Daijiworld News Network - DK and Udupi (MB)

Municipal workers stage dharna 
 
Udupi: Karnataka State Civic Employees Union, Udupi unit staged a dharna in front of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) office here on Wednesday.

The dharna was to demand extension of pension acilities be extended to all civic workers and for regularisation of services of daily wage workers employed since January 1986.

Former MP Vinay Kumar Sorake addressed the agitators and promised to represent their case with the government.

Those who participated in the dharna included former presidents of the CMC Gujjadi Prabhkar Nayak, Chittharanjandas Hegde, former Vice-President Renold Praveen Kumar, councillors Mohan Upadhya, Narasimha Nayak, Snehalatha, Kasturi Shet, Geetha, Indira Shekhar, Leela Amin, Udupi Block Congress President Mahabala Kundar, Zilla Nagarika Samiti General Secretary Nithyananda Volakad and other.

The dharna was led by Karnataka State Municipal Employees Association, Udupi unit president Gopalakrishna and Secretary Manohar.

Reserve SEZ jobs for locals, urges Ramanath Rai

Mangalore: Former Transport Minister Ramanath Rai said here on Wednesday that 70 per cent of jobs generated in special economic zones (SEZs) should be reserved for the local people affected by the projects, 20 per cent for people from the State, and the rest for professionally qualified candidates.

He told presspersons that the government would be urged to acquire an additional 500 acres of land for the Mangalore SEZ. 

College elections on democratic terms 
 
Kundapur: Elections will be conducted based in a democratic manner in every college of Udupi district, to ensure that the ‘All College Students’ Action Committee functions effectively, said former Action Committee president Shantiprasad Hegd.

Speaking at a press conference held at Kundapur on Wednesday, he explained that it has been decided to strengthen the Committee in every taluk of the district.

The committee has received overwhelming response from the students in Kundapur. Kartikeya Madhyastha has been appointed Kundapur taluk head of the committee. Appointment of other office-bearers will be made shortly, he said.

All College Students Action Committee Udupi district president Harish, former president Shivraj Hegde and Kundapur Taluk head Kartikeya Madhyastha were present at the press conference.

Appeal to Prime Minister 
 
Mangalore: The SEZ (special economic zone) Impact Assessment Committee, an affiliate of the NGO Forum of Mangalore, has apprehensions that severe shortage of drinking water in Mangalore may be caused if the special economic zone comes up.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, committee convenor Kateel Dinesh Pai has quoted the Mangalore SEZ Limited having estimated the water need at 30 million gallon litres of water a day (136 million litres of water a day). He has said that it is not possible to source this from the rivers without including private property.

The letter also states that the city requires 80 million litres of water a day now and the estimated water requirement in 2026 is 160 million litres of water a day.

To increase the storage capacity of the dam with a view to fulfilling the requirement of Mangalore has become difficult. During summer, people do not get water even for two or three days a week.

Second prize to Kateel College for best magazine 
 
Mangalore: Kateel Shri Durga Parameshwari Temple First Grade College’s last academic year special issue ‘Inchara’ magazine has won the second prize in the Mangalore University level Inter Collegiate Special Issue competition.

College principal M Balakrishna Shetty received the prize from University Vice-Chancellor Prof M Kaveriappa at a function held in University Senate Hall.

The college won the second prize in the student strength under-500 category. Magazine Editor and Hindi lecturer Suneetha H B was present.