Maharashtra News Archive: July 2007

Central schools to teach Marathi
Monday, July 30, 2007 | AY

The central education boards of CBSE and ICSE have agreed to teach Marathi as the third language in all the schools affiliated to its boards from next academic year, Minister of State for School Education Hassan Mushriff told the legislative assembly. Stating that there were 571 English-medium and 490 Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai, the minister said in the last 5-7 years about 15 Marathi-medium schools in Mumbai and Thane had closed. However, he added that the situation was different in other parts of the state, where in 2005-06 there were 14, 534 Marathi medium and 818 English medium schools. The number of schools increased in 2006-07 to 14,628 Marathi-medium and 865 English-medium schools in the state.

Mumbai-based firm from using Disney characters
Sunday, July 29, 2007 | AY

The Delhi High Court has restrained a Mumbai-based company from making or selling products using well-known Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on a plea by global entertainment giant Disney Enterprises Inc. Justice S N Dhingra said "the company (local company) is restrained from manufacturing or selling goods bearing Disney characters, device or trademark which may be identical or deceptively similar to those of Disney's". The court also directed Prime Housewares, which was manufacturing its goods in a factory situated in Daman, to deliver all the infringing material in their possession to Disney so that it could be destroyed. The Indian company has also been told to pay Rs 50,000 as token damages to Disney within one week, failing which the amount would be doubled. If it does not pay the amount even within two weeks then the company will have to pay the entire decree amount of Rs 20 lakh.

Mumbai local trains get new coaches
Sunday, July 29, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 28 (ANI): Indian Railways on Saturday rolled out new coaches designed for passenger comfort and environment-friendliness for induction into its Mumbai's suburban rail network.The new coaches, unveiled by Maharshtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, are designed to utilize maximum floor space for passengers to sit and stand. Special blowers have been installed to maintain normal levels of carbon-di-oxide inside it, since during peak hours 550 passengers cram into carriages designed that are designed for 200. The new carriages have more leg space between seats."With the induction of more such coaches the usual number of passengers in a train will come down from the current 5000 to perhaps 3500. This would make commuting more comfortable. We plan to get all the rakes over the next year or so, procuring about 4 every month," Deshmukh said.The network, considered the city's arteries, carry more than six million passengers everyday. People hang from coaches, balance precariously on the roofs of carriages as they trundle along three lines and through nearly 120 stations.The rakes are designed to conserve energy and the Railways expect to save over 200 million units of power by September-end."The energy bill of the Western railways would come down by about 60 crores of rupees. Moreover, since energy consumption is less, there would be less energy production, and less emission," said Regional Manager of Western Railways, A.K. Jhingron. The Railways are also looking forward to earn carbon credits worth eight crores of rupees. (ANI)

Ailing kids ‘Make a Wish’ and realise it
Saturday, July 28, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, July 26 (ANI): The “Make A Wish Foundation”, which has its headquarters in Mumbai with branches in various parts of the country, has made a difference in the lives of terminally-ill children various parts of the country.The foundation has told the terminally-ill poor children to make a wish. It is then followed up, and efforts are made to fulfil the wish. This reporter met two of the children who made a wish, and had them realised. Eight-year old Darshana was the biggest joy of her parents’ as she used to play tennis at her school. An avid watcher of the game on television, she became a tennis champion at school-level. Unfortunately, she developed blood cancer three years ago. Now she is unable to move without help. But Darshana never quit dreaming. She nurtured a dream to have a personal meeting with tennis star Sania Mirza. The ‘Make a Wish Foundation’ has promised to arrange a meeting, says her father Narayana. Darshana is just one of those thousands of children below 10 years of age who have been inflicted with fatal illness but wish to see that their dreams get fulfilled. Every year half a million join them in India alone. Another case is of Samuel, a child from Tanzania who has come to Delhi for a major heart surgery. Among his very few visitors was a Make A Wish Foundation (MAWF) volunteer.Make A Wish Foundation aims to fulfil the wishes of poor children, and make their families, referral sources, donors, sponsors even communities, happier. The wishes are varied. From having a personal meet with any film star to flying in an aeroplane, acting as a police officer for one day are some of them. By making the children realise them, even though for a moment, the child could cherish it for rest of his or her life. Rashni, the coordinator with the Make A Wish Foundation in Delhi, said: "Some think that if you have no money to arrange for the treatment, it’s insignificant to offer a child a doll. But Make A Wish foundation tries to bring a big smile on children’s face at least for a moment. Rashmi says: “May be others can help them with treatment for their illness, but what we offer is to help children to be happy by making their dreams come true." She says: “We evaluate our contribution judging by the child’s smile”. The foundation has a network of some 25,000 volunteers worldwide, and it has already approached over 144,000 children since its inception in 1980.Volunteers serve as wish granters, fund raisers, special events assistants. MAWF is funded by donors from around the world for a cause that should have been the primary concern of one and all for the common cause called—Humanity. Every Affiliate follows universal guidelines and policies, working with total transparency at all levels. With stringent volunteer training programmes and mandatory referrals from paediatricians and medical specialists, MAWF of India reaches out to the seriously ill kids in Mumbai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad.Make-A-Wish Foundation of India is a registered charitable trust that is volunteer-based. We are affiliated to Make-A-Wish Foundation, International (MAWFI), which originated in the USA in 1980.In India, Make a Wish Foundation has its national office in Mumbai. There are separate divisions located in New Delhi, Indore, Aurangabad, Goa and Ahmedabad. (ANI)

Sensex plunges by 542 points
Saturday, July 28, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 27 (ANI): The Sensex today plunged by 542 points on emergence of selling by foreign as well as domestic funds, triggered by weak global trend. The Sensex, which opened with a huge negative gap of 288 points at 15,488, dropped to a low of 15,160 in noon deals on weak global cues - down 616 points from the previous close. All the sectoral indices dropped sharply with the BSE Realty Index plunging over by five per cent to 7824 and the BSE PSU Index dropping over by four per cent to 6983.The broad market breadth was extremely bearish - out of 2,575 scrips traded, 1,954 declined. The Midcap index fell by 192 points, the smallcap by 219 points with BSE 100 registering fall of 288 points, BSE 200 melting by 66 points and BSE 500 plunging by 209 points.Reliance was the most active counter with a turnover of 4.14 billion rupees followed by HDFC, Reliance Energy, DLF, and L&T. The National Stock Exchange’s Nifty also fell by over three percent with its all sectoral indices showing a meltdown.The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) fell by 2.78 per cent, the Nasdaq fell by 1.84 per cent, the Dow Jones by 2.26 per cent and Nikkie by 2.36 per cent. (ANI)

Tiger Memon family’s fate to be decided today
Saturday, July 28, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 27 (ANI): Four members of prime accused Tiger Memon's family, who have been convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, will appear before a special TADA court here today.The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on brothers of Tiger Memon - Yakub, Essa, Yusuf - and Tiger Memon's sister-in-law Rubina, who have been convicted of abetment and conspiracy.Tiger Memon has been declared absconding, while his father Abdul Razzak Memon passed away during the trial. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted for possessing illegal weapon in connection with the case, will also appear before the court today. According to sources, the court will decide the fate of Dutt on July 30.Dutt and his three co-accused friends, Yusuf Nullwala, Kersi Adajenia and Russi Mulla, have been held guilty of a leaser offence under the Arms Act, not under TADA. They have all sought their release on probation on grounds of good conduct. According to the Probation of Offenders Act, a person convicted of any offence other than the one punishable with death or life imprisonment, can be released on probation instead of serving the sentence in prison.Dutt has already spent nearly 15 months, as an under-trial before being released on bail in 1996.Minimum sentence for the charges under which Dutt has been found guilty is three years. Dutt was booked for possessing an AK-56 rifle that had come in a consignment of arms and explosives meant for use in the Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people. The Court has already awarded sentences to two convicts who had supplied arms to Dutt. On June 1, Samir Hingora - the man who supplied AK-56 rifle to Dutt - was awarded nine years' rigorous imprisonment. Dhakla, who removed the rifle from Dutt's house, was awarded 10 years imprisonment. (ANI)

Nike, Mumbai School Sports Assn. sign pact
Thursday, July 26, 2007 | AY

Nike struck a three-year deal with the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) to help budding sports talents realise their potentials. MSSA involves over 550 schools and 40000 school children in its sports tournaments each year and from now, Nike would be the title sponsor for 11 of the 21 tournaments it hosts every year. This agreement will give school children chance to meet top athletes that Nike sponsors. Nike would also conduct sports clinics for the participants and provide them the opportunity to meet top Nike athletes.

Strong rupee position brings down import bill
Thursday, July 26, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 25 (ANI): Prices of imported goods have come down in the country, following a strong rupee-spurring consumer spending.The rupee jumped to a nine-year high on Monday, bolstered by strong capital inflows into the fast growing economy.The partially convertible rupee ended at 40.2950/3050 per dollar, having risen as far as 40.23, its strongest since May 1998. It had closed last week at 40.3200/3275.Siddhart Kuvawala, an economist, said: "Because of the appreciation, whatever the parts or the directly imported computers, mobiles, coming from US because of appreciation of rupee and depreciation of the dollar the purchasing power of the people and the manufactures and dealers have increased in India." Meanwhile, sales of imported goods rose because of the falling prices. "As compared to last July, we are growing by 40 per cent, prices have gone down though by 10 to 15 percent," said Amit, owner of an electronics showroom in Mumbai.However, the Indian rupee eased from nine-year highs on Wednesday after Asian equity markets slipped on concerns about the health of the US housing market, and as investors locked in profits.At 9:45 a.m. (0415 GMT), the partially convertible rupee was at 40.33/34 per dollar, slipping from 40.275/285 on Tuesday, when it hit a high of 40.20. (ANI)

One more ’93 Mumbai blast case accused given death sentence
Thursday, July 26, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 25 (ANI): A Special TADA Court today awarded capital punishment to one more convict for planting vehicle bombs near the Air India building and Sena Bhavan in the 1993 Mumbai blast. Special TADA Judge P D Kode awarded the death sentence to Farooq Pawle for his involvement in 12 serial blasts that took place on March 12, 1993 in which 257 people were killed and over 700 were injured. Pawle was awarded the death sentence on five counts, which included conspiracy, commission of a terrorist and murder. On July 24, the court awarded death sentence to Zakir Hussain Shaikh, Feroz Mallik and Abdul Akhtar Khan as they were actively involved in the conspiracy for a long time. So far, eleven convicts have been awarded death sentence in the serial blast case. Eight persons, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted for illegal weapons possession, and four members of the Memon family are yet to be sentenced by the court. (ANI)

Mumbai foetuses in dumping ground
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

More than 15 foetuses have been found in a dumping ground 15 kilometers from Buldana town in Maharashtra. At least 35 hospitals are located in Buldana dump on the outskirts of the village, where the hospital drops all their medical waste. Five females foetuses were found in the bin, while many others were found in a damaged condition. Locals allege that stray dogs had been seen eating a couple of foetuses. Although a case has been registered, the police have yet to make arrests in this matter.

Sensex hits new high of 15,733
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 23 (ANI): After trading flat for most part of the day, markets gained momentum in the last hour of trade here today, with the Sensex hitting a new high of 15,773 points.The benchmark index ended the day at 15,732 levels, up 1.1 per cent or 166 points. In the broader markets, the Nifty firmed up 1.2 per cent or 53 points to end the day at 4,619 levels.Leading the charge at the Sensex were Larsen and Toubro and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. They zoomed 7.8 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively. Hindustan Unilever at Rs 204 levels moved up five per cent on reports of the company mulling a buyback in its forthcoming board meeting on July 29.Bajaj Auto, Reliance Energy, ACC, Satyam Computer, ONGC, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, Hindalco, Reliance Industries and TCS were some of the other notable gainers.However, Cipla at Rs 191 levels slipped 4.8 per cent by close. Infosys Technologies, ICICI Bank, ITC Limited, Ranbaxy and Ambuja Cements also slipped into the red.Among sectoral indices, the BSE capital goods index was the top gainer that zoomed 5.1 per cent or 661 points by close of trading session on Monday, television channels reported.Strength was also visible in FMCG. Shaw Wallace, Nestle India, Colgate-Palmolive and Nirma ended the day firm besides Hindustan Unilever.UTI Bank (down 3.8 per cent), ICICI Bank (down 1.5 per cent), Centurion Bank of Punjab (down 1.5 per cent), Punjab National Bank (down 1.2 per cent), Bank of Baroda (down 1.1 per cent) and Canara Bank (down 0.3 per cent) lost ground in the banking pack.Select technology counters came under profit booking on Monday. Mphasis shed 3.5 per cent to end the day at Rs 260 levels. Infosys Technologies, HCL Technologies and Financial Technologies also closed in negative turf.Mawana Sugars, Balrampur Chini Mills, Oudh Sugar, Bannari Amman Sugar, Dwarikesh Sugar, KM Sugar and Sakthi Sugars were the key losers in the sugar space. Earlier, the Sensex touched an intra-session peak of 15,773.37 points and a low of 15,477.91.Brokers say the market can reach the milestone of 16,000 points in a shortest thousand points journey. The shortest 1,000-point leap as of now is of just 19 trading sessions that the Sensex took to scale 12,000 level in April last year.The bourses, which had commenced the day a little lower in line with weakening global stock markets, picked up in the last 30 minutes of trading, brokers said. (ANI with inputs)

Brian Lara confirms joining Indian Cricket League
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 23 (ANI): Former West Indies captain Brian Lara will join Zee Group’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) as one of the captains of 16 teams to feature in the league. Zee Sports CEO Himanshu Modi today confirmed Lara’s participation in ICL, which is being termed as a parallel league to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “Lara gave his nod for joining the league late last week,” Modi said. He added that former Indian players Madan Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu would join ICL as coach. Reports were making the rounds that former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath and New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns would also join the league. Modi, however, did not confirm it. He went on to say that ICL is in talks with few of the grounds in the country and have written letters to the various grounds. Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has been appointed as the head of the Executive Board of the Zee Group backed ICL. Other members of the Executive Board include former wicketkeeper and ex-chief selector of the BCCI Kiran More, former England captain Tony Greig and Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Dean Jones. The Zee Group has announced that the ICL will be set up with a corpus of 100 crore rupees. It would have six teams or clubs in its initial year. Within three years, the number of teams would be increased to 16. Each team in the league would have four international players. Zee will also appoint talent scouts in all Indian states to hunt for young players to play in the ICL. (ANI)

’93 Mumbai blast: Three more get capital punishment, life term to one
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 24 (ANI): A Special TADA Court today awarded capital punishment to three more convicts and life term to one in the 1993 Mumbai blast case.The court awarded death sentence to Zakir Hussain Shaikh, Feroz Mallik and Abdul Akhtar Khan as they were actively involved in the conspiracy for a long time.The three had also received weapons training in Pakistan which was organised by the prime accused Tiger Memon, who is still absconding.Special TADA judge P D Kode held that what they had done was an act of terrorism, equivalent to waging a war against the nation, as they had purposely gone to Fishermen’s Colony in Mahim with the objective of killing innocent people.Another convict, Moin Qureshi was awarded life term for his role in the grenade attack on the same colony, in which three persons were killed and six injured. The court, however, observed that since he was a minor at the time of the incident and got involved in the conspiracy in its final stages, he received a lesser punishment.Ten convicts have been awarded death sentence and 17 given life term in the serial blast case till date.Nine out of 100 convicted in the case remain to be sentenced, including Bolywood actor Sanjay Dutt. (ANI)

FII influx into Indian stock markets exceed 10 billion dollars
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 24 (ANI): With highest ever investment in a month by the Foreign Institutional Investors touching 5.75 billion dollars, the FIIs investment in the current year so far has exceeded the mark of 10 billion dollars. The FIIs have invested 10.5 billion dollars in equity and debt markets.In the last one month the Sensex has gained about 9 per cent, while it has surged by over 54 per cent in the last one year.According to analysts, the net FII inflow in equities could cross the record 12.5 billion dollars.Total FII inflow so far has been around 61 billion dollars, data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said. Last year, total inflow by the FIIs was over eight billion dollars, while in July it was 285.4 billion dollars. (ANI)

Sensex crosses 15, 828 mark
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 24 (ANI): Continuing its winning-streak, the Sensex climbed to hit another intra-session high of 15,828.91 points in early trade today.The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30-share-index, Sensex, which gathered over 166 points in the previous session, added 96.78 points to hit new the intra-session high of 15,828.98 in the first five minutes of trading."We have seen that the first quarter, numbers of most companies in corporate India has been excellent. On the back of it we have seen that the nuclear treaty that we have signed," said Ganesh Shanbhag, a Mumbai-based Stock analyst"At these times small investors should be cautious. He should look at some profit booking but should stick to quality stocks," he added.The broader NSE index also rose to a record of 4,647.90 in early deals and was trading 0.47 percent up at 4,634.90. Reliance Industries stocks shot up by Rs 8.10 at Rs 1,919. Other major gainers were Larsen and Toubro, BHEL, Grasim Industries, HDFC Ltd, Infosys Technologies and the State Bank of India.Power and Capital Goods stocks continued to lead the up move. (ANI)

Disrespect to martyrs' memorial sparks off protest in Mumbai
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 24 (ANI): Scores of workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which is headed by Raj Thackeray have protested against an alleged disrespect shown to a martyrs' memorial by two Shiv Sena legislators.The two Shiv Sena legislators, drank fruit juice at Hutatma Chowk during a social function. Raj Thackeray condemned the act."My grandfather was also involved in the fight for a unified Maharashtra. How would he have felt when legislators from his own party showed disrespect when they sat and had fruit juice at the memorial built in respect to martyrs of that cause?" asked Raj Thackeray.Hutatma Chowk was built in memory of members of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti, a movement in which scores of people laid down their lives in an altercation with police, for the cause of a unified Maharashtra state.Formerly called Flora Fountain, it derives its present name from an incident in 1960 when a peaceful demonstration by the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was fired upon by the police, resulting in some deaths. The incident led to the formation of the present State of Maharashtra. The Hutatma Chowk square is lined on all sides by buildings constructed during the British Raj. (ANI)

Managing load shedding the PPP way
Monday, July 23, 2007 | AY

The Pune model of mitigating load shedding by roping in captive private projects (CPPs) to generate electricity has run into a roadblock. The model was to be extended to other cities like Nagpur, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad and Kolhapur in Maharashtra but industries in these cities have not been able to replicate the project. CII now expects the model to be operational only in Nasik and Kolhapur by the end of this year, whereas others like Aurangabad, which see 50 per cent transmission and distribution (T&D) losses, may have to forego the option altogether. In Pune last year, 33 industrial units were brought together to draw power from their CPPs, thus giving the Pune electricity grid a relief of at least 100 MW at any instant. For a city that witnessed peak load shedding of 180-200 MW, such a measure gave instant relief, completely eliminating the need for load-shedding.

Ovalithe Bhavuraya
Sunday, July 22, 2007 | AY

Marathi movie ‘ Ovalithe Bhavuraya’ produced by Gregory L D’Almeida originally from Moodubelle in Udupi district and directed by Leena G D’ Almeida was successfully screened at Adlabs in Film City Goregaon on Friday Jul 20. Gregory has successfully produced his second Marathi movie Ovalithe Bhavurayam, at the backdrop of his success in producing the first ever Marathi movie Hasri which earned him Maharastra’s distinguished five awards including excellent director, movie, director, child artist and promising actor. Famous Marathi actors Sadashiv Amrapur, Mohan Joshi, Smitha Talwarkar, Priya Berde and other actors are part of the cast.

IB warning on Mumbai
Sunday, July 22, 2007 | AY

The Mumbai police have announced an alert in the city after the intelligence bureau warned of a possible terror strike. Policemen from all the police stations have been asked to conduct nakabandis on all important roads. The crime branch has begun checking the record of history-sheeters. Last week, the city police had to work round-the-clock in view of the first anniversary of the July 11 serial bomb blasts. Senior IPS officers said that they cannot ignore the recent Operation Silence in Pakistan, where the gun battle between the militants hiding in the Lal Masjid and the army resulted in several deaths. Later, a suicide bomber in Islamabad killed 16 people and injured over 40 others last Tuesday. This is one of the major reasons for stepping up security across the city and providing additional security to vital installations. The grenade attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Srinagar in which 10 people were injured is also a reason why security is being strengthened.

Holi in Patil's Rajasthan village, Diwali at her Maharashtra home
Sunday, July 22, 2007 | AY

Jalgaon(Maharashtra)/ Choti Losal(Rajasthan), July 21 (ANI): Residents of Choti Losal village in Rajasthan do not consider their village any more small after their daughter-in-law Pratibha Patil today got elected as country's first woman President.Though the 13th presidential poll witnessed the defeat of another Rajasthani, Bhairon Singh Sekhawat, people of this small hamlet, located 150 kilometres from Jaipur, have full support for her daughter-in-law who came to be associated with this place on July 7, 1965 after marrying to Devisingh Shekhawat.Elaborate preparations were in place since today morning and DJ's were called in to add music to the celebration. As the day progressed and news of Patil's leadings started pouring in, unseasonal wave of Holi festival hit the villagers as they started throwing coloured powders (gulal) on each other.Amidst folk songs and churning of latest Hindi movie songs by the DJ's, people celebrated Patils's victory, and also expressed hope that she would be able to pay attention to the development of the village.Hundreds of mile away from Choti Losal, in one of the remote villages in Jalgaon in Maharashtra people celebrated with firecrackers and drumbeats for their daughter Patil's victory.Ecstatic with their 'daughter's' victory, who is now a grandmother, residents of Bodhwad tehsil, distributed sweets and burst crackers.Since morning, girls in the schools here performed cultural dance and crooned songs in praise of Patil.A procession march was taken out in Jalgaon where people termed Patil's election to the country's top post as a proud day for the people of Maharashtra.With no signs of any resentment against Patil's family member in the wake of allegations of fraud and murder against them, the residents of Jalgaon extended their celebration late till the evening. Candles were lit and firecrackers illuminated this small town. Meanwhile, Congress party headquarters in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad also basked in celebrations with sounds of drumbeats and firecrackers. (ANI)

Bachchan to surrender farmland in Pune
Saturday, July 21, 2007 | AY

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who is embroiled in controversies over acquiring farmlands, has decided to surrender them to the original farmers in Pune district and the village body in Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh. Bachchan had purchased the lands claiming to be a farmer but the deals came under legal challenge with the Mayawati government even cancelling the farmland allotment in Barabanki. The Allahabad High Court however stayed the cancellation giving the star a breather.

Underprivileged children watch Potter flick in company of Bollywood stars
Saturday, July 21, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 20 (ANI): A leading multiplex chain in Mumbai brought smiles on the faces of scores of underprivileged children, for whom watching a movie in the comfort of a five-star ambience is a distant dream. But their distant dream turned out real on Thursday night when they were invited by the multiplex owner to watch the latest Harry Potter flick- The Order of the Phoenix- in the company of some beautiful Bollywood stars. Actress Juhi Chawla joined the children along with former Miss World, Yukta Mookhie for the special show. Actress Kim Sharma and Sophie Chaudhary were also present at the occasion. "If I could take away poverty I think that would be a big thing but if I can't do that then I could just help them, by educating them and in some way make them stand on their own feet," said Juhi. (ANI)

‘93 Mumbai blasts: One more sentenced to death
Saturday, July 21, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 20 (ANI): The special TADA court today awarded death sentence to Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh, one of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, taking the number of persons awarded capital punishment in the case to seven. Another accused Somnath Thapa, a former customs collector, was given life sentence. Yesterday, the court awarded death sentences to Asgar Muqadam, Shoaib Ghansar and Shahanawaz Quereshi for planting explosive devices at various points in Mumbai in 1993. On Wednesday, Special TADA judge P D Kode passed the death sentences to Pervez Shaikh, Mohammad Mustaq Tarani and Abdul Gani Turk for their roles in the blasts. The court has so far sentenced 84 of the 100 people convicted for the serial blasts in the city. Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, 47, is the most high profile of the convicts. He was found guilty of illegal possession of arms. However, no date has been set for his sentencing. Those sentenced so far include smugglers, petty criminals, a Bollywood producer and also policemen and customs officials who took bribes to let the explosives through. (ANI)

Case registered against jeweller, Mumbai building collapse toll is 29
Saturday, July 21, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 20 (ANI): A case has been registered against a jeweller -- Kailash Jain -- for allegedly carrying out illegal structural modifications at a store owned by him on the ground floor of the Borivali building that collapsed on Wednesday and led to the deaths of 29 people. Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) Suresh Khopde confirmed the registration of a case against Jain, the owner of the Vardhaman Jewellery store. He also said that Jain had lost three of his relatives in the tragedy, and would be arrested after completing funereal rituals. Earlier, rescue operations were brought to an end on the third day following the building collapse on Friday. Rescuers were working round the clock to retrieve the trapped people from the debris till a couple of hours ago. The total number of injured people has been pegged at 15. Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has ordered three separate inquiries into the incident and ordered a compensation of one lakh rupees for the kin of those killed and 50, 000 for the injured. (ANI)

Kacharakondi
Thursday, July 19, 2007 | AY

In a unique venture, the civic employees union here has produced a documentary film titled "Kacharakondi" to highlight the plight and sub-human conditions of sewerage workers with a view to create an awareness about the ills plaguing public health system. Directed by noted Marathi stage artiste Atul Pethe, the 55 minute film, released here last week for free screening in the state, has evoked strong feelings of empathy in all walks of life with its poignant real life depiction of those involved in clearing sewage and garbage to ensure urban sanitation. The film includes moving interviews of the workers who also suffer from various diseases due to continuous contact with rubbish and waste matter in the absence of proper health care for them. "Kacharakondi" will be screened free of charge in Mumbai and Thane on July 21 and July 22 respectively.

Bomb found in Pune IT Park
Thursday, July 19, 2007 | AY

The employees of the sofware giant Cognizant Technologies situated in Rajiv Gandhi Infotech park at Hinjewadi were sent jittery on Wednesday evening, when company officials received a suspected parcel bomb through the post. According to the police, the live parcel bomb was defused at 9.35 pm by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS). The bomb weighed about one kg and the police have sent its contents to ballistic experts at the forensic laboratory for further tests.

'93 Mumbai blasts: Capital punishment for three convicts
Thursday, July 19, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 18 (ANI): A special TADA Court on Wednesday awarded capital punishment to three convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.Special TADA judge P D Kode awarded death sentence to Pervez Shaikh, Mohammad Mustaq Tarani and Abdul Gani Turk for their roles in the blasts. Shaikh was convicted for planting a scooter with explosives in southern Mumbai and a bomb in Sea Rock Hotel in north-western Bandra area, which claimed many lives and damaged property worth crores.Tarani was convicted for planting a bomb at Centaur hotel and another at Sheikh Memon Street in southern Mumbai. While Turk was held guilty for planting a jeep packed with explosives in Worli's Century Bazaar.However, Shaikh was acquitted of two counts- participating in arms training at Raigad's Sandheri and Bhorghat villages, and transporting weapons from Jogeshwari to Musafirkhana in Mumbai prior to the blasts.Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam was happy with the verdict and said that the prosecution might appeal in the Supreme Court seeking capital punishment for some other accused, on the basis of the sentence to Shaikh Tarani and Turk.It is for the first time that capital punishment has been awarded in this case in which 81 out of 100 convicted have been awarded sentences. (ANI)

4 dead, 30 trapped as 7-storey building collapses in Mumbai
Thursday, July 19, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 18 (ANI): At least four people died and several others were injured when a seven-storey building at West Borivalli in Mumbai collapsed this evening. Rescue operation is on and over 30 people are feared to remain trapped inside the debris. Seven people have been rescued and have been admitted to Bhagwati Hospital. Thirty-year-old Lakshmi Chaya building housed shops in the ground floor and the remaining six floors were used for residential purpose. At least 150 people were inside the building when it collapsed.The number of casualties is expected to rise further. (ANI)

Trophies won in Ireland ODI series to reach Mumbai today
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 17 (ANI): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Niranjan Shah said on Tuesday that the trophies won by the Indian cricketers during the Future Cup one-day series against South Africa in Ireland would be delivered at the BCCI office in Mumbai this evening.Shah said the luggage containing the team's winners' trophy, Sachin Tendulkar's man of the series trophy, and Yuvraj Singh's and Gautam Gambhir's man of the match medals - won after the 2-1 series victory in Belfast would be handed over soon.The luggage had been caught up in a "backlog" of bags on their way to India via British Airways, the airlines which was to transport the bags via London last week. The airlines had blamed the backlog on heightened security measures at London's Heathrow airport. (ANI with inputs)

Two more get life-term in ‘93 Mumbai bomb blasts case
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 17 (ANI): Resuming its sentencing in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, a special TADA court today gave life-term to planter of the bomb Imtiyaz Ghawate and grenade-thrower Nasim Bharmare. Ghawate and Bharmare were also fined Rs 2.77 lakh and Rs 2.30 lakh respectively. "The court has held him (Barmare) guilty for criminal conspiracy. For causing the bomb explosion, the court has awarded him life imprisonment. Other accused Imtiyaz Ghawte has also been held guilty for parking an RDX laden scooter in the Dhanji street that is a business area,” said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. The TADA court has convicted 100 people and so far sentenced 77 in connection with the serial blasts case. The court has awarded life imprisonment to 14 accused. The sentencing was held up after some of those convicted had questioned the authority of the anti-terrorism court. Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, 47, is the most high profile of the convicts. He was found guilty of illegal possession of arms. However, no date has been set for his sentencing. Those sentenced so far include smugglers, petty criminals, a Bollywood producer and also policemen and customs officials who took bribes to let the explosives through. (ANI)

1993 Mumbai blast: Sentencing likely to resume today
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 17 (ANI): The awarding of sentences to the remaining convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts is likely to resume today after a month long stay.The special TADA judge P D Kode on Monday rejected the petition seeking an extension to stay the sentencing of convicts. The case proceedings were stayed following a petition moved before the TADA judge to refer the case to the Supreme Court on grounds that TADA’s constitutionality could be challenged as the Act was repealed in 1994. Since the petition was dismissed, the applicants sought stay to the sentencing as they needed time to approach the Supreme Court. However, their plea for stay was rejected stating that the convicts could approach the apex court after the award of sentence, and their rights would not be prejudiced if the stay was not granted.The Court further said that a three judge bench of the apex court has held the constitutional validity of TADA.The sentencing of Somnath Thapa, former Customs Commissioner who facilitated passage of RDX and arms from Raigad coast to Mumbai prior to the blasts and Imtiaz Ghawate, one of the planters is likely to announced today. Seventy-six out of total 100 convicted in the case have already been sentenced. (ANI)

Siddhivinayak temple to lift ban on coconut and garland offerings
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 17 (ANI): The famous Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai on Tuesday announced that it would lift a ban on coconut and garland offerings, which was imposed a month ago following terror threats. In June, priests at Siddhivinayak temple asked devotees not to carry coconuts and garlands at the temple.It was feared that terrorists might use them to carry explosive material.Authorities said the ban will be relaxed, however, with compulsory inspection of coconuts and other offerings."The 38 vendors would be allowed to sell coconuts and other offerings after thorough scanning by the temple security and police. If people still want to get coconuts from outside, they will be required to break and present them for inspection, until we have a scanning machine in place," said Subash Mayekar, Chairman of the Siddhivinayak Trust.The white granite and stone temple, receives thousands of worshippers every day. Bollywood celebrities, sports stars and politicians often visit the temple to seek blessings from the Lord Ganesha.The city had witnessed several bombings in the past, including seven synchronised blasts last year on its suburban railway network, which killed 186 people. (ANI)

Bank of Maharashtra to have nationwide footprint
Monday, July 16, 2007 | AY

State-owned Bank of Maharashtra is embarking on a nationwide expansion by opening 60 branches across the country apart from 25 more in the state. The bank is also aggressively leading the migration of existing branches on core banking platform with about 600 branches, of the over 900, to be on CBS by March'08. Bank of Maharashtra recently completed 100 per cent financial inclusion of Jalna district in the state and has now taken an initiative to carry out full financial inclusion of 19 more districts. Of the Rs 650 crore fund raising plan, the bank has successfully raised Rs 200 crore through Upper Tier II bond and expects to maintain a healthy capital adequacy.

BJP, Shiv Sena headed for split over Presidential polls
Monday, July 16, 2007 | AY

Mumbai / Gujarat, July 16 (ANI): The alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its right wing ally, the Shiv Sena, is reportedly on the rocks following the latter’s decision to support the candidature of Pratibha Patil for the July 19 President’s polls. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Sunday appealed to opposition legislators to vote for Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. "I would like to appeal to the voters that we have a long association with the Shiv Sena. We have ideological similarities with the Shiv Sena. Keeping these relations in mind, it becomes imperative that the Shiv Sena legislators vote for Shekhawat," Swaraj said. Swaraj served a virtual ultimatum to the Shiv Sena to either fall in line or snap their over two decades old alliance."That's why I said do not underestimate Shekhawat. Do not think that the positions will remain same till 18th night. We will review our ties with the Shiv Sena after the presidential polls, which will be a determining factor," she said.Shiv Sena, which has also spearheaded a sons of the soil movement in Maharashtra, gave its Hindu ideology short shrift by backing Patil, who could be the first Maharashtrian and woman to occupy the highest office in India.Meanwhile, Patil who campaigned in Ahmedabad said: “Despite the efforts to malign my image, I am willing to shoulder the responsibility. I will work for the country with sincerity."Patil has been the target of a series of allegations, including bank fraud and allegedly shielding her brother in a murder case.The voting to elect the 13th President would be held on July 19 and counting is scheduled for July 21. (ANI)

Nagpur Ambedkar memorial gets Rs 2 crore
Sunday, July 15, 2007 | AY

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday gave Rs two crore as financial assistance to carry out the beautification of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Deekshabhumi in Nagpur. The amount is to be used to beautify the memorial to international standards.

Mukkam Post London
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

Manmandir Production Presents’ Mukkam Post London is the first Marathi film to be shot in the Queen’s country. Produced by Kamal Seth, Mukkam Post London has music by Ajit-Hrishikesh, lyrics and dialogue by Macchindra More, cinematography by Sanjay Memane and story, screenplay and direction by Kedar Shinde. Vaijhanath Hanpanwar is a small-town guy living in Kalchoudi village near Satara. After the death of his mother, Vaijhya learns that his father Omkar Hanpanwar had left his young wife and three-year old son to earn a living in London. He finds a small box containing several uncashed cheques, flight tickets to London and many little things along with a visiting card. He decides to go there personally and return all the things to his father and come back to India. Bharat Jadhav is in the role of Vaijhanath, while Mohan Joshi, in a very different look, plays a rich businessman. The film is a clean entertainer.

Centre to give Mumbai drainage system a facelift
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

The Centre is planning on giving the Mumbai city Rs 12, 000 crore to rehaul the city's drainage system. The Centre has asked the state government not to expect more funds for the project. The funds will be disbursed over a three-year period, in installments of 400 cr each year. Mumbai's civic body for the past two years has been working on doubling the capacity of city's 100 -year-old drainage system. The project is called 'Brimstowad' and it will involve building nallahs and culverts, widening and deepening the city's rivers, and setting up more pumping stations.

Mukesh Ambani’s SEZ, 27 others get government approval
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): The Board of Approvals (BoA) today cleared 28 proposals of Special Economic Zones (SEZ), including Mukesh Ambani’s Navi Mumbai project.The board gave formal approval to 21 SEZs proposals and seven 'in-principle' cases.On July 6, the Parliamentary Committee on the SEZ had said that no further SEZs should be notified unless the existing law is amended to incorporate the changes related to the land acquisitions.The maximum area for the multi-product SEZ should not be more than 2,000 hectares, if the land acquired is cultivable, the Murli Manohar Joshi headed-committee said in its 83rd report.An empowered Group of Ministers (GoM), however, has fixed the land ceiling limit at 5,000 hectares. "All land for SEZs should be taken on lease by developers. There should not be transfer of ownership," the report said. (ANI)

Cabinet approves over Rs. 12 billion for Brihan Mumbai drainage project
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for the improvement of the Storm Water Drainage System (BRIMSTOWAD) in Brihan Mumbai at an estimated cost of over Rupees 12 billion (Rs.1200.53 crore).The project will become operational within four years. On completion and augmentation of the Storm Water Drainage system for higher rainfall intensity with higher runoff coefficient, the incidence of flooding in Mumbai will be reduced and losses of Rs.1550 crore will be saved per year.The storm water drainage system in the city is more than 150 years old and is designed for rainfall of 25 mm per hour and a run off coefficient of 0.5. “Improvement of the Storm Water Drainage system for higher rainfall intensity reaching up to 100 mm per hour with a higher run-off coefficient of one will reduce the incidence of flooding in Mumbai,” said a Cabinet release.The central assistance to the Maharashtra Government includes three per cent contingencies. The project will be implemented by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).The Cabinet said cost escalations, if any, would be borne by the State Government or the MCGM.“Cost of operations, maintenance and rehabilitation and relief for the families affected by the project shall be borne by State Government,” the Cabinet release said.The improvement cost has been approved by Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), the technical wing of Urban Development Ministry.The Centre and the State Government together will monitor the project for timely completion and cost overruns.Mumbai city has at present Gravity Storm Water system consisting of network of drains below road level in city area and open drains in the both eastern and Western suburbs. (ANI)

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance logs profit of Rs 30 crore
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 12 (ANI): Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has once again taken the lead amongst private sector life insurance companies in proving it’s management marketing skills and on the back of a profitable 2006-07. The company is starting its first quarter of 2007-08 with a Rs 30 cr profit. Its full year profit for fiscal 2006-07 was Rs 63 cr.Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance issued over 536,703 policies in this quarter as opposed to 201,442 policies in the same period in 2006-07, a growth of over 166 percentThe company's annualised premium of Rs 658 crore, registering a growth of 86 percent for the first quarter. The total new business premium received in the first quarter is Rs. 729 crore. Sam Ghosh Country Manager Allianz and CEO Bajaj Allianz Life, proudly said: “Key to profitability is our strong base of wide and stable distribution network coupled with bouquet of flexible and simple products that appeal to customers across the country."Bajaj Allianz has over 900 offices in India, and a customer base of close to 3.5 million. Currently it has a product portfolio of 32 products. (ANI)

Prime Minister takes stock of Mumbai 7/11 blast investigation
Saturday, July 14, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, July 12 (ANI): Taking stock of the state of investigation into the July 11, 2006 Mumbai train blasts that killed 186 people and injured hundreds of other, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today said that the Government will not rest until those responsible for the blasts are punished and brought to justice. Dr. Singh also reviewed the measures taken so far for providing compensation to the families of blast victims and to those injured, including assistance for hospitalisation, payment of medical bills and provision of employment for those, who have applied for it.He hailed the courage and forbearance of the people of Mumbai and their determination to stand united in the fight against terrorism. According to Maharashtra Government and Ministry of Railways, out of the 118 applicants for jobs, approval has been given for 96 so far.The Railway Ministry has been asked to ensure that the Railway Claims Tribunal expedites the disposal of claims for compensation. It may be noted that the Mumbai Police has so far charge-sheeted 25 persons in this case and the designated Court has issued non-bailable warrants against 15 absconders, and Red Corner Notices have been issued against two persons. The case is under trial. (ANI)

AI direct Mumbai-New York flights from Aug 1
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | AY

In the face of increasing competition from international airlines on the profitable India-America route, Air India will introduce direct non-stop flights between Mumbai and New York from August 1. Two other non-stop flights between New Delhi and New York and Bangalore and San Francisco will be launched in February and mid-next year respectively. The airline will use the latest long range aircraft Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner, first of which will be delivered to it on July 25. The 777-200LR, capable of connecting virtually any two cities in the world nonstop, is the fifth 777 model. It can carry up to 301 passengers and fly 17,445 kilometres nonstop.

7/11 Mumbai blast victims still scarred a year after
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 11 (ANI): Survivors and relatives of victims of the deadly serial blasts that ripped through several suburban trains in Mumbai last year, are still struggling to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives a year on. The scars of the blast are still fresh in their minds.Dirajraj Rathod, a Central Excise Department superintendent, remembers the explosion, which knocked him unconscious for four days.Rathod lost his right arm and hearing in his right ear. He now says that he has become totally dependant and can't travel out alone.Rathod says he has had five operations on his body and still has to undergo one more.For Parag Sawant, time has seized to exist. He was on his way home to take his pregnant wife to hospital when he was caught in the blast. Today, he is confined to hospital, and has been in coma since.Madhuri Sawant, his mother, still hopes and prays for the recovery of her 27-year-old son, who has not seen his daughter, now nine months old."I still have hope that he will return home. He will have to return for his nine-month-old daughter and his wife. May god do some miracle and send him back," Madhuri says.At least 186 people were killed and hundreds injured when seven bombs ripped through the packed commuter trains in July 11, last year. (ANI)

Nation observes first anniversary of Mumbai train blasts
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 11 (ANI): People from all walks of life today paid homage to the victims of the serial blasts on local trains in Mumbai on the first anniversary of the blasts. At least 186 people were killed and hundreds were injured when seven bombs ripped through packed local trains and stations within 11 minutes during rush hour on the evening of July 11 last year. Exactly one year later, relatives of victims and residents of the city gathered at a local railway station to pay homage to the victims. "I have come here to pay homage to the people of Mumbai city, its railway service which have shown a resilience that cannot be suppressed by terror attacks,' said A. K. Jhagron, General Manager of the Western Railways. One year might have passed since the incident took place, but the fear remains in people’s mind. "We do feel scared. Anything can happen anywhere. It can be on a train or on a bus. We remain vigilant if some baggage is abandoned anywhere," said Khare, a relative of a blast victim. Seven persons were identified as suspects for the blasts, of which four, belonging to banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), are undergoing trial. (ANI)

Awarapan
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 | AY

Vishesh Films' Awarapan will resume screening in theatres in Pune from tomorrow (10 July). On Saturday, 7 July, a group of Muslims stalled the screening of the film in theatres across the city of Pune. The Samajwadi party had issued letters to six Mumbai theatres -- Inox, Apsara, Metro, Eros, Roxy and Central Plaza, to stall the film’s screening. While Apsara cancelled two shows and later resumed the screening; other theatres like Inox, Eros and Metro refused to cancel the shows. Galaxy theatre in Bandra, Sahakar Plaza and Uday cinema in Ghatkopar also stopped the film’s screening. However, the Bhatts along with the support of the Home Minister RR Patil and the Mumbai police commisioner had the situation under control today. Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt met with the Samajwadi party members and resolved the issue.

ONGC vessel sinks off Mumbai coast
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 | AY

Five of the 14 persons on board Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) vessel Samudrika-10 went missing after the supply ship sank off the Mumbai coast on Monday. ONGC rescue teams were able to save nine on board. It went down in the Arabian Sea around 12.30 p.m. The offshore supply vessel is one of 14 such vessels owned by the ONGC. The vessel was operated by private agency Seacal. The accident is reminiscent of an incident in July 2005 when a similar supply vessel sank after colliding with an oil station of the public sector company in the Mumbai High fields.

Nagpur will be Qatar Airways newest destination
Monday, July 9, 2007 | AY

Nagpur will become the airline’s newest Indian destination this summer as Qatar Airways revealed. The airline plans to fly non-stop scheduled services between its operational hub of Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, and the central Indian city of Nagpur in the State of Maharashtra. The Nagpur route will be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy. Qatar Airways currently operates 30 flights a week between Qatar and five cities across India.

Sugarcane crop in Maharashtra will get affected
Monday, July 9, 2007 | AY

Heavy rains during the last fortnight have severely affected sugarcane crops in Maharashtra, resulting in massive losses to the state's sugarcane industry. Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Nanded and Parbhani in the state have been the worst-hit. Among the leading sugarcane producing areas in Maharashtra, Kolhapur's share is 12-lakh tonnes, while Sangli and Satara produce 7-lakh and 5.90-lakh tonnes respectively. Out of 185 sugar manufacturing mills, nearly 130 will still be able to get into the crushing season due to sufficient rainfall in other drought-prone areas of Maharashtra and are expected to yield about 5-6 million tonnes of finished sugar. Due to lower price realisation, Andhra Pradesh farmers who were also hit by severe rain, have shifted from turmeric to other crops like soybean and chillies.

7/11 Mumbai blast victim awaits compensation
Monday, July 9, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 8 (ANI): A year since the deadly serial blasts in suburban trains in Mumbai city that claimed 186 lives, hundreds of victims with severe injuries or loss of limb continue to await compensation and aid to put their life back on track.Mahendra Pitale, a 32-year old sculptor and designer, was aboard one of the ill-fated trains.A split-second is all he remembers of the explosion. An amputated left arm meant he carries the scar for a lifetime."This artificial hand of mine does not move too well. It is connected to my body through a cable. I cannot turn my wrists too much. I need a much more advanced artificial hand to use it well," he says.Pitale has to manage with a mechanical hand donated by a Mumbai medical firm. It cannot, however, recreate the nimble movements of his fingers, an imperative for his sculpting work.He wishes to get himself an automated hand that costs over 17,300 dollars, a huge amount for his means.The Railways have sanctioned him a compensation of about 6,178 dollars. Of that, he has been given 1,235 dollars. The remaining amount, he was told, has been invested as a fixed deposit that he can encash only in 2009.With just one hand, Pitale's range of work has narrowed down. Despite the immediate assistance provided by his employers, the blasts have had a definite adverse impact on his livelihood in the long run."Those who carried out the blasts have gone scot-free. They did it for money, got the money and have disappeared. I do not think they will be punished, if the trials of the 1993 Mumbai blasts are any indication, they have taken 10-12 years already, " Pitale said.We have to continue to work for our livelihood. I was in hospital for one month, rested at home for another two months and began working thereafter, he added. (ANI)

LCD screens, closed circuit cameras in Mumbai buses
Sunday, July 8, 2007 | AY

Commuters in Mumbai's BEST buses will be monitored from next week while travelling, with authorities installing closed circuit cameras as well as LCD screens in over 100 buses in the city. The closed circuit cameras will be installed at the entry and exit of the buses in order to monitor passengers who board them and the images will be stored on a hard disk. The wiring of the cameras has been completed for 100 buses in the Wadala bus depot and will help us keep a watch in order to nab persons indulging in criminal activities. BEST will also be installing LCD screens in the buses which will beam pre-recorded video clips including public service messages, advertisements and other announcements.

Rahul, Sachin, Sourav opt out of Twenty-20 Cricket World Cup
Sunday, July 8, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 7 (ANI): The names of the batting trio- Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly -- were missing from the list of a preliminary squad of 30 players for the first Twenty-20 World Cup to be held in South Africa in September.The Selection Committee, which met here today to decide on the list of 30 probables for the new version of the game, said that the three senior players had themselves opted out of the tournament."I got a call in the morning from Rahul (Dravid), and he said they (Sachin, Sourav and Rahul) will be opting out of this Twenty20 World Cup," said Dilip Vengsarkar, who is the chairman of the selection committee. Vengsarkar said the decision of the three senior players was in the spirit of providing opportunity to youngsters."... No there is no reason as such... think they want to give a chance to youngsters too... That is why we have chosen a young team also...," he said.The squad, which will be reduced to 15 players in the middle of July, includes opener Virender Sehwag, who was discarded for the England tour, and some of the country's most promising youngsters.Another notable inclusion was left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan, whose dip in form has kept him out of the national squad for long.The Preliminary squad announced includes: Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Neeraj Patel, Karan Goel, Cheteshwar Pujara, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Joginder Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Rajesh Pawar, Niranjan Behara, Aniruddh Srikkanth, Praveen Kumar. (ANI)

Thousands converge to honour 17th century Marathi saint
Sunday, July 8, 2007 | AY

Dehu (Maharashtra), July 8 (ANI): Thousands took out a procession from Dehu village near Pune to pay obeisance to the 17th century Marathi saint Tukaram.Pilgrims, dressed in white, played cymbals and drums and performed a ritualistic dance as they accompanied a palanquin.The annual procession known as 'Wari' is taken out by pilgrims called 'warkaris', and involves the carrying of "palki' or palanquins of 'Sant Tukaram' to the holy town of Pandharpur, home of Lord Vitthal, a manifestation of Hindu Lord Vishnu.Balasaheb More, a devotee, said: "Millions of devotees gather in the procession and mingle with each other and enjoy".The custom of procession was started in 1685 by Narayan Maharaj, the son of saint Tukaram, and has since then become an annual event.Besides the palanquins, the pilgrims also carry 'padukas' (wooden slippers) to symbolise the presence of the saint during the 22-day long procession, as it would make a 250-kilometer long trek to the Vithoba temple in Pandharpur, - the seat of the Bhakti (devotional) cult. (ANI)

Aar, Aar Aba, Ata Tari Thamba
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Marathi feature film based on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader R R Patil's political career is slated for release in October. Bollywood actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar told that his daughter is directing the film, titled `Aar, Aar Aba, Ata Tari Thamba' (R R Aba At least Stop Now), and it features a character called R R Aba. Patil is more commonly known as `Aba' in the state. However, the man who is the focus of the film was unaware that such a film was being made. Amrapurkar and another veteran actor Neelu Phule are among the star-cast of the comedy movie, which dwells on Patil's role in popularising the concept of a clean village under the Sant Gadgebaba cleanliness drive.

Dharamji is till young at heart: Katrina
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 5 (ANI): Actress Katrina Kaif has showered praises on veteran actor Dharmendra, her co-star in ‘Apne’, and has said that the actor is still ‘young at heart’. The lofty beauty said that on the set of the film, the actor carried a modest image, despite his seniority. “It was really really nice. Actually Dharamji is very young at heart. He just got there with all of us. He was like part of the crew. He didn't keep away…or…. He wasn't like ok…I am senior…he was always defending me.., as Bobby likes to tease me…..so he was like that's not good….so it was really sweet,” Kaif said. The ‘Namastay London’ beauty added that she wouldn’t want to steal the limelight for her performance in ‘Apne’, for the film belongs to Dharmendra and his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol. “The effort and the way they have performed in the film…I mean I can shout…watch me…. watch me…. but it's surely Dharamji's, Sunny's and Bobby's film,” she added. (ANI)

Randeep Hooda takes the romantic route with ‘Love game’
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 5 (ANI): Actor Randeep Hooda is all set to change his image from an angry young man to a funny lover boy. The Bollywood hunk, who started his movie career with Ram Gopal Varma’s action packed film ‘D’, will now reveal his romantic and flirtatious side in his new movie ‘Love Game.’ Love Game, directed by South Indian director Srinivas, revolves around Randeep, who flirts with seven women simultaneously. "This is a slice of life kind of a comedy movie. Its about what happens to a young single man in Mumbai and his experiences with 7 different kind of women and what he learns from it,” Randeep said. In the movie, Randeep hooks up with actresses like Rituparna Sengupta, Riya Sen, Jesse Randhawa and Divya Dutta. (ANI).

India's first composite animation flick 'My Friend Ganesha' opens to terrific response
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

New Delhi/Mumbai, July 6 (ANI): India's first composite animation flick and latest 'kiddie caper'- 'My Friend Ganesha' opened to an incredible response across the country on Friday.The film combines animation with real life characters to create a fascinating tale of a young boy, who befriends young Lord Ganesha. An interesting mix of mythology and fiction, 'My Friend Ganesha' went down well with the audiences especially the young ones who were completely bowled over by the film."The movie was very good. I liked the Ganesha and the child. At the end of the film, they showed that Ganesha is put into the sea and the child starts crying," said Vidhu, a 5-year-old."Movie was very good. Every child must see this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed and my son also enjoyed a lot," said Rekha Kohli, an audience.The film revolves around a young boy named Aaditya, who is the only child of his working parents leading an alienated and lonely life.And how his life completely transforms, after he finds company in Hindu elephant god 'Ganesha' a new friend who enters his life and becomes his mate.One day Aaditya brings home a mouse after he saves it from drowning. His maid then narrates to him a mythological tale revolving around 'Ganesha'.Meanwhile, the family is going through a crisis, which also coincides with Ganesha festival. Aaditya's family brings home an idol of the god and it is then, that things start taking a turn for the better, as Ganesha helps the family tide over their problems while becoming pals with Aaditya.Child actor Ahsaas Channa, who is actually a girl, plays the character of 'Aaditya' along with the animated character 'Ganesha' in this film. Made on a budget of 45 million rupees, the film took six months of extensive labour for completion.Replete with high-end graphics and animation the film is a delightful venture by the makers into kiddie circuit."We had to make a children movie and had to make an animation movie also. (So we were caught between) how to make a children movie and an animated movie. So, we decided to do first composite movie of India," said Rajiv Ruia, director of the film.The makers are also planning a sequel to the film tilted 'Ganesha Rocks New York', a film that would take the story forward.The film is already underway and would hit the theatres by the end of 2007. (ANI)

Sensex crosses 15, 000-mark
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 6 (ANI): The BSE-Sensex today crossed the 15,000 points for the first time, setting a fifth consecutive record high ahead of the start of an earnings season next week.The Sensex ended off its peak of 15,007.22, but its gain of 0.69 percent was still enough to take it to a record closing high of 14,964.12. The index rose 2.1 percent this week.Leading software exporter Tata Consultancy Services gained 4.4 percent, second-ranked Infosys, which will report its results on July 11, rose 2.9 percent and fourth-ranked Satyam Computer rose 5.4 percent, with all three stocks posting their highest closes in about three weeks.Top private bank ICICI Bank fell 2.4 percent. "This is a very positive development for our country and a very nice level at which we have reached today after very long time. Over all the industrial growth in the economy seems to be very good. The consumption pattern is also very good," said Ashwin Dalal, a Stock Analyst."The Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) investment is very strong in the economy. This has actually propelled the growth of the market and the market has reached an all time high level. There could be volatility in the market so we should see a steadier rise going forward," he added.In the broader market, 1,513 gainers beat 1,130 losers on volume of more than 327 million shares.The 50-share NSE index hit a life high of 4,411.00 before closing up 0.71 percent at a record close at 4,384.85. (ANI)

CII, Vietnam business body sign trade and investment MoU
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 5 (ANI): The Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( VCCI ), will collaborate under a Memorandum or Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the strengthen trade and investment between India and Vietnam.The MoU was signed here today by Dr.Vu Tien Loc, Chairman and President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Syamal Gupta, Member, CII National Council and Chairman, Tata International Ltd. In signing the MoU both parties shall cooperate to further improve and expand trade, investment, technology cooperation and will pursue the establishment of the " Vietnam-India Business Forum" to create a permanent vehicle for the promotion of bilateral cooperation.As Vietnam has become a new member of the WTO, a favourable environment with great opportunities is being opened up for cooperation between Vietnam and the world particularly the South Asian countries. It also demonstrated Vietnam's commitment towards transformation into a market based economy. Although Vietnam entered the global economy later than most SE Asian countries, its progress is impressive. Vietnams economy has grown from 45 billion dollars in 2004 to 60 billion dollars in the last year. Global integration has accelerated with the annual exports now reaching 40 billion dollars and FDI commitments surging to 10 billion dollars in 2006.Vietnam has become Asia's second fastest growing economyRecently adopted laws to unify the regulatory framework for domestic and foreign enterprises and to harmonise rules on trading rights have bolstered the investment climate. The imperatives of South-South cooperation make it necessary that the relationship between India and Vietnam are further strengthened. Both countries have an interest in working together to maintain the security of the region, to make sure there are no impediments to the continued growth of the countries as well as the region. Given the strong fundamentals in India and Vietnam economic growth, it is clear that both countries have an incredibly important role to play in Asia's futureBoth India and Vietnam face similar challenges and together they can cooperate on various issues to make greater success stories. (ANI)

NIIT to expand IT network in Vietnam
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 5 (ANI): NIIT, the IT training major, today announced its expansion plans in Vietnam.After an hour-long meeting with visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, NIIT Global Individual Learning Business President G. Raghavan said, “NIIT will work with the Vietnamese industry and the academia to help build their IT skill base, in the spirit of partnership.”Raghavan said NIIT is committed to inclusively build IT talent in Vietnam.Outlining the company's plans for the region, Raghavan said that NIIT is looking to partner leading colleges and universities in Vietnam.Since 1991, NIIT has been preparing Vietnamese youth in IT skills through its network of over 24 education centres in 13 provinces.NIIT has allied with Hoa Sen University, Saigon Software Park, ICT Hanoi, Hanoi CTT and HaiPhong Software Park to name a few in Vietnam.NIIT's flagship DNIIT programme, under 'The Mastermind Series', is among the most popular IT training programmes in Vietnam. (ANI)

Taj frenzy peaks as voting closes today
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | AY

Indore (MP) /Nagpur (Maharashtra), July 6 (ANI): With the voting for selecting the new Seven Wonders of the World coming to an end today, campaigning to crown the monument of love, the Taj Mahal, on top of the new list reached a new high.In Indore, an artiste has made a beautiful painting of the monument of love on water to do his bit for Taj Mahal's inclusion in the new list of Seven Wonders.Made with a labour of 12 hours, the artiste withstood the scorching heat as he worked in complete isolation to prepare the painting."The Taj belongs to everyone. It is indeed a matter of pride for India and we have to save Taj. We want it to be on the top and it is our duty to do something for it," said Arvind Acharya, the artiste.In Nagpur, another artiste's attempt to do his bit for Taj Mahal has also attracted people by droves.The artiste made a 700-square feet picture of Taj Mahal from dry colours."It is the duty of every Indian to do their bit for Taj Mahal and therefore I'm trying to coax people to vote for Taj through the medium of my painting," said Prakash Betawar, the artiste.From Taj Mahal to Mexico's Mayan ruins, suggestions for Seven New Wonders of the World have flooded in from more than 60 million people in one of the biggest global polls ever conducted. (ANI)

Cargo ship sinks off Mumbai coast
Thursday, July 5, 2007 | AY

A ship sailing from Singapore to Jebel Ali (UAE) sank at 6 pm on Wednesday, 63 nautical miles west of Mumbai due to flooding on board. According to the Indian coast guard, the vessel was carrying 60,000 metric tons of clinker cargo (coal ash) as well as 350 mt of fuel oil and 100 mt diesel oil. All the 22 crew were rescued by M V Mearsk Dhaka. The Indian Coast Guard received the distress signal at 2 pm after which they launched an aircraft from Daman for immediate assistance.

Sensex touches new peak
Thursday, July 5, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 4 (ANI): The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share barometer index hit a record high on Wednesday before paring gains to end up just 0.53 per cent at 14,884.70- its highest ever close. The National Stock Exchange, NSE, index closed provisionally down 0.01 per cent at 4,357.10 points as investors turned cautious after the market hit a new high in the day. The BSE-30 share Sensex, which had gained 142.25 points on Tuesday, gathered another 104.57 points to scale the record intra-session high of 14, 901.08 in the first five minutes of trading. Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange's Nifty was up by 28.90 points or 0.57 per cent at 4,386.45, an all-time peak. Market analysts said most index-related stocks were in the positive zone with sizeable gains, lifting the Sensex to this record high. "I think the global cues and the FII keen interest in the Indian markets is actually driving the market and on the back of industrial growth in the country we are also seeing a lot of activity happen as far as infrastructure is concerned, construction is concerned, engineering goods is concerned. The order books for most companies is very good, the IT companies are doing relatively well and overall the growth seems to be pretty rolling," said Ganesh Shanbaug, a market analyst. He said investors needed to plan long-term since the next two years were going to touch even better highs. "We see a lot of people coming into the market on a short term momentum play but I think they should give it a longer term time frame. Don't get carried away with unheard of companies because of you'll find unknown promoters coming into the market now. So that should be a little bit of caution for them and look at good promoters and good companies and proudly ride the wave over the next two-three years," added Shanbaug. Buying activity was maximum in construction and related company stocks like pharmaceuticals. (ANI)

Toonz Academy opens in Mumbai
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 | AY

Toonz has opened its Toonz Animation Academy in Mumbai, offering one-year advanced programme courses in classical and digital animation, 3D animation and digital arts, along with other certificate courses. Located in Andheri, the Toonz Animation Academy will have cutting-edge infrastructure, industry current workstations, international faculty and a comprehensive global curriculum. The curriculum boasts of being holistic and includes personality development programs, acting classes and classes on evolving trends. Advanced animation labs will provide students with convenient access to digital media equipment and entertainment technology.

Agro-kiosks to serve farmers in the state
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 | AY

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has offered to help the Maharasthra government set up agro-kiosks to serve farmers in the state, apart from setting up a research centre near Pune. The agro kiosks will help farmers get the latest information on weather, cropping patterns and trends in agricultural produce prices very quickly and efficiently. The project should improve the condition of farmers in the state that has witnessed mass suicides by agriculturists in last couple of years. The central and state governments would be spending Rs.55 billion over the next three years on agriculture, 80 percent of which would be allocated to improving irrigation facilities. The chief minister added that his delegation and Microsoft had signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a Microsoft research centre in Hinjewadi near Pune.

Japan to help India through infrastructure projects
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 4 (ANI): Japanese Industry Minister Akira Amari has said that the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project (DMIC) could get the services-driven economy to grow through infrastructure development."What we are trying is to cooperate with India and try to recreate in India what we did back in Japan to make it develop into the second largest economy in the world through infrastructure development," said Amari on the sidelines of a business seminar on Tuesday evening. Amari also said that by sharing with other Asian countries, particularly India, the technical know-how and state-of-the art-technology, Japan wished to arrive at a win-win situation to enable both countries to grow.The corridor could act as a gateway for Japanese exports to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, he added. The 90-billion dollar project will be funded by the Indian and Japanese Governments, Japanese firms, and money raised by Indian firms issuing shares in Japan.The project will include a high-speed rail freight corridor, new power capacity of 4,000 megawatts, three new seaports and six airports.India also plans to upgrade existing industrial units, build 12 new industrial clusters, ten logistic parks and agricultural hubs alongside the industrial corridor.The project is being planned along the Tokyo-Osaka Industrial Corridor, and officials have identified five investment regions and five industrial areas in the first phase of the project.Japan is keen to start work on the project by 2008, and Amari said he hoped the concept paper would be ready before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits New Delhi in August. (ANI)

Indian cricket team grieves over Sardesai's death
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 | AY

The Indian cricket fraternity today expressed grief at the passing away of former Test cricketer Dilip Sardesai and paid glowing tributes to the "courageous batsman" who was largely responsible for India's historic 1971 series triumph in the West Indies. Dilip Sardesai was one of the most popular Indian cricketers who served Mumbai for a number of years. pin legend Bishan Singh Bedi said Sardesai was one of the most prolific run-getters and recalled his commendable performance in the 1970-71 series. In the West Indies, he bailed out the team on his own. He is the one who laid the foundation in the first Test at Jamaica.

Japan will invest 10 billion dollars in Delhi – Mumbai Industrial Corridor, says Kamal Nath
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, July 2 (ANI): Japan will invest 10 billion dollars over the next five years in the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), said Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today.

Addressing an IndoJapan meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, Nath said that DMIC project, with an estimated investment of 90 billion dollars is at an advanced stage of finalisation.

“The route of DMIC should include Madhya Pradesh majorly in the route along with the existing six states”, said Nath.

DMIC will also cover Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Nath said that land will be acquired for this project on a voluntary basis and the interest of people will be considered during the implementation of the project.

The DMIC project will have world class infrastructure with employment generation for three million people in India, he added.

India is a very large consumer market for Japan and can be complimented with Japanese technology, said the minister. He further said that the forthcoming visit of Japanese Prime MInister Shinzo Abe to India would further enhance bilateral ties between the two countries.

“Japan will provide all possible assistance for DMIC and as the project will trigger new industrial revolution in India”, said Akira Amari, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan.

“Japan is building a platform where India can become the gateway of export to UK, Mid-East and Africa. Japan will promote investment by small and medium Japanese companies and a task force will be created to implement the investment for the project," he added.

Commerce and Industry Secretary Ajay Dua said that infrastructural development is the key to DMIC instead of additional fiscal or financial incentives.

He said that the project would focus on a regional development approach instead of isolated pockets and will provide high quality connectivity to each region with road, rail, port, air and telecom.

Dua mentioned that the DMIC project will comprise of an apex steering authority, headed by Prime Minister of India with concerned central ministers and chief ministers of respective DMIC states. A corporate entity, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) would be formed to undertake planning of the project.

It has been proposed that project preparation can commence after the approval of the Government of India and Japan during Prime Minister Abe’s visit in August, 2007 so that actual node development work can commence in January 2008.

Dua also said that a project development fund will be set up with an estimated corpus of 250 million dollars.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between CII and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) to work jointly to strengthen economic relationship between the two countries. The MoU mentions that CII and Jetro will jointly setup a web based business matching site to enable the businesses, especially SME’s from both countries to find potential business partners.

CII shall provide business advisory support to Japanese individual potential investors, recommended by Jetro. The MoU also mentions that CII and Jetro shall cooperate to facilitate business interaction between Indian industry and Japanese enterprises associated with DMIC project.

The MoU was signed by Sunil Kant Munjal, Past President, CII and Yasuo Hayashi, Chairman and CEO, Jetro.

The Japanese minister is accompanied by high level business delegates from Japan. The delegation includes Osama Suzuki, Chairman and CEO, Suzuki Motors; Nobuo Ohashi, Chairman and Director, Mitsui Co; Satoru Aoki, Chairman, Honda Motor; Hajime Sasaki, Chairman of the Board, NEC Corp; Taizo Nishimuro, Chairman of the Board, Tokyo Exchange; Kazuo Furukawa, President and Director, Hitachi, Ryoji Chubachi, President and Electronics CEO, SONY and other CEOs. (ANI)

Bharat Shah gets bail in caste slur case
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 2 (ANI): A Mumbai Court today granted bail to diamond merchant and film financier Bharat Shah in connection with a caste slur case. Additional Sessions judge U D Salvi said that a case could not be made out under the special law. Shah was booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly abusing security guard Lahanu Pathare. On Thursday, Shah got interim relief from the court on a personal bond of Rs 10,000. Shah surrendered before the metropolitan court that remanded him to judicial custody following which he approached the sessions court for relief. (ANI)

Riki Cassettes releases new songs
Monday, July 2, 2007 | AY

Riki Cassettes have released four new Marathi titles in VCDs. Chivda Remix has 16 remixes of popular songs like ‘Le lo bhai chivda le lo’, ‘Kaahi tari ghotala distoya ga’ and others. The singers include Shrikant Narayan, Santosh Nayak, Vaishali Samant, Sharmili and Pradeep Vaidya.Tarang Remix has 14 favourites including ‘Anand potaat mazhyaa’, ‘Dholkichyaa taalaawar’ and others. Shrikant Narayan, Vaishali Samant, Nitrin Diskalkar and Madhuri Karmarkar are among the singers. Madan Mohini is a duet remix album sung by Shrikant Narayan, Pradip Vaidya, Shrihari Vaze, Vaishali Samant and Suchitra Bhagwat. All these albums have music by Uday Kamat and are priced at Rs 35.

Indian intelligence hindering reopening of consulate in Mumbai: Pak officials
Monday, July 2, 2007 | AY

Karachi, July 2 (ANI): Pakistan has accused India of placing serious obstacles in the way of reopening their consulate in Mumbai by not providing an appropriate place for it. According Pakistan’s Foreign Office officials, Indian intelligence officials are doing their best to ensure that property owners in Mumbai do not rent out or sell their buildings to the Pakistani authorities. “We strongly suspect that the Indian agencies were behind the refusal of the residents of Mittal Chambers at Nariman Point, Mumbai, that was identified by us for the reopening of our consulate,” an FO official told the Daily Times. He said that the Government of India and the Maharashtra Government were ‘pretending’ to help Pakistani High Commission officials in identifying places for opening their consulate. The officials went on to claim that some of the places identified by the Indian authorities for this purpose were not considered safe for security reasons. Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam also said that non-cooperation from the Indian authorities in locating an appropriate place was hindering the process. She said an agreement between the Pakistani High Commission officials and the owner of a compound was reached in this regard in Mumbai, but suddenly people of the area raised objections and the former had to look for other places. “I can’t say it was an act of the Indian Government or their agencies, but certainly we are facing problems in housing our consulate in Mumbai. Unless we find a safe place, we can’t move ahead as both consulates have to be reopened simultaneously as per the mutual understanding,” she said. The Political and Visa Counsellor at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, S.K Reddy, also feels that Pakistan’s inability to get a suitable premise in Mumbai is the main hurdle in the reopening of the Indian Consulate in Karachi. “We are ready to open our consulate in Karachi within 24 hours. Our consulate building here in Karachi is ready and once it starts functioning, it can expedite the process of issuance of visas for those intending to visit India” the daily quoted him, as saying. The Pakistani consulate in Mumbai was closed down after Islamabad shut down the Indian consulate in Karachi in December 1994 after declaring it a “centre for sabotage, subversion and terrorism.” (ANI)

Vice President will be a non-Congress person: Bardhan
Monday, July 2, 2007 | AY

Nagpur, July 1 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan today said that with Congress-backed Pratibha Patil almost certain to win the July 19 presidential polls, a non-Congress person would be the country’s next Vice-President. "Our stand is that President and Vice-President should not be from one party. If a Congressperson becomes President, there should be a non-Congress Vice President," Bardhan said. Coming down heavily on the BJP for mud-slinging campaign on Patil, he said that the BJP is digging cases as old as 1980 and 1992, adding, “If we want to dig up old controversies, we would not run short of topics.” "Pratibha Patil is sure to win the presidential elections. It is a big election and the Bhartaiya Janata Party (BJP) is involved in alleging baseless charges against the winning candidate,” he added. The term of incumbent Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekawat will end in August. The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting in such election is by secret ballot. (ANI)

Maharashtra flood death toll rises to 24
Monday, July 2, 2007 | AY

Janjawan Puri (Maharashtra), July 2 (ANI): Flash floods caused by incessant rains have claimed 24 lives in Maharashtra, officials said on Monday. Maharashtra’s Amrawati District is said to be the worst affected. Over 200 villages are completely submerged, and villagers are fleeing the area in to save their lives."This is the worst flood we have experienced in the last 50 years. All the houses near the river banks have been submerged. We are stuck here," said Vinayak, a resident.Ramesh, another resident, said many have become homeless. The local administration has set up camps for the homeless, while some people have moved into schools for shelter. Rains have also affected other cities in Central India and Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)

Runway revamp to hit flights
Sunday, July 1, 2007 | AY

The runway re-carpeting at Lohegaon airport, scheduled to begin on September 1, is likely to affect international flight operations. Air India said that they operate the 180-seater Boeing 737/800, and with restrictions imposed on both ends of the 8,300-ft runway, their technical committee will decide if it will be feasible for an aircraft like the 737/800 to land and take off without compromising on security. The official said that it won’t make any business sense to fly to Dubai with even half the capacity. Another possibility is that the aircraft may fly to Dubai via some other Indian city like Mumbai or Bangalore.

High tide likely to make situation worse in water clogged Mumbai
Sunday, July 1, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, June 30 (ANI): The normal life, which has been paralysed in Mumbai due to the incessant rain, could further worsen, as a high tide of about four metres is expected to hit the coastline today evening. People have been forced to remain indoors and the weather department has forecast that rain would continue to lash India's financial capital for next couple of days.City's low-lying areas of Matunga, Sion, Bandra, Andheri, Wadla, Worli, Chembur, Lower Parel, Borivali continued to remain submerged in water. "All these chronic spots and low-lying areas are being manned. But the fact remains we can't take out the water anywhere because of high level of the sea --that becomes the limitation," said Shrikant Singh, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.The meteorological department has said that 395mm of rainfall has already taken place, since today morning when rain started pouring in.Rail, road and air traffic have been disrupted in the city. The runway of the Mumbai airport has been flooded and the flight services have been suspended till water gets cleared."They have confirmed that my flight is cancelled but they have not provided any transportation to go back, or arranged any hotel for us. They are also refusing to keep our luggage at the Airport," said Ravi Fernando, a passenger.Local train services have also been disrupted, and the traffic is moving slowly in the roads.According to the BBC weather, however, Sunday could bring relief to Mumbaikars as there is a possibility of light rainfall, but there could be heavy showers accompanied with thunderstorms and lightning stored for Monday."The streets are flooded. Cars cannot move on the roads," said Ram Vilas, a Mumbai resident.According to some media reports, at least 50 people died in the rains in Maharashtra over the past three days.Army has been called to carry out the relief and rescue operations in the State.Rains have also affected other cities in Maharashtra, Central India and Andhra Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh capital, Raipur, 14 hours of continuous rains due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal has hit the city hard and nine people have died in the rain.Most of the areas are flooded and many residents have complained of water entering their homes in low-lying areas."It has been raining continuously since last night. In the morning the water started entering our homes and now everything has submerged," said K S Joy, a Raipur resident.Meteorological department says a further depression has been forecast and more heavy rains are expected in the next 48 hours.Monsoon rains have killed at least 150 people across the country and rendered many homeless, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. (ANI)

Rain-hit Mumbai limps back to normalcy
Sunday, July 1, 2007 | AY

Mumbai, July 1 (ANI): Daily life in rain-hit Mumbai is limping back to normalcy after several areas of the city were submerged as the city received over 180 millimetres of rainfall on Saturday. Heavy monsoon rains had thrown normal life out of gear in the city, as most of the low-lying areas were flooded, disrupting rail, road and air traffic. But Mumbai was back on its feet on Sunday, as floodwaters receded from roads and railway tracks. Shopkeepers have begun cleaning up their premises to get back to business as usual. "We had a loss of around five to seven thousand rupees. The saris kept at the bottom shelve of the shop have all got ruined and about 10 thousand rupees worth of them had to be thrown away. Now, the rains have stopped so we are cleaning the place," said Dheeraj Beeganga, a shopkeeper. Several Mumbai suburbs had reported power outages. Local train services, considered as the lifeline of the city, were suspended in many areas as water flooded the tracks yesterday. Rains also killed three people. One person died in a suburb after a wall collapsed on him following torrential downpours, while two were electrocuted in another suburb, police said. According to some media reports, at least 50 people died in the rains in Maharashtra over the past three days. In 2005, a weeklong downpour killed hundreds of people and brought Mumbai to a complete halt, exposing the inadequacies of its drainage system and other civic infrastructure. Rains have also affected other cities in Mahatrashtra, Central India and Andhra Pradesh. In Raipur, 14 hours of continuous rains due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal has hit the city hard. Most of the areas are flooded and many residents have complained of water entering their homes in low-lying areas. (ANI)

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