Karnataka orders Toyota, union to restore normalcy

April 20, 2014

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Bangalore, Apr 20: The Karnataka government has ordered Toyota India and its workers' union to restore normalcy in operations with immediate effect, after there was no let-up in the month-long standoff.

"The government of Karnataka, in order to maintain industrial peace and harmony, has issued an order asking the company and the union to restore normalcy in operations immediately," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd. said in a statement Sunday.

The statement, however, did not mention when the order was issued nor the terms and conditions, if any, to restore normalcy, as majority of unionised workers refused to resume work even after the eight-day lockout was lifted March 24.

Lifting the lockout, the company insisted on unionised workers signing an undertaking that they would maintain good conduct and not damage machinery in its twin plants at Bidadi, about 30 km from here.

The order was apparently issued after conciliation talks between management and Toyota Kirloskar Motor Union (TKMU) failed in presence of the state deputy labour commissioner April 16.

Union sources hinted that the order would have been issued Saturday after the Lok Sabha elections across the state April 17 and holiday on Good Friday.

"All relevant issues, between workers and management have been referred for adjudication," the statement said.

As the union and management stuck to their stands, the state labour department issued the order to end the impasse.

"We sought to revoke suspension of 30 employees and let workers to resume duty without insisting on signing the conditional letter, but management declined," a union source said on anonymity.

Lockout was declared March 16 after wage revision talks between the management and the union failed and workers allegedly resorted to go-slow tactics affecting production.

Of the 6,400 employees, 4,200 are union members, while 2,200 are on contract."Daily production declined 50 percent to 350 cars from 700 cars, as the twin plants are operating in one shift with about 1,200 supervisors, technicians, apprentices and contract labourers," company vice-chairman Shekar Viswanathan admitted April 9.

Only 300 workers returned to work after signing the good conduct letter.

The two plants have an installed capacity to produce about 310,000 units annually.

"We were forced to declare lockout after production dropped to 70 percent during the first fortnight of March and due to unrest caused by a section of the workers, raising safety concerns of supervisors, managerial staff and plant machinery," Viswanathan said.

The 16-year-old joint venture rolls out a range of models, including Innova multi-utility vehicle, Camry sedan, Prius hybrid, Corolla Altis, Etios, Prado and Land Cruiser, with some of them imported as completely built units.

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News Network
May 5,2024

Karwar, May 5: What commenced as a mere exchange of words between spouses swiftly transmuted into a calamitous ordeal, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of their innocent offspring. The heart-wrenching incident unfolded in the serene confines of Halamaddy village in the picturesque expanse of Dandeli, nestled within the idyllic expanse of Uttara Kannada district.

In the throes of a fervent dispute with her spouse, the aggrieved wife, succumbing to an overwhelming surge of emotions, callously propelled their tender six-year-old progeny into the somber depths of a nearby canal, thereafter alerting the local populace to her grievous act.

Promptly apprised of the distressing occurrence by concerned bystanders, the authorities were swiftly summoned to the scene to confront the harrowing aftermath.

Responding to the distress call, the diligent officers of Dandeli rural police swiftly converged upon the site where the innocent child had been cast into the unforgiving waters of the canal, subsequently effecting the retrieval of the child's lifeless form. 

Regrettably, it was discerned that a portion of the child's remains had been tragically claimed by the lurking jaws of a predatory crocodile.

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News Network
May 7,2024

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Udupi: Udupi became the second city on the Karnataka coast after Mangaluru to launch water rationing, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Commissioner of the Udupi City Municipal Corporation Rayappa said that the rationing system will come into force from Wednesday and will continue till the water in the reservoir reaches comfortable levels.

The dam built across the Swarna river at a place called Baje, which is the only source of water for Udupi city, recorded 3.25 meters of water as against the top level of 6.30 meters.

The decision of water rationing will be reviewed periodically until the reservoir regains its fullest levels, the official said.

The Mangaluru City Corporation resorted to water rationing on Saturday following declining water levels in the reservoir built across the Nethravati river at Thumbe. 

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News Network
May 17,2024

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Hubballi, May 17: Karnataka Police have arrested the killer, Vishwa, also known as Girish, in the sensational Anjali Ambigera murder case, police said on Friday.

Preliminary investigations reveal that Vishwa was a habitual thief who exploited innocent young women. The accused is also a drunkard and was caught while attempting to commit theft. He was also part of a gang which stole bikes.

The accused targeted gullible young women, enacting a drama of love and playing the emotional card to forcefully extort gold, silver, and cash from them. When Anjali did not agree to any of his attempts to rob her and outrightly rejected his offer to go with him to Mysuru city, he brutally killed her.

The police had formed two teams to hunt down the killer. One of the teams was searching in the south Karnataka region, and another team, which launched a hunt in Davanagere, nabbed him. The accused was arrested by the police on Thursday.

The police could not catch him sooner as the killer did not carry a mobile phone and did not use his phone for 15 days, before murdering Anjali. The jurisdictional Bendigeri Police were aware of the killer's history, but even after the complaint by the girl’s family, they showed "utter negligence".

The 24-year-old Vishwa entered Anjali Ambigera's (20) residence at 5.30 A.M. on Wednesday and stabbed the young woman multiple times before she could react. Vishwa dragged Anjali Ambigera all over the house, kicking and stabbing her. Later, he pushed her into the kitchen where he stabbed her repeatedly.

Despite efforts by Anjali’s grandmother and two sisters to stop the attacker, he killed her and managed to flee. The incident occurred in the Veerapura Oni area within the jurisdiction of the Bendigeri Police Station.

Vishwa had been blackmailing Anjali and pressurising her to accompany him to Mysuru without informing her parents. The incident which took place close on the heels of MCA student Neha Hiremath’s brutal murder by the jilted lover has raised concern over the safety of women all across the state.

The BJP had demanded the resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara while the Congress leaders have also demanded that the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar should be transferred for failing to sensitise the police force regarding issues of women’s safety.

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