ZP chief's move stalls standing committee polls

March 18, 2011

Mangalore, March 18: Disorder prevailed in the selection process held for the posts of presidents and members of the Zilla Panchayat Standing Committees in the Zilla Panchayat on Thursday. In a special meeting called for the selection process of the five standing committees, 7 posts in the Agriculture and Industrial Standing Committee were left vacant due to the difference of opinion.

The selection process was held for the vacant posts of General Standing Committee, Finance, Auditing and Projects Committee, Social Justice Committee, Education and Health Committee and Agriculture and Industries Committee. Though the election for the first four committees went on without any hindrance, the nomination process for the posts of Agriculture and Industries Standing Committee was blocked by the Congress members.

The selection process was held for appointing the members for five standing committees, each committee consisting of six members and a president. The 35 members Zilla Panchayat consists of 24 BJP members and 11 Congress members. If the posts were distributed equally, then each member would have got a chance to hold the post in at least one of the standing committees. The Congress members objected the nomination list as one Congress ZP member among 11 was not nominated for any of the Standing Committee posts, while the BJP member Asha Thimmappa Gowda was nominated for two posts.

Irked over the decision of the ZP President to exclude Congress member Ambika Shetty from the Standing Committee post, the Congress members urged the President to set right the problem by nominating Ambika Shetty to one of the posts. “We either want all 11 Congress members to be in the Standing Committee or the rest 10 members would prefer to resign from our Standing Committee posts,” said Congress member M S Mohammad.

Despite holding private discussion with the members, ZP President Shailaja Bhat was not able to solve the problem and so she announced to hold back the selection process for the posts of Agriculture and Industrial Committee.

“The posts will remain vacant till the next meeting,” she announced.

Standing Committee office-bearers

General Standing Committee: Dhanalakshmi Janardhana (President), Mamatha Gatti, Fakira, Nalini Shetty, Santhosh Kumar Rai, Sunitha Shetty, Devaraj K S.

Finance, Auditing and Programme Committee: Shailaja Bhat (President), Asha Thimmappa Gowda, Devaki Sanjeeva Gowda, Saraswathi Kamath, Chennappa Kotian, Prakash, Ritesh Shetty.

Social Justice Committee: Janardhan Gowda (Probable President), K Meenakshi, C K Chandrakala, Melwin D'Souza, Balakrishna Suvarna, K Koragappa, N S Kareem.

Education and Health Committee: Eshwar Kateel (Probable President), Sathish Kumpala, Savitri H S, Jayashri, M S Mohammad, Yashavanti Alva, Girija.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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coastaldigest.com news network
November 29,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 29: Around 12,500 healthcare students from Medical, Dental, AYUSH, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy and Allied Health Sciences colleges of Dakshina Kannada, affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), took part in a massive walkathon to promote awareness on Organ Donation and Nasha Mukth Bharat.

The inaugural ceremony was held at Mangala Stadium. Dr Bhagavan B C, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, delivered the welcome address. The walkathon was flagged off by Shri U T Khader, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and presided over by Shri Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada District In-charge. Dakshina Kannada MP Shri Brijesh Chowta also addressed the students.

Music director Guru Kiran, MLA Dr Bharat Shetty (Mangalore North), Police Commissioner Shri Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Shri Manjunath Bhandary and Shri Harish Kumar were among those present.

Institution heads including Dr Haji U K Monu (Kanachur Colleges), Dr Shantharam Shetty (Tejaswini College), Dr Bhaskar Shetty (City Group of Colleges), Mr Abdul Rahiman (Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences), and the District Health Officer, Mangalore, also participated.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof U T Ifthikar Fareed, Syndicate Member, RGUHS.

The event was organised by Dr U T Ifthikar Ali and Dr Shiva Sharan (Syndicate Members), Prof Vaishali (Senate Member), Prof Mohammad Suhail (Chairman, BOS Physiotherapy), Dr Sharan Shetty (Former Senate Member), along with principals and faculty of various colleges.

Students marched from Mangala Stadium to Karavali Grounds via MCC and Lalbagh signal. The event set a record as one of the largest gatherings of healthcare students for a social cause in the RGUHS Dakshina Kannada Zone.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Udupi: The pontiffs of Sri Paryaya Puttige Mutt, the sacred seat of Jagadguru Shrimad Madhvacharya Moola Samsthanam, have submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking comprehensive development for Udupi district. 

Proposal for International Airport

A key request is the establishment of an international airport. Highlighting that around 1,000 acres of land are available and suitable, the pontiffs noted that the existing Mangalore Airport provides limited international connectivity. They suggested the airport be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or as a Greenfield Airport to boost trade, education, healthcare, and spiritual tourism.

Metro and Rapid Transit Connectivity

The proposal also calls for Metro Rail or Rapid Transit between Mangaluru and Udupi. The 55 km coastal stretch experiences heavy daily commuter traffic, causing congestion. The district administration is ready to prepare an initial project report for a Mass Rapid Transit corridor and requested inclusion under national urban mobility programmes to ensure safe, green, and time-efficient regional transport.

Port and Coastal Development

The pontiffs urged the development of an international-standard port with a cruise terminal along Udupi’s coast. They also requested fast-tracking of pending coastal tourism projects and revising Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms to encourage sustainable infrastructure and hospitality investment.

IT, AI and Technological Infrastructure

Support was sought for an IT and AI Innovation Park with incubation facilities under Digital India and Startup India initiatives. The proposal also emphasized the need for strengthened data security and cloud computing infrastructure to boost India’s technological independence.

Sports and Education Initiatives

The pontiffs requested national sports status for Kambala, along with financial and infrastructure support. They also sought the establishment of an AIIMS in Udupi, a new IIT campus, and approval for an IIM to promote higher education in the district.

Representation to the Prime Minister

Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Pontiff and Sri Sushrendra Tirtha Swamiji represented the pontiffs in submitting the comprehensive development proposal to the Prime Minister during his recent visit.

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