This site has seen some decent (indecent comments removed) discussions on various subjects of importance to all from Belgaum, Belgavi to cutting of trees.

The most significant problem Belgaumites are facing for all these years and to which no authority is looking to correct it is the Auto fares in Belgaum.

For the past three days Autos are off the road and they are holding the regular commuters to ransom for no wrong done by them. The autos are off the roads on the demand that the police should find the culprits behind the murder of their fellow driver Noor who was killed latter part of the week. Even on Friday the whole city there was tension on this issue, where as the police say that the murder was due to family matters and some people tried to give it a communal touch.

My question to all, why is that in Belgaum over so many years and so many great IAS and IPS officers in town no one could start the Autos by Fare meter prescribed by the government. Is it that Belgaum does not adhere to any laws of the land? Only the people sitting as MP's MLAs can answer this, as no one has tried to solve this most common and most important issue, which if solved can help all Belgaumites.

How many know the exact minimum auto fare? Take a guess! No one !!

the minimum auto fare for Belgaum city is Rs.12 for 2 kms and then Rs.6 per kilo meter.

I need one person who has traveled by paying Rs.12 the minimum fare. The minimum fare charged is Rs.15 straight forward.

Refusal to come near by, excess fare and rude behavior for which auto drivers can be punished under law is the daily practice by them,as there is “NO MAIKALAL” who will ask them.
Earlier attempts were made to impose auto by fare meters but the Auto drivers resented to it and the same could not be achieved.

The auto fare in Bangalore is Rs. 14 per 2 kms and then Rs.7 per km. In Mumbai the minium is Rs.9 per 1.5 km.

If by mistake any of the authorities responsible for this is reading this please try and travel by autos and see how horrible it is.

Most meters on the autos never work (except on the day at the RTO for passing) many don't have one as well. The police never try and stop and ask for a license of an auto driver, especially those running auto at night, who are young kids with no license.

The pre-paid auto at the railway station is also not working in a good manner due to the wrong intentions of the auto drivers.

My question to the auto drivers-

If there is a law why is not applicable to you in Belgaum?

Are these auto drivers not bound by law?

Some important points one should know:

1. For every Kilometer -Rs. 6-00 (for 3 passengers)

2. The Minimum Fare -Rs. 12-00 (for 3 passengers)
(for the first 2.00 Kms.)

3. Waiting charges for first Five Minutes- FREE

4. After Five Minutes For every Fiteen Minutes or part thereof - Rs. 1-00

5. Luggage charges for First 20Kgs.- FREE

6. After 20 Kgs. For every; 20 Kgs. Or part thereof - Rs. 2-00

7. Maximum passenger Luggage to be carried is - 50Kgs.

Fare at Night- One and half times of prescribed fare to be charged from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am.

And is there any “MAIKALAL” who will take this mater to conclusion.

God bless Belgaum.

Source: RTO Bangalore, RTO Mumbai

Under the Then and Now series, in this particular story the time gap between Then and Now is hardly 4 days.

For development trees are chopped and made way for a more widened road on which we can ply our vehicles and emit more CO2 and the trees which used to absorb them have been cut.

THEN: photo taken on Angol Road on Tuesday 9^th February

NOW: photo taken on same spot Angol Road on Saturday 13^th February.

See the difference between the two images.

This is the tree which has been cut just near to the Shri Aai Kalavati Devi temple.

Najar milate hi hua asar sarab ke tarah

ki o haqiqat gujar gaye ek khawab ki tarah

hosh me jo aya to saya bhi na unaka

payadil ke chaman ke halat thi ujade bag ke tarah.

After all the Hoo Halla My Name is Khan is not getting released in Maharashtra and Belgaum as well.

But there is one film releasing this week which has a Belgaum connection.

Its the Kannada movie 'Crazy Kutumba' the remake of the Marathi movie 'De Dhakka'. All of the ‘crazy’ characters along with two musicians travel from Belgaum to Bangalore in a malfunctioning autorickshaw so that Gowri can participate in a dance competition. Their encounters, both funny and grievous, on this journey form the better part of the film. The dialect is from north Karnataka but it has been kept simple enough for comprehension.

ACTORS:Ramesh Aravind, Ananth Nag, Sana, Rajinikanth, Dhanya, Harish

the movie is running at SWAROOP for regular shows 12.15,3.15,6.15,9.15pm.

The premier Special Interest Group of the IT-BPO companies in Belgaum,ITBelgaum’s initiative of doing technical seminar and workshops was over again exceedingly gratified by the students and the faculty of KLES'SCOLLEGE OF BACHELOR OF COMPUTER APPLICATION.

The Lamp was lit by all the members of the IT Belgaum group along with Principal Mr.Kottrappa.

Rajendra Pai, a freelance advanced Excel trainer, gave the introduction to ITBelgaum.

Manoj from Dot Cord, spoke on websites in 10 minutes with emphasis on Wordpress platform.

Swapneel Patnekar of eTH1 network solutions enthralled the audience with is spell bound presentation on open source software.

ITBelgaum group has been conducting workshops in colleges and creating awareness amongst the students and telling them a path ahead for a career. The group mainly aims at spreading the knowledge and creating awareness about IT companies in Belgaum.

AllAboutBelgaum.com has been a scout in the formation of this group and has got on board all these IT-BPO companies from the city under one roof and spreading the word about IT.

ITBELGAUM.com

There were a lot of requests for a dedicated COMPLAINTS BOARD on the site and hence we have decided to create a forum for the same.

You will need to register once before you can log in one.

This board may be seen by officials (by mistake) and your query could get solved.

But this could also help others in choosing the right service or product.

AllAboutBelgaum.com has no role in the content of the Complaint Board.

So log on here http://allaboutbelgaum.com/forum/

Karunalaya is a Home for the dying, destitute, poor and abandoned of the city of Belgaum and its surrounding areas. It is run and managed by members of the LEOMEL Society for care of the dying and destitute who provide selfless service to the residents of the Home. It was founded by Mrs. Anita Rodricks, retired teacher of St. Paul's High School, Belgaum. By establishing this Home, she and the society members hope to reach out in love and service to the poorest of the poor to care, support and assist the dying, destitute and abandoned who have no one to look after them.

Most of the residents of the Home are suffering. Some residents are partially paralyzed, some are deaf & dumb, some get epileptic fits, some suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure and a few are mentally ill. Karunalaya is not an old age home. It is specifically meant for the dying, destitute and poor who are abandoned and have no one to look after them. It caters to everyone regardless of race, creed, religion or sex, subject to the availability and admission criteria of the Home. Mrs. Anita Rodricks, the founder of Karunalaya, resides in the Home and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Home. The Home solely depends on the generosity and kindness of the general public.

Karunalaya welcomes with open arms those who are poor, dying, destitute or abandoned and have no friends or family to look after them.

Karunalaya is a home that provides the residents, who are poor, destitute and abandoned, a roof over their heads to sleep, simple food for daily nourishment and medical assistance for their illnesses.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Mrs. Anita Rodricks, husband passed away early and that left Mrs.Anita devastated. Her brothers and sister were always with her but she still something was missing in her life. In an effort to fill the heart-broken emptiness she tried to search opportunities. At this time she was also a mother of three and raising them and educating them she still had an urge to work for the poor.

Teacher Anita as she was called in St. Pauls High School, took and eary retirement for the cause of the poor. She was very impressed with Sneha Sadan, Hubli, run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. She got a chance to work for the dying, destitute, terminally ill and poor. The selflessness and generosity of the Sisters of Mother Teresa inspired her to do something similar for our city of Belgaum.

By establishing Karunalaya, which means a Home of Compassion and Love, She envisioned a Home providing physical nourishment, emotional support, medical assistance, and care to the dying, destitute, abandoned and poor. Mrs.Anita could not do this all alone, hence she sought help of her best friends especially Fr. Victor D'Cruz and Ms. Mariamma Nygam who supported her on every step and to setup The LEOMEL Society for Care of the Dying and the Destitute.

The Society is a group of my closest friends and relatives who extend their dedicated and selfless service to the residents of the Home, without whose help and support Karunalaya would not be where it is today.

Karunalaya has come across many deserving cases. Paralytics lying on the roadside and starved destitute dying on the foot path. Some residents were poor and had no one to look after them who were in urgent need of medical attention. Some residents who came to us were mentally challenged incapable of looking after themselves and had no one to look after them. Some residents who suffer from medical conditions, including epilepsy. Some are very tragic cases where residents were abandoned by their very own children and asked to leave the house. The one inmate who was admitted which is in our minds is who could not speak, read or write, Karunalaya had no choice but to give him a name.

Karunalaya is built on a piece of land measuring about 2 acres (approx. 8100 sq. meters) in the village of Navage on the outskirts of the city of Belgaum. Construction began in September 2004 and was completed in January 2005. It was designed and fully supervised by one of Belgaum's leading Structural Engineers and Architect, Mr. Vijay Moogi, a society member.

The first phase of Karunalaya was officially inaugurated on 4th January 2005 and included a large Dormitory, Kitchen & Dining Hall, Toilets, Bathing rooms and Staff accommodation. There was no electricity and getting water was a major problem. Despite many hardships and difficulties, on 19th February 2005, the birth anniversary of her late husband, Melwin Rodricks, she decided to go and live in the Home with her first two residents - Maruti Uchukar and Arjun Ramling. Since there was no electric supply in the Home, she bought a diesel Generator on an installment basis at the cost of Rs. 58,000/- Due to the high cost of operation, the generator was sparingly used for only one hour a day. For drinking water Mrs.Anita used to get it from her home in camp.

The second expansion phase of Karunalaya was inaugurated on 21st January 2007 and added a new block that included another large Dormitory with attached Toilets and Bathing rooms, increasing the residential capacity of the Home. The new Dormitory was named Conrad House and assigned to the male residents. The existing Dormitory was named Melani House and assigned to the female residents. The Kitchen & Dining Hall was named Natasha Refectory.

A second bore-well was dug which now provides sufficient water for the Home and residents. However, the water supply is not sufficient for landscaping the property and water for a vegetable garden that is being planned, to help keep the residents of the Home occupied.

The third phase of Karunalaya was inaugurated on December 26, 2009. This phase consisted of a Multi-purpose Hall on the lower level and two Guest Rooms on the upper level.

How can one help

Karunalaya solely depends on the support and generosity of people like you. Below is a list of our current needs that will help residents tremendously.

Ambulance, Hospital Fowler Beds, Water Beds, Paved Walkways & Landscaping, Additional Bore-well.

The Home solely depends on the generosity and kindness of the general public. The LEOMEL Society encourages people to reach out to us so that we may be able to reach out to the dying, destitute, poor and abandoned residents in our Home. There are many ways you can contribute to Karunalaya –it does not have to be monetary.

You can DONATE:

• FRUITS & VEGETABLES for the residents of the Home

• FOOD rations that can be cooked for the residents**

• HOUSEHOLD GOODS & FURNITURE that can be useful for the Home

• CLOTHING for the residents

• MEDICINES & MEDICAL SUPPLIES that can be used for the residents

• Your PROFESSIONAL SERVICES for the use of the Home

• Your TIME to volunteer at the Home

If you have any questions please call Mrs. Anitat+91-94489-41633. info@karunalaya.org

CHEQUE or DEMAND DRAFT (INDIAN RUPEE ONLY)can be sent to:

KARUNALAYA

3, Independence Road, Camp

Belgaum, Karnataka 590 001.

Karunalaya Address:

KARUNALAYA

Navage Village

Belgaum, Karnataka 590 001

http://karunalaya.org

Mrs.Anita Says ”I feel blessed and would like to acknowledge with gratitude the tremendous help and support of all those generous people who have come forward to enable us achieve the aims and objectives of our Society. I pray that God give us all the strength and willingness to continue what we are doing and take our Home to even greater heights.”