MADIKERI CMC IN DOLDRUMS; COURT STAYS ELECTION;

Madikeri January 29, 2008

The high court has stayed the election of CMC for the posts of president and vice president and sought explanation from the government.

The stay comes as one B.Y.Rajesh, who had lost CMC election has questioned the legality of creating more number of wards setting aside legal norms.

The CMC has had only 23 wards earlier and it was raised to 31 with the direction of the government itself. Rajesh and earlier one Chami had argued through court that the wards should be formed considering minimum population and this point was over ruled. Chami was successful in issuing notice to all the elected representatives, including the concerned officials.

Besides, government declared reservation of seats for the post of the president and vice president to all the elected bodies in the state, including CMC Madikeri recently.

The newly elected members who were thinking that their election had become null and void with court grilling them about the legality of elections were relieved after the reservation was announced. Now, the latest stay from the government has given a big jolt to the political heat and dust created to elect the leaders. Government had declared presidents post to the general category and vice presidents post to the lady backward class, a candidate.

Legal experts state that Madikeri is heading towards a re election with less number of wards.

Advocates Abdulla and M.K.Ramesh argued on behalf of their clients.

POOJEKAL BRIDGE IN THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE;

A decades old bridge, built by the British is in the verge of collapse. Since the officials are ignoring the repeated appeal by people to build a new one or to repair it, an ultimatum of February ten is served to initiate action.

The Zilla Panchayath member Balakrishna, Kutta Zonal congress president Shivu Madappa and Mukkatira Navin Aiyappa have served the ultimatum and cautioned that they will block the bridge for traffic from tenth, if the officials ignore their demand once again. They spoke to this correspondent after inspecting the bridge and said that this bridge links Karnataka and Kerala. Hundreds of tourists traveling to Nagarahole national Park are also using the same bridge.

Supporting railings on either side have collapsed and the walls are cracking. The bridge may not survive the onslaught of rainfall, they predicted. They also alleged that the government had been stating that the money had been sanctioned to build a new bridge and they are aware of it only through newspaper statements.