As entire public could not be accommodated in the Banquet Hall, where the programme will be normally held, they were made to stand in queue outside Vidhan Soudha.

According to sources in the Governor’s office,  a total of 1279 applications were received on Saturday, of which 260 were for medical relief fund. Besides, 68 applications from heart patients were also received. The notable thing about today’s programme was the presence of many senior ranking officials of various departments. In the past, it was Governor and his three advisers, used to conductthe programme.

As more and more heart patients from different parts of the State are approaching Governor for financial assistance, a separate counter was set up in the programme to attend to the grievances of such patients. Dr C N Manjunath, Director of Jayadev Institute of Cardiology (JIC), himself was present in the programme to hear the complaints from the patients. Also a senior doctor from the Narayan Institute of Cardiology was present. When contacted, Dr Manjunath said they decide on the spot whether to immediately refer the cases to surgery or they can wait.

Unlike in the past, when it was generally believed that it was  the rich who were prone for heart diseases, now more and more poor persons are  also suffering with heart ailments. “Moreover, of the 1000 heart patients today, 6 or 7 cases are children,” Dr Manjunath said.

The representatives of three trusts-Badalchand Chordia Trust, Champalal Sharma Trust and Shanti Kankariya Trust, which have come forward to meet part expenses of heart surgery for the poor- were also present on the occasion.  “The government, and the JIC together will bear the entire cost of heart surgery,” Dr Manjunath said.

Theatre artistes
 A group of theatre artistes belonging to Kannada Vedike Kalavidara Tanda, Kumarswamy Lay Out Bangalore, were the cynosure of all eyes as they appeared in the Banquet Hall dressed up like Kempe Gowda, Tippu Sultan, Diwan Poornaiah and Rani Kittur Chennamma. They were not there enact a play, but to narrate their woes and seek solace from the Government.

Madhu, who dressed up like Kempe Gowda, explained that they represented for allotting them sites besides enhancing their pension from the present Rs 500 to Rs 3000 per month.  Subramanya from Dodda Tumkur village in Doddaballapur taluk, who has won 37 medals in State and National-level Kabaddi and other competitions for the physically challenged, was there with all his medals to appeal to the Governor to give him any government job including that of a sweeper.

Subramanya, who is the captain of State kabaddi team for the disabled, said since 2002, he has been requesting all chief ministers to give him a job, but to no avail.

Film actor
 Film actor and former MP Shashi Kumar was present to plead with the Governor to allow for construction of the main arch of Biligiri Rangana Temple in Chamarajnagar district by a philanthropist. To undertake the work, the permission of the Muzrai Department is needed.