House gutted in late-night fire in Kundapur village; loss estimated at ₹5 lakh
Kundapur: A house was completely gutted in a fire caused by a suspected short circuit late Saturday night at Handakunda near Nerlakatte in Karkunje village of Kundapur taluk.
The house belonged to Ganapu Shedthi of Handakunda Arekallu. At the time of the incident, she and her grandson were not at home, as they had gone to a nearby house to attend a bhajan programme in the evening.
The fire is believed to have broken out after midnight. According to sources, a passerby noticed flames rising from the house around 2 am and alerted local residents. By the time help arrived, most of the belongings inside the house had already been destroyed.
Fire brigade personnel from Kundapur rushed to the spot and, with the assistance of locals, managed to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to a nearby cattle shed.
The blaze caused extensive damage, destroying the tiled roof and walls of the house. Gold ornaments, cash, clothes, utensils, a television and other electronic items were reduced to ashes.
The total loss is estimated to be over ₹5 lakh, sources said.
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Bommai turns down honorary doctorate, calls for rethink on awards to politicians
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP MP and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has declined to accept an honorary doctorate from Haveri University, saying it is not appropriate to confer such honours on politicians or those engaged in self-motivated social service.
He said the love and trust of the people are the greatest honours in public life.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Syndicate members of Haveri University for deciding to confer an honorary doctorate on me,” Bommai, MP from Haveri, said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
“However, I have informed the Vice-Chancellor that I will not accept the honour. As I am engaged in public service, I do not seek any awards. I believe the love and trust of the people are the greatest honours. Therefore, I humbly reiterate that I will not accept the honorary doctorate,” he said.
Bommai said honorary doctorates should be awarded to individuals who have rendered distinguished and significant service in a particular field over a long period.
“It is my personal view that it is not appropriate to confer honorary doctorates on politicians or those engaged in social service out of self-motivation. I request that this matter be reconsidered,” he added.
Recently, Karnataka Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar proposed the constitution of an expert panel to regulate the awarding of honorary doctorates.
In a letter to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is also the Chancellor of public universities in the state, the minister highlighted the lack of standards in conferring such honours.
