Public sector undertaking BSNL is poised for to strengthen and expand its 3G coverage in the Mysuru-Kodagu region.
The plan is to strengthen the 3G data network in the district headquarters by adding new 3G nodes, providing 3G at all the existing towers in all the taluks and providing 3G nodes to all important hoblis, villages, tourist places, industrial areas and educational institutions.
This was communicated by BSNL Chief Manager P. Nagaraju to Pratap Simha, MP, consequent to his query on BSNL’s plans for improving 3G coverage in the region.
BSNL said that they would start receiving the equipment by December 2015 and complete the installation by December 2016. Of the proposed 95 3G sites in the region, as many as 85 sites are in Kodagu district while Mysuru which already has a good network and infrastructure and is served by 3G, will get only 10 new sites.
Out of 85 3G sites in Kodagu district , 20 sites will be in Madikeri taluk, 30 in Somwarpet taluk, and 35 sites will be located in Virajpet taluk. In Mysuru district, 3 sites will be located in Hunsur taluk, 1 in K.R.Nagar and 6 sites in Mysuru taluk.
However, the request for strengthening and expanding the 2G sites has not been approved by the BSNL Corporate office as emphasis is on strengthening the 3G coverage, according to the communique.
Welcoming the decision, Mr.Pratap Simha said the identification of new 3G sites by the BSNL indicates that a majority of them are in far-flung areas of the hilly or remote areas of Kodagu which augurs well for the development of the region.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by R. Krishna Kumar / Myrusu – August 08th, 2015
Olympian badminton players Jwala Gutta, Ashwnini Ponnappa, and Indian Women cricket captain , Mitali Raj. Photo: G. Ramakrishna / The Hindu
The talk essentially gave an insight and a recap of the way these champions struggled through their formative stages.
It was an evening when four of the champion sportspersons – shuttlers Gutta Jwala, Ashwini Ponnappa, star cricketer Mithali Raj and Indian football captain Sunil Chetri – participated in a talk ‘India’s Potential as a Sporting Nation’ organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation on Wednesday.
The talk essentially gave an insight and a recap of the way these champions struggled through their formative stages. Each one of them had a different story to tell, but one which clearly could prove to be an inspiration for all the budding young talent dream big.
“We owe our success to our parents. But for whom, we would not have been here. Fortunately, they only insisted that we train hard, stay positive and never put pressure on winning. So, effectively, we just enjoyed our game over the years,” said both Jwala and Ashwani.
“My career took off to a different level after 2009 when I started partnering Jwala for it gave me a stature in seniors’ category. We both play offensive game and complement each other pretty well. Importantly, the goals are the same for us – to bring laurels to the country,” chipped in Ashwani, to make a point.
Jwala felt that they were successful despite the lack of proper sports structure even though they were grateful to the Government of India for taking care of all their exposure trips. “But, we often feel there should be some accountability on this front and this is where the Associations disappoint,” the flamboyant shuttler said.
For his part, Sunil Chetri differed stating that All India Football Federation did what best it could to support the footballers cause. “I look at this way. You don’t plan to become a Jwala or an Ashwini or a Mithali. You have to change your style of preparations and keep changing your goals as the situation demands,” he pointed out to a query from the ladies. “It is imperative to love what you want to do,” he added.
Mithali recalled her struggle when many looked down at her in a male-dominated cricket. “In a way, I am lucky that my parents protected me really and set up a wall which could block all hindrances, emotions and let me stay focussed,” she said. “Yes, I would love to see Inter-schools cricket for girls to nurture future talent,” she remarked. She revealed that she was actually coaxed to play cricket being a ‘lazy girl’ as the parents wanted her initially to give company to her brother who played Grade II level cricket.
And, all four star athletes were clear India needs a sports structure. “We need a system to take care of core areas – training, exposure and proper monitoring. It is always easy to say India fails to produce even a couple of world or Olympic champions. But tell me how many of the millions of kids get proper training,” was Chetri’s poser.
Former Ranji cricketer Vijay Mohan Raj was the moderator for the programme.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / August 06th, 2015
Star of Mysore Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy is seen lighting the lamp to inaugurate Kakkada Namme at Kutta Kodava Samaja yesterday, as Kutta Kodava Samaja President Kallichanda Vishnu Cariappa, Dr. Rekha Vasanth, Ralie Ganapathy, Dr. Pemmaiah, ZP President Sharin Subbaiah, Smt. Viju Devaiah and Kodagu District Information Officer Chinnaswamy look on. Pic. right shows Dr. Teethira Rekha Vasanth and Dr. Kottangada Pemmaiah, who were feted on the occasion. Standing: Teethira Vasan, husband of Dr. Rekha; Ralie Ganapathy; K.B. Ganapathy and ZP President Sharin Subbaiah.
Kutta (Kodagu) :
The Kutta Kodava Samaja here celebrated the third ‘Kakkada Nemme,’ the festival of monsoon, at a function organised at the Samaja building yesterday.
Star of Mysore Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy inaugurated the festival by lighting the traditional lamp.
Speaking on the occasion, Ganapathy said the festival had special significance because it celebrates the month of agricultural activities in Kodagu and gives an opportunity for the people to prepare a unique kind of medicinal food item known as Maddu Kulu prepared from the juice derived from a particular kind of wild vegetable leaves.
Ganapathy said it was a good decision on the part of the Kodavas of this area to have constructed a Kodava Samaja building here in Kutta town which is located in the border of Karnataka-Kerala. The Samaja building, therefore, is a symbol of Kodava strength and also their unity in an area where migrant labour and traders from the neighbouring Kerala are found in large numbers.
Complimenting the Kodava Samaja for making efforts to further develop the Samaja, he asked the members to support the management in every way possible for their own good.
Kutta Kodava Samaja President Kallichanda Vishnu Cariappa, who presided, explained the significance of Kakkada Nemme.
Earlier, Geetha Appaiah and Rishi Muthanna offered prayers to Goddess Cauvery by way of invocation. Kodava Samaja Joint Secretary Teethira Mandanna welcomed.
Gonikoppa College Teaching faculty Dr. Teethira Rekha Vasanth, who had obtained a Doctorate degree and Dr. Kottangada Pemmaiah, who secured 247th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Exam this year were felicitated.
Kalyatanda Ralie Ganapathy, Kodagu ZP President Sharin Subbaiah, Smt. Viju Devaiah, Kodagu District Information Officer Chinnaswamy, Samaja Vice-President Hottengada Ramesh, Secretary Konganda Suresh, Treasurer Machamada Subramani, Directors Cheppudira Partha, Kechamada Vasu Uthappa, Teethira Kabir Thimmaya, Bachariyanda Prakash, Kolera Neela Appanna, Kodanda Leela Cariappa and others were present.
An attractive expo-cum-sale of household articles, dress materials, ethnic food items and cars of different models was also arranged in the Samaja premises.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Monday – August 03rd, 2015
Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, will be celebrating ‘Kakkada 18’ at Kodava Samaja building premises in Vijayanagar in city at 7 pm today, according to K.M. Belliappa, Hon. Secretary of the Samaja.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Brief / Monday – August 03rd, 2015
ANUBHUTI KRISHNA grudgingly climbs through slippery rocks and hills, but the heady aroma of coffee keeps her going
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. The closing verse from Robert Frost’s famous poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, reverberates in my mind as I pant my way along the muddy path, evading grasshoppers, beetles, bugs and an occasional salamander. Even though these are no woods, and I have had a good night’s sleep, this is the closest I have been to the woods in years, and I am on the verge of giving up. The lines, therefore, make perfect sense.
Remembering and playing the verse in my head repeatedly could also be my way of shutting out the nasal voice of Arun, my guide for the morning. He is the owner of the coffee plantation I am staying at and a compulsive talker too. He insisted that I come for the early morning trek with him (he also arranged for a pair of gum boots for me and helped me put them on – much to my embarrassment) and has been talking non-stop right from the time we left the cottage.
A visit to Coorg had been on my mind for years. I had been to the Himalayas, I had been to the Nilgiris, I lived not far off from the Aravallis, but I had yet to set foot on the Western Ghats. So when my friend suggested that I come with her to the plantations, I jumped at the opportunity. There was something else that she had told me: the coffee plants bloom in the middle of summer and that was the best time to be in Coorg, among low and dense foliage bursting with delicate white flowers which look and smell just like jasmine. It was only after we had reached our home stay, a neat set of cottages built alongside Arun and his wife Kaveri’s residence, that we realised the coffee flowers had already bloomed in spring. But by then, I was so absorbed in the shades of green that surrounded us that the lack of white hardly mattered.
Located at an hour’s drive from Madikeri, the estate is as green as green can possibly be. We had reached there driving through narrow winding hill roads lined with tall oaks and shrubs and had almost missed the elusive turn to the estate. Far removed from habitation, our place of stay is a true example of the back of beyond. The cottages – there are only two of them, since the owners do not want to overcrowd the place – stand bang in the middle of the plantation. The day was bright and sunny when we had arrived in the afternoon; by early evening, however, the sky had already turned a shade of charcoal, and soon rains were lashing at the tiled roof of the cottages: what else could a parched soul from a concrete jungle ask for?
We spent the evening sitting on the cemented ledge of the long verandah, savouring strong coffee and munching on crunchy onion and potato bhajjis made by Lakshmi, the doe-eyed housekeeper of the home stay. It was here, with the coffee and the bhajjis that I met Arun: he had come to say hello and had hung around through the evening, talking animatedly about coffee, climate and Coorg; he had left only after I had agreed to go out with him around the estate in the morning.
In the middle of a thicket now, drenched in sweat, with a steady stream of water dripping from millions of thick, broad coffee leaves on my arms and legs, struggling to climb the slippery hill, and surrounded by unruly branches and the abundant insect life, I curse myself for having agreed to the trek: how nice it would have been to just sit in the verandah and write!
My chain of thoughts is broken by Arun’s voice. He is as energetic as ever, and busy explaining to me why he has brought me here. “I want you to remember Coorg for a long time,” he says, while offering me his hand. I reluctantly take it and climb another tricky rock. He keeps talking and offering me his hand, even as I gasp for breath and almost slip over a pile of soggy leaves, wondering if the climb will ever end.
I am close to tears of frustration and exasperation when I finally see the rays of the early morning sun streaming in through the canopy of leaves. In another few minutes, the dense shrubs magically disappear and we are standing on a large rocky clearing atop a hill that has no road or walkway.
As I look down at the sea of fluorescent paddy fields sprinkled with tiny ponds formed by last night’s rain, the thick forest along the horizon with trees that touch the clouds, the silver mist rising from the earth and mingling with the golden rays of the sun midway, and the height of the hill I have just climbed, my heart fills with gratitude for Arun. I now know what he meant when he said that he wanted me to remember Coorg for a long time. Thanks to him, I will never forget it.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Anubhuti Krishnan / Chennai – August 07th, 2015
Tata Coffee is looking to transform itself into a premium specialty coffee company from a commodity player with an aim to tap the growing specialty coffee market. The company has been consistently moving up the value chain in both its plantations business as well as its instant coffee business.
The company has 19 coffee estates spread over 18,224 acres situated in the Western Ghat at different altitudes that have highly conducive micro-climates.
Tata Coffee, a subsidiary of Tata Global Beverages, is a fully integrated coffee company with its own coffee plantations, coffee curing factories, roasted and ground (R&G) coffee facility and instant coffee production plants.
source: http://www.money.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Company News / E-paper / Mumbai – August 03rd, 2015
Coorg is synonymous with quaint coffee estates, lush falls and serene greenery. But did you know that it also houses a mini-chocolate factory, handled completely by a woman? Ever since the quiet town of Coorg started seeing the abundance of homestays, many women started to see themselves in a new light – as entrepreneurs. One such woman is Ketolira Fancy Ganapathy from the tiny village of Yavakapadi near Kakkabbe in Kodagu district.
What initially started as a hobby has now become a full-fledged business for this confident woman. Right from her childhood, Fancy had the desire to make delicious chocolates. She first learnt the art of making chocolates in high school. When she sent over pickles to her friends in Chennai, she got lessons in chocolate making as a return gift. Soon, she started making them for small-time functions and social gatherings in and around Kodagu. When the coffee market in the district started to fluctuate, she resigned from her lecturer’s post and turned her hobby into a full-time business.
Her chemical-free chocolates are widely loved for their delicious taste and have found many regular takers over the past three years. She has a farm where she grows pineapple, orange and passion fruit which she utilises as ingredients for chocolate. She sources dry fruits and fruits like mulberry from outside. She sells chocolates at Rs 1200 per kg while her input costs are around Rs 800-900 per kg. She is helped by her family and friends in this arduous task.
Most of the times, her produce is exhausted by consumers within her locality. In fact, a nearby resort buys products worth Rs 5,000 from her every week. Based on the orders received, Fancy also ships her chocolates to Bengaluru and Chennai. “Everyday, we prepare eight kg of chocolates. It’s a lengthy and exhaustive process. We have some assistants for paper cutting, labelling and have got an affiliation from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, thanks to our excellent quality standards,”
explains Fancy.
Through Nalaknadu Flowers and Foliages Association, Fancy is encouraging women in rural areas to produce goods right in the comfort of their homes. She aspires to start an organic co-operative society that markets locally produced chocolates, pickles, and wine.
What more, she is also the only chocolate manufacturer in Karnataka who has tied up with the postal department to market her produce. In order to enjoy her goodies, all you have to do is to place a call to the postal department and you will get her home-made goodies delivered to your doorstep. This service is presently active in Mysuru, Bengaluru and Mangaluru postal departments. What more, you can also enjoy fresh coffee powder supplied from the Coffee Planters Club through this service.
“We prepare a large variety of chocolates and they are in good demand locally. Thanks to this arrangement, we are now supplying our produce to select cities, reaching out to thousands,” says Fancy.
“Fancy Ganapathy makes flavoured chocolates which are very tasty. She enriches the glory of coffee, cardamom, pepper and ginger which grows in coorg,” says planter Suresh Chengappa of Honey Valley Estate. Every week, he buys 5-6 kg of her chocolates for the visitors who stay in his resort.
Fancy is also working on a chocolate exhibition in her estate, which is nearing completion. She is also planning to organise a chocolate tour for the tourists and has converted her vintage bungalow into a chocolate showroom, where her visitors can learn how to make chocolate.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by C S Suresh / August 04th, 2015
Joshna Chinappa today upstaged second seed Line Hansen in straight games to win the USD 15,000 Victorian Open squash competition for her 10th WSA title.
Third seed Joshna beat the Dane 11-5, 11-4, 11-9 in the final of the WSA event. It was only last week that Joshanalost to Line in Kooyong.
The Indian’s last triumph had come in the Richmond Open in April last year.
Known for mixing strokes and accuracy in the placements, the Joshna held the upper-hand right through, though she admitted, it was a “hard game” particularly after Line fought and brought the score to nine-all in the third game.
Coming as it did soon after her recent success in the National Championship, she was happy with her current form.
With the Australian Open to start in a few days and the venue being the same, the Joshna is looking forward to more success.
“I am so happy it will be at the same centre,” she said.
The title in the men’s section went to Australian Ryan Cuskelly who beat Greg Lobban of Scotland 12-10, 13-11, 11-9.
Meanwhile, India went down 0-2 to top ranked and title-favourite Egypt in the quarterfinals of the girls’ event of the WSF-world junior squash championship in Eindhoven.
Debutant Nikita Joshi, who played first, tried her best but Salma Hany Ibrahim was far superior. The Egyptian won 11-5 11-6 11-2 to give Egypt the lead.
Adya Advani was pitted against the top player Habiba Mohamed and it proved a tough task for the Indian. Habiba won easily 11-3 11-5 11-3 to give Egypt the win and a place in the semi-final.
India now will play for the 5th to 8th place matches
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by PTI / August 02nd, 2015
The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include India’s women’s badminton doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in the ambitious Target Olympics Podium (TOP) scheme under the National Sports Development Fund for providing necessary support to the potential medal winners for the Rio Olympics to be held in August 2016 in Brazil.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah said, “Badminton is one of the disciplines identified under TOP Scheme.
The Indian shuttlers, including the doubles specialists, are among the top–ranked potential medal winners at the 2016 Olympics.
However, it is unfortunate that the top-ranked doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the Canada Open Women’s Doubles title recently, is not part of the TOP Scheme.
“It’s unfortunate that the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the Canada Open title recently, is not part of the TOP Scheme,” the CM wrote.
“On the basis of their recent form and their Badminton World Federation (BWF) Rankings, the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa has the potential to earn medals at the Rio Olympics. Hence, I request you to direct the concerned to include Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa under the TOP scheme”.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao has also written a similar letter to the Prime Minister Modi requesting him to include both Gutta and Ponnappa in TOP scheme.
TRS MP from Nizamabad and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha has initiated the demand for inclusion of the doubles pair. Speaking to media, she said, “Jwala and Ashwini are capable of earning a medal for India at the Rio Olympics and I want the PM to personally intervene in this matter.”
Karnataka chief minister’s staff member KV Prabhakara said that Siddaramaiah is personally following it up with the Prime Minister.
Here’s the letter sent by the Karnataka CM to the Prime Minister’s Office:
source: http://www.ibnlive.com /IBN Live / Home> Sports / by IBN Live Sports / July 17th, 2015
Kind Coffee’s staff includes, from left, Lily Tomasula-Martin, Lea Rodderick, owner Amy Hamerick, Megan Davis and Margery Dunkle. (Debbie Holmes / Estes Park Trail-Gazette)
by Debbie Holmes / Trail-Gazette
One of Estes Park’s best kept secrets is Kind Coffee, which is independently owned by Amy Hamrick. She started her coffee house journey 17 years ago.
“I like to think that many of the worlds problems are being solved right here in Kind Coffee,” said Amy. “It’s so wonderful to see friends, and even high school kids, here supporting my business. I’m proud to have established a place where locals want to come.”
Amy’s journey started in 1998 as the Estes Park Coffee Company, which was located in Ed’s Cantina. Amy was instrumental in starting, running and building the roasting business in that location before Ed’s went through ownership and remodeling changes, which opened up the opportunity for Amy to move into the current location where Kind Coffee has stood since 2004.
Even though Kind Coffee doesn’t roast its own coffee beans anymore, the recipes are the shop’s own, and it continues to use only organic, fair trade coffee beans.
“We continue to live up to our name. It’s important to me that my business is environmentally and socially responsible,” Amy said.
Kind Coffee’s philosophies also have morphed into being community-oriented and supportive. Amy enjoys developing various flavors of coffee for organizations and community needs. Following the 2013 flood, Kind coffee produced “Flood Mud” coffee which continues to raise money for flood recovery.
“Being able to do things for the community is so important to me,” Amy added.
She says that building her business hasn’t been as hard as she had thought, “when it’s from the heart, decisions are easy. It’s been fantastic to have opportunities. All opportunities, good and bad.”
Amy mentioned that she has always had the most amazing staff to help her along this journey.
“I was so thankful for the support of her staff, friends and community members during those tough months after the 2013 flood. There were probably 100 people here helping us during the flood and for months after,” Amy said. “It really touched me when I saw people out in the community and they’d ask me when we were going to open, because they missed us so much.”
Being an independent coffee shop has its draw backs at times.
“It’s important that all independent coffee shops continue to provide and be the best so that our industry stays strong and visitors don’t walk past us to visit one of the big-chain coffee shops,” explained Amy. “It makes us have to step up, work hard and always do the best that we can.”
Amy is proud of what Kind Coffee has become and enjoys going to work every day. Kind Coffee, 470 Elkhorn E. Ave., is open every day at 6:30 a.m. During the summer it closes around 8 p.m. The shop will close at 6 p.m. in the winter and spring.
Along with their delicious coffee and full menu of drinks and food items, Kind also has other fair trade items for sale. Check out the shop’s website at www.kindcoffee.com for more information.
source: http://www.eptrail.com / Estee Park Trail Gazette / Home> Story / by Debbie Homes, Trial-Gazette / July 29th, 2015
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