Maharashtra News Archive: June 2005

Kelloggs helps Indian food industry
Thursday, June 30, 2005 | AY

A great news for India’s food industry comes with the decision that manufacturer of breakfast cereals Kellogg Co has decided to use India as the hub for cereal export. With this progress India can now export relatively to rich SAARC(South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries), though they are at present exporting to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in small quantities. Kellogg India Pvt Ltd managing director K Venkatchalam ruled out increasing the company's manufacturing plant at Taloja in Maharashtra in view of the proposed exports. On the growth path of the company in India, he said, the company expected to exceed industry growth of 24 per cent.

Maharashtra Seamless gets $75 millon
Thursday, June 30, 2005 | AY

Maharashtra Seamless Ltd has raised $75 million through Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCB). The bonds, which have a maturity of five years, are convertible at a conversion price of Rs 506.68 per share, which is at a premium of 30 per cent over the closing price of Rs 389.75 on the BSE on June 28, 2005. The bonds carry a zero coupon with a yield to maturity set at 6.20 per cent at the end of five years if not converted into shares during this period. Due to the strong response to the offering, the issue was upsized from $70 million to $75 million.

Prabha renominated as MPCC president
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 | AY

The renomination of Prabha Rau as president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Sunday is seen as a major setback to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. Deshmukh was reportedly dead against Rau’s renomination and had informally proposed names of his trusted lieutenants, MLC Sudhakar Gangane and former state minister Shivajirao Moghe. However, none of them were given a chance by the party high command.

Govt signs agreement with Microsoft
Wednesday, June 29, 2005 | AY

The Maharashtra Government has signed an MoU with the global IT giant Microsoft to accelerate IT literacy in the state and deliver effective e-governance services. Under the agreement signed by Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. and Maharashtra Secretary of Industries V K Jairath yesterday, Microsoft will assist the state government to set up a Bhasha Language Lab at a premier education institute which will provide students and small developers training and access to software tools so that they can build applications and content in Marathi.

More products under Recron
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 | AY

Reliance Industries has planned to launch new products under Recron. The pillows brand Recron will be stretched to more categories in the home furnishing range. The company's R&D facility at the Patalganga plant in Maharashtra is responsible for researching products before they are launched in the market. Reliance Industries has decided to increase the number of outlets from 3,000 to 5,000. Recron certified pillows brand has a small presence in the company's overall operations, registering a turnover of Rs 25 crore. New products such as cushions, bed covers and pillowcases are being test marketed in certain markets in the North before they are launched nationally.

Sugar mills given on lease to private sector
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 | AY

The Maharashtra Government is planning to give for lease four co-operative sugar mills going through bankruptcy, to the private sector. The co-operative sugar industry in Maharashtra is today in doldrums, having as many as 71 declared sick sugar mills. The private party will have to pay an escalating rent on every tonne of sugarcane crushed. At the end of the specified period the mill will have to be handed over to the original owner. The takeover would be on pre-specified terms. The interest of the farmers associated with the mill would not be compromised. Neither there would be any retrenchment of staff. The mill would be run like a business enterprise.

Devrai- sacred grove
Monday, June 27, 2005 | AY

"Devrai" is a sacred grove where diverse nature is given protection under the umbrella of faith. From the acclaimed directorial team behind ‘Dahvi F’ and ‘Vaastupurush’, Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar comes ‘Devrai’, the film. The story of Sheshshahi (Atul Kulkarni), a neglected victim of schizophrenia whose past unfolds as the fragments of memories of his close ones are put together. We enter into his mind and travel with him into the unknown world of broken reality. Then begins the process of his recovery. His own struggle from within and the struggle and compassion of his caregivers once again give meaning to his life. A star cast of Atul Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni,Tushar Dalvi, Devika Daftardar,Amruta Subhash, Rajesh More,Dr. Mohan Agashe are there. Music is by Shrirang Umrani.

DEd courses starts
Monday, June 27, 2005 | AY

The admission process for Diploma in Education (DEd) course will commence today with the sale of forms at district education centres across the State. Instead of centralised allotment of seats based on a state-wide merit list, the education department has decided to allot 70 per cent of seats at the university-level and the remaining 30 per cent at the state-level. This is to ensure that girl candidates do not have to surrender their seats on account of allotment at distant centres. Close to 1.5 lakh students across Maharashtra are expected to apply for the 25,000 seats that are up for grabs at 400 institutions offering the DEd course. The first round of admission at divisional level will be carried out from August 22 to 27 and the second round from August 29 to 31.

Deposit your umbilical cords
Sunday, June 26, 2005 | AY

Privately-run banks are now giving parents-to-be the option of having stem cells collected from their baby's umbilical cord straight after birth and stored for up to 21 years as a living health insurance. Once the child is an adult, he or she can choose to continue banking the cells or donate them for use by others who need them. Stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ, tissue and cell in the body and can be developed into specialised tissues and organs or used to treat life-threatening diseases. Currently, they are used to treat 45 diseases and conditions such as thalassaemia, leukemia, sickle-cell anaemia and several cancers. The popular repository is the Mumbai-based Reliance Life Sciences, which was South Asia's first umbilical cord blood repository.

Collapse of a building
Sunday, June 26, 2005 | AY

Five persons, including four women, were killed and five injured when a 40-year-old, three-storied building collapsed in suburban Khar in Mumbai. Of the five flats on the first and second floor, four were being used as residences, while one housed a chartered accountant's office. Four persons were still feared trapped under the debris of the collapsed building as rain hampered rescue work.

Yakeen
Saturday, June 25, 2005 | AY

Nikhil (Arjun Rampal) is a young (and handsome) business tycoon in Himachal, married to beautiful Simar (Priyanka Chopra). Though theirs is a happy marriage, their relationship is devoid of that closeness, the warmth which marks the ideal bonding. Life takes a bizarre turn when the car they are travelling in falls from a height, crashing down the hillside, turning into a total wreck. This turbulent phase in their life draws Nikhil and Simar closer, thanks to her love and care shown while nourishing Nikhil back to near normalcy. Nikhil starts experiencing strange flashes of memory coming to him from time to time. Enlisting the help of a private investigator, Nikhil embarks on a dangerous journey determined to uncover the truth. Girish Dhamija who has written dialogues many films of the Bhatt camp makes his debut with this film, ‘Yakeen’, made under the banner of Shreya Creations.

Matrubhoomi
Saturday, June 25, 2005 | AY

The film "Matrubhoomi - A nation without women" explores the impact of absence of women on men. It underlines how the absence of women inexorably leads to the debasement of men, draining them of all that make them human. The film explores a futuristic rural India wherein due to rampant female infanticide, women are practically extinct. Distributed by Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, Matrubhoomi is directed by Manish Jha and has already made rounds of several international film festivals. Salim Sulaiman has composed the background score of the movie.

Jadeja looks for greener pastures
Saturday, June 25, 2005 | AY

Former India captain Ajay Jadeja who led Delhi in the Ranji Trophy last season has confirmed that he has decided to leave Delhi for greener pastures. Responding to strong speculations that he was shifting to Maharashtra, he said on Friday that he indeed was talking to the state officials as well as some other teams. He is grateful to the DDCA for giving him a chance to represent Delhi but now he is on a look out for a team that can reciprocate his hard work and commitment.

NTC's Mumbai chief removed
Saturday, June 25, 2005 | AY

The government made it clear that the move to remove National Textile Corp’s (South Maharashtra) chief V.K. Tripathi was intimated a month back and it had nothing to do with the differences that have cropped up between him and textile minister Shankar Singh Vaghela on the selloff of three mills in Mumbai recently. NTC has a holding company in Delhi with nine subsidiaries. Seven of the subsidiaries are without independent managing directors and only two subsidiaries in Mumbai have full-time independent directors. Moreover the govt thinks that there is no need to keep two independent directors in Mumbai since, NTC is undergoing a major restructuring exercise with 52 of the total 119 mills closed, and only 65 are operational.

Baba Amte to be honoured
Saturday, June 25, 2005 | AY

Noted social worker and Magasaysay award winner, Baba Amte will be honoured the prestigious `Maharashtra Bhushan' award on July two. Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil will confer the award to Amte at his residence in Warora in Chandrapur district.

New entrants in cabinet on June 25
Friday, June 24, 2005 | AY

The Government is likely to undertake another round of Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday. A new sports minister is expected to be appointed after the seat fell vacant following the death of Sunil Dutt. The names of Suresh Kalmadi and Gurudas Kamat, both from Maharashtra, are making the rounds as the probable Sports Minister. At present, the UPA Government has 65 ministers - 27 of Cabinet rank, 10 Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charges and 28 MoS - and Dr Singh can have as many as 16 more ministers without violating the existing ceiling on the size of the Government.

Fosters gets into agreement with Kool Breweries
Friday, June 24, 2005 | AY

Foster's, the first multinational brewer in the country which had until now catered to the domestic market from its greenfield brewery at Aurangabad in Maharashtra has inked the first contract bottling agreement with Kool Breweries, located at Dharuhera in Haryana. The brewery has an installed monthly output of 1.5 lakh cases, and Foster's would use only a part of the bottling capacity initially. Owing to inter-State levies on alcoholic beverage, Foster's products were priced higher in markets outside Maharashtra. The bottling pact in Haryana would help the company improve its stakes in Delhi, where it enjoys a respectable share of the premium mild beer market, and expand further into other northern markets. The company's largest market in the country remains Maharashtra, with Mumbai and Pune as its core cities.

Mimbai HC asks Sena -BJP to pay Rs 20 lakh each
Friday, June 24, 2005 | AY

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Shiv Sena and BJP to pay Rs 20 lakh each as compensation to Maharashtra government for the losses incurred during a bandh, observed by the parties in Mumbai on July 30, 2003 to protest Ghatkopar bomb blast. The order was in response to a PIL filed by an NGO Agni, theatre personality Alyque Padamsee and former Municipal Commissioner B G Deshmukh, alleging that the city had suffered an estimated loss of Rs 50 crore due to the bandh.

Maharashtra gets loan of $325 million from WB
Friday, June 24, 2005 | AY

The World Bank has sanctioned a $325 million loan to assist the Government with the implementation of the Maharashtra Water Sector Improvement Project (MWSIP) in the state to strengthen the capacity for multi-sectoral planning, development and sustainable management of the water resources and to improve irrigation service delivery and agricultural productivity. The loan will fund institutional reforms to better manage the state's water supply, modernise irrigation schemes covering about 670,000 hectares of farmland and support groundwater management. It is estimated, he said, that as a result of this project farm incomes on average are expected to increase by 49 per cent.

Governor returns dance bar ordinance
Friday, June 24, 2005 | AY

The Congress-led state government in Maharashtra received a jolt on Thursday when Governor S M Krishna returned the controversial ordinance banning dance bars, saying the matter did not merit immediate attention. Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil in the light that bars were corrupting youth and that the trade was exploitative in nature banned dance bars during the Budget session of the legislature on March 30. Although political parties across the spectrum have backed the ban, concerns regarding the rehabilitation of the over 70,000 women employed as bargirls in Mumbai have grown. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had also emphasised on the need to safeguard the women's economic rights after a delegation of bargirls met her in New Delhi.

Arizona university investigates rock samples from mumbai
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

Two rock samples from and around Mumbai are currently being analysed at the Mars Space Flight Facility of the Arizona State University in the United States to check if they may have any link with Mars. This was disclosed at a media, which was addressed by three scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration and two Mumbaikars (26-year-old Mayuresh Marathe and 17-year-old Anmol Nathani who had sent the rock samples to the US). The scientists were Amitabha Ghosh, Jim Rice and Michael Wyatt, who had played a key role in NASA's rover missions: "Spirit" and "Opportunity".

Science gets interesting
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

Navi Mumbai township will have its own science park, only the second one in the city after the Nehru Science Centre at Worli. The City Industrial and Development Corporation of India (Cidco) plans to build the science park on a 20-acre plot in Khargar, near Bharatiya Vidyapeeth. The uniqueness in the park is that it will be designed according to the wishes of Navi Mumbai's 11 lakh population. An essay competition will be held in which residents can write about their dream of a science park. Those who work in Navi Mumbai but stay elsewhere can also participate in the competition. The essays will be evaluated by retired scientists of the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre who live in Navi Mumbai.

Foreigner appointed as cricket coach of MCA
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) appointed Australian Darren James Holder as the team coach as well as Director of Cricket. After Greg Chappell, who has formally taken over as the coach of the national cricket team, Holder becomes the second Australian to coach a team in the country in quick succession. As Director of cricket, the australian is expected to run a high performance cricket training programme through out Maharashtra for all age groups of cricket players.

Dabhol power plant issue settled
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

Battle over the Dabhol power plant in Maharashtra is over, with the lenders to the project reaching a settlement with 85 per cent equity holders GE and Bechtel. NTPC, GAIL, MSEB and the financial institutions - is expected to file application for registration by the end of this week and an integrated company would be formed with a CEO. The 2,184 MW utility would be further expanded by 2,500 MW at the same location and the overall capacity of the station would go up to 5,000 MW. Sources said the financial engineering has been done in such a manner that the tariff from the plant would be around Rs 2.30 per unit, and in any case not exceed Rs 2.50 per unit. While MSEB would hold a 15 per cent stake in the joint venture SPV, the balance 85 per cent would be equally shared by NTPC, GAIL and the financial institutions led by IDBI.

CM trying to earn foreign investments
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is leading a business delegation to seven US cities from June 18-30, is praising maharashtra as a potential biotechnology and IT hub for Asia. It has a vast scientific pool, rich biodiversity and strong pharmaceutical industry. The state contributes about 40% of the total turnover of the pharmaceutical industry in India. He also said the state offered immense opportunities for agro-biotechnology. He also said that the state was going through its worst power crisis and had to endure frequent load shedding because of a shortfall of 3,300MW. Among the major projects that Mr Deshmukh mentioned was turning the city of Nagpur into an international cargo hub. Another favourite project of Mr Deshmukh’s is to rehabilitate those slums which obstruct the city’s progress.

Case filed against Bhansali
Thursday, June 23, 2005 | AY

Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation Ltd, would be filing a Rs 6 crore civil suit against Bhansali Productions for the loss incurred to its studio in a fire accident during the shooting of Bollywood film "Black". Of the Rs 6 crore damages being sought, Rs 2 crore is for the cost of rebuilding the studio and Rs 4 crore would be towards the revenue loss incurred by us as a result of the studio not being able to be utilised by other parties since February last year.

99.9 FM
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | AY

"99.9 FM", a film on a radio jockey, directed by Sanjay Bhatia, has a cast of Shawar Ali, Raima Sen, Dipannita Sharma. What could've been a 30-minute tele-film story has been stretched to 1.30 hours and that's where 99.9 FM didnt do that well. The film neither caters to the intelligence, nor does it appeal to the average moviegoer. The only silver lining is the selection of songs, which are played in the background. Other than that, there's not much to look forward to. Shawar Ali is a radio jockey who is the face of 99.9 FM. The narrative moves back and forth with songs, sequences and flashbacks to reveal that Shawar has two women in his life, Dipannita Sharma, his lover and Raima Sen, his wife. A love triangle, it culminates into a murder. On the whole, 99.9 FM is a poor show all the way.

State animal still thrives
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | AY

Giant squirrel, endangered rust-coloured animal, the State animal of Maharashtra, is still thriving deep within the forests of the Bhimashankar sanctuary. The animal is extremely shy and almost never comes down from the trees where it stays. This makes direct enumeration of this animal almost impossible. The giant squirrel is a territorial animal and before the monsoon sets in it builds about six to eight nests around the area it has marked. The volume of visitors swell to upto 2.5 lakh on Mahashivratri. This stream of humanity brings along with it plastic and garbage, which threatens the sensitive habitat of these squirrels.

Mother Diary planning on expansion
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | AY

Mother Dairy Foods Ltd (MDFL), a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), is planning to introduce cheese in other key markets shortly apart in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). It is planning over 33 per cent growth in its fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) business by the end of the current financial year, making it a Rs 2,000 crore food company. Mother Dairy’s cheese would be manufactured in a unit in Maharashtra, which sources milk from co-operatives in Maharashtra. The company has launched individually wrapped slices of 200 gm, a pack of 10 slices for Rs 52, cheese spread of 200 gm for Rs 35, and cheese cubes of 200 gm , a pack of 10 cubes for Rs 50. The cheese market in India is currently dominated by players such as Amul and Britannia and Dabon International among others.

IDSP tracks diseases
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | AY

A State-level Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme (IDSP)identified at least 11 diseases, both communicable and non-communicable. Polio, cholera, childhood diseases — tetanus and measles, Japanese encephalitis, leptospirosis, leprosy, malaria, and HIV/AIDS are among the diseases that have been identified on a priority basis. The government has provided a grant of Rs 4 crore to set up and upgrade public health laboratories in each district. Plans are also taken to establish electronic connectivity in order to access data from the village level. A website will also be designed for the purpose. The Central government has provided Rs 20—25 crore for the programme in Maharashtra.

A boost to the wine business in the state
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | AY

With the expansion of market for wines in the country, master of liquor Seagram has also decided to step into the wine business. In the village of Kadwa Mahlunge, Seagram is planning its expansion on 10 acres of land and is set to hit the market with its bottles in 2006. Conservative estimates indicate that Seagram will start by producing one lakh litres of wine and eventually hit the five lakh target, making it the biggest player in the market. At present, 35 wineries in Maharashtra produce about 54 lakh litres of wine annually. The Maharashtra government has declared wine-making business as a small-scale industry. Pune, Sangli and Nashik districts are major grape cultivation regions of the state. Further, the state government has exempted wine manufacturers from excise duty for 10 years to promote the industry.

Silsiilay
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

"SILSIILAY" directed by Khalid Mohammad, has a cast of Tabu, Bhumika Chawla, Rahul Bose, Ashmit Patel and Jimmy Shergil. Silsiilay is treated realistically, with modern-day characters and incidents that match with the real life. Silsiilay narrates the stories of three women, who're not even remotely connected with each other. Nor do the three come together till the very end. This keeps you wondering what prompted the writer-director to put together three diverse stories in one film. Santosh Sivan's cinematography is up to the mark. Dialogues are natural. On the whole, Silsiilay is more of an experiment that caters to a very small segment of public. At the box-office, the film holds no appeal for an ordinary cinegoer. Silsiilay starts off very well, with Shah Rukh Khan acting as the sutradhar and introducing the three protagonists in the film [Tabu, Bhumika, and Riya].The first story focuses on Bhumika and Rahul Bose, which sets the ball rolling. The second story, pertaining to Jimmy, Ashmit, Riya and Natasha, is not appealing at all, partly because it looks like one of those routine triangles, with two guys falling for one girl. The third story, involving Kay Kay, Tabu, Celina Jaitley and new-find Karan, is the boldest of the lot. The film not only looks at an extra-marital affair, but also incest. The life-like relationships have been handled with maturity, with each character delivering true-to-life performances.

Gatorade to be bottled by Pepsi soon
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

Major of carbonated soft drinks, PepsiCo plans to begin bottling `Gatorade' in India by August this year at the company's plant at Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Gatorade, which PepsiCo claims scientifically formulated to replace fluids and electrolytes and provide energy to enhance athletic performance, is sold as a sports drink in several variations across the world. The $2-billion sports drink brand gatorade will be sold at select points such as gyms and health clubs besides the Tropicana distribution channel but there were no plans to mass-market this product at present.

Maharashtra bags the title
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

Maharashtra won the overall title in swimming as curtains came down on the 22nd National sub-junior aquatic championships at the Water Works Swimming pool held in trivandrum. Maharashtra swept all the eight gold medals on offer on the final day to finish with 337 points. Karnataka came a distant second with 245 points, while Tamil Nadu was third with 143 points. Maharashtra's Yudhisthir Jaisingh and Surabhi Tipre, who set two records each, hogged the limelight on the final day.

Talks on reserving jobs based on religion
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

All-India general secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Akhtar Rizvi, is on the idea to make five percent of jobs reserved for muslims in maharshtra. The NCP and the Congress are heading the Democratic Front coalition in Maharashtra. He said the reservation will help alleviate the sufferings of Muslims to certain extent. This new idea came up after Congress government in Andhra Pradesh had introduced the reservation for Muslims. Convenor of Muslim Young India Feroze Mithiborwala said reservation per se will not solve the problem of poverty and unemployment among muslims but will further weaken national unity.

Qatar fuels gas for Dabhol Revival
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

New Delhi is seeking 1m tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar to fire the 740 MW phase-I and the nearly complete 1,444 MW phase-II of the $2.9-bn Dabhol Power Project in Maharashtra. “We propose to increase LNG imports from Qatar to 20 million tonnes in phases by 2015,” Aiyar said. Petronet LNG, a company promoted by the state-owned GAIL, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum, has contracted 7.5m tonnes per annum of LNG from Rasgas of Qatar. It is presently importing 5m tonnes at Dahej in Gujarat and is negotiating supply schedule of the remaining 2.5m tonnes.

Mumbai Stock Exchange breaks 7000 mark
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 | AY

June 20 th was a historic day for the Bombay Stock Exchange. For the first time in its history Sensex crossed 7000 mark and that too thrice in a day. The thrust was mainly attributed to the cease fire between the Ambani brothers and Monsoon hitting the metro. The Sensex inched past the 7,000 mark to touch an all-time high of 7,001.55 before closing at 6,984, a gain of nearly 78 points or over a per cent. In the broader markets, the Nifty also ended in the positive turf at 2,144, a gain of over 20 points.

Compulsory rule for multiplexus to screen marathi movies
Monday, June 20, 2005 | AY

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has assured the legislature to strictly enforce a rule which makes it mandatory for movie theatres in the state to screen Marathi films. The rule indicates that multiplexes would not be given a tax-free status by the state unless they screen Marathi movies for a stipulated number of weeks in a year. In order to further promote Marathi movies, multiplexes are using creative pricing strategies and adding English sub-texts to the movies. The state government is going to give Rs 15 lakh to films which are selected by a special panel formed by the government wich will further boost the Marathi film market.

Shwaas
Monday, June 20, 2005 | AY

Marathi film "Shwaas" is the first feature film by director Sandeep Sawant, who is quite a known name in Marathi parallel theatre for his ‘one-act plays’. Shwaas is India's entry for the 77th Academy Awards (Oscars) in the best foreign film category. A thought-provoking film about human spirit, relationships and hope, it tells about a grandfather(Arun Nalavade), his grandson(Ashwin Chitale)who lead a happy life till one day when the kid gets diagnosed as having Retino-blastoma, an eye cancer. The film aims towards a very positive approach towards life altogether.

Parking bays finally for IndiGo airline
Monday, June 20, 2005 | AY

IndiGo Airline which is soon to be launched with its order of 100 Airbus aircraft at the Paris air show, has been successful in acquiring parking bays for its aircraft in both Mumbai and Delhi. The airline, which is to take to the skies in the next six to nine months, plans to have 63 departures a day during the first phase of its launch. The airline has already announced that it would follow a low cost model although its fares have not yet been made public.
The airline plans to begin operations with three aircraft and take the fleet strength to eight aircraft within the first six months of taking to the skies.

Visaka industries plans expansion
Monday, June 20, 2005 | AY

Visaka Industries, manufacturer of twin air jet spun yarn, having the world's largest set up at Nagpur, Maharashtra, with a production capacity of 50,000 spindles, is in talks with international garment majors like Gap and Next to pick up production from the manufacturing unit it is setting up with an investment of Rs 50 crore in the Mahindra Special Economic Zone near Chennai. The project is expected to be commissioned before the end of the current fiscal. Part of the company's textile expansion plans include a 100 per cent cotton yarn unit with air jet spinning technology with a capacity equivalent to 50,000 spindles near Mumbai at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The turnover next fiscal is expected to reach Rs 280 crore.

Maharashtra seized unauthorized DCS
Monday, June 20, 2005 | AY

The Maharashtra food and drugs authority seized unapproved drug coated stents (DCS), used in angioplasty by raiding manufacturers, importers and distributors. This came after at least 60 unapproved DCS were used by cardiologists at JJ Hospital in Mumbai. As a temporary solution patients and retailers are advised to go only for DCS that has European quality standard ‘CE’ mark or USFDA approval, till these companies seek approval for the drug coat from the Indian FDA in two months. There were complaints regarding mortality after unapproved stents were implanted in patients.

Jackpot
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

Gauri (Meghna Naidu) and Akash's (Himanshu Malik) marriage are on the verge of breaking up when Eva, Gauri's friend suggests them to patch up and sends them to her palatial house in Devbaug to re-establish their relationship. At Devbaug once when gauri was all alone, gets frightened by wierd sounds, when suddenly a dead body falls on her. Scared,she and akash decided to call police when they find a bag of money amounting to crores of rupees beside the dead body. He convinces Gauri to keep mum about the dead body so that they can keep the money. They then decide to dispose of the dead body. They are about to leave with the carton when a police officer Vishnu Waghmare (Sayaji Shinde) enters and they become alert. Whose body is it? Are they successful in disposing of the dead-body? Do they get the Jackpot of money? forms the rest of the film.

Bachke Rehna Re Baba
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

Govind Menon,director of "Bachke Rehna Re Baba" has done a reasonable good job after his last film "Kis Kis Ki Kismat" flopped. Lots of skin show in abundance by Mallika Sherawat and ample glamour Rekha. Menon merges liberal doses of sex and comedy in the narrative, but the glue that holds the film [in most parts] is the choice of actors to carry off the roles. There are times when the comedy falls flat, also, the post-interval portions are quite lengthy, long-winded and desperately in need of a skilled editor. Music [Anu Malik] is in sync with the times. 'Sharafat Chhod' [Mallika's introduction] and 'Tera Husn' are two erotic tracks that have been filmed imaginatively. The title track is foot-tapping as well. Paresh Rawal doesn't get much scope in the first half, but stands out in the latter half. Satish Shah is outstanding, handling the role of a Sindhi tycoon with precision.

SSC results to be announced on June 24
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

Result of the secondary school certificate (SSC, std X) examination conducted by the Maharashtra state board of secondary and higher secondary education in March 2005 will be announced on June 24. The schools will officially announce the results at 3 pm on June 24 and distribute mark lists to students at the same time. A statement released by the board on Friday said that students who wanted to submit applications for revaluation should submit the same by July 4. Students who wish to appear for the SSC exams to be conducted in October 2005 have been asked to submit their applications to respective school authorities by July 4 with regular fees and till July 14 with late fees.

Patient needs to pay more for his life saving drugs
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

Prices of life saving drugs in Maharashtra are expected to rise by six per cent following the imposition of four per cent value added tax (VAT). Prior to VAT regime, various life saving drugs listed under the list prepared by Health Ministry were exempted from sales tax, excise duty and import duty in the state. There are over 160 medicines under the category of life saving drugs list published by Ministry of Health which would attract four per cent VAT.

3 Gold bagged by atheletes
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

Pune athletes had a comparatively low outing on Day Two of the 45th Mayor’s Trophy Maharashtra State Track and Field championship at Shiv Chhatrapati Sport City, Balewadi, on Saturday. With Mumbai and Amravati participants dominating the show, Pune managed to add three gold, six silver and three bronze to their first day’s tally of five gold, three silver and three bronze. Incidentally, not a single New Meet Record (NMR) was set on the day.

Mild tremours at Thane
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

A slight intensity earthquake shook Thane district of Maharashtra on Saturday with no damage reported, the Met department said. The quake, measuring 3 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 8.39 am. It was epicentred at 19.2 degree North and 73.2 degree East in Thane district. No casualty or damage was reported.

Minister enjoys cool climates while his state suffers
Sunday, June 19, 2005 | AY

The power situation in cities across Maharashtra is deteriorating day by day, which is posing a great difficulty to all residents. But on the other hand, the chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is enjoying cooler climates of the western countries. He is on a fortnight-long sojourn to the US, where he hopes to attract investors to his cash-starved state. NRIs from Maharashtra had invited Deshmukh to address gatherings there. The ministerial migration from Maharashtra to the US, Europe and the Far East has now become an annual feature.

Bollywood to boost tourism
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

The stars will do their part to promote tourism in the state. Tourists coming to Mumbai will soon be able to feast their eyes on their favourite film stars at Film City. What's more, they can also shake a leg at music and dance nights arranged exclusively for them.
Under the new tourism policy designed by the state government, Mumbai's potential as a tourist magnet due to its booming entertainment business is being tapped. Plans are afoot to exploit the glamour of Bollywood to this end. "We have discussed it with a few Bollywood personalities and their response has been positive. Their only apprehension is the possible interruption by over-enthusiastic crowds during shootings," said Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Shetty. As a solution, the state is planning to erect a couple of permanent sets in Film City. "Mock shootings could be held on these sets which tourists can view from a specially built enclosure. Tourists will also be shown around the sets, offered information on film making and will also be given an opportunity to chat with their favourite stars," said Shetty.The state is also eyeing business travellers and is gearing up plans to make them spend more time in the city with entertainment and leisure zones. In a soon to be unvieled polivy, the state has identified other sectors such as heritage tourism, marine tourism, forest and eco-tourism and spa tourism also.Under the new policy, Koyna backwaters will be developed as the New Mahabaleshwar, waterfronts in the Konkan will be developed as Konkan Riviera and the forests in Vidarbha region will be packaged under the Vidarbha Wildlife and Eco-tourism projects.

Mumbai - Sharjah for just 2999 rupees
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

Air Arabia, the low cost airline of Sharjah has introduced a 'Go-show' fare ticket on the Mumbai-Sharjah sector. The airline is promising fares which are 10-15 per cent lower than that of conventional airlines for passengers who show up at the airport at the last moment. Air Arabia started a daily service on the Mumbai - Sharjah sector from March 26 and has announced an introductory one-way fare of Rs. 2,999.

Karan Johar and Shekar Suman on chat show
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

This Saturday, June 18 on Just Pooja on ZOOM at 10:00 p.m., the young and talented Karan Johar, director and host of the popular show 'Koffee with Karan' and versatile entertainer Shekhar Suman, actor and the king of all chat shows reveal it all. Pooja Bedi does her best at probing the 'Probe Masters' and here is some of what she gets from Mr. Johar: On Hosting a Chat Show, Simi Garewal & Shekhar Suman:"With the chat show I have kind of lost my identity as a filmmaker all of a sudden. Everybody is talking of me as a chat show host. It's kind of worrisome. I am enjoying hosting a chat show but am dying to get back to what I really am, a filmmaker…"I like to gossip once in a while. I like to idle talk…it interests me. I sell dreams, make movies for a wide audience and that is what I like doing in chat shows, entertain people. I got into TV because I wanted to. I have always done different things. Hosting a chat show is an extension of my personality." Watch this exclusive show of all 3 your favourite Hosts in one on "Just Pooja" on Zoom this Saturday night,

New hill station near Mahabaleswar
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

The tourism department of Government of Maharashtra is planning to set up a new hill station on the Mahabaleshwar - Wai road, 40 kilometers from Mahabaleshwar. 372 Square kilometers is ear marked for this new project in the 'Eco-Zone' according to ministry sources. Facilities and attractions like herbal centre, water sports, ashram shala (school), amusement park, golf course, bio-tech park and resort, crafts village, artists’ village, botanical gardens, safari and Jungle treks, sports enclave, health centre etc will be a part of this 678 crore project. Once complete this new hill station will give a much needed boost to the Maharashtra tourism.

Maharashtra leading in national aquatic championships
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

Maharashtra maintained its lead but Karnataka narrowed the gap on the second day of the 22nd National Aquatic championships at the Water Works Swimming pool at trivandrum on Friday. Maharashtra won six out of the seven gold medals at stake on the second day. However, the performances on the pool were similar to the murky weather.

Tribute for Pandit Omkarnath Thakur
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

All India Radio (AIR) will broadcast a serial on the life and works of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur to commemorate his 108th birth anniversary. Pandit Thakur was the first Indian musician to represent the country at World Music Conference in Italy.The serial, in 18 episodes, would commence from June 24, on the birthday of the music maestro.

LIC grants reversionary bonus
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd today announced reversionary bonus on some of its policies. The policies include Lifelong Pensions, Sudarshan, Sanjeevan Supreme, Scholar II, Money Back, Young Sanjeevan and Sanjeevan. On Lifelong Pension, over the minimum guaranteed return of 4 per cent per annum the company announced a 2 per cent simple reversionary bonus as on March 31, 2005 and a special ad-hoc one-time bonus of 4 per cent per annum declared on September 30, 2004. This implies that the pension policies that were in force as on March 31, 2005 the annual return would range from 6 per cent to 8 per cent on the net contribution.

Midas launches photo blogging solution
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

Midas Events India Pvt Ltd, has announced the launch of Mobylog, a photo blogging solution, which offers camera phone users an opportunity to instantly transfer pictures to their own personal presence on the internet. Through Mobylog, a camera phone user can readily be a part of the online photo journal phenomenon without downloading any additional software. After taking a photograph, the users have to tag a message or comment through mms and send their personal mobylog page enabling instant viewing and sharing it online.

Tata power units break down
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

Breakdown of three units of the Trombay plant of Tata power, with the collective capacity of 1000 MW has paralysed the normal life in the Mumbai city. Since three units of the Tata power broke down today, the MSPGCL has supplied 500 mw electricity to Tata power to overcome the 1000 mw deficit. Meanwhile the Tata power has enhanced its power generation capacity at Khopoli by 300 mw. The areas which were affected due to the cascading effect were Navi Mumbai, south Mumbai, Bandra, Andheri and other areas in the metropolis.

Maharashtra draws DPC power unit at Rs 2.30/unit
Saturday, June 18, 2005 | AY

In a major breakthrough, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to the drawal of 2,184 mw of power from the now closed Dabhol project at Rs 2.30 per unit at 80% plant load factor (PLF). Of this, as much as Rs 1.20-1.30 would be for variable charge, essentially fuel cost, while Re 1 would be towards fixed charge.

Farmers at risk of poisoning themselves
Friday, June 17, 2005 | AY

The Centre for Science and Environment an NGO based in Delhi has detected in the blood of the Punjab farmers chemicals from six to 13 pesticides, in quantities up to 600 times the levels found in Americans. “If it’s Punjab today, tomorrow it could be Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar. Regulation must begin immediately,” the centre’s director, Sunita Narain, said. “The people must be told about the harmful effects of the pesticides they have been using. I hold the industry responsible for the dismal situation,” she said. “We found pesticides that should have disintegrated in the body and been excreted, as claimed by the industry. But they are there.”The centre has demanded a “chemical trespass law” to hold manufacturers responsible for chemicals getting into the human body, regular monitoring of pesticides in people and registering only those pesticides that have low toxic level.

Reduce the intake, tells AICTE
Friday, June 17, 2005 | AY

Maharashtra has 151 engineering colleges with a total of 46,661 seats for admission this academic year. In a major blow to private engineering colleges in Maharashtra, just ahead of the admission session, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has directed as many as 73 institutes to reduce their intake capacity, mainly because of poor infrastructure, shortage of teaching staff and lack of other basic facilities.As per the AICTE`s directive, which was posted on its official website late Sunday evening, as many as 5375 seats will have to be reduced. While 20 colleges in Mumbai have been hit by the AICTE`s order, 12 colleges each from Marathwada and Vidharba region of the state have also been asked to reduce their intake. Similarly, eight colleges from North Maharashtra and six from Konkan region have also been asked by the AICTE to reduce the number of seats for admission. While this is not the first time the council has issued reduction in the intake, Maharashtra director of technical education, NV Pasalkar, when contacted in Mumbai, said the affected colleges are also being given an opportunity to present their individual cases before the council, following which the later may take a decision to restore its position. A senior member of the Maharashtra association of private engineering colleges said all members across the state are meeting in the next couple of days to chalk out its future course of action. "We will definitely appeal before the AICTE," said the official, who didn`t want to be named.

Governor may disapprove 'Dance Bar' ban
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | AY

It seems the 'Bar Girls' will have the last laugh in the Dance Bar controversy, with the matter taking a political colour. Although , ruiling as a coalition, the views of Congress and NCP differs in this isuue. While the Congress Cheif Minister is not very adamant to ban the dance bars, his deputy from NCP is hell bent to ban them. It now seems that the ordinance banning the bars, which is currently with Governor S M Krishna, may be returned without approval. However, Krishna is unwilling to comment on the matter just yet. Sources say the Governor's decision is based on divisions within the Congress and NCP on the dance bar ban. Sources say that given the delays, Raj Bhavan may even recommend that the ordinance be tabled as a bill during the Monsoon Session of the Assembly in July.

Govt to buy shares of Dabhol Power Company
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | AY

Union agriculture minister and NCP cheif, Sharad Pawar told reporters today that the Central governments is planning to buy all the shares of Bechtel and GE in Dabhol Power Company and negotiations in this regard are in the final stages. The state had witnessed an unprecedented power shortage this year and any attempt to boost the dabhol project will be a welcome sign. The Centre is making efforts to start two phases of the Dabhol project in a year and make available 2600 MW power to Maharashtra.

Trains badly hit by power breakdown in Mumbai
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | AY

India's commercial capital witnessed an abnormal power disruption today due to some technical lag at the Koyna switch yard of the State electricity board. The badly hit sector was the railways. Rail traffic on both Western and Central Railway lines, including Harbour section, was affected, as the Railways is provided electricity by TPC and MSEB, Railway sources said. Railway officials said the power disruption occurred at 6.12 a.m., but the supply was completely restored by 6.49 a.m. The train services came to a halt between Bhandup and CST and Mankhurd and CST for 20 minutes, they said. According to Western Railway sources, around 25 local trains were stranded on route around 6.15 a.m. to 7.15 a.m., throwing train schedules out of gear.

Former legislator surrenders in Nagpur in tiger skin case
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | APA

Former legislator Subhash Karemore, in trouble because of his alleged involvement in the illicit trade of tiger skins, finally surrendered before wildlife authorities after evading the law for almost a week. Karemore has been 'detained', sources in the Forest Department said. However, it is not yet clear whether he has been formally placed under arrest. Five other associates of Karemore, including two family members, have also been detained in this connection, the sources said. All the six have been taken to Ramtek township near Nagpur for further investigations in the case, forest officials said. The authorities were looking for Karemore after two persons arrested after trying to sell a tiger skin named him as the person who had actually initiated the sale. The former legislator's alleged involvement in the episode has created a sensation in political circles in the region.

Drug resistent malaria in Gadchiroli
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | APA

PUNE: High prevalence of malaria has been found in Gadchiroli and Mumbai during 2004-05 with drug resistant malaria cases being detected in Dhanora taluka of Gadchiroli district. This was disclosed by D S Dakhure, joint director, health services (malaria and filaria control), while addressing a news conference to mark the anti malaria month being observed this month. He said that number of malaria cases have shown an increase in the state mainly because of Gadchiroli which registered 18,710 cases and greater Mumbai that recorded 14,802 cases during 2004-05. The state registered 65,322 cases during the period.

Maharashtra Seamless FY-05 PAT up 18.67% at Rs 85.15 crore
Thursday, June 16, 2005 | APA

Source: IRIS (15 June 2005)
Maharashtra Seamless Ltd`s audited results for the year ended March 31, 2005 is as follows:

The company has posted 18.67 per cent increase in profit after tax and adjustments at Rs 85.15 crore for the year ended March 31, 2005 as compared to Rs 71.75 crore for the year ended March 31, 2004.

Gross turnover has increased by 54.52 per cent to Rs 879.28 crore for the year ended March 31, 2005 from Rs 569.01 crore in FY-04.

Dividend

The board of directors has recommended dividend at 50 per cent on equity shares for the accounting year ended March 31, 2005.

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