Dubai businessman Dinesh Devadiga bags Aryabhata international Award

Vijayapura, June 18: Shoukat Ali Sumbad, a local farmer, has donated land for the construction of Chennamma memorial, modelled on the Kittur fort, at Sindagi town in Vijayapura to celebrate the town's connect with the valorous Lingayat queen who fought the British in 1824.

Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha Kudala Sangam said Shoukat Ali came forward to donate his land adjacent to the state highway when local authorities failed to provide land for the memorial. 

"The committee led by Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji sought a 15x10 plot but when I went through their plan of constructing a model of Kittur fort, I decided to donate 425 sq ft," said the 61-year-old farmer. 

"Rani Chennamma is the pride of every Indian, irrespective of caste and creed, and my contribution is nothing compared to her sacrifice for the nation," he added.

Shoukat Ali, who lives in the neighbouring town of Almel, said he is a man of modest means but proud to make the contribution. "I own nine acres of land in Almel. I have six sons and two daughters. Two of my sons run small businesses in Mumbai. Ten of us live in a small house in Almel," he said.

“I also work as a broker to sell or buy sites. I had bought 15 guntas of land in Sindagi for my children some 15 years ago. When our MLA MC Managuli and Swamiji sought land for the memorial, my entire family agreed wholeheartedly” Shoukat Ali said.

“As Chennamma’s history is linked to Sindagi, there has been a demand for a memorial here since 2008, but the town municipal council failed to provide land due to political and technical reasons,” said Swamiji. 

“There were plans to observe a Sindagi bandh in the first week of June to protest the indifference of authorities. But then Sumbad gave us his land. We have formed a committee to construct a model of Kittur fort and a bronze statue of Chennamma at a cost of Rs 28 lakh,” he added.

Mangaluru, Mar 21: Southern Railway has cancelled some more trains in view of poor patronage due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Train No.16565 Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Central Weekly Express has been cancelled on March 22 and March 29.

Train No.16566 Mangaluru Central-Yesvantpur Weekly Express will not run on March 23 and March 30.

Train No.10215 Madgaon-Ernakulam Weekly Superfast Express will not be operated on March 22 and March 29.

Train No. 10216 Ernakulam-Madgaon Weekly Superfast Express will not run on March 23 and March 30.

Train No.16355 Kochuveli-Mangaluru Junction Antyodaya Express, scheduled to leave Kochuveli on March 21, 26 and on March 28 stands cancelled.

Train No.16356 Mangaluru Junction-Kochuveli Antyodaya Express, scheduled to leave Mangaluru Junction on March 22, 27 and March 29 will not be operated, a Southern Railway release said.

Hubballi–KSR Bengaluru–Hubballi Janashatabdi (Daily) Express (12079/12080), Mysuru–Yelahanka–Mysuru Malgudi (Daily Express)

(16023/16024), Yeshwantpur–Pandharpur–Yeshwantpur (Weekly) Express (16541/16542), Mysuru–KSR Bengaluru–Mysuru Rajyarani Express

(16557/16558), Shivamogga–Yeshwantpur –Shivamogga Express Special (06539/06540), Mysuru–Renigunta–Mysuru Weekly Express

(11065/11066), Mysuru–Sainagar Shirdi–Mysuru Weekly Express (16217/16218), Yeshwantpur–Mangaluru–Yeshwantpur Weekly Express (16565/16566), and Belagavi–Mysuru Vishwamanava (Daily) Express (17326).

Mysuru–Belagavi Vishwamanava (Daily) Express (17325) has been cancelled till April 1.

The services of Train No.16023/16024 Mysuru-Yelahanka-Mysuru Malgudi Express has been cancelled from March 20 to March 31.

Similarly, Train No.16557/16558 Mysuru-KSR Bengaluru-Mysuru Rajya Rani Express will not ply from March 20 to March 31, according to a railway release.

Train No. 17325 Belagavi-Mysuru Vishwamanava Express will not operate from March 21 to April 1 and the corresponding service of Train No.17326 from Mysuru to Belagavi will remain cancelled from March 20 to March 31.

The authorities have also cancelled the service of Train No.11065 Mysuru to Renigunta weekly express which was to operate on March 20 and March 27 and the corresponding service from Renigunta to Mysuru on March 21 and March 28.

Likewise, Train No.16217 Mysuru to Sainagar Shirdi weekly express will not operate on March 23 and March 30 and the journey in the return direction of Train No.16218 Sainagar Shirdi to Mysuru weekly express on March 24 and March 31 stands cancelled.

The railway authorities have cancelled the Hubballi-KSR Bengaluru-Hubballi Janshatabdi superfast express from March 20 to March 31 and the services of Train No.06539/06540 Yasvantpur- Shivamogga Town-Yasvantpur express for March 20, 24, 25, 26, 27 and March 31 stands cancelled.

The other trains cancelled for a limited period include Train No.16541 Yasvantpur to Pandharpur weekly express for its journey commencing on March 19 and 26 and the return journey on March 20 and 27.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: The suspected man in planting of a live bomb at the Mangaluru International Airport surrendered before the DG and IG of Karnataka Police, Neelamani Raju, here on Wednesday, police sources said.

The accused was identified as Aditya Rao, a resident of Udupi.

The accused was taken for questioning by the Halasurugate Police, where he was being interrogated intensively, the sources further said.

According to them, he confessed that he planted an explosive device at Mangaluru Airport on Monday said that it was an act of revenge for denying him an employment by the Kempegowda International Airport Limited (KIAL).

He was arrested by the Bengaluru police in the past for making a hoax call to the police stating that a bomb had been planted at the Bengaluru Airport.

Karnataka Home minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media that 'the Bengaluru police have taken the custody of Aditya Rao, who is being subjected for a thorough interrogation'.

The Mangaluru police was also likely to join the Bengaluru police into the investigation, the sources added.

Also Read: Udupi’s Aditya Rao arrested for issuing bomb threats to Airport, railway station