MONSOON HANGAMA ; AGRICULTURISTS EXPERIENCE CURSE;

Madikeri June 6, 2006

While people talk only about the coffee plantations and planters, when it comes to loss or damage, there is another section of growers who are silently suffering in villages, and whose woe nobody seems to answer.

Few scribes toured the neglected villages like Hammiyala, Hachhinadu, Mutlu, Kumbaragadige and others in Somwarpet taluk and witnessed that agriculturists have incurred huge loss due to heavy rainfall. The untimely heavy shower has decayed their paddy and vegetable crops. “Just a week was enough for us cut the crop. Now thousands of rupees per acre are ruined due to rain fall,” a villager said.

Paddy grown as second crop was destroyed in many places. Sowing of paddy was done with a delay and with a wrong calculation and the agriculturists were postponing the date of cutting as the crop had still more days to ripen. However, the heavy down pour took them off heels and grounded the crop. It is now a pathetic scene to witness acres together wasted crop.

Along with paddy, people have also planted vegetables in large areas. Vegetables normally survive in average rainfall. However, this monsoon poured more rain than expected. Many fields and low-lying areas were inundated all over Kodagu. Vegetables valued at thousands of rupees just went in drain.

The villagers complain that neither elected representatives nor officials had the concern to visit their areas in spite of their appeal. They have appealed to the district administration to look into the loss and provide compensation.

The grounded paddy crop

PEOPLE PROTEST AGAINST HOSPITAL;

Madikeri June 6, 2006

Members of head loaders and wood workers association staged a protest against the government Primary Health Center yesterday and alleged that the authorities are ignoring the development of the hospital.

Taking out a procession, they squatted before the PHC and shouted slogans against the department. Secretary of the association, N.D.Kuttapan addressed the gathering and said that the vacant posts of doctors and staff are not being filled. However, there was a proposal to upgrade the hospital and even that was not yet done. He pointed out that villagers of about seven villages depend on this PHC and it has to be upgraded.

Arriving at the spot, the District Health Officer Vishwanath assured that the PHC would be upgraded without fail and rupees forty lakhs is allotted for the purpose by World Bank.

The protest was called off after Vishwanath assured the gathering to fill the post within fifteen days.

PEOPLE PICKET GRAM PACHAYATH;

Residents and villagers around Napoklu picketed Gram Panchayath office alleging lathergy and inefficiency.

Alleging that the office was without any staff, protestors gathered before the building. The president and vice president Susheela and Mandappa along with secretary Mandappa arrived at the spot in a vehicle to be thwarted by the protestors. The furious crowd showered questions about the irregularities, half done roads and other works, pending files etc.,

The protestors demanded the resignation of the elected body if they cannot manage administration.