New Virtual computer for Belgaumblog.com readers

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Thanks to Hyperwebenable for providing my readers such a great tool. In the time to come some, more dynamic and interactive features like SMS and stuff will also be available to the readers. So do not look back, your Belgaumblog will be one place you need to log on to of course from your Lively PC or Laptop.

News of Bomb in Snatosh Nirmal theatre

The bomb disposal squad with its Dog squad is searching the Santosh Nirmal theatre complex for a bomb. At this time 12 pm the search is on.

Hope this is also a Hoax call.

Farmers Concerned over KIADB

The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has plans to acquire 501 acres of farmland at Ghugeranatti and Bambarga in Bambarga gram panchayat limits and Godihal in Vantamuri gram panchayat limits in Belgaum taluk. The land proposed for acquisition is 10 km away from Belgaum and adjacent to Pune-Bangalore Express Highway (NH 4) from Bennalli to Bhutaramantti.

The land acquisition wing of KIADB headed by a special land acquisition officer in Dharwad issued notice on September 6, 2006, to acquire 373 acres and 19 guntas at Bambarga and 127 acres and 24 guntas at Ghugarenatti, but could not proceed further following protests by farmers. They staged a “rasta roko” on November 9, 2006.

But the KIADB issued notices on March 8, 2008, to a few farmers of these villages. This had had become a cause for concern among the farmers of Ghugarenatti. If land was acquired, the entire village would have to be relocated. KIADB had left out the land along the highway owned by some “influential” persons. Village goutaan (common) land and barren hillocks under social forestry had also been left out. Sources in KIADB said the board had asked the tahsildar of Belgaum to prepare records to enable it to issue a final notification for land acquisition. People of the villages where KIADB has plans to acquire land are hoping that the Government would reconsider its move.
Now here we go again, How do we have industrial development without disturbing Agriculture. This is a Question being asked in all the states and all on fronts. Take it in Singur or in Ratnagiri or Jamshedpur. The farmers are now unwilling to give their land for industrial development.
I would rather suggest the Supreme court (it will have to intervene one day for sure) in this matter and make a national policy for land acquisition. Until then, we will have unsatisfied farmers and unsatisfied Industrialists.

Original Story in The Hindu

D.B. Naik ZP CEO arrested by Lokayukta

The Lokayukta police arrested D.B. Naik, Chief Executive Officer, Belgaum Zilla Parishad, on Thursday who was found allegedly having several “benami” property.
The Lokayukta police carried out searches at several places include residences of five civil contractors. They recovered documents related to several “benami” properties, allegedly belonging to Mr. Naik. One of the contractors was found with documents related to 11 properties. Among the properties recovered, include 10 acres of land in Khanapur, some sites in Belgaum.
Records pertaining to Naik showing his alleged link with running of a first grade college in Mudhol have also been recovered.
Investigations led the Lokayukta police about Naik alleged abuse of his position as the Commissioner of Belgaum Urban Development Authority, which he held during 2005.
These kinds of raids and investigations are needed periodically to eradicate this Corruption from the system. Now what will happen to him is still to be seen. Original Story in The Hindu

Renaming Belgaum challenged

Yeddyurappa to visit Belgaum

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will be inaugurating a bridge (on Noginal-Sultanpur road) built across the Markandeya river in Hukkeri taluk on Saturday.
The inauguration programmes follow the BJP workers meeting at Hunnur Inspection Bungalow to be held earlier the same day. According to official programme, Mr. Yeddyurappa will arrive at Mudalgi in Gokak taluk at 3 p.m. from Karwar on Friday to inaugurate development programmes and proceed to Hunnur for night stay.
The Kannada Rakshana Vedike is organizing a Gherao of the CM demanding industrial development of Belgaum. They will also demand the TATA Nano project be implemented in Belgaum.

Source: The Hindu
KRV

Hoax bomb call again

What if, Nano had to be built in Belgaum?

Its breaking news on the business front that the Nano plant from singur will get shifted to Dharwad.

Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant met the Karnataka CM today and Tata Motors have confirmed that they are looking for alternatives to Singur to shift their Nano project.
The Karnataka Government has offered 1000 acres for the Nano car project and all “incentives and support. Tata Motors already has a manufacturing unit in Dharwad where it makes the low-floor Marco Polo buses.
Why Dharwad again? Belgaum has been a hub for automobile ancillary industry for years now and for a low cost car like Nano, integration of resources will reduce the cost. The Karnataka govt. should have thought of Belgaum and asked the Tata's to come to Belgaum, by which there would be some industrial development and the ancillaries would have had a good time.
I think its sheer lack of interest of the local politician (or clash of interests) and the state level as well that Belgaum is always neglected. Anyways, Nano could be made closer to us, which is also a good thought.

NAAC ranking of various Belgaum colleges

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), is an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission.
NAAC's assessment is based on seven criteria, which includes curricular aspects, teaching learning and evaluation, research, consultancy and extension, infrastructure and learning resources, student support and progression, governance and leadership and innovative practices.

Karnataka Law Society's Gogte College of Commerce Belgaum, (2.86) got Grade B after it is Re-Accredited by NAAC.

A list of NAAC's accredited colleges and their grades (as on March 31st, 2007) of Belgaum only.

Anjuman College of Arts & Commerce, Opp. District Court, Belgaum Grade B
Dakshin Maharashtra Shikshan Mandal's Bhaurao Kakatkar College, Jyoti Compound, Club Road, Belgaum Grade B+
Government College of Teacher Education, Kakatives Road, Near Channamma Circle, Belgaum Garde B+
K. L. E. Society's B. V. Bellad Law College, Belgaum, Grade C++
K. L. E. Society's Lingaraj College, Belgaum, Grade A
K. L. E. Society's Raja Lakhamagouda Science Institute, Belgaum, Grade A
Karnatak Law Society's Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Tilakwadi (East), Belgaum, Grade B
Maratha Mandal's Arts, Commerce, Science & Home Science College, No. 1007, Malmaruti Extension, Belgaum, Grade B
S. S. S. Samiti's Mahaveer P. Mirji College of Commerce, H. O. Shedbal, Nehru Nagar, Belgaum Grade B+
South Konkan Education Society's Govindram Seksaria Science College, Tilakwadi, Belgaum Grade FOUR STAR
South Konkan Education Society's Rani Parvati Devi College, Belgaum, Grade FOUR STAR
PES's A. M. Shiekh Homeopatihic Medical College, Belgaum, Grade FOUR STAR


Note: The grading System is changed from 01-04-2007 now for more details as how it is exactly done, New Methodology of Assessment & Accreditation.

Complete Report for each college is here
Source: http://www.naacindia.org/46-Re-accreditation.doc

I have tried my best to understand what this New Methodology of Assessment & Accreditation is, but all were bouncers for me. Someone reading this could throw in some more light.

Earthquake awakens city early morning

An earthquake of 4.8 on the Richter scale hi Belgaum city in between 3.15 to 3.20 an early morning. The epicenter was Koina Dam.

A bumpy welcome to Belgaum

Yes! All those who had just been to Belgaum for Ganpati or otherwise and if you were coming from Kolhapur side, you would have a bumpy Welcome at the entrance of Belgaum.

At the junction, which leads to KLE hospital from the National highway there? They are the BEST & biggest potholes of the city, the size could be 12-15 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The irony is that city corporation has built a tower very next to it, Its an umbrella illuminated which is built for the Kannada Vishwa Sammelan to welcome the delegates to the city with the words "Welcome to Belgaum", and has probably spent a few lakhs on it.

I hope good sense prevails and they had better spend some money on repairing at least the road entering the city.

I do not have a picture of the same, if anyone traveling try and get one.
Thanks Nagendra.

Ganesh Visarjan Begins at 4.10pm

The procession for immersion of the Ganesh Idols has begun at 4.10pm. About 12 Ganesh idols were lined up from Hutatma Chowk to Maruti Galli.
Not much of enthusism was seen at the beginning. It was because of the rain. Now the rain has stopped and also the crowd is getting towards there and we should have a full-blown procession only after 7pm or so.
Cops sniffed the complete procession route with Metal detectors and sniffer dogs. Gutters, dust bins are were checked for.
I could not get great pics like last time tough, but will try again later.

Belgaum turned into a fortress

Belgaum city has been turned into a virtual fortress with more than 3500 police officers guarding the city on the Ganesh Visarjan.

The Ganesh Visarjan procession is said to begin at 2 pm (might begin after 4pm) from Hutatama Chowk and reach Kapileshwar via Ramdev Galli, Samadevi Galli, Ramling Khind Galli & Tahshildar Galli.

The police are on high alert and about 100 hidden cameras have been installed to record the procession. The first Sarvajanik Ganesh idol of Sanyukta Maharashtra Chowk is already at Hutatma Chowk n the wee hours of the morning only. Others will join the procession during the day.
The procession is expected to finish by tomorrow morning. Two cranes have been installed at Kapileshwar for easy immersion of big idols.

Commonwealth Baton relay: Students disappointed

A large number of schoolchildren, who lined up to greet the “Youth Baton Relay” (YBR) of Common Wealth Games here on Saturday, had to return home disappointed because of the delay in the arrival of the team.

In Belgaum, schoolchildren were lined up all along the route of the relay, particularly from Udyambag to Rani Channamma Circle. They waited from 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the rain and returned home.

I had seen students lined up along the roadside with their teachers from Gogte circle to Kolhapur Cross. All the students were waiting in the rain for the baton to arrive and cheer it, but to their bad luck the baton arrived very late at about 8 pm in the night, I was told.

It was pity scene all over with the students drenched in rain and waiting and in a few eyes the question "Why is this baton going from our city?"

See The Hindu

Touts create menace at stamp paper counter

The Touts take Rs. 25 more for stamp papers of all denominations. Touts stand in the queue much before the counters open Infact a couple of hours earlier. People who cannot wait buy stamp papers from them.
At the Ravivarpeth branch, they queue up at least two hours before the counter opens at 10.30 a.m. Some of them approach people standing in the queue with an offer to sell them stamp papers of any denomination for a fee of Rs. 25.
A senior official in the bank said that the bank was helpless and all its efforts to prevent sale of stamp papers by the touts had failed.
The only way solution to the problem was to have more counters that sell stamp papers, he said. The official said that despite the heavy rush for stamp papers and very few counters in the city, there was high pressure on the bank staff. It was for the police to check the menace of touts, he said.
Now look at this: The bank official is saying they cannot stop this as the counters are less and the staff has a lot of pressure. Why don’t they start giving stamp papers from more banks? Why aren't the timings for giving forms increased? The government should look into the matter and see that the stamp papers are made available from other banks also so that the touts have no leeway.
See original story: The Hindu