Know about your Udupi Minister V S Achar

VSA violates protocol

UDUPI : The act of a district minister who by violating the Protocol took part in the function of a new DC taking charge, has led to widespread debate. The minister involved in this debate is none other than the Udupi district minister VS Acharya.
The event was the taking charge of Ponnuraju as the new deputy commissioner of Udupi District.
Surpisingly, no sooner Acharya got the news of the taking charge of the new DC, he rushed to the DC office took part in the function and then greeted the new DC.
As per protocol, the district minister will be officially informed before the new DC took charge or after he took charge.
But, it is learnt, Acharya knowingly or unknowlingly violated the Protocol.

Anti-Nagarjuna activists plan
black flag demo against VSA

UDUPI : The Anti-Nagarjuna Project Committee, at its meeting held here recently, has decided to stage black flag demonstrations against the Udupi district minister VS Acharya who is hell bent upon backing the Nagarjuna themral power plant, despite massive protests against the same.
It was also decided to initiate a letters campaign against the project, to the chief minister and it has been planned to send nearly 25,000 letters from both the districts.
It was further resolved to convene a public meeting in the first week of September to give an opportunity to the different political parties to make their stand clear on the project.
The meeting held recently under the presidentship of Damodar Aithal, Convenor of the Forum, was attended among others by Lakshman Shetty, President of the Nandikur Jana Jagrithi Samithi, Rajeev Salian of Nagarika Seva Trust and Gangadhar Suvarna of Udupi District Fishermen’s Cooperative Federation.

Action likely against VSA’s clinic

UDUPI : The state health and family welfare officer has directed the Udupi district health officer to initiate action against the Geetha Clinic of the Udupi district minister Dr VS Acharya at Kalmady on the Malpe road. This was informed by Usha Ganesh, chief secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department recently when scribes drew her attention to the unauthorised clinic of Acharya.
Interestingly, ever since Acharya was inducted into the cabinet, the patients arriving at his Geetha Clinic are diagnosed and treated by a certain Shivananda, a compounder in the clinic who does not even hold any medical degree.
Though Dr Acharya’s name is mentioned in the nameboard of the clinic,he has not chosen to visit his clinic even once in the recent years.

Sri Rama Sene launches stir against Nagarjuna, VSA

UDUPI : The Sri Rama Sene which too has now extended its support to the ongoing movement against the proposed Nagarjuna thermal power project, launched its drive against the project by staging a protest in Udupi recently. The protest was also organised to oppose Udupi district minister VS Acharya who failed to make clear his stand on the controversial project, within the deadline earlier set by the Sene.
The activists tarred the name Nagarjuna on the nameboard of the police outpost constructed by the company five years ago. The situation remained tense for some time following an altercation between police personnel and Sri Rama Sene workers some of whom were arrested and later released on bail.
Speaking on the occasion, Jitesh Kumar, state co-convenor of the Sene said two more days’ time would be given to Acharya to make clear his stand, failing which all his programmes would be boycotted by staging black flag demonstrations.
He further took strong exception to the support extended to Nagarjuna by Acharya, while he had earlier opposed Cogentrix.
He even declared that the Sene would continue its tirade against the project by joining hands with the Nandikur Jana Jagrithi Samithi.

Anti-Nagarjuna protest on Nov 20

UDUPI : Another massive protest has been planned against the proposed Nagarjuna thermal power project at Ellur on November 20, according to K Somanath Nayak, principal convenor of the anti-Nagarjuna committee. The protest,he said has been organised to urge the government to shift the proposed project to some other place outside the district.
The protest would be inaugurated by Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt. There would also be a district wide campaign agasnt the project, he said.
On December 2 there would be another protest in front of the DC office and the protest would be participated among others by fishermen and farmers.
Nayak said the agitators are now demanding the Udupi district minister VS Acharya to arrive at the protest venue on December 2 and declare his opposition to the project, failing which the Committee would demand his resignation.

Udupi BJP complains against VSA with high command

UDUPI : The Udupi district minister VS Acharya seems to be facing a rebellion of sorts within his party in Udupi itself as is evident from a recent complaint lodged by the party men in Udupi with the high command, complaining against the unwelcome style of functioning of Acharya.
It may be mentioned here that Acharya by picking up some quarrel with scribes during every visit of his to the district, was creating embarrassing moments for the partymen in Udupi and has proved a bitter pill for them to swallow.
It has been gathered that a meeting of the Udupi district unit of the BJP would be held shortly to nooze Acharya. Moreover, the party learders are also learnt to have apprised the high command that such sort of behaviour from Acharya, particularly when the Udupi TMC election is round the corner, would prove detrimental to the interests of the party.

VSA now wants son as Home Guards Commandant

UDUPI : The Udupi district in-charge minister and state minister for medical education VS Acharya, right since his induction into the cabinet has been in the news for wrong reasons.
First, he tried to shield his son in the journalists’ attack case and now in a latest move, is trying to project his son and is mounting pressure on tthe state government to appoint his son Dr Kiran Acharya, a doctor in Manipal KMC, as the Udupi District Home Guards Commandant.
The post has now fallen vacant following the demise of the erstwhile Commandant Dr Ramkishore Rai last month.
Already, Acharya is learnt to have made several appeals in this regard to chief minister Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister Yadiuyurappa and home minister MP Prakash.
On the other hand, even the JD(S) is trying for the post and is interested in getting appointed either Dr YN Shetty of Padubidri or Leeladhar Shetty, social worker of Kaup, to the post. The party is even learnt to be making efforts to see that Achaya did not have his say and is adamant on giving the post to its candidate itself.

Minister who is a burden on Udupi dist

Dear editor,
Udupi district minister VS Acharya is a politician who is also an expert in statistics. But, he has so far failed to understand the problems of the people of Udupi. This is queer but true.
A few samples of his political gameplan - dumping boulders in sea when it rains heavily, fighting for the cause of Nagarjuna and creating ore lorry politics.
This politican is least bothered about the likely impact of the proposed Nagarjuna on the life of the people of the district and only wants the project to be established at any cost. Probably he may have the feeling as to what he was going to lose when he was not directly elected by the people here.

Shashidhar Poojari

Know about Kiran Acharya, son of V S Acharya

CM orders probe into charges against Kiran Acharya

UDUPI : In a highly significant development, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has recently directed the Udupi deputy commissioner Ponnuraju to probe into the allegations against Dr Kiran Acharya, the son of the Udupi district minister VS Acharya, and then initiate suitable action.
It may be recalled here that about three months ago, Kiran Acharya was charged with attacking and snatching the cameras of two pressmen Umesh Maripalla and Shijith. Earlier, the Karnataka Janapara Vedike had lodged a complaint with the chief minister drawing his attention towards the case and also demanding action from the Manipal police against Acharya.
The reply letter received from the CM’s office to the Vedike has mentioned about the CM’s order.
It is a fact that the Manipal police have been dilly dallying to arrest Kiran Acharya even though it has been over two months since the incident took place.

Kiran Acharya case takes backseat?

UDUPI : It has been gathered of late that the Manipal police have still not filed the chargesheet in connection with the case of Dr Kiran Acharya, son of the Udupi minister VS Acharya, wherein Acharya had allegedly attacked two press men and snatched their cameras. It has been almost five months since the incident had taken place and the Manipal police are still dilly dallying to file the chargesheet.
It was on June 29 this year that Kiran Acharya had allegedly attacked Umesh Marpalli and Sujeeth while they had been to the KMC Hospital at Manipal to take photographs of a patient. Acharya who had then attacked the two had even damaged their cameras and a case had been registered in the Manipal police station.
When the Manipal SI Renukaradhya was contacted to know the reason for the slow pace of investigation, he pointed out towards circle inspector Sanjeeva Naik and he the former.
The public is today questioning why even the SP Subrahmanyeshwar Rao is silent in this regard.

Cops fail to arrest Kiran Acharya

UDUPI : The failure of the Manipal police to arrest Dr Kiran Acharya, a doctor in Manipal KMC and son of the Udupi district minister VS Acharya, who has been charged with attacking two pressmen and damaging their cameras, has now raised many a eyebrow. It has already been over a month since the incident took place with the police still dillydallying to arrest the minister’s kin.
It may be recalled here that the incident had taken place on June 29 when Shijith of Udupi channel and photographer Umesh Marpalli were attacked by the doctor when they were returning after taking photpgraphs of an accident victim admitted in the hospital.
As per a complaint lodged by the two pressmen, the Manipal sub-inspector PS Renukaradhya had lodged a case under Section 323,427, 504 and 506.
Now the victim scribes are complaining that the Manipal police by not arresting Acharya were pursuing a policy of bias.
He further said the police who had not hesitated in arresting the two journalists no sooner Acharya lodged a complaint against them, now dilly dallying to arrest Acharya, only proved that they had succumbed to political pressure.

Scribes barred entry into Udupi KDP meet

UDUPI : The recent action of the Udupi district administration in keeping journalists out of the KDP meeting has raised several doubts. Scribes were given entry to the meeting venue only to take photographs and were kept out of the rest of the proceedings of the meeting. Such a practice which was in vogue when DT Jayakumar was the district minister, now once again re-emerging has raised many a eyrrbow.
The fact remains that scribes were allowed entry into two previous KDP meetings after VS Acharya became the district minister. Now the denial of entry all of a sudden, is nothing but undemocratic, many feel. The meeting attended by all legislators and officials of the district, discusses and reviews developmental issues and projects. Now, the suspicion is whether the district minister chose to disallow scribes solely because that target has not been achieved in various projects.
It is now being said that this might also be a systematic plot of Acharya by colluding with officials just to see to it that the several irregularities exposed in the meet are not placed before the public.
In the meantime, reliable sources have indicated that the recent meeting even discussed the Naxal problem. But the exact reason for keeping out the scribes cannot be ascertained while one contention is that the probe into Naxal related cases may be affected if important details are leaked to the press.
The fact is that the details furnished to the press by the ministers and officials after the meeting, cannot be termed complete in any way.
In the past, scribes were invited to all KDP meetings when Vasanth Salian was the district minister. However, DT Jayakumar who became the next district minister had chosen to keep scribes at bay during one or two meetings and had later permitted scribes following much opposition to his earlier practice.
Such acts on the part of the officials and elected representatives will only force the public to view them with an eye of suspicion.