Gujarati News: January 2006

Breast weening lowest in State capital
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | AY

On evaluating the basis of reproductive child and health (RCH) has brought out very interesting patterns of health care of people of Gujarat. According to the evaluation report, the Dangs tops the list when it comes to exclusive breast-feeding practice among mothers, while State capital Gandhinagar is at the bottom. It also says Amdavadis make little use of government health facilities for post-natal care, while Kutchhis are the optimal users for the purpose. In case of the Dangs, the number of girls marrying before attaining 18 years of age was the highest. In case of Banaskantha, the infant mortality rate was highest with 74.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. The parameters on which the performance is rated include ante-natal check-ups, post-natal check-ups, registration of pregnant mothers, immunization, and adoption of family planning methods. Ahmedabad got the highest points, followed by Gandhinagar and Anand districts, Vadodara and Surat reported average scores.

New MD for Gujarat Ambuja
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 | AY

Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. announced on Monday that its Board of Directors has appointed Narotam S. Sekhsaria, founder and Managing Director, as the Non-Executive Vice Chairman of the Company. He has already resigned as Managing Director of the Company for personal reasons. Having been Chief Executive for the last 23 years, the time was ripe that the day to day management and leadership should be handed over to a younger person and Narotam S. Sekhsaria should move on to a mentorship and strategic role in the Company. Accordingly, Anil Singhvi, whole-time director of the Company was appointed as the new Managing Director for a period of five years, subject to the approval by the shareholders of the Company at their next general meeting.

New tourism strategies by the govt
Saturday, January 28, 2006 | AY

Gujarat govt has declated 2006 as Tourism Year and has lots of plan to make it a success. Among them is a plan to set up a special police force for tourists. This force will keep a check on cases of cheating, harassment and malpractices related to tourists at important destinations across the State. If this project comes into force, Gujarat will become the country’s sixth state to have a special tourist police force. Such a police force already exist in Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Besides checking harassment of tourists, the special tourist force would will be in constant touch with hoteliers, tourist guides, taxi operators, travel agents, restaurant owners to ensure safety and protection of tourists. M D Vaghela of Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited (GTCL) said the force would first be deployed at the World Heritage site of Champaner-Pavagadh. The Pavagadh Kalikamata temple within the complex receives lakhs of tourists, most of them pilgrims, from the state and outside, especially during Navratri.

Emeregency landing of a plane carrying JD(U) leader
Saturday, January 28, 2006 | AY

An Indian plane carrying JD(U) leader George Fernandes made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport today. The flight IC 165 from New Delhi to Mumbai took off at 1020 hrs carrying 103 passengers. Airline officials said the aircraft developed a technical snag but landed safely in Ahmedabad Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1130 hrs. Maintenance engineers were inspecting the plane, the officials said.

Doctors allowed for private practice
Saturday, January 28, 2006 | AY

The BJP administration in Gujarat has granted permision to Doctors to make a few extra money through private practice when they are off-duty. The BJP administration yesterday decided to allow moonlighting for low-paid doctors working in various public health centres and state-run hospitals but withdrew the system of paying them a monthly non-practising allowance ranging form Rs 2000 to Rs 5000. The trail-blazing measure follows acute shortage of doctors in rural areas despite a fine infrastructure as the medicos can earn better as private doctors. According to the Ahmedabad branch of the Indian Medical Association, government doctors in Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and other north-eastern states have been given permission to carry on private practice and the gesture in Gujarat will help fill up vacant posts of doctors in the countryside.

After 30 years, a Gujarati movie screened in Leicester
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 | AY

Leicester, a town with a large minority of Gujarat origin in Britain will soon see the first ever screening of a Gujarati movie in 30 years. Britain is a key overseas market for Hindi films, but the movie, Dukhiya Na Beli Bapa Sitaram, will be the first Gujarati language film released in Britain in February in 30 years since Jai Mataji in the late 1970s. The film stars Srikant Soni and follows the life from childhood to death of the famous Hindu saint Bajrangdas Bapa (Bapa Sitaram) of Bagdana village in Gujarat. The 20th century saint is said to have a large following among Gujaratis in Britain, India and elsewhere, and is believed to have had magical powers and could cure diseases.

Aeroplane repair facility in the state
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 | AY

An interest to set up world-class aircraft repair-cum-maintenance centre at some suitable place along the Gujarat coastline is being showed by Global food major Booker Belmont Wholesale Ltd President and CEO Hans Hustard. He said that Gujarat's proximity to Mumbai airport makes his proposal more attractive. Mr Hustard also suggested developing marine fishery and other sea food processing industry along the Gujarat coast, which held unlimited prospects. He agreed to Mr Modi's suggestion that such a centre could serve as an important link on the East-West route for the airlines flying past Indian sky.

CBI team in Gujarat to collect DNA samples
Thursday, January 5, 2006 | AA

Ahmedabad: A twelve-member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from Mumbai arrived in Gujarat's Lunawada town Wednesday to take samples of skeletal remains found from a mass grave for possible identification of victims of communal violence.

Gujarat Ambuja Cements Dec. output up 3 per cent
Thursday, January 5, 2006 | AA

Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd today reported 3 per cent increase in the cement production at 11.6- lakh tonnes for December 2005, against 11.29-lakh tonnes in the year-ago period. The despatch during the same period registered growth of 7 per cent to touch 11.95-lakh tonnes against 11.16-lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year, the company said in a statement.

Gujarat to promote tourism
Thursday, January 5, 2006 | AA

The Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced 2006 as ‘Tourism Year' for Gujarat—Where Life is a celebration'. He says that Gujarat is one State where life is celebrated. Everything in the State is a celebration, an occasion so what could be a better theme than this. Accusing past Congress governments of neglecting tourism in the State, Gujarat water supply and water resources minister, Narottam Patel tonight said that the Narendra Modi government would focus the tourism development, by tapping the abundant potential in the State. Patel, who visited the city along with an all party delegation to attract Gujaratis living outside the State, told reporters here that the Government has launched an 'emotional sampark setu (Bridge of comminication) to promote tourism.

Skulls unearthed from mass grave in Gujarat
Thursday, January 5, 2006 | AA

Seven skulls were recovered as digging of the Lunavada mass grave in Gujarat, where victims of post-Godhra communal riots were buried, began on Wednesday under the supervision of an 18-member CBI and forensic experts in compliance with the Gujarat High Court order.