Mangaluru (PTI): The anti-toll gate action committee, which spearheaded the successful agitation against the toll gate at Surathkal here, has asked voters in the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi to defeat the BJP in the ensuing Assembly elections for imposing hefty hike in toll charges on highways.

In a statement here, the committee convenor Muneer Katipalla strongly criticised the Union government's decision to increase highway toll charges by 25 per cent with effect from April 1.

Katipalla said the hike in toll charges has burdened the people who are already affected by price rise and increased cost of living. Toll charges have now been increased at the four toll plazas in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, he said.

The common people should show their political will to teach the BJP a lesson in the coming elections and force all political parties not to act to benefit of corporates, he said.

While Dakshina Kannada has two toll gates at Talapady on the National Highway border with Kerala and Brahmarakootlu on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH 75. Udupi has two toll plazas at Hejmady and Sasthana, both on NH 66.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.

It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.

"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.

"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.

The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.

Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.