Facebook post helps stranded Kalladka youth in Saudi Arabia return home safe

coastaldigest.com news network
March 26, 2018

Mangaluru, Mar 26: After three months of ordeal in Saudi Arabia, a youth from Bantwal taluk of Dakhsina Kannada district today reached home safe thanks to a Facebook post which spurred a few Good Samaritans to help him.

Sukumar Shettigar, a resident of Bondala near Kalladka, a communally sensitive town in Bantwal taluk, had flown to Saudi Arabia three months ago after he was promised a driver’s job with an attractive salary.

After reaching the Arabian kingdom Sukumar realised that his job was to drive heavy trailer truck 14 hours a day in an industrial area in south-western city of Khamis Mushait.

Though Sukumar tried to convince his sponsor that driving a heavy trailer was not easy for him, the latter forced him to do the same work. He also reportedly thrashed Sukumar for refusing to sign some papers. Later, Sukumar informed his situation to his family members and friends in his home town.

Shaakir Haqq Nelyadi, a social activist, who came to know the issue, wrote a paragraph on his Facebook wall explaining the helpless expatriate’s ordeal. The post grabbed the attention of SDPI Batnwal constituency candidate Riyaz Farangipete, who in turn reportedly requested the activists of Indian Social Forum in the oil-rich Kingdom to look into the matter.

On March 17, a team of ISF activists contacted Sukumar and offered him legal, medical and financial aid. They also helped him lodge a complaint against the sponsor with the Indian embassy. The sponsor finally agreed to free Sukumar and returned his passport and other documents.

When ISF activists realised that Sukumar had no money to return home, they raised funds and bought air ticket for him. He reached Mangaluru International Airport on Monday morning via Mumbai. SDPI activists Ismaeel Bava, Ismaeel Engineer, ISF activist Siddeeq Ullal, Sukumar Shettigar’s brother Shankar Shettigar and others were present at the airport to welcome him.

Both Sukumar and Shankar thanked ISF and SDPI activists for their timely support. “We will always be grateful to Riyaz Farangipete for his timely help. He came to our rescue when we were helpless,” said Shankar. “I am grateful to the NRI Muslim brothers, especially ISF activists, who helped me when I was really in need,” said Sukumar.

Comments

D. S.
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Mar 2018

He must be so relieved, as if he returned from hell.

zahoor ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Mar 2018

Thanks SDPI for your help. But don't spoil secular vote in forthcoming election please, Particularly Bantwal. 

Jalal
 - 
Monday, 26 Mar 2018

A wonderful job done by Riyaz Farangipete, the next MLA of Bantwal and district in-charge minister of DK. 

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News Network
April 5,2020

Thieves broke into an MSIL liquor outlet at Kuthar Nityanandanagara on the outskirts of Mangaluru and decamped with liquor worth Rs 1 lakh. The incident came to light on Friday morning. 

The outlet belongs to Purushotham Pilar. 

Before committing the crime, the thieves had hung a cloth in front of the shop shutter of the outlet to ensure that no one could notice the crime. They also stole DVR of the CCTV the was installed. 

On noticing that outlet was open, many people had even come to purchase liquor. The police took all those who had visited the outlet to purchase to the task and chased them away.

The thieves also stole 10 packets of cigarettes from a paan shop situated adjacent to the MSIL outlet.

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News Network
May 29,2020

Bengaluru, May 29: A cost-effective state of the art glove box testing booth for swab collection was inaugurated by Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar at Victoria hospital.

Inaugurating the specially designed booth for safer, easier and quicker testing, Medical Education Minister Dr Sudhakar said that the portable booths can be used at border check posts and hot spots.

"The testing method involves the collection of samples from inside a box of aluminium and glass. The suspected corona virus-infected individual, whose samples are being taken, has to walk up to the booth and stand in front of the glass exterior. The healthcare worker inside the kiosk collects the sample and then, follows the sanitisation process before proceeding to take the next sample. The collection process, fully contactless, gets over in five minutes," the Minister said.

Dr Sudhakar also said: "This booth significantly reduces manpower requirement and the need for PPE kits. The main advantages of this procedure are that it needs fewer healthcare workers and strictly adheres to the norms of social distancing. 

The booth is low-cost. Each model costs about Rs 15,000-20,000."
It is also portable and can be mounted on a vehicle and transported to any location.

It can be particularly useful for collecting samples in hot spots and border checkpoints, he added. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 6,2020

Mangaluru, May 6: Amidst delay in repatriation of Kannadigas stuck in Gulf countries including UAE and Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the office bearers, the executive committee and members of the Bearys Chamber of Commerce & Industry, its president Mr S M Rasheed Haji and executive committee member U T Ifthikar Ali today (May 6) called on authorities concerned in Dakshina Kannada to persuade them to follow up with the State and Central level authorities.  

The duo met Nalin Kumar Kateel, Dakshina Kannada MP, who immediately contacted Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, over phone and urged him to take up the issue with the external affairs ministry. Mr Joshi told Mr Kateel that efforts are still underway to bring back Kannadigas stranded in Gulf countries. However flights schedules are yet to be finalised.

The duo then met Kota Srinivas Poojary, district in-charge minister, who said that the government is prepared to handle the repatriation flights and passengers. 

The duo also met IAS officer Rahul Shinde, who is in-charge of affairs related to international passengers coming to Dakshina Kannada amid covid-19 crisis. Meanwhile, Zakariya Jokatte, president of Jubail unit of BCCI, spoke to Mr Shindhe over phone.

The official explained that the govt has made elaborate arrangements to conduct medical test of passengers on arrival at the Mangaluru International Airport. 

The passengers will be categorised into A, B and C groups depending on their symptoms and co-morbid conditions. The category A passengers (symptomatic passengers) will be sent to isolation hospitals which may be Covid care centres. Category B passengers (asymptomatic but suffering from co-morbid conditions) will be quarantined at hotels, hostels, guest houses etc. Category C passengers (asymptomatic and healthy) will be home quarantined.

The minister and official also sought BCCI’s cooperation in handling the situation. 

Quarantine accommodation facility 

Yenepoya group has already offered two of their hotels as quarantine accommodation and promised to offer one more.  Entrepreneur U Kanachur Monu and many others too have offered their hotels as quarantine accommodation in Mangaluru. 

District administration has asked Treebo, a hotel aggregator to list such willing facilities on their website.

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