Monthly Archives: January 2012

Picturesque Coorg to get rail connectivity

About Kodagu / Coorg, Business & Economy, Uncategorized

Coorg or Kodagu is in a dilemma today on whether to accept the new development in the region or not. For decades people from Coorg district of Karnataka demanding railway route for the region and at the same time some traditional populace protesting it as such a development can harm the serenity of the terrain. Kodagu district of Karnataka, a prominent tourist place does not have railway or air connectivity. This isolation of the region surrounded by mountains, forest, fields and waterfalls has worked as blessing in disguise.

But now railway department has proposed a train route from Mysore to Madikeri, the headquarters of the district, and the survey is already undergoing. Recently, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa launched the first stage of the preliminary survey works on the route at Kushalnagar in Kodagu district. The work relating to the preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey between Mysore-Kushalnagar-Madikeri will be completed in four months and the project would start in less than a year. According to K.H. Muniyappa, although the preliminary survey works were taken up from Mysore to Madikeri, the first phase of the project work would commence from Mysore to Kushalnagar. The project was expected to cost Rs. 600 crore.

M C Nanayya, Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and JD(S) leader from Coorg has a different opinion.
He said, “I am perfectly positive about extending railway line from Mysore to Kushalnagar. As this line goes through Belagola, Hunsur, Piriyapattana and Kushalnagar there is no threat to forest of private plantations. The route covers plains and government land and will not harm environment or farmers. But, I am against this railway line extending to Madikeri as the route goes through hilly terrain forest near Kushalnagar which is of 2800 ft height from sea level and Madikeri forest is 3900 ft height from sea level. The route is not necessary as this covers forest, hilly terrain and private coffee plantations and we can travel same distance by road in 40 minutes. As the route is environmental hazard and not eco friendly I will oppose such plan.”

Though, efforts were made to provide rail links to Kodagu during the tenure of the former Chief Minister late R. Gundu Rao who hailed from Kushalnagar but failed to fulfill the dream in his term. So, at last now the region is going to cheer up with new railway link.

“It is true that serenity of the region will be harmed, but any development we should accept. If railways come the travel will become cheaper. There are positive and negative points attached in it. Knowing such a type of development will harm the environment, it is difficult to accept,” Says Seetha Aiyanna, Vice president, Kodava Samaja, Bangalore.

But, Seetha Aiyanna and others residents of the region accept that protesting voices are becoming weak nowadays. Knowing the necessity of development everyone wants railway and air connectivity to this beautiful district.

source: http://www.TheSundayIndian.com / by N K Suprabha / Bangalore, January 07th, 2012

Coorg Wildlife Society

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

The last time i visited coorg was in March and i was captivated and wat captivated me more was the coorg logo than the scenery and i have a big one in the back of my car and when i went to coorg i went in a hired cab which had a sticker of an elephant with jungle beat return below and the driver explained me that thats a mysore sticker and there was some healthy competion between coorg and mysore but i have got both the stickers on my car as i love both the places both has its own charm and both are covered by forest

The other thing capivated me is my Jawa was originally a coorg regestired vehicle and the prev owner used to work in the coffee plantations and i imagine the good old days riding jawa in the twisties in the cold weather must have been amazing but gone are those days and now my jawa is in sunny chennai reminicing the age gone by

The best thing about coorg or mysore is that u have national park every within100km and free flowing river and the people are polite the food is funny but its good but the worst part is though coffee is from coorg coorgies make horrible coffee its unpallable but noting beats Madras for its coffee any way if its adventure u want then coorg and mysore it is.

source: http://www.jawaroyal.blogspot.com / Tuesday, January 03rd, 2012

Coorg person of the year

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Bangalore:

Pemanda Monappa Belliappa, a retired IAS officer from Tamil Nadu, has been voted as the Coorg person of the year by the website www.coorgtourisminfo.com, a new portal of Coorg. This comes on the heels of another honour: He was decorated with the title of the ‘Most Excellent Order of the Member of the British Empire (MBE) bestowed on him in 2011 by the Queen of England for his contribution towards improving the Indo-UK relationship in his capacity as the president of the Association of British Scholars (ABS).

Speaking to City Express, Belliappa said, “I am grateful to have been selected for this honour. I would like to dedicate this award to my parents. It is a tribute to their identity.” Despite having settled in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for many years and having developed his own identity” his ties to Coorg was through his parents. “I have lived outside Coorg all my life. I have evolved in my own way. However, my parents were full-blooded Coorgis,” he said.

Belliappa established the ‘Pemanda Monappa Scholarship’ in Cambridge University in the memory of his late father, Pemanda Monappa, former Karnataka Inspector General of Police. This scholarship will enable one student from the Southern states of India to pursue a post-graduation course in England.

In spite of his upbringing outside Coorg, he has retained his connections to the place and his family there. “After my father died, I inherited land in Coorg. Since I no longer live there, I did not know what to do with the land. After consulting my mother on the course of action, I distributed the land among close relatives. I do travel to Coorg every year and hope to come there soon,” he said.

His ties with Coorg and its culture still hold strong as he fondly speaks of Hockey and Coorg. “Though I play tennis, I understand that hockey is an integral part of the Kodava Community and the families come together to play the game annually. It is a great way to bring together the community and families,” said this former captain of Madras
University tennis team.

In his 35-year-long service, he has occupied important posts such as District Collector, head of the National Hydro Electric Corporation of India and the Chairman and Managing Director for Rural Electrification Corporation of India.

He was also the leader and member of several Indian delegations like the ESCAP, UNIDO, World Bank among other leading international institutions. He served as the Chairman of International Workshop on ‘Clean Technologies’ organised by the Regional Institute of Environmental Technology (RIET) Singapore, a European Union sponsored institution working on sustainable technology.

source: http://www.ExpressBuzz.com / Home> Cities> Bangalore / Expess News Service / January 05th, 2012

Second phase of Indian men’s hockey camp to start tomorrow

Sports


New Delhi :
The men core group of Indian hockey team arrived on Saturday from Bangalore for the second phase of the Olympic qualification preparatory camp which will get underway at the National Stadium from Sunday.
The probables were joined by chief coach Michael Nobbs and exercise physiologist David Ian John who arrived in the capital after a short break in Australia.

During the course of the camp, India will play a five-test match series against South Africa which will also serve as the selection trials for the Olympic Qualification Tournament to be held at the same venue from February 18-26.

The list of 45 core probable is as under:

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri, PR Shreejesh, Naveen Kumar, Nanak Singh.

Defenders – Rupinder Pal Singh, VR Raghunath, Amit Rohidas, Harbir Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Sandeep Singh.

Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, Ignace Tirkey, Manpreet Singh, Manjeet Kullu, Vikas Sharma, Birendra Lakra, Vikram Pillay, Bharat, SK Uthappa, VS Vinaya, Vikas Pillay, Belsajar Horo, Sardar Singh, Kothajit Singh, Pardeep Mor.

Forwards: Rajpal Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Sarvanjit Singh, SV Sunil, Ravi Pal, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Roshan Minz, Yuvraj Walmiki, Mandip Antil, Chinglesana Singh Kangujam, Shivendra Singh, Arjun Halappa, Tushar Khandker, Dharamvir Singh, MB Aiyappa, Shashi Topno, Ramandeep Singh, Pradhan Somanna, Nithin Thimmaiah, Akashdeep Singh.

source: http://www.ExpressIndia.com / Story / by Agencies / posted January 07th, 2012

Zulfi Syed to tie the knot

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Model-actor Zulfi Syed will soon be tying the knot with the girl, who he has been dating for the past three years now, Sheena Verma.

The couple plan to open a restaurant in Delhi and settle down there after their marriage. Sheena is an architect by profession.

Most from Mumbai’s high society have been invited to a nikaah ceremony and a reception to be held on January 14 at Mumbai’s Oris Hotel. Zulfi is also hosting a grand party at ITC Grand Maratha the very next day which all his pals from the modelling world and the film industry are expected to attend. The mehendi ceremony is also on January 14. Sources say that Sheena will be wearing a Sabyasachi outfit for the mehendi ceremony and a Manish Malhotra ensemble for the wedding reception.

“We have an elaborate guest list. We have invited Salman (actor Salman Khan), but he hasn’t sent us his confirmation yet. But the people who will be attending the wedding are Aditya Panscholi, Kangana Ranaut, Tulip Joshi, Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Atul Agnihotri, etc. The whole of Salman’s close friends are invited as well. Arbaaz-Malaika are close friends of Zulfi,” says a friend of the former model.

A grand post-wedding party is also being planned in Delhi as a precursor to his restaurant opening.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Home> Entertainment> Report / by Soumyadipta Banerjee / Place:Mumbai, Agency:DNA / Friday, January 06th, 2012

Nescafe plan: Going beyond the Cup

Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

New Delhi, JAN. 5:
Nestlé India has rolled out the India leg of its global Nescafe Plan by setting up a coffee demonstration farm and training centre in Kodagu district, Karnataka.

Nescafe Plan is the Swiss MNC’s ambitious global initiative to bring under one umbrella coffee farming, production and consumption activities — one that it says will “help it optimise its coffee supply chain.” In 2010, when the world’s biggest coffee buyer had unveiled the Plan, it had announced an investment of CHF 500 million (Rs 2,811 crore).

Mr Jawaid Akhtar, Chairman, Coffee Board of India, inaugurated the coffee demonstration farm at Bindhu Estate, Kodagu. Nestle will be training farmers in using technology and best practices for sustainable production of high quality coffee.

Mr Antonio Helio Waszyk, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestlé India, said, “In the Nescafe Plan, our team will work with coffee farmers as well as other experts and the Nestlé R&D Centre in France to combine the traditional wisdom amongst the coffee farmers in India with the benefits of modern science to make coffee farming more successful and sustainable.”

Nestlé, which purchases 10 per cent of the world’s supply of green coffee every year, had launched the Nescafe Plan in 2010 in Mexico. Under the Plan, the Swiss MNC had said it would double the amount of coffee it sources from farmers directly to 180,000 tonnes in the next five years.

The idea in India, it says, is also to improve penetration of its instant coffee brand Nescafe amongst consumers and expand the market.

Mr Nandu Nandkishore, Nestlé Executive Vice-President and Zone Director for Asia, Oceania, Africa and West Asia , said, “By working with farmers in this way, we know where the coffee comes from, and they know they have a partner who will give them competitive prices for high quality produce.”

chitra.n@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Industry & Economy / Our Bureau / New Delhi/ New Delhi, January 05th, 2012

Kodagu forest circle gets CCF

Business & Economy, Uncategorized

Madikeri:
In order to utilise the experiences of the senior officers in the department and get them into field work, the State Government has upgraded all the 13 Forest Circles in the state to the level of CCF (Chief Conservator of Forests) Office from the Conservator of Forests, with effect from December 24, 2011.

Kodagu got the upgradation in the first list, others being Mangalore, Belgaum, Uttarakannada and Chikmagalur district’s Forest Circles and the district also got a new Chief Conservator of Forests in the form of J N Raj who took office on December 31, 2011. Raj told Express that the upgradation will help people, as the CCF level official work will be done here and the rest will be sent to Bangalore for their consent.

The rules and guidelines will become more clear, once the scope and limits of the office will be made public, he added. He added that he will first study the situation thoroughly here and plan accordingly, since the expectations of the people will be more once the office gets upgraded. He said that the vacancies in the department and man-elephant conflict will be the big challenges before the Forest Department.

Once the summer approaches, instances of wild fire will be more, which will make the elephants come out in search for water and food. As a result, they may scatter from the group and pass through residential areas and estates leading to crop loss, human and elephants deaths.

source: http://www.ibnlive.com / South> Karnataka / Express News Service / The New Indian Express / posted January 05th, 2011

Bean Brigade

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

In the film Casablanca, coffee is one of the things that Ingrid Bergman professes to miss the most about the city of Casablanca. Benjamin Franklin considered coffee to be one of the most valuable luxuries on the table. Black or frothy, sweet or bitter, this steaming cup has been the centre of numerous conversations, meetings and banters.

From being a traditional beverage consumed in South India, coffee has evolved into a trendy cuppa with a national presence. Keen to tap the widespread opportunities, the coffee industry in association with the Coffee Board of India will be hosting the three-day India International Coffee Festival 2012 in Delhi.

The fourth edition of the IICF will bring together the coffee fraternity. The last three editions were held in Bengaluru. “The festival will provide an opportunity for the industry to unveil outstanding coffees and blends, apart from showcasing products associated with the coffee industry,” says Anil Bhandari, president, India Coffee Trust, and member of the Coffee Board of India.
Apart from the exhibitors, workshops with coffee professionals at the IICF will aim at providing an interactive experience that deals with various aspects associated with coffee, from roasting to espresso-making and filter coffee brewing among others.

The IICF 2012 will be held from January 18 to 20 at The Lalit.

source: http://www.IndianExpress.com / Express Features Service/ Thursday, January 05th, 2012

Instant coffee exports surge on demand from Russia, East Europe

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

New Delhi, JAN. 2:

India’s instant or soluble coffee exports have surged by about three-fourths in the past three years on rising demand from the Russian Federation, Eastern Europe, South East Asia and the US. This is mainly on account of consumers in recession-affected Russia and Eastern Europe switching over to cheaper varieties of instant coffee, mainly white or private labels from the branded ones, to cut costs.

The Russian Federation is the largest market and accounts for a third of Indian instant coffees exports. Indian coffee is sold in bulk mainly to private labels in Russia and Eastern Europe. Companies, such as CCL Products (India) Ltd and Tata Coffee Ltd, are major exporters of the instant variety to these countries.

EXPORT PERMITS

For calendar 2011, the export permits for instant coffee issued by the Coffee Board till December-end marginally fell short of the one lakh tonne mark. Total coffee exports registered a 20 per cent growth in quantum to 3.46 lakh tonnes in calendar 2011, over 2010. In rupee value terms, exports grew 63 per cent to Rs 4,859 crore for 2011 over the previous year, while in dollar terms, they were up 65 per cent at $1.05 billion.

“There is a lot of demand for the low-priced instant varieties in Russia, East Europe and Asia,” said Mr Ramesh Rajah, President, Coffee Exporters Association. “Indian companies have been aggressive in pricing their products, which has helped them expand their reach in these markets,” he added

Indian firms import a lot of low-priced raw coffee, mainly the Robusta variety from Vietnam and East Africa to re-export them after converting them into instant coffee. The import of raw coffee for re-exports has shown 18 per cent growth in 2011 at 53,440 tonnes over the previous year. Besides, capacity addition by NKG Jayanti and Vayhan Coffee in recent years has aided the exports, he added.

MARKET SHARE

However, the challenge for Indian firms is to retain their share in these markets as competition grows from Brazil and Ecquador. “With rising costs, the Indian companies will have to fight hard to maintain current level. If they manage to retain their market share, it will be a fantastic achievement,” Mr Rajah said.

India’s instant coffee exports to Russia have close to doubled in the past three years, whereas these have more than trebled to the US.

However, in markets such as Ukraine and Finland, the Indian exports have come down in recent years.

vishwa@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com / Agri-Biz / by Vishwanath Kulkarni / New Delhi, January 02nd, 2012

Kodagu readies itself for CM’s visit today

Business & Economy, Leaders, Uncategorized

Kushanlanagar, Jan 1, DHNS:

In the backdrop of chief minister Sadananda Gowda’s scheduled visit to Kushalnagar and Guddehosur on January 2, MLA MP Appachu Ranjan held discussions with officers recently.

The MLA, along with deputy commissioner Dr Prasad and superintendent of police Manjunath Annigeri, visited Guddehosur, the native place of the CM’s wife Dati, and discussed about security aspects.

The CM is scheduled to visit his in-laws’ house in Ballur, followed by a visit to Chamundeshwari temple.

Then the CM will take part in a get-together party of Gowda community members, which will be organised at Gowda Samaja in Kushalnagar, informed Appachu Ranjan.

The MLA visited Gowda Samaja and inspected the venue. He also visited the helipad, where the CM’s helicopter will land. The MLA asked the SP to arrange for tight security during the chief minister’s visit. Zilla panchayat member B B Bharathish, BJP district president M N Kumarappa, DySP Paul Verma and others were present.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / January 10st, 2012