Where is that Tiger?

A calf was dragged away by a tiger on Friday night at Deogaon village (Khanpur)even as the operation to recapture the tiger that was released into the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary continued for the third day with very little success.

Forest officials said it is not sure if it was ‘that’ tiger or a leopard who took the calf away. But this has irked the residents of the nearby villages. Talawade and Degaon are in proximity to the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Satyabhama Shankar Gavade(50) was killed by four bears at Betne village under Kankumbi forest range on Sunday.

All About Belgaum

Official Statistics of Belagavi District

Official Statistics of Belagavi District

All About Belgaum

Chill out zone

By Swatee Jog
Robert Frost says ‘As near a paradise it can be’ while he describes the place in winter in his poem Winter Eden. One can very well imagine Belagavi/Belgaum in place of that paradise at this time of the year. Waking up to dry noses and finding your lips chapped and skin dry, you may very well exult …winter is here..Hurray!
Senior citizens reminisce of the days when mid – October heralded winter in Belagavi But with monsoon prolonging its stay of late, it’s almost November when the usual nip in the air is replaced by the chill. Outcome the roasted groundnut pushcarts and the crowds at the tea stalls thickens with every sip.
Wardrobes are shuffled and sweaters, blankets, scarves and woolens are pulled out once again. Families with tiny kids stretch their necks to check out the latest designs of sweaters hung up at the Tibetan’s stall on Kadolkar galli near Kaveri and Ramdev Galli. Kirloskar road attracts the youth with a flash sale of cheap pull-overs, sweatshirts and the stuff. The corporation’s cleaning staff bunch up the dried leaves and twigs and light up a small bon-fire while they chat besides in small whispers. For once, this pollution is neglected for the smell of burning leaves feels nice. Similar fires can be seen near rickshaw stands when the rickshawwalas in sweater-gloves-scarf , covered in multiple layers of shirts scamper to avoid the chill in the early hours of the morning and after 10 at night.
It’s a sight to cherish when school kids walk merrily in bright red, navy or green sweaters that match their uniforms. Wake up to find droplets trickling from your parked car or bikes, a leftover of the fog of the dawn. The fog here is one phenomenon that drapes the city in an utterly romantic cover when even the mundane bullock cart becomes picture perfect and gets flashed in the newspapers because of the hazy background. On days when the chill worsens, one can even enjoy one’s own breath seen while you exhale. Many would remember pouting and breathing out the air in this chill to seem like smoking! The joy of witnessing your own breath is childishly magical.
Housewives turn to warmer stuff made of jaggery, no one stops you from having an extra glass of sugarcane juice, warm badam milk is gulped down joyously and Hanuman sweet mart is thronged for that delicacy. It’s a habit to check the temperatures in the newspapers and exclaim “Oh! My God…it was 10 degrees yesterday!” (city this season has already seen a low of 11.4 Deg Celsius) Belagavi’s winter is a bane only to those who have to wake up early and set out for work or school/colleges. Pulling yourself out of the warmth of the quilts feels like hell and Sunday mornings start well beyond 10 am. facilitating a warm brunch instead of the routine stuff. But this very winter brings tears to those suffering from asthma and susceptible to cough and cold. Whatever the price to pay, one waits in earnest anticipation for the mercury to dip and wish it lasts longer than the New Year!
It’s only in Belagavi where you can experience the magic of a hill station.

All About Belgaum

Praveen Siddannavar’s leopard images in BBC Wildlife Magazine

Noted wildlife photographer Praveen Siddannavar’s Leopard images have been published in BBC Wildlife Magazine in the December 2014 issue.

Praveen Siddannavar

Images of Indian Leopard, coincidentally all photographed by Praveen in Kabini (Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, Karnataka State, India) found their space in Worlds renowned magazine for their December 2014 issue. Leopard chasing away Jackal, Mother and Cub on a tree and Portrait of male Leopard rubbing his cheek to the tree trunk are seen in the magazine along with Why Indian Leopards are uniquely adapted for urban living (Big city Predators).
This is the second consecutive year that BBC chose Praveen’s images for their special coverage on Indian Wildlife and again coincidentally last year’s image published of Gaurs chasing away tiger too was shot in Kabini.

Praveen Siddannavar who was born, raised and did his schooling from St.Paul’s and BMS in Belgaum. He did his pre university from RLS and his bachelors in engeneering from BV Bhoomraddi college of Engineering and Technology. An engineer by profession, and a Natural History Photographer by choice. 

All About Belgaum

Trees of life

by Swatee Jog

The showers from the skies have brought with them myriad hues of greens, a thousand shades if you wish to count. After the first madness of the petrichor has settled in the mind, what remains is the fond sight and memories of your favourite trees. That gooseberry tree in my house, laden with the light hued pebble-like fruit with sparse leaves that felt as though they are reluctant to mingle with the world. Small leaves huddled together on the tree like the dreadlocks of a pop singer. Standing in my backyard in Shahapur I’ve seen it since I was a small kid. It drenched in water yet felt so aloof. It was a treasure of sweet sour fruit while it bore them, but otherwise it was so English. Stiff, dry, never waving its branches like the mango tree did.

Some trees just don’t socialize, I felt. Its neighbor, the mango tree, had spread in the neighborhood of other trees. Some branches even merged with the others. The gooseberry tree with all its fruit felt like workplace acquaintance while the barren mango tree was a dear one. As luck would have it, the mango tree flowered that year and bore tiny fruits, the same year that it had to be felled one day to make place for a new bedroom. While it lay collapsed on ground, it looked like a mother killed with its tiny tots orphaned. My family cried all day while the workers hit one blow after the other. People just came and picked those fruits, some even tearing them apart from the tree. They forgot that this was the same tree whose leaves adorned their doors every festival. The gooseberry tree lasted longer, but broke its stoic stand days after grandpa died. Never judge a tree by its appearance. Perhaps it loved grandpa so much.

A neighbor’s curry tree made friends with our trees. It had the fig tree for company. And both flirted with the birds with offerings of juicy fruits. The curry tree was a favorite with the ladies who sweet -talked the lady of that house into sparing a handful of leaves while they put their woks on the stove for tempering. Then they knew that the old lady murmured while handing over so they waited for the young woman who willingly shared the leaves. The old lady obviously made some quick money by selling a bagful in the Saturday market. The curry tree dropped its luscious green-red round fruits in season which sprouted tiny clones, pulled out delicately and taken home by scores of people. These saplings fondly grew even in small earthen pots in balconies or tall and wide if planted in the ground. The friendly fig tree merrily waved at all the birds, parrots, mynas, crows, sparrows and the rare Greater Coucal – the Bharadwaj, whose sight is considered auspicious. So much so that many from the vicinity strained their necks to trace it and followed its peculiar hoot on Ugadi day, considered special for such a sight. The orange-black colored birds with red eyes started early in the morning and returned by late noon, feasting on insects elsewhere but finishing off with a dessert of the luscious figs. One can even spot these birds in Tilakwadi, especially Vaccine Depot area. I recall the huge Banyan trees, one opposite Khade Bazar police station, which I could see from my cabin and the other opposite Bank of India in Shahapur. These trees hosted thousands of birds and was a sight to watch when they all flocked in the evening.

Birds in Vaccine Depot

The rearmost end of our huge house was home to a neem tree that was planted by my father when he was detected with diabetes. He prided in chewing its leaves every day, freshly plucked, cleaned and eaten raw. The lone neem tree never gained girth, growing taller instead, had the guava tree of the neighbor for company. Another curry tree stood there, but it never quite made any friends except for the parrots who visited for the guava and just dropped by for the red fruits. You may see flocks of parrots still passing Belgaum skies, in the morning and evenings.

Then the school offered its own share of familiar trees. Right in the middle of our school premises ( St. Joseph’s), just on the periphery of the assembly ground and overlooking the entire middle campus, this huge tamarind tree stood there for the past 70 years. Its fruit laden canopy was just one amongst the myriad things that attracted us to it and was an eyewitness to the chirpy babble of the thousands of girls who passed out each year, carrying with them tales to share about their favourite tree. It conversed through its nods during our intervals and shared our silence while we wrote our exams. And yes,it helped that it bore the most forbidden (and hence, most yearned for) of fruits— sour, deep brown but equally luscious tamarinds! Every morning, we jumped out of our vehicles and headed straight towards the tree, dropped our bags at its feet and began running around it.Some grabbed the few juicy tamarind pods that the tree had dropped at night. There was much rejoicing over good fortune if a pod happened to fall on someone’s lap while we were having lunch beneath the tree! We would check if there was any chance of getting more fruit by throwing pebbles at the branches. But there was the fear of being spotted by the nuns who watched us consistently. Maybe… the tree knew that it stood on the grounds of a strict convent school and that the Mother Superior would not like us going crazy over tamarind instead of pursuing knowledge!

It used to be a sight to watch hundreds of students lineup for the prayer assembly under its cool shade. Years after I left school, I realised that the magic of the tree lay not in its fruit, nor in its shade, nor in the bark that we leaned against to read. It was the irresistible matronly shape, its drooping foliage that seemed to place its arms around us like a loving mother. In an environment charged up with classes, activities and fierce competition, the tree provided a sense of stability. Although there were numerous trees in the campus — huge gulmohars, nilgiris, coconut palms and even a peepal, the tamarind tree held a special place in everyone’s heart. The other trees came into limelight only when the incessant rains uprooted one of them every rainy season. We were often asked by our mothers to wait under the tree, perhaps because they felt we would be safe there. I remember some of my cousins fearing the sight of it, especially at dusk, for they said a tamarind tree is the favourite home for ghosts. But I was not one to buy this theory when I played in its shade every day, right into the evenings when we stayed back for practice,without ever sighting even the ghost of a ghost! When it was time to lay concrete across the middle ground, we all feared the tree will be felled. But the nuns loved the tree as much as we did, and it was preserved. A whole page was dedicated to the tamarind tree in the school’s centennial magazine! And lucky me, for I was selected to model with it with our principal in tow.

Trees must be loved. Love those commoners in the forest, lost among the biggies, love the lone special one in your backyard. Climb and sit on the branches and never care for the stinging ants. Hold their leaves in hand, rub against their rough bark. Look at them with affection and you’ll realize that they talk back. Plant them in thousands and don’t ever work an axe on any tree. They can’t talk in words, they may not smile as we do, but all their emotions can be felt in ours. I don’t know if trees can remember people who love them, but I know that these trees are one of the most loved treasures of my life!

All About Belgaum

32000 HIV/AIDS affected person in Belagavi district

Every day 7 Persons are infected by HIV/AIDS in Belagavi District.

314 persons died because of AIDS in the district in the past 8 years.

Approx 32000 have been infected by HIV/AIDS out of which 3400+ are children in the district.

According to data, the mortality rate of Persosns infected by HIV has decreased but at the same the HIV/AIDS infection has increased and which is very dangerous for the society.

Unawareness of this disease is one of the main reasons behind its spread. Peoples are not aware of that this disease can be cured by medicines. They are also not fully aware of spread of this disease. There myth is that this disease only spreads because of unsafe sexual contact and there is no other reason behind this. Govt. is spending Lakhs for awareness of this disease.

Belgaum is the third district in Karnataka which is been highlighted for increased number of HIV/AIDS infected persons.
The above data was disclosed by Mahesh Jadhav of Mahesh Foundation who works in this field of HIV/ADIS awareness and also runs an orphanage for the children affected with the disease.

Mahesh Foundation which began an orphanage with 6 children and now holds 55 children which are been taken care. More than 360 children have been adopted by Mahesh Foundation for nutrition support and except this more than 2300 children are supported for education and health.

All About Belgaum

No vacancy ! All hotel rooms booked from December 6 to 24

If you are planning to visit Belagavi from December 6 to 24, be ready to see the No vacancy board in all the hotels as the district administration has reserved all the available rooms in the city for the legislators and others who will be coming to the city for the winter session of the Karnataka assembly.

Apart from MLAs, there will be ministers, secretaries and other officials coming for the session. Accommodation will also be provided for marshals and drivers.
Accommodation for a few will be arranged in Hubbali as well.

The session commences on December 9 and will end on December 20.

All About Belgaum

A woman of substance- Soniya Netalkar

By Swatee Jog
It’s rather difficult to focus on what she’s saying, immediately, when you are sitting before an extremely beautiful girl whose eyes twinkle now and then, who dresses immaculately and whose taste of all things normal spells style with a capital S. More so when she is in a mood to come to the point within seconds of starting conversation.
This pretty girl loves her newly acquired RICOH Theta camera that can capture almost 360 degree pictures as much as the cute trinkets that she wears. But once you can focus on her words, all you do is listen, listen and listen. For what she is saying today makes sense, it is what she passionately does and has achieved for herself with sheer hard work. That’s Soniya Netalkar for you.
Focused on her work, passionate about women empowerment, well travelled and yes, very very beautiful. Why am I gushing about her beauty, you may ask, well do ask me, for she has earned her stripes as a ‘no-nonsense-engineer-strategist-businesswoman’ by standing on the machines till the wee hours of morning, working with foreign engineers, getting things done by dirtying her hands, travelling for business and being there for her company – Netalkar Power Transmission. I was meeting her at short notice and even though I’ve met her before, today I was at her office to know more about her Japan visit.
“I’ve travelled abroad frequently, “ she says, “But this was special, not only because was it paid for by the Govt. of Japan ( twinkle in eyes!) , these were among the best five days of my life” says Soniya. (Well, her wooden mobile cover has a compass engraved on it. Just so you know!)
Seated in her functional office amidst plenty of noise from the machines around, which somehow doesn’t bother us today, we talk endlessly about her experiences. Soniya was nominated to this five day Program on Empowerment for Women Leaders from India, in Japan by Walter Titex.
They nominated her to the program by CII- HIDA ( Confederation of Indian Industries- Overseas HR Industry Development Association), an Indo-Japanese venture. HIDA is part of of METI ( Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) of the Govt. of Japan and this initiative brought together 17 women entrepreneurs from India. Soniya explains that it was Modi’s meeting with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe that facilitated such activities.
“Mr. Modi is passionate about women empowerment” she explains. “Japan has a lot of ageing population. Add to that the women between the most productive age group of 30 to 40 drop out of the workforce at alarming numbers. This is the reason why whereas there are around 5% women in top positions in corporate India, the same figure is a dismal 1.4% in Japan” she rues. “The planning-friendly Japanese have now come up with project 2020 which aims at taking this figure to 30% women by 2020.”
And where’s the blue-print, I ask her. “ They have a great plan. They’ve started offering women a good 6 years of paid maternity leave” she says while my jaws drop. “Japanese companies don’t allow the women to just week off work in the meantime. They hire temporary staff in the interim but gradually allot work to her in small batches so that she not only stays connected to her old work, does not get obsolete and this system allows creation of plenty of jobs for the temp workers who can be rotated between industries and earn valuable experience”. Now that’s what I’d call win-win-win situation.
Probe Soniya about women empowerment and you can see the passion in her voice. “Women are women’s biggest problems” she says. Now this girl doesn’t surprise me. “Women empowerment is not possible without men’s contribution, but it’s the women of her house, the mother-in-law and sister-in-law who need to be counseled” she says matter-of-factly. Well, yes. The first thing that Soniya did after she returned from Japan was to get the men and women of her factory together and addressing them about this problem.

Sonia Netalkar at her recent visit to Japan

How was her Japan tour, I ask. “ There are a few things that surprised me” she gushes. “ The Indian diplomat to Japan is a lady and the ONLY woman diplomat in Japan” Soniya informs me with pride visible on her face. Then she contritely adds that the Japanese taught her more about India than what the Indians knew themselves. The all-women delegation from India visited some companies. RICOH , Topan Printing and Cybosu, where the rate of employee retention has grown from 4 to 28% with simple HR strategies that help the women in the workforce. She also met the Director of Pricewaterhouse Coopers ( PWC). Japan’s multi-level subway system enthuses her and so does the Sashimi platter which she tasted. A sea-food fan, Soniya’s eyes glint when she says she tasted raw Tuna, crab and even oyster on the platter!
What next for Soniya who is an engineering graduate and has an MBA from New Zealand along with more than 4 years of hands-on experience at her family business which has shaped her personality in more ways. “I’ve proposed an Industrial Park in Belgaum that would provide uninterrupted power, roads, hassle free permissions and the stuff that can enable a businessman set up his business quickly.” She explains that while the problems that she faces with costing and production are enough to handle, she laments that factory owners like her family have had to face problems which could otherwise be handled by the system itself. The group of women is in constant connect and now want to put up a presentation to the HRD minister soon. Well, you can expect some good outcomes soon.
Soniya’s interests befit a young woman, watching TV ( “even cartoons”) included. She loves to spend her free time chatting and interacting with her big family and organizing her things. I think aloud that this young woman has worked hard, strategized for her company, traveled for work, dreams of an Industrial park for Belgaum and in general is so passionate about woman empowerment, would one day get married and leave Belgaum. “ Well, I don’t know about that, but I really hope I find someone in Belgaum! However, wherever I am, I will be always connected to Belgaum and my work” she promises. I so wished to thank her for that!
Soniya Netalkar has spunk. She also has that dogged spirit to plan and make things happen and she works endless hours for it. She dreams big and knows exactly how they can come true. She is passionate about women empowerment and understand what can be done to make it possible. It looks as if this is one personality whom you are seeing through the lenses of that RICOH Theta camera.
Way to go, girl.

All About Belgaum

KAT Demand – Lawyers go on fast

The members of the Belagavi Bar Association sat on an indefinite hunger strike to put more pressure on the Govt to start the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal bench in Belagavi.

It has called for a Belagavi Bandh on Wednesday, December 3.

Advocates have been boycotting work since November 17.

All About Belgaum

Angadi rasies KAT issue in Loksabha

Suresh Angadi(MP) raised the issue of Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) in the Loksabha today. Belgaum is one of the historical places and made mentions of Rani Chennamma and Mahatama Gandhi and their contributions.
Speaking in the Loksabha he said -

The whole advocate fraternity has been on strike for the last fifteen days. Belgaum is a Divisional Headquarters of Karnataka.
The advocates have gone on strike on the ground that the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal should be set up in Belgaum. The Government of Karnataka had promised six months before that they would set up the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal at Belgaum itself. The Belgaum Bar is the oldest bar. It has produced many Central Ministers and State Chief Ministers.

My earnest request to you is to direct the Government of Karnataka to set up the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal as early as possible. The senior leader from the Opposition Shri Kharge is here and the Law Minister is also here. All work in the courts and Tahshildar office has come to a standstill due to the boycott by the Advocates for their demand for KAT.

The common man is facing a lot of problems in Belgaum Region because of this. I would request the hon. Law Minister to direct the State Government to settle the issue immediately.

All About Belgaum

Belagavi city police on Facebook

In this world buzzing with Social media, each one is embracing social media, so how can the Belagavi city police be left behind.

Under the leadership of Ravi S, Commissioner of police who is now incharge of the law and order/crime in the city have opened a new facebook page named Belagavi City Police.

https://www.facebook.com/belagavicitypolice

Speaking to AAB, S Ravi said “We have to embrace new technologies and we have to get closer to the citizens. This page will be a one stop spot for all information that we will share and also would like to get from the alert citizens.”

Earlier as well there were a couple of pages opened but died off with time, hope this page lives up to the expectations.

All About Belgaum

LEAD Prayana – a LEADERSHIP Journey on Wheels!

Have you ever dreamt of meeting Role Models live? Ever dreamt of talking to them face to face and knowing their stories? And most of the times it has remained a dream only! But what if you are made to sit in a bus which will take you along with 100 more passionate youth to the role model which you had only dreamt of meeting and talking to them! Here comes a Life Time Opportunity to be part of a Unique Journey, which will make your dreams of meeting the real Leaders come true!

Deshpande Foundation, Hubli’s LEAD – LEaders Accelerating Development brings to you a unique, life time chance of becoming a part of a great journey called “LEAD Prayana” a Leadership Journey on Wheels is an annual leadership journey for youth aged 18-26 hosted in Karnataka cities; Dharwad/Hubballi, Belagavi, Sagar, Doddaballapur, Bangaluru, Mysure, Manipal/Udupi, Dharmasthala and Kuppam of Andhra Pradesh. 

With the aim to “unleash your leadership potential”, join us for a memorable 1800km journey for lifetime.

For 14 fun-filled days you will meet and hear from 10 inspiring role models, see their extraordinary work, visit 8 destinations, take part in panel sessions, explore 12 unique organizations, institutions and industries, and create your own groups to share your hands-on, experiential learning.​ The journey kicks off from Hubballi on 23rd Jan, covering all the destinations and ends on 6th Feb at Hubballi with an International Conference called “YUVA SUMMIT”

The Role models who will interact with the participants: Mr. Kailash Satyarthi (Nobel Peace prize winner 2014),Mr. Narayan Murthy (Chairman Emeritus Infosys), Mr. Anshu Gupta (Founder, Goonj), Mr.Phanindra Sama (Co-Founder of Redbus.in), Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health), Dr. Veerendra Heggade (Dharmadhikari, Dharmasthala), Dr. Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande (Chairman Sparta group LLC), Mr. Raju Reddy(Co-founder and CEO of Sierra Atlantic),Mr Vivek Pawar (Sankalp Semiconductor Pvt. Ltd) Mr. Naveen Jha (CEO, Deshpande Foundation) and many more.

Testimonials of Prayana Alumni’s

“LEAD Prayana changed my way of thinking as an entrepreneur. It’s not just about the money-ethical values and humanity is also responsible for building an institution or company that is sustainable and will help generations to come. It should have a purpose.”-Shivanand Patil KLECET College

“LEAD Prayana was a 14-day trip after which I can actually find a change in myself. I now have a willingness to do something, an urge to speak up rather than sit back and watch others. You get to learn and experience so many things that lie beyond your imagination. I learned that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back, shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and face it.”-Anam Hudli GIT College

“Prayana has come into my life at such a point of time wherein I’ve just started to think and plan out what I want from life and how I can contribute to make the lives of people a little better. It’s given me 100 different ideas and let me make 100 new friends. Whatever I turn out to be-an entrepreneur, a leader, or a change maker, I’ll owe it to these 13 days of my life”.-Krutika Thakkannavar

Thinking how to get on board this dream journey?

Here’s how:

Prayana is open for every Passionate, Enthusiastic individual from across India who must be in between 18 to 26 years of age.

Get registered/Fill the Application Form at www.leadcampus.org

Attend an interview, either Telephonic or Personal

Selection and finish the participation formalities

Welcome on Board to Prayana 2015!

The Dates for LEAD Prayana 2015 are from January 23rd to Feb 6th, 2015.

Apply soon to reserve a seat for yourself!

For more Information about LEAD Prayana and to Download the Application Form online,

Visit: www.leadcampus.org

For last year’s Journey experience, visit

http://www.youtube.com/user/leaddcse

Contact: Mr. Abhinandan Kavale +91-9900053763

Mr. Ajay Suman Shukla Mobile: +91-9741878654

Email ID: ajaykumar.s@dfmail.org

All About Belgaum

No power in some areas Thursday

There will be no power supply by HESCOM due to repair works on Thursday 4 December from 11 am to 4 pm.

Areas affected: Azad Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Fort road, Patil Galli, fort, Raviwar peth, Kulkarni galli, Kalmath galli and adjoining areas.
Shetti Galli feeder, Khade Bazar feeder, Dharwad road, Basvan Kudachi.

Also there will be no power on the Adarsh nagar feeder from 10 am to 5 pm areas affected- Sambhaji nagar, Keshav nagar, onkar nagar, Bhagyanagar 8th to 10 cross, Patvardhan layout, Subhash Market, Hindwadi, Govaves, Nath pai circle.

All About Belgaum

Para Swimmer Raghavendra Anvekar to get National Award

Ekalavya Awardee, AAB’s Belgaumite of the year and well known Para Swimmer from Belagavi Raghavendra Ananvekar is nominated for National Sports Award for Best Sports person disability for the year 2014. The said award will be given at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 3rd November 2014 at the auspicious hands of Honorable President of India Shri Pranab Mukharjee.

Raghvendra represented India more than 8 times and won 28 International Medals and more than 50 National Medals in his credit. His highest achievement was at last Asian Para Games where he won Bronze Medal to the nation.

Raghvendra is a member of Swimmers Club Belgaum, Aquarius Swim Club Belgaum and the Association of Physically Handicapped Belgaum.

All About Belgaum

Passport camp in Belagavi / Belgaum on December 6 -7

A Passport Seva Camp has been organized in Belgaum/Belagavi on December 6- 7 at the District Panchayat Office (DC office compound). Officers from the Passport office Bengaluru will preside over.

Interested citizens are requested to visit and submit online form and make payment and take appointment and then approach the Passport seva camp at Panchayat office at the designtaed timings.

For registration and form submission visit – http://www.passportindia.gov.in/

Persons must carry one set of Original documents and also one set of photocopy.

The following documents are required for applying for a passport through Camp:

• Online Application Reference Number (ARN) receipt printed from Passport Seva Portal (website)

• Originals of required supporting documents along with self-attested (signed) photocopies

• Two recent passport size coloured photographs (4.5 cm length x 3.5 cm width) with white background

• Old/existing passport booklet for Re-issue of Passport; the old passport booklet will be cancelled by the Verification Officer at Camp and returned to applicant after accepting the application

All About Belgaum

Belgaum railway station identified for integrated cleanliness through outsourcing

50 Major Railway Stations identified for integrated cleanliness through outsourcing to Professional/Reputed Agencies – Belgaum station selected

The Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has been emphasizing on sustained cleanliness activities on Indian Railways. Some of the general guidelines are;

The cleanliness contract should be an integrated contract covering the entire station which shall include the whole geographical area of the station covering tracks, platforms, all parts of the building, concourse, approach road, parking area. In case of an enroute station the area between the two home signals and in case of a terminal station, from the entry to the circulating areas of the station to the home signal. Zonal Railways may also include the coaching depots if they are located within the geographical area of the stations.

The scope of the cleanliness contracts shall include all areas and aspects of cleanliness, i.e., cleaning of the entire station area including tracks, rag/rubbish picking, disinfection, pest and rodent control, garbage collection, segregation of waste, disposal etc.

The cleaning contract should be given to one single agency and there should be no mixed system of management. Departmental staff should be redeployed to nearby stations which are managed departmentally ending the mixed system prevailing there too.

Where cleanliness is done through departmental staff, deployment of staff should be rationalized shift-wise and area-wise to ensure that each area is attended to regularly at all times throughout the day.

The surface of the platform, concourse area including the cladding of the walls should be reviewed and broken Kota/Shahabad stones or granites should be replaced to make the surface amenable to easy cleaning.

The Medical Officers/Commercial Officers who are in charge of the station cleanliness and chief Health Inspectors (CHIs) should visit well maintained public places like Airports, Five-star Hotels and Corporate Hospitals to observe and learn from their upkeep practices.

Regular supervision of the contractors of AC waiting halls on Platforms, Vehicle Parking lots, loading and unloading of parcels and catering units in the station should be undertaken.

Steam cleaners should be used to remove stains from all smooth surfaces such as floors, walls, wash-basins, urinals etc. Use of bio-enzyme products to kill bad odour in the urinals and in the concrete aprons on the tracks.

Pest and rodent control should be an integral part of the Integrated Cleanliness Contract.

CCTVs already installed/ those under installation as part of the Integrated Security Scheme should be utilized for monitoring cleanliness activities.

The Division shall prescribe the details of the uniform and the protective gear which will be have to be provided to the staff by the contractor from the first day of starting of the contract.

The selection of the agency should be through an open tender under a two packet bid system (technical and financial bid).

Fifty major stations selected for integrated cleanliness contract are; Nasik Road, Solapur, Jalgaon, Howrah, Sealdah, Bhagalpur, Patna, Mughalsarai, Gaya, Vishakapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Puri, New Delhi, Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow Jn, Kathgodam, Rangiya, New Bongaigaon, Kishanganj, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Chennai Central, Egmore, Trivandrum Central, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Ranchi, Raipur, Bilaspur, Drug, Hospet, Vasco-Da-Gama, Belgaum, Mumbai Central Main, Bandra Terminus, Vadodara, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Kota.

All About Belgaum

KAT Demand – Bandh partial

The Bandh call given by the Belagavi Bar association for the establishment of KAT bench also had support of many other organizations had a mixed and partial response.

In the protest rally taken out the protesters saw that all shops were closed or asked to close the shops in some cases.

Many visitors in the city caught unaware of the bandh were in a miffed situation with not knowing what to do.
We also overheard people asking the Advocate fraternity what this KAT was and what was its benefit for the common man.

Commissioner of Police, S Ravi said that Bandh was all peaceful and no impact of the bandh was visible in the city and if someone forced to close shops they will be dealt according to law.

All About Belgaum

Raghvendra Anvekar Awarded National award by President

Raghvendra Anvekar receiving the National Sports Award for Best Sports person disability for the year 2014

Ekalavya Awardee, AAB’s Belgaumite of the year and well known Para Swimmer from Belagavi Raghavendra Ananvekar was today awarded the National Sports Award for Best Sports person disability for the year 2014. The said award was awarded at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the auspicious hands of Honorable President of India Shri Pranab Mukharjee.

Raghvendra represented India more than 8 times and won 28 International Medals and more than 50 National Medals in his credit. His highest achievement was at last Asian Para Games where he won Bronze Medal to the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr.Pranab Mukherjee said –

The main objective of this initiative was to promote a worldwide understanding of the issues connected with disability and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of disabled persons. It was felt that such worldwide focus would encourage proactive efforts of the international community for the integration of the disabled in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It is entirely appropriate that the people of India should mark this date by honouring the selfless individuals among us and the altruistic organisations in our country who have generously worked for the empowerment of the disabled in our society.
Ladies and Gentlemen, many among us must be wondering what they can do to make a difference : to them I would quote the words of Swami Vivekananda who said, “Arise, awake, sleep no more; within each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe this, and that power will be manifested”. I would remind each one of you to recognise that there is a great potential within each differently abled man, woman or child. It is our duty, as a progressive society, to empower them to fully realize it. 

All About Belgaum

Lawyers continue their agitation

There was heavy traffic jam and chaos as the members of the Belagavi Bar association who are protesting for the establishment for the KAT bench here blocked traffic at Chennamma circle by forming a human chain.

This caused traffic jam in all directions.

Meanwhile, an indefinite hunger strike launched by four advocates on Monday entered the fourth day. The health of senior advocates Murugendragouda Patil and the former Bar President Anil G. Mulwadmath was showing signs of deterioration, Doctors are keeping a close watch on the health of the Lawyers on hunger strike.

The lawyers have boycotted work since November 17 in demand of the establishment of KAT bench.

All About Belgaum

Mother of six commits suicide

Savaitri Sampannavar of Devannti, Khanapur taluka committed suicide by consuming poison as she could give birth to a male child.

A mother of six girls committed suicide by consuming poison. Reason for this extreme step is she could not give birth to male baby.

All About Belgaum