Tag Archives: Deputy Commissioner S J Somashekar

Minister directs officials to expedite roadworks in Kodagu

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N.S. Boseraju | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

With the possibility of monsoon rains commencing in the first week of June, Minister in charge of Kodagu district N.S. Boseraju has issued directions to officials to expedite and complete the ongoing roadworks at the earliest.

Chairing the district-level Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) progress review meeting in Madikeri on Tuesday, Mr. Boseraju instructed the officials to take up necessary pothole filling up works across Kodagu district at the earliest.

While directing the officials to ensure the public do not face inconvenience during the rainy season, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the poor pace of roadwork. Though the government has allocated hundreds of crores of rupees for road maintenance across the State, the delays by engineers were tarnishing the government’s image, he rued.

His observations came amid demands by other people’s representatives including Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda, who sought for not only swift completion of the roadworks in the constituency, but also ensure good quality work.

He also sought early construction of the Aigoor bridge, repair of Galibeedu road and the maintenance of roads in Mutlu, Hammiyala, Devasthuru, Hanchinadu, and other areas.

Vice-chairman of Sports Authority of Karnataka (SAK) Arun Machaiah too pointed out that many roadworks, including Karike Road, were still pending and sought that the works be taken up urgently.

Kodagu District Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee president Teetira Dharmaj Uthappa too highlighted the need to repair roads in Bittangala, Titimati, Balugodu, and other areas.

Reviewing works related to the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) in Kodagu, Mr. Boseraju said the government had released ₹110 crore each for the two Assembly constituencies in Kodagu and instructed the officials to ensure proper power supply to the people of the hilly district.

When the CESC officials pointed out that Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) works are in progress in Hudikeri and Balale while work on sub-stations are being initiated in Kalathmadu, Siddapur, and Katakeri, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction that discussions on power substations have been ongoing for over a year without sufficient progress.

Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekar, Zilla Panchayat CEO Anand Prakash Meena, Superintendent of Police Bindu Mani, Assistant Commissioner Nitin Chakki and Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhishek also participated in the meeting.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / May 06th, 2026

Jnana Bharatham Mission: May-end deadline set for manuscript survey in Kodagu

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Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekhar releasing the posters made for the district-wide survey of ancient manuscripts under the State government’s Jnana Bharatham Mission in Madikeri on Friday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Kodagu Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekhar has directed officials to complete the district-wide survey of ancient manuscripts by the end of May under the State government’s Jnana Bharatham Mission.

Presiding over a preparatory meeting at his office on Friday, Mr. Somashekhar emphasised that manuscripts — handwritten on palm leaves, paper, and other materials — are invaluable repositories of history, literature, culture, and traditional knowledge, reflecting the intellectual wealth of past generations.

He instructed the Departments of Archaeology and Tourism to take immediate steps for the systematic collection, scientific preservation, and digitisation of manuscripts. Highlighting Kodagu’s rich historical legacy, he said identifying and digitising rare manuscripts must be treated as a priority.

“Manuscripts serve as vital sources to understand social and cultural history. They contain rare knowledge on epics, poetry, grammar, Ayurveda, and philosophy,” he said, adding that they also help decode ancient scripts and linguistic styles.

Mr. Somashekhar called for involving historians, literary enthusiasts, and senior citizens in identifying manuscripts. He suggested that documents be collected for scanning and safely returned to their owners to build trust and encourage wider participation.

He said the State government, in its 2025–26 Budget, has announced the Jnana Bharatham Mission as a flagship initiative aimed at reviving and safeguarding manuscript heritage through surveys, documentation, and digitisation. The government has urged citizens to upload details of manuscripts available in their homes or nearby locations using the Jnana Bharatham app or share information with district survey teams.

Archaeology Department Curator Rekha said manuscripts are likely to be found in temples such as Omkareshwara and Paloor Mahalingeshwara, as well as in mutts, traditional ainmanes (ancestral homes), and storage repositories.

Project District Coordinator Karthikeyan said the survey is being conducted across Karnataka in coordination with the Departments of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, and Tourism. He added that creating a comprehensive digital archive would help preserve the district’s unique historical identity for future generations.

Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College principal Raghav, Tourism Department consultant Jatin and other officials were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / April 11th, 2026

Kodagu DC reviews progress of enumeration work in the district

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Deputy Commissioner S.J. Somashekar chairing a review meeting on the progress of door-to-door survey in the ongoing Census 2027, in Kodagu district on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu S.J. Somashekar reviewed the progress of the door-to-door survey as part of the ongoing Census 2027 and directed the officials to expedite the process.

Chairing a meeting in Madikeri on Monday, Mr. Somashekar said Kodagu district currently stood in the 15th place in the State in terms of progress in the ongoing houselisting enumeration and directed the officials to achieve substantial progress by the end of this month.

The Tahsildars, Taluk Panchayat Executive Officers, Block Education Officers, and Chief Officers of municipalities and town panchayats, who have been designated as nodal officers, were instructed to ensure that no household is left out within their respective jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, 999 enumerators have already been deployed across the district for the house-to-house census work, including 187 in Madikeri taluk, 61 in Madikeri town, 186 in Somwarpet taluk, 12 in Somwarpet town panchayat, 133 in Virajpet taluk, 36 in Virajpet municipality, 161 in Ponnampet taluk, 19 in Ponnampet town panchayat and 158 in Kushalnagar taluk and 46 in Kushalnagar municipality.

Additionally, 172 personnel have been assigned as Census supervisors, and about 10% of enumerators have been kept in reserve, the Deputy Commissioner said.

During the comprehensive review of the progress of house enumeration in Madikeri, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar, Virajpet, and Ponnampet taluks, the officials briefed the meeting on the status of house mapping, numbering, and field mapping activities.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News>India / by The Hindu Bureau / April 28th, 2026