CENTRAL TEAM VERIFYING LANDSLIDES IN KODAGU;

Madikeri July 16, 2007

A central team is inspecting the land slides occurred in Kodagu due to heavy rainfall. MLA K.G.Bopaiah stated that the team is assessing the reason why land slides occur in this district.

Bopaiah was addressing scribes yesterday after visiting Bhagamandala – Karike road. A stretch of thirty kilometers is totally damaged here with uprooted trees and landslides. Vehicular traffic here was blocked since twenty days and the district administration is fighting to set right the road.

Boapaih stated that a loss of rupees 1.17 crores is estimated as of now at this road with huge land slides and road damage. This road has perennial water sources with water spots shooting up from the middle of road.

MLA said that the PWD will take up the repair work from today. He suggested to the engineering department to form drainages on priority to maintain roads. President of the karike gram Panchayath, jayanthi told that around five houses and a large extent of agriculture land has incurred loss.

Taluk BJP president Bellu somaiah, secretary Ravi Kushalappa, Ravi Basappa and others were present. Officials and engineers were also present.

BANGLA RESIDENT IN PRISON’;

A bangle resident Azim Talukdar, 35 is in Virajpet jail since eight months with an expired visa.

Azim, who has married a girl from Virajpet arrived here with a one month visa and never returned even after the expiry.

Azim is a native of Chitangon at Bangladesh. He was working in Oman in a carpet making unit. He fell in love with the Virajpet girl Shahina Aktar, working in a Baby sitting school and married her. The couple has a two year old kid now. They arrived in India last April as her mother passed away at Virajpet. People went suspicious as Azim never returned to Bangla or Oman even after months. Police were informed about his presence. Police found only passport to state that he belongs to Bangladesh. However he was arrested in the month of November, last year.

Azims advocate ratnakar Shetty told this correspondent that local police did not move the paper of arresting a foreigner properly and the embassies are not informed. Azim is ready to leave the country once the visa is renewed, he said. He is moving a bail application.

PEOPLE PROTEST ELEPHANT ATTACK;

Attack by a tusker against an old man led to protest in a village near Kodlipet yesterday.

A rogue elephant attacked sixty year old Puttaswamy, a farmer yesterday morning at kelakodli as he was carrying vegetables to be sold at Kodlipet Shandy. He escaped death with a hairline chance. The tusker made three attempts to pull him with its trunk and he threw his Dhoti at it. However he was pushed into a ditch resulting in multiple wound.

Residents of Kelakodli held a Rasta rokho and demanded officials to come to the spot. Forest officer M.B.Monnappa arrived at the spot and shifted the wounded to the hospital.

Residents spat fire against the forest department which is ignoring their demands to curb elephant menace. They demanded immediate action.