GROWERS TO GET COFFEE RAINFALL INSURANCE;

Madikeri November 20, 2007

First of its kind in the Globe, according to Coffee Board, rainfall insurance to planters would be released by end of this month.

As much as 4652 planters are eligible to get the insurance as over rainfall has either damaged their crop or destroyed the.

According to Coffee board officials, 4,652 growers in the district are eligible to get insurance. Eligibility was decided after verifying the total inches of rainfall the particular areas have received. Estates receiving more than eight inches at Somwarpet, more than nine inches at Madikeri and ten inches at Srimangala zone are covered by insurance. Rupees three to eight thousand per hectare would be paid depending upon the zone. Arabica plantation gets a thousand rupee more per hectare than Robusta.

Sunticoppa zone was not covered by the insurance since it received less rainfall compared to other places in the district.

Coffee Board officials said that the files are all ready and cheques would be directly posted to the agriculturists by the end of this month. The total amount will cross rupees twenty lakhs.

“THE COORG COFFEE CUP – T 20’’

Coorg dental college, Virajpet has organized a five day ‘The coorg hockey Cup’ tournament from this 25th.

Addressing a press conference, sports secretary Jagadish Pai informed that the tournament is meant for dental colleges only and is an Inter college one.

Pai said that the Coorg Dental College is holding several state and national level activities and is initiating Inter College T -20 cricket tournament for the first time.

Tournamnet would be held in Virajpet Junior College grounds and Pollibetta TATA coffee grounds.

Treasurer Alex Mathew, principal Sequera and vice Principal Narasa Reddy were present in the press conference held at Virajpet.

MEGA CAMP CONDUCTS FREE EYE SURGERY;

A mega free eye camp by Ashwini Hospital, here with the support from other voluntary organizations conducted 313 surgeries and treated around 2164 patients in a five day eye camp conducted at Ashwini hospital. The hospital is conducting the camp for the past 21 years without a break.

Patients arrived from every village and from other districts of Karnataka. Hospital trustee Gokhale stated that patients have come from Hassan, Chitrdurga, Mysore districts also.

Dr.Kulkarni informed that a team of 15 eye surgeons and specialists conducted the tests and surgeries successfully. The surgery included 274 cataract cases.

HER SON…SHE COULD SEE HIM ONLY AFTER 4.5 YEARS!

Kaali is a tribal woman living in Hudikeri. She was blind and begot a son 4.5 years ago. All these years, she could not see her son, Boja! She could only feel him through touch and yet brought him up.

Yesterday when this correspondent went to cover the free eye camp being held at Ashwini hospital, a touching scene awaited. A mother was kissing her son all over. There were tears rolling down from her cheek. ‘Sir, I could see my son. See him after four and a half years. God is great and this hospital is kind….’ she sobbed and told.

That was Kaali, hugging her son after the doctors opened her bandages from the eyes, after operation. Her husband Paala was an estate worker and was unable to spend money on operation. He could not even buy a new shirt for him. A staff from the hospital gave him a shirt.

The free eye camp gave light to many, young and old. Men and women.