Road to Hubli airport to get makeover

Road to Hubli airport to get makeover
BS Reporter / Chennai/ Hubli January 30, 2007

The Gokul road in Hubli, which leads to the airport, will be made a four-lane road with assistance from the state and Centre under the Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities (ASIDE).

Karnataka revenue minister Jagadeesh Shettar told reporters here on Monday the Centre and the state governments would give Rs 9 crore for the purpose. About Rs 2.5 crore had been released already.

He said the government had initiated steps to acquire additional land for developing Hubli Airport into an all-weather international airport. The land would be handed over to the Airports Authority of India.

Shettar said as per the Nanjundappa Committee’s recommendations, the government had formulated the new industrial policy, which proposed to give incentives and tax exemptions to industries that are to be established in backward regions of the state.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated the hi-tech intensive care unit and hospital ‘Lifeline 24X7’, a unit of the Logicare Health Solutions Private Limited on Gokul road here. He also inaugurated the state-of-the-art equipment procured by the Karnataka Material Testing and Research Centre (KMTRC).

Green cover faces HDMC axe

Green cover faces HDMC axe
MANU AIYAPPA - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
30 Jan, 2007 2314hrs IST

HUBLI: About five dozen trees, including 10 aged 50-80 years, will face the axe to make way for widening of the Hosur-Unkal stretch of Old PB Road.

The road-widening is being undertaken as part of the road upgradation plan to ease traffic on the bustling Hosur-Unkal stretch, which had witnessed a spate of road accidents in recent times. Last year, about three dozens trees were axed on Club Road, connecting Hubli-Bijapur highway, as part of road widening work, that attracted a lot of public wrath.

HDMC commissioner P Manivannan said the feeling of trees on Hosur-Unkal stretch will begin in the third week of February. The road updgradation project includes widening of road, construction of footpaths and medians. "We are bound to lose some precious trees, but it is unavoidable since the city is also growing in leaps and bounds", Manivannan said.

A meeting to review the shifting of electrical installations and standing trees was held under the chairmanship of Dharwad DC M S Srikar which set a February 15 deadline for Hubli Electricity Supply Company (Hescom) to complete shifting of electric poles. "The felling of trees will begin soon after the electric poles are shifted", Manivannan said.

Several trees in and around the twin cities have been victims of urbanisation and nature's fury over the last few years resulting in ecological imbalance in the twin cities which is already being polluted by dust. However, the HDMC or the forest department have not made any efforts to compensate such losses.

Expressing concern, some environmentalists contended that HDMC should ensure a contingency plan for plantation of shady trees in vacant areas to compensate such losses. "It is not just the green cover or shade that will disappear now, but their usefulness in several other ways, including in maintaining the ecological balance, subsoil water and providing shelter to human friendly birds, will also be lost in the name of development", rued S N Girish, an environmentalist.

As per the afforestation clause, he said the forest department is supposed to plant 10 times the number of trees felled. "But that is not happening here. This is not good for the city or people", he alleged. Environment watchers also pointed out that HDMC, some time ago, had also initiated a special scheme to plant 65,000 saplings in the twin cities to improve greenery in the twin cities.

Under the scheme, it had also announced that it will give stipend of Rs 150 per year for any person who safeguards such plants until it matures as a tree. But the campaign failed make much impact, largely due to poor public response.

Kingfisher starts B'lore-Hubli-Mumbai flights

Kingfisher starts B'lore-Hubli-Mumbai flights
BS Reporter / Chennai/ Hubli January 24, 2007







(photo source:flykingfisher.com)

The Kingfisher Airlines has started daily Bangalore-Hubli-Bangalore and Hubli-Mumbai-Hubli flights from Monday.

The plane will take off from Bangalore airport at 8.30 am and land at Hubli airport at 9.30 am.

The same aircraft will depart from Hubli for Mumbai at 10.10 am and land at Mumbai airport at 12.05 pm. It will take off from Mumbai at 12.50 pm and reach Hubli at 2.25 pm. The aircraft will leave Hubli at 2.55 pm and land at Bangalore airport at 4.15 pm.

The fare for the Bangalore-Hubli flight is Rs 2,525 and between Hubli and Mumbai, it is Rs 3,025 (non-refundable). The fare with the refund facility is Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 respectively, according to Hubli airport authorities.

The cititizens of Hubli will find Kingfisher's flights from the Hubli airport a boon as they were not happy with the existing services which has had complaints of irregular operations.

The regular flight service from Hubli airport to Bangalore and Mumbai is expected to boost efforts to attract investors to Hubli and Dharwad.

The government is making efforts to develop Hubli as the industrial hub of North Karnataka and a lack of air connectivity was a reason for the investors’ reluctance to consider Hubli a destination.

The Karnataka cabinet has approved the proposal of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to allot 53 acres of its land to IT/ITeS companies. Karnataka Revenue Minister Jagadeesh Shettar said, the allotment letters would be issued to selected companies.

The development is the sequel to the IT Investors’ meet held at Hubli in May 2006 to project Hubli as the Tier II investment destination for IT/ITeS sector in view overstretched civic infrastructure and land scarcity in Bangalore.

The HDMC had set aside the land near Rayapur, between Hubli and Dharwad, through a resolution passed unanimously at its council meeting in July 2006 and sent a proposal to the government.

Hubli all set for Incomex-2007

Hubli all set for Incomex-2007
The Newindpress.com
Wednesday January 24 2007 11:18 IST

HUBLI: Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), Hubli has started preparations for the industrial exhibition ‘Incomex-07’, a mega event of the industrial sector in the region. The event is held once in five years.

President of KCCI S I Munavalli, in a press release issued here on Tuesday, said that the booking for nearly 400 stalls are in progress by both small and big names in industries, including Jindal Steel Works, Kirloskar, BEML, Hospet Steels, SW Railway, NWRTC, HMT, NROC, CSIR, NSIC, NABARD, SEABIRD, Kaiga, BHEL, etc.

To coincide with the exhibition, seminars and conferences have been planned on various topics, sectors viz steel and iron, readymade garments, IPRS trade work, export promotion, food processing, women entrepreneurship, vendor development, auto components etc, he said.

Special articles on steel, valves, textiles, media promotion, energy conservation, casting and forging, tourism etc will be published. Chairman of Jindal Steel Works Sajjan Jindal will be felicitated for his contribution for the industrial development of region.

Jindal has invested Rs 15,000 crore and is planning to invest Rs 12,000 crore more.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will be inaugurating the exhibition on Febraury 25. Sriramulu, Minister for Textiles and Tourism, will be the chief guest.

Jindal, Kirloskar, Baldota, Y Mahabaleshwarappa and Sons, MLC Janardhan Reddy, Y Basavarajappa, B N Sing, CP Rangachar, Srinivas Sirurkar and other business tycoons will be present.

Netas' battle impedes growth

Netas' battle impedes growth
MANU AIYAPPA - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
25 Jan, 2007 0108hrs IST

HUBLI: When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. That's exactly what is happening in the case of the row over allotment of land to IT firms and the proposed law university.

The prolonged tussle between revenue minister Jagadish Shettar and opposition leader H K Patil over the issue has become a major stumbling block in the development of twin cities. "I don't understand why these two senior leaders are making a fuss of such a minor issue when both these projects are for the benefit of Hubli-Dharwad", some residents rued.

The row of allotting land to IT companies is brewing here since the last six months. It all started when the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation decided to allot 50 acres of land at Rayapur for IT Companies. This was after some major IT companies had evinced interest in setting up shop here.

However, former minister H K Patil, in an attempt to push through his dream project of setting up a law university, raised an objection, thus depriving investment from major IT companies.

"It is not right to change the whole plan just for the sake of one or two companies. Let them (IT firms) opt for their land wherever they want, but not at a place where it has been reserved for the law university", was Patil's contention.

His argument was that the previous government had notified the land near Rayapur for the law university and had even appointed a special officer to look into the details. Even primary and secondary education minister Basavaraj Horatti had endorsed his view at that point of time.

But he was convinced after a meeting of public representatives and officials was held in November. In the meeting, it was decided to allot the land to IT companies as several such firms wanted that land at Rayapur. Moreover, they also felt that the law university needed land of over 100 acres to set its campus.

But all these developments had little impact on H K Patil, who took up the issue at the government level. By then, the issue had also taken a political turn and district minister Jagadish Shettar, under pressure from his party men, took up the issue with renewed interest.

Due to his efforts, the cabinet finally gave its nod for allotting 50 acres of land at Rayapur to IT firms. With this, just when everyone though the dust has settled on the issue,H K Patil has once again sent ripples when he announced on Tuesday that he had made a representation to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy seeking land at Rayapur for the law university.

To add to this, some organistions and law students have also joined hands in support of H K Patil's demand.

Twin-city roads get facelift

Twin-city roads get facelift
MANU AIYAPPA - TIMES NEWS NETWORK

18 Jan, 2007 0105hrs IST

HUBLI: The final phase of the ambitious Rs 30-crore road development programme has been initiated in the twin cities under which widening and recarpeting of roads is on full swing at various places.

The road to Sirur Park from Old PB Road and the road leading atop Nrupatunga Hill have already been widened and recarpeted, much to the joy of residents.

In fact, the road network here has seen unprecedented improvements over the past one year after the HDMC authorities accorded top priority to road development including footpaths and drains.

Under the Rs 30-crore project, which started last year, work orders were issued to contractors for resurfacing of roads and the work was divided into four phases.While the work on the first package was allotted to a Kozhikode-based company, it got stuck in a legal battle.Work under second, third and four packages were initiated barring a few roads, which are being now taken up.

Under the scheme, priority will be given to such paths which will help provide access to bus routes. Similarly, those in relatively better condition were selected for patchwork to repair potholes and depressions, officials said.

According to officials, metalling and tarring has been completed on about 100-km stretch that includes development of drainage and footpath. Another 70 km is yet to be completed.

"Though the project was long conceived, the work was delayed because of relentless monsoon and the long process for government ratification", officials explained.

Meanwhile, revenue minister Jagadish Shettar informed that the Union ministry of transport (surface) has approved a Rs 7-crore proposal to asphalt 22-km stretch between Keshwapur and Hebsur on Hubli-Bijapur highway.

He said that plans were afoot to construct eight overbridges on the 50-km NH at a cost of Rs 10.12 crore of which construction work on four bridges was nearing completion.

IT in Hubli gets jumpstart

IT in Hubli gets jumpstart
M L Kapur - TIMES NEWS NETWORK

18 Jan, 2007 0106hrs IST

HUBLI: It is all clear now for the launch of Hubli on the IT map of Karnataka as a Tier-II investment destination. The state cabinet has finally approved the proposal of Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation to allot 53 acres of its land to IT/ITeS companies.

Revenue and district in-charge minister Jagadish Shettar told 'The Times of India' on Wednesday that "the cabinet approved the HDMC proposal at its meeting last Thursday. The allotment letters to selected IT/ITeS companies will be issued in due course".

This welcome development for north Karnataka comes nearly eight months after the IT Investors' Meet held here in May last year to project Hubli as a Tier-II investment destination for IT/ITeS sector in view of the overstretched civic infrastructure and land scarcity in Bangalore.

Soon after the investors' meet, HDMC had set apart the land for IT/ITeS companies through a resolution unanimously adopted at its council meeting. Implementing the resolution, it had sent the proposal to the government in July 2006 for its approval.

But initially, the finance and urban development departments objected that the HDMC land couldn't be allotted at a pre-determined price. In case it is to be alienated, it has to be through open auction and not by allotment. Only the government can overrule this provision, it was contended.

Later, former law minister and opposition leader in the legislative council, H K Patil, wanted the same land at Rayapur in between Hubli and Dharwad to be alloted for the proposed Karnataka Law University, expected to become functional from the next academic session.

The HDMC's IT land allotment committee had originally recommended 25 acres of land each to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Quest. But TCS declined the offer saying its requirement was 50 acres, and that too in an IT-specific SEZ. Quest also backed out after waiting for five months.

The HDMC later recommended the allotment of land declined by TCS to some other IT/ITeS firms. The better known among them are the Bangalore-based electronics software design company Sankalp Semiconductor, and NS Infotech, a BPO start-up operating from Hubli.

It is learnt that the selected companies were being offered land at Rs 10 lakh per acre. The proposal could not be cleared at the cabinet meeting held on December 28 in view of objections from H K Patil that the land was being offered to IT/ITeS companies at "throwaway prices."

The HDMC had recommended that the land, which is totally undeveloped, be allotted at the rate of Rs 8 lakh per acre. It was based on the fact that across the road from this site KIADB is selling fully developed land at the rate of Rs 10.6 lakh per acre.

Centre approves Rs 7 cr road project

Centre approves Rs 7 cr road project
The Newindpress.com

Wednesday January 17 2007 11:17 IST

HUBLI: Revenue and District Minister Jagadish Shettar has said that Union Ministry of Transport (Surface) has approved Rs 7 crore proposal to asphalt 22 km road on Bijapur-Hubli National Highway 218 from Hebsur to Keshwapur.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the overbridge constructed across Nigari lake under National Highway Development Programme, here on Tuesday, he said that plans were afoot to construct eight overbridges on the 50 km NH falling under the district. Of these eight overbridges, construction work of four bridges was nearing completion, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, MP Prahlad Joshi said that construction of overbridges would enhance scope for business activities in large in the district.

Chandrashekhar Eligar, chief executive engineer, National Highway Authority, Hubli division, said that Union Ministry had declared Bijapur-Hubli road as National Highway-218 in 2000. In the first phase, widening of road was completed and construction of overbridges was undertaken in the second phase.

The ministry had sanctioned Rs 10.12 crore to construct eight bridges in the district, of that, four bridges in first phase at Hebsur, Kalawada, Karlawada and Kusugal were nearing completion. Work on four bridges at Kalakeri, Amargol, Kusugal and Kiresur was under progress.

Taluk panchayat president Fakkeeragouda Yadravi, G R Golappagoudar, S S Shettar, Lingaraj Patil, Ranga Baddi and others were present.

Shettar blames Singh for non-inclusion of twin cities

Shettar blames Singh for non-inclusion of twin cities
The newindpress.com

Wednesday January 17 2007 11:17 IST

HUBLI: Revenue and District incharge Minister Jagadish Shettar has alleged that former Chief Minister N Dharam Singh was responsible for non-inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under multi-crore Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renovation Mission.

He was speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, after inaugurating the overbridge constructed across Nigari lake on Hubli-Bijapur National Highway here on Tuesday.

He said that Singh had included Mysore, Hassan and Gulbarga, besides Hubli-Dharwad and Bangalore ignoring the norms of JNNURM, which made Centre consider only Bangalore and Mysore.

“Congress activists in twin cities should burn the effigy of Singh, not that of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and other ministers in coalition Government who were in no way responsible for the non-inclusion of twin cities under JNNURM,” he said.

Calling upon Congress activists not to play ‘political’ cards in developmental works, Shettar said that Congress activists in City should deviate themseleves from ‘petty-politics,’ instead exert pressure on Congress-led UPA Government at Centre to see that JNNURM scheme was sanctioned to Hubli-Dharwad.

He disclosed that the State Government had written to Union Urban Development Ministry seeking inclusion of twin cities under Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) in November itself, but till date no reply was received from the Ministry.

Member of Parliament Prahlad Joshi, Lingaraj Angadi and others were present on the occasion.

Devotees throng Varur for Teertha

Devotees throng Varur for Teertha
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

15 Jan, 2007 2314hrs IST

HUBLI: A new Jain pilgrim centre emerged on the map of Karnataka on Monday, with the inauguration of the Navagraha Teertha, which was thrown open to devotees at Varur near here, to promote world peace and harmony.

Dedicated to Bhagwan Parashwanath and eight other Jain tirthankaras before him, it is believed to remove graha doshas by propitiating the nine planets, by worshipping the tirthankaras presiding over them.

Former deputy prime minister Lal Kishan Advani performed the pada pooja of the newly-installed monolithic statue of Bhagwan Parashwanath, the 23rd tirthankara of the Jains, to mark the beginning of the 12-day Panchkalyana Pratishta and the Mahamasthakabhisheka.

A sort of mini-Shravanabelagola in the making, the Mahamastakabhisheaka of Bhagwan Parashwanath will be performed here after every nine years, nine months and nine days, as against the similar anointing ceremony of Lord Bahubali at Shravanabelagola every 12 years.

While Bhagwan Parashwanath is believed to preside over Ketu, Bhagwan Padmaprabhu rules the Sun, Bhagwan Chandraprabhu over the Moon, Vasupujya over Mars, Mallinath over Mercury, Mahaveera over Jupiter, Pushpadanta over Venus, Munisruvata over Saturn and Neminath over Rahu.

A brainchild of Acharya Gunadhar Nandi, it has come up over 40 acres of pristine land on the Pune-Bangalore road, 20 km from here, in less than two years. Nine teertha kundas and a college are also planned.

Advani, who also hoisted the Jain religious flag to mark the commencement of the anointing ceremony, quoted Jawaharlal Nehru to say that "pilgrim centres tied India through a silken bond and have ensured its unity in diversity over the millennia".

Responding to the Acharya's desire that eggs should not be served to schoolchildren as part of their midday meal, Advani said he was hopeful that the seer's wish would be fulfilled by the central government, which had suggested the change in the first place.

Deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced a grant of Rs 2 crore in the next state budget for the development of Varur as a tourist centre. He assured the seer that he would try to persuade the chief minister to ensure that milk is served to the children instead of eggs.

BJP general secretary Anant Kumar rendered Advani's Hindi address into Kannada for the benefit of the large gathering. District in-charge minister Jagadish Shettar, MP Prahlad Joshi and a large number of Jain sadhus and sadhvis were among those present.

Twin cities usher in New Year with style

Twin cities usher in New Year with style
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

1 Jan, 2007 0020hrs IST

HUBLI: The bitter cold failed to dampen the mood as revellers left the warm comfort of their houses to chill out on New Year's Eve and all roads led to party boulevard.

Clubs, restaurants, hotels and resorts in and around the twin cities were beautifully adorned and decked up to mark the occasion.

As the hands of the clock struck twelve, the twin cities were seized with excitement and "Happy New Year"filled the air as everyone greeted each other.

Special entertainment programmes and dance parties were organised at all high-profile hotels. Hotels organising theme parties turned out to be a big success because of their blend of fun and music. The DJ's foot-tapping music made the youngsters sway to the tunes.

The cuisine was also appreciated by the family crowd. And, those at home were not left behind either. Television channels had lined up hoards of entertainment programmes to keep the viewers hooked.

"Network is busy"message greeted residents as they tried calling and sending messages to near and dear ones, particularly between 12 and 12 30 am.

In striking contrast though, thousands of poor people, especially slum dwellers, spent their night out without a roof. They had only the unsparing winter sky above their heads.

Heavy bandobust Police had deployed a massive force all over the city. Police nakas were put up at different places to ensure that the revellers did not cause nuisance on the roads.