ITBelgaum sways at KLES college of BCA
1:14 PM Posted by ukmad
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.
Complaint board
5:42 PM Posted by ukmad
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 a Home for the dying destitute poor
12:58 PM Posted by ukmad
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.
- Inmates of Karunalaya
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.
- Volunteer feeding an Inmate
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.
- Mrs.Anita dressing an inmate
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.
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
You can DONATE:
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
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.”
Development at cost to Nature Do we need this
3:52 PM Posted by ukmad
Belgaum in this past couple of months has been in the limelight for not so good reasons for the city as a whole. From controversies on 100 crore to its implementation. Still none of the projects under the 100 crore special grant have been completed but newer projects under said scheme are being launched. 
- See the trees on the road side all this will go in three days
The present one is the road widening of the Angol Road (from Big Bazaar to Shambhaji Chowk Raghunath Peth). The road will be widened to 50 feet as per the CDP(city development plan). Work has already begun on the road and first deaths are those of the trees which were standing there even before we all were born.
- See the logs of wood
- Logs are lying on the road side
The road does have heavy traffic and as the Aai Kalavatidevi temple is on the same road many throng the road daily.
- After cutting the Tree it is set to fire, how in human
The trees have been chopped off and there was a controversy over the cutting the trees as a tender for the same was not taken out, but as it happens always, all is well again and the trees have been cut. The worst part about 98 trees have been numbered and will be cut one by one. 98 trees cut will this impact the mother nature it will for sure, but who cares!
- Numbering done on each tree
- The Killing is on
- gutter work has begun
The road looks clean and green but once these trees are cut it will be nightmare for sure.
My questions to all people of Belgaum and those who are implementing it as well:
- you have cut the threes will you plant any more?
The answer to this will be yes by the authorities but there is no space now on this road, so you will get an answer that 2 trees have been planted in some jungle, how stupid. - Could many of the trees being saved?
This answer is very difficult to answer for anyone, as all are in a hurry to commence a project complete it half and start another one. - Will the cutting of trees affect Global warming?
For sure YES! 98 trees cut from a single street means so much of less oxygen and so much less of carbon dioxide in the air.
- Last question to all, do we need this kind of development at a cost to mother nature?
- Save trees This hoarding is there all over the city, What an Idea Sir je
All photos: UkMaD & Team AAB
People on this blog have heavily commented on this blog on border issue and have fought it out to have their say, Belgaumites fight for this, people staying away from Belgaum when you come back it wont be your Belgaum anymore, it would rather be a different world altogether.
God Bless us!
For me personally this was even worse than the Mahatma Phule road coverage.
All is Well Belgaum Bandh
2:04 PM Posted by ukmad
The KRV's call for the Belgaum Bandh has got mixed response. Majority of the shops in the market are closed being a weekly off tuesday, but the few that were open were also half opened.
INOX Belgaum will have 3 screens
7:04 PM Posted by ukmad
AAB broke the news of second multiplex in Belgaum and here more details to add to it.Read here
The INOX Belgaum will have THREE SCREEN and total capacity of 897 persons.
The INOX website does not make a mention of the address but it is Chandan Cinema for sure.
Belgaum BANDH tomorrow
6:23 PM Posted by ukmad
KRV and other Kannada organisations have a called for a Belgaum BANDH for tomorrow Tuesday 9th February.
The Bandh has been called after the Maharashtra Politicians had squashed that Marathi people have been facing injustics from the government.
As tomorrow is weekly holiday for the Belgaum market the effect of the bandh call has to be seen, also a surprising factor why did the bandh call on a tuesday.
Why Belgaum and not Bangalore?
11:29 AM Posted by ukmad
Source: ITBelgaum.com
One of the most common questions I - as an entrepreneur - get is: "Why did you choose Belgaum? Why not Bangalore?". Yes. It is true that Bangalore has established itself as the IT hub aka the Silicon Valley of India. Indeed, Bangalore today is known the world over for the IT presence in the city and not the numerous gardens it hosts. So why did I choose Belgaum? or rather why would anybody choose Belgaum over a much better alternative i.e. Bangalore? This article attempts to help our readers understand the IT industry the way it is today and in the process eradicate some of the myths surrounding it.
Is location important?
Everything in this world today is wired. Over the years internet technology has matured so well that one can not live with out it especially in the IT industry. Any offshore development done is delivered via the network. Software like any other commodity item can be sold online through websites. So then the question: Is location really that important? Absolutely not. There are companies in Belgaum whose employees virtually work in the UK and USA while physically they are still in Belgaum.
Cost Factor
For a company/business that has just started it is important to keep its running costs as low as possible. Belgaum being a second-tier city provides the low-cost advantage over other major IT hubs such as Bangalore. Cost of leasing/renting an office in Bangalore compared to one in Belgaum is way too high. Such higher running costs builds up pressure on a small startup to start making profits. Pressure is not good for business.
Time Factor
Bigger cities provide loads of facilities to people living there. These include access to ultra-modern shopping malls, cinema houses, international airport, etc. However, all this comes with one major problem and that is heavy traffic. Such cities are overly populated and their roads full of vehicles plying each way. My friend's working in such bigger cities take at 2hrs on a average to go from home to their offices. That amounts to 4hrs in the traffic each day. In addition to this, they have to start early in the morning else it take even longer.
Time is an important factor of growth in a early stage startup. One has to give it the maximum time and attention. You cannot afford to feel tired because of all the day-to-day traveling. Working in a smaller city like Belgaum saves a lot of travel time. Today you can reach from one end of Belgaum to the other end in about 30mins in peak traffic. If you choose to have you office closer to your house like I have, thats even better. You can afford to have a good sleep, wake up fully rested and give your best to your working day each day all year along.
Business Opportunities
People seem to think that if a company is in Belgaum then it only caters to local customers. This is not true. These people need to open their eyes and wake up and embrace the new age, the new technology, and the new ways of global businesses. Another common myth is that if you are in a city like Bangalore you are more likely to get new customer leads. This totally depends on what service one has to offer in the business. If you have established good networks all around leads can fall in place from anywhere on this planet.
Career Prospects
This one is particularly for the young and hungry job seekers. The feeling is that if you work in a city like Bangalore that hosts thousands of companies you are more likely to progress faster in your career than by working for a company in Belgaum. In the IT industry the way people progress in their careers is by changing their jobs i.e. switching companies for a better offer. This is good for the bank accounts but not so good for the bad days that are now coming around every so often. By jumping jobs one becomes "the Jack of all trades and Ace of none" kind of a person. During a recession period this is the guy a company will look to get away with. Unfortunately, except a few the whole IT force in India falls in this category today.
My advice to the youth coming out of college is to look for that one thing in IT that interests you, go for it, learn it and master it. Be an Ace not a Jack and you will see employers flocking to you (not the other way around). Go for the knowledge rather than money. Go watch the movie - "3 Idiots" if you haven't got it yet.
Belgaum startup or any startup for that matter might pay a lower salary but there is a huge potential to learn. You are going to be a core member of a team where your say really matters unlike being one amongst several thousands an MNC or a big service giant already has. Initially you might feel left behind by comparing their friend's salary which could be 2 or 3 folds more than yours. However, unlike your friend's, your career growth is directly proportional to the company's growth. You put in more effort, the company does well and in turn you do well in the company. Your work will be much much rewarding. Being small allows the company to share its profits with its employees easily. That is to say if the company makes millions in profit you make millions too! It is always better to join a company which is small and be counted.
I think I made my point. Having said that please do comment if you have anything to add to this or you feel otherwise. Please note that I in particular have nothing against Bangalore or people living in Bangalore. This article was an attempt to show the reader what lies beyond Bangalore in a place like Belgaum.
Author:
Dr. Ameet Patil founded Spundhan Softwares Pvt. Ltd., a software company, in the year 2008 in Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Ameet is an expert in Embedded Real-time Systems particularly in the area of hardware design, software timing analysis and real-time operating systems. Ameet is keen to promote IT in Belgaum and the surrounding region and is always willing help budding entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to the real world. For more information visit: http://www.spundhan.com or http://www.ameetpatil.com. For job related queries please email your resume to jobs@spundhan.com
Maharashtra politicians flayed by Kannada organizations sate wide
10:47 AM Posted by ukmad
‘Marathi people are being provoked at the cost of linguistic harmony’
‘Many Marathi medium schools in Karnataka get grant-in-aid’
Pro-Kannada leaders and organisation in Belgaum and the state have strongly condemned the allegations of Maharashtra political leaders at the Seema Parishad. The minister had in their speeches stated that the Marathis in Belgaum were facing injustice from the government. They also alleged that political leaders from Maharashtra are provoking Marathi speaking people in Belgaum and border areas of Karnataka by making baseless and false charges against the Karnataka Government.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday District president of Kannada Development Authority, Basavaraj Jagajampi and member Siddanagouda Patil lashed back by accusing the Maharastra government of not supporting the Kannada educational institutes in Maharashtra. They `alleged' that the Maharashtra government had been "killing the Kannada language" by not providing facilities to Kannada schools in the neighbouring state.
Some Stats:
there were 225 Kannada schools in 131 villages surrounding Akkalakote in Maharashtra
Now declined to 68.
one teacher was kept in charge of five schools
No books have been made available for Kannada medium students of PUC and B Ed
Not a single Marathi school had been closed in Karnataka after the reformation of States
332 Marathi and 274 Kannada government schools in Belgaum (rural) and Khanapur taluks have 1,713 and 1,358 teachers
there is one Kannada teacher for 31 students, there is one Marathi teacher for just 22 students.
Effigies of Maharashtra rural development minister Jayanth Patil and Shiva Sena leader Baba Saheb in Davanagere on Saturday, in protest against their insulting speeches against Kannadigas at a Marathi convention by Nava Nirman Vedike. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), Narayana Gowda faction, blocked NH-4 near Baada Cross on Saturday evening.
Victorious Lions lift the BCL
6:16 PM Posted by ukmad
In the Mla Sanjay Patil Belgaum Champions league T20 tournament the Victorious Lions won the finals to lift the cup.
In the finals the Nasco Royals were beaten by Victorious Lions.V
Church street now and then
7:02 PM Posted by ukmad
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.
Bhimgarh now wildlife sanctuary
12:02 PM Posted by 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 writes to railway ministers with proposals for Belgaum
6:46 PM Posted by ukmad
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.
Seema Parishad
6:32 PM Posted by ukmad
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
Sambra Airport upgraded for ?
11:01 AM Posted by ukmad
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
