Udupi gears up for ZP/TP polls; 2,152 EVMs arranged for 936 stations

February 17, 2016

Udupi, Feb 17: The district administration of Udupi is all set to ensure adequate arrangements for free and fair elections the Zilla and taluk panchayat polls on February 20 as all officials are bestowed with utmost responsibilities to ensure transparency in the process.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Vishal R, who is also District Returning Officer (DRO) directed that there should be proper coordination among the Police, Revenue and Excise Departments and directions issued by the Election Commission should be strictly observed.

Dr Vishal instructed the officials to ensure optimum quality service of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and, if need arises, the bell engineers assistance would be sought. As many as 2,152 EVMs have been distributed and 188 are reserved – of which 92 are used for training purpose. The 2,152 power packs required for EVMs are distributed to the taluks. He added that as many as 60 sector officers are into service and separate teams are operational to look into the election expenses.

The tahsildars submitted the details over the infrastructural facilities offered at polling stations on the occasion.

The DRO said that there are 936 polling stations – of which, 904 are the main polling booths and 32 are auxiliaries. There are as many as 55 are sensitive polling booths, 12 are hyper-sensitive and 26 are Maoist-prone polling booths. “The elections will be held from 7 am to 5 pm. As many as 77 nominees are in the fray for the 26 zilla panchayat seats, while there are 233 candidates for 98 taluk panchayat constituencies,” he added.

The DRO directed the election officers, assistant election officers and nodal officers to inspect the polling stations thoroughly. “As many as 360 vehicles are given to the Revenue and Police Department to conduct elections uninterrupted.

Bhandarkars Arts and Science College, Kundapur, will be the mustering and de-mustering centres for Kundapur taluk. St Cecily School, Ajjarkadu, will be the mustering and de-mustering centre for Udupi taluk and Manjunath Pai Memorial Government First Grade College will be the mustering and de-mustering centre for Karkala taluk,” Dr Vishal explained.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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‘Profit’ trap: Mangaluru trader duped of ₹33.1 lakh in online App scam

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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