‘Petty politics’ further delays Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road work

[email protected] (CD Network)
February 17, 2017

Mangaluru, Feb 17: The execution of the repair work of the Surathkal-Kana-MRPL Road is getting delayed further, thanks to the ‘petty politics’ being played by a few ‘local leaders’. According to Mangaluru North MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava, Right wing activists led by Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader Satyajit Surathkal are now blocking the commencement of the work.

bava
On the other hand, Satyajit Surathkal who is an aspirant for BJP ticket from Mangaluru North Assembly constituency in next polls, accused the authorities of going ahead with the work without proper planning.

“Mr Surathkal was insisting on taking up the work of widening the old railway bridge before taking up the road work. However, the road work has nothing to do with work related to railway bridge and it was being raised only to delay the work,” said Mr Bava. A proposal has been already made to the Konkan Railway for building a new bridge, he added.

Mr Bava also said that he was being falsely accused of causing damage to property of a temple in Surathkal for the road work. The news was ill-founded and no damage whatsoever was being caused to the temple’s property, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Surathkal justified his stance and said that it was necessary to have a new railway bridge as it will ease traffic movement on the new four-lane road. The MLA has not thought of rehabilitating some of the small-time vendors whose shops will be removed, he said.

Muneer Katipalla, a member of Jokattee Nagarika Hitrakashan Vedike, said Mr. Surthakal has put forth a lame objection to stall the execution of the work. “He did not raise issue of the bridge when we were fighting,” Mr. Katipalla said. He also blamed Mr. Bava for not getting the work executed in a proper way.

Ironically, the Nagarika Seva Samiti, which comprises of Left-wing activists, too had opposed the Mangaluru City Corporation’s move to commence the repair work a few months ago questioning how the civic body starts work without formal approval of the tender. Interestingly, a few days after it blocked the work, the same Samiti had called for a bandh in the area against the delay in commencement of the work!

The repair work is expected to take up jointly by the civic body and giant companies that are using the 4.6 km stretch to ply their vehicles. While Mangaluru City Corporation has agreed to spend Rs 45 lakh, the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL), oil marketing companies HPCL, BASF and BPCL and BASF have also given funds for the repair work.

Comments

Rikaz
 - 
Sunday, 19 Feb 2017

Forget about surathkal, who is he to stop you from working....you carry on with your beautiful work....later on you can look in to bridge work....like how it can be done....etc etc

lalitha
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

as soon as possible this work should be finished bava we are facing heavy traffic please do it.

karthik
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

u dont care anybody do your good work.

Jaikanth
 - 
Friday, 17 Feb 2017

power is in your hand

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News Network
January 13,2025

Mangaluru: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Singapore remain determined to establish direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore despite setbacks. This follows Air India Express' (AIE) recent decision to postpone its planned direct flight service on this route, disappointing many expats.

In response, NRIs have proposed an alternative solution: extending IndiGo's existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru. Currently, the Singapore-Bengaluru flight lands at Kempegowda International Airport at 7:40 AM, but passengers cannot board the 9:00 AM Bengaluru-Mangaluru connection due to insufficient transit time. Extending the Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru would address this issue and benefit travelers.

Rajesh H. Acharya, director of HQ Connections in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed disappointment over AIE's handling of the situation. "We’ve been advocating for this route since 2017, and it was close to becoming a reality. However, the sudden postponement and lack of stakeholder support have delayed our efforts," he said.

A petition has been submitted to IndiGo Airlines requesting the introduction of a direct Mangaluru-Singapore flight. Alternatively, it suggests extending IndiGo’s existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to include Mangaluru. Expats have also approached Scoot Airlines in Singapore for direct connectivity. However, the lack of 'Point of Call' status for Mangaluru Airport remains a significant hurdle for international flights.

Despite the challenges, NRIs continue their efforts to make direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore a reality.

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News Network
January 9,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant development, Mescom has proposed a phased electricity tariff hike starting with Rs 0.70 per unit for the fiscal year 2025-26. The proposal has been submitted to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for approval, signaling a potential increase in electricity costs for consumers.

Mescom emphasized that the current tariff structure is insufficient to meet operational expenses and manage revenue effectively. To address this, the company has invited public objections to the proposed hike.

Currently, the electricity supply cost is Rs 9.23 per unit, while the consumer tariff stands at Rs 8.53 per unit, leading to a shortfall of Rs 0.70 per unit. For the financial year 2023-24, Mescom reported revenue of Rs 5,924.73 crore against an expenditure of Rs 6,310.39 crore, resulting in a deficit of Rs 367.66 crore. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, projected revenue is Rs 5,850.81 crore, with an actual requirement of Rs 5,961.63 crore, creating a deficit of Rs 110.82 crore.

In a first, Mescom has submitted a multi-year tariff revision proposal to KERC. The plan outlines a hike of Rs 0.70 per unit for 2025-26, followed by Rs 0.37 per unit for 2026-27 and Rs 0.54 per unit for 2027-28.

"An increase in electricity tariff is inevitable," stated Jayakumar R, Managing Director of Mescom. "Mescom has submitted a proposal in this regard to KERC."

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News Network
January 9,2025

Udupi: In a shocking case of cyber fraud, a 38-year-old woman from Karkala in Udupi district, has reportedly lost Rs 24 lakh to a digital arrest scam. The victim, Preema Sheril D'Souza, fell prey to a fraudulent scheme orchestrated through fake calls and threats.

According to the complaint filed, the incident unfolded on Tuesday when Preema received a call at 12:30 pm from an individual claiming to represent the Delhi Telecom Department. The caller alleged that another SIM card had been purchased using her Aadhaar number and was being used for illegal activities in Uttar Pradesh, leading to multiple cases being registered against her.

To add credibility to the scam, the caller arranged a video call where a person dressed as a police officer introduced himself as a CBI official. This individual instructed her to cooperate with the "investigation" and warned her not to disclose the matter to anyone. The scammer also issued threats, claiming that harm would come to her husband and child if she failed to comply.

Under duress, Preema was coerced into sharing her bank account details and transferring a staggering Rs 24 lakh to accounts specified by the fraudsters. She transferred Rs 14 lakh to an account in Federal Bank and Rs 10 lakh to an account in Yes Bank via RTGS from her Fixed Deposit account. The threats of an arrest warrant further pressured her into complying with the scammers' demands.

Upon realizing the fraud, she reported the incident to the authorities. A case has since been registered at the Karkala Rural Police Station, and investigations are underway.

This incident serves as a critical reminder to stay vigilant against such scams. Individuals are advised to verify the identity of callers and refrain from sharing sensitive information or transferring money without proper authentication. If you encounter similar fraudulent activities, report them immediately to the police or cybercrime cell.

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