State finance up for review
Declaring that no developmental work in the State will suffer for want of funds, Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Friday said Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram will review the State’s finance by January-end.

Talking to reporters after chairing a meeting of State Executive Committee in Bangalore, Thakur said the Finance Minister would visit Bangalore and review the financial performance of the State during last nine months (April - December 2007) and he had asked the Government to prepare A progress report for this purpose.

As a preparation for the meeting with the Finance Minister, the State government would convene a conference of Deputy Commissioners of districts in Bangalore in mid-January, the Governor added.

PET as per schedule
The South Western Railway has clarified that it has not cancelled the ongoing Physical Efficiency Test (PET), being held in Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli simultaneously, as part of the process to recruit candidates to fill up vacant posts of Group ‘D’. It was wrongly stated in a section of the media that the SWR cancelled the PET following protests by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists.

Eligible candidates may attend the PET as per schedule, said a release.

Nursing home sealed
 The District Health Department has sealed Jyothi Nursing Home in the city, where a ‘female’ foeticide took place on Thursday.

Meanwhile, DHO Krishnegowda announced that an enquiry will be conducted into the incident and action will be initiated against the staff of the nursing home.

Braille Day
IDL Foundation’, a City-based NGO, and the ‘Press Club of Bangalore’ on Friday came together to commemorate ‘World Braille Day’. IDL Executive Trustee P K Paul said Braille was critical for the blind as the ability to read and write in Braille opened the door to literacy, intellectual freedom, equal opportunity and personal security. The day is celebrated as a tribute to Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille, who revolutionised the lives of the blind, deaf and visually impaired with his reading and writing system of six raised dots.

‘Clarify Gujarat model’
JD(S) National President H D Deve Gowda on Friday pooh-poohed BJP’s idea that it would adopt Gujarat model of development and sought to know what exactly the saffron party meant by it. Speaking to reporters here, he said people are aware what Gujarat is known for (communal riots). “Hence, BJP leaders must clarify to people what they actually mean by Gujarat model,” he added.

Stir against licence fee hike
The City unit of BJP staged a demonstration on Friday in protest against the ‘unilateral decisions’ taken by BBMP in the absence of a popular government. BJP City unit president Vijay Kumar alleged officials of BBMP were taking “anti-people” decisions like increasing the fee for plan sanction, introduction of CVS, storm-water drain cess and registration fee. Former minister R Ashok and several former MLAs from Bangalore were present.

Cop rapes minor girl
Arasikere, DHNS: A police constable who was under the influence of alcohol raped a minor girl on Thursday late night in the town. He was later beaten up by the public and sent to police custody.

The victim is a  11-year old girl from Honnashetty village of Kasaba Hobli. She had come to Arasikere on Thursday evening along with her friend Mamta (16) with an intention to go to Bangalore the next day.

Polio drive from Jan 6
Bangalore, DHNS: The Bangalore Urban district administration will embark on a pulse polio campaign between January 6 and 9 in the district. Second round of the campaign will be held between February 10 and 13.
To make the campaign effective, the district administration had initiated all necessary measures, Deputy Commissioner M A Sadiq told pressperons in Bangalore on Friday. The measures were further strengthened particularly after discovering recently that a two-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh was afflicted with polio in Bangalore City.