BWA spectrum auction fetches Rs. 38,300 crore

June 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 11 (ANI): The Union Government on Friday raised over Rs 38,300 crore from the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum auction.

The 16-day long auction came to an end today.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) is yet to release details of the BWA auction winners.

The BWA auction had two slots of 20 MHz of Pan-India spectrum.

As many as eleven companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Idea Cellular, Aircel, Vodafone and Tata Communications Internet Services, participated in the auction.

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL), which have been given the BWA spectrum ahead of private players, will have to pay the equivalent of the winning bid in each service area.

The revenue from the sale of spectrum for both 3G and BWA would be over Rs 1.06 lakh crore, which is more than thrice the earlier projection of Rs 35,000 crore.

During 3G spectrum auction the government had raised Rs 67,719 crore.

On the lines of 3G, Mumbai and Delhi received the highest bid amounts of over Rs 2,272 crore and Rs 2,221 crore, respectively.

The BWA spectrum enables high-speed Internet access as well as Internet telephony and TV services and can also be used for voice and high-speed data services. (ANI)

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Space-age answer to grain pilferage

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Indian government sets apart Rs 65,000 crore every year for food subsidies, but more than half of the grains meant for the poor never reach them, thanks to mass pilferage and diversion to open markets. Now, satellite technology and barcoding may be able to wipe out this menace at a fraction of the subsidy cost, if a recommendation from the Unique ID Authority of India goes through.

At an approximate cost of Rs 500 crore, five lakh trucks ferrying goods for the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) can be outfitted with global positioning system (GPS) units, which track vehicles in real time as they ply the length and breadth of the country. At any moment, authorities can track the exact location of a truck fitted with GPS.

According to technical experts, GPS devices installed in trucks cost around Rs 10,000 per unit. Barcoded bags may cost another Rs 800-Rs 1,000 per unit as they will have to be specially made for mass usage. Currently, only a few logistics companies and trucks owned by certain corporate houses in India use GPS technology to track goods movement. GPS is a global satellite-based navigation technology, which provides reliable location and time information in all weather and at all times.

The initiative stems from the government’s move to ensure food security for the poor by strengthening the existing TPDS scheme. The suggestion to install GPS in trucks carrying goods meant for below-poverty-line (BPL) families comes after repeated reports of leakages and grains getting diverted to open markets.

“Installing GPS and using barcoded special storage bags for foodgrain are among measures mooted by the UIDAI,” a government official told FE.

According to a Planning Commission report, 57% of grains meant for BPL families never reach them. Under the proposed Food Security Bill, the government will ensure 35 kg of foodgrains at Rs 3 per kg to over 74 million BPL families. The success of the legislation will depend critically on ensuring that TPDS foodgrains reach the intended recipients. The government, through Food Corporation of India, on an average allocates 2.7 million tonne of rice and wheat to states every month.

The Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) estimates that there are 5 million trucks in India with 4-49 tonne capacity used for transporting goods, including food grains. “Of the 5 million, there are only 1.6 million trucks which have national permits and of these, 65-70% transport non-food items. There would be around 4 lakh trucks with national permits and another lakh in the states that transport food grains,” SP Singh, senior fellow and coordinator of IFTRT, told FE.

TPDS covers around 20 crore poor families in India. There are around 5 lakh fair price shops, which stock foodgrains and distribute them to poor families at subsidised prices.

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In two days, Games tickets worth Rs 80 lakh sold

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 5 — In just two days since the sale began, tickets worth more than Rs 80 lakh were sold for 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games to be held from October 3 to 14 in the Capital. On day one, 1700 tickets worth Rs 20 lakh were sold.

“The response is overwhelming. We hope to reach our target very fast,” a Commonwealth Games (CWG) organising committee spokesperson said. He, however, could not specify the number of tickets sold so far. The organising committee expect to sell 17 lakh tickets generating Rs 60-70crore.

Tickets can be bought from seven branches of Central Bank of India, five Hero Honda showrooms and from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) website. Ticket are priced from Rs 50 to Rs 1,000, but prices for the opening ceremony have been kept between Rs 1,000 and Rs 50,000 and for the closing, from Rs 750 to Rs 50,000.

An added advantage for those queueing up to purchase tickets is that each ticket holder would be entitled for free travel in the Delhi Metro and DTC buses to reach and return from the venue on the day of the event.

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Larger forest cover but more cars too

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 5 — The increasing population of Delhi – from 13.9 million in 2001 to an estimated 17.44 million for 2009 and growing – has turned out to be the largest drain on resources, the ‘State of Environment Report for Delhi 2010′ said. As she released the report on Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit warned about the challenge to balance the needs of the ever-increasing population vis-a-vis natural resources. “Although Delhi is the greenest city in India, there is a greater challenge to balance the environment with the increasing needs of power and water for the large population,” Dikshit said. First, the good news from the report: The 2009 Forest Survey of India records Delhi’s forest area as 85 sq kms, which is 5.73 per cent of the geographical area of the state. There has been a net increase of around 16 sq kms in 2009 assessment over the 2005 status. But the report also said that Delhi ridge, which is the veritable green lung of the city, has seen shrinking in size due to mining and quarrying activities, especially in the south-central Ridge. At 1,615 units, Delhi has the highest per capita consumption of electricity among the states and union territories in the country. The demand of 4,500 MW of power is much more than the installed capacity of 1,000 MW in 2009. Apart from the production levels of 785 MGD in 2009, the average shortfall in water is about 200 MGD (million gallons per day) but the percentage of unaccounted for water is 35-40 per cent, reflecting problems in management of available resources. The report points out that the major sources of air pollution in the city include transport, power and industrial sectors and the population growth directly leads to stress on resources and infrastructure. As against 8 private cars per 1,000 persons across India, Delhi has 85 even as the city has seen an exponential growth in the number of vehicles from 30.5 lakh in 1998-99 to 63.0 lakh in 2008-09.

Speaking to reporters later, Dikshit supported Pachauri’s proposal and indirectly hinted at a hefty increase in power and water tariff so that it proves as a deterrent to the people and prevents wastage.

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Online games take a reality check

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

India, June 5 — Sach mein Kasab ko toh public ke hawale hee de dena chahiye (Kasab should be handed over to the public to make a decision) says aarti1234. Jai hind, says jp_cnet.

This isn’t a patriotic conversation between two people on instant messenger; these are the comments that the Hang Kasab game has generated over the past few weeks. Launched on May 7, this game now gets over one-lakh hits a day, according to its creator Maruthi Shankar, MD 7seas Technologies Ltd.

Plus, he says, it’s based on a real incident and is a great outlet for people to express their opinions. Based on real-life situations, online games like these are becoming popular with the youth.

Whether it’s a game to ensure that the Delhi metro is ready in time for the Commonwealth Games, or a game that makes you the real hero of 26/11, the verdict is simple – it’s the topicality of these games that are making them so popular. Also the reason why games like Head-butt Zidane and Throw a shoe at Bush had become overnight successes.

Human resources professional Kaushik Saha, who has played the Delhi Games 2010 several times over the last two months, believes games that are made from anecdotes of the common man are certainly more fun. “Since they are relevant to the current day-to-day life, it’s fun to see the result,” says this 24-year-old, who spends at least half an hour building roads and constructing bridges on this game.

“And they are great place to vent your anger. I mean, if you’re angry with the construction enroute home, you can see what happens if the railway tracks collapse, at least virtually.

” So why do current affairs make great games? For starters, it’s because people, especially the youth, seem to be responding better to these games. According to Alok Kejriwal, CEO of games2win, a popular gaming site, news is generally consumed in a passive format but, like he says, “These games are great awareness creating tools, especially since the concept writers often put a story and a message while creating it, which people can relate to,” he says.

“Gaming is a language that the youth listen to and therefore communicating through games definitely gets the message across.” Of course, because of their popularity games get ‘viralled’ very easily.

That is, those who like these games often link it to their statuses on Facebook and Gtalk, making the game very popular within a few hours of its launch.

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India’s first pvt metro to roll in Gurgaon by 2013

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Gurgaon, June 6 — Come 2013, residents of the Millennium City can travel both on the government-run Metro network as well as the futuristic privately funded Metro rail, on a single ticket. On Saturday, the promoters of Rapid Metro Rail Gurgaon (RMG), the country’s first privately-funded metro project, announced financial closure and launch of work on the 6.1 km overhead stretch that will directly benefit residents of DLF City (II& III), the National Media Centre, Ambience Lagoon and techies working in DLF Cybercity. Those employed in the Udyog Vihar industrial estate, Ambience Mall and those working with the Leela and Trident hotels, can also use the network. With the launch of the state-run Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s Metro in the next few days – an inspection is likely next week -Gurgaon residents, starved of effective public transport, will be relieved. The ticket for all stations in the privately-run Metro for will be priced at Rs 10. The waiting time, five minutes to begin with, will be later cut to 1.5 minutes in peak hours. “After getting the verbal nod from the Union Ministry of Urban Development, we achieved financial closure for Rs 1,088 crore RMG on Saturday,” said Sanjiv Rai, managing director of Rapid Metro Rail Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), the company behind the project. “We have identified contractor companies and allotted civil, electrification and signalling integration work. By next week, we would issue them work notices to start on-ground work,” he added.

With an expected ridership of more than one lakh people every day, the trains would use the automatic train operation system that doesn’t necessarily need a human driver.

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Custodial death victim’s widow gets compensation

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 5 — The Delhi High Court has awarded a compensation of over Rs 6 lakh to the widow of a man tortured to death in Tihar Jail, three days after he was arrested. He was charged of “causing nuisance by consuming liquor in public”. Justice S. Muralidhar on Friday granted the compensation to Saroj Rani, the widow of Vinod Kumar, who died on June 12, 2007. “When such deaths occur, it is not only to the public at large that those holding custody are responsible, they are responsible also to the courts under whose orders they hold such custody,” the court said. The court told the Delhi government to deposit Rs 6.4 lakh for Kumar’s widow as fixed deposit in a nationalised bank. Kumar (25) was a sewage cleaner. “It was an admitted fact that Kumar was an alcoholic. That arduous, deplorable and undignified work as a sewage cleaner perhaps explains why Kumar had to take to drinking. It is not uncommon to find those working with sewage and with corpses in mortuaries to take to (liquor) to be able to cope with the repulsive and revolting nature of their work,” the court observed.

“A clear case of violation of the fundamental right has been made out,” said the judge.

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Local students to get priority in medical courses in Maha

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) Maharashtra Government is considering giving priority to local students seeking admissions to degree and post graduate courses in Government-run medical colleges. “We have mooted a proposal giving priority to the students domiciled in Maharashtra for graduate and PG courses in the Government-run medical colleges,” Medical Education Minister Vijaykumar Gavit told PTI. The reason to withdraw all-India quota is that only 120 students from Maharashtra get admissions in colleges in other states annually for MBBS course, while other states get 960 seats in exchange, an official from Medical Education department claimed.

There are 84 seats for 18 super speciality courses, including cardiology, nephrology, plastic surgery and urology in the state. Gavit has also proposed that the internship period for which students serve the state should be made two years and the bond amount be increased from Rs 25 lakh to Rs two crore if they fail to do so.

“The students should serve the state at least for two years and if they fail to do so, the bond amount of Rs two crore will be forfeited,” the minister said.

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Beer sale in Delhi touches 15 lakh mark in May

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) It is that time of the year when chilled beer brings good cheer. With Delhi reeling under scorching heat, beer shops are out to make hay while the sun shines — more than 15 lakh beer cases have been sold in May.

“A total of 15,228,29 beer cases were sold in last month in the capital,” said a senior excise official. Simply put, with each case containing 12 bottles, Delhi”s beer consumption should touch a new high this summer.

The sale of beer had touched 14,80,951 cases in April. While there is a growth of about 30 per cent in beer market, the Excise Department is hopeful of meeting the target of Rs 1700 crore in the current fiscal.

For those not familiar with the spirit of the season, Delhi has about 37 brands of beer in the light, strong and canned segment to choose from. “Though mild beer caters to a large part of the beer consumers, the strong beer sale is also picking up,” the official said adding, “there is also a market for canned beer.

” The sale of beer generally picks up from March and the demand peaks during May-June every year. The beer market in India, including Delhi, offers vast scope for growth, the official said.

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Tripura”s rural bank posts record Rs. 35.35 crore profit

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Agartala, June 4 (ANI): The Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB), one of India”s 84 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), posted a net profit of Rs.35.35 crore in 2009-2010, the highest among RRBs in Tripura.

The bank has 111 branches across the state, which gives flexibility to its customer to open account in any branch.

“We are satisfied. So many people cannot come to Agartala to open an account, so they open an account in Jotanbari, so it is very helpful, we can come any time and open an account,” said Edison Uchoi an account holder.

The bank”s credit-deposit ratio is now 39 percent.

“We did a total business of 2850 crore rupees, in which there is a deposit of 2550 crore rupees and advance of 800 crore rupees and we have achieved a profit of Rs.35crore, 35 lakh in 2009-10. This is the highest amount of profit by any rural bank in the northeast or eastern India,” said D Mushahary, chairman, Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB).

He further claimed that TGB also attained a record in per branch business and per staff business with rupees 2,567 lakh and rupees 438 lakh respectively in fiscal 2009-10 and has targeted to achieve a net profit of rupees 500 lakh (50 million) in the current financial year.

The TGB has issued 1,500 biometric cards to disburse wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and pension under National Old Age Pension (NOAP) schemes.

Tripura is the second state after Andhra Pradesh to use biometric cards for payments under the NREGA and NOAP. (ANI)

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30 killed as bus overturns, catches fire

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ten children and 15 women were among 30 people killed when a Karnataka roadways bus overturned and burst into flames near Challakere area in the Chitradurga district early on Sunday. The North Eastern Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus was carrying 63 passengers, mostly from the rural parts of Surpur and Lingasur in the northern Gulbarga and Raichur districts.

State Transport Minister R Ashok told reporters that according to preliminary reports, the driver’s “negligence”

could have caused the accident. Transport and police officials said they suspect the driver of the bus may have dozed off and hit a barricade. The driver Siddaiah Swamy has been arrested, police said.

“The bus overturned and its diesel tank caught fire, engulfing the entire vehicle. Nearly 30 passengers were rescued and admitted to hospitals in Challakere,” Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Labhu Ram said.

The NEKSRTC announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for next of kin of the deceased while Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa also announced compensation of Rs one lakh for the families of the dead and Rs 25,000 for those injured.

Police said nine bodies had been identified so far and that they planned to conduct DNA tests on several others as their bodies had been charred beyond recognition. Messages have been sent to the relatives of victims in Surapur in Gulbarga district from where the bus had begun its journey.

Police said the overcrowded bus was mostly carrying poor labourers in search of livelihood in Bangalore following disruption in the NREGA programme in the area where they were residing. The reason for the disruption was not clear. Narasimha Naik, BJP MLA from Surapur, held authorities responsible for the suspension of the NREGA works, which, he said, had forced the locals to migrate to other places in search of jobs ahead of the monsoon. “We will look into the matter and see what went wrong,” Yeddyurappa said. Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy, who is also in-charge of Chitradurga district, rushed to the accident site and visited the hospitals.

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GJM state plan has tribals too

May 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In a U-turn, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Sunday said it was withdrawing its proposal for an interim set-up, scheduled to be taken up at the next tripartite meeting and wanted a separate state.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung told a rally at a school campus, five km from here, that they would henceforth carry on the movement for a separate state which would be known as the ‘Gorkha-Adivasi Parishad’ and not Gorkhaland.

The new pradesh will include the Terai region, the entire Dooars region and Siliguri, the GJM leaders announced.

The demand will be placed formally before the Central government soon, Bimal Gurung, president of the Morcha announced.

Among others who addressed the rally were Amar Lama, Roshan Giri, Harka Bahadur Chetri, Benoy Tamang, all Morcha central committee members, and Jaswant Singh, Darjeeling MP, who is all set to re-join BJP.

“The new state will have Gorkhas and Adivasis in it and for this we have talked to the Adivasi Kalyan Parishad of North Bengal. They have agreed to our proposal and we have told them that while we will have the state headquarters at Darjeeling, a branch of the headquarters will be set up at Jalpaiguri too,” Gurung said at the rally that was attended by about one lakh people.

Jaswant Singh, who came to Darjeeling about one month back and got a very lukewarm reception from the Morcha, said that he was in favour of Gorkhaland Adivasi Pradesh. “My support for this legitimate demand of the people of Darjeeling will remain,” Singh said.

The GJM has also called off the 10-day bandh it had called from June 12 to June 21. “The people of the hills have suffered a lot following the death of Madan Tamang and that is why we cancelled this bandh,” Gurung said.

The central committee of the Morcha will meet on June 14 and will decide on its next course of action, according to the Morcha leaders.

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Sachin Pilot promises mobile services for Amarnath pilgrims

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 19 (ANI): Minister of State for Communications and IT, Sachin Pilot has said that the mobile connectivity to Amarnath pilgrims at the height of 13,500 ft. will be provided before June 30.

He said that it has been the endeavor of the BSNL to provide telephone services throughout the country, including rural, remote, inhospitable and geographically difficult areas.

“Amarnath ji Dham is a religious and tourist destination of supreme importance for people of all faiths. This will help over four lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine every year specially old and infirm and others wanting to stay in touch with their families,” he added.

Installation of nine mobile towers – at Baltal-I, Baltal-II, Domail, Barari, Sangam/Holi Cave, Panchtarni, Mahagunastop, Sheshnag and Chandanwari – of which four are on motorable road and the rest are on pony track will immensely help pilgrims, local residents, administration and security forces.

Connectivity will enable them to stay in touch with each other and facilitate people living in and visiting the area.

At present, no other telephone operator provides service in that area. (ANI)

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Modi’s voluminous reply virtual chargesheet against GC members

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi/Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) Lalit Modi, the suspended chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is believed to have put its entire Governing Council (GC) in the dock in his reply Saturday to the showcause notice slapped on him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Modi, in his reply, supported by tomes of documents running into over 9,000 pages, is a virtual chargesheet against all his GC colleagues, as reported by IANS Friday, and it turns the tables on his principal opponents in the Board as well.

Ever since the controversy broke out after he tweeted the names of IPL’s newest franchise Kochi, Modi has maintained that all decisions were taken with the concurrence of the entire GC and he might have carried the argument forward in his reply to say that if he was guilty of any wrongdoing, then all his comrades are as much guilty in okaying hem.

Modi’s reply was collated by three highly reputed companies of solicitors and a battery of lawyers headed by legal luminaries like Ram Jethmalani and Harish Salve. It was submitted to the Board by Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abdi.

The Modi camp wants an independent panel to go through his reply, not any GC or Board member who is party to the decisions as that amounts to sitting in judgment over their own decisions.

Modi’s reply, packed sleekly in six cartons and delivered at the BCCI Cricket Centre headquarters in Mumbai, contains close to two lakh SMSs exchanged between GC members and him, thousands of e-mails, agenda papers and the minutes of the meetings, revealing the names of all those who attended and appended their signatures to the decisions.

Modi may have also demanded in the reply that an independent committee to sit in judgment over his reply, not anyone from the GC as they are all party to every decision he has taken.

Based on the reply, Abdi is confident all charges against Modi will be dropped.

‘The charges were based on allegations and gossip. BCCI can never prove its allegations. We are confident that all the charges against Modi will be dropped. In fact, BCCI president Shashank Manohar is an well-known lawyer and it will take him few hours to go through the reply. It can be done even today,’ said Abdi.

When asked to reveal the contents, Abdi said: ‘It is for BCCI to share the reply with you. But there are some interesting perspectives of the issues and controversies.’

A Board member, who till Friday argued that the suspended IPL commissioner did everything single-handedly, said Saturday on condition of anonymity: ‘If what Modi seeks to prove is correct, then the entire GC is guilty of abetment and they, too, should be suspended along with him.’

‘Going by what Modi has been hinting at from time to time, it is now clear that the decisions were involuntary for the GC members, including the three former India captains, to back off. In any case, how can any GC member sit in judgment as part of disciplinary/standing committee over his own decision?’ the member asked while speaking to IANS Saturday night.

‘The law doesn’t make exceptions for the ignorant’, he added.

Modi questioned the Board basing its chargesheet on unsubstantiated allegations, complaints and innuendos like the Kochi agreement being signed only after a directive from the Board chief, some of the deals being finalised without the knowledge of the IPL Governing Council and his holding proxy stakes in three IPL franchises.

Modi also questioned the veracity of the information supplied by a ‘reliable source,’ saying the Board has come up with ‘fiction’ to justify its charges against him, giving the information a ‘privileged and confidential’ garb.

BCCI secretary N. Srinivisan brought the very public e-mail exchanges with Modi to an end by assuring him that he could reply only on the ‘basis of the facts and documents, which have been referred to’ him in the chargesheet and not on any other material.

Modi, who was to submit his reply Monday, had sought a five-day extension and Manohar agreed to it.

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Kolkata-based Dignity Foundation emerges as savior for aged and infirmed

May 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kolkata, May 8 (ANI): In the dusk of their life, an alarming number of India’s ninety one million sixty-plus population is suffering from loneliness, neglect, depression, physical and mental abuse and a plethora of diseases without proper medical care. Often enough, the senior citizens’ help lines are the only support the old people have in teeming metropolises like Kolkata.

The Dignity Foundation, which runs a help line for seniors in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai, has 15000 registered members in Kolkata alone. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Mr Abhijit Ghosh. There are over five lakh elderly persons in the city and most of them are living alone. The children often move abroad or to other cities in search of work. Many of the elderly have lost their spouses. Their friends and relatives circles also narrow down as disease and death take their toll, says Ghosh.

There has been a spurt in suicides by the elderly as increased loneliness, depression, disease and lack of care induces a sense of helplessness amongst them. Help lines have emerged as life saviours in such a scenario as they provide much- needed comfort to the old along with an opportunity to mix with others of their own age, psychological and financial counseling, safety and security and support for getting access to medical care.

According to Parvin Sherif, a senior citizen living in South Kolkata the regular ‘chai adda’ sessions at Dignity Foundation gives the old people an opportunity to share of cup of tea and snacks with others of their own age group, exchange gossip, sing songs, play games and share problems. The whole experience is cathartic and prevents us from slipping into depression caused often by loneliness, she adds.

At present Dignity Foundation holds ‘adda’ sessions for the aged at three centres in Kolkata but hopes to extend this venture to every area and locality gradually.

Another 60-plus, Rekha Shah points out that when faced with neglect at home, the elderly often withdraw into a shell and suffer in silence. The best thing to do is to smile even in the face of apathy from near and dear ones and join a support group through the help lines to find like-minded friends of one’s own age. By becoming part of a group outside the house, the elderly often find an healthy outlet for their suppressed emotions and desires, she says.

Emotional and physical abuse of the elderly have been a matter of growing concern for the NGOs working in this sector. Pronam, an NGO which provides safety and security to the senior citizens in collaboration with Kolkata Police, has 1453 registered members of whom 681 stay alone. Pronam gives its members access to medical care and has ties with 31 hospitals for providing health care to senior citizens. The NGO also has contacts with 48 police stations to reach immediate security to the needy elderly on the other end of the phone, often seeking protection from their own flesh and blood, according to Shukla Tarafdar, Administrator, Pronam.

Property disputes and financial concerns are the main causes of abuse of the elderly, with the youth often perceiving them as a burden. The help lines promise the senior citizens seeking help absolute confidentiality and carry out social intervention to solve the problem, according to Mr Ghosh. There is need to create awareness amongst the suffering elderly population that help lines and support groups exist for their benefit and they should be counselled to seek help when required, according to Shukla Tarafdar.

For the aged, its problems like lack of company, help to visit the doctor, library or the nearby grocery store, that becomes insurmountable. Besides intervention by NGOs, a community-level commitment to help the elderly couple or single old man or lady living in the locality is necessary to make them feel part of society and cared for.

The Help Line Numbers in Kolkata are : Dignity Foundation (033-30690999) and Pronam (033-24190740) (ANI)

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White Shirts take on Red Shirts as Nepal strike enters Day 6

May 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kathmandu, May 7 (IANS) Nepal’s paralysing Maoist protests received a new twist Friday when hundreds of apolitical protesters, mostly in white, demonstrated against the former rebel cadres dressed in red, giving the opposition party and the besieged government a 48-hour ultimatum to resolve the crisis.

Nearly 50 organisations banded under Nepal’s business and professional communities called a mass meeting at the heart of the capital Friday to show the growing public anger at the Maoist strike that has kept the country paralysed since May 2 with the government unable to defuse the row.

The old royal palace at Kathmandu’s Basantpur, where the mansion of Nepal’s living goddess Kumari is located and where the kings of Nepal held court for diplomats and people before the abolition of monarchy in 2008, turned into a sea of people who waved white banners and clapped lustily calling for peace and an end to the discord.

‘This mass meet has been called to convey the people’s command to the political parties,’ said Kush Kumar Joshi, chief of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry that called the demonstration in collaboration with the Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Professionals’ Alliance for Peace and Democracy, which played a key role during the pro-democracy protests against king Gyanendra’s army-backed regime in 2006.

‘The two crore 80 lakh people of Nepal can’t sit idly and watch. We are asking the government to reach an agreement with the Maoists in two days. We will not tolerate any more strikes and disruptions, that’s our demand.’

There were reports that the Maoists, who have been losing their popularity due to the hardship inflicted by the strike, had tried to pressure the organisations into calling off the anti-strike rally.

However, people defied obstruction by Maoist patrols and the lack of transport to reach the rally venue from different parts of the capital. Joshi said protests were being held simultaneously nationwide.

Close to the rally venue, clashes broke out between the Maoists and the youth wing of the ruling communist party, the Youth Force. Security forces had to fire teargas shells and swing into action to bring the situation under control.

The Youth Force has been leading anti-Maoist protests, triggering clashes even as party chief Jhalanath Khanal denied deploying the youth wing to break up the Maoist protest.

‘I came to the meeting because we want to send out the message to the parties that we elected them to parliament with a mandate,’ said Mani Sharma, a 32-year-old teacher who had walked for two hours to show solidarity. ‘Their task is to write a new constitution and consolidate peace, not to indulge in infighting.’

Nepal’s leading celebrities were also present at the rally, including singing sensation Buddhist nun Ani Choying Dolma and popular comedians Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Vansh Acharya. Buddhist nuns and monks, Christians, Muslims and Jains and Sikhs were also present.

‘I have come to look for peace,’ said Madan Krishna Shrestha. ‘It has been pocketed by the politicians. I have come to remind them that they are the people’s servants and have to follow the orders given by their master, the people.’

The crowds said they would intensify pressure on both the warring parties to end the strike that was causing indescribable hardship to a nation already wrecked by a decade of insurgency.

The protest has echos of the clashes in Thailand where anti-government ‘red shirts’ have taken on government forces.

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National Gardening Mission being intensified in Jharkhand

May 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Masratu (Jharkhand), May 7 (ANI): Tomato growers in Jharkhand are being provided with additional facilities under the National Gardening Mission for increasing production and getting better returns from their yield.

These include cold storages and cold storage vans so that the farmers can pack their crops in their farms and take it to places where they can get a better price.

Soil Conservation Officer Anil Kumar provided details of the mission.

“Many plans from our agriculture department are upcoming. It has also come to Jharkhand. National Gardening Mission has been in practice for three years now,” said Kumar.

“We have added the provision of a cold storage, cold storage van, where the farmers can do packing in their respective farms and take it to other places where they can get a good price for it,” he added.

The tomato farmers of Masratu village here said that there are good opportunities for profits for the farmers, but if they don”t get better price they will have to suffer losses.

“In case, if we get proper rate, the profits are up to Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh, but if we don”t get proper rates there can be losses worth lakhs, ” said Bisheshwar Mahto, a farmer.

“The younger generation should be interested in farming as well; it will also make the state self-reliant,” he added.

Tomato is a warm season crop, it requires warm and cool climate. The plants cannot withstand frost and high humidity. (ANI)

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Trauma of Manipur violence victims

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Imphal, May 5 (ANI): Manipur has been affected by militant violence for a long time and the worst sufferers are the common people.

Here is a family that was a victim of militant violence and see how they are coping with the loss of their loved one.

The simple and happy life of the family of late Singam Premananda Singh, came to an end after his death.

Premananda, the sole bread earner of the family was killed in an explosion engineered by a militant outfit at Pourabi Road in Manipur on 16th December 2007 along with six other people.

Almost four years later, the dreadful incident still haunts his family.

Premananda has left behind an aged mother, his wife and three children who live in the shadow of poverty.

Ibemma, his wife,now weaves clothes and does other menial labour to keep the family afloat.

“We are facing untold hardships after his death. I’m old and unable to work. Now, all the responsibility of the family has fallen on my daughter-in-law’s shoulder. No one is there to look after us,” said Thamchet Devi, mother of a victim.

The Sstate Government gave Rs one lakh to assist the Singam family and promised to provide assistance in future as well.

Still, Ibemma finds it difficult to make both ends meet and provide a future to her children.

Sometimes, she finds it difficult juggling different roles, but she sees hope in her children’s eyes and is inspired to soldier on.

“It is very difficult to manage and run the family all alone. I have to raise my children, take part in locality’s social services and earn money as well. Even leading a simple life is hard for us,” said Ibemma Devi, wife of a victim.

Manipur has more than 30 militant groups and extortion, abductions and bomb attacks happen quite regularly in the state.

“They (militants) must think about the consequences of their actions, which normally affect innocent people. People are suffering unnecessarily due to their mindless acts. We are against them,” Devi added.

The story doesn’t end with the Singam family; there are several other families that have suffered a similar fate.

Here are many families like that of Premananda who have been victims of militants’ activities in the state.

People in the state live in fear that the same fate could befall them at any time. (ANI)

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Railway motormen call off their strike

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, May 4 (ANI): Mumbai”s railway motormen called off their strike after two days here following assurances from Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil that all cases registered against them would be withdrawn and their demands would be looked into with some seriousness.

“There will be no action taken against the motormen. All cases registered against them would be taken back,” said Patil.

“All the motormen suspended would be allowed to resume their work,” he added

Earlier today, over 170 motormen were detained under the Essential Services Maintenance ACT (ESMA) after it was imposed by the Maharashtra Government to force them resume their work with immediate effect.

State Chief Minister Ashok Chavan took the decision after an emergency meeting with senior railway police and state administration officials.

Earlier, the Central Government had given a green signal to the State Government to impose ESMA on the striking motormen.

Earlier this morning, the Central Railway suspended 20 motormen under the Railways Act for their refusal to end their strike, terming it as illegal.

Train services on Central and Western lines in Mumbai continue to remain badly affected, as the motormen have refused to end their indefinite hunger strike.

Central Railway authorities said they would run only 30 per cent of their services today.

The motormen”s strike threw life out of gear for the city”s 70 lakh train commuters.

Around 1,000 motormen of both Central and Western Railways went on a hunger strike to press for higher pay scales and allowances from Monday morning, causing immense inconvenience to daily commuters.

The Railway Ministry contends that the motormen are demanding higher pay than what has been recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission and additional allowances, which are not included in the Pay Commission”s recommendations.

The ministry further said that some of their demands regarding national holidays and night duty allowances have already been met.

It has asked the general managers of Central and Western Railways to take all necessary steps in coordination with the Maharashtra Government to ensure minimum inconvenience to daily commuters.

“Railway will not hesitate in taking the stringent action against those who are not heeding to our request,” said Anil Saxena, spokesperson of Indian Railways.

The striking motormen had earlier said their protest would continue for the next few days if their demands were not met. (ANI)

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ONGC refuels Tezpur Varsity’s Centre for Petroleum Biotechnology

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): Petroleum major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has given an additional grant of Rs. 50 lakh to run the ONGC-sponsored Centre for Petroleum Biotechnology.

A company release said that an MoU was inked between ONGC and Tezpur University on April 30 in the university premises, to accord permanence to this rare industry-academia linkage aiming to take India closer to advanced and cost-effective technologies in Microbiology.

This Centre for Petroleum Biotechnology was set up in 1999 with an ONGC grant of Rs. 1.89 crore.
The earlier MoU between ONGC and Tezpur University, creating the Centre, expired in 2008. ONGC’s support now will fuel the Centre with fresh life, to undertake current research in microbiology and biotechnology in general, and bioremediation and microbial enhanced oil recovery in particular.

The grant will be used for development of advanced and cost-effective technologies in Microbiology, mainly for environment protection

The development is expected to give a big boost to industry-academia interface in upstream oil and gas industry.

In a country, where industry-academia interface is lagging behind other peer nations, oil major ONGC has a structured framework for Industry-academia interface, with regular programmes for summer training and industrial tours for students, support to set up laboratories and academic institutes and collaborative research work.

ONGC is also considering offering monthly scholarships of up to Rs. 5000/- to meritorious students for short-term projects of national importance. (ANI)

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