The Hindu : Briefly

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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Briefly

Poem declared `State song'

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore Jan. 10. The State Government has, in an order issued on Wednesday, declared "Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate", written by the Jnanpith Award winner, Kuvempu, as the State song ("naadageete"). It has directed that the song should be rendered daily before the commencement of classes in all schools. It should also be sung at all functions. According to the government order, those present at the time of rendering the song should stand up as a mark of respect to the State. School authorities and organisers of functions have been informed that they could use a select portion of the song brought out in the annexure of the order.

Ex-IOC chief denies charges

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Jan. 10. The former Chairman of the Indian Oil Corporation, J.L. Zutshi, the Delhi-based chartered accountant, Santosh Gadia, and the Chairman of a Delhi-based company, Deepak Seth, today denied the charges levelled against them by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, B.S. Yediyurappa, in the Legislative Council on Thursday. Mr. Yediyurappa had said that the three persons along with a former Director General of Police had made investments in various firms on behalf of the main accused in the stamp paper scam, Abdul Karim Telgi. They told presspersons here today that the charges made against them by the BJP were totally false and baseless. They said the BJP leaders had made the allegations "without even undertaking elementary verification."

`NCC cadets most patriotic'

By Our Staff Correspondent

Mysore Jan. 10. At a time when the youth seem to lack a focal point for national reconstruction, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) has come in for high praise from the Defence Minister, George Fernandes. Addressing students of Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala on the occasion of its golden jubilee celebrations here on Saturday, Mr. Fernandes said NCC cadets were among the most committed and patriotic youth in the country. There were many instances of outstanding service rendered by NCC cadets, he said and recalled an incident in Orissa when it was ravaged by a cyclone three years ago.

Pension scheme welcomed

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Jan. 10. The All-India Non-Pensioned cum Senior Citizen Retirees' Association, Bangalore, has welcomed the move to provide a pension scheme for workers in the unorganised sector. The General Secretary of the association, Ernest Abraham, said here on Saturday that the Government spoke only about future retirees and was silent about those had already retired without pensions, opting for a one-time settlement. "The fall in interest rates on bank and post office deposits has hit such retirees hard, and the Government should redress their grievances. Their numbers are just one-tenth of the pensioners,'' he said.

NCW to organise public hearing

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore Jan. 10. The National Commission for Women (NCW) and Positive Women's Network will organise a "public hearing" to address concerns of women with HIV/AIDS on January 13 at the Urban Health Research and Training Institute, Malleswaram, here. Justice B.K. Somashekhar, former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court will preside over the hearing.

Moily's biography ready

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Jan. 10. Where the Mind is Without Fear, a biography of the former Chief Minister, M. Veerappa Moily, will be released here on Monday. Authored by H.P. Shashidhar Murthy and Paul Verghese, the book is published by Maheshwari Prakashana. The book, which contains 26 chapters and 80 photographs, tells the story of the life of Mr. Moily from his childhood in Karkala. The book also dwells on his contribution to literature as a novelist, columnist, poet, and dramatist. The authors have consulted two other books on Mr. Moily: Mumtaz Ali Khan's Development and Social Justice — A Case Study of M. Veerappa Moily Regime and S.V. Srinivasa Rao's Kannada book, Mudubidre Veerappa Moily. The title of the book is taken from Rabindranath Tagore's poem, which begins with the words, "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high..."

Bank for women's groups mooted

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Jan. 10. The former Union Minister and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Women's Empowerment, Margaret Alva, said today that there had been gross injustice in financial institutions providing loans to self-help groups (SHGs) in the country. Addressing the valedictory session of an entrepreneurial meeting organised by the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka here, Ms. Alva said that while interest at the rate of four per cent was given to SHGs on their savings which ran into crores of rupees, the groups availed of loans from financial institutions at an interest rate of 11 per cent. She called for an end to this "exploitation", and said she had brought the matter to the notice of the Union Finance Minister. She had told him that if no action was taken to remove the "injustice", she would initiate a movement in which SHGs would establish a bank to manage funds. She suggested that credit cards be issued to women on the lines of those given to farmers without collateral security. This would help women to set up their own enterprises. It was essential to encourage women entrepreneurs, particularly at a time when the small-scale sector was under threat from liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation policies. The President of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and MP, H.N. Ananth Kumar, said women entrepreneurs should move from the cottage industries sector to the corporate sector.

`Raise quality of exports'

CHITRADURGA JAN. 10. Tushar Tanna, Chairman of Indian Oilseeds and Produce Exporters' Association, has expressed concern over the falling export of groundnut and other oilseeds every year. Addressing an interactive meeting of stakeholders organised by the association on Saturday, he asked the producers and merchants to meet international standards in exports.

Man sentenced for rape attempt

Bidar Jan. 10. A court in Aurad has convicted a man for attempted rape and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment. A fine of Rs 1,000 has been imposed on him.

The Judicial Magistrate First Class, Ambadas Rao Kulkarni, gave his judgement after hearing the arguments in the case. Neelkanth Tukaram tried to rape a woman who was on her way to her field in Mudhol (B) on March 3, 2003. Passers-by had rescued the woman after hearing her screams, and the accused fled the scene.

Scholarship for students

Bidar Jan. 10. The State Government will award scholarships to students from Bidar district who are interested in sports. According to a press release by the District Sports and Youth Services Officer, students of middle and high schools are eligible for the scholarship for 2003-04. The monthly scholarship will be of Rs. 50.

Applicants should have won the first prize in competitions conducted by institutions recognised by the State Sports Authority, rural sports, women's sports, and school games conducted by the Education Department or the State-level competitions conducted by the Sports Authority of India. Those who participated in national-level events in 2003 are also eligible to participate. Even if a candidate has won prizes in more than one event, he will be eligible for only one scholarship. Applications with copies of certificates should reach the sports officer before January 27.

Interactive meeting

Bidar Jan. 10. The State Government has promised to lay pipelines for supplying drinking water in Tegampur village in Aurad taluk in a few weeks. H.M. Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, gave this assurance to the people of the village during a Janasamparka Sabha (interactive meeting). He also agreed to forward the demands of the people for uninterrupted power supply, good roads, and hospitals, to the Government.

He said the district administration had conducted such meetings in most of the 29 villages identified under an area development programme.

Yuvajana melas

UDUPI JAN. 10. The Minister of State for Ports and Fisheries, Vasanth V. Salian, on Saturday said it was essential to bring out the talent in rural youth by organising "Yuvajana Melas" (youth festivals).

He was speaking after inaugurating a district-level Yuvajana Mela organised by the Department of Sports and Youth Services and Sadhana Yuvak Mandal at Korangarapady near here.

Mr. Salian said more youth festivals should be held in the district. He lauded the exhibition of old household items held at the mela.

Anti-rowdy squad soon

HUBLI JAN. 10. "An anti-rowdy squad will be constituted shortly to combat the increasing rowdism in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad," the Police Commissioner, K.V. Gagandeep, has said.

He told presspersons here that in the past year, police had come across eight kidnap cases. This year, two such cases had been reported in the twin cities, he added.

He said the anti-rowdy squad would consist of three inspectors and eight constables who would be provided with mobile phones and vehicles.

He appealed to people to inform the Police Control Room about any untoward incident in their area. — PTI

Watershed project

CHITRADURGA JAN. 10. Narayanaswamy, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, has urged people to make use of the World Bank-aided Sujala Watershed Development Project. He was addressing a meeting of Pravesha Bindu, a workshop under the programme on Friday. Krishnamurthy, District Watershed Development Officer, explained the salient features of the programme and asked the implementing officer to work hard as it was a time-bound programme. The presidents and members of the gram panchayats should come forward for the effective implementation of this project, he said.

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Karnataka