Karnataka: curbing a menace

Bangalore, June 22 (PTI): Karnataka was in the process of formulating a package for the benefit of Naxals who wish to surrender, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya said today.

"The new package is likely to be announced in about six months by the authorities in Naxal affected districts," he told reporters here.

He claimed Naxal activities in the state have come down due to steps taken by Karnataka in the last eight years.

Acharya regretted that Karnataka had not been invited to the recent meeting of Naxal-hit states convened by the Centre to discuss the problem despite the fact that the state has seen a decline in Naxalite activities.

The Anti-Naxal Force is engaged in regular combing operations in Naxal-affected districts, he said.

Traffic Management: Engineering, Education & Enforcement

MANGALORE: He is credited with bringing sense of order to traffic in cultural capital of the state - Mysore, and is now battling hard to do a Mysore in the capital city of Bangalore. What Praveen Sood did to traffic in Mysore as police commissioner there, and is trying to do in Bangalore as additional commissioner of police (traffic/security) has caught the eye of home minister V S Acharya, who wants his traffic skill sets for this city.

In fact, it was an impromptu decision by Dr Acharya to pull Sood's name out of the hat when traffic woes haunting this port city came overflowing at a review meeting of city's infrastructure problems conducted by the Urban development minister Suresh Kumar recently. Having seen Sood's performance closely in Bangalore, Acharya had no qualms in stating that Sood would find solutions to traffic problems here as well.

Sood, appreciative of the confidence that home minister has in his abilities told TOI over phone that there are no quick fix solutions to traffic problems the world over. "Each city has its peculiar problems," Sood said. But problems in each city although different can be addressed by sticking to the three Es - namely engineering, education and enforcement. Each of these components has its own importance and cannot be neglected, he adds.

While the engineering aspect has to deal jointly by the police, city corporation and public works department, Sood said education (of all road users) plays a vital aspect in having orderly traffic. Enforcement though an important part should be the least used weapon in police armoury, but an important one when education fails, he avers.

Some offences for which there should be zero tolerance, he said include jumping signals, over speeding, drunken driving and motorists entering no-entry roads. They are important from safety point of view of all concerned. Enforcement in Bangalore has netted a revenue of Rs 44 crore up from Rs 14 crore, but at the same time has brought down fatal accidents from 1,000 to less than 600 on a comparative basis in last two years, he pointed out. (TOI)

South Asia’s first solar power plant at Karnataka

South Asia’s first solar power plant in Yelesandra to generate 15,000 units per day

‘2,520 MW more power by March’

The State will have 2520 MW of additional power to its grid by March 31, next year, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya has said.

Speaking at a programme to dedicate the three-MW solar power plant at Yelesandra in Bangarpet taluk on Thursday, the minister said the power crisis in the State would ease TO some extent with the commissioning
of the solar plant.

“We hope that majority of the problems pertaining to power will be addressed with the additional generation expected by March next year,” the minister said.

Acharya said Karnataka had drawn the attention of the world by tapping of hydel power 108 years ago and the State was hogging he limelight once again with the setting up of first solar power plant in South Asia. The plant has been commissioned in a span of ten months, he said. (DHNS)

Veeranna Mattikatti

No need to extend bar timings: No such proposal as well

June 14: Home minister V.S. Acharya on Monday said the state government has no intentions of extending the deadline beyond 11.30 pm for bars, restaurants, five star and other major hotels. Speaking to reporters here, Dr Acharya said he was aware of the statements of his Cabinet colleague, M.P. Renukacharya, appearing in newspapers, about the need to extend the timings at least of five star hotels and major hotels in major cities beyond midnight.

“I am aware of the statements. But I strongly feel that there is no need to extend the timings in view of the safety of the public. Security risk is the main issue. I sincerely feel even the Chief Minister has the same opinion. As of now, there is no proposal before the government about extending the timings of bar and restaurants and five star hotels beyond 11.30 pm,” he said. When reminded about Mr Renukacharya’s statement that he had called for a meeting of excise officials and hotel owners on June 18 to decide about issue of extension of the deadline, Dr Acharya said his colleague had only expressed his opinion and there was nothing wrong with it.

“These things have to be discussed before a final decision is taken,” Dr Acharya said. When police commissioner Shankar Bidri had expressed concern about the law and order situation if the deadline was extended, Mr Renukacharya had even curtly replied that the police officer should stick to his job and not interfere with policy decisions. (Deccan Chronicle)

13.06.2010

Excellence in Civil Engineering: Backbone for infrastructure development

MANGALORE, June 11, 2010: The state government was planning to start four new engineering college exclusively for training Civil engineers in the state. The colleges will be of the standard of Indian Institute of Technology, said Dr. V.S.Acharya home minister of Karnataka. He was Participating in the exhibition of building materials and technologies organised by the State PWD civil engineers Association on the occasion of the district level civil engineers workshop organised by the state Public Work Department on Friday.

Dr. Acharya said it was very unfortunate that students opt to take medical and other branches of engineering despite the civil engineering having a large scope in the modern economy. He said the civil engineering had a great scope as there were new buildings to be built, new roads to be laid, new bridges, dams and reservoirs to be constructed but we hardly get engineers to fill up the jobs. The new colleges will be built on international styling of campuses and will have modern labs, classrooms, new set of guidelines, curriculum and highly trained faculty."We have to understand the situation around us, everything was changing in the field of civil engineering, and there was so much of work at hand which can be accomplished only by getting exclusive colleges for civil engineering Dr. Acharya said.Apart from all that material changes we have to bring about a change in our work culture and bring up our integrity to a higher level. The stress on classroom teaching should be done away with and more of experiential inputs should be the mantra he added. On this occasion Dr. Acharya also inaugurated the exhibition and visited various stalls and evinced keen interest in few of the technologies exhibited on the occasion. Top civil engineers of the district and the PW Department were present. New concrete technology, waterproofing material, new steel and cement and many other building materials were exhibited. (Mangalorean)