Kundapur, July 30: Under the leadership of C.P.I (M) of Kundapura Taluk Committee a protest rally was held near Shastri Circle condemning the recent firing on farmers in Andhra Pradesh resulting in the death of Eight and in serious injuries caused to several other participants in a protest rally few day back.

Responding to the call made by the Central party the workers of the C.P.I (M) all over the country condemned the state Government of Andhra Pradesh for its high handed policy of encouraging the agricultural land grabbers at the cost of Government lands left undistributed in Thousands of acres to the landless farmers and laborers in the state.

Addressing the party workers the Taluk secretary Shri Mahabala Voderhobli and the party leader Shri U, Dasa Bhandary also spoke. Several other leaders and the activists of different Social Organization also participated in the rally organized by the C.P.I (M) of Kundapur Taluk Unit.

Byndoor, Jul 29: The tense situation prevailed in the periphery of Ottinene on Monday Jul 30 morning, after ore-laden truck drivers went on rampage by torching a weigh-bridge on Sunday, which forced the police to resort to caning.

They were protesting against the deputy commissioner's order restricting movement of heavy trucks in the district. They complained that thousands of trucks have been struck all over the route and the drivers had neither food nor water for over two days.

More than 300 truck drivers have been arrested in this regard. while 71 were shifted to Mangalore sub jail, 41 were shifted to Belgaum .  The rest of the truck drivers were locked up in a makeshift confinement centre in Byndoor Higher Primary School.  The cases are being registered under sec 143, 148 and 324 without bail for damaging  property.  State transport minister Cheluvarayaswamy is likely to visit the spot on Monday Jul 30.
 
The situation seems to be under control at Ottinene, but like cinders still smouldering. Truck drivers from Hubli reportedly indulged in the rampage.

The office-bearers of Hubli Truck Owners Association are likely to arrive in Ottinene on Monday Jul 30.  They were disturbed over the arrest of the truck drivers who are in no way related to the incidents.  They have alleged that their truck drivers were imprisoned in order to settle old score, instead of taking action against the real culprits, who seemed to have gone scotfree.  

Widespread anguish has been expressed over the actions of Udupi deputy commissioner Ponnuraj.  Despite the incidents having  taken place on Sunday July 29 at 11-00 am, he reportedly visited the spot only at 9-00 pm, said the drivers'  representatives. 

The truck drivers and cleaners have completely destroyed the weigh-bridge located at Ottinene in Byndoor  besides the computers, while the traffic of ore laden trucks was stalled till the operation of weigh-bridge was restored, stated deputy commissioner Ponnuraj.

The truck drivers are distressed since the traffic of ore laden trucks was stalled, as a result of the official order. Several traffic bottlenecks seems to have been prevailing on National Highway. Over 2000 trucks are estimated to have been stranded in the queue. The number may have touched 3000 by Monday Jul 30 morning, said sources.  The trucks remained stranded as the drivers have been put behind bars. 

Kundapur Tahsildar Arun Prabha, DySP Rajaram, CDIB inspector C E Timmaiah, B P Dinesh Kumar, Byndoor SI Cheluvaraju, Gangolli SI B M Timmaraju, Kundapur SI Jayanthand many other senior police officers are camping at the site.

Heavy security:  Security has been beefed up while companies of  BSRP and Special Task Force have been deployed at the site, an apprehension of retaliatory attack from other truck drivers who have absconded.

SI Ramesh Kumar and his team along with finger print experts have expressed their confidence in arresting the culprits at the earliest.

Kundapur, July 29:  Under the auspices of Kundapur Rotary Sun Rise a Zonal Level Seminar of member ship development held at St. Mary’s Hall Kundapur on Sunday 29^th July. 

Assistant Governor Awarse Sudhaker Shetty inaugurated the seminar. K. Shivanand Karanth and G. Santhosh Kumar Shetty addressed about the keynotes of Rotary membership. Kundapur Rotary Sunrise president Ajay Hawaldar presided over the function. Senior Rotarian  K.Dinaker Shetty gave the introductory speech.

Past president L.J Fernandes monitored the program. Secretary Gajanana Bhat gave the  vote of thanks.

Kundapur: A surprise was waiting for Juliana Menezes of Herikudru near Kundapur when she was digging to remove the Suwarna Gadde(Yam) grown in her field which was found in the shape of Tortoise.

Here are the snapshots beautifully taken by Spoorthi Fernandes in her camera.

Kundapur, Jul 27: Shortage of labour is one of the banes for agricultural operation in spite of population explosion. With the introduction of sowing with the help of the machine made in China, the agriculturists especially in Kundapur taluk seem to have been heaving a sigh of relief.

Padmanabha Kini of Gavali village here is the first agricultural entrepreneur to initiate the application of this new machine in sowing rice in his field on an experimental basis.

The agricultural expansion extension officer of Ullal unit Dr Dhanajay B has designed a programme to educate the farmers not only in the use of machine but also in the system of sowing the rice.

Only two men are required in this modern process. One to operate the machine and the other to sow the seedlings through the machine. Even the family members can replace the hired labourers. It is said that the mat-like sowing system is found to be complimentary to the new machine. There is no need for making the water muddy or ploughing the field even. More often than not our farmers depend on the mat-like planting system.

This is because one cannot depend entirely on tillers for raising seedlings in the event of non-availability of buffaloes for ploughing for the combination of mat-like planting system. The Chinese sowing machine is found to be very economical and viable to the farmers. In the first place it reduces the problem of labour scarcity and the yield would also be rich with a minimum cost of production.