Another image for those oldies who spent time in camp and for the young ones here is how it looks today.Church Street near M K swamy bakery, (Swamy bakery was initially three shops down the lane from the current one)

Thanks Sahir Kittur for the search of the old photo, current photo UkMaD.

The ministry of environment and forests gave its consent to declare Bhimgadh (in Khanapur Taluk) in Belgaum district as a wildlife sanctuary. The Centre had given its consent for declaring 138 sqkm of forest as a wildlife sanctuary and the government issued the order three days ago.

Bhmgadh was in news over the political issue between Goa and Karnataka over water sharing Mahadayi water. Wildlife lovers were keen on saving this habitat.

Bhimgadh shelters two rare bat species — Wroughton free-tailed bats and Tomb bats. In India, Barapidi in Bhimgadh has the only colony of Wroughton free-tailed bats. Their only other habitat in the world is Brazil. Tomb bats are found in West Bengal. Barapidi caves were part of the sanctuary. Wildlife enthusiast say the forest was also a triangular corridor for tigers and elephants, which migrate between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

Source: TOI

Mr.Mohan Pai ahs written explicitly on this topic with various photos of the areas and one shold read this to understand the necessity for making Bhimgarh into a wildlife sanctuary. Click the flowwing links to read in detail about the bio diversity.

Mahadyi/Mandovi River Valley - Part I
Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley - Part II
Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley - Part III
Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley - Part IV
Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley - Part V
Mahadayi/ Mandovi River Valley - Part VI

MP Suresh Angadi has written letters to to the Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee and Union minister of state for railways K H Muniyappa urging them to include some proposals under the annual railway budget 2010-11.

Proposals made:
1. new railway track along Belgaum-Bailhongal (Kittur)-Dharwad- survey work has already been completed.
2. up gradation of an existing Gokak Road station
3. survey work for the creation of new track linking Belgaum-Savantwadi
4. introduction of new evening daily Garib Rath Express on Hubli-Dadar (Mumbai) route
5. diversion of present Bangalore-Hajrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express via Belgaum
6. construction of under bridge at Paschapur station along Belgaum-Miraj route
7. shifting of an existing goods shed in Belgaum to Sambra to facilitate expansion of Belgaum Railway Station.

Demands for Belgaum-Bailhongal (Kittur)-Dharwad is not new and the survey work is already over but nothing concrete has been said by the rail authorities on this.
There has been a long standing demand of the people of Hubli and Belgaum to start a train from Hubli to Mumbai.
What happens this year to this demands need to be seen. AAB will follow up the Railway budget and get you information right away when the same is presented in the last week of February, most probable date would be 23.

The MES organized Seema Parishad (Convention of Marathis) just ended at Subhahs Maidan (Lele ground) today evening. The event was a crowd puller of sorts and number of people attending were in good numbers and same was the case with Police.
Jayantrao Patil Minister for Rural Development (Maharashtra), Subhash Desai, leader of Shiv Sena, N D Patil and various others leaders spoke on the occasion and asked the Marathi's not to think they are alone and Maharashtra is behind them.

There were small incidents of trouble created by so called Kannada activists at the venue who were beaten up and police had resort to a very mild lathi charge. All was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported.
The city buses were off the road as a measure of precaution which caused a lot of hardships to school going children and people going for work.
All photos: Team AAB

The Sambra airport has been upgraded with better facilities at a cost of Rs. 3.57 crore recently. airport now has its own ATC (Air Traffic Control) room and facilitates landing/take off during night hours too. Close Circuit Television and parking facility for 50 vehicles has also been provided. All this up gradation is of the terminal area, the expansions of the run way is yet to be done. 370 acres of land adjoining the airport has been acquired to extend the length of existing runway (537 metres). The farmers have been reimbursed and work will commence soon, MP Suresh Angadi told press persons yesterday when he was here to see the terminal building.

Air traffic has been closed for over a year now and union minister of Civil aviation Praful Patel on his visit in November had assured of resumption of flights in three months but nothing has changed on ground zero.

Mr.Angadi also added that he would try his best and get the flights flying from Belgaum.

Source: The Hindu

The Rapid Action force is in town and did a flag march on the streets of Belgaum to show their presence in the city. They are here for the 'Bandobast' for the SEEMA PARISHAT called by the MES and other Marathi speaking organizations.

The SEEMA PARISHAT has been called for the rejuvenation of the cause for Marathi and to spread awareness about how the Marathi people have been denied of their rights and what are ones rights.
The DC recently ordered all offices in the district to make arrangements to make all official documents to be made available in Marathi as well. This was done after the National Minorities commission summoned the authorities and also for the reason that the commission will hold its meeting here in Belgaum later this year.
SEEMA PARISHAT will be held at Subhash Maidan (Lele Ground) in the afternoon and thousands of people will come for the same the organizers said. The district authorities have not officially granted permission for the event but the Corporation gave a conditional permission for erecting the pandal at the venue.
Today some women activists of the Kannada organizations tried to commit suicide at the DC's office in protest of the authorities giving permission for the event.
Today morning a huge rally was organized by MES with various demands from Ration cards, Marathi sign boards, to getting good value for the crops.

The language game and politics is at its peak and this SEEMA PARISHAT which was planned way before this all started may be an appropriate time for discussing the issue, many feel. The Mumbai for Marathi's issue is gaining ground day by day with almost anyone falling into the discussion from Sharukh Khan to Snajay Nirupam to Raj & Udhav Thackrey.
The worst part of all this for city of Belgaum is not good.
When one sees the photos of RAF and this bandobast, people from outside will not come and this will hit and impact business as a whole.

The Mumbai for Marathi's is the hottest topic of the news channels for the past 4 days and what is Belgaum for ????? “Belgaum is for Belgaumites.”
People from both parties can fight it out as a discussion but what is going to happen in reality is a question.

More than 100 companies in Bangalore create more than 80% of the semiconductor in the state. To encourage the growth oft his industry else where in the state, a new Karnataka Drafts Semiconductor Policy was laid down today at the ISA Vision Summit 2010, by CM B. S. Yeddyurappa.

The policy is drafted in such a way that govt. shall ensure that its objectives are met. It will be a role model for other states to follow. The focus will now not only be Bangalore but also Tier-II and Tier-III cities like Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Mysore, Mangalore.

More than 30% of the total potential in the semiconductor industry would be tapped in the state, which would lead to creation of numerous job opportunities, he added.

Source: Channeltimes