Ullal: UT Khader inaugurates ‘Rani Abbakka Swabhimaan Ota’
Ullal: Dakshin Kannada District Incharge Minister, UT Khader on Saturday morning flagged off the ‘Rani Abbakka Swabhimaan Ota’ (Rani Abbakka Swabhimaan Marathon) here in Ullal.
The half marathon was organised by Department of Kannada and Culture, Department of Youth Empowerment and Department of Sports as a part of ‘Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava’ and was inaugurated from Rani Abbakka circle in Ullal.
21 km for men and 8 km for women was the distance set for marathon.
The marathon of men began from Abbaka circle and passed through Thokkottu, Kuttara, Noipaddu and ended at Konaje VV Stadium.
The women’s marathon also started from Abbaka circle and passed through Kuttara, Deralakatte and ended at Konaje VV Stadium.
Abbakka Rani or Abbakka Mahadevi was the queen of Tulunadu who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty that ruled over the area from the temple town of Moodabidri. The port town of Ullal served as their subsidiary capital.
Abbakka's memory is much cherished in her hometown of Ullal. The "Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava" is an annual celebration held in her memory.
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BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
