Kundapur, May 3: Franky D'Mello (59) of Beejadi drowned while fishing at Amasekadu near Beejadi here on Wednesday May 2 evening.

Franky had gone fishing along with his friend Ibrahim Saheb.  While fishing by the shores of Amasekadu he slipped and fell into the sea.  Though Ibrahim Saheb tried his best to rescue him, he could did not succeed.

He immediately came back and informed the locals about it.  Despite intense search operations, his body was not found till late in the night.

Franky who hailed from an economically-poor family is survived by wife and three children.

Valerian Braganza (76), son of the late Gregory and Delphine and brother of the late Gracy, the late Leena, the late Peter, the late Joseph, Clotilda, Avith and Robert, passed away on May 2, 2007.

Funeral cortege leaves residence at Moovattumudi, Hemmady for Immaculate Conception of BVM church, Gangolli, Kundapur at 4-00 pm on Thursday, May 3.

Manipal, May 1: Medical Education Minister V S Acharya said that opening of three Government medical colleges in a year (2006-07) by the State Government was a big achievement.

He was speaking at the Founder's Day celebrations organised by Manipal University, Academy of General Education and T M A Pai Foundation here.

Dr Acharya said that no other State in the country could boast of having started three medical colleges in a single year. The State Government had provided infrastructure to these three colleges.

The Government's handling of problems arising out of the Common Entrance Test and seat matrix had received a pat from the Supreme Court.

He said the founder of Manipal educational institutions late T M A Pai was a visionary who thought far ahead of his times.

He had the ability to tap the hidden qualities in an individual. "Dr Pai was a realistic optimist," he added.

He said Dr Pai's innovative ideas were so radical that it was difficult for even his associates to understand them.

It was the genius of Dr Pai, which led to the founding of the first self-financing private medical college in country in the form of Kasturba Medical College in Manipal.

Dr Pai established health centres in order to provide healthcare to people in rural areas.

Manipal University should bring out a book on the achievements of Dr Pai so that the future generations could know about him.

This would also help the younger generation to get inspired and replicate the "Manipal experiment" leading to the country becoming a developed country soon.

The life and achievements of Dr Pai should be included in the textbooks, Dr Acharya said.

Chancellor of Manipal University Ramdas Pai welcomed the gathering. Chairman of Prasar Bharati M V Kamath, Vice-Chancellor of Manipal University Rajasekaran P Warrier, Registrar of Academy of General Education K K Pai, and Dean of Kasturba Medical College at Manipal R S P Rao were present.

UDUPI: Manorama Madhwaraj, MP, said the Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's statement that the proposed 1,015 MW coal-based Nagarjuna Thermal Power Project at Yellur in Udupi district would not have any adverse affects was not true.

In a press release issued here on Monday, Ms. Madhwaraj said that Mr. Kumaraswamy should not impose projects such as the Nagarjuna Thermal Power Project on the people of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. If the Chief Minister was bent on launching the project, he should shift it to Hassan.

Various reports such as those prepared by the Danish International Development Agency, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute had made it clear that a coal-based thermal power project was not suited to the coastal belt of Karnataka.

The State Government had asked the agency to conduct a study on Dakshina Kannada district because it believed that the ecology of the region was fragile and such development projects should be undertaken with utmost care.

Hotspot

The Western Ghats was one of 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Nearly 80 per cent water requirement of the Southern Peninsula was met by the Western Ghats.

The State of Environment Report 2003, prepared jointly by the State Government and the World Bank, too did not favour such industries in the region.

Power theft

The Government had failed to address issues such as power theft and transmission losses. It was not subsidising the rates of compact fluorescent lamps, which would save 30 per cent energy.

The State Government had failed to implement hydel power projects of 2,900 MW. It had not encouraged alternative sources of power such as solar, wind, or tidal power.

Mr. Kumaraswamy should think of the consequences of such projects on the future generations, Ms. Madhwaraj said.

Kundapur, May 2: M Vasudev Bhat (58) who was working as postmaster in branch post office at Maravante near here was killed in an accident at Maravante on Monday April 30 night.

The accident occurred on National Highway 17 near Maraswami Temple at Maravante.  Vasudev Bhat had gone to attend a religious function in the temple on Monday night.  After attending the programme he was on his way back home on his mobike when accident took place.

As he entered the highway from the sub-way, a private bus speeding from Kundapur knocked him down.  As a result Vasudev Bhat sustained serious injuries.  Though he was rushed to the hospital almost immediately, he succumbed to injuries on the way.

He had been rendering the branch post office for almost 25 years now and had been well-known among the locals for his dedication to his duty.  He is survived by wife, a daughter and two sons.

Gangolli police have registered a case in this regard.