Mangalore This Week - Oct 22 - 28
Weekly Round-up by Anisa Fathima
Daijiworld.com- Mangalore
Chenna - Mangalore Super-fast Express
Tuesday October 24 brought with it a great news for those Mangaloreans who are regular commuters to Chennai. The super-fast Chennai-Mangalore express train is all set to begin operations from October 28, announced Southern Railways general manager Thomas Verghese.
Mangalore being the hub of development needs better inter-city transport system and this step will only boost its importance as an investor's destination. The super-fast train will not only reduce traveling time, but will also attract more commuters, thereby increasing the railway revenue. India being the home for the largest railway network in Asia and second largest in the world needs to introduce trains that are not only super-fast, but also more technologically advanced. Though shortage of power resources and insufficient infrastructure as well as a corrupt political setup has hindered growth, a few metro rails in the big cities like Bangalore will add to the credibility of the 'largest railway network' status that we enjoy.
MANGALORE- CHENNAI SUPER-FAST EXPRESS TRAIN FROM OCT 28
Mayoral Elections
The major news of the week was the much-hyped and much-debated mayoral elections which, at the end, happened without much hullabaloo. The Congress chose its candidate, Vijaya Arun, and after that there was little doubt as to who the new mayor would be.
The new mayor has her task cut out, what with poor roads demanding undivided attentions, pathetic finances of the corporation, half-done projects, and pending loans of ADB. With term that would last for only a few months with the elections coming up in May, Vijaya Arun may not have much time to think of new projects. But seeing that she has already pledged to do something about roads, it will be enough to gain her and Congress a fair amount of reputation among the citizens.
MANGALORE: VIJAYA ARUN MAYOR, ABDUL SALEEM DEPUTY
Illegal Structure Demolition
Meanwhile, an illegal structure which had stood for over 10 years was finally demolished by the National Highway Authority of India officials with the help of the taluk tahsildar after endless legal battles against the structure owner that began in 1997.
The incident is just another example of the way we treat laws. Rules and regulations are there so that things function efficiently and cause no problem to citizens at large. The structure was in violation to the NHAI regulations and it was not closed down even after several notices. It should have been long demolished when the notices were ignored without any respect to law. A similar incident took place in another part of the city when a structure that was built on the river bed was demolished. The incidents serve as a warning to those who dare to escape the law.
MANGALORE: ILLEGAL COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE BESIDE NH 17 DEMOLISHED
MANGALORE: ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION AT ADAMKUDRU DEMOLISHED - IMAGES
Bank Union Strike
The week also saw a nation-wide strike by bank unions that had its affects in the city too. All banks were closed under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions, to urge the government to fulfill their demands that included, among others, filling up shortage of employees and officers in banks.
Outsourcing is a modern-day trend that has crept in to the banking sector too. This trend, other than posing danger to employees, also speaks of risk when it comes to sensitive documents or data. Even though globalization demands this kind of a setup, it must be done with caution. Shortage of employees is another worry for the banking sector, which perhaps is a reason for the outsourcing. The bank officials have been protesting for a long time now, will the government finally do something?
MANGALORE: BANK UNIONS TO GO ON STRIKE ON OCT 27
Mangalore: Token Strike by Employees Affects Banking Service - Pictures
Fire in Mangalore
While structures were being demolished in one part of the city, elsewhere fire broke out in two industries that caused considerable loss of property. One was at Lamina Suspension Pvt Ltd at Baikampady Industrial area while the other was at Canara Electronics and Refrigeration showroom.
The incidents caused much havoc in the factories, but the good thing was that in both cases, the fire was brought under control without damage to life. However, there are a few lessons to be learnt as far as safety and fire control are concerned. Things like generator and others need to be stationed away from places that may be open to such dangers, while lighted lamps (diyas) in shops, as in the case of Canara Electronics, are always an invitation for mishaps.
MANGALORE: SHORT CIRCUIT IN LAMINA SUSPENSION FACTORY GUTS MACHINERY
MANGALORE: FIRE IN ELECTRONICS SHOP - PICTURES
Oscar gets labour and employment Minisitry
The week ended with the visit of Oscar Fernandes who was lately given the post of minister of state for labour and employment. The minister was on a personal visit, but the media light did not dim at his arrival.
The labour sector has been in the news for sometime now what with the ban of child labour and ban on gutkas making headlines and evoking debates all over. Fernandes, as the new labour minister will have a lot in his hands when it comes to implementation of these laws. If the anti-child labour law has to make any difference, the ministry would need to join hands with the education ministry so as to complete the package with proper education to the kids. It would be very well appreciated if the minister could tie the various loopholes in both the recent bans by providing adequate compensatory packages to those affected by them.
MANGALORE: OSCAR ENTERS CITY AS LABOUR MINISTER OF STATE
The news this week was did not give us much to cheer, nor anything to be disappointed about. See you next week with some more happenings.
Earlier Weeks