Blacklist Navayuga company, MP Shobha directs NH officers
Udupi, July 2: Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha Member Shobha Karandlaje directed the National Highway Authority officials to recommend the central government to blacklist the Navayuga company for delaying the work of National Highway 66.
Presiding over the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) “Disha” at the ZP hall here on Monday, she said that the officials who were getting government salary should recommend the centre to blacklist the company instead of favouring it. Instead of completing the works, the company has been extending the timeline. If the company has any problem, let them come with her to Delhi to find solutions, she said.
Officials said that the company was under financial crises due to which the work is delayed. Service roads were sanctioned for Uchchila and Udyavara. The bypass road work of Padubidri and Karavali junction would complete by December end. However, the work of over-bridge of Kundapura would be completed by March next, said officials.
1694 houses electrified
Total 2926 powerless houses were identified in the district and among them, 1694 houses were electrified at a cost Rs 7.15 crore under Deen Dayal Electrification Scheme. In Udupi district, work of 16 CRF roads were taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 180 crore and among them, 13 workers were completed. The work of two roads in Karkala would be completed after rainy season, said officials.
The MP asked the officials to put up name board as CRF roads and inform her while inaugurating the roads.
Under Vajpayee housing scheme, total 384 houses were sanctioned to urban area. In the Ashraya Committee meeting, total 184 beneficiaries who have sites were selected and work was going on. Remaining beneficiaries would be finalized within a month, said officials.
ZP project director Nayana said that it was targeted to construct 103 houses in rural areas during 2016-17. Among them, 50 houses were completed and 38 were under progress. In 2017-18, 21 houses were completed among total 30 target and three were under progress.
Amount credited to accounts
As the pregnant women were finding it difficult to come to Anganwadi centres to have lunch under Matru Poorna scheme, the food was being sent to them through children. Now, boiled rice was being given in the district. Under Matru Vandana scheme, total 22,456 persons were credited Rs 5000 to each of their accounts, said Woman and Child Welfare department deputy director Gracy Gonsalves.
The MP said that the pregnant women could not come to Anganwadi centres to have lunch. In some places, even autos could not reach the Anganwadi centres. So, it would be better if their expenses were credited into their accounts. So, submit a report to the government about this issue, she said.
Port department engineer said that Gangolli port was developed at a cost of Rs 78 crore, but the department has to get the balance from the centre. In the same way, a project worth Rs 138.6 crore for Hejamadi port was cleared and MoU should be finalized before sending it to the central government, he said.
Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis, ZP president Dinakar Babu, CEO Shivananda Kapashi, ADC G Anuradha and others were present.
23 towers upgraded as 3G
The district has total 165 3G and 215 2G BSNL towers and among 2G towers, 28 towers were upgraded into the 3G towers. Two new towers were sanctioned for Pajaka and Attur Church areas and proposal was sent for another two towers at Rattadi and Thombattu, said BSNL officer.
Taluk panchayat president Nalini Pradeep Rao complained against server problem in several places. The MP also said that she was getting complaints about the land line problems. Officials promised of taking steps to solve the problem.
The Indrali new railway station work is taken up at a cost of Rs 11.33 crore and it would complete by March 2019. The work of Ramakrishna Hegde Training Centre taken up at a cost of Rs 2 crore would also be completed by November. The electrification of Verna Thokur railway line at a cost of Rs 317 crore is under progress and the department would require Rs 4 crore to expand the department buildings, said Konkan Railway officials.
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JioHotstar to invest Rs 4,000 crore for South Indian content push; unveils 25-title slate
Chennai (PTI): Streaming service JioHotstar on Tuesday announced that it will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to strengthen South India’s creative economy, unveiling a 25-title slate as part of a major push for regional content.
In one of the biggest announcements by an Indian streaming platform for the southern markets, the company showcased its “South Unbound” vision at a high-profile event here.
Sushant Sreeram, Head – SVOD Business & Chief Marketing Officer at JioStar, said the investment forms part of a broader collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government.
“Earlier today, JioHotstar formalised a Letter of Intent with the Government of Tamil Nadu in the presence of the Chief Minister M K Stalin. This outlines a shared commitment to invest in talent, expand infrastructure and build a future-ready creative economy from the South.
"As part of this vision, JioHotstar will invest Rs 4,000 crore to nurture creators, strengthen the production ecosystem and build a pipeline of stories that are ready for India and ready for the world,” he said.
Calling South India the “heartbeat of Indian storytelling”, Sreeram said the investment signalled the platform’s long-term commitment to local creators.
"JioHotstar started as a dream — to build entertainment rooted in India’s storytelling heritage and powered by cutting-edge technology. The resplendent storytelling traditions of the South motivate us to keep championing authentic, rooted narratives while offering greater accessibility and choices for every viewer," he said.
The event was attended by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, veteran actor and MP Kamal Haasan, senior state officials, and leading stars and filmmakers from across the southern industries.
Deputy CM Stalin said the partnership will generate “1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs”.
“Cinema in Tamil Nadu has always been a force for social change. OTT is not replacing cinema; it is expanding it. Today, a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach audiences across the world. The cultural and economic impact of this partnership will be massive," he added.
aasan said Indian media and entertainment was undergoing a fundamental transformation driven not by technology alone, but by the audience itself.
“We gather at a moment when India’s media and entertainment is not merely growing, it is transforming. For the first time, this shift is not driven by device or format, but by the audience itself,” he said, adding that storytelling today is “screen agnostic”.
“Regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram or Machilipatnam are no longer regional cinema; they are national cultural events,” Haasan said, giving the example of movies such as “Kantara”, “Drishyam”, “Baahubali”, “Pushpa” and Tamil hits like “Vikram”.
The event was also attended by Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Aishwarya Rajesh and others -- along with directors Jeethu Joseph and Ahammed Khabeer
The streamer's ambitious content slate, unveiled as part of its “South Unbound” initiative, includes sequels to blockbuster franchises, new long-format shows, films, adaptations, and high-engagement reality formats.
The Tamil slate features a mix of returning favourites and new originals, led by "Bigg Boss Tamil", now hosted by Vijay Sethupathi, and "Good Wife S2", the legal drama starring Priyamani.
The lineup also includes "LBW – Love Beyond Wicket", a relationship drama; the family comedy "Cousins and Kalyanams"; the psychological drama "Resort"; and "Heartbeat S3", which brings back Anumol, Karthik Kumar and Deepa Balu.
Other Tamil offerings include "Lingam", an action-drama; "Love Always", a multigenerational love story; the marquee title "Kaattaan" starring Vijay Sethupathi and Milind Soman; and "Second Love", a non-fiction relationship series.
In Telugu, the platform returns with "Bigg Boss Telugu" hosted by Nagarjuna, alongside new originals such as "Moodu Lantharlu" starring Aishwarya Rajesh; the police procedural "Vikram on Duty"; "Varam", a mystical relationship drama; and the hit comedy-drama "Save The Tigers S3" with Chaitanya Krishna.
The slate further includes "Vishakha", the Telugu adaptation of "Aarya" led by Kajal Aggarwal; the relationship-based non-fiction format "Mad for Each Other"; and the Telugu debut of the iconic adventure franchise "Roadies".
From Malayalam, the platform brings back "Bigg Boss Malayalam" hosted by Mohanlal; "Kerala Crime Files S3" featuring Aju Varghese; the mystery drama "Secret Stories: Roslin"; "Anali", "1000 Babies S2" with Neena Gupta and Rahman; and the hard-hitting drama "Pharma" starring Nivin Pauly.
The Kannada lineup includes "Bigg Boss Kannada" hosted by Kichcha Sudeepa; "Batchmates", a nostalgic friendship drama; and the food-and-humour-based non-fiction series "Comedy Cooks".
Across languages, the platform also announced new films such as "Lucky The Superstar", featuring GV Prakash, Anaswara Rajan and Meghna Sumesh, and "Kenatha Kaanom", positioned as broad-appeal mainstream entertainers.
