Bangalore now gets wake-up call from Kalam

Bangalore now gets wake-up call from Kalam
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

President: ‘City as development facilitator being eroded, needs 11-mission charter to get in shape’

BANGALORE, NOVEMBER 20: Presenting his vision for Karnataka, President A P J Abdul Kalam today advocated a charter of 11 missions to turn it into a developed state. ‘‘Karnataka’s contribution goes beyond satisfying the mind and the ears,’’ Kalam said in his address to the special session of the state legislature to mark the golden jubilee of the formation of Karnataka state.

Focusing on the state’s development in his PowerPoint presentation to a packed Legislative Assembly hall, where he was heard with rapt attention by members and dignitaries, Kalam called for increasing the existing per capita income of Rs 26,000 of 2004-5 to Rs 75,000 by 2009 by creating an investment friendly climate, leading to employment for two million unemployed.

Karnataka, which has a literacy rate of 67 per cent, should aim at realising the goal of 100 per cent literacy by 2012, he said. Based on the core competence the state has, it should undertake 11 missions in the sectors of textiles, energy, horticulture, agro processing, water management, tourism, preparing paramedics and technicians with quality training, creation of industries for knowledge products, grid connectivities for sustainable growth, establishment of PURA (Providing of Urban Infrastructure in Rural Areas) and development facilitators, Kalam suggested.

Touching upon the development facilitators that need to be created, Kalam suggested that Karnataka accord priority for road development and initiate the metro rail project for Bangalore.

To ensure that economic activity was equitably distributed across the state and for homogenous growth, taking into consideration the core competence of the regions, the state should develop Tier II cities around places like Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga and Madikeri, the president said.

For improving the connectivity and enabling the existing industries to disperse and new industries to be created, the first requirement will be to create reliable air connectivity to and between all the Tier II cities, he said. ‘‘I have seen Bangalore in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and now. Bangalore’s economic growth has far exceeded the growth of the development facilitators,’’ Kalam observed, and cautioned that ‘‘the core attraction of Bangalore being a development facilitator is getting slowly eroded’’.

In this context, Kalam also underlined the need to establish commercial airports through BOOT schemes at Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum and Gulbarga in the next three years. Similarly, he said, an international airport has to come into existence in Bangalore by 2008. Kalam hailed the strides achieved by the state in the IT and BT sectors.

CM Dharam Singh said Karnataka was a fore-runner for democratic governance.

Rs 84 lakh for twin cities development

Rs 84 lakh for twin cities development

Newindpress.com
Monday November 21 2005 10:56 IST

HUBLI: C T S Alliance, an international body for urban development has given consent to sanction Rs 84 lakh for the over all development of Hubli-Dharwad.

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation had earlier submitted a report containing twin cities development plan seeking Rs 1.4 crore grant to CTS Alliance.

Infrastructure development, slum area development, poverty eradication and public health are the priority areas in the HDMC’s plan.

P Manivannan, Commissioner of HDMC said it was first time an international body like CTS Alliance came forward in association with World Bank with the intention of developing the twin cities.

He said Asian Development Bank has also shown interest in sanctioning grants for the development of cities.

Hanumanthappa Betageri, Mayor of HDMC has thanked CTS Alliance for providing economic support to HDMC. Further, an extensive plan of twin cities development would be prepared jointly by HDMC, district administration and the state government to seek more funds from foreign funding agencies.

HDMC’s novel idea of encouraging girl child

HDMC’s novel idea of encouraging girl child

Newindpress.com
Sunday November 20 2005 09:36 IST

HUBLI: If every thing goes well, Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation will soon become the first local body in the state and the country as well in encouraging the birth of girl child.

When the incidents of killing of girl child and female foeticides are on the rise, the HDMC has hit upon a idea of encouraging woman, who gives birth to girl child in all government hospitals of Hubli-Dharawad.

As per the innovative idea, Corporation will give a silver coin to the woman who gave birth to girl child after giving fitting felicitation to her.

Women belonging to Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe or other backward caste will be given food grains and other essential commodities worth around Rs 1,000 besides the silver coin at the time of delivery.

This facilities available only to women who give birth to girl child in their first and second delivery only at government hospitals including corporation maternity hospitals in Hubli-Dharwad.

Women if they gave birth to boy child in first delivery and girl child in second delivery will also be entitled for the scheme, but women who give birth to only boy child in her first and second delivery will not be entitled for any benefits under the scheme.

This plan has been accepted by all the members during the recently held Corporation’s general body meeting and green signal given to this scheme.

Commissioner P Manivannan has been fully authorised by all the members in the corporation to finalise this plan and implement it by January 1, 2006 as a New Year gift to the people of twin cities.

Talking to this website’s newspaper, Commissioner said that after seeking suggestions from various members and persons from the health department, corporation has planned to give a silver coin.

He said, ‘‘We have been thinking of depositing some amount upto Rs 1,000 in the form of ‘Vikas Patra’ in the name of newly born girl child for 10 to 20 years so that it would help the child to pursue her education, instead of giving a sliver coin.

Within two or three days, we will decide whether to give silver coin or deposit money in the form of Vikas patra. ‘‘But it is sure that we are going to give some incentive to mother who gives birth to girl child in her first two deliveries,’’ he said.

Parking ban to ease vehicular movement

Parking ban to ease vehicular movement
The Hindu

The order is being enforced near the Kittur Channamma Circle

HUBLI: With a view to ensure free vehicular movement at the Kittur Channamma Circle, the Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissionerate has declared an area of 300 metres around the circle as non-hawking zone and banned vehicle parking in the area.

Narayan Nadamani, Police Commissioner, Hubli-Dharwad, has in a release said at present vendors are using the footpath around the circle for their business and vehicles are being parked haphazardly which is leading to frequent traffic snarls.

The Commissioner of Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation had also requested for an order to ban parking of vehicles at the circle and declare it as non-hawking zone. The decision has been taken after an inspection, Mr. Nadamani has said.

He has also said that the police officers have been asked to take action against violations.

The step is being viewed as a complementary measure to the efforts of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to give a facelift to Kittur Channamma Circle and also streamline vehicular traffic.

The municipal corporation has begun constructing pedestrian overbridges at several places to help commuters cross roads safely. It has also chalked out a plan to beautify the Kittur Channamma Circle. A few days ago, a structure that was used for parking vehicles was removed.