The recent election to the posts of president and vice-president of Kolar’s Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) is testimony to ‘resort politics’ reaching micro level too. The JD(S), which has nine out of 13 seats in the local body, shepherded its members to a resort near Devanahalli, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The reason: To keep its flock together and prevent Varthur Prakash, former Minister and Independent MLA, from wooing JD(S) members to the Congress. The Congress, with three seats, reportedly depended on Mr. Prakash, with his earlier track record in similar tactics, to wrest the APMC from 10 years of JD(S) hold.
The members were in the resort till February 13 and returned to Kolar the next day, the day of voting. It is another story that the JD(S) retained power in the marketing body for the third successive term.
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A miss for Karnataka
Karnataka, the numbers say, has done very well in organ donation. From 60 organ donations in 2015, it achieved 70 last year. The State’s nodal body, the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation (ZCCK), has won much appreciation from its circles for enabling a sustained cadaveric transplantation programme in the State.
However, it is now known that Karnataka and the ZCCK missed out on a national recognition for their achievements during the seventh Indian Organ Donation Day on November 30, when the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry felicitated States and individuals, who excelled in promoting organ donation. According to sources in National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the State government was informed a month ahead about the event. However, ZCCK was informed of a day before the last date for applying. As a result, ZCCK stayed out of the contest. “Karnataka had a good chance of winning one of the top prizes. We wonder why ZCCK did not send in its application,” said a top NOTTO official.
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Kambala for Olympics?
What could be the connection between kambala, a rural sport of coastal Karnataka, and the Olympics? Recently, while unanimously supporting the Bill on holding the sport of driving buffaloes in muddy waters, a few MLAs said buffaloes run faster than athletes in the Olympics. A member suggested that India propose including kambala in the Olympics to ensure that the country wins a gold. Minister U.T. Khader argued that those who run behind the buffaloes during kambala also go on to win several races; and as such the racers’ skills should be recognised.
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Poojary keeps his word
Senior Congress leader B. Janardhana Poojary is known to start his press conference by taking a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But the start of a recent press meet was unusual. “I have made an unpardonable mistake. I seek pardon from people. For the first time, I have not kept my word,” he said as reporters looked clueless. “You know it,” he said, pointing to a senior journalist attending the press conference. When he saw another reporter looking at him, “You tell me what’s the mistake,” Mr. Poojary asked the reporter, who, like others, was unsure. When none could answer, Mr. Poojary said: “I was moved by the demise of young reporter Chetan Ram (from Sullia) and announced ₹50,000 to his family during a condolence meeting (held a few days ago).” “I will turn turn 80 next month,” he said. “I get ₹50,000 pension every month (as former MP) and I donate ₹30,000 to various orphanages. I am also writing my biography,” the former Union Minister said. He then handed over a cheque of ₹50,000 to a representative of a Kannada daily and asked him to hand it over to the journalist’s wife. “This is what I can pay to the family members,” he said.
Vishwa Kundapura
Afshan Yasmeen
Nagesh Prabhu
Raghava M.
