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Ahmedabad cancels BRTS tenders
2008-05-05 06:03:00
Ahmedabad, May 4 (IANS) Ahmedabad has decided against going ahead with a Delhi-like bus rapid transit system (BRTS) - not because the city fears the traffic mess the experimental project has created in the national capital, but because of project costs. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has cancelled the tender it had invited for its ambitious BRTS project, saying contractors were demanding high rates to run buses. Tenders will be invited afresh. Municipal commissioner I.P. Gautam told IANS Sunday that contractors had quoted rates between Rs.65 and Rs.72 per km to run public transport buses in the proposed system, but the rates were unacceptable and needed revision. The high rates would make the BRTS project non-viable as that would lead to higher fares, and this may force people to opt for the existing Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) bus services which would be considerably cheaper, officials said. The AMC is anxious that there is no significant difference i...
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Just In vogue to celebrate Mothers Day in Ahmedabad
2008-05-05 06:00:00
Luxury retail chain Just In vogue will celebrate Mothers Day in Ahmedabad which is on May 11 this year. TV Actress Yamini Singh inaugurated the Mothers Day celebration with the unveiling of the SUPER MOM contest and a special gift hamper for mothers. Manoj Subramanian, Head, Marketing, Just In vogue said that a contest is being run in celebration of mothers day, The contest is open to every body, forms are available at Just In Vogue outlet in Iskon Mall . Exciting prizes like Diamond Pendant, Branded watches and perfumes can be won.Source: gujaratglobal.com
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Ahmedabad Information: Cinemax and Devarc Mall Ahmedabad: Photos
2008-05-04 07:31:00
Cine max :The company which has maximum numbers of screens in Mumbai has plans for Gujarat also. It will also start multiplexes in Baroda, Rajkot, Anand, Surat and Mehsana. To raise funds for the above projects and several other multiplexes across India, the company is coming out with an IPO. Giving details about the IPO, Rasesh Kanakia of Cinemax said that it will have a price band of Rs. 135 to Rs.155 of 8,920,000 equity shares of Rs.10 each, comprising of a fresh issue of 7,000,000 equity shares and an offer for sale of 1,920,000 equity shares. The face value of equity shares of Rs.10 and the floor price is 13.5 times of the face value and the cap price is 15.5 times of the face value. The shares will be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd and the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.
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To crack down on blackmarketing of kerosene, focus on LPG consumers
2008-05-04 07:28:00
Ahmedabad, In a bid to check the black marketing of kerosene and prevent the use of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purpose, the Controller of Food and Civil Supplies office has directed the distributors to collect ration card details of the gas connection holders while delivering the re-filled cylinders. This comes following detection of difference between the number of ration card and gas connection holders in the city. ?The objective behind the directive is to check the leakage of PDS kerosene into the open market. Many ration card holders don?t get their LPG dealers? names stamped on their ration card and then procure kerosene also. This new measure will help in checking that,? said Rajesh Kishore, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies Department. The exercise is likely to curb the large-scale use of domestic LPG cylinders by food joints and roadside eateries and many other commercial establishments. The move, which is restricted to Ahmedabad city, is also expected ...
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Rs 828-cr water project for coastal areas
2008-05-04 07:26:00
Gandhinagar, Water Supply Department has chalked out a comprehensive plan to hold the salinity ingression, recharge ground water and solve the acute drinking water problem being faced by as many as 2,888 villages along the 1,600-km long Gujaratcoastline. The projects, estimated to cost over Rs 828 crore, are proposed to be implemented under various categories such as group water supply schemes, in-village water supply schemes, reverse osmosis (RO) plants and integrated planning with involvement of community and NGOs. The villages to be benefited by these projects are in the 12 coastal districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Valsad. Water Supply Secretary V S Gadhvi told this paper: ?Besides redressing the water woes of coastal populace in general, we have decided to keep the main focus on the salt pan workers who are facing the same predicament, mainly in Kutch and Surendranagar districts.? He added: ?We al...
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Retd forest official's house looted
2008-05-04 07:24:00
AHMEDABAD: Thieves sneaked into a retired forest officer's house in Maninagar area in the wee hours of Saturday and decamped with cash, valuables and on a motorcycle stolen from the same house. According to Maninagar police officials, retired official Kirit Shah has lodged a complaint of theft for 5,000 US dollars, gold and silver jewellery including silver idols worth Rs 76,000 and three mobile phones worth Rs 15,000 from the house in Ankur Society in Vallabhwadi locality. The thieves are said to have struck between 3 am and 5 am when family members were fast asleep. The theft was realized when Shah, an early riser, woke up at around 5 am and found himself locked in the room. He then started banging the door and also called the neighbours for help. "After being released from the room, they inspected their belongings and found that cash, gold and silver jewellery and some foreign currency have been stolen," said AB Bhimavat, inspector of Maninagar police station. Later, it was a...
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Vision-impaired student gets offers from five IIMs
2008-05-04 07:21:00
AHMEDABAD: A visually-impaired son of an Ahmedabad-based businessman has received admission calls from five of the six Indian Institutes of Management; his only regret is that he has missed an IIM-Ahmedabad seat by just two marks. Gaganbir Singh, who cannot read or write because of his very poor vision, scored 92.63 percentile marks in the Common Admission Test held in November 2007. He was eagerly waiting for the admission list, the publication of which got postponed from April 11, following the Supreme Court judgment on OBC reservation the previous day. As all the IIMs began the admission process on May 1, Gaganbir nourished a slender hope of getting into the IIM-A, but that was not to be. He has now opted to join the IIM-Bangalore, which he says is the next best management institution. Born and brought up in Ahmedabad, Gaganbir has just 15-20 per cent of the normal vision and needs someone to read out books for him, and in examinations to write answers as he dictates. He took ...
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Sayaji Hotels arm opens Barbeque Nation Restaurant at Ahmedabad
2008-05-03 05:48:00
Sayaji Hotels Ltd has announced that the Opening of Barbeque-Nation Restaurant at Ahmedabad (Gujarat) by wholly owned subsidiary Company of the Company.Further the Company has informed that, Sixth Restaurant is opening on May 02, 2008 at Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The Company is inaugurating the new Restaurant at Shop No. 3, Shivalik-3, Near Milestone Complex, Drive in Road Ahmedabad.The Sixth Restaurant is being opened by the wholly owned subsidiary Company M/s. Barbeque-Nation Hospitality Ltd and currently operating five restaurants at Jaipur, New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Chennai.The Company is already opening five restaurants at Pali hills-Bandra, Mumbai, Indra Nagar-Bangalore, Koramangala-Banglore, Banjara hills-Hyderabad and Gurgaon near Delhi.The stock was trading at Rs.91.50, down by Rs.1.90 or 2.03%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.92.80 and low of Rs.88.75.The total traded quantity was 5788 compared to 2 week average of 5613. Source: Equity Bulls

Five children drown in Narmada canal, one saved
2008-05-03 05:47:00
Ahmedabad : Five children, including three girls, of a marriage party drowned in Narmada canal near Matrasan village of neighbouring Mehasana district on Friday, the police said. The incident took place when the children, aged between 15 to 22, went to swim in the canal, the police said. The children were part of marriage party which had gone from the city to Mehasana distrct to attend a wedding function. One girl was saved by the local people, police added.source: hindu.com
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IIM Ahmedabad: Despite lack of vision, IIMs in sight
2008-05-03 05:42:00
doweshowbellyad=0; Gaganbir Singh (TOI Photo) AHMEDABAD: The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a tough nut to crack for the most experienced and studious. For Gaganbir Singh, it may have been a shade more difficult because he was differently abled. He prepared for CAT with the help of someone who read the material aloud to him and dictated the answers to a writer. Singh, 21, who has 15-20 per cent vision impairment, scored 92.63 percentile in CAT and confirmed admission calls from three Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), Bangalore, Calcutta and Kozhikode. "This has been my biggest achievement and it has been possible only because of my mother, Harinder Kaur," said Singh, who lost his mother last year. Born and brought up in Ahmedabad , Singh completed his schooling from St Xavier's Mirzapur, and BCom from HL Institute of Commerce. Singh suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which is a genetic eye condition in which the patient gradually loses ey...
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BJP strike call sees mixed response in Gujarat
2008-05-03 05:40:00
Ahmedabad (PTI): The nationwide strike call given by BJP against alleged failure of the UPA government to control inflation received mix response across the state as some of the trading establishment were closed while others remained open.The BJP, which is the state's ruling party, had given a call for strike from Friday morning till 2 pm, excluding traffic movements and essential services from strike.In Ahmedabad, many business establishments remained opened. Many shops and establishments in some of the city's main areas like Paldi, Satellite, C G road, Ashram road were functioning normally.However, in Rajkot, the traders supported the bandh by downing their shutters."Local trade organisations extended their support to the half-day bandh call given by the BJP," BJP Rajkot unit President Nitin Bharadwaj said.Meanwhile, in Vadodara, most of the city observed the strike while essential service, transportation and public offices were open.In Amreli and Valsad districts, shops and est...
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Ahmedabad Sessions Court issues notice to state government
2008-05-03 05:39:00
The Ahmedabad Sessions Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Gujarat government in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case after hearing an application seeking further investigation of certain aspects of the case. The application was moved by Sohrabuddin's brother, Rubabuddin Sheikh. The government has been asked to reply by May 9.The application seeks further investigation of the cause of his wife Kauserbi's death and the persons who had 'actually murdered her'. Also, the possession, custody and ownership of the Hero Honda motorcycle on which Sohrabuddin was allegedly travelling when he was shot in an encounter in November 2005 has been asked to be enquired into.Examination has also been sought of the CD containing the mobile phone records of the police officers during that period, which was handed to the investigating officer DIG Geeta Johari by IPS officer Rajnish Rai. Sohrabuddin was allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorist Squad. Thir...
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Umpire questioned for his remarks against Sreesanth
2008-05-03 05:38:00
New Delhi: Advocate Sudhir Nanavati, who was on Monday appointed as the Commissioner to make preliminary inquiry into the Harbhajan Singh slapping incident, met umpire Amish Saheba for an explanation on his comments to the media in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.Saheba was suspended for two matches and subjected to disciplinary action for making a statement to a Mumbai newspaper about Sreesanth 's conduct during the match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in Mohali where Harbhajan had slapped the Kerala speedster.Nanavati later admitted that Saheba is bound by the ICC and the BCCI regulations and should not have reacted to the incident in newspapers.IPL Governing Council member I S Bindra has also slammed Saheba for commenting on S Sreesanth's on-field behaviour in the media."The umpires are not supposed to give their reports to the media, but there is a set procedure through which they can report to the match referee or IPL," Bindra had told PTI.Source: ibnlive.com

Real estate MF can invest in million-plus cities: SEBI
2008-05-03 05:36:00
MUMBAI: Market Regulator SEBI today said real estate mutual funds can invest in properties located in million-plus cities and urban agglomerations.Issuing a clarification, SEBI said the cities for investment by real estate mutual funds would include 35 cities in million-plus urban agglomerates and 27 under million-plus category as per the Census 2001.Million-plus urban agglomerations and cities include Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Patna, among various others.SEBI has defined the real estate asset as an immovable property located in the country in cities specified by the board, the construction on which has completed and is legally transferable.In addition to the specified cities, such funds can also invest in SEZs as defined in the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005.The mutual funds, however, cannot invest in properties under construction, vacant land, deserted property, land for agricultural use among other things.SEB...
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Inter-state fake currency racket busted
2008-05-03 05:35:00
AHMEDABAD: The next time you take a Rs 100 or a Rs 500 currency note, check it twice. If crime branch officials are to be believed, an inter-state gang has injected around 30,000 fake currency notes in the city through private banks.According to city crime branch officials, five denizens brought fake currency from Uttar Pradesh and deposited it in three private banks. The idea was to earn quick money.The racket was busted on Wednesday afternoon on the basis of a tip-off. "We got a tip-off that some people were dealing in fake money worth lakhs and all the accused worked at a bakery. We came to know about their technique and kept a watch near Ghantakarna Mahavir Market, where they came to deposit fake currency," said MD Chaudhary, inspector of crime branch.Police nabbed the gang after UP police arrested one of the gangs accomplice from Delhi. Farhan Abdul Aziz, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, along with Iqbal Bandu Ahmed, a resident of Amrola, were arrested by Delhi police for a fake cu...
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Future, Reliance, M&M on rural retail roads to Gujarat
2008-05-03 05:31:00
AHMEDABAD: After an aggressive buyout by Reliance ended Adani group?s rural retail plans, Gujarat is getting ready to see at least three big boys of Indian retail taking the rural roads for a major push. Future Group, which has just formed a JV with Godrej Agrovet, Reliance and Mahindra are set for a major foray in the lucrative rural Gujarat market.While Reliance will launch 15 rural retail hubs, Godrej Adhar, powered by the 70% Future Group stake, will increase the number of stores to 20 in the next two years.Mahindras too are on an expanding mode. The company, which has so far been only in agri-input retailing, will add more products to its retail portfolio. The retail rush is fuelled by prosperity and increasing consumerism in the Gujarati hinterland. According to Piyush Kumar Sinha, professor of marketing and chairperson, centre for retailing, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Gujarat?s good road connectivity has already erased the rural-urban shopping divide to ...
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Umpire Saheba denies giving interview
2008-05-02 11:42:00
Umpire Amish Saheba, suspended for two IPL matches for comments attributed to him over the Harbhajan Singh-S Sreesanth spat in a Mumbai newspaper, has denied having talked to any reporter on the controversy in his reply to the show cause notice issued to him by the BCCI."He (Saheba) has categorically denied giving any kind of interview to the publication in question in his reply to the show-cause notice issued to him by the BCCI," stated Board Secretary Niranjan Shah in a media release on Friday."As far as the subject of publication in Mumbai Mirror is concerned, I may state that no person has spoken to me in person and/or telephone, or taken any interview putting up any question to me, whereby I was asked to give any answer as reported in the daily," Saheba has said in his reply.The umpire has added that a reporter of Ahmedabad Mirror visited his residence on April 28, a day before his 'comments' appeared in the newspaper and its Mumbai counterpart, to take his photograph."I was ...
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Future, Reliance, M&M on rural retail roads to Gujarat
2008-05-02 04:45:00
AHMEDABAD: After an aggressive buyout by Reliance ended Adani group?s rural retail plans, Gujarat is getting ready to see at least three big boys of Indian retail taking the rural roads for a major push. Future Group, which has just formed a JV with Godrej Agrovet, Reliance and Mahindra are set for a major foray in the lucrative rural Gujarat market.While Reliance will launch 15 rural retail hubs, Godrej Adhar, powered by the 70% Future Group stake, will increase the number of stores to 20 in the next two years.Mahindras too are on an expanding mode. The company, which has so far been only in agri-input retailing, will add more products to its retail portfolio. The retail rush is fuelled by prosperity and increasing consumerism in the Gujarati hinterland. According to Piyush Kumar Sinha, professor of marketing and chairperson, centre for retailing, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), Gujarat?s good road connectivity has already erased the rural-urban shopping divide to ...
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IIM-A declares admission list
2008-05-02 04:44:00
AHMEDABAD: The 21-day long wait for around 700 students came to an end when the top management school of the country, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) declared the admission list open for the general category and the reserved category students on Thursday. This also includes the admission list for OBC candidates.IIM-A declared the final offers they will be giving out for the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) and Post Graduate Programme - Agri-Business Management (PGP-ABM) in which 192 students in the general category will be accepted, 42 in the SC category, 21 in the ST category, 17 in OBC category and eight in PWD. All the IIMs have declared their admission lists together as decided by all the Admission Chairs with implementation of OBC quota."Right now provisional admissions have been given to OBC quota students based on first responses received from them when the institute contacted them for the Non-Creamy Layer Status. Admission of these candidates will be confirmed...
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Realtors to pitch aapnu Amdavad in US
2008-05-02 04:44:00
AHMEDABAD: After pitching ?Brand Amdavad' at home, Amdavadi realtors are now cementing plans to hardsell Amdavad realty to non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) right at their doorstep.For the Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers (GIHED) has joined hands with the Association of Indian Americans in North America (AIANA) to host their first international property show at the second ?Chaalo Gujarat: World Gujarati Conference' to be held at New Jersey in August 2008. The first conference was held in New Jersey in September 2006.The three-day conference-cum-exposition, in which nearly 50,000 NRGs are expected to participate, will primarily see Ahmedabad-based realtors pitch Amdavad as well as upcoming residential and commercial property projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore to NRGs.What's more, the property fair will also showcase a glitzy Amdavad of tomorrow, replete with mega projects like Gujarat International Financial Tec-City, Sabarmati riverfront project, Bus Rapid Transit ...
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Inter-state fake currency racket busted
2008-05-02 04:41:00
AHMEDABAD: The next time you take a Rs 100 or a Rs 500 currency note, check it twice. If crime branch officials are to be believed, an inter-state gang has injected around 30,000 fake currency notes in the city through private banks.According to city crime branch officials, five denizens brought fake currency from Uttar Pradesh and deposited it in three private banks. The idea was to earn quick money.The racket was busted on Wednesday afternoon on the basis of a tip-off. "We got a tip-off that some people were dealing in fake money worth lakhs and all the accused worked at a bakery. We came to know about their technique and kept a watch near Ghantakarna Mahavir Market, where they came to deposit fake currency," said MD Chaudhary, inspector of crime branch.Police nabbed the gang after UP police arrested one of the gangs accomplice from Delhi. Farhan Abdul Aziz, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, along with Iqbal Bandu Ahmed, a resident of Amrola, were arrested by Delhi police for a fake cu...
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Ahmedabad to host England Test
2008-05-01 11:39:00
The first Test between India and England in the two-Test series in November will take place in Ahmedabad .Mumbai will host the second Test, after which the two nations will play seven one-day internationals, starting in New Delhi.Indore, Rajkot, Jamshedpur, Cuttack, Guwahati and Kanpur will be the venues for the ODIs thereafter.The final itinerary will be announced by the Board of Cricket Control for India in the coming weeks.BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said in a statement: "The final itinerary will be decided on the basis of logistics." Source: http://ukpress.google.com/
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Ahmedabad Sessions Court issues notice to state government
2008-05-01 11:38:00
The Ahmedabad Sessions Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Gujarat government in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case after hearing an application seeking further investigation of certain aspects of the case. The application was moved by Sohrabuddin's brother, Rubabuddin Sheikh. The government has been asked to reply by May 9.The application seeks further investigation of the cause of his wife Kauserbi's death and the persons who had 'actually murdered her'. Also, the possession, custody and ownership of the Hero Honda motorcycle on which Sohrabuddin was allegedly travelling when he was shot in an encounter in November 2005 has been asked to be enquired into.Examination has also been sought of the CD containing the mobile phone records of the police officers during that period, which was handed to the investigating officer DIG Geeta Johari by IPS officer Rajnish Rai. Sohrabuddin was allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorist Squad. Thir...
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Delhi snag worries Ahmedabad bus system planners
2008-05-01 11:36:00
Ahmedabad, April 30 (IANS) After the chaos of the much hyped Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in Delhi , the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials here are worried as a similar system is being implemented here. This was evident Tuesday when Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I.P. Gautam told mediapersons that AMC has decided to learn a lesson from Delhi?s fiasco before going ahead.A three-member panel comprising Deputy Municipal Commissioner D. Thara, H.M. Shivanand Swamy of CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and Shreya Gadpally of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, New Delhi will now be analysing the crux of the Delhi problem to help Ahmedabad tackle its own BRT here.No deadline has been fixed for submitting the report nor would it delay the project. The work for the first phase of 13 km out of 45 km is progressing well and by August 15, 2008 it would be ready, said Gautam.Two issues are being looked into: operation and design.?I was in New Delhi last week and...
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Mouse trap: Guj authorities to use cats to kill mic
2008-05-01 11:34:00
MOUSE HUNT: Authorities are releasing cats, hoping they will kill mice and put and end to the mice menace.Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad's underworld is thriving and though the culprits are hidden, they are everywhere ? in homes, godowns, sewers and even water supply lines. They are rats who live underground.The menace has hit Ahmedabad and a worried municipal corporation is now turning to a tried and tested way of combating the problem ? cats.The corporation is releasing dozens of cats in the hope that they will kill the mice.Ahmedabad's Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Z A Sacha says, "We have started the project and we intend to release 20 cats soon. There are a lot of stray cats in the zoo that can be used for controlling mice."It's feared that the explosion in the rat population would lead to the spread of diseases. The 1994 plague scare is Surat is still fresh in the minds of Gujaratis. Yet the idea of having cats on the prowl does not seem to have too many takers.Dariyapur Councillor,...
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Air Arabia sees demand soaring on India routes
2008-05-01 11:33:00
Air Arabia carried 94 passengers for every 100 seats available on its airline across its destination network in India , in the first quarter of 2008.The passenger average load factor - passengers carried as a proportion of available seats - for the Sharjah-based airline across its network in India stood at 94 per cent for the period, it has said.The low-cost airline also said that it served 246,296 passengers on its Sharjah-India routes for the first quarter of 2008, an increase of 43 per cent compared to 172,246 passengers during the same period in 2007."India is an important market for Air Arabia, and we are committed to providing the best value for money for our customers who fly on our routes there," said A K Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia.The airline flies directly from its hub in Sharjah to Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Coimbatore, Thiruvanathapuram, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Delhi, representing the most comprehensive destination network in...
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Review panel to suggest changes in functioning of IIMs
2008-04-27 08:52:00
NEW DELHI: After asking the Government for an interim freeze on fees for the courses offered by the IIMs, a review committee is set to recommend a series of steps on the functioning of the premier institutes keeping in view the demands of the growing economy."Fee revision is not the only issue that we are considering. The main issue is to study the functioning of the IIMs and recommend the changes required in view of the demands of the growing economy," Committee Chairman R C Bhargava told reporters here.He said the committee has been constituted by the government after a period 15 years to look into the overall functioning of the IIMs.The last committee was set up in 1992. Prior to 1992, a similar committee was set up in 1977 with the agenda of studying whether the IIMs need to take up more activities or if any organisational changes were required. "Now things have changed a lot. The economy is growing at eight to nine per cent. There is heavy attrition rate in the market. Each co...
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Art of the 'Criminal Tribe'
2008-04-27 08:51:00
A ragtag train of children runs through the gullies of a tight settlement, badgering a drum and issuing an invitation: 'Natak Natak. Motu Natak. Nanu Natak.' They sidestep titanic cows grazing on dry milk packets, and matriarchs supervising the formulation of home-made alcohol on verandas. Illicit naturally. A man loading his Bajaj scooter with plastic pouches of kitchen liquor looks up perfunctorily, then carries on loading. The procession of children gathers mass on the way until, by the time it reaches a tiled square, it is a crowd. Around 15 of them mark the stage with their slippers, shush the audience, and launch into the act. The name of the play is Savdhan, the subject child marriage, and word on their grey t-shirts is, Budhan.Budhan is a community theatre group, born to the Chharas of Chharanagar, Ahmedabad ten years ago, and born of the ignominy and punitive lifestyle foisted on this denotified tribe since the British rule. What the British government did in 1871 by 'no...
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Heat wave likely to continue for two more days
2008-04-27 08:50:00
Ahmedabad (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) here on Saturday said the heat wave across Gujarat is likely to continue for couple of days."The heat wave across Gujarat that started on Friday is likely to continue for two more days. The tempratures recorded on Friday in Saurashtra, Central and Northern part of the state were five degrees above normal," said director, IMD, M S Tomar."Since April and May are generally hot months, the current spell of heat wave cannot be termed as unusual," Tomar added.City recorded temperature of 43 degree celcius today. As per IMD records, the last time mercury touched 43 degrees in the month of April was in 2003.Ahmedabad's maximum temprature, 42.5 degrees, recorded yesterday was three degrees above normal, whereas the minimum temprature, 28.6, was five degrees above normal.Source: hindu.com
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Do you give credit to Lalu Yadav for Railway's turnaround?
2008-04-27 08:49:00
Do you think that the real driver of rail reforms in India is not the railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav but the competition - from roads in freight, airlines and cars in the passenger business.The robust common sense of Indian Railways has made it a success story, which attracted students of Harvard and Wharton universities to study the phenomenon, and made IIM, Ahmedabad, start a chair for railway study.Neither an engineer nor an economist, is it possible that the formula for success was so simple that only the rustic wisdom of a leader like Mr. Lalu Prasad and his supporting staff could devise?The various strategies implemented over the years along with an astute understanding of the market reality and the asset base of Indian Railways have been the reasons behind the phenomenon or it is something else.? Or do you feel it is the unprecedented action of leveraging IR's assets, empowerment and delegation. Write in your views. Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
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