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We've been fooled, say disgruntled kin of Mangalore air crash victims

[email protected] (Gulf News)
January 6, 2012

Dubai, January 6: Two days after the Indian apex court issued notices to the Government of India and Air India on a petition seeking minimum compensation of Rs7.5 million (Dh518,944) to the kin of the 158 Mangalore crash victims, some UAE-based families have said that their struggle is far from over.

Although they welcomed the Supreme Court's move which is in line with the Montreal Convention, they said the injustice resulting from the inordinate delay in disbursing the compensation due to them has to be undone.

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Santosh Rai and his son Milind with a picture of Reshma, Naland and Viha who were among the 158 victims who died in the May 2010 air crash.

"We have been fooled. There is no doubt about that," said Santhosh Rai, an Abu Dhabi-based resident who lost his wife and two children when their Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai to Mangalore crashed on May 22, 2010.

Rai said like other family members of the crash victims, he has been engaged in a protracted battle with Air India and its legal counsel H.D. Nanavati for higher compensation after the legal counsel fixed the compensation amounts at slabs far less than the Rs7.5 million due to them under the Montreal Convention. The amount for children for instance was fixed at Rs2.5 million.

Rai said besides the "skewed" compensation amounts, the families had also lost out because of the rupee's devaluation over the past year and the arrears due to them. "For example, if we take the case of my two kids, not only did I not get the Rs15 million that was due as compensation, but I have also lost out on 17 months of interest at the rate of nearly eight per cent on that money."

His sentiments were echoed by Abdul Rahman, who lost his wife and son in the crash. "We have lost our families. And now we are losing out because of this. They are playing with our lives. By delaying the compensation due to us, they [Air India] have stood to gain. And the matter will be dragged further. In any case, we cannot act until the Supreme Court's hearing in April."

Abu Dhabi-based Satish Shetty, who also lost his wife in the accident, said, "I was the first family member to receive the compensation amount. But now I realise that the amount due should have been much more. Why was injustice done to us?"


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coastaldigest.com news network
June 6,2020

Mangaluru, June 6: As many as 24 coronavirus positive cases reported in Dakshina Kannada in 24 hours (from 5 p.m. June 5 to 5 p.m. June 6). 

With this the total number of covid-19 cases mounted to 167, among which 88 are currently active. 

Among the newly detected 24 cases 11 are Maharashtra returnees, 6 are Dubai returnees, 1 is Arabia returnee, 1 is Ukraine/Turkey returnee. And source of 5 new cases still remained untraced.
 

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News Network
January 22,2020

Kochi, Jan 22: Rail passengers from Kerala are a happy lot as the state’s traditional food items such as appam and eggcurry, puttu and kadala curry have found their way back to the revised menu of the Railways in the wake of protests over reports that they were replaced by north indian delicacies.

The popular Kerala dishes were reinstated to the list following social media backlash over the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s reported decision to replace the favorite cuisine of Malayalis from its menu with north Indian dishes such as Kachori and Chole Bhature.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, who had shot off a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal raising the issue of alleged discrimination against Keralites, got an assurance from the IRCTC officials that popular items, including snacks such as unniyappam and sukhiyan will be served through its outlets in the state.

Eden said the IRCTC officials who visited him at his home on Wednesday morning have presented him with the list of delicacies to be served by its local vendors in Kerala. In his letter to the minister, the MP had stated that dishes which are very important to Malayalis for breakfast such as appam, egg curry, porotta, dosa, steam cake (puttu) were excluded along with snacks such as banana fry (pazham pori), kozhukkatta, unniyappam, neyyappam and sukhiyan.  He had also raised the issue of hike in price of food items.

According to him, price of meals has been increased from RS 35 to 70 and that ofsnacks such as vada from Rs 8 to 15.  While the price of vada has not been reduced, the fare of snack meal like parotta, chappathi, idiyappam, appam and puttu with kadala curry or egg curry will be served at Rs 50.  According to IRCTC, a passenger will have to shell out Rs 20 for unniyappam/sukhiyan/neyyappam, 2 numbers each.  Informing Goyal of the changes in menu, he said Malayalis are discriminated in trains and railway refreshment rooms by the food which is the right of every passenger.

He had sought urgent intervention of the Minister and speedy action in the matter.

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coastaldigest.com news network
August 1,2020

Udupi, Aug 1: A girl child died five persons suffered injuries in a car accident today on National Highway-66 near Ambalpady in Udupi.

According to sources, two couples and children were travelling in the car from Mangaluru to Shikaripura when the tragedy took place. 

The speeding car rammed into the road divider and flipped over after the driver lost control over it near Ambalpady. 

Among the injured, the condition of a woman is said to be critical. She has been admitted to KMC Hospital in Manipal. The other passengers escaped with minor injuries.

A case has been registered at Udupi town traffic police station and investigations are on. More details are awaited.

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