GROWERS CONCERNED

Madikeri November 6, 2006

It is November. There should have been Sunlight and children would have been playing in grounds. But in Kodagu, monsoon is yet to be over. The district stadium ground where Rajyotsava function was organized on November first depicted a slushy wet land. The minister’s car drove up to the stage, splashing water on either side.

While this is a matter of inconvenience to common people, the planters are a worried lot. The continuous rainfall every second day and mist filled days are spreading shock waves. It is time to pluck Arabica coffee. In many estates the coffee beans are dropping. In many places, plucking is being delayed due to rainfall. At the same time, drying and storing of coffee bean has become a headache due to moisture. The wet weather is also affecting pepper and Paddy.

Agriculturists are praying that the rain stops immediately and bring relief.

RALLY AGAINST HIGH TENSION LINE;

MLC Arun Machaiah has cautioned the government not to test the patience of people of Kodagu and drop the proposed high tension line, leading to Kerala through South Kodagu.

He was addressing a rally yesterday at Pollibetta. He called upon the people to fight unitedly against the proposed 400 KV power line. He recalled how detrimental projects like Barapole and Kambadakada were stopped through people’s movement in Kodagu. Machaiah said that the government is earning rupees seventy crore through Excise and rupees 25 crore through coffee export and yet is ignoring the interest of the people. He warned that the government should be aware that state will go dry if Cauvery doesn’t flow from Kodagu. He informed that the line will cross through 75 kilometers over paddy field and estates. He urged the government to change the route and said that a meeting in this regard would be held at Bangalore today.

Cauvery sene convenor Ravi Chengappa, Maletira Subramani, Hosabeedu Hoovaiah and others spoke on the occasion and condemned the outlook of government towards Kodagu. They said that the nature is being stripped in Kodagu in the way of about 18 mini hydel projects etc.

TWO FROM KODAGU ARRESTED TOWARDS KIDNAP;

The case of kidnapping two medical students from Mandya has taken new turn with the arrest of two persons from kodagu.

Mandya police with the support from Kodagu police arrested Dinesh and Raju from Kodlipet un connection with the kidnap. It came to light that the duo with their relatives and friends hatched a plan to kidnap two, The accused charged at the motor cycle of the two kidnapped students Ugum Chopra and Bupinder kadia with their Qualis vehicle on October 26 between Kodagu and Dhrmastal. Hiding the bike in some place, the students were bundled into Qualis and lodged in a Home Stay at madikeri. Kidnappers began to contact the boys’ parents for ransom from here. Later they started changing places. One of the boys, Bhupinder was seriously injured in the accident and he was let out at Chitrdurga.

The other kidnappers are at large with Ugum chopra and the quails. Investigation is on. The duo from Kodagu were arrested from a bar at kodlipet.