SLEUTHS ARREST SMUGGLERS INCLUDING GIRLS;

Madikeri November 11, 2006

Forest sleuths yesterday arrested four persons including two girls smuggling wood, from Kodagu.

Forest sleuths gave a hot chase to a Tata Qualis vehicle near Hebbale at night and opened fire to stop the vehicle. The vehicle stopped with a punctured wheel after caught in drainage.

While two persons escaped from the spot, four others were arrested.

The arrested are identified as K.E.Rafiq from Pollibetta, Anjali from Virajpet, Syed Riyaz from Mysore and Sushma from Nanjangud. Two others, one more from Kodagu and Mysore disappeared from the spot.

Lakhs of rupees worth rose wood amd teak wood logs were seized along with the vehicle.

Forest officials fear a systematic smuggling racket as girls are also involved in smuggling.

BOON TO AGRICULTURISTS THROUGH DRIP IRRIGATION;

The government will provide 75% subsidy to farmers interested in drip irrigation, according to Horticulture officials.

In an exclusive interview to this correspondent the officials stated that the centre will provide 80% and the state has to bear 20% grant to provide subsidy to the agriculturists.

The subsidy is applicable to the agriculture activity in five acres of land. The agriculturists can grow flowers, vegetables, fruits and other crops.

The beneficiaries should buy the required equipments only from the government recognized suppliers.

Senior assistant director of Horticulture, C.U.medappa has said that the government has allotted rupees 64.84 lakhs to Kodagu for the purpose. The agriculturists are requested to approach the Horticulture department at Madikeri.

LEADERS AT LOGGER HEADS, BJP YET TO CHOOSE DISTRICT HEAD;

Leaders of Bharatiya Janatha Party are locking horns to choose their district president and the election is yet to take place.

After enough heat and dust was raised at Bangalore to choose a unanimous leader, the party leaders in Kodagu are favopuring the candidature of MLA and former president K.G.Bopaiah for the top district post.

Hectic activity was going on since a week in Bangalore to choose either Ravi Kushalappa or Sunil Subramani for the post. The state election officer held the decision as the two fractions were fighting teeth and nail to bite the post.

In a latest development yesterday, some of the leaders, including MLA H.D.Basavaraju met the state leaders and urged them to re elect K.G.Bopaiah as the president to solve the controvercy. Majority of the district leaders have welcomed the development and expressed their support to K.G.Bopaiah. Bopaiah has said that he will serve the party if the responsibility is transferred to him.

D.H.Shankara Murthy and state committee member Shoba Karandlaje have opined that the name of the new president would be announced within a week.