Puttur: The Karnataka government has granted administrative approval for the construction of an Automated Driving Test System (ADTS) track under the Puttur regional transport office in Dakshina Kannada district.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 7.88 crore, will be built on 5.4 acres of land in Mundoor village, located around 10 km from Puttur town, as reported by The Hindu on Wednesday.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru, will oversee the construction of the ADTS track, designed for two-wheelers and light motor vehicles. This facility is expected to streamline the process for driving licence applicants in Puttur, Belthangady, Sullia, Kadaba taluks, and Vittla hobli.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai hailed the government’s decision, noting that this will be the second ADTS track in the district, with the first one located at Mudipu near Mangaluru. Rai further emphasised that the new ADTS would significantly boost economic activity in the region, as it would cater to a larger population of aspiring drivers, added the report.

Rai mentioned that the 2024-25 State Budget had proposed to establish ADTS tracks in several locations, including Udupi, Chikkaballapura, Nelamangala, Madikeri, Madhugiri, and Hunsur, along with seizing yards at Devanahalli and Tumakuru. However, the land designated for the Udupi track was classified as a deemed forest, preventing the Transport Department from acquiring it for non-forestry purposes.

Thus, Rai approached the Transport Department with a proposal to establish the ADTS in Puttur, instead of Udupi. The MLA visited Mundoor village to identify suitable land to establish the track.

The upcoming ADTS complex in Puttur will include test tracks for light motor vehicles (LMVs) and two-wheelers, an administrative block, a toilet, a control room, and necessary infrastructure such as compound walls, water and power supply, and landscaping, the report noted.

Rai further expressed hope that construction would begin soon, now that the project has received administrative approval.

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Bengaluru, Apr 07 (PTI): A badminton coach was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl who was taking training from him, police said on Monday.

The matter came to light after the girl's grandmother found that the minor had sent some of her nude pictures from her (grandmother's) phone to an unknown number and she immediately alerted her parents, they said.

When confronted by her mother, the girl revealed that the coach had sexually abused her on multiple occasions under the guise of giving her additional training sessions and warned her against disclosing about it to anyone, police said.

According to the police, the victim's mother in a complaint stated that their daughter enrolled for badminton coaching at a sports centre here two years ago. The coach allegedly sexually abused and harassed her on multiple occasions. He even took her to his house where he sexually assaulted her.

After her class 10 exam, she went to her grandmother's house and that on March 30 she sent her nude photos from her grandmother's mobile phone to the coach on his insistence, the complainant alleged.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the coach, a native of Tamil Nadu, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and he was arrested in the case on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had sexually abused the girl on multiple occasions and that he had taken her nude photos which were also found on his phone. Nude photos of other girls were also found on his phone, the officer said.

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