DHARAM SINGH TO GRACE DASARA AT MADIKERI;

Chief Minister Mr.Dharam singh has agreed to grace Dasara at Madikeri, according to MLA Mr.K.G.Bopaiah.

He informed from Bangalore that the CM was invited by a delegation. The delegation led by him requested the CM to release a grant of rupees fifteen lakhs for Madikeri Dasara. He said that the government would release the fund.

CMC member Mrs.Monti Ganesh, Satish Pai, V.P.Suresh, M.P.Krishnaraju, K.U.Razak, Philomina, Tahira and Chummi Devaiah were present in the delegation.

Meanwhile he also promised to look into forestland encroachment issues burning in Kodagu to a BJP delegation.

The CM assured MLA Mr.K.G.Bopaiah that a high level delegation of officials would be sent to study the matter. He also said that the forest minister Mr.Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli would also visit Kodagu and discuss the issue with the concerned.

A long battle between forest and revenue departments is on in declaring ownership of land to the grantees. While the revenue department has issued pattas to the people living in forest areas, the forest department is considering them as encroachments.

Meanwhile Mr.Dharam Singh has also promised to release more fund to Kodagu towards flood relief.

PLANTAIN SAPPLINGS DECORATE THE ROADS;

The auto drivers and public in Madikeri planted plantain saplings in the pits and cuts on the main road at Madikeri and protested against the pathetic condition of roads in the town.

Traffic was blocked for sometime. They alleged that the authorities have failed to repair the roads including the drains formed by private cable companies.

Later, the CMC commissioner assured the protestors that the roads would be repaired soon.

CHAMBER THREATENS BANDH;

Chamber of commerce, Gonicoppal unit has threatened to hold bandh if the government keeps transferring officials without filling the vacant posts.

Addressing scribes at Gonicoppal, the chamber president Mr.M.K.Nanjappa stated that the officials are being transferred due to political reasons.

Alleging that a DySP and a commercial official were transferred due to political reasons, attempts to transfer the tahasildar are also on. Development works in the Virajpet taluk is suffering due to political interference, he commented. He also questioned the silence maintained by the people’s representatives about the transfers and problems.

Girish ganapathy and others were present.

MP FOR IMPROVING TOURISM;

Member of the Parliament Mr.Sadananda Gowda opined that the governments should develop tourism in Kodagu.

Inaugurating a meeting hall at the District Chamber pf Commerce building, he invited the Chaber officials to Delhi. He assured that the delegation would be taken to the tourism minister to brief the urgency and need to develop tourism in Kodagu.

Mr.Gowda said that the students of Mangala Gangotri have come out with a booklet on tourism development in the district and the centre would be requested to take up projects on par with the book guidelines. A tourism package for Kodagu will also be requested during the meeting with the minister, he said.

MLA Mr.K.G.bopaiah announced rupees one lakh to the building from MLA grant.

Mr.T.P.Ramesh, mr.G.Rajendra, mr.Girish ganapathy and others took part in the meeting.

KALASA PROCESSION AT SOMWARPET;

Women carrying 101 Kalasas on their heads went in a procession at Somwarpet yesterday and prayed Lord Ganesha to rid them of earth quake fear.

Assembling at the Janatha colony, where a Ganapathy idol was installed on the eve of Ganesha festival, the devotees walked only on white cloth during the procession. The organizers spread white cloths on the road as the procession was on.

Janatha colony is the main place where people have been experiencing trembling under ground.

Meanwhile, Dr.Ramakrishna and team from Pune Water power and testing unit ruled out any possibility of earth quake in the area.

The team which has installed a seismographic equipment in the area told scribes yesterday that the trembling could be the result of increase in water pressure from below and earth quake could not be suspected any where in Kodagu. However Dr.Ramakrishna said that they will be able to ascertain the actual cause for tremor only after three months. He said that the seismographic records of three months should be studied before ascertaining the cause.