Traffic movement restricted on Sunticoppa-Madikeri Road

 Kodagu Deputy Commissioner K.H. Ashwatha Narayana Gowda said that movement of traffic on the Sunticoppa-Madikeri Road has been restricted as development work has been taken up.

This stretch is part of the Mysore-Bantwal Road upgradation programme. The Kushalnagar-Sunticoppa-Madikeri-Sampaje roads come under the project in Kodagu district.

Accordingly, all vehicles coming from Sunticoppa to Madikeri would have to take the Gaddehalla-Mathicad-Ponnathmotte-Chettalli-Turkarahatti-Kadagadal-Neerukolli road to reach Madikeri.

All vehicles from Madikeri proceeding towards Sunticoppa would have to go via Aranya Bhavan, Sampigekatte, Karnangeri, Makkandur, Kandanakolli, Hattihole, Madapur, Jamboor junction to reach Sunticoppa.

The Divisional Engineer, Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited, Mysore, which is executing the project has been asked to put up large signboards in Kannada and English informing the commuters that the road is closed for taking up works and that they should take a detour.

However, permission would be granted to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to ply two mini buses on the Sunticoppa-Madikeri Road. Light motor vehicles carrying schoolchildren and ambulances would be allowed 8to operate as usual. Two-wheelers have been exempted from any restriction and they can ply as usual.

Mr. Gowda has asked the Superintendent of Police to put up barricades at the Chaingate here and at Gaddehalla, near Sunticoppa, to enforce the restrictions. In a release, Additional Deputy Commissioner K.M. Chandre Gowda said that light motor vehicle-users could obtain passes from the district administration to commute on Sunticoppa-Madikeri Road.

-The Hindu

Organic farming to be popularised

Madikeri: The president of the Karnataka State Savayava Krishi Mission, A.S. Anand, said here on Thursday that efforts were being made to popularise organic farming in the State with the formation of a group of 300 farmers to work in this regard.

Mr. Anand was speaking after inaugurating the “Banuli Krishi Belagu” programme here involving farmers at a workshop on the topic “Good Agricultural Practice and Good Marketing Practice of Spices” here.

The future generation cannot be made to eat ‘poison’, he said, referring to the use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural operations. Mr. Anand expressed concern at the abandonment of agriculture operations due to various reasons such as shortage of labour and farmers dissuading children from taking up agriculture.

Ramesh Muddaiah, president of the Madikeri Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), said if the farmers got the right price for their produce they would not have to ask the Government for special relief packages. As India lived on the strength of its villages, the Government should come to the rescue of the farmers who exploited by middlemen, he added.

Vijaya Haran, Director of the Mysore Station of All India Radio, recounted how the AIR stations had been helping farmers by organising and educating them through agriculture-related programmes.

Gajaraj and the Kodagu District Information Officer Vinod Chandra released ‘Negila Yogi’, an in-house magazine of the AIR.

Assistant Director of the Madikeri Station of AIR Indira Yesupriya Gajaraj, president of the Gonicoppa APMC Bose Mandanna, president of the Kushalnagar APMC Sheshappa and N. Keshava Murthy from the Mysore AIR spoke on the occasion.

Anke Gowda from the Indian Institute of Spices Research, Appangala, near here, Shivaram and Swathy, both from the Chettalli Horticultural Experimental Station, were present. The programme was organised by the AIR Stations of Madikeri and Mysore.

- The Hindu

Ex-servicemen urged to be active socially

Major General Nitin Kohli, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, has called upon the ex-servicemen to involve themselves in social activities since their experience could benefit the community as a whole.

Major General Nitin Kohli was interacting with ex-servicemen at the Employees Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Polyclinic here on Thursday. Describing ex-servicemen as a “unique community”, Gen. Kohli said the Government has given the best of facilities to them in terms of medical care.

He urged the Manager of the ECHS, Col. Nanaiah (retd.), to put up an information chart on the notice board about the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for the benefit of the ex-servicemen. Certain rules had changed and every retired personnel and officer should be made aware of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, he said.

Maj. Gen. Kohli said that a complex to house both the ECHS and the sub-area canteen, besides shopping mall, could be constructed here provided land was identified for the purpose. He was surprised to find that very few ex-service personnel had registered under the ECHS in Kodagu. He said others should get their names registered and avail of the benefits.

Maj. Gen. Kohli asked one of the ex-servicemen to send in an application to him when he said that he had not received the reimbursement of the amount which he had paid as his contribution to the ECHS while registering his name when the scheme had come into force. Col. Nanaiah clarified that nobody needs to contribute to avail the ECHS facility. The State Government too had agreed to provide several concessions to the ex-servicemen such as exemption from house tax, concession in VAT and construction of houses through the Army Welfare Housing Organisation, Maj. Gen. Kohli stated.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army to provide graduation certificates to ex-servicemen based on their credit points earned while in service.

Panchayat upset over Cauvery Sene

Madikeri: The president of the Bhagamandala gram panchayat and its members, on Monday, said that they lodged a complaint against the Cauvery Sene for what they said defiling the panchayat veranda on Sunday, in the garb of taking up a cleanliness drive.

A case has been registered in the Bhagamandala police station.

Addressing presspersons here, the president of the panchayat, Chandramati, and the other members threatened to resign en masse and stage a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here, if action was not initiated against the members of the sene and their supporters.

-The Hindu

Private bus owners go on strike

Private buses in Kodagu remained of the road on Tuesday in the wake of the Coorg Private Bus Owners’ Association’s call for strike against operation of KSRTC buses in the district without permits.

Members of the association said that they would seek the resignation of the elected representatives if their demand for issuing permits to KSRTC buses were not fulfilled within a month. The members staged a dharna in front of the RTO office here on January 8. However, absence of private buses did not cause much inconvenience as it was a government holiday on Tuesday. The KSRTC buses posed a unhealthy competition to private buses by not sticking to the departure/arrival timings allotted to them, Ramesh Joyappa, president of the association, alleged in a statement here on Tuesday.

More than 80 KSRTC schedules operated in Kodagu though the RTO stated that only 19 buses operated without permits. More than 190 private buses operated in the district. The association had petitioned the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) headed by the Deputy Commissioner and the State Transport Minister, Transport Commissioner and other officials over the unhealthy competition by the KSRTC buses, but no action had been taken, Mr. Joyappa said.

The issue was brought to the notice of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Transport Minister R. Ashok when they visited Madikeri on December 11, he said.

-The Hindu

`Mobile Love’ ends up in Murder Attempt

A Man and his friend who attempted to kill his pregnant lover by pushing her from a running car are now are now `State guests’.

Nityakumari of Somvarpet in Kodagu District is working in Manipal Hospital for last two years as a nurse. One fine day an accidental mobile phone call  acquainted her with a Mahesh of Arasu Kallahalli village in Hunasur Taluk. Acquaintance turned into love and she became pregnant.

Then Nityakumari started pressurizing Mahesh to marry her. But he insisted on abortion and tried to do so in several hospitals. But doctors refused because she was five months pregnant then.

Mahesh came up with a master plan and took her to Tamilnadu in a car along with his friend Harish on the pretext of doing abortion in Coimbatore. In Satyamangala Ghat he opened rear door and pushed her down and speeded away.

But fortunately a lorry driver rescued injured Nityakumari and she came back to Hunasur and filed a complaint. Police have arrested Mahesh and Harish.

- Coastaldigest