Udupi, June 16: Fishing with the mechanised boats came to a halt at Malpe fisheries harbour here on Sunday for their annual fishing holiday.

Assistant Director of the Department of Fisheries Harish Kumar told that there would be no fishing with mechanised boats, including deep sea trawlers, purse seine, and small mechanised boats, from June 15 to August 10. Country boats with 10 HP outboard engines would, however, continue their fishing. Fishing with mechanised boats would resume from August 11, he said.

Udupi: A house Ambalpady here was burgled on Saturday, according to Udupi Town Police.

The Ambalpady police said on Sunday that thieves broke into the house of Rekha Kini on Saturday and stole valuables, including gold ornaments worth Rs. 30,000, a cellphone unit worth Rs. 1,500, and Rs. 30,000 in cash. The occupants of the house were away when the burglary occurred. A case has been registered at the Ambalpady police station.

Udupi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested the Varambally Taluk Panchayat seat from the Congress. The results of the byelection were announced here on Monday. The counting of votes was conducted at Udupi taluk office.

Special Tahsildar K. Muralidhar, who was the Returning Officer, announced the results.

Nishan Rai of the Bhariatiya Janata Party defeated his nearest Congress rival Dinakar Poojary by a margin of 667 votes. Mr. Rai secured 2,281 votes to Mr. Poojary’s 1,614.

Udupi: A chain snatching incident occurred at Kalmady under the Malpe police limits on Friday night. The Malpe police said on Saturday that Jalajakshi was walking from Kalmady to her house at Kanangi at around 8.10 p.m., when an autorickshaw from Kalmady came from behind. A man sitting in the rear seat of the autorickshaw snatched her gold chain. The autorickshaw sped towards Kodavoor. A case has been registered. The chain which was snatched has been estimated to cost Rs. 24,000. — Staff Correspondent

Udupi: Working president of the Karnataka Janapada Parishat T. Thimmegowda said on Saturday that folk arts should be preserved and promoted.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the Udupi district unit of the parishat here.

Women folk artistes Chinku, Radha Shedti and Akkani Panara, and Mr. Jaggu Parava were felicitated on the occasion.

Mr. Thimmegowda said that the interest in folk arts among the people was waning because of the onslaught of television and western culture.

The Mudulapaya Yakshagana, a popular art form, was on the verge of extinction. “Folk arts are the real treasure bequeathed to us by our ancestors. It is our duty to protect and preserve them,” he said.

The people should be proud of folk arts as they were the essence of our society. Preserving folk arts was a major challenge before the country. Documentation of folk arts was essential. The parishat had started its units in all the districts only to preserve and promote folk arts. “The parishat is identifying and felicitating folk artistes all over the State,” he said.

The State Government had sanctioned Rs. 1 crore for the parishat in the current year’s budge.

The parishat would set up museums in all district headquarters, including Udupi. The Udupi district administration should provide land for the proposed museum here, Mr. Thimmegowda said.

Convener of Udupi district unit of the parishat Bharati Marvanthe delivered introductory remarks.

Udupi: The Janajagriti Vedike Okkoota of Bennekudru-Barkur on Monday threatened to launch an agitation if Brahmavar was not made a taluk headquarters.

Ullas Shetty, president of the okkoota, told presspersons here that the demand for making Brahmavar a taluk headquarters was being raised for the last three decades.

But successive governments had ignored it, he said.

Home Minister V.S. Acharya, who was in-charge of Udupi district, had told the people in August 2008 that he had recommended to be made a taluk headquarters, he said.

Udupi: The Rural Development and Self-employment Training Institute (RUDSETI), Udupi, will be conducting free training camps for unemployed youth in June, July and August.

A press release issued by the institute here stated that unemployed people in the age-group of 18-35 years from Shimoga, Uttar Kannada and Udupi districts, who could read and write Kannada and had interest in self-employment schemes, could apply for training in these camps.

Applications with name of the candidate, address, age, and educational qualificationsshould be sent to the institute before June 15. Call (0820) 2563455 for details.