Sirsi: Chikungunya cases are on rise in Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur and Mundgod taluks. Most of the hospitals in Sirsi town are flooded with Chikungunya patients. The doctors said that the places are having man cases of Chikungunya and viral fever.

According to sources, in Yellapur taluk, out of 11,306 patients tested, 176 are suffering from Chikungunya and one has dengue fever, most of the patients take treatments at private hospitals, said medical officer Dr GN Ashok Kumar.

A case of dengue fever has been reported from Deshpande nagar in Mundgod taluk. Chikungunya or viral fever case have been reported from most of the villages in the taluk. Many patients are even unable to visit hospital due to weakness.

Lack of rain is the reason attributed to the increase of Chikungunya, dengue and viral fever. These diseases are hindering the farm activities in all these taluks.

Dengue patient detected

Karwar: A case of dengue fever has been detected at Muroor village in Kumta taluk, taluk health official Vanamala Shanbhag said. The blood sample of Gajanan Bhat of Muroor, who suffered from Chikungunya earlier, was tested positive for dengue. He has been admitted to KMC Hospital, Manipal, the official said. She clarified that the houses neighbouring Bhat's had been surveyed and found that no one else was suffering from the disease. She promised there was no cause for worry.

Minority Development Corp to recover Rs 160 crore
Karwar: The State Minority Development Corporation (SMDC) has commenced a loan recovery drive, said its chairman NB Abubakkar.

He told reporters here on Friday that the Corporation was yet to recover Rs 160 crore which had been provided during the Congress rule in the state.

He said a monthly meeting was being arranged to review the progress of loan recovery at the district level, clarifying that the loan would not be waived of as presumed by many. The Corporation was prepared for a one-time settlement of all the loans availed from 1996 to 2004. In that case, the interest amount would be waived, he said. He warned that the assets of habitual defaulters would be confiscated.

He said that government had provided Rs 66.20 crore for the implementation of various schemes for the development of minorities during 2009-10. Besides, the National Minority Development Corporation had provided Rs 25 crore.

Abubakkar said district-level-committees had been formed in each district to select the beneficiaries of these schemes. The Corporation has proposed to introduce cluster schemes to all 27 districts this year. It has also embarked upon an ambitious project called Special Developmental Programme to provide loan fro the purchase of sites for houses and house construction at eight per cent rate of interest. A sum of Rs 17 crore had been earmarked for this programme, he said.

The chairman said that Samaridhi Yojana, a special scheme from women, had been introduced to make them self-dependent Under the scheme, they will be imparted four months' training in variously skills, including fashion designing, tailoring and computer applications with a monthly stipend of Rs 500.

He said the corporation had established its offices in all the district headquarters and an awareness programme on the corporation's scheme would be launched in the state with the help of NGOs.

'Sangh Parivar attempting to run parallel'

Mangalore: KPCC working president D K Shiva Kumar said attempts are being made to run a parallel government in the state at the behest of Sangh Parivar. Addressing reporters here on Friday, he said he had information about the ministers and officials gathering at a resort to clear the files. This was an attempt to run a parallel government and the Sangh Parivar is behind the move, he said.

Condemning it, he said the government should-function from the Vidhan Soudh and not from any resort, Ridiculing the chief minister B S Yeddyurappa for lamenting that the ministers and officials are not cooperating with him, he said by saying so the CM had accepted the truth that development works were hindered after BJP came to power in the state, “CM's Vikas Yathra ended up in exposing his Viaphalya (failures),” he commented.

Demanding the Vidarbha model package for the rescue of areca nut growers whose crops ahs failed due to disease, he said it is the duty of the state government to rush to their rescue. But it is unfortunate that there is no unanimous opinion in the government regarding fixing a supportive price for areca produce, “BJP state president D V Sadananda Gowda said supportive price will be Rs 85-90- per Kg, DK LS members Nalin Kumar Kateel favours Rs 100 per kg, horticulture minister says the supportive rive should not be more than Rs 75. This shows how much concern the government has from farmers”, he said.

Further, he accused the state government of claiming credit for the Central government schemes by projecting them as their own schemes. This has harmed the Congress badly and one of the reasons for the party's debacle in the elections.