VIRAJPET GETS A FACE LIFT

Madikeri January 21, 2009

Virajpet town will get a facelift with the president of the Town Panchayath, Kanthi Belliappa deciding to remove footpath sellers, widening the road and the bustand.

Kanthi Belliappa told that the foot path sellers, about sixty of them are shifted today to the market area and permanent shops would be built for them in the market area by next year. She opined that the sellers were given enough time to vacate the foot path and yet some of them were forced to do so. She said that they were convinced to shift their place as the town was getting too congested with pedestrians having no place to walk.

She said that the main roads in the town will also be widened to accommodate increasing traffic and to ease parking problem.

The president informed that the widening of congested private bustand and main roads would be taken up soon

MALNAD DEVELOPMENT REVIEWED

Chairman of the Malnad Development Board, Padmanabha Bhat held a meeting of the district level officers here yesterday and reviewed the development.

He directed the officials to take up the projects coming under Malnad Development before March and complete them at the earliest. He said that Kodagu district is getting rupees ten lakh extra grant and it should be utilized properly.

Bhat told the officials that the drinking water projects shold be completed immediately and boards mentioning the details about the projects should be displayed at the work places. He informed that the board will take up bore well and hanging bridge projects in the next fiscal. He also told the officials not to take too many projects at a time and mess up every thing. Instead, finish the works which you already have taken up, he advised.

Deputy Commissioner Baladevakrishna appealed to the chairman to take up solar power and mini hydel power projects and also bridges.

Zilla Panchayath president Deergakeshi shivanna appealed for more fund. Board secretary Board secretary Vijayakumar, Suoerintendent of police Suresh, Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayath Ramachandrappa and other officials were present in the meeting.

BOMB THREAT TO A BATTERED TEMPLE

A temple which was disfigured couple of years ago causing the destruction of a dozen Masjids in the district has once again received a bomb threat from an anonymous caller.

The temple committee has lodged a complaint with the police stating that the anonymous caller has threatened the life of the priest and his wife and also threatened to blow the temple with a bomb.

The priest Deviprasad told that his wife received several calls from an Airtel number and the person used vulgar language with her. Later when he received the call yesterday, he was threatened and thret to the temple was also told.

Superintendent of police Suresh rushed to the temple along with officials and took the statement of the priest cople. He told scribes that the call was proved as the priest has a caller id attached to the phone. He suspected the call has come from Mangalore and the accused would be brought to book soon.

The temple committee held an emergency meeting under the chairmanship of president Ramesh and appealed to the police to arrest the accused immediately. Grampanchayath chairman and others were present.

Police personnel are posted to guard the temple and the investigation is on.