Recently the NDTV Good Times Show "No Big Deal" showcased Belgaum in its show and here is the complete Video for all those who could not manage to see it.

See this link for Video

Thanks Vidhyadhar Nerurkar

Scenes of yesterday of the Belgaum city corporation bring great dis honor to democracy. The outgoing mayor and presiding officer rejected all other forms except of Mr.Nirwani on technical grounds of wrong address and incomplete forms of namely of six candidates –– Dhanraj Gavali, Latifkhan Pathan, Shanta Uppar, Sadiq Inamdar, Netaji Jadhav and Kiran Sayanak.

Latifkhan Pathan, backed by the councillors of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, raised a hue and cry in the House and rushed to the Mayor’s podium.
The new mayor who is a lawyer himself, Mr.Nirwani took his chair on his own and adjourned the meeting and hence the Dy. Mayor could not be elected.
All this was planned by the MLA's it is said.
Of the 58, 29 councillors belonged to the Kannada group, 28 to MES and one remained neutral, besides four MLAs -- Firoz Sait and Satish Jarkiholi (both Congress), Sanjay Patil and Abhay Patil (both BJP) and MP Suresh Angadi. The Kannada-speaking faction was supported by all four legislators cutting across party lines and hence their victory was sure. But the twist in the story was done by the king maker Sambhaji Patil who split from the Kannada faction 11 members made a breakaway group along with the Marathi speaking group.
This split within the ruling faction was known to the ruling group and hence the rejection of nomination was sought.
 40 members left for Bangalore yesterday 28 Marathi speaking along with 10 Kannada and Urdu group members along with Sambhaji Patil and Kamar to meet the governor. The group will also meet CM and ministers and also plan to meet the president of India and get the election of the Mayor canceled.
Why did this all happen and Biryani for Nirwani was fixed and all arrangements were made in that fashion and homework of the MLA's was perfect.
A couple of MLA's have shown very keen interest in implementing the 100 crore pacakage for the city as it was their fund only. The said package is approved by the Mayor and hence the MLA's took keen interest in getting their person on the mayors post, for what, we need not tell you readers are very learned, aren't you.
The 40 member team which has reached Bangalore consists of not only Marathi speaking members but 10 members from Kannada and Urdu faction as well. In a house of 58 + 5 elected representatives 40 members dont want this mayor, so now who is in a majority? The Mayor Nirwani or the 40 members.

Secnes seen today at the City corporation show that may it be Delhi or Galli elected representatives behavior is the same.
At the Mayor's election today after 6 nominations were rejected of the opposition Ruling party it was but final that Nirwani will be the Mayor. During all this huhalla in the hall the opposition came in to the well and tried to break the newly created bamboo barricade.
The newly elected mayor Nirwani was seen he himself going and getting seated on the mayors chair. There are Pattewalas and others who have to escort the newly elected Mayor to the chair but that did not happen and the Mr.Nirwani himself occupied the chair which also degrades the overall election procedure.
Once this happened the opposition members were fumed and could not control their anger and threw their footwear at the mayors chair. This was disgraceful to democracy but how can we blame them, they also follow what they see in Delhi and do it in “Galli”(locally).
The police arrangement for today was very very tight and special arrangements were made sighting trouble by the opposition. Some said that all this was a part of a pre cooked Biryani with the help of elected representatives who lately are taking more active part in the corporations affairs.

Here you might be a Kannadiga who will hail their victory or a pro Marathi but what is shameful is how these people act in the house.
In all the pre cooked Biryani was well cooked and served well with Mr.Nirwani.
All the best Mr.Nirwani hope there is some development of the city.

"Mayor" (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater") is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government.
Mayor acts as city bureaucrat who is generally a state-appointed officer. The Mayor in the Municipal Corporation is usually chosen through direct vote for a term of one year. The Mayor generally lacks executive authority. The Municipal Commissioner serves as the Principal Executive Officer subject to the power and administration of the Mayor as the Chief Executive Officer.
Tomorrow the elected councilors will vote to elect the 22^nd Mayor for Belgaum.
In the 26 year history of the corporation 19 times a Marathi speaking was a mayor and the rest were Kannada speaking.
Belgaum has a unique distinction of its Mayoral election for that matter even the election to the city Corporation, elsewhere, where political parties like BJP, Congress, JDS field in candidates in Belgaum there are no officials party candidates, all most all stand as independents belonging to 3 major groups – Marathi speaking, Kannada Speaking & Urdu speaking.
Sambhaji Patil has been elected Mayor on Four occasions and Vandana Belgundkar twice.
This time as well the ill fighting between the ruling Kannada group and Marathi group is out of the box. Allegations of horse trading by the losing parties is common and this year as well same will be repeated. The ruling Kannada group is strong and might get away with the Mayor posts this time as well. Unofficially name of Mr. Nirwani is being brought forward for the post.
The Marathi group is also not behind and is trying to get in. In the 58 member house, over the past years the role played by the MLA's and MP's has become decisive in the voting. MLA's want a different candidate and this could cause some troubles amongst the ruling group.

Many of you might ask what does a mayor do for the city? A Simple answer for the next six months from tomorrow he will spend time getting felicitated from various organizations and the next six months he will try and understand his work and by the time he understands it his term is over.

This is for all those who are away from Belgaum but yet want to see their local Gods they used to wish.

Click this link to see the Belgaum Gods collection of Photos.

All these photos are on the Facebook Fan Page and if you not on Facebook still you can sign up and join the AllAboutBelgaum Fan Page.
All images have been collected from various sources and will be added as and when new images come in. So you can bookmark that photo link.

Under the 100 crore plan Belgaum will get TWO subways for pedestrians and one indoor stadium. The plan has been sent for approval and once the same is approved the work will commence.

The two subways planned are at: DC office to court and another one at fish market to Anthony school. On the empty land of the corporation in Malmaruti an indoor stadium will be built.

Rs.75 lakhs each for the subway and Rs.5 crore is the cost estimated for the indoor stadium. The said project were finalized yesterday at a meet held in Bangalore by district minister Bsavraj Bommai.

Source: Pudhari

The 10 wards in which there is 24x7 water supply got a shock when they got the months water bill. For some it was even more than their electricity bill. The citizens of the 10 wards and the citizens' forum yesterday dashed to the office of Belgaum City Corporation and took corporation commissioner on the task.

The citizens said that this water tariff hike was unreasonable, unaffordable, illogical, unscientific, irrational, unethical and totally unjustifiable and demanded the corporation to withdraw this “unacceptable” rates and restore previous rates with immediate effect. No one will pay their bills until and unless the bills are revised to the earlier rates.

The existing tariff, where the minimum monthly charges was Rs. 83 for a usage of 15,000 litres and an additional Rs. 5.60/1,000 litres, the residents have to pay Rs. 48 for 8,000 litres and Rs. 104 for 15,000 litres a month. Similarly, for different slabs of usages, the corporation has increased price by Rs. 21 to Rs. 1,005 a month.

So earlier if you used to pay Rs.83 now you will land up paying Rs.104 for the 15,000 litres of water. Which is a 25% increase.

Many citizens urged that they do not need 24x7 water supply and they would be happy with the two hour water supply.

The commissioner said that he had no powers to reduce the tariff. The citizens plan an agitation against this in the future.  

A “Center of Excellence” was launched by IBM at the Gogte Institute of Technology to foster innovation.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the college and IBM to give a concrete shape to the collaboration between the two institutions with the objective of imparting training to build skilled human resource base on leading software technologies.
Earlier, the IBM organized “Develothon 2010”, a IBM programme aimed at helping the software developer community in India develop skills in newer technology areas at GIT.
The company is organizing a 32-city road show and integrates with its developer works forum, known for extensive skill coverage and software evangelisation. During Develothon 2010, resource persons from IBM briefed the students and faculty about cloud computing and web 2.0, smarter planet.
Source: The Hindu

No Big Deal – NDTV Good Times Showtime: Thursdays 10 pm
This time Neha Dixit will be in Belgaum.
Join Neha Dixit on her travels around India, as she attempts each destination in 3 days & 3 nights for just Rs 3000/. And this time around she’s going Green.
 
Tree houses, camping in the wild, taking eco-friendly transport, sticking with organic foods – Neha brings you the best green holidays with hardly any money in her pocket. And since she’s keeping to the Green Theme, watch out for eco–tourism and great green vacations ideas like never before.
So pack a recyclable, bio degradable bag and get ready to go green in style. It’s the way to be and it’s No Big Deal!
See the preview video here
 The preview video has ads.

Prof. B.R. Ananthan, Member-Secretary, Karnataka State Higher Education Board, has been appointed as the special officer of newly-created Belgaum University. Prof. Ananthan had retired after serving as the Head of the Department of Commerce in the University of Mysore and had been appointed to the newly-formed Higher Education Board.
Having been appointed as the special officer, it is said that it paves the way to his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Prof. B.R. Ananthan
Date of Birth : 02.05.1948
Education Qualification : M Com, PhD.

The Reserve Bank of India released its ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of Scheduled september 2009. The publication contains data relating to deposits and credit of scheduled commercial banks including (RRBs) as on September 2009.
 
In march 2008 Belgaum was on position 72 for deposits and 71 for credit.
March 2008 standings
Note: ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks’ provides data on aggregate credit of scheduled commercial banks as on June, 2008. The data are based on Basic Statistical Return the branches of all scheduled commercial banks (including RRBs).
Source: RBI

Join Neha Dixit as she takes a budgeted holiday in an ECOnomical way in the new season of ‘No Big Deal’ on NDTV Good Times.
The award-winning series ‘No Big Deal!’ is launching its 3rd season. And this time around we’ll bring you the holiday you’ve been dreaming of in the most ECOnomical way.
Join host Neha Dixit on her travels in and around Belgaum, Karnataka …as she attempts to survive for 3 days & 3 nights in just Rs 3000/- …and this time around she’s ‘going green’.
Be it living in a tree house….window shopping in the cattle market….joining the Gavli’s -a local tribe from Karnataka during their festivities or learning all there is to know about insects – the show has it all! Neha brings you the best green holidays that the lack of money can buy!
Block your diaries for ‘No Big Deal’, this Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 10.00 pmwith a repeat telecast on the following Sunday at 12.30 pm only on NDTV Good Times.
About the Show:
After looking forward to your vacation for months, the last thing you want to do is to see how far you can stretch your budget. Now, leave these worries behind because NDTV's travel team will help you live the holiday of your lifestyle in the most economical way. Clearly for us its 'No Big Deal..!'
 You have seen us spend 3000 Rs in 3 days in India, now join us across the World!
Join our travel host every week as she survives the challenge of living in the most exotic destinations across the globe-- a 3 nights -3 day journey in just 300 Euros or dollars as the country's currency warrants.
So, leave your worries behind, pack you bags because we're going to stretch your pocket and take you on a holiday with the real deals from - where to stay, eat, shop, dance, party, and play.

This is yet another exclusive content by AAB (thanks Sahir).
The plan layout of Belgaum fort. I don't know whether the authorities here also have this one.
This was found in the book Military Reminiscences written by Col.James Welsh in the year 1830. Google had digitized this whole book and we are happy to share with you.

Many readers will think this blog is a history blog, but AAB promises to get All the important information about Belgaum, may it be part of history or present.
Google Book link

Source: Deccan Chronicle
Belgaum border row in some time will be an international issue, as mes leader Madhavrao Chavan will file a petition before the United Nation's Human Rights Commission (HRC) against, what he alleges, is the failure of the Karnataka government to protect the rights of Marathi's in the state.
 Article 27 of the special chapter of the International Civil and Political Rights Convention, 1966 of the UN speaks about giving due protection to religious, social and economic rights of linguistic minorities. Mr.Chavan has already confirmed with the external affair's ministry that people from India can file a petition individually before the HRC in such matters. This is last act as no other recourse as Marathi people who form 21 per cent of the population in Belgaum district have been subjected to various problems.
Marathi's have no freedom of expression, Marathi schools lack infrastructure and basic amenities. No official documents are published in Marathi although the constitution says that linguistic minorities should be given all official documents in their mother tongue.
 Other lawyers in the city find this approach to be a dressing and taking such issues internationally would create a divide between the two linguistic communities.

This bit of news has not been covered in the local Marathi Media as yet.

The projected population of Belgaum by the Zilla Parishad is 967566.
 

After several protests and rallies done by KRV and other Kanada organisations, CM BSY today announced this on the floor of the assembly that Veer Rani Kittur Channama PG center at Bhutrammarti will be converted into a independent university which will serve Belgaum district.
This is a welcome step for Belgaumites as another university in the city, VTU already exists.
Speaking to the blog, Rajeev Toppannavar of KRV said that this is victory of Belgaum and once this university starts all students of Belgaum district will be benefited.

KRV celebrating

Thanks to Aziz for this classic photo.
Now can you tell what is this?

Most of you must have been taken by amazement with this post, why this post of LKG admission now?
A simple answer to this, if you are parent of a child aged between 3 years 10 months and less than 4 years 10 months as on June 1, 2010 then you all need to go through this.
 Now this is the most important criteria, even if the age of the child is less or more by a single day you do not qualify for the Junior KG(LKG) admissions in this case. If you are looking for Nursery admissions you should look for 2 years 10months and less than 3 years 10 months. SO approximately for Junior KG, the date of birth of the child should be between 1-08-2005 to 31-07-2006. (This is an approximate date calculation)
Important dates this season:
Herwadkar School ( R K Jangra KG) – Forms will be given on 5, 6, 7 April from 11am to 2pm
Divine providence - Forms will be given on 5, 6, 7 April from 8am to 9am
St.Joesphs Convent - Forms will be given on 5, 6, 7 April from 7.30am to 9.30am
St.Xaviers - Forms will be given on 6, 7 April from 3pm.

This list is not complete and I managed to get info on these schools. Kindly go and check with the school you want your child to be admitted. All schools must have put a notice regarding the same now.
First point is checking this out.
Now that you have found yourself in that age slot now what else needs to be done. Original birth certificate is needed to be submitted to the school if your child is admitted and many photo copies will be required at each of the schools as they check the birth certificate mandatorily before giving the forms. If you don’t have one, you still have time to get it done.
Now the question where do we get it from, the local health office of the area in which hospital the child was born. For Example: all those born in hospitals of Chidambar nagar, Vadgaon will have to go to the primary health centre of Vadgaon. Birth certificates are issued up to 1 year from there and later on from the City corporation office.
Now that you have got hold of the birth certificate get a few id card photos of your child to be put on the forms, not all schools ask but now a day’s normally all ask for it, so photos must be kept ready.
Keep visiting the schools from now on and keep asking about when the admission process begins, last year I had a tough time as there was no information anywhere on the internet as to how the whole process works, this time you have this site at least.
Understanding the Process:
The admission process is somewhat similar in all schools. You are given forms on particular days, then you fill them up and submit in a time limit and then you are called in for interview of your child and also you. If you are lucky to get a seat in the first list go party if not then go and fall at the feet of the principal and committee members and try and cook something, something will cook for sure.
One more point in this; last year schools like DP and St.Josephs had made area wise admission means if you stay in camp then apply for St.Josephs etc.
Those long queues in the night outside the same school we studied, this time for only a form. Normally all will get forms as they print in thousands it’s only that you should be there on time.
Now to the most important note, if you interested in some particular school then go and find someone on the committee as a reference, it could be easy for you and now to the dream point MONEY. Keep about 20 thousand ready to pay as development charges or any other name. 20 thousand is just a figure it could be more and you get very less time to pay in so keep those funds ready.
It’s not that all schools take development charges as high as 15 or 20 thousand some schools it is even 5 thousand but you need to be the lucky ones who come up on the first list.
There are some points I would like young parents to go through:
1. Apply in all schools, if you are looking for English medium, then all English medium schools, when I mean all, I mean ALL. St.Pauls, Xaviers, Marys, Herwadkar, Mahila Vidyalaya etc.
2. When you apply start finding some influence or a person who could recommend your child’s name to the managing committee even before you submit the form.
3. When the lists are out and you don’t find your name in the list try hard again and again for some more influence and of course be prepared to shell out more bucks.
4. Even after all this you don’t find your luck, search for some other school.
5. Even if you are there in the list the donations could hold you back, so be prepared to spend a lot, when I mean lot, I mean LOTS n lots on money.
All the above points have been compiled as I have gone all through it. I understand when your child does not make it in the first list what goes on with you.
Also see the previous year’s post which will help you understand the process much better.
Beggars cannot be choosers:LKG admissions
Admission tensions are boiling over!
Admission time: Is raat ki Subh Kabhi

We want new industries, development and at the same time we want our economies back bone the “Farmer” to live a poverty ridden life all his life and now is being left landless after the various land acquisitions notices they got in the past month.
 Fertile farm land was ordered to be acquired for the Machhe- Halga bypass part of the Hyderabad -Panjim national highway. More than 500 complaints were received from farmers from Mache, Peeranwadi, Vadgaon, Angol and Khanapur areas.
Yesterday farmers from Peeranwadi, Hunchanhatti, Balmatti, Kattalwadi were shcoked to receive notices of their land acquisition by KIADB. Around 1200 acres of land will acquired by KIADB as per the notices received.
The farmers protest but no one hears them. Today also the farmers from Peeranwadi and other areas plan to meet and protest the against the govt. for acquiring their farm land.
“Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy” , this sentence would be history and farmer without farm land will not have his own backbone standing straight.
This question of land acquisition of farm land will and always come up and the poor farmer gets stuck. Several promises are made to the farmers but how many of them are kept is unknown.
If we need to progress, have industries we will have to acquire land, there is no option, but why cant the govt. think of acquiring barren land first and develop that.
If we have factories on all farm land what will we eat, what a country needs is a sustainable food production and availability of food. Can factories produce rice, wheat or can we eat steel for dinner and cement for break fast.

Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists and members of other Kannada organizations staged a demonstration in front of Vidhana Soudha on Monday in support of the demand to upgrade the centre to an independent university, and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile in Belgaum meeting of prominent leaders of different political parties and representatives of social and Kannada organizations at Kannada Sahitya Bhavan on Tuesday on the same issue.

A thought came to my mind vis-à-vis the ARTS (both performing and non performing) sector in Belgaum. Something collectively should be and can be done by all the artists located in Belgaum when they collaborate on a single platform. I don’t know how many artists are in Belgaum but we could attempt to get all these on a single platform which would contain data of all the artists and their details etc and it would benefit the artists as well as people who want to arrange a program or who want to get more info on starting up a career as an artist in Belgaum.

There are a lot of artist from Belgaum in the field of music, painting, photography(as an art) graphic designers, singers and many more which I may not even know about.
There may be a off line group existing like the arts circle or others but all are scattered and if someone from the artists can come forward we could go ahead and form a on line group and have all data compiled on a single site.
A few of these artists have been featured under various heads as stars of Belgaum, Young Guns etc. But there is no single on line platform where information is available of all these artists on a single click.
Most of the artists have performed outside and have earned a name for themselves but if they all have a single platform then they could make use of their collective strength to push their demands in-front of others and the most urgent necessity is a good hall with good audio equipment and seating arrangements. Belgaum is lacking a hi tech drama hall or a music hall because of which many great artists refuse to perform here.
AAB [http://allaboutbelgaum.com] would be devoted to share information on this on the site help this group.
This is just a thought and I have nothing concrete in my mind. People in this field could throw additional light on this.
I would request all the artists to leave a comment on this.
Let me know your thoughts on this.