Gujarati News: March 2006

Jagat Janani Maa Khodiyar
Friday, March 31, 2006 | AY

Post-production work of Durga Films 'Jagat Janani Maa Khodiyar' is in full swing. Produced by Kaushal Thakkar and directed by K Amar Solanki, it has music by Pankaj Bhatt and cinematography by Manish Vyas. A Pravin Thakkar presentation, it stars Meenakshi Maroo, Arvind Joshi, Sachi Joshi, Nilesh Joshi and Devendra Pandit with Mona Thiba in a special appearance.

Chetichand celebrated in Gujarat
Friday, March 31, 2006 | AY

The Sindhi community in Gujarat Thursday celebrated 'Chetichand', the beginning of a new year and the birth anniversary of their patron saint Jhulelal. Processions were taken out, rituals performed in temples and cultural programmes organised in different towns and cities of Saurashtra and Kutch, where most of the 1.2 million Sindhis reside. Sindhis celebrate the New Year on Chaitri Sud Bij of the Hindu almanac in memory of Jhulelal, who was born in 951 AD in the Sindh region. Many of the Sindhis immigrated to Gujarat after Pakistan separated from India in 1947. Apart from the Sindhi community, Hindu Lohanas and Kharwas (sailors) also celebrate the festival in Kutch and Saurashtra.

Website for Vat dealers
Friday, March 31, 2006 | AY

The Gujarat government is finally going ahead with implementation of value added tax (Vat) from April 1. For simple operations, the state is launching a Dealer Accounting Software (DAS) tool based website (www.commercialtax.gujarat.gov.in) for Vat dealers. It will help dealers prepare sales invoice, stock register and sales purchase register on their own. Vat would eliminate double taxation of present system, reduce tax rates on many goods, and would put greater emphasis on self-assessment by dealers.

Projects under JNNURM cleared
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 | AY

The Government has cleared 12 projects costing over Rs 524 crore for infrastructure development under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The projects are located in the five cities of Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Indore, Surat and Rajkot. The projects cleared are for providing water supply and underground drainage facility to unserved areas of Vijaywada, construction of flyovers, laying pipelines and augmenting sewage treatment in Hyderabad. The total Central Assistance admissible for the projects is over Rs 215 crore and the first instalment recommended for release is over Rs 54 crore.

Solar eclipse today
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 | AY

According to astronomer Dr. J J Rawal, partial solar eclipse will be visible in the country on Wednesday. The eclipse, which will not be visible in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore and other areas, will take place from 4.41 pm to 4.43 pm on Wednesday. Visibility is expected to be the best in Gujarat. The eclipse will be total in South Africa and Brazil, and will be visible in varying degrees of partiality in other parts of the world. The next total solar eclipse, which will be visible in parts of the country, will occur in 2009.

Film tickets cheaper
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 | AY

The Gujarat assembly Monday passed a bill to cut the entertainment tax making cinema hall tickets cheaper in the state. Although 50 percent reduction in entertainment tax will encourage people to go to the movie halls, the state will lose an estimated Rs.180 million. According to an official statement, the state has 395 cinema halls, 22 multiplexes and 758 video theatres. During the year 2004-05, they fetched the state Rs.406 million.

Air ambulance ready at your service
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 | AY

Gujarat is proud to own a Piper Seneca IV, a twin-engine, six-seater aircraft, procured from the US and improvised into an air ambulance. for emergency treatment. The air ambulance is operated by Ahmedabad Aviation and Aeronautics Limited (AAAL). The air ambulance has been fitted with ultra-modern ICU facilities and will be a boon for many emergency patients. AAAL manager (marketing) VK Nagar said the cost of air evacuation has been fixed at Rs 29,500 per flight hour.

Rapar MLA suspended for 6 years
Monday, March 27, 2006 | AY

Congress MLA Nimaben Acharya from Rapar constituency in Kutch district has been suspended from the primary membership of the party for six years for indulging in anti-party activities. About two years ago, Nimaben had publicly opposed the “foreign origin” of Congress president Sonia Gandhi when the party had projected her as a prime-ministerial candidate before the Lok Sabha elections. Congress party workers in Rapar had complained about Acharya’s anti-party activities, when a team of observers from the state unit of the party recently visited Kutch.

Valmik workers inevitably dying
Monday, March 27, 2006 | AY

In Ahmedabad, at least one death is reported every month of a Dalit Valmik worker who inevitably dies due to the inhalation of poisonous gas while forced to work in the under belly of the city — the manholes. Manual scavenging, a process involving the removal of human and animal excreta using brooms and baskets that are carried on the head, continues to haunt the scheduled tribes. Instead of utilising the hi-tech equipment provided to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), their officers outsource the job of cleaning manholes to the downtrodden Dalit tribe called 'Valmik'. As per regulations, AMC has hi-tech equipment and no workers are supposed to enter the sewage pipes or manholes. But highly placed municipal officials claim that the equipment is defective and they are forced to outsource the work to the Valmik tribe, who traditionally perform this work.

LifeCell in Surat now
Sunday, March 26, 2006 | AY

LifeCell, India's cord blood bank, announced the launch of its marketing and collection centre in Surat, for umbilical cord stem cell banking. LifeCell has a Stem Cell Processing and Banking facility near Chennai, conforming to the standards of American Association of Blood Banks and USFDA. With this launch, LifeCell has nine marketing and collection centres in India — Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi and now in Surat. Cord blood which is discarded after child birth is a rich source of stem cells, which can be harvested and cryo preserved to be used for treating more than 75 serious ailments. LifeCell has been spreading the message of preserving this important Biological material for the family's own use.

Amul stays in Ahmedabad markets
Sunday, March 26, 2006 | AY

The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Manufacturers Federation (GCMMF)said that it has no plans to withdraw the popular 'Amul' brand from market following pressure from other brands. Reports of Amul being withdrawn from Ahmedabad markets began after the unceremonious exit of Verghese Kurien, pioneer of the milk revoultion, as chairman of GCMMF and after one of its board members said that `dumping' of Amul brand into certains markets should be stopped. This issue had also come up during the GCMMF board members meeting at Anand town yesterday and chairman of Ahmedabad District Milk Producers Union (ADMPU) Mohan Bharwad had raised this issue as his dairy company `Uttam dairy' is one of the major players in the market.

Chandrakant Bakshi expired
Sunday, March 26, 2006 | AY

Chandrakant Bakshi, 74, highly-acclaimed Gujarati novelist, died in Ahmedabad. He was an inspiration to three generations of Gujarati youth. He was considered "an angry young thinker" of Gujarati literature. His biography's last chapter which was serialised in the Gujarati daily Samkalin could not be printed because it's content had too much violent imagination. His short story Kutti was once banned by the state government and there was even an arrest warrant issued against him. Bakshi belonged to the Palanpur Jain family in Gujarat famous for its diamond merchants -- who are known for their strict vegetarianism. His first short story Makan Nu Bhut (ghost of the house) was written while sitting on the cash-counter of his own readymade garment shop at the age of 18. He has written more than 160 books.

Dikro Kahoo Ke Dev
Saturday, March 25, 2006 | AY

Dubbing of H.G. Films’ Dikro Kahoo Ke Dev is in full swing in Mumbai. Being produced by Haresh G Patel and directed by Atmaram Thakor, the film stars Hiten Kumar, Pranjal Bhatt, Devendra Pandit, Pratima T, Mitresh Varma, Ghanshyam Nayak and Feroz Irani. Written by Mukesh Malvankar, it has music by Brij Joshi, Arvind Barot, Jayesh Barot and cinematography by Rafiz Sheikh. It is co-Produced by Ashwini Patel-Suresh Thakkar.

Surat is all set to be beautiful
Saturday, March 25, 2006 | AY

Surat which is already known as the second cleanest city of the country after Chandigarh, it’s all set to compete for the Garden City title now. It has 70 exquisitely landscaped gardens in seven zones and 15 more planned at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) even has a separate Public Parks and Garden Department to focus on this mission. The idea is to create an ideal environment for citizens by setting up parks, gardens, ponds and lakes, thereby reducing air and noise pollution. Of the existing parks, the popular ones are Morarji Desai Udhyan at Adajan, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Udhyan at Mora Bhagal, Subhash Sarovar at Mora Bhagal, Veer Savarkar Udhyan at Katargam, Shanti Kunj at Taadwadi, Vrundavan Udhyan at Athwalines, and Sarojini Naidu Udhyan at Umara.

Vivek Kudva is the president of Franklin Templeton Investments
Saturday, March 25, 2006 | AY

Franklin Templeton Investments (India) has announced the appointment of Vivek Kudva as president. An engineering graduate from IIT-Delhi and a post graduate diploma in management from IIM-Ahmedabad, he was earlier general manager, National Bank of Oman, prior to which he was country head, personal financial services, HSBC India, where he was instrumental in successfully developing and executing the bank's retail growth strategy in India.

General Motors invests in Gujarat
Friday, March 24, 2006 | AY

Automobiles major General Motors will invest Rs 100 crore in its manufacturing facility at Halol in Gujarat, for penetrating into the Indian small car segment. The new cars, which would be rolling out of the factory have been named Aveo-U-VA and Optra SRV. The company would expand its car manufacturing capacity from the present 65,000 a year to 86,000. In a bid to reach out to more customers, the company would expand its dealership network from the present 77 to 110 besides two new parts distribution centres, one each at Maharashtra and Delhi.

'Linguistic minority' schools approaches court
Friday, March 24, 2006 | AY

'Linguistic minority' Class 12 students in Gujarat face a problem during the examinations as the state education board does not provide question papers in the language they have opted. The students of Urdu, Sindhi, Marathi and five other 'linguistic minority' languages are instead given question papers in Gujarati, Hindi or English, which they have not studied and are ignorant of, say the authorities of minority schools. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) chairman, H.N. Hingu, says in defence that, the reason is (such students) are very few in number. Second it is a question of secrecy (of the question papers). The chances of question papers getting leaked are more if it is translated in other languages. The schools and education trusts run by linguistic minorities are upset, arguing that when the board is able to provide text books and teachers in the eight languages then why it could not provide the question papers in the languages.

Hoax bomb scare at a Bus stand
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 | AY

A Tiffin carrier set off a wave of panic at the Lal Darwaja AMTS bus stand yesterday. The box, that was lying unattended, was spotted by two sweepers, who informed the matter to the Karanj police. A bomb disposal squad rushed to the spot and took possession of the tiffin box. Later, they took it to the banks of Sabarmati near Subhash Bridge to dispose it off. Later it turned out that box contained no bomb, but some roti and vegetables. It’s usual to be scared after seeing a box lying unattended at a crowded place as it’s not very long that a blast took place at the railway station and only last week four Harkat-ul-Mujahideen operatives were gunned down by police in an encounter.

Gujarat is the No 1 industrialized state
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 | AY

Maharashtra, which until recently prided itself as being the numero uno among the industrialised states in the country has slipped to the number two slot after Gujarat. According to the latest Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for 2003-04, Gujarat is contributing 19.8% in the country’s organised manufacturing sector, compared to Maharashtra’s 19.1%. Tamil Nadu is third with 8.8%. In terms of industrial investment between 1991-2005, Gujarat recorded investment inflow of Rs. 3,08,613 crores against Maharashtra’s Rs. 2,85,168 crores. Andhra Pradesh stood third with Rs. 2,11,753 crores. Maharashtra’s only consolation is in foreign direct investment (FDI). Maharashtra, with Rs 52,840 crores in 3,833 projects, is miles ahead of Tamil Nadu which has seen an inflow of Rs. 25,624 crores, followed by Gujarat with Rs. 20,544 crores.

Surat worried of illegal chickens from other states
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | AY

The officials in Surat are worried over the illegal entry of eggs and chickens from Maharashtra, where bird flu cases have been detected. A consignment containing 19 boxes of eggs were offloaded at Surat suspecting bird flu cases as they were supplied from Mumbai. The Gujarat government is taking no chances after the second round of bird flu cases came into light in Jalgoan recently. Officials in Gujarat are not being able to control the inflow of eggs and chickens from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Though legal action has been taken against those responsible for illegal entry of chickens, it poses serious threat to the health concerns of the public.

Verghese Kurien resigns
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | AY

Verghese Kurien, resigned as member and chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in anticipation of a no-confidence motion. He has been chairman since the inception in 1973 of the GCMMF, which markets the Amul brand milk and milk products. Only three months ago, Dr. Kurien (84) was unanimously re-elected for three years by the same board of directors, which, he said, turned against him suddenly now. Dr. Kurien convened a media conference at the IRMA on Monday morning to announce his resignation after he was informed of the move to adopt a no-confidence motion at a meeting of the GCMMF board later in the day.

Cosmos expands in Gujarat
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | AY

Cosmos Cooperative Bank, has chosen to expand its footprint in Gujarat. Cosmos is acquiring the Cooperative Bank of Ahmedabad, which had been banned from carrying out transactions for the last three years by RBI and the Rs 80 crore Baroda-based Unnati Cooperative Bank. It is also taking over the one-branch Annapurna Mahila Cooperative Bank in Secunderabad. With the acquisitions, Cosmos will now have 69 branches spread over Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Narmada water released for Rajasthan
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | AY

Gujarat government will soon release Rajasthan's share of Narmada river waters through the Sardar Sarovar. Rajasthan government has already given Rs 600 crore to Gujarat for constructing the Navagam canal through Gujarat up to Rajasthan for carrying Narmada water into Rajasthan territory. The state government has already completed building 74-km-long canal on its side. Once the water is available, the needs of 124 villages of Jalore and Barmer districts would be met.
The state should have received its share of water in 2004 itself but theh matter remained suspended because of the dispute over the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam was pending. The state government has contributed 2 percent of the total cost of building the Sardar Sarovar dam. The cost of the dam is expected to cross Rs 18,000 crore when it is fully completed.

Govt Wants Nuns to leave their services in hospital
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | AY

Patients of a hospital for Hansenites in Gujarat are upset after the state's pro-Hindu government decided to end Catholic nuns' contract to manage the institution after almost 60 years. The Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate took up the administration of the Leprosy Hospital in 1949. The government invited the nuns to run the hospital in Ahmedabad. The government used to renew the five-year contract routinely, but things began to change in 2001 after BJP came in power in the state. The government announced Feb. 21 that it would not renew the contract with the nuns, which is due to expire April 1.
The hospital, which sits on a 10-hectare plot of government-owned land, houses some 40 inpatients and treats hundreds of outpatients. The nuns' residence is on the premises.

Father of India's White revolution Kurien resigns
Monday, March 20, 2006 | AY

Verghese Kurien, commonly hailed as the Father of India's White Revolution has announced his decision to resign . He is founder chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.His resignation, apparently pre-empted a proposed move by the dairy federation's Board members to oust him. The federation owns the Amul brand and Kurien's exit caps months of controversy. Kurien held the post for last 34 years."I have been the Chairman of GCMMF board since its inception in 1973. Do I deserve this kind of treatment?" Kurien, celebrated as the father of India's 'white revolution', said reacting to reports that Board members would meet on March 24 to pass a non-confidence motion against him. "I am anguished and pained by the recent move of GCMMF Board against me. Having served the cooperative dairy sector for over five decades with complete dedication and commitment, do I deserve this kind of treatment from the board members," he asked.

Baa Ae Maari Boundary
Saturday, March 18, 2006 | AY

'Baa Ae Maari Boundary' is a social satirical comedy with its main protagonist being Bharti Bhatia, an old and lonely woman whose status in her disturbed and strained family is nothing more than that of a piece of furniture. The twist in the story comes when Bharti’s grandson arrives in India from America and persuades her to try modeling for commercials. The rest of the play is about how Bharti uses her new-found confidence and celebrity status to reconsolidate her position in the family and to bring her family closer. Being made under the banner of Sanjay Goradia Productions’, the play, written by Imtiaz Patel, has story and concept by Vipul Mehta, sets by Chhel-Paresh and music by Sachin Sanghvi. Directed by Vipul Mehta, it stars Padmarani, Sanat Vyas, Rohinton Chesan, Jimit Trivedi, Linesh Phanse, Shenal Trivedi, Vasundhara Sanghvi and Harsh Mehta. It is a Kasturbh Trivedi Presentation.

Reliance comes up new tech to boost profit
Saturday, March 18, 2006 | AY

Reliance Industries will use advanced technology at its new refinery to produce a high proportion of expensive auto fuels and boost profits. The 29 million tonnes (580,000 barrels per day) refinery at a site adjacent to RIL's existing plant at Jamnagar in Gujarat, would produce 1,213 million tonnes of diesel and 8-10 million tonnes of petrol. The proposed refinery process configuration is designed to maximise production of gasoline (petrol), alkylate, jet fuel and diesel as well as premium products, and to minimise the production of lower value-added products such as fuel oil. Margins on converting crude into gasoline and diesel was at least four times higher than that of fuel oil.

Advani to begin yatra from Gujarat
Saturday, March 18, 2006 | AY

BJP today announced that L K Advani would start the twin national-integration yatra programme, from Gujarat on April 6 while party chief Rajnath Singh would commence the journey from Orissa on the same day. The leader of Opposition would traverse roughly 5,800 kms across 10 states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. Advani would cover the yatra in roughly 26 days with breaks in between to campaign in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The twin yatra, announced in the wake of the Varanasi bomb blasts, would begin on the party's foundation day on April 6 and conclude on May 10, the 149th anniversary of India's first war of independence.

DCB launches FSSA in Gujarat
Thursday, March 16, 2006 | AY

Development Credit Bank (DCB) has launched its free style savings account (FSSA) in Gujarat. This plan is a zero balance savings account with a free 90-day trial offer. Here, the customer is required to pay annual fee of Rs 555 to enjoy free facilities and services. The offer comes with international debit card, personal accident death insurance, any branch banking facility, internet banking, mobile and phone banking, statement of account by e-mail, electronic funds transfer facility and a other free services. The customers can access 600 ATMs of other banks free of cost, but only twice in a month. The bank is launching this product in Gujarat because its an important part of overall growth plans of the bank and Gujarat market has a tremendous potential.

Clothes at Britan stores now have a Gujarat tag
Thursday, March 16, 2006 | AY

UK-based Marks and Spencers (M&S) has launched a sale of socks and T-shirts, made from cotton produced by Gujarat farmers, across 36 stores in Britain. Agrocel, an agricultural service provider, would initially procure the fair trade cotton from farmers of Bhuj district and supply it to Marks and Spencers value chain, but later on would procure cotton from other areas of Gujarat. M&S made this announcement during Fair Trade Fortnight, a global campaign that highlights plight of farmers in developing countries who are exploited by middlemen and get an unfair price for their produce.

Gujarati monuments restored
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 | AY

Gujarat's 500-odd neglected historical monuments are now finally being renovated by archeologists. Officials of the state archeological department, which handles 330 heritage sites, as well as the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after 212 protected monuments are working to give a face-lift to these eye-catching ancient structures, most of them built by the Mughal rulers. Champaner-Pavagadh, a six-km region in Central Gujarat boasting 120 historical monuments, last year made it to the UN select list of the World Heritage sites. The belt is dotted with spell-binding archaeological remains from the late Stone Age, 10th century temples and 15th century mesmerising Mughal architecture, including mosques and a secret tunnel built by the Sultan Mehmud Begda.

Meningitis in Surat
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 | AY

The last one month has witnessed six deaths due to bacterial meningitis (meningococcal meningitis or meningococcemia). Health authorities, however, have ruled out possibility of an epidemic outbreak saying that the cases reported in the city have been sporadic and so no need of mass vaccination either. Meningococcal meningitis is an inflammation of membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and presence of bacteria in the blood. According to experts, meningococcal disease occurs in two main forms. Meningococcal septicaemia occurs when the germ invades the bloodstream causing blood poisoning, while meningococcal meningitis occurs when the germ infects the outer lining around the brain and spinal cord. Typical symptoms are fever, stiff neck, severe headache, dislike for bright lights, vomiting, joint or muscle pains, drowsiness and even coma.

Religious tourism in Palitana
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 | AY

To promote religious tourism in Palitana in Bhavnager district, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) in co-ordination with Pavitra Yatradham board did spend Rs 50 lakh to develop infrastructure facilities for pilgrims. The Jain pilgrimage centre was projected internationally to attract pilgrims from across the world. A two-day religious festival had also been organised by TCGL on March 11 and 12. Palitana is well known for a flourishing dustry in rosewater and musical instruments. An exhibition on the life of Lord Adishwar with had also be organised by TCGL in which the basic principles of non violence in the Jain religion would be projected.

Schools in Ahmedabad are mostly IBO affliated
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 | AY

In Ahmedabad, Mahatma Gandhi International School and Ahmedabad International School offer IBO(International Baccalaureate Organisation) , with the latter also offering IGCSE(International General Certificate of Secondary Education). In the next two years, Calorex Foundation will also begin a separate IB-affiliated school. Besides, there are four schools in the city offering Cambridge programmes. Two schools in Rajkot — Galaxy International School and BM Kiyada International School — will soon be affiliating with IBO. Vadodara got its first IB school in 2005, with Navrachna International School introducing all three programmes of IB. A student gets additional credit in top universities across the world because and IGCSE have a benchmark. The flip side, however, is these programmes are not recognised by several Indian universities, including those in Gujarat. Fees range between Rs 30,000 year to Rs 2.5 lakh per year.

Crocodile fossil found in Kutch
Monday, March 13, 2006 | AY

A team from the earth sciences department of IIT, Roorkee in Uttaranchal, along with an American researcher, found a 45 million-year-old fossil of a crocodile in Julrai village in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch district. Crocodile skull that the team found is about 70 cm long, suggesting that the body must have been about eight to 10 metre long. The rocks from which this fossil was excavated were formed in what was then a swampy environment. In the past couple of years, the team has also discovered an assemblage of fossil land mammals from a coal (lignite) mine at Vastan near Surat. These fossils, between 52 and 55 million years old, have been discovered for the first time in India. The collection includes distant ancestors of modern horses, humans, deer and cattle, bats, insectivores and many more groups.

'Lesser Flamingoes' spotted in Gujarat
Monday, March 13, 2006 | AY

"Over two lakh 'Lesser Flamingoes' were spotted recently in the mud flats of the Gulf of Khambhat of Gujarat where rivers Sabarmati and Mahisagar meet the Arabian Sea. This is the biggest ever congregation of 'Lesser Flamingoes' (Phoenicopterus minor) that has been spotted in Gujarat. There are two species of Flamingoes, the resident 'Greater Flamingoes' which breed in large number near Dholavira, popularly known as Flamingo City in Kutch district of Gujarat, and the 'Lesser Flamingoes' which are migratory. The 'Lesser Flamingoes' are smaller in size and more pink plummages compared to the resident species. The silting caused by the rivers and the mixture of fresh and saline waters creates a micro-climatic condition suiting the growth of algae which is one of the major source of food for these birds.

Design institute plans CAT
Sunday, March 12, 2006 | AY

The National Institute of Design (NID) here is planning to introduce a common admission test in all the design-related institutions in the country from the next academic year on the lines of CAT for management students. Executive director Darlie O. Koshy, has invited representatives of some two dozen such institutions for a meeting here on April 8 to discuss the possibility of a national level "Design Aptitude Test" (DAT) to be conducted by the NID and its scores could be used by the upcoming institutions for admission after the top 250 students are admitted to the NID.

Pride hotel's next mission in Surat
Sunday, March 12, 2006 | AY

Pride Group of Hotels have formulated ‘Vision 2011’ with which, there would be an addition of another five hotels in different cities, including Surat. The total cost of the entire project will be around Rs 300 crore. Chairman and managing director of the Pride Group of Hotels said that, the main purpose behind Vision 2011, is to built 11 hotels, with total 1,100 rooms in 11 cities by the end of the year 2011. The investment of the entire project of Vision 2011, which will cost around Rs 300 crore, will be managed entirely by the Pride Group. They have plans to mark their presence in Asian countries like Singapore, Hongkong, Sri Lanka and Bangkok.

Railway office not to be shifted
Sunday, March 12, 2006 | AY

Government has rejected a proposal to shift Western Railways Zonal Office to Gandhinagar or Ahmedabad from Mumbai. The location of the railways headquarters is decided on the basis of operational and administrative requirements consistent with the needs of economy and efficiency and not on regional considerations. Moreover, shifting of a well established office from Mumbai will involve largescale transfers of staff, resulting in dislocation of their family setup and other related problems. The proposal to shift the zonal office had come from a Minister from Gujarat.

BJP MPs meet PM
Saturday, March 11, 2006 | AY

delegation of BJP MPs from Gujarat, led by Leader of the Oppostion L K Advani, on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought his personal intervention for release of 361 fishermen of the state languishing in the jails of Pakistan. During the meeting with Singh, the 18-member delegation urged him to sign an agreement with Pakistan, which would recognise the traditional rights of the fishermen. The MPs, including Keshubhai Patel, Kashiram Rana, a K Patel, also requested the Prime Minister to allocate gas for setting up of 615 MW gas-based power project at Pipavav.

GPS station need to be set up in the state
Saturday, March 11, 2006 | AY

Geologists at M S University are waiting for the clearance of a 100 square metre land in Pavagadh so that they can start a project that was sanctioned after the 2001 tragedy to locate other earthquake-prone areas. A permanent Global Positioning System (GPS) station to be set up here was pending with the Godhra collectorate and now it is pending with the forest department. The three rifts are active in Gujarat and are responsible for earthquakes in the state. Once the network is established with 70 temporary and four permanent stations, one can study the build-up of stress in specific regions of the state and identify the locations of future earthquakes. A permanent GPS station acts as a reference point for measuring changes recorded at the temporary station. After getting annual records of the stress build-up in the regions, geologists make observations of the readings to identify the locations and intensity of earthquakes. GPS networks have already been successful in earthquake-prone regions like California and Japan. MSU geologists add that experts in California and Japan, who have a network of 10,000 such permanent GPS stations, have already succeeded in predicting earthquakes.

Gujarat had a Harappan town hiding within it
Saturday, March 11, 2006 | AY

Well-developed Harappan town has been found in Rapar area of Gujarat's Kutch district during excavation by Gujarat archeological department. In the excavation, structure of a strong outer wall, some 9.5 metre high, foodgrains like rice, wheat, barley, lentils etc were recovered from some 30 trenches. The trenches also revealed some sections of streets or lanes suggesting the kind of town that might have existed. The team also discovered microliths weighing around 134 grams made of steatite (soapstones) and pottery belonging to mature Harappan and late Harappan period.

Gujarati females helps NRI's
Thursday, March 9, 2006 | AY

Giving a ray of hope to childless Non-Resident Indian (NRI) couples, more and more women in Anand district in Central Gujarat are preparing to become surrogate mothers. Dr Nayana Patel, a noted gynaecologist, under her many as 18 women from this district belonging to lower middle income group have come forward to be surrogate mothers for NRIs. As per the In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technique, the egg of the biological mother is fertilised with sperms of the father in a test tube and the embryo is then transferred into the uterus of the surrogate mother. Abroad it is a costlier affair abroad where recruiting agency charge 30,000 US dollar and surrogate mother is given 15,000 US dollar. Moreover, the surrogate also enjoys certain rights over the baby. While in India, the amount paid to surrogate mothers ranges between Rs 1-2 lakh.

Kurkure business doing well in Gujarat
Thursday, March 9, 2006 | AY

FritoLay India launched Kurkure Solid Masti’s ‘Masala Twist’ — a Gujarat specific variant, to target the state market. Gujarat accounts for more than 60 per cent of Kurkure sales in the country. The company is also coming up with outdoor promotion and marketing campaigns in all the major cities of Gujarat. The company on Tuesday launched its new tea time snack Kurkure Solid Masti, which will target elderly people. Consumers wanted more heavier snacks that could sustain them till dinner, hence they decided to come up with this products. The company plans to add-up more 10-15 per cent in sale of Kurkure’s volume. Company’s brand ambassador Juhi Chawla will be marketing this product too.

Centre set up for assisting in choice of drugs
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 | AY

The Pharmacology Department of the Government Medical College affiliated with the New Civil Hospital in Surat has set up a helpline, Drug Information Centre (DIC), with an aim to help pharmacists, doctors and general public in getting in-depth and focused information on drugs. First centre in Gujarat, the DIC began functioning on February 11. Equipped with all required information on allopathy drugs, like composition and contents, prescribed quantity, mechanism of how drug works in the body, how it acts on a target organ, detailed information about drugs used in various kinds of ailments, etc, the centre has definitely come up as a boon for all. In times of emergency, one only has to dial the DIC helpline number —2231600 — and get required information on drugs one wants to use.

Mild earthquake hits Gujarat
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 | AY

Gujarat state meteorological department has recorded a moderate earthquake which has caused no casualities. The 5.2 magnitude temblor struck at 11.50 pm (1820 GMT) on Tuesday and was centered in the Kutch region, which was devastated by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in January 2001. The earthquake was felt in several towns and villages of Gujarat state, but there were no reports of any damage or casualties. The January 2001 earthquake killed more than 13,000 people, destroyed 1.2 million homes and caused an estimated US $4.5 billion in damage in three districts of Gujarat state.

Retired cricketers pension hiked
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 | AY

BCCI President, Sharad Pawar, today said that the Board had chalked out a pension scheme of Rs 25,000 for each of the old and retired cricketers. He said that each State Cricket Association would also stand to earn more from television rights and other means and this earning could touch Rs 20 crores in the coming days. He said the BCCI was working in a manner that those playing international matches would earn in crores while Ranji level players would earn in lakhs. Pawar said experts from Australia would be brought to Gujarat to inspect and suggest methods of imporvement for various cricket pitches across Gujarat apart from the Motera cricket ground in the city here.

GSHSEB comes out with changes in board exams
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 | AY

The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has decided to grant 15 minutes ‘‘cool-off’’ time to students, taking board exams before writing their papers. Beginning this year, it will be applicable to SSC and HSC students. Following the CBSE’s decision, there was a demand from the parents and students that the Gujarat board too should provide the same facility. As per changes in the timing, for SSC exams to begin at 10.45 am, students will get question papers at 10.30 am and answerbooks at 10.40 am. Similarly, HSC students will get their papers 15 minutes before the scheduled time of 3.15 pm. This will help students decide which questions to attempt first. Earlier, they used to go through our papers in a haste with less time to make such decisions.

Unity ties up with Sterling
Monday, March 6, 2006 | AY

Unity, one of the Vadodara's top multi-speciality hospitals, plans to tie up with Sterling Hospital of Ahmedabad. Unity will renamed as Sterling-Unity Hospital from April 1. The merger will also help them upgrade our technology,medical facilities and spend more on research. Sterling will invest Rs 10 crore in Unity in the coming months to upgrade existing departments and start new ones. While Unity has applied to the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH), Sterling has applied to the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations (JCAHO), an American accreditation agency. Sterling, which plans to invest Rs 100 crore across the state in next two years, is also looking for similar tie-ups or setting up new hospitals in Surat and Rajkot.

Gujarat triumphs in cricket tournament for blind
Monday, March 6, 2006 | AY

The team from Gujarat has won the 13th National Cricket Tournament for the Blind held in Bangalore, defeating Haryana in the finals on Sunday. The best performing players in this tournament will be considered for the next Cricket World Cup for the Blind to be held in South Africa. They have three categories, B1 totally blind, B2, partially blind and B3 is partially sighted. They have different quota for B1, B2, B3 - B1 four players minimum, B2 three players and B3 four players.

Gujarat govt asks for more time : CD probe
Sunday, March 5, 2006 | AY

The Gujarat Government today sought "more time" to reply to a plea seeking a detailed probe into the two crucial Compact Discs (CDs) containing details of mobile telephone calls made during the post-Godhra riots in 2002 which could ascertain the "role of Gujarat police and Ministers of the Narendra-Modi Government". The two-member Nanavati-Shah panel probing the Sabarmati Express train carnage and the post-Godhra riots granted time and adjourned the hearing on the matter till March 13. The CDs contain phone numbers of calls made or received during the period from February 27, 2002 to March seven, 2002 in the city of Ahmedabad during the peak of communal riots.

Ayurveda could be saviour to Bird flu
Sunday, March 5, 2006 | AY

Experts from the Gujarat Ayurvedic University, Jamnagar, have come up with a project to control and prevent bird flu among humans. A kit with three items—two disinfectants and a medicine to enhance the power of the immune system against the virus—will be distributed under the project specially designed by the Gujarat Ayurved University to prevent and control bird flu among human beings. The disinfectant in powder form can be used for fumigation. When burnt with neem leaves, this disinfectant can clean and clear the air, killing bacteria and viruses found in the air. Besides, the kit would include shadbindu oil, five to six drops of which when poured in the nose, kills bacteria and viruses that may enter the body while breathing. They have also prescribed rasayab chruna to enhance the power of the human immune system. The project has been designed following instruction from State Health Minister Ashok Bhatt during a meeting held on February 20 at Gandhinagar.

Electro TMT plus steel reinforcement bars launched
Sunday, March 5, 2006 | AY

Electrotherm India Ltd has launched its Electro TMT plus steel reinforcement bars, manufactured at the company's steel plant at Samakhiyali in Kutch district of Gujarat. The thermo-mechanically treated steel bars will be made at our Rs 440 crore fully integrated steel plant in Kutch. The plant also consists of Induction Furnaces, Ladle Refining furnaces, a separate line for Stainless Steel making, rolling milling for rounds, TMT and wire rods and others. Rs 165 crores are already invested in this project which will have a total steel/cast iron capacity of 3,00,000 TPA (tonnes per annum).

GSRTC buses modernised for the comfort of passengers
Sunday, March 5, 2006 | AY

In its bid to modernise the state public transport and provide better customer services, the GSRTC is installing the GPS system to monitor its luxury, semi-luxury and long route buses. While e-ticketing machines will ensure hassle-free travel as tickets will indicate the route, number of passengers, luggage and other required information, the GSRTC hopes the mobile phone services on inter-state routes will attract more inter-state commuters to its services. The GPS system can been mounted on a particular vehicle and connected through satellite by internet to the control room of the GSRTC. In the case of a breakdown or accident, the control room would be in the loop and timely help can be provided. After Ahmedabad and Vadodara, the GSRTC plans to extend mobile phone services to its buses in Saurashtra. This will enable the passenger to make calls anywhere in the country from the GSRTC bus. For the same the commuter would be charged 50 paise for mobile to mobile and Re 1 for mobile to landline per minute. Other trappings from the GSRTC include TV and audio system, FM radio, mobile charger, sliding door, tubelights at every seat, night reading lamp and fan and PVC coated push back seats in all luxury buses.

Classic film Festival 2006
Saturday, March 4, 2006 | AY

The four-day Classic film Festival 2006, which will showcase Bollywood genius" of the 60's, will be held in Ahmedabad from today. "Five carefully picked classics, 'Awaara', 'Sahib Bibi aur Gulam', 'Guide', 'Chaudhvi Ka Chaand' and 'Teesri Kasam', which present different shades of romances from the films made during the 1950's and 60s will be screened during the festival. The idea behind showcasing these films is to make the present-day audience aware about the geniuses that existed in Bollywood in the past. Farouque Sheikh, renowned film and theatre personality, will be hosting the festival. The film festival will also be held in Vadodara on March 10-12.

A boon to blind schools in Gujarat
Saturday, March 4, 2006 | AY

The distance learning classes to strengthen grammar fundamentals among visually-impaired students have been possible due to audio conferencing through Edusat, an education satellite of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The modern technology involving satellite and digital equipment has enabled over 2,000 students at 10 blind schools across Gujarat to revise subjects like Mathematics, Science, English, Hindi and Social Studies before the board examinations, which will begin from March 16. The broadcasting on the 188 KU band of Edusat started more than two months back. With the help of ISRO (Ahmedabad), a studio to broadcast programmes has been installed at BPA, which through Edusat is connected with 10 blind schools at Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Idar, Dahod, Visnagar, Surat, Sayla, Mehsana and Kapdvanj. A digital sound and data-based receiver have been installed to receive signals through satellite. Gujarat is the only state in India which can boast of this system.

Sanam Teri Bahon Mein
Saturday, March 4, 2006 | AY

'Sanam Teri Bahon Mein' will roll in the first week of March. Being produced by Rajesh V. Patel and Manish Bhawani, the film is directed by Ratan Aulakh. Kkashish Duggal has been signed to play one of the leading ladies while the search is on for another leading lady. Mukesh Rishi, supermodel Ashutosh Singh, Vindoo Dara Singh, Daman S. Maan and Rajendra Sharma have already been signed for the film which will have story by Rajesh V. Patel, music by Rekha Mistri and cinematography by Pratap Choudhary. Rajkishore Sinha is the production designer of the film.

Anthrax attacks few cattles in Gujarat village
Saturday, March 4, 2006 | AY

Following the death of a cow and reports of ten other cattle suffering from an infectious disease at village Dedakiyali and its surrounding areas in Mendarda taluka, the district administration today declared the whole area as anthrax-hit. District Collector Bipin Shrimali told UNI as a precautionary step, the administration has alerted all cattle owners about the do's and don'ts in case any cattle develops symptoms of anthrax, locally called 'Kaliya Tav', meaning black fever. The disease can be identified when the infected cattle starts discharging blackish blood from eyes, nose, mouth and renal path, with associated fever. The bacillus is communicable to cattle as well as human beings and spreads through the blood discharge. The infected cattle, however, should be marked with identification mark for isolation and precaution should be taken to avoid any contact between the human beings and the infected cattle. The dead cattle should not be skinned (for hides) nor dissected, and should be buried deep with adequate common salt and lime.

Baa Ae Maari Boundary
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 | AY

Sanjay Goradia takes a step further from his previous Gujarati production Baa Retire Thai Chhe starring Padmarani in the title role. His latest, Baa Ae Maari Boundary, again features Padmarani. If Baa Retire Thai Chhe, as the title itself implies, had the mother giving it all up to escape from the daily domestic drudgery, Baa Ae Maari Boundary has her embark on a reinvention trip. A woman fast approaching the autumn of her life, humiliated by family members, seeks solace in her US-returned grandson. Written by Imtiaz Patel, directed by Vipul Mehta, premieres this Sunday at Tejpal. Though a comedy, the drama makes a telling statement, age cannot stop you from looking at yourself anew.

India’s first Aerostate in Kutch
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 | AY

Indian Air Force will soon have India’s first Aerostate operational in the border district of Kutch. The Aerostate in Kutch is Helium filled balloon carrying ultra modern radar. This would give IAF great operational advantage since the radar would be able to cross the barrier of direct land vision. The Aerostate has been imported from Israel and has some US parts also fitted. The balloon goes to the height of about 15,000 to 20,000 ft and this gives aerial view to the radar across the border. Gujarat Government has quoted a price of Rs.291 crore for 100 acres of land in Gandhinagar for the head quarters of South Western Air command (SWAC).