Kundapur, Feb 16: Manipal KMC Hospital ex-dean Dr P L N Rao, who inaugurated the newly-built Manish Hospital near Shastri Circle here recently, said that healthcare is receiving lot of importance of late and the basic healthcare needs of the people of growing towns have to be fully met. There is a need to provide latest healthcare facilities to the people, as the present infrastructure has not been able to fully satiate the needs of the local people, he felt.

Rao extended his best wishes to the founders of Manish Hospital and wished that the hospital will cater to the needs of the people here. Kundapur municipal president Mohandas Shenoy presided over the inaugural. In his address, Shenoy said that the state government is committed to extend cooperation to the private entrepreneurs who open hospitals like the just inaugurated one, and that the government is very much interested in meeting the health and hygiene requirements of people, especially the rural poor and the needy.

MLA Halady Srinivas Shetty, zilla panchayat president Raju Poojary and Corporation Bank general manager Muralidhar Kamat were present.

Dr Pramila Nayak welcomed the gathering. Dr K K Karant compered the programme.

S M Mizar of Kundaprabha and Shashidhar Hemmady of Hosabaduku were chosen as vice-presidents. Nagaraj Rayappanamath (Udupi Channel) was elected as the general secretary, while Santosh Koni (Suddi Mane) is the news joint secretary. Ganesh P of 'Kadalakoogu' was elected as the treasurer. Ramakrishna Herle (Pattangaa), Babu Thakladi (Karavali Dhwani) Sripati Hegde (Karavali Ale) and Santosh Kundeshwar (Kundaprabha) were elected as members of the working committee.

S G Naik (Udayavani), Andookas (Indian News) and Jannadi Manjunath Shenoy (Udayavani) were elected as permanent invitees of the Association.

Karavalmilan.com congratulates Vinay for his great achievement.

Dubai, Feb 1: The Annual general meeting  and the election of the new committee for the year 2009 and 19th Anniversary of Byndoor Catholic Association was celebrated at Winny's Restaurant , Karama on January 30, 2009.

The celebrations began with the thanks giving mass at St Mary's Church, Dubai on January 22.  The 20th annual celebration was inaugurated by the chief guests  John & Philomena Cornelio, a well known businessman in Dubai.

A report on history of BCA  and the current year projects especially the establishment of needy childrens educational fund with the help of Byndoor Parishioners from all over the world was briefed by the Secretary Dinesh Gras. 

Byndoor Catholic Association started functioning on November 3, 1989 and currently there are 85 members working for the well being of the association.  Ronald  Periera was elected as the President and  Dinesh Gras as the Secretary for the year 2009.

In his address,  John Cornelio appreciated the unity of the Byndoorians in U.A.E. and their efforts in upliftment of poor and needy Byndoor parishioners.

Around 90 people gathered and took part in the celebrations. Various cultural & entertainment programs like dance, songs and konkani comedy skits were performed by the members & parishioners.

Rudolph Pereira - Hon. President , Ronald Periera –President, Robert Gras – outgoing President were present on the dais. Vote of thanks was proposed by Salvador Nazareth.

The entire program was compered by a prominent personality and   well known writer Ashok Dias, Byndoor.  His lively spirit was appreciated by all.

Kundapur, Jan 31: "Besides motivating the participants to become more competitive, the sports activities also inculcate in the harmonious mindset among the youths.  They imbibe in them the spirit of give and take. Sports activities enable people to have a sound body and sound mind," said assistant block development officer P Ramesh.

 He was speaking after inaugurating the three-day flood-lit limited-over cricket tournament being held here under the auspices of Kundapur Welfare Association, on Friday January 30.

Explaining further, he wanted more such tournaments to be held in rural areas where the youths would be greatly benefited with the exposure to sports activities.

Sheikh Fareed Basha presided. Pushpa Shet, municipal councillor, Abdul Razack, president of the Jamaat, Moulana Abdul Rahiman, Mohammed Ghouse, Anjuman president and Farooq, Association president were present at the dais.

On this occasion, Dr Istiaq Ahmed was felicitated in recognition of the international honour he has recently won. Senior citizen Basha Saheb was also honoured. Scholarships were distributed to meritorious students.

Association president J Farooq welcomed the guests. M Abbu read out the citations. Mazhar presented the programme. Jaseem proposed vote of thanks.

Kundapur, Jan 23: Balakrishna Pai (78), who is popularly known as ‘Kullappu’ all over Udupi district and elsewhere, breathed his last on Thursday January 22 midnight at his residence here.

Kullappu died of cardiac arrest. He was a thespian of enterprising nature. He was the man responsible for starting several amateur drama troupes like Rooparanga, Roopakala, Moorumuthu and Konkani Nataka Sabha. He was a household name both among his admirers and the common people.

He started his foray in the field of drama since his childhood days as a stage boy and later became ‘child artiste’ in company dramas, especially those staged by famous Gubbi Veeranna Company. His role as Makaranda in Krishnavatara, it is said, was a box office hit. He was highly ambitious. As a result, he ventured into Kannada movie making through his maiden film, 'Akasmika' which never saw the light of the day, even though he was almost penniless then.

For a few years before his death, Kullappu put together a small unit of local artistes including his two sons Santhosh and Sateesh and this helped him to earn both name and fame within the state and also outside Karnataka. He had won many awards of which Karnataka Konkani Nataka Academy Award is worth mentioning.

Balakrishna Pai was a Congress activist, a town municipal councillor for a decade, secretary of the Kundapur Taluk Hotelliers Association, member of the management committee, H M M English Medium School, Kundapur Venkataramana English Medium School and Government Girls School Kharvkeri.

He is survived by his wife and three children – one daughter and two sons. His popularity, it is said, is not entirely due to his histrionics but to a large extent, due to his sterling quality in always taking care to see that he does not hurt the sentiments of others including his bitter critics.  Among those who visited and offered their condolences to the bereaved family were Haladi Srinivas Shetty, Kundapur MLA, Gopal Poojary, ex-MLA, Fr Alban D’Souza of Kundapur Church and councillors of Kundapur town municipal council.

More than two thousands people came to pay their last respects and homage to the departed soul.