‘KODAGU, TRADITIONAL LAND OF WARIORS’

Madikeri March 19, 2010

Southern commanding chief and Lt General Pradip Khanna described Kodagu as a land of traditional warriors.

Pradip Khanna visited Madikeri yesterday and addressed the ex servicemen. He praised the services of field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimmaiah to the Indian Army and regretted that the number of army entrants from Kodagu is decreasing considerably at present. He called upon the youth to make use of the opportunity to serve the nation by joining armed forces. He said that youth should be motivated to join defense service.

Listening to the grievances about the shortage of medicine in ESHS hospital here, he said that the army administration is thinking of supplying medicine to all the ECHS’s in the country through an outside agency. He informed that the contract would be given to outside agency in Delhi in six months time as a test case and the same would be extended to other areas as the same complaint is being heard from other places also. He said that ECHS is a blessing for the ex servicemen as treatments and major surgeries are also undertaken in the hospital.

Responding to an appeal by the district ex servicemen’s organization president Major General B.A.Cariappa, Pradip Khanna urged the district administration to provide land to shift the existing Army canteen. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to sanction land to the ex servicemen and asked the Superintendent of Police

Manjunath Annigeri to provide protection to ex servicemen facing threatening on occasions.

Pradip Khanna handed over a cheque for rupees five lakhs for the ex servicemens welfare fund. Retired, Lt.Gen B.C.Nanda handed over a traditional ‘odikatti’ to Pradip Khanna.

Superintendent of police Manjunath Annigeri and Deputy Commissioner Ashwathnarayan Gowda were also present. The two officers also received the guest at the Helipad and he was welcomed with the tradional ‘Valga’.

CONTRACT KILLERS ARRESTED

Putta alias Satya from Somwarpet was arrested by Hassan police yesterday on charges of taking contract to kill a Hassan contractor Shivanna.

According to police, Putta had taken supari to finish Shivanna. They also alleged the involvement of two women Savitri and Gowramma from Bhuvanalli in Hassan. Investigation is on.