For the past week or so Belgaumites are in the national media and all OB vans and reporters from unknown channels are also interviewing people in Belgaum.
But with all that hype around we will all need to Pray to Rain God, and if the rain god is not happy on us be sure you will face a lot of water woes in the year ahead.
See these figures which are Belgaum Taluka which are very disturbing.
In June Last Belgaum Taluka received 225 mm of rainfall while in 2010 we received 175.20 a shortfall of 50 mm.
In July 2009 Belgaum Taluka received 473 mm of rainfall and the worst till 15 July we have only received 2.1 mm of Rainfall.
 This is a cause of concern. The Rakaskop reservoir which normally is full this time around still needs about 15 feet of water to get filled.

The District Rainfall(mm.) June July August September2005 217.4 334.2 190.3 225.22006 189.1 282.2 210.7 130.92007 275.9 220.2 189.6 165.72008 127 79.1 187.2 178.62009 113.7 391.3 185.1 220.9(1941-90) averages of rainfall 98.3 126.4 153 113.2

The above figures in the table are for Belgaum District and hence do not tally with the figures of Belgaum Taluka mentioned in the story above.
The farmers are also facing a huge problem infornt of them as they will be forced to resow as the current sow has not yet grown sufficiently.
 
Forecast: Scattered rainfall would occur over north Interior Karnataka with over cast sky.

On 10 July, 2010 AAB published a report on the IT park- Belgaum IT park cum grazing ground
The same story with one image from the Story (cow grazing) was picked up and published in Sakal on 14-07-2010.
On 15-07-2010 we were surprised again to see the same cow appear in Indian Express with a similar tittle.
We at AAB believe that we are working on the right path of giving the readers good and solid material which is also original (most of the times). This has also happened in the past and we are proud of our readers that you got to know this story first than others.
We are not faltering ourselves, we cant do that, We dont have a massive team to work, but even then we do try to get you information which is fruitful.
Even we at AAB take copies from so many papers and sites but we also mention our source as a respect to the first person who wrote it, we also expected the same here.
Anyways readers, thanks for the support and we will try getting you reports earlier than others if possible.

In the past week or so, Belgaum has been witnessing some erratic power supply by HESCOM. Power is cut at any time and the entire timings come up to 6 to 8 hours.
The Small Scale industries association did a Rata Roko and blocked the road for a while in protest of this erratic power supply by HESCOM.
Industrialists complained that due to this erratic power supply all their manufacturing plans have been hit and many complained of more losses in production than normal due to sudden power cuts.

Conqcore Solutions member of the ITBELGAUM group with its association is organizing a two job fair.
Venue – RLS College Campus, College Road Belgaum
Date - 16th & 17th July 2010. Time – 10 am to 5 pm
Interviews would be held for MNC BPOs from Pune & Bangalore .
Requirement:
Educational Profile
• Any graduate from Govt. recognized universities
• 10+2+3 Diploma Holder (equivalent to Graduation) from Govt. recognized
universities
• 10+2 Under-graduates with minimum 6 months prior International call
center experience preferred
• 10+2 Under-graduates with minimum 6 months prior any industry
experience acceptable
Mandatory documents:
• Education docs: 10th, 12th and graduation mark sheet. Provisional certificates are
not accepted and mark sheets are mandatory.
• Last organization: DOJ, Emp. id and LWD proof.
• 2nd last organization : Emp. id proof mandatory
• Pan card mandatory else acknowledgement receipt Valid id proof ( Drivers
license, voters id, bank passbook, college id card, passport)
Unique Knowledge & Skill Requirement
• Good customer service skill with neutral accent
• Basic technical knowledge of Computers, peripherals like Modem, Windows
operating systems, Internet connectivity, Email software, Browser software.
• Ability to multi-task in usage of different applications and tools
• Process check list of what all the agents needs to bring while accepting
LOI Mandatory docs at an offer stage are:
o Highest education cert/last
o 2nd last work experience documents(Emp. ID and relieving letter)Photo
ID/Pan card No
For more details one can contact: 97417 60624 / 0831- 4201451

After a peaceful start there was Lathi charge done on the MES rally at the DC office. The Lathi charge was done as it is said that some flag was brought down and some stones were pelted.
Many were injured during the lathi charge and all were taken by surprise.
Earlier in the day Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists were arrested as they tried to disturb the rally.
Atmosphere after the Lathi charge was quite tense and KRV has said that they will come back strongly against what has happened today.
The rally began from Sambhaji circle and ended at DC office.
Situation in the city is under control and no incident has been reported. Business activities are normal tough a few shop owners felt it safe to shut down their show windows to prevent a losses.

AAB EXCLUSIVE 

NWKRTC has invited Request for Proposals for the Development of Modern Bus Station and commercial complex on NWKRTC site at Belgaum on Public Private Partnership (PPP) Basis. The Bids for the same will be opened on 02.09.2010. The estimated Project Cost Rs. 25.70 crores and will be built on Lease-cum-Development Format Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) basis.
 The project site (CBT and divisional Workshop) measures around 5.76 acres.
The entire project will be executed in two stages and on two sites Site one- CBT measuring 3.76 acres and 2 acres of the divisional workshop.


 The new bus stand will have 41 bus bays, bus circulation and parking areas, auto-rickshaw lane, taxi parking lane, basement parking for private vehicles, passenger entry/ exit, Terminal building consisting of passenger circulation and waiting areas, ticket/ reservation counters, cloak room, first-aid room, waiting rooms, passenger amenities like drinking water, toilets, yatri nivas etc., restaurant, shops, kiosks and administrative offices, crew restrooms, parcel office and other facilities
 The existing Belgaum Central Bus Station of NWKRTC is located in the heart of Belgaum city on an area of 3.08 acres. The adjacent NWKRTC Divisional Workshop is located on 4.68 acres and is proposed to be shifted to a new location on the outskirts of the town.
Currently the stand has 10 Platforms with 22 bus bays and operates 1158 bus trips a day. However, they are insufficient due to increasing bus traffic and passenger growth. The bus movement area has rigid pavement and the terminal departure bays are covered with truss structure roof.
 With the growing population the proposed traffic is as follows:
30 bus bays and passenger amenities for around 1,500 passengers presently
• 41 bus bays and passenger amenities for around 2,000 passengers by 2015 and
• 74 bus bays and passenger amenities for around 3,700 passengers by 2031
 The proposed Bus Station on Project Site-I is designed to meet peak requirements till 2015, after which NWKRTC may plan to construct Phase-2 of the bus station to accommodate 74 bus bays, which will meet peak requirements till 2031.
 Development of Phase-1 of the new modern bus station is proposed to be developed on Project Site-I of around 3.76 acres as part of this Project.
The new station will have
• 41 bus bays to meet peak requirements till 2015
• Passenger amenities like waiting areas, toilets, bathrooms etc
• Waiting rooms for men and women
• Entrance lobby with reservation counters, ATM and security kiosks
• Restaurant & shops
• First Aid room and pharmacy
• Cloak room and parcel office
• NWKRTC administrative office & crew rest rooms
• Yatri nivas, Basement vehicle parking for cars and 2-wheelers, Auto-rickshaw and taxi lanes & User friendly for physically challenged persons.
 Retail development comprising of retail stores and food courts/restaurants will be on Project Site-II of around 2.00 acres.

Sarang Kulkarni, son of Belgaum has proven it again that Belgaum has great talent in the field of Music as his team Surmai Solapur won the Saam TV reality show Gurukul and Sarang won the best non percussion player.


The team got a scholarship of Rs.1 lakh sixty thousand.

What is your conception about an IT Park?
All will say a new hi tech building which looks a bit different from the lot, some nice greenery around, clean and of course some IT companies doing business in there.
True this is what most of you have seen, but for that has anyone seen the Belgaum IT park at Desur built by the KSSIDC.
I know the answer 95% will say “NO” “Belgaum has an IT park?”
Well yes, even tough Belgaum has been lacking quality infrastructure the KSSIDC and its foresight has given Belgaum an IT park way back in 2008-09.
The IT Park is built on 41 Acres 19 guntas land at Desur on Belgaum - Panaji Road (about 500 Mtrs. off NH).


The 42 acres land that has been used for this park has now all the basic amenities required like roads, water etc. The road leading to the park been also made.
And now the same is being used as a grazing field for the cattle from the near by villages. (At least the park has benefited some one)
Till date there have been no takers for this and this entire 41 acres is lying un utilized.


Sandeep of DotCord IT Solutions who visited the park said that, he wanted to one day open his office in an IT park, but after seeing the Belgaum IT park he said, I rather make my office somewhere else.
41 acres of land just off the high way and no takers, seems funny but why is this is the question?






Wasnt KSSIDC aware of the situation or did their planning go wrong. Were the IT companies consulted before making this park.
All these questions remain unanswered, and we Belgaumites need to see this IT park deserted with cattle grazing all over, may be the cattle themselves have updated their Facebook status” Grazing in IT Park”.
All Photos: Sandeep

The railway over bridge on Thursday got a face-lift after the walls were painted green and lights were installed on the walls of the over bridge.
The City corporation has done this renovation or face lift but this is the only make up done to the 1944 built British over bridge. Sodium Vapor Lamps have been fitted.
The over bridge really needs a over haul, but it seems the corporation has given it a make up and now it looks cool with those new style lights, which on day one, half of them were not working.
It is anyways a good sign as it was pitch dark on the over bridge and now with these lights there will be some light to look out for.

Belgaum is in the news again and the entire print media including regional have written on the Centre's affidavit on the Border issue. The Marathi Media showcased its side while the Kannada its side.
The English media took a fifty fifty stand.
But my question to all residents of Belgaum, (we hope we can call our selves Belgaumites with no language bias again) is what difference has this particular reply by the Central government made to us.
Belgaumites are moving on with their lives in a city, which they feel, needs infrastructure and industrial development more than linguistic oneupmanship.
Still the case is hearing and when the final verdict will be out is not known. The Supreme Court will also understand the nature of this case and not give any decision in a haste.
Many people we spoke to said that, they never felt that there was a issue and status quo should be maintained.
College going students never realized that this kind of issue exists and they said what difference does it make if one speaks Kannada and other Marathi. In fact everyone has friend whose mother tongue is Marathi or Kannada and we together spend hours together chatting.
Many people who were born here studied here and then went out for work, spent their entire life working and now have come back to Belgaum to live a peaceful life. Their demand is a more better developed Belgaum.
Take it to be city's bad luck but the name of our city is in the limelight for non developmental issues rather than developmental.
Belgaum belongs to Belgaumites and we should forget the past, the past has only spoken of warriors and not good administrators who were pro people and development of society, thats we act in aggression and harsh ways. if in our past we had good administrators ruling us who gave importance to good culture and development of society Belgaumites today would not be fighting on language issue rather we would have been a more advanced community with all the natural resources that god has gifted us in Belgaum. Our rulers were mere tax collectors, tomb builders, religion enforcers. Lets forget the past and join hands for development, I am sure they youth of Belgaum irrespective of language only need development and respect both languages and cultures. It is time to move on, unite and consolidate for a better future.
Many rejoiced when this particular reply was filed in the Supreme court, but what difference has it made to us? We have the same roads, same water supply, same electric supply. We have no great options for amusement and when some guests come here and when they ask,” what is there in your city to see?” we are in a fix. I have seen people ask me where can I take my guests out for sight seeing in the city.
This linguistic domination of one group will take us back and not forward.
Many would argue that, previous governments have harassed us and as a city we have not got what we should have got as being one of the highest tax payers to the state after Bangalore.
But here we are not understanding the “Raajneeti”. Politicians use this language card and play with the emotions, they succeed we fail.
If we come together and form a Belgaum where we dont entertain them they have no option. We are only responsible for all this. In a market, goods are sold only when there is a market.
We all Belgaumites need to come aboard a platform and get work done from the govt.
Platforms BELGAUMNEXT having this same thought are working towards a better Belgaum.
Development of Belgaum is most important thing. Let energies be diverted in the right channel wherein it benefits people, its easy to provoke people on language and religion but not on constructive issues.

We are sure living with pride and respect is more important than in which state. Cant we have a situation while in Karnataka that no one misses what they feel they miss. Belgaum is Bi-lingual is a known fact ; history speaks of this for the last 500 years.
Be proud Belgaumite.

After taking one and half year the Centre on Tuesday field a reply to the Maharashtra’s 2004 affidavit and its application in 2009 claiming jurisdiction of Belgaum and other cities.
“The transfer of certain areas to then Mysore (now Karnataka) was neither arbitrary nor wrong,’’ as claimed by Maharashtra,” Dr Praveen Kumari Singh, director of Ministry of Home Affairs, said in the Centre’s reply.
In its affidavit, the central government told the apex court that just because most people in the border district speak Marathi was not ground enough for the areas to be appended to Maharashtra.
According to the Union government, Maharashtra’s petition should be dismissed and exemplary cost should be imposed for filing such a suit. The state of erstwhile Mysore was joined with parts of Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras and Coorg to form Karnataka five decades ago under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
In a sharp reaction, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said the decision was 'unfair' to the people of Maharashtra. 'If this is the case, then why not abolish this policy of carving out states on linguistic basis,' he said. Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) leaders said 'This is an unfortunate decision by the centre,'.
Others in Karnataka welcomed the Centre's stand and said that this was according to the Mahajan Commissions report.

AAB's View: We are sure this post will break all previous records of comments. But when something about development is posted the comments are the least. We expect the same commenting strength on all our posts. We love to read what you write as you love what we write. Jai Hind!

The Indo-US combat exercise `Vajra Prahar' between the special forces of the two countries will be held at the Belgaum commando school in Karnataka between August and September.

The special forces of both the countries will take part in simulated insurgency and terror strike scenario.

The exercise is part of the series of bilateral exercises that the armies of India and the United States have each year, with ‘Shatrujeet' and ‘Yudh Abhyas' being the other two.India had hosted the Chinese Army for the exercise in December 2008 at Belgaum. The first edition was held in Kunming, China during 2007.