Moodubelle: Victory rally of the Congress backed Belle Grama Panchayat members

Report by Eugene Moodubelle
Pictures by Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 30 June 2010: Moodubelle township presented a festive look on the evening of Tuesday, 29th June 2010 as the newly elected Congress backed Belle Grama Panchayat members led by Mrs. Jacintha Aranha, the President and Mrs. Sujatha Suvarna, the Vice President and the Congress workers and the supporters organised a victory rally from 4.30 pm onwards. The President, Vice president and the members greeted and accepted congratulatory handshakes and ‘namastes’ from the shop keepers and people in general. Being the weekly market day they also visited santekatte and greeted the people and the mobile shop keepers.

The stage function to express the gratitude to the Congress workers and supporters started at around 7 pm in the Lions Seva Bhavan. The function was presided over by Mr. Vasant V. Salian, former Minister of Fisheries and Ports in the Karnataka Government as well as In-charge Minister of the Udupi District and presently the Vice President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The guests of honour included Rev.Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Parish Priest of Moodubelle, Mr. Hasan Shaikh Ahmed, President of Manipura Grama Panchayat, Mr. Harish Kini, President of Alevooru Grama Panchayat, Mrs. Rita Mathais, member of the Udupi Taluk Panchyat, Mr.Paul Fernandes and Mr. Bernard D’Souza, former Presidents of Local Congress Committee.

Following the prayer, the gathering paid tribute to three of the passengers of the ill-fated Air India Express-812 from Moodubelle-Cavin Sequeira, Ignatius D’Souza and Pravin Shettigar who had lost their lives in the air crash at Bajpe airport on 22 May 2010.

Following the welcome by Mrs. Jacintha Aranha, Mr. Vasant V. Salian honoured Mr. Gilbert D’Souza and Mr. Harish Shetty, the Presidents of the Local Congress Committees of Moodubelle and Padubelle respectively for their role in the victory of the Congress backed candidates. The unsuccessful candidates were also felicitated along with the winners. The 11 Congress backed winning candidates are-Mrs. Jacintha Aranha (President), Mrs. Sujatha Suvarna (Vice President), Gilbert D’Souza, Harish Shetty, Shivarama Salian, Mrs. Jacintha D’Souza, Vikas Shetty, Mrs. K. Shanta, Mrs. Helen Mendonca, Sandeep and Mrs. Girija.

Fr. Joswey Fernandes honoured the newly elected Vice President Mrs. Sujatha Suvarna and President Mrs. Jacintha Aranha by offering them garlands, shawls, fruits and memento.

The active Congress workers- Mr. Henry Alva, Ganesh Nayak, Mrs. Helen D’Souza and John Sequeira who were instrumental in the victory of the Congress backed candidates were felicitated during this occasion. 

Mr. Ravindra Belle who is serving in the Indian army at Baramulla in Kashmir and is on holidays to be  with his family at Moodubelle was also honoured by Mr. Vasant V. Salian.

Mr. Gilbert D’Souza and Mr. Harish Shetty responded to the honour that they had received and thanked the Congress workers and supporters who were the force behind their victory. Fr. Joswey Fernandes in his message said that the newly elected members of the Belle GP should work to the welfare of all the people. Mr. Harish Kini and Mr. Hasan Shaikh Ahmed in their address congratulated all the members and hoped that the Belle, Manipura and Alevooru Grama Panchayats would strive to have greater cooperation and see to it that the Udupi-Karkala Road passing through all the three Panchayats would be completed in time.

In her speech, Mrs. Jacintha Aranha expressed gratitude to all the Congress workers and supporter for giving her an opportunity to serve the people of the Belle Grama Panchayat and said that she would be always available to those who would like to seek her help in any matter.

In his Presidential address, Mr. Vasant V. Salian expressed happiness to preside over the function of expressing gratitude to the Congress workers and supporters. He appealed the newly elected Congress supported members that they should understand the problems of the people of their village and represent their needs such as drinking water facilities, health care and other requirements to the administration so that they can get financial help from the government and thus work for the benefit of the people under the jurisdiction of the Belle Grama Panchayat.

Mr. Henry Alva proposed the vote of thanks. The entire programme was anchored by Mr. Satish Alevooru and Mr. Henry Alva.