Mangaluru Customs unveils online initiatives for passenger facilitation

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Chakravarthi)
February 17, 2017

Mangaluru, Feb 17: R B Tiwari, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Bengaluru Zone launched the Unaccompanied Baggage Module in Customs EDI yesterday at New Custom House, Panambur, and also launched Online Customs Guide for International Passengers at Mangaluru International Airport today.

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The Central Board of Excise and Customs has been taking several initiatives for smooth and quick clearance of cargo and baggage and passengers by reducing unwanted paper work. In this direction, in order to further expedite processing of unaccompanied baggage declarations, faster delivery of baggage, further improve transparency in clearance process and also to reduce interface with the department, the unaccompanied baggage module has been launched by the Mangaluru Customs.

The event was witnessed by Dr.M. Subramanyam, Commissioner of Customs, Mangaluru, Shri Suresh P. Shirwadkar, Deputy Chairman, New Mangalore Port Trust, Shri Krishnappa, Manager, CWC and representatives of Kanara Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Customs Brokers’ Association, Stevedores Association, Steamer Agents Association and other stake holders. During this year so far there has been an increase of over 25% in the baggage declarations filed as compared to the number of declarations filed during the corresponding period last year.

Further considering the passenger profile at Mangaluru airport wherein about 97.7% of passengers are facilitated through green channel, the need was felt to devise an online Customs guide for international passengers in the form of an interactive web page that could be accessed from any device viz. desktop, laptop, smart phone or tab and from anywhere. It was also necessitated considering the number of queries received from passengers about their eligibility of various items. This online guide has been devised to enable any passenger to know his entitlements of various items including gold jewellery, television, liquor, cigarettes, etc in an easy, simple and interactive way. The launching event was attended by the Airport Director, Shri J.T. Radhakrishna, Dr. M. Subramanyam, Commissioner of Customs, Mangaluru, officials of CISF, Immigration, Airlines and Airport Authority of India.

The Customs department in order to increase the levels of facilitation has been procuring several state-of-the-art equipment like baggage scanners. One such advanced scanner was also inaugurated by the Chief Commissioner today at Mangaluru International Airport.

During these occasions, the Chief Commissioner has highlighted the pro active measures taken by Indian Customs to further facilitate international passengers, educating them by providing the relevant information in a very easily accessible mode and strengthening of public grievance redressal mechanism. In this regard he highlighted the customer feedback survey conducted at Bengaluru airport which has revealed that more than 89% of passengers were satisfied with Customs processes. Detailing a mobile app launched for the benefit of international passengers, he added that the same has been translated into regional languages like Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil and that the feedback received evidenced that the passengers have been finding it very useful.

Dr. M. Subramanyam, Commissioner while informing the gathering about various measures taken to improve the levels of facilitation highlighted that all the agencies involved in the airport have been showing excellent cooperation and coordination in the direction of making Manglaluru a preferred destination for passengers.

Highlighting the necessity to have delicate balance between enforcement and facilitation, he added that the latest equipment being procured are enabling Customs officers in detection of contraband concealed in various modes. Simultaneously by developing online travel guide inhouse, the commissionerate is ensuring that the international passengers are aware of their eligibility of various items which in turn translates into hassle free clearance of passengers and baggage.

All the stake holders have been requested to give wide publicity to these measures taken for the benefit of international passengers.

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News Network
March 19,2024

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Mangaluru: The Mangalore International Airport (MIA) will connect to a new domestic destination with the introduction of a non-stop flight to Tiruchirappalli International Airport in Tamil Nadu. 

The non-stop service, once-a-week, will operate on Wednesday (from TIA) and Thursday (from MIA), starting April 3. Air India Express will operate the flight.

The flight is expected to help those taking up a pilgrimage to Vailankani shrine.

Sources from the AIE said that the airline carrier decided to fly non-stop between the two southern Indian cities as a flight to Jeddah, which will start from April 3, arrives from Tiruchirappalli International Airport. 

“It is a ferry or positional flight from TIA to MIA. Instead of flying empty, the management has decided to run it as a commercial flight. This will help both passengers and the airline. The airline will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a 186-seater all-economy configuration on this route. 

The same flight, after landing in MIA, will further fly to Jeddah,” a source said. 

The flight IX 1498 will depart every Thursday at 5am from MIA to TIA. The TIA-MIA flight IX 1499 departs at 12.50pm. It is a one-hour nonstop flight. The same flights will also operate nonstop between Jeddah and MIA. 

The non-stop flight IX 499 will depart MIA at 2.50pm and reach King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah at 6.25pm. The IX498, will depart from Jeddah at 7.25pm and reach MIA early at 3.40am.

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News Network
March 17,2024

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Bengaluru: The Vokkaliga heartland of the old Mysuru region consisting of several southern districts will be the testing ground for the recently forged BJP-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.

The ruling Congress will now look to consolidate its gains that it made in the assembly elections in May last year when it made inroads into the strongholds of the regional party headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in these districts.

In the 2019 Pariamentary elections, the Congress and JD(S) fought together but secured only one seat each in the state. The BJP bagged 25 out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress and JD(S) win, in fact, came in the old Mysuru region -- Bangalore Rural and Hassan, respectively, while Mandya seat went to an independent backed by the BJP.

This time, the JD(S) has an alliance with BJP. According to sources, the JD(S) is likely to be alloted Hassan, Mandya and Kolar seats in the region, from where Deve Gowda's party draws its strength from in Karnataka.

The JD(S) is now looking to bounce back after the drubbing it received in the May assembly polls.

The Congress and JD(S) are considered to be traditional rivals in the region, where the BJP has also been improving its vote-share.

The BJP-JD(S) alliance hopes to counter the Congress' surge in the region, determined to consolidate Vokkaliga votes in their favour and banking on the Modi charisma. Both parties also hope to gain from each other with this alliance.

The Congress is hoping to further its prospects and continue its dominance in the region, with the help of its strong local leadership and riding on its five guarantee schemes.

Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state President D K Shivakumar, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister come from this region, and so does JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy, a former CM and that party's state President.

According to a political analyst, 'coordination among local leaders and transfer of votes between the parties are going to be key for the BJP-JD(S) alliance to click.' Lack of trust between sizeable workers and leaders of both parties on the ground had proved to be counterproductive for Congress and JD(S) combine in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, resulting in their rout and helping the BJP.

Both Congress and BJP have announced candidates for some seats in the region for the 2024 polls.

The Congress has re-nominated D K Suresh, brother of Shivakumar, from Bangalore Rural.

Interestingly, the BJP has fielded the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from Mysore and noted cardiac surgeon and Deve Gowda's son-in-law, Dr C N Manjunath, from Bangalore Rural.

In Karnataka, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

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News Network
March 28,2024

Mangaluru, Mar 28: Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP has warned the individuals and political parties against the poll code violations during private events. 
 
“Private events such as marriages, birthdays, housewarming ceremonies, and other non-political programmes do not require any permission. However, one should ensure that there is no violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) at these functions. Permission is needed if the events are attended by politicians or candidates,” the DC said. 

He said that these gatherings will be under the surveillance of MCC teams, as there are chances of luring voters by campaigning and supplying food, said the DC. The district has 38,386 new voters, of which, 19,619 are men.

He said that the notification of election in Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency will be issued soon, and the filing of nominations will be held between 11 am and 3 pm till April 4. 

Only five persons, including the candidate, will be allowed to enter the returning officer’s chamber to submit the nominations. A facilitation centre will be opened at the DC’s office. 

The expenditure of the candidate will be counted from the day the candidate files the nomination.

The DC said that the district is not an expenditure-sensitive constituency. Assistant expenditure observers and expenditure observers will monitor the expenditure of the candidates. An expenditure book will be provided to the candidate to record expenditure incurred, he explained.

Further, he said that no election materials can be printed without the name and address of the publishers, and the number of copies printed. Separate permission should be availed for procession prior to the submission of nomination papers from the ARO office, through the single-window system.

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