Bharat bandh likely to cripple normal life in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi

coastaldigest.com web desk

September 9, 2018

Mangaluru, Sept 9: The day-long Bharat Bandh called by an alliance of Opposition parties and trade unions on Monday (September 10) against the rising prices of petroleum products and daily essentials is likely to affect normal life in coastal Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

With the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka supporting the cause, the bandh is expected to cause hardship to people. Even though the coastal region considered as a bastion of Bharatiya Janata Party, dozens of organizations have extended support to bandh.

The Dakshina Kannada Bus Owners’ Association has said that it will “morally support” the ‘Bharat Bandh’. Bus services in the district may be affected if there are any obstacles for traffic movement on that day, Dilraj Alva, president, and Prakash Shekha, general secretary of the association, said.

They, in a release, said that hike in diesel prices has hit the owners and it has become difficult to operate buses.

They said that the association urges the Union government to bring petroleum products under the ambit of GST.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference here, B. Ramanath Rai, former Congress Minister, questioned why the BJP is mum on the increasing prices of fuel. Mr. Rai said that the hike has hit people resulting in increase in the prices of essential commodities. He said that the party appealed to the people to support the bandh.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has also supported the bandh. In a release its state president Muneer Katipalla said that the economic policies of the Union government are destabilising the life of common people.

Staying away from supporting the bandh, the Old Bunder Kirana and Allied Merchants’ Association, Mangaluru said on Saturday that its members will not close down their establishments on Monday in view of Gouri and Ganesha festivals on September 12 and September 13. In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, president of the association P. Panduranga Bhandarkar sought security to the business of the members of the association on Monday.

The Udupi District Congress Committee has given a call for a voluntary bandh and claimed that several organizations have extended support.

Janardhan Tonse, DCC president, told presspersons that his party had approached bus operators, autorickshaw operators and other voluntary organisations in the distict. All of them had agreed to support the bandh, he claimed.

Ever since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance came to power, the prices of fuel and LPG cylinders had been increasing. The wrong economic policies of the Union government were responsible for the rupee losing its value. If the value kept on falling, the day was not far when petrol will be available at Rs. 100 per litre. The Union government had not reduced the price of petrol and diesel when the price of crude oil had dropped in the international markets, Mr. Tonse said.

The Centre earned revenue of Rs. 11 lakh crore due to increase in fuel prices. Despite public anger, the Centre had taken no action on this matter. Hence, the Congress had called for the bandh, Mr. Tonse added.

What may be affected?

BMTC, KSRTC operations, taxis, autorickshaws, Ola, Uber, airport taxi service, schools, colleges, commercial activities, cinema halls and multiplexes, shopping malls.

What will not be affected?

Hospitals, emergency services, milk supply, medical shops, Metro services.

Comments

If govt supporting to this then its state govt holiday

People should cooperate with this. This is for proper reason.

Govt should announce it as holiday. Its for people

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2 SpiceJet pilots suspended for improper landing at Mangaluru Airport

News Network

February 13,2020

New Delhi, Feb 13: Two SpiceJet pilots have been suspended today for an improper landing at Mangalore Airport which damaged three runway edge lights. The incident took place on October 31 last year when the private carrier's Boeing 737 aircraft was returning from Dubai.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the licenses of the pilots for four-and-half months from the date of the incident.

DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the Pilot in Command and the First Officer demanding explanation of the "lapses" and found their replies unsatisfactory, the aviation watchdog said in a statement.

Investigation revealed that the touchdown was improper as it deviated to the the left on the runway in turn damaging three runway edge lights.

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Bus-stands, railway stations in Bengaluru deserted; malls, cinemas closed

Agencies

March 14,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Bus-stands and railway stations in this IT city wore a deserted look on Saturday and malls, cinemas, pubs and night clubs remained shut as part of the lockdown announced by the state government following the country's first coronavirus fatality reported from Karnataka on March 12.

Six people in Karnataka have contracted the virus including the 76-year-old man who died due to this disease from Kalaburagi in the state.

A day after chief minister B S Yediyurappa announced the shutdown for a week, the usual rush at the Central bus-stand was missing.

"Since yesterday there is slackness. Today again we are witnessing the same," a Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation official told PTI.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, which runs inter-city and inter-state buses, too has seen a decline in its revenue.

"For the past five to six days we are seeing a drop of Rs 32 lakh to Rs 35 lakh in our daily revenue of Rs eight crore," Bengaluru divisional controller B T Prabhakar Reddy said.

On March 13, Yediyurappa issued instructions to stop all kinds of exhibitions, summer camps, conferences, fairs, marriage, sports and engagement events and birthday parties state-wide for a week from Saturday.

Business at pubs and aars have taken a hit due to the virus threat.

"Our businesses have suffered somewhere between 40 per cent and 70 per cent.

It is very difficult to cope with the situation," said Manu Chandra, Bengaluru chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

In Chitradurga district, the annual Rathayatra was cancelled whereas in Bengaluru, a temple displayed a board that it will not distribute any 'teertha' (holy water) or 'prasad' (offering) to devotees in view of the coronavirus scare.

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Flight chartered by ‘Expertise’ repatriates stranded Saudi Kannadigas to Mangaluru along with employees

coastaldigest.com news network

June 11,2020

Mangaluru, June 11: The Saudi Arabia based Expertise Contracting Company, which is repatriating its employees to India and other countries, today allocated around 90 seats of one of its chartered flights to Kannadigas stranded in Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf Air flight took off with around 175 passengers on board from Dammam International Airport around noon local time. It is expected to land at Mangaluru International Airport at around 7 p.m. Indian time.

In fact the company had chartered the flights only to repatriate its employees. However, due to the lack of special flights under Vande Bharati Mission, the company decided to help the other stranded Kannadigas in Saudi Arabia, who had approached Saudi Kannadigas Humanity Forum for help.

A company official said that around 2,000 employees from various countries in the Indian subcontinent are being repatriated, of which 1,665 are Indians. Already hundreds of them have reached India, and hundreds are still waiting for repatriation.

“We are grateful to Expertise for allowing to travel in the flight which the company had chartered to repatriate its own employees,” said one of the passengers before boarding the flight at the airport.

Director of Expertise, KS Shaikh said the 20-year-old Expertise group, one of the largest conglomerates in the GCC operating in petrochemical and heavy equipment sectors, has more than 10,000 employees and their family members in the Gulf, mainly in Jubail, one of the largest industrial cities.

Of these, the company has chosen over 2,000 employees for the covid-related repatriations considering various emergencies. He said 12 chartered flights have been engaged to carry out the repatriation exercise to the Indian subcontinent.