HIV on the rise in Belgaum

The report prepared by the district health department shows that a large number of persons have tested positive for HIV in the district and the prevalence rate was on the rise in an alarming manner. The number of people who have tested positive since January 2002 until July 2008 is 13,548. Of this, 10,601 tested positive from 2002 to 2007. During this year until the end of July, 2,947 persons have tested positive to the dreaded disease.

There is a phenomenal increase in the number of people afflicted by HIV/AIDS since 2002 when only 75 persons were tested positive among the 593 counselled and 477 taking up the tests. In 2003, 4,011 persons were counselled, of whom 2,946 were tested and 644 were found positive. Similarly in 2004, 13,609 were counselled, 12,030 underwent the test of which 1,105 were found positive. The figure shot up further in 2005 when 20,862 persons were counseled, 18,156 were tested and 1,728 were found positive.

In 2006, 29,112 persons were counselled and 23,377 were tested of which 2,059 were found positive. In 2007, the figures inflated as 40,105 persons were counseled, 35,353 were tested and 3,990 were found positive.

See original story on The Hindu here

Belgaum is in Maharashtra: Alumnus of IIM-A

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Sunday released a book that deals with stories of 25 of its alumni who chose the less trodden path to make their mark as successful entrepreneurs.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish", written by Rashmi Bansal -- herself an alumnus of IIM-A -- describes how 25 students of the premier B-school chose the path less trodden and successfully built new business and organisations.

Another interesting story included in the book is about a student who chose to set up sugar factories in his native place Belgum in Maharashtra instead of working with some multi-national company.

Narendra Murkumbi, who graduated from IIM-A in 1994, shut down his first company manufacturing bio-pesticides that he started after graduating from IIM-A. The reason for closure, according to Murkumbi, was its turnover of Rs 5 crore (in 1998) was "not large enough".

His second venture -- manufacturing and refining sugar -- earned him a place in a leading business magazine as one of the "new billionaires" of the country.

Shree Renuka Sugars, which the 38-year-old started, today has a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore and has changed lives of over 10,000 framers.

Moreover, five per cent of the company's earnings go to Shree Renuka Sugar Development Foundation, which runs schools for children of laborers who harvest the sugarcane, besides health centre and hospital in the factory.

To all the readers: By no means, I am trying to be pro Marathi or Pro Kannada. I am just sharing things written by learned people. They alumnus of IIM-A, the leading management institute, they should know geography a bit well I guess.

See original NDTV story here

Rains still rocking Belgaum

In view of incessant rain since the past 3 days today, holiday has been declared for all schools in the city.

All the fields near the Bellary Nala have been submerged in the water and by one sight it looks like a river. Water logging has been reported in some parts of Vadgaon, Kapileshwar Colony,Mahaveer Nagar.
As I am posting this, the Sun is out, Oh No! Its back behind the dark clouds again.

Finding a New Boss: Made Easy

Talent Onions, (Belgaum Based) aiming to be India's leading provider of Internet recruitment and job search solutions company will post its requirements on this blog. A dedicated separate page has been made, namely Talent Onion Jobs. I hope by the endeavor of mine many of you can take advantage of this and scale greater heights.
A couple of jobs in Belgaum are there also, so go ahead and find yourself a new BOSS.

Rains playing Fear Factor in Belgaum

The rains are causing fear in the minds of people. Until last week, all were praying the rains to come and now that rains are pouring, people are praying otherwise.

The whole of Sunday it rained heavily, rainfall recorded was 37.5 mm. All the gutters and drains were over flowing. Water had inundated a few low lying areas like Shastri nagar etc. Even water had entered a few houses.

In the morning, parts of maratha Colony were under water but after an hour the water receded. When I spoke to a few persons in Maratha Colony they all had kept their Cars on Congress Road, some at their friends place somewhere else. I was one amongst them all to keep my car and scooters on congress road away from my house so that they do not swim. (My car and scooters have swimed for two occasions in the past) I saw a few houses in Chennama Nasgar 1st stage where water had entered the compounds, as the drains had nowhere to go.

Heavy rains have now taken a toll on the roads also. Some of the few good roads that were remaining have now some big potholes. Fear Factor is on the roads now. Skidding of bikers on the top loose khadi is common on almost all roads. Commuters try to skip some potholes and ride the wrong way causing trouble for other commuters. The scene is the same all over the city. I had planned to write on the bad roads, instead I should only mention the good roads, that would be easy and a small list.
I will get you some pictures of the wonderful potholes in a day's time. In the mean time if you have some send them, I will post them here.

Heavy rains lash city

Heavy rains are lashing Belgaum since the past week, yesterday night they were the heaviest.
Some low-lying areas are experiencing water logging. Water logging was seen in Ganeshpur, some parts of Maratha Colony.

While I am writing this the rains have taken a breather, nice for us I believe.

Khanapur Road, Civil Hospital Road hot cakes: Belgaum real Estate update

I had mentioned this earlier on this blog also, the incoming of big real estate developers in Belgaum have sky rocketed the prices of real estate. The same trend continues in town even when the real estate market is not doing so well with the hike in interest rates by the banks.

Civil Hospital Road (Dr.Ambedkar Road) the rate has touched Rs.35 lakhs per guntha, that’s a whopping 3215 per Sq.Feet on the other hand its rival competitive Khanapur Road which boasts of Ambani, Tata, Birla & Biyani on the same road now costs Rs.30 lakhs per guntha, that is Rs.2755 per Sq.Feet.

Now to me, that is a lot of money. Lease rentals are between Rs.50-65 per Sq.Feet. Due to the price rise on Khanapur road, the prices in the internal roads have also increased to about 12 lakhs per guntha.

Heard the Nucleus mall is asking for Rs.10,000 per Sq.feet for out right purchase.
The increase in the price has been very rapid. In the past year, it has risen by 25 to 50%. Is this good or a bubble which will burst nobody knows, at least I do not know.

I request you readers to put in your views on this.

With inputs from Tarun Bharat.

RPD the Most Happening Corner: Parking dilemma

RPD corner is the junction of RPD college road Deshmukh Road & Khanapur Road.

On any given day, corner (I would not call it a circle as it does not really have sufficient place) is buzzing with activity all day round. Young Turks keep on zooming up and down the Deshmukh Road for some sights. These young ones sometimes go zip zap zoom causing more trouble. There is heavy traffic on the main Khanapur Road. The signals installed never work, the day they worked all cursed it as the line went up to Govaves circle and Angol Cross.

This corner houses financial institutions (plenty of them), couple of banks, Grocery outlets like More, Reliance Fresh is coming up, Café Coffee day is there. (Sources have told me Axis Bank is planning to shift here somewhere).

There is no sufficient parking place in front of the said commercial complexes as all the basements are crammed up with generators and other stuff. One complex also holds residential houses so the parking is taken up the residents and the same building has More, CCD, HDFC life insurance, Airtel, Fortune Financial etc. So where do the visitors park. No doubt, there has been some parking space made available when the corporation removed the unauthorized compound walls all along the street. Nevertheless, that has not helped much.

City busses have a stop there at the corner only, which again causes many problems for easy movement of traffic. People waiting for the bus have their own dilemma as there is no proper bus stop and the buses halt at any place sometimes near the corner and some other while near ICICI bank. The biggest problem I have found here, is the Entrance to the RPD college road is small as there are those tea stalls and shops round the corner and the road is hardly 20 feet wide there nor can it be made a one way also as there is no alternative road. In a month's time, a Sarvajanik Ganpati Pandal will be set up at this site, which will add more spice to this problem.

So what should be done? Any suggestions. Do leave your comments.

Nucleus Mall:Update Belgaum

No Parking is the best place for Parking

This picture is of the Kirloskar Road & Ramling Khind Galli Corner, the most happening corner in the times to come as the First Mall (Nuclesus) is just next to this corner. Parking in the no parking space is safer these people must be saying until Mr.Narayanswamy(Traffic PSI) eyes them.

Did you Know This? India's first Olympic marathon runner is from Belgaum

Phadeppa (Pavananjey) Dareppa Chaugule is India's first Olympic marathon runner. He represented India in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium and finished 19th with a timing of 2 hours 50 minutes 45.2 seconds. He hails from the town of Belgaum in Karnataka.
He was born in 1902 in to a Jain farmer family from Sheri Galli. He used to practice for the marathon by running bare footed from Belgaum to Khanapur. He expired in 1952.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.tarunbharat.com/EditionsNews.asp?daten=8/6/2008&id=5628

Govt plans park for IT majors:Belgaum miffed

Govt plans park for IT majors

"The IT and BT Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu said that the government is setting up a sprawling IT park on 2,000 acres around the City to create the much-needed space for IT firms to expand their activities. The government has plans to develop IT parks in Tier-II cities like Belgaum. In Belgaum, the IT park will be developed on 200 acres of land."

To the Minister with all respect: For the past 2 years nothing has been done at the Desur IT park. There are no takers for it also. Then why is that in all your press conferences it is mentioned that Tier II cities will get IT parks. All the ministers and the govt say this but nothing seems to happen on the ground.

See original story here

Belgaumblog in The Hindu

Your Blog has been mentioned in The Hindu here.

A BIG THANK YOU: Belgaumblog.com

To all my readers "A BIG THANK YOU" for supporting me all over this previous year.

This blog started its journey on August 7, 2007 as http://belgaumblog.blogspot.com and now it is http://belgaumblog.com. It has been a learning experience for me trying to collect information from various sources and putting it in on the blog. More than 26500+ visitors and 135+ RSS feed readers in one year for a city specific blog with a niche readership, I guess are very good.

On many occasions I have tried and covered events almost live and have given updates as they happened. It will be by endeavor to improve on it.

Some of you respond and leave comments, some of only read and some of you mailed me telling where I was going wrong and what I should be doing. I just hope I have made it to your expectations if not 100% at least near it.

I will keep trying my best to provide you information about our city Belgaum.

Reliacne Fresh: one @ Khanapur Road & second @ Hotel Hanuman

Reliance Fresh will open its stores in Belgaum in two places. One at Khanapur Road, next to Kamat Hardwares, Opp.IOC office. The furniture work is in progress and we could expect the opening in a very short while.

The second will open at Hotel Hanuman, Nehru Nagar Belgaum.
Belgaumblog.com was the first site to break this news on March 18, 2008 the story is here.

So when you need to know it, may be it was first told on Belgaumblog.com