Yes, yet another multiples is getting it socks up to start shop in Belgaum. After Big cinemas, Inox Chandan will commence operations within a month or so and then it will be Cinemax.
 
The Cinemax site mentions that MOU have been signed for Belgaum. The proposed theater will have 4 screens in area of 34300 sq. feet.

Now where will Cinemax set shop is the question many and same to me as well. Team AAB is trying to find the exact location but got no response from the Cinemax for calls or emails.
 One thing is for sure they wont build a new multiplex, so they will have convert existing ones and there are few ones remaining which will can be converted. The one with such a huge space to me looks as ARUN (not confirmed) and Arun is closed for renovation which looks similar to making of a multiplex.
May it happen anywhere Cine goers in town will have many options, but hopefully movies will be good.

Tarun Bharat initiated to launch the Gharkul Exhibition in 2003 in association with the Rotary Club of Venugram and the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers Belgaum, to much acclaim. It provided an ideal avenue for the business fraternity to actually display the latest construction materials, trendy accessories, loan schemes, etc. After organising three immensely successful exhibitions, Gharkul’s fourth exhibition is scheduled to begin on the 30th of April and will continue till 4th May 2010.
Venue: Maratha Mandir Near railway over bridge, Belgaum.
Time: 3 pm to 9.30pm
Entry and Parking Free.
AAB candle made by Wax Works will be on display at the Wax Works stall at the exhibition.

Director-General of Police (CID) D.V. Guruprasad is here in Belgaum to review the investigation of online frauds perpetuated against gullible investors reported from Belgaum.
CID had registered cases under Prevention of Corruption Act with the State Lokayukta Police against two police officers for abetting and aiding the accused in different cases. One of them is Suresh Naidu, who until recently was serving as Deputy Superintendent of Police and Investigating Officer in a case against “Swiss Cash” company. The other officer is B.P. Chandrashekhar, who served as police inspector of Khade Bazaar Police Station until recently.
Mr. Naidu had helped the accused and benefited a site through third-party dealing, which he sold it and made money. As per investigation, the money made by police officials amounted to about Rs. 37 lakh.
In the six cases, the money collected by online companies amounted to about Rs. 11 crore invested by more than 8,000 people.
The modus operandi was that the accused companies refunded promised funds to early birds as a confidence building measure among investors while those who joined the schemes late were duped. Giving details, he said, “Reliance Services”, run by accused Anand Nayakwad and others, had mobilised Rs. 3 crore from 4,500 investors by promising Rs. 18,750 after a year for an investment of only Rs. 1,060.
Similarly,“Jeevan Dhan Marketing” which collected Rs. 3.92 crore from 26,161 investors but refunded only Rs. 92,000. The company had promised to return Rs. 75,000 on a deposit of Rs. 1,500.
Four cases have been registered against promoters of IQuiz Prashant Chudankar and others; two with Khade Bazaar Police and one each with the Market Police and the Shahpur Police.
This company had lured 1,415 investors by promising 25 per cent returns for a minimum investment of Rs. 1,250 and collected Rs. 4.48 crore. It also refunded Rs. 4.33 crore.
Source: Hindu

Niyati Creations, Belgaum organizes a photography exhibition of Prof. Saransh Mohite, Mumbai University at Wangmay Charcha Mandal, Kirloskar road Belgaum on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd may 2010 from 10 am to 9pm.
Mr. Saransh Mohite is a Media graduate with his specialization in advertising. Currently he is a faculty member in various colleges under Mumbai University and SNDT University. He has traveled across various countries for his passion for photography and has an excellent collection of photographs from countries like China, Bhutan, Indonesia etc. He is a fashion photographer and has done promotional shoots for films like Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Fashion”.
Mr. Saransh is also a short film maker and his films are screened in internationally acclaimed film festivals like MAMI.
The exhibition will be a novel experience for the Belgaumites. Niyati Creations requests everyone to be a part of this event.
Date: Saturday, 1st may 2010
Time: 10.00 am
Venue:
Wangmay Charcha Mandal
Kirloskar road
Belgaum
Entry Free

About Niyati Creations: Niyati Creations, Belgaum is a group started to provide stage to every talent. The group also makes and produces plays. They organize essay, painting competitions for all.

Public Works Department Minister C M Udasi said construction of Suvarna Soudha in Belgaum will be completed by December this year.
The winter session of the State Legislature will be held at Suvarna Soudha in January 2011, Udasi added.
The photos are taken by Sheri Sundeep while traveling on the highway. Not all are allowed inside and hence team AAB could not get pictures from close.

All images found on Ebay by Team AAB.

Dr R.H. Patil, is a sharp, honest and extremely low-profile, and could harness the best ideas from a young and dedicated team and push for appropriate regulation to implement them. He was a rare individual who turned down the offer to be Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), although the government was willing to change the rule to give him a term beyond 62 years. Dr RH Patil is the moving force behind the success of National Stock Exchange who, unknown to many, repeated his success in the government securities market.

 Dr. R H Patil was born in a small village called Nandgad, about 32 kms from Belgaum (Khanapur Taluk). His father was a landlord. He completed his matriculation from the Mahatma Gandhi High school Nandgad and then went to study at Karnataka College in Dharwad between 1955 and 1957. He then got bored with Dharwad and shifted to Pune’s Fergusson College. He had scored well in SSC. Everybody said he should go in for medicine or engineering, but he wanted to be different. He thought medicine meant cutting bodies and, being a vegetarian, that didn’t appeal. Engineering meant working in a factory or field sites he didn’t want that either. At the pre-graduate level, he opted for economics, which he liked very much and chose sociology as his second subject. After graduating, he wanted to join the best school in economics, which was the Bombay School of Economics those days. That is how he landed in Mumbai.
Dr. R. H. Patil is presently Chairman of Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. and was ex-Managing Director of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE).Dr. Patil has been associated closely, during his career, with the financial sector in various capacities, particularly with the Capital Market. He has also been associated with various Expert Committees including High Powered Committee on Stock Exchange Reforms, Committee on Secondary Market for Debentures and Committee on Trading in PSU Bonds and Units of Mutual Funds. He has been associated with establishment of National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL) and Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE). Currently, he is also Chairman of Disinvestment Commission and Local Advisory Board of BNP-Paribas and Director on the Board of 7 companies, including National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL), National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) and Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE). He has worked with Faculty of Post-Graduate Dept. of Economics, University of Mumbai, Reserve Bank of India, Economic Dept. and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) as Sr. Executive Director in charge of Loan Operations and Treasury functions.
That is the kind of person Dr Patil is – unassuming but fiercely competitive; intensely focused on the cause of the institution he works for; remarkably entrepreneurial but totally ethical; an institution-builder but only of the public-service variety. He belongs to a rare category – serial institutional-entrepreneur.
Dr.Patil is a true example of what one can achieve in life. Coming from a small village of Nandgad to setting up of NSE he dreamt big and hence achieved his goals in life. He is simple down to earth person in life. We still wonder why he hasn't been awarded the Padma awards still. A selfless person dedicated to work all time around.
Team AAB salutes Dr.R H Patil and his vision of NSE which has transformed securities trading in the country. 

The City corporation from beginning of this year has taken efforts to renovate the gardens in the city and results are quite amazing after they have been renovated.
The process is still on and many gardens are still being developed under funds from various schemes.

Now a request to the public at large please maintain cleanliness and keep the gardens beautiful.

Reliance Retail Limited (RRL) will launch its flagship apparel, luggage and accessories store, Reliance Trends, in Belgaum at Nucleus Mall on the first floor. The store will begin in short time.

About Reliance Trends:
Apart from the ready-to-wear garments, the store also caters to consumers who prefer to shop for fabric and tailor their clothes. Reliance’s captive brands include Pureza, Network, Netplay DNMX and Graviti for men and Sparsh, Hushh, Panda and Frendz.

The KLE's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) Musical fountains will be reopened for public.
This could be treat for the kids and elders as well, it is holiday time and one can entertain one self here.

Dear Belgaumites:
Off late we all are seeing some activity taking shape for the development of Belgaum, after years of effort by our people to convince the State Government to pay much needed attention to the overall development of Belgaum has yielded some results. You all must be aware that Urban infrastructure in Belgaum is taking shape and we are in the initial stage of this urban revolution that is going to change the face of this city and region. The State government has been releasing funds for development and Mr.B S Yedurappa, the CM of Karnataka has assured 100 crores of funds for the Urban development of Belgaum.
We have exceeded a population of 700,000 which helps us to automatically qualify for JNNURM fund (Jawaharlal Nehru Nation Urban Renewal Mission) which is a central Government fund from Ministry of Urban Development. This fund helps cities like Belgaum to develop its urban infrastructure. We would be getting around 500-600 crores every year and the State Government would also give us 100 crores, plus the Corporation collects taxes. The state government through its other departments is also funding various projects for example the UGD project (Underground Drainage) which is estimated around 170 odd crores, so let’s say we would be getting around 800 crores for the city’s development. With Belgaum gaining the second capital status (unofficially) and a lot of investors interested to setup business activity here Belgaum has definitely gained a lot of importance in this region.

We have already received the first installment of 100 crores from the state Government and waiting for the Gazette notification of NURM funds to Belgaum. Before the first installment of 100 crores, we had received 18 crores special fund, and some fund was received for preparations of World Kannada Meet and the First Winter session. All these funds were used for repairing and re carpeting roads. It was our bad luck that the first installment of 100 crores was wastefully used for re-carpeting roads which were already re-carpeted or repaired. This valuable fund could have been used for other Urban infrastructure which the city is craving for and there has been a lot of public demand but the officers nor the local political system agreed to their demand.

Our local government Bodies (Corporation or Urban Development Authority, tourism) work in the age old fashion, we have a 100 year old Urban planning method and the work methodology is redundant and un-scientific. There is a limited role of public and NGOs in the decision making process.
Our urban design is outdated and there is no scope for newer objects of Urban infrastructure. An outdated land-use planning system, Age old transportation systems, improper & unscientific solid waste Management, Hardly any urban greening measures, No plan or sense of direction when its concerned to energy efficiency, No steps taken for disaster mitigation and absence of multi-party participatory processes.

This is an ideal time for us to participate in a multi-party participatory process because we feel this is an initial phase for the development activities to begin in Belgaum and “We” can together make the required change. When we thought of this opportunity we were considering a Conference or a simple get together of like people minded people from different walks of life who are passionate about Belgaum’s growth and development. We wanted an event of development and infrastructure for Belgaum. But then We realized that in the name of development most cities in India and elsewhere have had severe environmental irrevocable damages. We don’t want concrete Jungles with temperatures rising every year, Cities on the name of development have lost their green cover and are overly depending on the countryside regions for everything like power, food production, etc. re-engineering of these cities or Concrete Jungles is a humongous and a tedious task which will cost us millions of rupees and a social, political desire to make the changes.

If we want Belgaum to grow, it should grow systematically with the right components of Urban infrastructure and least environmental damages, Urban development which is sustainable in the longer run. If the whole process is well planned we wont have huge concrete jungles in the years to come, smaller and choked roads, higher amount of pollution, absence of green zones or lung zones.

This is the right time, and We all need to get together and participate in this event which will have key speakers talking on:

• Urban Planning
• Use of Greener and efficient energy
• Good and Bad practices in Developing Cities
• Modeling the complexity of the evolving city
• Integrated Infrastructures for Sustainable Cities
• Necessary infrastructure required for Industrial development of Belgaum.
• Sustainable water conservation systems.

Anybody interested could offer suggestions or if you are good enough on this subject you can be a speaker in the conference.
This event should help us at least to create a Blue print and put forward our demands and tell the state government about our actual needs for urban infrastructure and development in Belgaum. We don’t want just development but well planned and systematic development to make Belgaum a model eco city.
AAB will act as a facilitator for this conference and on-line media partner. All are requested to leave comments and same would be forwarded to the organizing committee of the conference.

IPL finals of tomorrow will be shown on a big screen at Nucleus Mall.
Ticket charged is Rs.100.
From the banner it seems that this has been privately arranged by some group. And I dont think the match will be live in the Big Cinemas screen as nothing specific is mentioned.
Call on those numbers in the image for more details.

At around 3 it started to get dark and by 3.30pm slight rain started and then it got converted into a hailstorm and it was heavy for a while in some areas.

Rain stopped at 5 pm and weather is now cool.
Photos: Ram Mallaya 

These ares some images of the temples as seen in 1860. No one knows where are these located today and whether they have been demolished.


Team AAB did try to get info but hard luck no information was available regarding these temples whether they really existed in the Fort.
Photos found on Ebay.

Normally by this time all parents whose “lucky” kids have got through the LKG admission process would have had a sigh of relief. But this is not the case this year.
As usual the govt. authorities under the education department and ZP CEO Ekroop Caur defined a program and regulations for the said admission process.
Most schools distributed the admission forms from 5^th April and were supposed to put up the first list after 20 April. But the authorities decided otherwise and mentioned specific dates on which the whole process will begin and end.
The authorities declared that admission process of listing the selected candidates will begin from 15 May and end on 28 May. All this was done for the betterment and for making the admission process easy, it was said.
In reality, the scenario is completely different. School reopens on June 1, and if a child does not get selected in any school what will the parents do in 3 days as May 28 will be the last day for admissions.
Sanjay, a parent said that this year admission process is the worst. We had filled forms on the 5^th and were expecting list to be out on 21^st but now the list will be out only on May 15. He also asks the same question what if my child is not selected. What can I do in 3 days.
Many parents allege that this has been purposefully done so that huge donations can be collected as there would be very little time for parents.
The Right to education bill has been passed but what about Admissions first.
My personal experience speaks that, my child was not selected in any schools (5) and last had to strive hard to get her in school and all was possible as the process had begun in April itself which gave us time of a month.
A parent told this blog, why did the education dept come into the picture, all was well till they entered the frame.
This year the parents will face a tough time and all we can say is God Bless them.

All these photos have been taken in 1860 and team AAB found this on Ebay.

by Satish Kumar
The long awaited Belgaum University (Veer Rani Channama) at Bhutramatti is taking shape, though it has come after lot of struggle and not by government self initiative, and moreover I must complement KRV for taking this struggle along with ABVP to Vidhan Saudha Bangalore. It was also a collective effort besides, Mr Sanjay Patil and Mr Angadi elected representatives also put on pressure on this demand.
 A meeting was convened recently by university's special officer B.R. Ananthan ( though his name has popped up in some controversies) for new courses from current academic year itself, which is indeed a very progressive move, I always had a dream for new university would look like and made a small layout posted along, may be this would turn out to be a reality soon, but its my earnest request to state government to fulfill the following important things:
 A futuristic Areal view of expected development of VRC University
 
1) Government should come up with a nice ergonomic Gothic architecture since this university has lot of natural beauty and surroundings of mountainous green zone.
2) Belgaum Division Education Commissionairate office should be relocated back to Belgaum form Dharwad all other division offices are in their own respective places only in case of Belgaum it was moved two years back by Mr Horrati to Dharwad. ADP, and Jt.director officer from Dharwad back to Belgaum.
Why should we accept Belgaum division office in Dharwad strictly believe that it doesn’t make any logical sense.
3) The education consortium should be formed under special officer to lease out land to other foreign universities to establish joint research programs. Since there are new engineering and management colleges coming up in this area, this can lead to creation valley of academic excellence.
4) There should be ample transportation and accessibility to university from CBT to University, Tilakwadi to University, VTU to VCU, Sulebhavi to University and also from other remote places such as Halga, and Eastern part of Belgaum.
5) VCU should include Bagalkot and Bijapur and Karwar under this university jurisdiction.
6) VCU should facilitate benches of other universities especially Marathi and Konkani language since Belgaum houses large communities of bordering people to help students of other medium schools in border area to benefit, education should be means to unite the country regions and boundaries.
7) VCU should be given lead role in establishing academic around educational development for north Karantaka.

In the various government departments there is only one department which always surpasses its set target of collections, and i.e. the EXCISE department.

Last year 2009-10 Belgaum District had a target of selling 13 crore liters of Liquor(IMFL) which it surpassed and sold 14 croes 40lakhs 5949 liters of liquor and 43 lakhs liters of BEER.

“Pinewalon ka Pine ka bahana Chaiye” and this is what must be assenting the yearly targets.

All the other departments are not able to even collect what they had collected the previous year, like the City corporations.

You may blame it on the people or the govt. self which is sort of promoting the sale of Liquor.  

ITBP Additional Director General of Police Anirudh Uppal performed the bhoomi puja and laid the foundation-stone for the construction for ITBP Battalion Headquarter and Training Center at Halabhavi, about 20 km from Belgaum.
The centre will train a battalion of 1,200 personnel. Inspector General of Police (Northern Range). State Government had provided 250 acres of land free to establish the centre.
 The functioning of the battallion and the training center will begin in another six months in temporary structures. The Central Public Works Department will undertake construction of permanent structures at a cost of Rs 48 crore.
 1,200 ITBP personnel will be stationed at the proposed center and the training programmes include - professional training in anti-insurgency and commando techniques.
 The para-military force is meant for duty on the Indo-China border and after a certain period, the personnel on border duty will be deputed to the proposed headquarters and the training center for relaxing and refreshing the training they underwent earlier, a permanent battallion will also be stationed here.
The proposed center will encourage the youth from Karnataka to even join ITBP. There will also be recruitment drive at the center.

Gopal Ganesh Chitnis also known as German Chitnis was born on the 16th of December, 1928 in Tadsinhal, a small village in the Chandgad District of Maharashtra.
Very early in his life, he showed signs of the drive and determination that would become his trademark characteristic. In an era when any form of education was deemed as optional, he fought the odds that were against him and completed his primary and secondary education.
In 1948 he decided that there was more to learn, and decided to join the College of Engineering in Pune, which he did despite all the odds of a poor village boy ever doing so. In 1952, he successfully completed his course in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
At this point, he set himself another challenge - to continue his education in London and to gain work experience there. With the help of a loan of Rs.200 from Shri Baburao Pusalkar, he set On the 4th of September 1952, this village boy landed in London, where he proceeded to work and study, eventually earning his Higher National Certificate from the Hendon Technical College in 1955.
Thereafter, he joined AEG Germany as a Trainee Engineer, rising to be a Project Engineer in the newly formed Rourkela Cell at AEG.
In 1957, he left AEG to start his own import/Export and Consultancy business, focusing on the Oil Hydraulic line. As a side business, he decided to enter the tape-recorder business, and at the age of thirty became the youngest tape-recorder manufacturer in the world.
In 1959, he met his benefactor Baburao Pusalkar again in Germany, and arranged a collaboration with Vogel & Co. for him, for the manufacture of hydraulic presses - the first of its kind in India.
In 1961 he married Monika Barthel, his erstwhile secretary. A German by birth, she was the ideal partner in his career, and has stood by him through thick and thin ever since.
Through the 60's, he continued his businesses, focusing more and more on the import and export of engineering goods. But the urge to return to India and get into the manufacture of hydraulics became stronger and stronger, more so with the birth of his two sons, whom he wanted to raise in an Indian environment. In 1969, he returned to India after almost eighteen years in Europe. In 1972, his wife and sons followed him to settle in India.
In 1970, he established his first unit - Standard Hydraulic (India) - in Belgaum. This firm was followed by more and more such units - each one focusing on a particular field in oil hydraulics, such as Hydrokraft for presses, Hyguri Hydraulik for hydraulic motors, Chitnis Machine tools for hydraulic application machinery.
His hydraulic pumps, valves, presses and other hydraulic machinery can be found all over India and across the world. His constant innovations and design improvements gave rise to hydraulic equipment his customers swear by. And his vast knowledge in the field made him a much sought-after consultant in the field of hydraulics.
The Government of India recognized his efforts by awarding him the much coveted Udyog Patra, considered to be the "Industrial Nobel Prize" in India.
Mr.Chitnis traveled often. Not content sitting on his laurels, he could be found wherever the action was - just like that boy back in the 1930's in the small village of Tadsinhal - the little boy who stood up and said: "I can!".
He spent his later years in retirement, often spending time in the villages that he grew up in, only to emerge with new ideas that he was always keen to discuss with people who wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Mr.Chitnis passed away on April 6th, 2009, leaving behind a rich legacy of industrial development and advancement that he could rightfully claim credit to.