Protesting against the construction of dyke across the seashore and seeking transfer of Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Kumar Singh, fishermen of the city have called for Karwar bandh on Saturday.
   Addressing a press conference, held at Harikantra-Kharvi Fisheries Cooperative Association premises, the association president Prasad Raju Karwarkar and fishermen leader P M Tandel expressed dissatisfaction over the construction of dyke, a decision taken by the DC, and alleged that the move would badly affect the natural beauty of seashore and would be disastrous for the fishermen.
   A memorandum was submitted to the DC on May 21 seeking cancellation of dyke construction and work was stopped by the fishermen for two days. But the work was restarted on Thursday night under police protection. Moreover, the DC’s initiative would serve no purpose as the strong tides during monsoon would destroy the wall, they argued.
   The leaders sought support of the public for proposed bandh and claimed that various fishermen organisations of the district have decided to observe bandh.
   They urged District In-charge Minister Shivanand Naik to recommend for the transfer of DC Singh for his anti-people attitude.
MLA takes his shoes off against contractor!
   Call it a rare incident, but it was true that Karwar-Joida MLA Gangadhar Bhat took his shoes off on Thursday to slap a contractor for the alleged sub-standard work by the latter. It was also reported that the BJP activists, who accompanied the MLA, hurled abuses on the contractor and officials of Small Irrigation Department, and tried to manhandle them.
   MLA Bhat, who alleged that a work taken up at Kervadi village at a cost of Rs 34.57 lakh by a contractor named Madhav Naik of Avarsa village in Ankola taluk was of poor quality, took media persons to the spot on Thursday. After inspecting the work Bhat alleged that all the works implemented by the contractor were of poor quality. Supporting the view of their leader, the party activists alleged that the contractor has bribed the officials to get clearance. When the contractor resisted the allegations, verbal duel took place. At this moment MLA Bhat literally lost control and resorted to Konkani to abuse the contractor, besides taking his shoes off. Both the parties filed complaints against each other in Mallapur police station.