Ahmedabad’s rank improved from 4th most polluted city to 84th: CM Anandiben Patel

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel on Thursday said that our efforts should be to free the society from pollution, instead of controlling the pollution. 

Speaking at function to launch a mass tree plantation drive, called "Make Vatva a Vrindavan'' by a dozen industrial groups to mark the World Environment Day in the Vatva Industrial Area here, she said a clean environment has its direct benefit in the form of a healthy, disease-free future. 

Patel said that tertiary sewage treatment plants are proposed to set up in 50 towns in the state. She stressed on the need to synchronize development with environment protection. She said that indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources is a major reason for the problem of global warming. 

There was a time when Gujarat was the 4th most polluted city in the country. With consistent efforts, it has been brought down to 84th position, she said. 

The Chief Minister lauded the industrial houses' initiative to plant 25,000 saplings in the Vatva area as part of a social responsibility. It is not enough to plant saplings; they should be nurtured till they grow to their full height. She released publications of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) on the occasion. 

Forest & Environment Minister Ganpat Vasava said Gujarat is one state which has created a separate Environment Department to deal with the crisis of climate change. He had a word of praise for the industrial houses joining the state government in solving the problem. 

Minister of State for Law Pradeepsinsh Jadeja, who hails from the same Vatva constituency, exuded confidence that Gujarat would march ahead in making Gujarat a Clean Green Environment under the leadership of the first Chief Minister.

Source: TOI

Civil Hospital Ahmedabadf lies under RTI, again

Govt has fixed Rs 26 per sq m for mechanised cleaning, while RTI reply states that it is Rs 36 per sq m; the authority states that no office space has been provided to cleaning company BVG, our picture below speaks for itself


The Civil Hospital administration has perfected the art of dodging questions and providing wrong information under RTI when it concerns mechanised cleaning on the campus. The mechanised cleaning project worth lakhs has been granted to Bharat Vikas Group India Limited.

Two more falsehoods perpetrated by the hospital authority has come to light after Mirror sought information on particulars about the deal with BVG for mechanised cleaning under the Right to Information Act.

Mirror had reported on October 22, ‘Civil Hospital gives wrong info under RTI’, about the hospital having dismantled one X-ray machine following adverse reports by AERB and CAG, yet in its RTI reply, it denied being pulled up for using old and unsafe devices.

Cost of cleaning

In an RTI application filed on August 25 to the hospital’s information officer, we posed certain questions: What is the rate fixed for mechanised cleaning? How much area will it cover? Are the loo, bathroom and walls of the wards been included in the carpet area? Who will pay for the electricity? If any office has been allotted to the company and if any rent has been fixed? If yes, give the details. If not, what steps have been taken to recover it?

According to the hospital authority’s reply on September 12, “The carpet area allotted for cleaning is 58,400.85 square metre and the rate fixed is Rs 36 per sq metre. Roads have not been included in the mechanised cleaning.”

This is in clear violation of the order issued by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research for mechanised cleaning on June 22. The DMER has fixed Rs 26 per square metre for mechanised cleaning at civil hospitals in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Vadodara, Jamnagar and Surat.

Only an independent investigation can bring out the truth: if the hospital has paid an additional Rs 10 per square metre, amounting to Rs 5.84 lakh on the total carpet area, to the contractor or the amount has been siphoned off by vested interests.

When we asked Civil Medical Superintendent Dr M M Prabhakar why there was a difference of Rs 10 per square metre between the government order and the figure provided by Civil in the RTI reply, Dr Prabhakar said, “If this information is provided to you then it is false. It is possible that it is a printing mistake. I will have to check.”

No office provided

Regarding allotment of office space to BVG, the RTI reply states, “At present no order has been passed to allot an office to Messrs BVG India Ltd.”

A visit to Civil Hospital revealed that BVG personnel carry out their activities from a huge room allotted to them on the third floor of D9 block of main building. A manager who has been provided with a phone and desk space along with his administrative staff sit in the room surrounded by cleaning equipment.

Dr Prabhakar’s statement also nails the falsehood in the RTI reply. When we asked the Civil chief if office space has been provided to BVG, he said, “We’ve provided space to store the company’s equipment. But no rent has been taken. It is included in the contract.”

When asked, why was false information provided under RTI, Dr Prabhakar said, “If you want a reply, then you file another RTI!”

How BVG came into the picture

Mirror had reported on January 26, ‘Civil’s Rs 1 cr clean-up act’ about Maharashtra-based Bharat Vikas Group being roped in by the hospital to carry out mechanised cleaning on its premises from February 1. The spending on cleanliness was hiked from Rs 14 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Subsequently, five government hospitals — Sir T General Hospital (Bhavnagar), GGS Hospital (Jamnagar), Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Civil Hospital (Rajkot), New Civil Hospital (Surat) and SSG Hospital (Vadodara) had decided to go for the expensive clean–up act for an annual expenditure of a whopping Rs 28 crore. from the same date.

Following this report in Mirror, ‘Five more govt hospitals go for costly clean-up’ on January 28, the costly cleaning pact was stayed. An investigation into the irregularities was ordered by Health Secretary Rajesh Kishore, after which the carpet area and the rate per square metre was revised.
Source Ahmedabad Mirror

FDI mess: OK, you won, govt to Oppn

New Delhi: Desperate to break the deadlock in Parliament, the government on Monday informed the opposition parties that it was willing to hold back the decision on FDI in retail sector.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that a final decision on the FDI issue would be taken only after consulting stakeholders and the Opposition, which insisted on a complete rollback and not just holdback.

Despite the victory, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury suggested the government convene an all-party meeting to convey its decision and then inform Parliament.

"I told Pranabda that he should pick up the threads where they were left the last time. Since he had promised to get back to the Opposition in the last all-party meeting, a similar meeting should be convened on Wednesday (December 7) in the morning where the government can clarify its stand," Swaraj told.

Asserting his party's demand for a complete rollback, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The BJP has clearly stated in the all-party meeting that it wants a rollback. Let the government come out with a formal response."

Yechury too expressed similar views. “We continue to stick to our demand of unconditional reversal of the decision on FDI. Mukherjee told us that Government has decided to put the decision of FDI in suspension and wanted the Parliament session to continue," Yechury later said.

Sources in both the BJP and the Left parties insisted that since there are differences within the Union Cabinet as well as in Congress on the FDI issue, such informal communication may not be the last word.

UPA allies TMC and DMK have openly opposed the decision while NCP has suggested that it should go by the sense of the House.

On its part, Congress put a brave face on the issue. "The decision to allow FDI in retail is right. In democracy, sometimes you have to rework your steps....You have to take everyone along...", said party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury.
Source Ahmedabad Mirror

'Confident & optimistic’ India, Pak hold talks; Advani issues threat

ISLAMABAD: Voicing "a great sense of confidence, optimism and determination," India and Pakistan on Thursday opened their two-day foreign secretary-level talks here and discussed the issue of peace and security, including confidence-building measures on Kashmir.

Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, who arrived here on Thursday morning, and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir began the first round of their talks, which have been divided in three segments.

The first round of parleys is dealing with the issue of peace and security, including confidence-building measures on Kashmir. On Friday, two more rounds will take place on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges.

BJP, upped the ante on the Kashmir issue and warned the government against making any compromise on it. BJP leader LK Advani threatened to launch a mass demonstration if the government went in for a settlement of the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.



Advani warning of protests said, "Sometimes we realise that under pressure from some foreign nation, the Indian government thinks of compromising on Kashmir. In fact in the middle, we got information that informal compromises have already been made. I want to tell them that in the early days, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh had carried out a historical agitation, in that, our respected leader, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee had sacrificed his life for the cause. So you should wish us well, the BJP is in great numbers across the country. If there is a compromise on Kashmir, if they talk of turning back time, we will organise a protest on a massive scale in India, a protest that no one has ever seen before."

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said there is no point of a dialogue till terror is discussed.

She said, "Decision to initiate composite dialogue makes us uncomfortable since it's happening after Abottabad. No confidence in our mind. We have not poushed Pakistan to do the needful. Therefore talks only for the sake of talks."

At the beginning of the talks, Bashir said they were approaching the parleys with a "great sense of confidence, optimism and determination." Agreeing with him, Rao said this was an "apt" statement.

Bashir said this is an important point in the relationship and will also help the two sides to prepare the agenda for the ministerial meeting in the near future.

Rao said "we have a clear agenda in front of us for discussions" and noted that there have been good meetings in the past few months.

"We are approaching these talks with an open and constructive mind," she said.

The two sides first held restricted talks, which were followed by the delegation-level meeting in which Rao was accompanied by joint secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) Yash Sinha, joint secretary (nuclear disarmament) Venkatesh Verma, Indian high commissioner Sharat Sabharwal and other senior officials.

Warmly welcoming the Indian side, Bashir said "We wish to engage with you in not only walking the trajectory but also exploring new avenues further."

"This series of meetings is of great importance," he said.

Soon after her arrival in Islamabad, Rao had said she had come to Pakistan with "an open mind and a constructive spirit" in order to work towards building trust and confidence in bilateral relationship and thereby leading to an eventual normalisation of ties for the well being and prosperity of the people of the two countries.

She said "this is an important visit as it marks the penultimate leg of the resumed dialogue process before the visit of the foreign minister of Pakistan to India by July 2011" and added that they would discuss the issues that have been mandated to them by their leadership.

During the two-day talks, nuclear and conventional confidence-building measures would also be discussed.

Earlier this year, the two countries decided to resume talks on all bilateral issues under the Composite Dialogue, two years after the parleys were suspended in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Following the resumption of talks in February, the defence, interior and commerce secretaries have met in the last few months while Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited India in March to watch the India-Pakistan cricket World Cup semi-final at the invitation of his counterpart Manmohan Singh.

The foreign secretaries will also take stock of the progress made in the meetings between the interior, commerce and defence secretaries.

Ind vs WI: India beat West Indies by 63 runs to win first Test, lead series 1-0 PTI | Jun 23, 2011, 11.43pm IST

KINGSTON: India allowed the West Indies tail-enders to delay the inevitable before wrapping up the first cricket Test with a comfortable 63-run victory inside four days and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series on Thursday.

Scorecard

Chasing a victory target of 326, West Indies never recovered from the twin-blow dealt by debutant Praveen Kumar dismissing Darren Bravo (41) and Shivanarine Chanderpaul (30) as they were all out for 262 in 68.2 overs.

The final pair of Devendra Bishoo (26, 33 balls, 2x4, 1x6) and Fidel Edwards (15 not out, 54 balls, 1x4) frustrated the Indian bowlers for around 10 overs after lunch. It was Suresh Raina who effected a freak dismissal with the ball rolling onto the stumps after hitting Bishoo's thigh-pads to bring an end to the proceedings.

It was a clinical performance by the Indian bowlers with Praveen being the pick snaring three for 42 and ending with a six-wicket haul in his very first Test match.

Ishant Sharma (3/81) bowled some poor deliveries but got crucial breakthroughs. The Indians blew away the middle and lower-middle order in the morning session where the home team needing a further 195 for a victory lose six wickets with an addition of 95 runs.

This was India's second victory at the Sabina Park having clinched the series with a win during their tour of 2006. This is also their fifth overall win on Caribbean soil.

The two teams now travel to Barbados where the second Test match will be held at Kensington Oval from June 28.

Dogs on a biting spree, AMC watches

The corporation’s sterilisation project is yet to take off even as city records more than 3,000 cases of dog bites every month

Nothing can shake up Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Every day, on an average, the city registers 121 dog-bites even as six vans of Cattle Nuisance and Control Department (CNCD) circle the city like headless chickens to catch the canines.



It would be an understatement to say that AMC has failed miserably in curbing the perilous menace. In fact, it has not tried at all to control the nuisance, claim sources.

How do you explain this? In 2010, there were 30,726 cases of dog bites. Between January and May this year, there were 18,256 dog-bite cases – the figures will be staggering by the end of the year.

But Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dilip Gor maintains there has been “no increase” in dog-bite cases. “The canine menace has been well within control uptil now. However, the cases are likely to increase after the mating season which begins in July,” he said.

According to him, the menace will “persist till September”. The city has 2.4 lakh dogs currently. After the monsoon, there will clearly be a spurt in the dog population, increasing the possibilities of canine-human conflict in the city.

The highest dog-bite cases were reported in January this year. Of the 4,255 cases, 1,000 each were reported by V S Hospital and L G Hospital. In May alone, 3,254 cases of dog-bites were reported in the city. The CNCD receives nearly 50 dog-menace complaints every day, but the AMC is “yet to finalise” contractors to kickstart its sterilisation programme.

The civic authority had contemplated a dog sterilisation facility of its own, but there has been no development in this direction as well. A proposal for such facility has to be presented before the standing committee for approval, but no such initiative has been taken by the CNCD department so far. AMC will have to shell out around Rs 12 crore to set up this facility.

Last month, Girija Jayram, a resident of Vastrapur, was mauled by a stray dog near Lad Society during the morning walk. She was bitten on her leg and hand. She said, “I walked past a stray dog lying on the road. It came running behind me and bit me on the leg. When I tried to defend myself, it bit my hand. Something needs to be done to protect people from stray dogs.”

Nisarg Sunetra, a teenager, was attacked by a dog while he was on his two-wheeler, waiting at the Jodhpur traffic signal. He said, “I was too shocked to react first. It just bit me and ran away. The pain was unbearable. Why is the AMC sitting idle?”

Health Committee Chairman Dr Suresh Patel said, “I am doing my level best to curb the nuisance. I have already asked the officials to start the sterilisation procedure as soon as possible. But they are slow in responding. I had a meeting with the officials of Animal Welfare Board of India. We have planned several things to rid the city of dog menace.” Another empty promise?

Dogs on a biting spree, AMC watches

The corporation’s sterilisation project is yet to take off even as city records more than 3,000 cases of dog bites every month

Nothing can shake up Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). Every day, on an average, the city registers 121 dog-bites even as six vans of Cattle Nuisance and Control Department (CNCD) circle the city like headless chickens to catch the canines.



It would be an understatement to say that AMC has failed miserably in curbing the perilous menace. In fact, it has not tried at all to control the nuisance, claim sources.

How do you explain this? In 2010, there were 30,726 cases of dog bites. Between January and May this year, there were 18,256 dog-bite cases – the figures will be staggering by the end of the year.

But Deputy Municipal Commissioner Dilip Gor maintains there has been “no increase” in dog-bite cases. “The canine menace has been well within control uptil now. However, the cases are likely to increase after the mating season which begins in July,” he said.

According to him, the menace will “persist till September”. The city has 2.4 lakh dogs currently. After the monsoon, there will clearly be a spurt in the dog population, increasing the possibilities of canine-human conflict in the city.

The highest dog-bite cases were reported in January this year. Of the 4,255 cases, 1,000 each were reported by V S Hospital and L G Hospital. In May alone, 3,254 cases of dog-bites were reported in the city. The CNCD receives nearly 50 dog-menace complaints every day, but the AMC is “yet to finalise” contractors to kickstart its sterilisation programme.

The civic authority had contemplated a dog sterilisation facility of its own, but there has been no development in this direction as well. A proposal for such facility has to be presented before the standing committee for approval, but no such initiative has been taken by the CNCD department so far. AMC will have to shell out around Rs 12 crore to set up this facility.

Last month, Girija Jayram, a resident of Vastrapur, was mauled by a stray dog near Lad Society during the morning walk. She was bitten on her leg and hand. She said, “I walked past a stray dog lying on the road. It came running behind me and bit me on the leg. When I tried to defend myself, it bit my hand. Something needs to be done to protect people from stray dogs.”

Nisarg Sunetra, a teenager, was attacked by a dog while he was on his two-wheeler, waiting at the Jodhpur traffic signal. He said, “I was too shocked to react first. It just bit me and ran away. The pain was unbearable. Why is the AMC sitting idle?”

Health Committee Chairman Dr Suresh Patel said, “I am doing my level best to curb the nuisance. I have already asked the officials to start the sterilisation procedure as soon as possible. But they are slow in responding. I had a meeting with the officials of Animal Welfare Board of India. We have planned several things to rid the city of dog menace.” Another empty promise?

No deduction for plots of 300 sq yds

Nearly 10,000 property owners can breathe easy as Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority has decided to impose



In a major policy decision, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) on Wednesday decided on a zero deduction norm for plots up to 300 sq yards and 20 per deduction for those above 300 sq yards. Around 10,000 plots owners in Ghuma who were struggling to save their plots from AUDA decision of deducting land for the implementation of town planning schemes, can relax now.

AUDA had proposed flat 40 per cent deduction for all plots, subplots and open land in Ghuma for the development of three town planning (TP) schemes
AUDA had proposed flat 40 per cent deduction for all plots, subplots and open land in Ghuma for the development of three town planning (TP) schemes.

According to realty experts, this will save deduction of plots worth Rs 600 crore and the biggest beneficiaries will be middle and upper-middle class. There are around 45 plotting schemes and 9000 to 10,000 plots in these schemes.

At the board meeting, AUDA decided to submit the three town planning (TP) schemes of Ghuma to the government on June 25. Ghuma is spread over 21 lakh sq yards (ie, 700 hectares) of which 30 per cent falls under plotting schemes. The land price in Ghuma is floating between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 a sq yard. An estimated conservative figure of the worth of the property comes to around Rs 1200 crore.

AUDA Chairman Dharmendra Shah confirmed the news and added, “The open land that has no plotting scheme will see 40 per cent deduction, as per the town planning Act. However, considering the practical problem the board has decided against carrying out deduction for plots below 300 sq yard. For plots above 300 sq yard there will be 20 per cent deduction.”

Shah further said, “AUDA will also help the builder as well as plot owners in re-plotting of the scheme so that there is no grievance later.

Realty experts are happy with the decision as this will allow many small time investors to save their hard earned money that they had put in for their children.

Hitesh Shah of Space Management Ltd told Mirror, “It is a remarkable decision as deduction of 40 per cent was out of proportion for the sub-plot owners who invested in these properties when there was no rule of town planning and land deduction.”

Agreeing with Shah, Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers and Architects (GICEA) former president Prashant Shah said, “It is a welcome step by AUDA. We also suggest that AUDA try to convert internal roads of plotting schemes into TP roads. This will help the plot owners save some land in deduction.”

AUDA can also consider common plots under deduction which can help plot-owners save some portion of their plot, he said.

The development authority had received more than 5000 applications of objections and recommendations by plot owners from Ghuma. It had made public the deduction announcement on March 4 and gave 10 days (till March 14) to residents and owners to submit their objections and recommendations.

Saree eliminated for women cops

As per a new notification issued by the top cop Chittranjan Singh, it is now mandatory for policewomen up to 45 years of age to don a khakhi shirt-trouser. Those above 45 have the option of wearing a salwar kameezYou can call it the momma of all makeovers. Women cops in the state will no longer have to wrap themselves in the six-yard wonder. A new dress code will ensure they are able to carry out their duties with ‘no pallus attached’.

As per a new directive from the office of Director General of Police, women cops up to 45 years of age will be required to don a shirt and trousers. Those above 45 years of age, however, have the option of wearing a salwar-kameez. A notification stating the same was sent to all the police stations in the state on June 8.

The women in the rank of constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors will be given two khakhi-coloured shirt-trousers pieces each. The cops can get them stitched and claim the tailoring charges from the department.

For a half-sleeves shirt and trousers, the cop can claim up to Rs 180 and for full-sleeves shirt and trousers up to Rs 185. The new attire will be similar to those of the women cops in state reserve police.

Savitaben Vaniya, 51, assistant sub-inspector with the women’s cell of the crime branch, lauds the decision. “It is a good decision. Carrying out duties in a saree becomes difficult during bandobasts. I prefer the salwar kameez, though,” she said.

Head constable Jashodaben Solanki, 51, said, “I’ve been wearing the saree for the past 30 years and a change is welcome. I don’t think I’ll be comfortable in trousers though, so I’ll opt for salwar-kameez.”

However, constable Sumati Parmar, 33, will switch over to “the modern attire.” “It’s nice that the department has come up with a new dress code for women. It brings in a lot of discipline. I prefer a shirt-trousers uniform because it is even more comfortable than the salwar-kameez. Also, it looks more aggressive and suits a cop’s personality.”

Inspector C N Chaudhary of the women’s cell of the crime branch said, “A decision regarding the new dress code for women cops was taken after DGP’s meeting with the dress committee on April 21. Women police personnel up to 45 years of age will have to mandatorily wear a shirt and trousers on duty. Those above 45 years of age, can wear a salwar kameez too. However, sarees will no longer exist in the police force. A notification regarding the same was sent to police stations across the state.”

Blood boils at event to felicitate donors

Congress MP Vikram Madam alleges politicisation of the Red Cross-health department function;Blood boiled over at a blood donation event organised by the Red Cross in association with the state health department, Gujarat State Council for Blood Transfusion and Gujarat State Aids Control Society.The function to mark World Blood Donor Day took political overtones after Madam alleged that donors, mainly from his constituency Jamnagar, were ignored
The function to mark the World Blood Donor Day at Tagore Hall on Tuesday took political overtones after Congress Member of Parliament Vikram Madam and his supporters confronted Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas for ignoring donors and people, mainly from his constituency Jamnagar, who had organised more than 100 blood donation camps.

Madam, himself a blood donor, was called all the way from Jamnagar to be felicitated.

“Three days ago, I was invited to the event. During the telephonic conversation with the Red Cross president Mukesh Patel I made it very clear that according to the protocol I shall agree to accept the award only from the hands of Governor Kamlaji which was agreed upon. However when I came here today, the attitude was different,” Madam said.

He claimed to be the only sitting MP who has organised 418 camps and donated blood 39 times. Close to 35,000 blood units have been collected through these camps, he claimed.

Baba sweetens fast with honey, water

Fasting Ramdev agrees to have lemonade but when asked about tax returns he kept mumNew Delhi: As promised Baba Ramdev and his aide Acharya Balkrishna declared their assets in Haridwar on Thursday evening. The duo claimed that all their companies are audited regularly. Balkrishna said that the capital of their oldest trust Divya Yog Mandir is Rs 249.63 crore while that of Patanjali Yogpeeth is 164.80 crore.

“The Divya Yoga Mandir Trust has a capital base of Rs 249.63 crore. The Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust has Rs 164.80 crore, the Bharat Swabhiman Trust has Rs 9.97 crore and Acharya Kulumbh Siskhshan Sansthan has a capital of Rs 1.69 crore,” Balkrishna said.

The total capital of different companies associated with Ramdev is to the tune of Rs 426 crore. The yoga guru did not disclose the assets owned by the trusts and his Income Tax returns.

Docs check Baba every 3 hours
However, after much persuasion, Ramdev, who is on an indefinite fast against corruption and black money agreed to consume lemonade and honey. “He has decided to take lemon water and honey so that his body gets glucose,” said Haridwar District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram.

He added that a team was regularly monitoring Ramdev’s health. “I have told them to do checkups every three hours. We have seen formation of ketone particles in his body. Formation of ketone particles is dangerous as it may affect vital organs like kidney and liver. We have asked baba to break his fast and have something, especially glucose,” he said.

Asked whether Ramdev will be forcibly fed, the DM said, “We will do whatever is necessary to save Baba’s life.” According to Patanjali Yogpeeth, only two people – Ramdev and his close aide Acharya Balakrishna are on fast, Sundaram said.

Ramdev defends army statement
Defending his statement about building an “army” to tackle future police crackdown, Ramdev said his statement was taken in the wrong context.

“I am not training Naxals or Maoists but people who will fight for this country,” Ramdev told reporters in Haridwar. The yoga guru said that People should not take his statement in the wrong context. “Twenty youths from each region of the country will come forward for the fight against corruption,” he said.

Ramdev clarified that a force of 11,000 people he intended to build would not be an armed force but a group of “non-violent nationalist youths” capable of defending themselves and people from corruption and the evil system.

The ugly face of ads at Civil

Civil superintendent unaware of advertisements put up at OPD building and consulting rooms, promises action

The advertisements relating to medicine OPD, ortho OPD and skin OPD are put up inside the building and even in the consulting rooms of doctors


Pharmaceutical companies have used the Civil Hospital campus to advertise their products, clearly flouting norms. While the Civil authority is unaware of any such activity, some doctors have wittingly or unwittingly allowed the companies to promote their medicines even in their consulting rooms.

The OPD building on the Civil campus has become hive of activity for medical representatives of pharma companies visiting the doctors daily and even advertising their products.

The adverts relating to medicine OPD, ortho OPD and skin OPD are put up inside the building and even in the consulting rooms of doctors. Are these averts placed with the doctors’ permission? And if so, do these doctors prescribe medicines of these companies? All these raise questions of propriety.

When asked if MRs are allowed on the campus and if they can advertise their products, Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital M M Prabhakar said, “Medical representatives of different companies do come to our hospital for their promotional activities, but we don’t buy anything from them. No company can advertise on the campus without our permission and we haven’t given permission to anyone to do so.

When told that such ads were pasted at the OPD building and the consulting rooms, Prabhakar said, “I will inquire into it and get them removed immediately.” Civil Hospital receives all its stock from Central Medical Store in Gandhinagar.

Regarding the procurement of medicines, the Civil chief said that they received all their medicines depending on their requirement from the government. And if they needed to buy any medicines from outside, they can do so according to the rate prescribed by the government, he said.

On-the-spot fine for smoking in public

Teams of AMC officials move around city in two vans, fine those caught smoking in public anything between Rs 50 and Rs 500

It is illegal to light up in public spaces and workplaces. Everyone knows this, but few put it in practice. To ensure that smoking in public is snuffed out, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided to fine violators on the spot. Two teams of AMC officials have been handling this task since June 1. Moving around the city in two vans, they are penalising offenders anything between Rs 50 and Rs 500.


Hitesh Pandit and Sanjay Sanghala (right) were caught outside H K Arts College. They had come to submit admission forms Till date, the teams have visited more than eight areas and fined over 500 offenders. “After fining offenders, we educate them about the harms of smoking. We also teach them about the ill-effects of consuming tobacco in other forms like gutkha and pouches (padiki),” said an AMC official.

Mirror accompanied the team during its drive in Navrangpura on Wednesday and found that most offenders were youngsters who had come to apply for admissions to colleges. “They were trying to show off. Most youths get addicted to tobacco or pick up smoking due to peer pressure. It is important to teach them the ill-effects of smoking,” said Ashwin Upadhyay, who heads the team.

To give more teeth to the team, two policemen are likely to join the anti-tobacco team. “We have written to the Commissioner of Police for two police sub-inspectors. We expect them to join us in the next few days,” said Upadhyay.

Health committee chairman Suresh Patel said, “Our aim is not just to penalise those smoking in public. We want the offenders to learn how their addiction harms them as well as those around them.” At present, the teams have been scheduled to roam city streets for next three months.The initiative has been taken in association with the state health department.

Maruti’s Dzire new plant near dholera Port?

f Maruti is able to set up plant near Dholera or Mundra, it will save around Rs 185 cr spent every year on transporting vehicles from Haryana to Kutch.The entry of Maruti Suzuki India Ltd will turn Gujarat into an automotive hub but its first choice is not likely to be Sanand. The company would prefer to set up its plant near Dholera. The second option is Santalpur in Banaskantha, then comes Mundra Port in Kutch. If nothing works out, it may consider a unit in Sanand.

Maruti exports around 1 lakh cars to Europe and Africa every year from special car export unit at Mundra Port
Maruti is already exporting around 1 lakh cars to Europe and Africa every year from the special car export unit at Mundra Port in Kutch. A plant here will boost its export potential and make the sales in west and south India more cost-effective. Currently, all the cars are made in Haryana and transported by road to Mundra Port. The transportation cost per car comes up to Rs 25,000. “If Maruti is able to set up a plant near Dholera, it will be able to save around Rs 185 crore spent on transporting vehicles every year,” say sources.

Santalpur is situated near the Rann of Kutch.

The price of land is very cheap here. This might be a point in its favour as Maruti may get little concession if it buys land at Sanand.

The company’s managing director Shinzo Nakanishi and chairman RC Bhargava had met Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday with a proposal to set up a plant in a 500-acre plot with capacity to produce 1 million cars per annum.

If finalised, Maruti will be the third car manufacturer to have units in Gujarat after General Motors, which has a production unit at Halol in Panchamahals district, and Tata Motors which had shifted its Nano car manufacturing unit from West Bengal to Sanand.

Gujarat st Volvos to implement Wi-fi

GSRTC will transform its Volvo buses into ‘WiFi cafe on wheels’ by the end of this month to attract youngsters; plans are on the anvil to get 3G connectivity too

Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) is doing its best to ensure passengers are on the move while they are ON THE MOVE. It is set to become the first public transport corporation in the country to provide wireless high-speed internet access to passengers in its Volvo buses. All the 10 buses connecting Ahmedabad to Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Surat will go WiFi by the end of this month.

ST will be the first transport corporation in the country to provide access to wireless internet
So, passengers can check and reply to their emails, socialise, book air/rail tickets, surf websites and play online games on their laptops instead of dozing off, which is usually the most popular pastime.

The ‘WiFi cafe on wheels’ aims to attract more youngsters and transform an otherwise drab journey to a productive and entertaining one. Meanwhile, GSRTC is also in talks with two telecom companies for 3G connectivity too, sources said. “Trial runs for the same are on,” a source said.

The 2x2 type air-conditioned buses have 45 push-back seats and each passenger is given one Gujarati and one English newspaper and a magazine to read on the way. Also, with competitive pricing, these buses have been very successful in attracting the youth.

Tejas Popat, incharge for GSRTC’s Volvo projects, said: “A majority of our passengers are young, educated and tech-savvy. So, it was apt for us to consider introducing WiFi. The move will also attract more students who prefer taking the train.”

A majority of Volvo passengers — more than 900 — ply between Ahmedabad and Vadodara every day.

More ST-eem for Nehrunagar, Bopal passengers
ST is all set to start intercity services for passengers staying in the western part of the city. It will be plying buses from Bopal to Surat and Nehrunagar to Vadodara, beginning this week. So far, there were only local buses plying in the area.

With competitive pricing, these buses have been very successful in attracting youth
There will be one bus every hour to Vadodara (from 6 am to 9.30 pm) and two buses in a day to Surat.

So far, intercity buses for Vadodara and Surat were available from Geeta Mandir and airport only. With the option of private buses available, people in the western part of the city preferred that instead of paying the rickshaw fare to Geeta Mandir and taking the bus from there.

GSRTC secretary P D Patel said, “We are expecting good response for the new services as many people residing in the western part commute to Vadodara every day. It will also save them autorickshaw fare to ST terminus at Geeta Mandir.”

The corporation will be providing on-the-spot booking, conventional in-bus booking and on-line booking for the proposed intercity services.

Enjoy True Beauty of Nature

These birds do not have anything to do with anyone they are just happy in their own world ! Try to get the nature of birds and spread peace to the world.

Brave canal guards rescue girls being drowned by mother

ing fought with sister-in-law, an upset Kusum arrived at Sughad with her daughters aged 6 and 2. She pushed her kids under water and tried to drown herself when three guards saved their lives

Mare nathi marvu, Mummy. Mare paani maan doobvu nathi.” Her tearful cry for help is what saved Ayushi, her sister Shivanshu and her mother Kusum from certain death in the Narmada canal. Her shouts were heard by three security guards manning the canal at Sughad bridge in Gandhinagar. They rushed to the spot, pushed aside Kusum and saved the two children.

to R: Harisinh Thakur, Santoshsinh Chauhan and Rahulsinh Chauhan rushed to the rescue in the nick of time
The incident occurred at 4.30 pm on Wednesday. Kusum (27), Ayushi (6) and Shivanshu (2) arrived at Sughad bridge in a shuttle jeep. The woman looked around. Seeing no one, she slipped down the canal embankment and entered the water with the kids. Kusum held their heads, pushed them into the water and began dragging them to the middle of the channel. Sputtering and fighting for breath, Ayushi pleaded for her life. “Mummy maare marvu nathi. Maare doobvu nathi (I do not want to die, Mummy. I do not want to drown),” she cried even as she saw her mother thrust her sister below the water’s surface.

In the nick of time


Kusum hugs her daughters Ayushi and Shivanshu A few metres beyond the bridge, security guards Santoshsinh Chauhan, Harisinh Thakur and Rahulsinh Chauhan were cleaning algae stuck to the canal walls. Hearing a girl cry, Santosh looked around and saw Kusum trying to drown the kids at the opposite side of the canal. He directed Rahul to bring a rope to the other end and swam across to help the children. Harisinh followed him.

Santosh pushed Kusum towards the bank and dived deeper into the water to look for the girls. The guards found the children even as Rahul arrived there with a rope. He used it to pull his colleagues and the kids out of the canal.

Meanwhile, a passer-by called 108 emergency service and Adalaj police. Since Kusum and the girls had not ingested much water, they were taken to the police station where the incident was noted in the police diary.

Domestic squabble