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School declared as the Insurance School.

Jilla Panchayath Higher Primary School Hosala is declared as the Insurance school under the leadership of Insurance Representative Mr.Sathish Amin.  Insurance School Declaration programme was preside over by Mr. Lakshmi Narayana Bayiri, Head Master of the school. Declaration was done by Mr.Y.S.K. Hegde, Branch Manager, Life Insurance Company, Brahmavar. Asst. Manager, Mr. K. Sadanand, Development officers, Mr.V.Udaya and Mr. Umesh Shetty , were present on the occasion.  Mr.Sathsih Amin introduced the programme.  Teachers from the school, Jayanthi welcomed, Nagarthna proposed the vote of thanks and Chandrika conducted the proceedings.

Anand Poojari from Barkur held for murder!

All those who thought that 60-year-old Dorothy Cutinha of Malpe died due to heart attack are into a shock now. Those who knew her for many years will surely take some time to absorb the truth that she was choked to death by her own house servant Anand Poojary from Barkur  who had been a servant in the house for last 15 years.

Hats off to Malpe police and Udupi circle inspector Vishwanath who uncorked the entire mystery with the help of a small clue.  The investigation revealed that Dorothy was brought to the hospital after her servant Anand Poojary choked her to death.

Anand, a resident of Barkur had been working in Dorothy’s house for the last 15 years. During all these years, he had served the family with all faithfulness and sincerity. Impressed by his work Dorothy had mentioned in her will that 49 cents of land and a bank deposit of Rs 90,000 should be given to Anand after her death. But she had also laid a condition that Anand should marry a Christian girl.

However, Anand desired for more. On March 1 he chocked Dorothy to death and then brought her to a private hospital on a rickshaw.  The doctor however, thought that Dorothy died due to a heart attack. 

Since, Dorothy's relatives were in US, Anand made arrangements to keep her body in the morgue and informed them about the sudden death of Dorothy.  However, the relatives demanded the doctor to conduct the post mortem. The post mortem revealed the shocking fact that Dorothy was murdered.

The Malpe police sources said that the relatives smelt a rat in the case after they found Dorothy’s will missing from the cupboard.  With the help of this small clue the police solved the entire mystery shrouding the sudden death of Dorothy. During interrogation, Anand confessed that he had murdered Dorothy, before taking her to the hospital. Anand was arrested by Malpe police and then produced before the court on the following day.

News Courtesy: www.daijiworld.com

New Minister honored at Barkur.

“Once  a historic capital city Barkur has lost everything and reduced to handicapped state” said the newly appointed state minister for medicine and animal husbandry, Dr.V.S. Acharya. He was speaking at the felicitation programme for the newly elected MLA and Jilla Panchayath members on behalf of Barkurians organized by Sneha Sports Club, Barkur. Though Barkur Bridge will not be ready by next rainy season, every effort will be made to expedite the work, he added.

Fr. Remigeous Aranha, Parish Priest, St .Peter’s Church, Barkur presided over the function. Dr. Acharya was felicitated along with Mr. Shankar Poojari, President, Jilla Panchayath, Mr.Kota Shrinivas Poojari, Mr. B. K. Hegde, and Mr. Bhujanga Shetty, members of the Jilla Panchayath on behalf of the people of Barkur by Mr.K.K.Naik, Mr. Kavadi Chandrashekara Shetty, Mr.Jaru Poojari and Mr.Staney Pais. Miss Sharada and Mr. Nagaraj who excelled in the sports field were also honored in the same function.

Mr. K. Raghupathi Bhat, MLA, and Mr. Koodgi, State Vice President. BJP were the chief guests.

Mr.Shantharam Shetty, Hon. President, Sneha Sports Club, welcomed the gathering and presented the appeal to the minister on behalf of Barkurians.  Retired Treasury Officer Mr.K.K.Naik appealed to convert Barkur into a tourist destination.  Dr.B. Manjunath Somayaji delivered the congratulatory speech. Mr. Bhat, Senior Manger, Canara Bank, Brahmavar conducted the proceedings. 

Barkur Bridge to be opened by July 2006

"The ongoing construction works of the Barkur bridge will be over by July 2006 and thereafter the bridge will be thrown open to the traffic," said Dr V S Acharya, district in-charge minister, while speaking to the press at Barkur near Brahmavar here on Sunday February 26.

He was speaking after visiting the construction works at Barkur.  Brahmvar MLA K Jayprakash Hegde accompanied the minister and provided details about the ongoing works. 

The in-charge engineer and PWD assistant engineer too were present on the occasion. The minister said that construction of beam will be over in the month of July. "Simultaneously concrete slabs too will be laid on the beams.  All efforts will be done to secure technical permission to inaugurate the bridge by July end.  Soon after obtaining the technical permission, bridge will be handed over to the public for the use," he added.

Brahmavar MLA, Jayprakash Hegde who was present on the occasion said that an alternative road would be constructed in another 10 days time for the moving of two wheelers and public.

State BJP vice president A G Kodgi, district BJP Youth wing general secretary Suprasad Shetty Baikady, taluk panchayat member Satish Poojary, Brahmavar BJP unit president Jnana Vasant Shetty etc were present on the occasion.

News Courtesy: www.daijiworld.com

Mrs. Nancy Menezes unanimously elected as President of Kundapur Varado Welfare  Association, Kuwait for 2006-2008.

KVWA 1^st General Body Meeting held on 24.2.2006, started with a prayer by Mrs. Jacinta Fernandes at 11a.m. with the presence of KVWA members and Committee members.

The highlight of the agenda being election of new Office-bearers for the tenure 2006-2008. This was jointly conducted by the President Mrs. Nancy Menezes and the committee members.

The present KVWA team will be led by Mrs. Nancy Menezes being one of the most talented, hardworking and dedicated in serving the association along with her team of committee members to bring up the  : Kundapur Varado Welfare Association.

KVWA is happy to announce their new office bearers who are currently on board.  These new office bearers have accepted their responsibilities to serve for KVWA and continue work as a team in future. The Committee consists of:

The KVWA General Body Meeting concluded at 12:25p.m. with vote of thanks by Donald Mendonca.

Reported by : KVWA Correspondent, published by request.

Latest on Barkur Bridge.

The new technology used in the reconstruction of the Barkur Bridge was explained to the media people by the in-charge of the project Mr. Jagadeesh, Asst. Engineer, PWD. The other bridges in the district have a span of 18 meters where as Barkur bridge span is 31 meters. So a new design was developed by Tata Steel Company of Bangalore which is being implemented here. The lintel girder beams are being constructed with six longitudinal holes in which long reinforced steel springs are run and a mixture of cement and water is pumped with high pressure using modern technology. By this way the bridge will get strength to bear weights up to 70-80 tons, as explained by Mr. Jagadeesh. This technology is being used for the first time in the district.

Pressure to expedite the works

According Mr.Satheesh Poojari Barkur, recently elected member of the Taluk Panchayath, the reconstruction job is going on very slowly and there is no chance to complete the reconstruction by the end of June. There is no co-ordination between the Engineer and the contractor.  He demanded that the contractor and engineer should issue a joint statement to the media about the date of completion or the status of the works going on.

Demand for the alternative road

People from Barkur have asked with District Collector for a temporary alternate road as constructed last year and are angry as there is no response from either the District Administration or the Public Works Department.  The shops in Barkur are in the brink of closing down without any business. The weekly ‘Friday Market” is closed down. The alternative road can give temporary relief to the situation and should be constructed immediately. Moreover the construction should be completed by June, or else there will agitations in front of the DC office and PWD, warned Mr.Rathnakar Shetty , President, Youth wing of Janatha Dal (S) , Brahmavar , in a press release.

Debris in the river

The demolition of the old bridge is about 60 percent completed and 25 percent of the debris from this demolition are fallen in to the river and over 75 percent are lying around the bridge, yet to be cleared. When asked, the contractors are pointing the fingers towards the PWD. If not disposed off properly, this debris may cause serious problems in coming rainy season.

Boat operations in the rains

In the rainy season there will be high currents in the river, and as there is no sun shade or roof to the boat, its operation will difficult in the rains according to the operators. But the number of people using the boat service to cross the river is increasing day by day.

Assurance from the MLA

Mean while Mr.Jayaprakash Hegde , MLA asked the people not to listen or spread any rumors  and assured that the reconstruction of the bridge will be completed by June. He was speaking at a public function at Barkur and said the work was delayed because of the changed decisions of the Government departments.

Kallu Chappara Special Cover released

Dakshina Kannada Philatelic & Numismatic Association, Mangalore released a Special Cover on Barkur on the 11th February 2006 at the KARAVALIPEX-2006, an exhibition of over 35,000 stamps, postal stationery, First Day Covers and Special Covers, held at Haridwara Hall, Hotel Kidiyoor, Udipi.

The Special Cover illustration  shows the historically famous Kalluchappara (Stone Mantapa) found in Barkur and the cancellation depicts Kattale Basadi (Jaina Basadi) Barkur, dedicated to Parsvanatha belonging to the Vijayanagara period.

The historic significance of these two monuments was explained to the audience by Karavalipex-2006 Secretary Mr. Daniel Monteiro and the Cover was released by Mr.K.M.Balakrishna, Superintendent of Post Offices, Udupi Division. The Karavalipex Exhibition was inaugurated by  Mr.Jyothi Kumar Sen, Senior Divisional Manager, LIC of India, Udupi.

Bhuvanendra Kidiyoor of Hotel Kidiyoor, Association President Mr.M.K.Krishnayya and Secretary Mr.M.Prabhakar Kamath were present.

News:EJF D'Souza

Hanehalli Primary School in the limelight

The students from Hanehalli Primary School have excelled in the sports. The girls team of the school have won the first place in the Inter District     level competitions held at Subramanya conducted by public education department of Karnataka Government.

The team with Priyanka, Swetha, Sahana, Vinutha, Chaitra, Nisha, Asha, Vinaya, Kavitha, Nisha, Chitra and Supritha have done  it for the school.

Similarly another team of girls from the school have won the 2^nd  place in the Udupi taluk level Shuttle Badminton  competitions held recently and will represent Udupi Taluk for the District level competitions. The team consisting of Pallavi (D/o Sri Rama Bhat, English Lecturer, NJC), Shruthi (D/o Shekar) and Priyanka (D/o Shama Poojary).

The Physical Trainer of the school Mr.Arun Kumar is the  coach for both these teams and proved himself to be an asset to the school.

News: Harry DSouza

TWIN BRIDGES TO CONNECT BENNEKUDRU AND MOODAHADU KUDRU

The life has been an adventure for the Kudru residents of Pandeshwara Moodahadu village in Barkur. The Kudru as the name suggests is rounded up with river Sita. More than 65 families thrive here from years together relying only on the wooden boats as the means of communication and transport with the external world. The nearest market places are Bakur on the one side and Sasthan on the other.

The Kudru was till recent time was deprived of Electricity, Telephone facilities. Most of the residents left the ancestral properties for the greener pastures.Now only 45 families are staying in the Kudru. About 35 families are of Christian community and the rest are Bhillavs. The abandoned ancestral houses are ruined with the time and weather.  But for those who could not afford to leave, the Kudru is a challenging dwelling. For them that is the life. Most of them depend on the Coconuts that grow in their backyards and to sell those coconuts they are dependent on their wooden boats.

The bridge for this Kudru was a demand from long back, since the time of Brahmavar Ex-MLA Mr.Basavaraj. Ex MP Mr.Vinaya Kumar Sorake also understood the problem of the people,and tried his best but the time was just not ripe for the project.

Some 15 years back the students from Regional Engineering College took up the challenge and constructed a hanging bridge. But over the time it has depleted and lost its strength and changed itself into a danger for the users.

Knowing the day to day hardship of the residents, Mr.Wilfred Roche, Mr.Urban D’Souza, Mr.Richard D’Souza,  Grama Panchayath Member Mr.Prathap Shetty, Ex. Grama Panchayath Members, Mr.Alwyn Andrade, Ms.Mohini Poojarthi and others met Local MLA Mr.Jayaprakash Hegde and its from his intervention, a bridge was sanctioned from the government Ports and Fisheries Department at a cost of Rs.30 lakhs.

The construction work of the 36. 6 meters long bridge is in full swing in the leadership of Mr.Philip Kotha of Kundapur under the sub contract of Mr.Subhash Shetty , Kundapur.

Apart from this, one more bridge connecting Bennekudru to this Kudru is also sanctioned under the Karnataka Road Development Board by Mr.Jayaprakash Hegde and Tender Process for this bridge is also completed. Rs.30 lakhs have been sanctioned for the road in the Kudru to both these bridges and all these projects are expected to be completed by the next Monsoon. Once completed,  life will never be the same again for the residents of Kudru.

Foto : Alwyn Andrade, Mayur Digitals

The Nagermutt vented dam

The Nagermutt vented dam project for the river Sita near Hebbar gundi is going on full swing. A small dam is being constructed over the river pass with windows to keep open during the rainy season which will be closed using wooden logs in the summer to block the sweet water in the upstream of the dam. The dam will avoid salt water passage from the down stream to the upstream.

This dam will have an 8 feet road to cross the river, open for the vehicular traffic. The Road from Heradi Junction is connecting to the site and there is a plan to connect this road to NH 17 at Chempi, near Saligrama. Once in place, this road along with another mega plan of connecting Bennekudru, Moodahadu Kudru and Kudru with twin bridges and road to Sasthan will have 2 more alternative routes to Brahmavar from Barkur which will reduce the dependency on the main road from Barkur to Brahmavar.

The dam was the dream of the local people from years and now getting realized through the minor irrigation department of the government at a cost of Rs.55 lakhs. Local MLA Mr.Jayaprakash Hegde  is the ardent supporter of the project and its believed that the project is materializing because of his efforts. According to Ms.Devanna Shetty, PWD contractor, the project is supposed to be completed by April 2006, ready for functioning after the next monsoon.

Fotografs: Stephen Lewis, Saligrama