research carried out by the university will be published through an exclusive press to be set up on the lines of the Oxford University.

Schools of management, social sciences and humanities will have at least one international programme and the two universities will be allowed to twinning programmes in collaboration with Indian and foreign universities.

The Union HRD ministry is planning to set up 14 innovation universities across the country including one in Mysore.

HOW UNIVERSITY WILL BE GOVERNED

* There will be two directors (similar to the current vice-chancellors). An eminent academic will look after research and PG education, while another director will be in charge of affiliated and autonomous colleges. The term will be for 5 years

* University court: Advisory body with members from IIM-B, IISc, IIIT-B, ISEC and CII

* University ombudsman: Three-member body of retired professionals/scholars with members of integrity and scholarship. Will receive complaints, address grievances and facilitate good governance

* Manager: Will replace the existing registrars. Will be an expert from administrative and management background

* Board of Governors: Will replace syndicate. Will have members from civil society, professionals and industry

[Belagavi] Centre approves 3 over bridges

Source: All about Belgaum

This could be some good news for Belgaumites, not that all would change in a flash, but the traffic woes at major rail crossings in city could be averted as the Central government has given its primary approval for building of THREE over bridges over railway crossings in the city.
Three places approved are :
Old PB Road
Kapileshwar Road
Congress road
A Bhubneshwar based company has done the primary survey and submitted its report. The centre will bear 90% of the cost and the state will have to shell the remaining.
This is god news no doubt but this will take a lot of time and the project to be implemented in real terms could even take upto 2 years.
Source: Pudhari and inputs

NEKRTC making profits: Ashok

Source: The Hindu

Bidar: The North-East Karnataka Transport Corporation, which had incurred since it was set up, has begun making profit, Minister for Transport and Home R. Ashok said on Thursday at Humnabad.
“Last year, the corporation made a profit of Rs. 9.01 crore. This year, we are expecting a profit of about Rs. 18 crore,” Minister said, after inaugurating the renovated bus-stand there.
He said that the NEKRTC would focus on connecting villages to taluk and district headquarters.

Statewide International Film Festival 2010 between November 8-14

Source: http://www.mybangalore.com/article/1110/statewide-international-film-festival-2010-between-november-8-14.html

The Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA) is launching its first statewide international film festival this month. This will be on from November 8-14 across Bangalore, Shimoga, Dharwad, Bidar and Mangalore.

The Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA), in collaboration with the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) is launching its first statewide international film festival in November with ambitious plans to expand it to all the districts of Karnataka in the coming years. 

The festival will screen movies like, The Bicycle Thieves, an Italian film directed  by Vittorio de Sica, A butterfly in the wind, a film made in Iran by director Abbas Rafaei, I can't live without you, a film made by Taiwanese director, Leon Dai. Get the entire schedule of all the films at all venues on the KCA website.

Dates and Cities

Bangalore on November 8, Malleswaram, Sucharita Film Society, Yavanika

Bidar on November 9 (4 days, 16 films) 

Dharwad on Nov 10 (4 days, 12 films)

Mangalore on Nov 14 (4 days, 12 films) 

Shimoga on Nov 15 (4 days, 16 films)

Announcing the festival on Wednesday, TS Nagabharana, KCA Chairman;  HN Narahari Rao, FFSI director and artistic director of the new festival and Muddu Mohan, state Director of Information said the festival was designed to promote film culture in the remote areas of the state. The festival, planned with a low budget and entirely on DVD format, will include 100 titles from nearly 20 countries. “Many of the films have seen international releases only in the last two or three years and are being screened for the first time in India,” Narahari Rao said. Many films in Indian language, including Kannada, have been selected for the festival.

Apart from Suchitra in Bangalore (Nov 8 – 14, 28 shows), the screenings are being held at Yavanika (Nov 8 – 14, 28 shows), which is the main venue, Malleswaram Seva Sadan (Nov 9 – 12, 16 shows) and Samprati, Malleswaram (Nov 13-15, 12 shows).

Seminars

The festival will see two seminars at Yavanika: on Saturday, Nov 13  (3:00 – 5:30 PM),  ’The Challenges and Opportunities of Film Distribution and Exhibition in the Digital Age’  with director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, distributor ‘MARS’ Suresh and Jyotsna Pattabiraman of Moovie Shoovie and Sunday, Nov 14 (3:00 – 6:00 PM),’Film Criticism Today’ with Narahari Rao, MK Raghavendra and journalist Sadashiva Shenoy, general secretary, Press Club of Bangalore.

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Entry is through the delegate passes, priced at Rs 200/- (Student concession: Rs.100, on producing ID).

Buy Passes online: Please visit Moovie Shoovie

KCA : Phone 080-2213 3410

Website: http://www.thekca.in/

Email: chalanachitraacademy@gmail.com;

Suchitra: 080-2671 1785

Work on Dharwad-Goa road finally starts

Source: http://sify.com/finance/work-on-dharwad-goa-road-finally-starts-news-news-kliaO8dggea.html



It is official now. The road between Dharwad and Ramnagar that connects Karnataka to Goa and which has been in a very bad condition for decades is being converted into double-lane highway by the state government. On Sunday, public works minister C M Udasi performed the bhoomi pooja for the road construction work at Alnavar in the presence of rural development and panchayat raj minister Jagadeesh Shettar and MP Prahlad Joshi.
The state government has entrusted the works to the Karnataka Road Development Corporation which in turn has given the responsibility to Hyderabad-based GVR-RMN-Pratyusha Companies consortium named GVRMP Dharwad-Ramna-gar Tollway Private Limited. The 61.50 km stretch on the Aurad-Sadashivagad state highway No 34, which has made the journey for those travelling to Goa from Dharwad via Ramnagar a herculean task, will be re-laid for Rs237.60 crore. It will be on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) / viability gap funding (VGF) basis.
The nine-metre-wide road covers 29.9 km in Dharwad district and 31.50 km in Belgaum district before entering Goa. It will pass through three railway crossings, one bridge and 12 culverts. There will be two truck lay base, five under passes and two toll gates. The work is expected to be completed in two years. When completed, it will give a big boost to tourism, trade and commerce in Dharwad, Belgaum and Uttara Kannada districts.
The road has been in a bad shape for decades and any number of petitions and complaints to the authorities had failed to yield results. Those traveling to Goa were forced to take a route via Belgaum and Savantawadi, covering an additional distance of 80 km.
Kannadigas settled in Goa had repeatedly appealed to the legislators and ministers visiting Goa to get the road repaired, but to no avail.
Udasi, being the public works minister for second term, had failed to fulfill the demand. Successive governments had given up the road repair work after conducting ‘bhoomi pooja’, citing financial crunch. Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi and minister Jagadeesh Shettar’s efforts to get the road included in Central Road Fund during the regime of H D Revanna as public works minister had also not been fruitful.
Now it seems the road is set to be repaired with state government contributing 20 per cent of the cost while the Centre will contribute matching amount. The companies taking up the work on BoT basis will bear 60 per cent of the cost. Th e BoT is for a period of 30 years and the time frame for getting the road ready is two years.

VTU to set up hi-tech valuation centre in Davangere soon

Source: Times of India

DHARWAD: The Visvesvaraya Technological University, which has 186 engineering colleges across the state under its purview will set up a hi-tech valuation centre at Davanagere soon.

The new centre will come up on a sprawling 15-acre land adjoining the national highway near Kunduwad off Davanagere and is allotted to VTU by the Karnatak Housing Board. The centre will be well-equipped with modern facilities like high speed scanner and networking with all the colleges under the VTU.

The use of a high speed scanner will enable quick announcement of results and quick dispatch of marks cards. According to VTU V-C H Maheshappa, nearly 25 lakh answer scripts are evaluated at four centres situated at Bangalore,Mysore, Gulbarga and Belgaum every semester. The examiners will be provided food and accommodation at the valuation centre so that they do not waste time commuting to the centre.

The new centre is expected to be ready in two years, sources said. A teacher's training centre will also be set up on the same campus.

World Kannada Conference at Belgaum in Jan or Feb 2011: CM

Source: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=88680



Bangalore, Nov 1: The long-delayed World Kannada Conference proposed to be held in the border district of Belgaum will be held in January or February next year, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa announced on Monday November 1.
     
Inaugurating the colourful Children’s festival and gala Kannada Rajyothsava celebrations organized by the State Education Department at the Kanteera Stadium in Bangalore, the chief minister said it was necessary to strive for the emotional integration of the state just as the geographical unification.

People of Karnataka must always be vigilant and ceaselessly work for the protection of state’s borders, language, water and culture. All sections of society must be allowed to have a share in the state’s progress and development, he said.
     
Yeddyurappa, who released balloons and pigeons to mark the celebrations of 54th Statehood, pointed out that the government’s developmental efforts during the last two and half years had helped Karnataka to earn the second rank over the country in the implementation of the 20-point economic programme.
     
''The government will continue its efforts to emerge as the number one state in the country,” he said emphasizing the need for all-round progress in the education department. It was necessary to ensure that the educated youth were able to stand on their own legs and become self-reliant, he said.
     
The chief minister said the Global Investors’ Meet organized by the government in the month of June had resulted in the signing of as many as 383 MoUs involving a total investment of Rs 3.93 lac crore. The GIM’s success was followed up with the signing of another 342 MoUs involving an additional investment of Rs 91,519 crore.

The total investments generated on account of GIM was Rs 4.85 lac crore, he said pointing out that as many as 137 companies involving an investment of Rs 2.43 lac crore had already started preliminary works on implementation of the projects. ''We are confident that the state will overtake all other states in industrial development in the coming years,” he claimed.
     
He said the districts in northern Karnataka, which were known as Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnataka, were likely to be renamed as ''Kalyana Karnataka” and ''Swabhimani Karnataka” respectively to signify the self-respect in the state. Names of noted Kannada literatteurs and personalities would be given to some of the districts and prominent places, he indicated.
     
Though Kannada had been accorded its rightful status as a classical language, the chief minister lamented that the state’s official language was yet to get the facilities and benefits commensurate with its status. He said the patience of the state’s people should not be tested.
     
Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who presided over the function, said the government was committed to its policy of according primacy to Kannada and compulsory education in Kannada as the medium of instruction. The matter was pending before the Supreme Court.
While all languages must be respected and given due encouragement, Kannada should enjoy primacy in the state, he said urging teachers and education department officials must strive to inculcate the love of language among the students and also prevent brain drain.
     
Karnataka’s Planning Commission deputy chairman Ramachandra Gowda, former minister, and Public Instruction Department commissioner K R Shashidhar were among the dignitaries who participated in the function.
     
Over 1200 students from as many as 125 schools provided variety entertainment and cultural programmes. Students from 25 schools in the city staged a march-past.

Internet World 2010 begins in Bijapur

Source: The Hindu

Deputy Commissioner S.S. Pattanshetty has urged students to expand the horizons of their knowledge by making use of advanced technologies.

Speaking after inaugurating Internet World 2010 for students of rural areas at SB Arts and KCP Science College here on Thursday, he said realising the need for creating awareness among the students of rural areas about the Internet and its uses, the district administration has been organising the programme since five years.

Good response

It has received overwhelming response from the students also.

Today, the students can avail themselves of any information in a fraction of seconds through the Internet.

It has also become essential for students to know about the Internet to cope with a competitive world.

As many as 2,400 students studying between 7 {+t} {+h} to 10 {+t} {+h} standards would be trained at the three-day programme.

The students have been divided into batches and every batch has 800 students making use of the programme.

Bus facility has been arranged from every village in the district to help students make use of the programme.

They would be provided free food and other facilities, according to the organisers.

Bellary corporation gives nod to Rs. 2.55-cr. plan

Source: The Hindu

The general body of the Bharatiya Janata Party-controlled city corporation, which met here on Saturday, gave its unanimous approval for the action plan for utilising the Rs. 2.55 crore released under the 13th State Finance Commission. Mayor Noorjahan presided over the meeting.

The action plan has accorded top priority to solid waste management and cleanliness by allocating Rs. 63.81 lakh, including Rs. 30 lakh for purchase of 10 auto tippers for collection and transportation of garbage from the city to the compost yard, Rs. 20 lakh for purchase of 40 containers and Rs. 13.81 lakh for a tractor-mounted road sweeping machine.

Another Rs. 63.81 lakh has been earmarked for the construction of storm-water drains at various places. Of this, Rs. 38.28 lakh will be used for the installation of streetlights and Rs. 25.53 lakh for development of parks and afforestation.

The action plan envisages improvement of drinking water supply by way of constructing overhead tanks and ground-level reservoirs in a few places and laying of water pipelines in various wards at a cost of Rs. 25.53 lakh.

The plan has earmarked Rs. 25.53 lakh to extend the underground drainage system to the area near the APMC here and the municipal workers colony. Another Rs. 25.53 lakh has been set aside for development of park and planting of trees in Beechi Nagar, Havambavi area and improvement of the Dr. Rajkumar park and the ones in municipal employees colony and Gopalgoud Nagar second stage.

The civic body plans to spend Rs. 12.76 lakh on furnishing the municipal offices and the meeting hall.

MLA and chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation G. Somashekar Reddy and MP J. Shanta were present.

Cultural extravaganza marks first day of Kittur Utsav

Source: The Hindu



Ministers perform puja, garland Rani Chennamma's statue

Colourful: Thousands of people took part in the ‘Janapada Kalavahini' , which was taken out from Rani Chennamma Circle to Kittur Fort on Saturday.

The skies over the historic Kittur town, the headquarter of the erstwhile princely state reigned by Rani Chennamma, echoed with deafening drum beats, even as thousands of enthusiastic revellers kept cheering thus heralding the commencement of three-day State-level Kittur Utsav-2010, here on Saturday.

The event also marks the celebration as “Vijay Utsav” – Rani Chennamma's historic revolt against the British Empire in 1824.

A large number of artistes and people from across the district and adjoining areas swarmed to the town to take part and witness the cultural extravaganza, which began with a ceremonial puja at the samadhi of Rani Chennamma in Bailhongal town.

Neelkanth Swami of Durdundeshwar Math – Murgod, Mahantesh Kaujalgi, MLC, and Jagadish Metgud, MLA, performed the ceremonial puja at the samadhi at 7.30 a.m. and also flagged off the “Veer Rani Kittur Chennamma Jyoti”.

At Kakti, the birthplace of Rani Chennamma near Belgaum city, Rachaiah Swami of Shivpuja Math, Satish L. Jarkiholi, MLA, Belgaum District Freedom Fighters' Centenary Celebrations Committee president S.A. Malgali and Uday Hiremath, resident of Kakti, offered puja to Rani Chennamma's statue in the village.

Ceremonial reception

Minister for Agriculture and district in-charge Umesh V. Katti, Minister for Minor Irrigation, and Kannada and Culture Govind Karjol, Suresh C. Angadi and Ramesh V. Katti, both MPs, and Deputy Commissioner Ekroop Caur accorded a ceremonial reception to the jyoti at Rani Chennamma Circle at the entrance of Kittur town in the afternoon.

Mr. Katti and Minister for Cooperation Laxman S. Savadi, prominent persons from Kittur town and senior officials of the district garlanded the statue of the queen.

Subsequently, Anantkumar Hegde, MP, flagged off the colourful “Janapada Kalavahini” – a cultural rally of different thematic tableaux depicting different socio-economic, historical and cultural facets of Karnataka in general and the erstwhile princely State of Kittur, folk troupes, bullock-cart chariots, puppets, dance troupes, singers, instrumentalists and folk dancers.

Khanapur forest area to be declared elephant reserve

Source: Times of India

 

BELGAUM: As many as 64,643 hectares of forest area, covering 161 villages in Khanapur taluk in the district, will be declared as an elephant corridor and notified as Elephant Reserve, where there is a regular movements of elephants. This corridor will come under Dandeli Elephant Reserve, which covers Belgaum, Karwar, Dharwad and Haveri districts.

The move has come up to conserve elephants and avert human-elephant conflicts in these districts. Once the corridor area is notified, all forest area covering the corridor will be upgraded to reserve forest from the present protected forest. Besides this, the forest area will get additional importance on the forests map. Elephants will get maximum protection from the department and farmers will be compensated for damage of their crops.

Recently, the principle chief conservator of forest wildlife, B K Singh visited Khanapur and inspected the elephants' route. He instructed the conservators of forests of Belgaum, Dharwad and Canara circles to send a comprehensive proposal to the Union ministry of environment and forests regarding the matter.

Following his instructions, the forest department has identified an elephant corridor, based on studies done during the last 10 years. They took into account the number of crop damage incidents and elephant attacks on humans, while identifying the corridor.

Speaking to `The Times of India' deputy conservator of forests of Belgaum division, Girish Hosur said: "Generally, elephants appear in the Belgaum forest division during October and November, as they have plenty of paddy and sugarcane crops, during these harvesting months."

Hosur said elephants have a good memory and never forget their routes for at least 12 years after passing thorough a place with good amount of food. He said the Belgaum division has the fixed a migratory path for the elephants. The herd of elephants, which arrive from Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Haliyal forest divisions will enter into the Chandagad forests of Maharashtra via Khanapur forests.

Bijapur gets fisheries centre

Source: The Hindu

It will conduct research and also find ways to make fisheries lucrative

Profitable for all: The staff at the Fisheries Research and Information Centre displaying fish bred at the centre in Bijapur on Sunday.

A Fisheries Research and Information Centre has been set up beside the Buthnal tank in Bijapur city.

The centre has been constructed with the aim to take up research, find new ways of making fishing profitable for people, provide technical advice on construction of fish ponds, provide a market to sell fish and conduct training programmes for farmers to better their financial condition and prevent their migration.

Although the Cabinet approval for the project was given in 2008, the project was delayed as the KBJNL at Almatti refused to handover the land proposed by the officers.

Later, the Bijapur Zilla Panchayat came forward to provide land for the project beside Buthnal tank and allotted one hectare.

In the last few months, the centre has bred more than five lakh fishes out of which two lakh have already been given away to farmers.

Speaking to The Hindu, Fisheries Research and Information Centre Assistant professor Sharangouda Biradar said the centre aims to create awareness among farmers on how to earn additional income by taking up the activity in their fields, conduct research on fishes and disseminate the outcome of the research to farmers in the region.

The total cost of the project is Rs. 2.6 crore, which will be released in phases in the next five years for construction of an administrative building, a fishing pond, a laboratory, a training centre and staff quarters.

The amount for this project will be released under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

For full-fledged development of the centre, it requires three more hectares of land and the proposal in this regard has already been submitted to the authorities concerned, he said.

Ornamental fish

Mr. Biradar said the centre also plans to launch a project to breed ornamental fishes with the help of the Karnataka State Women's University. Under the project, self-help groups in the district would be trained to breed such fishes.

[DHARWAD] Job fair on Friday & Saturday

Source: The Hindu


A job fair for recruitment to Wipro BPO will be held at Oxford College here on Friday and Saturday. Candidates who have passed PUC, BA, B.Com., BBA, B.Sc., M.Sc. or M.Com. are eligible attend. For details, call 8892726815. — Staff Correspondent

[Bellary] ‘Kannada Naada Habba' begins on Friday

Source: The Hindu

For the second year in a row, the Bellary Naada Habba Committee, in association with Lohiya Prakashan, Bellary, will hold a three-day ‘Kannada Naada Habba' as part of the Dasara festivities from Friday.

Renowned litterateur G.S. Siddalingaiah will inaugurate the programme, which will be held at the Raghava Kala Mandir.

In addition to literary activities, a variety of cultural programmes will also be held. On October 8, Janni and Chintana troupes from Mysore will render folk and light music.

On October 9, a discussion will be held on ‘Values-then and now'. Soolibele Chakravarthi, Y. Gundurao, C. Jayasimha, Padma Vittal, Sinchana and Sanskar Bharati Chakravarti will participate.

On the concluding day, Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Central University, Gulbarga, S. Chandrashekar, will deliver the valedictory address. It will be followed by staging of Sri Krishna Parijat by a troupe from Bailhongal in Belgaum district.

19 companies to set up industries in Bidar

Source: The Hindu

Nineteen companies have agreed to set up industries in Bidar, Heavy and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani said.

He told presspersons here on Tuesday that in the recent Global Investors Meet, these companies had promised to invest Rs. 1,318 crore and provide jobs to 11,000 people.

The Government will set aside Rs. 15 crore for industrial development in Bidar. As much as 2,450 acres will be acquired in the district to create a land bank. This will include 500 acres in Humnabad and 100 acres in Basavakalyan. Officials have been instructed not to acquire fertile farmland for industrial purposes. Farmers will be paid double the market rates for the acquired lands.

Water supply facilities will be provided at a cost of Rs. 75 lakh at the industrial estates in Naubad and Kolhar.

The Government will start a common sewage treatment plant at a cost of Rs. 100 crore to help industries. Industrial houses that have failed to set up factories even after five years of the land being allotted to them will be asked to return it.

[Hubli-Dharwad] Recruitment

Source: The Hindu


International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, will organise a recruitment drive for an MNC at its Hubli-Dharwad centre on October 8. The drive is for posts in IT Infrastructure Management Services and candidates with engineer-ing degree and B.Tech. can participate. For details, call 08366510530. — Staff Correspondent

Projects worth Rs. 2,673 crore cleared for Gulbarga division

Source: The Hindu
Cabinet clears proposals worth Rs. 4,643 crore throughout the State

The third Cabinet meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in the State in Gulbarga on Monday turned out to be a virtual bonanza with the Government clearing a total projected investment of Rs. 2,673.96 crore for various development activities and infrastructure development in the six districts of the Gulbarga Revenue Division.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who addressed presspersons after the meeting, said the Cabinet gave its approval to proposals worth Rs 4,643.80 crore to implement 55 programmes and projects throughout the State. Of this, projects worth Rs. 2,673.96 crore have been approved in the Gulbarga Revenue division comprising the districts of Gulbarga, Bellary, Bidar, Raichur, Bidar and Koppal.

Prominent projects in the Hyderabad Karnataka region that have been cleared include the post-facto approval for the super-speciality hospital of the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Bellary at a cost of Rs. 80 crore and a regional super-speciality hospital in Gulbarga city under the Private Public Participation (PPP) model.

The Chief Minister announced that an agricultural college would be established at the Agriculture Research Station in Gulbarga from the next academic year. The Cabinet also cleared a special package of Rs. 50 crore for improving basic infrastructure facilities and to increase the educational facilities at VIMS, Bellary.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Cabinet gave its approval to release Rs. 920 crore as the State Government's equity of the project cost of Rs 2,123 crore for the second stage of the Niranthara Jyoti Scheme. The 40 per cent of the project cost was the State equity and the remaining amount would be raised through loans to improve power supply system in rural areas and provide 24-hour electricity to villages.

He said administrative approval had been given for taking up 30 projects at a cost of Rs. 553.423 crore under the centrally sponsored NRDWP to provide safe drinking water supply to needy villages in 13 districts in the State. The Cabinet also cleared a drinking water supply scheme worth Rs 7.86 crore to benefit 20 villages in Bellary district.

The Cabinet, besides giving approval for various road development works worth Rs 166.50 crore in Gulbarga district, gave administrative approval for taking up development works amounting to Rs. 146.58 crore in Yadgir district by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. It also approved a project to fill 10 tanks in Huvina Hadagali taluk in Bellary district at a cost of Rs. 76.70 crore. Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Cabinet also gave approval to set up a zoo at Hampi in Bellary district at a cost of Rs. 67 crore and Rs. 20 crore would be released during the current year for the purpose.

The Cabinet gave its formal approval for constructing two blocks of 50,000 square feet each Information Technology Park in Gulbarga city and Rs. 21 crore has been released for the purpose. It also gave its approval for releasing Rs. 81 crore to develop 2,400 acres of land for industrial purpose in Gulbarga division.

Cabinet meeting in Gulbarga

Source: The Hindu

The Cabinet meeting that will be held here on Monday for the third time, is likely to sanction Rs. 300 crore for the development of Yadgir district.

[Gulbarga] Work on inter-State highway to start today

Source: The Hindu

Road connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, via Gulbarga district to be upgraded

Ready for a facelift: The damaged inter-State highway that passes through Gulbarga district.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will set in motion the upgrading of the inter-State highway connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, via Gulbarga district, when he lays the foundation stone for the Rs. 240-crore project on Monday.

The highway will cover a distance of 139 km from Waghdhari in Maharashtra to Ripponpalli in Andhra Pradesh. Passing through Sedam, Gulbarga and Afzalpur taluks in Gulbarga district, it is considered an economically important road that will cut down the cost of cement transportation between the States.

Owing to the bad condition of the road, especially in the Gulbarga stretch, the three main cement producers here — Rajashree Cements, ACC Cements Ltd., and Vasavadatta Cements — have to take circuitous routes to transport the material, adding to the cost of the cement when it finally reaches the consumers.

Sedam MLA Sharanprakash Patil has been pushing for the project to be taken up under the public-private participation (PPP) model on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis for over eight years. Now, his efforts have paid off with the Government awarding the work to a Hyderabad-based consortium CVR to complete within two years.

According to information available with The Hindu, the financial arrangements are being finalised and the consortium has started the spade work for construction.

A full-fledged camp office has been set up at Ripponpalli in Andhra Pradesh and a hot mixing plant and quarry has been installed near the town.

Dr. Patil said the consortium had set up four separate teams to take up the upgrading work simultaneously to hasten the process. Work will be taken up from Gulbarga towards Ripponpalli, Ripponpalli to Gulbarga, Waghdhari to Gulbarga and Gulbarga to Waghdhari.

Other projects

Apart from this, the Union Government has also sanctioned Rs. 150 crore for the upgrading of two important roads in Gulbarga district under the Central Road Fund (CRF).

These are the Sedam-Yadgir Road, being upgraded at a cost of Rs. 67 crore, and the road from Hire Mannur on the borders of Maharashtra to Afzalpur town, at a cost of Rs. 82 crore.

According to information available here, both projects will be monitored at the implementation stage by the National Highway Authority of India.

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B.S. Yeddyurappa to lay the foundation stone for the Rs. 240-crore project

Hyderabad-based consortium to complete the work within two years

[Dharwad] Neerasagar Tank to be developed

Source: The Hindu

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and district in-charge Jagadish Shettar has said that the Neerasagar Tank at Dhummavada would be developed on the lines of Brindavan Gardens at KRS dam in Mysore. He was speaking to presspersons after visiting Kelageri Tank area to take stock of the ongoing development works on Saturday. A garden will come up in 20 acres around the lake.

— Staff Correspondent

Kittur Jyoti to be taken around major towns, cities

Source: The Hindu

The publicity blitzkrieg for the three-day Kittur Utsav-2010 from October 23 at the Rani Chennamma's Fort in Kittur town will be kicked off with a ceremonial puja in Bailhongal town on October 8.

For the first time in the history of Kittur Utsav, ‘Kittur Jyoti' will pass through the major cities and towns of the State, including Bangalore, so as to motivate people to take part in the three-day cultural extravaganza in large numbers. Taking ‘Kittur Jyoti' to many cities is also aimed at creating awareness on the contribution of Kittur Rani Chennamma in fighting the British rule in India. The ‘Kittur Jyoti' will be flagged off at 11 a.m. on October 8 soon after the puja at the Kittur Rani Chennamma's samadhi in Bailhongal. Thereafter, it will be taken to Khanapur, Belgaum, Hukkeri, Chikkodi, Athani, Raibag, Gokak, Ramdurg, Savadatti, Dharwad, Hubli, Shiggaon, Savanoor, Haveri, Davangere, Chitradurga, Tumkur and reach Bangalore on October 20 at 10 a.m.

On its return journey, it will leave Bangalore on October 21 and reach Kittur town on October 23 at 8 a.m. (via Davangere).

Functions to welcome the jyoti will be held at all places it will pass through and cultural programmes will be held to mark its arrival.

On its arrival at Kittur town, a function will be organised to welcome it at the Rani Chennamma Circle. Elected representatives, freedom fighters, prominent members of the society and a large number of people from the town will join the ‘Kala Jatha' that will be taken out from the circle to the Kittur Fort.

On the same evening, an exhibition and cultural programmes will be inaugurated, according to official sources here on Sunday.

More parks to add to Bellary's greenery

Source: Times of India

 

BELLARY: Eighty parks will be developed in different areas while 10 parks are already in the completion stage, said tourism and district minister G Janardhana Reddy on Saturday.

Addressing the gathering after participating in the Vanamahotsava programme at the government pre-university women's college he said Bellary too is on a par with cities like Mysore, Dharwad, Hubli and Belgaum on development activities. The minister urged students to plant saplings in the city to add to the greenery.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA G Somashekhara Reddy said Bellary City Corporation has distributed 7,000 saplings to the people and has plans to distribute 35,000 more saplings.

The tourism minister also inspected the premises of the Rajkumar park where the statue of Kannada thespian Dr Rajkumar will be unveiled by Parvathamma Rajkumar on October 5. The statue costs around Rs 50 lakhs. On November 5, actor Vishuvardhan's statue, too, will be unveiled by Bharathi Vishuvardhan.