Narmada canal made off-limits to check theft of water

Jun 17, 2012 

Rajkot With cities in Saurashtra, including Rajkot, facing acute shortage of drinking water, the Surendranagar district administration on Tuesday declared the Maliya Canal branch carrying Narmada water and passing through the district a prohibited zone, a move sure to anger farmers who often draw canal water illegally for irrigation.

Though the 137-km-long canal cuts through Surendranagar district, farmers are not allowed to draw water for irrigation. “Because of farmers and others drawing water illegally from Maliya Canal passing through Surendranagar district, drinking water supply to Saurashtra-Kutch has been hit. That is why the canal area has been declared a prohibited zone,” said a notification signed by additional collector M B Patel.According to the notification, anyone flouting the orders will be liable to be punished with a month’s imprisonment or fine under the Bombay Police Act 133 and IPC Section 188.The new order will affect a total of 32 villages — 3 in Lakhtar taluka, 5 in Dasada taluka, 11 in Dharngadhra taluka and 13 in Hadvad taluka — all located along the open canal in Surendranagar district.
Saurashtra thirsty, canal declared off-limits after water theft
In the past, incidents of water thefts have led to clashes in which state officials have been roughed up by farmers. To check such incidents, SRP companies have been deployed.
According to officials, the state government had been so far going easy on farmers with Assembly polls in mind but acute shortage of drinking water in cities like Rajkot and Jamnagar has forced its hands.
Sources said less than half of the allotted quantum of water was reaching various urban and rural areas of Saurashtra-Kutch because of rampant theft of canal water.
“Against an allotted 500 MLD (million liters per day) of water supplied through Maliya canal, less than 200 MLD has been reaching its destination these days,” said an official.
Rajkot, over the past fortnight, has been receiving only 170 MLA of water against the allotted 280, forcing civic authorities to impose a water supply cut since Tuesday. The situation is worse in Kutch, the farthest district, where water supply these days is less than 40 per cent of its allotted 170 MLD.
The notification says that due of pilferage, the quantum of water reaching Kherayee pumping station near Surendranagar district is so less that it has hit supply to various parts of Saurashtra-Kutch.

Meanwhile, claiming that over 80 per cent of Narmada water is meant for farmers, MahaGujarat Janta Party has announced an agitation in Halvad on July 4. MJP president Gordhan Zadaphia said farmer could not be banned from the canal area.

Sanjay Joshi posters surface in Mehsana

AHMEDABAD: Posters supporting former BJP leader Sanjay Joshi surfaced in the North Gujarat area including Mehsana on Wednesday night.
This is not the first time that such posters have been put up in the state. In the past such posters had surfaced in Ahmedabad, South Gujarat and even Rajkot.

Sources said that these posters were put up right outside the houses of senior BJP leaders. The posters were hastily removed by the ad-ministration following complaints of the BJP workers.
BJP leader Sanjay Joshi, a bitter foe of Narendra Modi, re-signed from the party on June 8, exposing simmering divisions within its ranks.
The posters, which were put up anonymously, read "Modi should follow Rajdharma, Modi should follow Praja dharma and Modi should fallow party dharma."
Just a few days earlier, posters praising Sanjay Joshi, had appeared at some places in Ahmedabad and New Delhi as well. Also such posters were put up outside the venue of the state BJP meeting which was held in Rajkot.
Sources said that such posters which were put up in North Gujarat were significant as these posters were published in a area where Modi belonged too. Modi is from Vadnagar.
Sources in the BJP said that this was the handy work of the opposition which has launched a attack against Modi.

Jurassic Park for sale

Jun 17, 2012

AHMEDABAD: Royal families, dinosaurs and desolate islands thrive only in fairytales. But not for Siddhrajsinh Raol whose ancestors once ruled the Bhavnagar region. He is the owner of one of the last privately owned virgin islands - Piram - about 7.2 nautical miles from Ghogha. Strewn with fossils of dinosaur eggs, giraffe and gigantic turtles, Raol has put the island up for sale.

"I have at least 100 offers, but most of them have plans that may destroy the natural history of this place," says Raol, a businessman who company makes greenhouses. "We are targeting high net-worth individuals (HNI), NRIs and celebrities who could develop Piram into a residential township. We plan to source power from non-conventional sources - solar and wind."

The island shares features similar to private islands like the Isla de sa Ferradura in Spain, Temptation Island in Thailand and the Blue Lagoon in Fiji. Besides, HNIs, large corporates have shown interest. Raol, however, is not ready to declare the price tag.

Such is the island's location that history has been washed on its shores over the ages. This includes parts of shipwrecks some which belong to the 14 the century - the ships' crankshafts and other parts still lie strewn on the beach.

Every point on this 90-acre island is riddled with fossils, some dating back 8,000 years. Fossils of two basic species of giraffes - Brahmatherium and Sivatherium - were found from the island in the 1860s. Those of the Hipparion have also been found here.

The lone lighthouse at the edge of the island only adds to its beauty. "Though the island is spread over 186 acres, the Directorate General of Lighthouse and Lightships owns the light house and its surroundings while the rest is mandatory government wasteland. I am the only private owner on the island. We have even offered the government that we could help them develop the wasteland," says Raol.

"A natural history museum, convention centre, clubs of international standard, educational institutes and IT parks can be planned on this island apart from residential areas," he says. 

Bhavnagar to celebrate 100th birth anniversary of poet Nathalal Dave

Jun 4, 2012

BHAVNAGAR: Family members and citizens of Bhavnagar are celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of noted poet and short story writer late Nathalal Dave, who was born on June 3, 1912 in Bhavnagar. According to his son Nirubhai Dave, there are over 22 books to his credit.

Nathalal's first book of poems 'Kalindi' was published in 1942. His creations 'Jhanvi', 'Anurag', 'Upadrava', 'Mukhva' and 'Halve Hathe' are popular even today. Dave's 'Jhanvi' and 'Upadrava' won accolades from state government too.

His last book was an obituary to Guru Rabindranath Tagore called 'Ravindra Vaibhav' which was published in 1985.

Dave's collection of short stories, 'Shikhar ne Pele Par', was received very well by the readers.

"To mark his 100th birthday, we have planned various literary programmes in Bhavnagar. The first in the series will be a Kavi Sammelan in September this year. We will also organize musical nights, Hashya Darbar and other events," said Nirubhai.

Nathalal was education inspector and retired as principal of BEd College in Mangrol. He died in December 1995.

BJP leader Bhupat Bhayani shot at near Junagadh

Jun 4, 2012

RAJKOT: A BJP leader in Junagadh district, Bhupat Bhayani, was injured when six unidentified persons opened fire at him in Parapipaliya village of Bhesan taluka on Sunday.

Party sources said that Bhayani was returning to Bhesan from Gandhinagar in his car when he was attacked. Six persons intercepted his vehicle and opened fire and as soon as his car reached near Parapipaliya village.

"Bhayani was injured seriously and was rushed to private hospital in Junagadh. Later he was referred to a private hospital in Rajkot,'' party sources said.

According to sources, Bhayani, 42, is a member of taluka panchayat in Bhesan and vice president of BJP's youth wing in Junagadh. His wife Sumita is also an elected member in Junagadh district panchayat.

Soon after the incident, senior BJP leaders including Vijay Rupani rushed to the hospital in Rajkot.

"Bhayani had ruckus with local people in Bhesan few days ago and they wanted to take revenge," Rupani told.

Surat’s hunt for the finest designer

May 26, 2012

The Fashion show for the D' Designer 2012 runway to fame organized by one of India's top music stations took place in the diamond and textile hub of the nation, Surat.

An evening full of fun, entertainment and a lot of fashion was recently witnessed by the people of Surat. With the 'D' Designer, 2012 runway to fame' organized by Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM which started a month back with over 150 contestants, where the hunt for Surat's finest designer was on.

The rummage ended with the final six designers Bhavik Balar and Mittal Katrodiya, Parth Patel, Samkit Bhansali, Jyotika Pawar and Mayur Thorat, Sweety Jain and finally Mayur Amreliya. The finale had prominent panel of judges like Neeta Lulla India's top Fashion Designer, Sangeeta Choksi Gujarat's finest designer and eminent Fashion guru, Daniele Piatto the CEO of Brandhouse Oviesse Limited and RJ Rahil, Radio Mirchi's youth icon.

The show was hosted by RJ Niyati, RJ Priyanshi, RJ Vishruti and RJ Harsh. The Antriksh band made it a complete package of a sensual and a rhythmic evening with their performance that made the audience cheer for more.

The final top 6 designer's collection in Ethnic and Western wear was featured starting from Anarkali to Senorita to designers choice to the sexy Cocktail dresses and finally coming down to the Bridal wear. The show also featured OVS Italian Fashion's latest SS'12 collection which presented the ideal wardrobe for the young, combining several styles like romantic, rock, Seventies folk, vaguely retro and Eighties. The evening came to an end with the title of D' Designer 2012 finally being taken by Bhavik Balar and Mittal Katrodiya followed by Mayur Amreliya who was announced as the runner-up.
 

Shiyal Beyt to see light finally

May 25, 2012, 

RAJKOT: The residents of Shilyal Beyt - an island off Amreli coast - will finally see the light of modernity as underwater cables will soon be laid to provide electricity for them.
Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL), a state-owned power distribution company, has awarded the contract to a Vadodara-based agency to lay the cables for the island in the Saurashtra region.

PGVCL officials said they had initiated the process to provide electricity to Shiyal Beyt three years ago and, in fact, had invited tenders as well but no competent agency had come forward. The officials said the agency would soon begin the work to lay underwater high-tension cables from Chanch Bandar to Shiyal Beyt in Jaffrabad taluka of the Amreli district. "It will be a three-phased cable connection work and we will establish four cables, including a spare one," said a PGVCL official. "All necessary clearances have been obtained from government departments concerned."
The length of the cable network will be 6 km. The project cost is estimated to be Rs 20 crore. "We will provide 500 residential connections; one each for a flour mill, water-works, streetlights; and three for cold storage facilities," said a senior PGVCL official. "The main occupation of Shiyal Beyt residents is fishing. So keeping in mind the industrial aspect, we will provide commercial connections which can service three cold storages.''
According to PGVCL officials, the project will be the second of its kind in the country. Earlier, a similar project was carried out at Beyt Dwarka, an island off the Jamnagar coast.

11 cricketers hurt in road accident

May 25, 2012

RAJKOT: At least 11 cricketers received minor injuries in a collision between a bus and a truck on the outskirts of the city on Friday.
Police said a bus of Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) was on its way to Khandhuri stadium carrying cricketers of Junagadh and Bhavnagar district teams when it was hit by a speeding truck near Madhapar Chowkdi, leaving 11 of them injured. They were rushed to a government hospital.

mong those injured were Mohit Jadeja (30), Jyortir Purohit (15), Shahrukh Tank, (19), Bhavit Joshi (25), Prayag Goswami (27), Gaurang Pithadiya (19), Jignesh Ravjka (22), Shaktisinh Vala (25), Dharmendrasinh Zala (30) and Sohel Bhurani (25).
The two teams after practicing on Race Course ground were on their way to Khanduri stadium, some 14 km away from the city, when the accident occurred.
The SCA has organized Jaihind Trophy Cricket Tournament in which eight teams, besides these two, from Saurashtra are taking part. At least two matches were to be played on Friday and one of them was between Bhavnagar and Junagadh teams. The match involving the two teams now has been abandoned.
Bus driver Ramesh Khorani has filed a police complaint against the truck driver.

Alang-bound, Alaska fame oil tanker awaits ruling

GANDHINAGAR, May 12, 2012

The controversial foreign oil tanker, Oriental Nicety, supposed to be headed for the Alang ship-breaking yard off the Bhavnagar port in Gujarat for dismantling, is now stationed at the outer anchorage of the Mumbai port.

The ship coming to Alang will depend on the outcome of a legal battle in the Supreme Court, says Gujarat Maritime Board Managing Director Pankaj Kumar.

The ship, earlier known as Exxon Valdez, which was involved in one of the worst U.S. oil spills off the Alaska coast in 1989, has been held up in the high seas after a voluntary organisation, the Research Foundation for Science, filed a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to prevent dismantling in India of ships which were violating the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

Under the convention, no country can allow a ship to berth at its port for dismantling unless it has been decontaminated in the exporting country before being sent to foreign waters.

Gujarat government sources refused to comment on the issue, pointing out that the matter was under court consideration. Also, the government was not aware of the quantity of hazardous wastes Oriental Nicety was carrying. The sources, however, expressed the confidence that the Alang yard had the capacity to handle any amount of hazardous waste without causing environmental pollution.

Water supply projects launched in Saurashtra

May 5, 2012

The state government on Friday said that it had launched an ambitious project to prevent the Narmada water from flowing into the sea, and to supply one million acre feet of water each to the parched areas of Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs139 crore 32-km long water pipeline connecting Navda with Botad in Bhavnagar on Friday. He also performed groundbreaking ceremony of the projects to fill the Krishnasagar and Kaniad lakes and the pipeline projects of Goma and Sukhbhadar dams.

Modi said that the government had embarked on a major plan to fill the 77 dams as well as other water bodies in Saurashtra with Narmada water. He said that cost of the project would be more than the cost of Narmada project.

Modi used the occasion to lash out at the Congress-led UPA government for its anti-farmer policies. He said that country’s Capital New Delhi continued to face power issues, while even villages in Gujarat were getting round the clock power supply.

“Gujarat is willing to supply power to Delhi, but the Congress government does not have the transmission lines to do so,” he said.

Water supply and water resources minister Nitin Patel said that earlier drinking water was supplied in Saurashtra through trains, but this was not the case any more. He said that water availability had also led to higher agricultural output.

Swaminarayan’s vishwa darshan enthrals Bhuj

 Apr 27, 2012

The town is in a festive mood on account of a unique 'Vishwa Darshan' exhibition organised by the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of its Bhuj temple.

The 10-day-long exhibition, which has items of spirituality as well as modernity, was inaugurated by gadi sansthan chief Acharya Purushottam Priyadasji Maharaj in the presence of a large number of devotees from India and abroad on Wednesday evening. Both Acharya and the founder of the sect, Abjibapa, hail from here.

Swami Bhagwatipriyadasji, senior saint of the gadi sansthan, said that in the spirituality section of the exhibition the life and work of Lord Swaminarayan and his incarnation Abjibapa, Muktajivan Swamibapa and present sect head had been aptly shown with huge exhibits. Along with these there are exhibits of the world's best monuments, including the wonders of the world.

In fact, the entrance to Bhuj city opposite a newly built Rs130 cr hospital has a huge new emblem depicting a globe held in the hands wrapped with a wooden rosary. The main religious function will begin from Sunday. Many NRI devotees have already arrived here to participate in the celebrations.

Unseasonal rains lash Junagadh

Apr 27, 2012

RAJKOT: Unseasonal rains coupled with blowing winds lashed Junagadh city and outskirts on Thursday evening. According to weather officials, the weather was clear till noon but suddenly changed by evening.

People were caught completely unawares and commuters had a tough time as roads got flooded in no time. Heavy winds blew away hoardings in the city and uprooted trees at many places.

According to a mango farmer from Vanthali Ashok Bhut, "Fortunately, the rain was limited to Junagadh city and its surrounding areas only. It could have been major cause of the concern for mango growers if rains covered the entire district. However, we have seen mangos falling from trees due to weather change which might affect the production this season."

This was the second time when mango growers survived unseasonal rainfall in the last 20 days in the region. Earlier, weather officials issued a warning of unseasonal rain showers but did not rain. But this time, a there was no warning, but it rained heavily in Junagadh city.

Modi to dedicate 600 MW solar power projects to the nation on Thursday

Gandhinagar, April 17:  

 

 

Gujarat is set to emerge as India's largest solar power destination as the Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, dedicates 600 MW solar power projects to the nation on Thursday.

Currently, India’s total solar power production is nearly 900 MW, two-thirds of which will be produced by Gujarat alone.

On Thursday, Mr Modi will launch India’s first Solar Power Park with power generation capacity of 500 MW in 3,000 acres at village Charanka, Randhanpur taluka, in Patan district. Currently, it has an aggregated operational capacity of 214 MW of solar power projects commissioned at a single location.

Private companies have set up their solar power plants in this park.

The State’s solar power project also covered districts such as Anand, Banaskantha, Jamnangar, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat, and Surendranagar.

These will also be dedicated on this occasion, official sources said here.

The Patan ceremony will be attended by representatives from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the USA.

The Gujarat Solar Park is an innovative concept of the State Government to promote solar installations in which it allocated developed land to the project developers with the entire infrastructure including power evacuation, roads and water for commissioning of the power project put on fast track.

Under its Solar Power Policy, the State Government had signed up MoUs for generation of 968.5 MW of solar power by December 2011 and also took an initiative to launch the Gujarat Solar Park with a vision to build it as the world's largest solar power park. Its foundation stone was laid in December, 2010.

The 600 MW solar power project dedication ceremony will be followed by the “India Solar Summit 2012: Investment and Technology Expo” to be held in Gandhinagar on April 20 and 21, said Mr D.J. Pandian, Principal Secretary, Energy and Petrochemicals Department.

Border security policy is not foolproof: RSS chief

Apr 17, 2012, 

RAJKOT: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that terrorists can enter India easily because the country's "border security policy" is not foolproof.

"Our defence forces are capable of meeting any security challenge, but our border security policy is not foolproof and therefore terrorists can enter India easily," Bhagwat said, addressing RSS workers at Virani High School ground here last night.

Referring to the issue of shortages of weapons and ammunition, raised by the Army chief V K Singh recently, Bhagwat said, "In spite of limited weapons, our army is strong enough and has won the difficult Kargil war. The success in the Kargil war has now become a "study-case" for analysts in many countries."

Quoting Supreme Court's directions to identify and deport illegal migrants, he said, "Due to our policy, our government has failed to find out those who are staying in the country illegally, while Naxalites are taking advantage of the government's talk of peace."

Countries such as Japan and Israel had progressed rapidly despite unfavourable conditions, he said, adding that Japan suffered two nuclear bomb attacks, while Israel had to fight a war soon after becoming independent. In comparison, India could not progress well enough, though circumstances were favourable, he said.

"Nation's resurgence can be achieved only by reestablishment of Hindutva," he added. 

Road blockade by jewellers

Apr 4, 2012, 1 Rajkot

The ongoing jewellers' strike took a new turn on Tuesday, when around 200 jewellers sat on a protest at NH no. 8 at Kamrej. This resulted in heavy traffic jam for more than four hours. Police intervened and freed the highway. They also detained 47 people.

Since early morning, jewellers and jewellery workers gathered at Sainath Hotel in Navi Pardi in Kamrej taluka of Surat district. At 10 am, 200 people obstructed NH no. 8 with stones and tyres on both sides. Later protesting jewellers sat in the middle of highway and started chanting slogans against UPA.

The protest created problems for vehicles, as vehicles up to five kmlined up on the highway. Surat rural police forces were sent to disburse protesting jewellers. Initially police tried to negotiate with jewellers, but when situation did not come under control, cops resorted to light lath-charge. Later, cops removed stones and tyres and traffic movement was restored at noon. Police had to work for more than four hours to bring situation back to normal.

A case was registered against jewellers and 47 were arrested. They were produced at a local court in Kathor late in the evening. Kamrej police are investigating into the matter.

Lathicharge in Rajkot, Morbi

Protests by jewellers across Saurashtra intensified further as the strike against imposition of excise duty on non branded jewellery entered its 18th day on Tuesday. Jewellers also vowed to vigorously continue its protest in coming days, sources said. As part of the ongoing protest programme, 'Rasta Roko' was organised at various places including Rajkot, Junagadh, Keshod, Gondal and Porbandar. "To control the crowd police had to take into custody 60-odd protestors in Junagadh. Jewellers had assembled at Sabalpur Chokdi, the main entry for visitors coming from Rajkot in Junagadh city. They closed the traffic for some 20 - 25 minutes. After the police action protestors withdrew from the area," police said.

In Rajkot, 16 jewellers have begun their indefinite fast against the budget proposal. "On the second day of the fast, two of them have developed some illness. Doctors had been called for the check up where their condition had been declared out of danger," says Bhayabhai Saholiya of Rajkot Gold Dealers Association.

In a separate incident, jewellers had also organised a 'Rasta Roko' and 'Rail Roko' at Rajkot. “Rasta Roko lasted for 25 minutes at Greenland Chokdi on the National Highway 8A. Police have detained 10 in connection with the demonstration," a jeweller said.

Meanwhile, police had to resort to lathicharge on a railway crossing on state highway connecting Rajkot and Morbi. “Demonstrators were trying to stop Saurashtra Mail from passing the line," said a source.

Jamnagar brass industry cuts output

Rajkot Apr 03, 2012

The brass parts industry based out of Jamnagar is yet again trying to survive the global recession. In a bid to tackle the current economic crisis, the industry has cut output by almost 30-40 per cent.

“The global slowdown, especially in the European continent, has seen a decline in exports of brass parts and brass by almost 50-60 per cent. Moreover, domestic orders have also reduced considerably. This has forced most brass parts manufacturers to cut production by 30-40 per cent,” said Ramjibhai Patel, president of the Jamnagar Factory Owner’s Association (JFOA).

Manufacturers of brass parts are now running their units for five or six hours a day, as against the average eight-to-nine hours earlier.

“We are currently depending on the domestic market, since we have very nominal export orders right now. However, while even domestic demand is weak, we expect it to grow in the next two-to-three months,” Patel added.

The Jamnagar-based industry exports brass parts worth about Rs 300-400 crore to Europe, the US and the Gulf countries every year. But due to the global economic crisis this year, the industry expects exports to be 40-50 per cent lower.

According to Patel, 2011-12 had begun on a good note for the industry with adequate export orders from Europe and the Gulf countries but after the Navratri festival the scenario changed. “We now expect exports from here to be Rs 200-250 crore,” said Patel. But even while manufacturers have cut output, none of them has reduced their labour force, says Virji Patel, vice president of JFOA.

There are 5,000 brass-making units in Jamnagar, more than 80 per cent of which are in the small-scale category. The industry’s total annual turnover is about Rs 2,500-2,700 crore, and it employs more than 250,000 persons.

The two views on India’s Narendra Modi

April 4  Washington post

GANDHINAGAR, India — He is widely touted as a possible future prime minister of India, but he is a pariah in much of the Western world. Some in India call him a role model, their country’s most competent leader. Others accuse him of being complicit in the mass murder of Muslims.

Narendra Modi is probably India’s most complex and divisive figure, a man whose rise could kick-start the economy but whose Hindu nationalist leanings would polarize the country along religious lines and potentially, critics say, undermine the long-cherished secular identity of the world’s largest democracy and a key American strategic ally.

The chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, Modi is fawned over by business leaders for the way he has rooted out corruption and promoted economic and industrial growth. His fast-growing state has attracted investment from all over India as well as from American companies such as Ford and General Motors.

Yet he has been denied a visa to visit the United States over allegations that he failed to prevent Hindu mobs from massacring between 1,000 and 2,000 Muslims during riots in his state in 2002 or that he even actively encouraged the slaughter.

His prominence represents a yearning among certain sections of the middle classes for a strong, decisive leader, a desire to emulate China’s economic successes and impatience, too, with liberal ideas of human rights and social justice.

Ron Somers, the head of the U.S.-India Business Council, said Modi has “created a magnet for investment.” A Congressional Research Service report lauded Gujarat as “perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development.”

Gujarat has long been an entrepreneurial, business-friendly state, but Modi has helped unleash its potential since he took over in late 2001, with the state’s economy growing by more than 10 percent since then, compared with a national average of under eight.

“We make a very simple promise to all who wish to invest in Gujarat,” said Modi, a key figure in India’s main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in a rare interview last month. “We promise an atmosphere of clean, proactive and responsive government. We promise an environment that minimizes red tape-ism and encourages business.”

The BJP was largely pro-business and pro-America while ruling India as head of a coalition government from 1998 to 2004, but its strident assertion of what it sees as India’s essentially Hindu character alienates many people in this diverse nation of 1.2 billion people.

A man with few close friends, Modi sleeps just 3¹ / ₂ hours a night, admits to being a “workaholic,” says he has no time to even read books these days and no pastimes at all apart from an early-morning spell of yoga.

He expects a similar dedication from his administration. Bureaucrats are kept on a tight leash and to tight deadlines. Even cabinet ministers clock in and out, and keep him informed if they leave their offices for meetings, a radically different way of working in India.

Lions’ roar to echo in Porbandar's Barda Sanctuary

 Apr 4, 2012, 

Gujarat's 'pride' was so far limited to Gir alone, but if the plans work as per design, the big cats' roar will now echo loud and clear in Porbandar's Barda Sanctuary too from this August.

As many as eight Asiatic lions of Gir will make the sanctuary their home by August, 2012 as the state forest department has decided to shift four pairs of lions in the newly-developed gene pool centre in Barda Forest around 160 km away from Gir.

The principal secretary, state environment and forest department, SK Nanda said, "We will be shifting lions from Gir to Barda Sanctuary very soon. It is part of our gene pool programme for making the breed genetically very strong and to develop genetic diversity amongst big cats."

Confirming the developments additional chief conservator of forest, HS Singh said, "We are already having gene pool programme in Rampara vidi near Wankaner of Rajkot district. We have been successful in lion conservation programme, as three cubs have been born at Rampara vidi. Now, we will be shifting four pairs of lions to Barda Sanctuary post-monsoon, by August."

Singh further said that the present hot weather is not conducive for shifting the cats to a new location. "Lions find it extremely difficult to adjust to new environment. Therefore, when weather conditions become more favorable for lions post-monsoon season, we will shift them," he said.

Member of National Board for Wildlife in India, Divyabhanusinh Chavada said he is very happy that the lions have been moved to Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. "This is very good, but what's next? The lions are happily multiplying. Today, they are 411, tomorrow they'll be 500. Where will they go next? Gujarat government needs to conserve their traditional corridor. The land needs to be immediately acquired and conserved," he said.

The forest department, which has distributed the lion families in different grids, will ensure that those shifted to Barda have different family genes. "It is set process of selecting the animals for gene-pool conservation programme. We will be shifting lions and lionesses having different family genes for the breeding. So the genetic diversity can be maintained. Further, we will be picking lions who barge into human habitat often for shifting to the new place,” said Singh.

To feed these lions, a prey base has also been developed in Barda Sanctuary. "There has been a breeding centre for Sambar deer (Rusa Unicolor) at Killeshwar temple in Barda Sanctuary. This place was the forest reserve of erstwhile king Jamsaheb of Jamnagar.”

Rajkot machine tools industry grows despite slowdown

Apr 05, 2012

Despite an economic slowdown in economy, the Rajkot based machine tools industry is witnessing a steady growth in recent times. Thanks to increased automation in the engineering sector and good growth in manufacturing field, demand for machine tools, especially the ones with computer numeric controls (CNC).

"We were wary about our growth amidst the current economic slow down. But domestic demand for machine tools have been on a constant rise, not only in Rajkot but also across India. In fact, demand for CNC machine tools itself have increased by 30-40 per cent while that of conventional ones grew by 10-15 per cent as compared to last year," said Jay Mavani, joint secretary, Machine Tools Manufacturer’s Association of Rajkot (MTMA).

Mavani attributed the reason for growth in demand to increased automation in related industries.

"As most of the companies in Rajkot as well as in other parts of the country are moving towards automation, demand of automatic and semi automatic machines has increased during past one year and will continue this year too," he added.

At 450 units, the Rajkot machine tools industry stands at number position in the country as a cluster.

During financial year 2011-12, it pegged a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore, while this year the industry is expecting over 20-25 per cent growth, thereby tapping more than Rs 1,200 crore of turnover.

"Auto components and engineering sector is doing very well and automation progress is going on various sectors. Further, we have lots of orders yet to be completed and more are on their way in the coming days," Parakramsinh Jadeja, managing director of Jyoti CNC said.

One of the largest CNC machine manufacturing company, Jyoti CNC Automation Private Limited invested about Rs 250 crore last year on capacity expansion. The company also pegged a turnover of around Rs 400 crore.

As a cluster, Rajkot alone consumes about 600-650 high value fully automatic CNC machine every year and according to industry sources, it is expected to cross over 750 this year. "It is hard to convert conventional machine tools to CNC as it requires huge amount of investment but capable players are now manufacturing both simultaneously," Mavani added

Gujarat households better off in basic amenities

Apr 1, 2012

Households in Gujarat fare much better than those in other parts of the country as far as amenities such as availability of bathroom, closed drainage and kitchen are concerned, the Census for Household Amenities 2011 shows.

The total number of households in Gujarat was recorded at 1.21 crore, of which bathroom was available in 56.5% houses. As against this, bathroom was available in 42% of the 24.66 crore households in the country.

The number of households in cities such as Ahmedabad (81.9%), Surat (76.4%) and Rajkot (71.6%) was sharply higher than the state's average. Districts in the eastern belt of the state, which have a large tribal population, fared extremely poorly.

"Bathrooms were available in 30.1% households in Banaskantha, 37.7% in Sabarkantha, 35.3% in Kheda, 24.5% in Panchmahals, 12.2% in Dahod,17.2% in Narmada, 13.7% in Dangs and 21.8% in Tapi," the data show.

In 11% households in the state, bathing facility was without a roof as against the national average of 16.4%. 32.6% households in the state were without a bathroom, while the corresponding national figure was 41.6%. Again, many of the tribal-dominated districts fared poorly on all these parameters.

However, the percentage of households in Gujarat without a drainage connection was much higher than the national average.

The data show that 48.9% households in the country had no drainage facility, while the number in the state stood almost five points higher at 53.3%.

However, closed drainage facility was available in 37.3% households in the state - more than double the national average of 18.15%. One-third households in the country had open drainage facility, while the number was less than one out of every 10 households in the state.

The state also fared far better than the country in kitchen availability. Kitchen was available in 61.3% households in the country, while the number stood at 72.3% in the state. There were 31.5% households in the country which did not have a kitchen. As against this, the number of such households was 21.2% in the state. In 6.8% households in the country, cooking was done in the open, while the number was 6.1% in the case of Gujarat. There were 0.3% households in the country where no cooking took place. In Gujarat's case, this number was 0.4%, which could be due to the large migrant population in the state.

Leopards struggle in lions’ den, prowl outside Gir Due to Growing Population

Apr 02 2012

Fight for space and food in the only abode of Asiatic Lion is forcing leopards to move outside the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (GWS), which has led to more man-animal conflicts of late.

In the last 15 days, at least five children have fallen prey to the big cat while 13 persons have been attacked by the beast over the last one year in the coastal areas of Junagadh and Amreli districts, located in the periphery of the sanctuary.

According to the forest department, three leopards have been captured in the last 15 days from outskirts of villages in Veraval taluka of Junagadh.

Top forest officials, who came running to examine the sites of recent attacks, said the department is mulling over some population control measures for leopards, as their number is rapidly increasing both at GWS and Sakkarbaug Zoo.

The zoo, one of the oldest in India, is basically a lion breeding centre, but it is packed with man-eater leopards, which are now considered too dangerous to be released in the forest.

In fact, officials said, leopard population is increasing as fast as that of Asiatic lions.

As per the 2011 Census, the population of leopards in the sanctuary — spread over 1,412 sq km in Junagadh — touched the mark of 450, almost same as that of Asiatic lions. And nearly 170 of them have dispersed to peripheral areas on the coastline. This has become a cause of concern for humans, especially labourers working in mines and sugarcane fields in Veraval and Kodinar talukas.

Officials say that shrinking natural habitat coupled with increasing lion and leopard population has led to dispersion of these two big cats outside forest areas. They generally take shelter in mango and sugarcane fields for days.

Leopard, which is an opportunistic hunter, prefers to stay in the revenue areas, which increases the chances of conflict with humans, they said.

“All the children who have fallen prey (to leopards) in the last couple of days are of labourers working in agricultural fields or mines,” said Principal Conservator of Forest K Gohel. Forest teams led by Gohel asked labourers to take precautions like avoiding sleeping in the open. They were specifically asked not to eat and throw non-vegetarian cooked food in the open.

The incidents have led to changes in the lifestyle in the coastal belts of Veraval, from where all the recent incidents were reported. Labourers no longer work after sunset and prefer to work only in groups during the day. “Parents now accompany their children on their way to school and also while returning home. Children are no longer allowed to play in the fields,” said Umeshsing, a labourer.

Gujarat: Minor girl gang-raped, four arrested

April 01, 2012

Ahmedabad: Four persons have been arrested for allegedly gangraping a 14-year-old girl in Viramgam town of the district, police said on Sunday.

The incident came to light yesterday, when the girl's parents filed an FIR and based on the information given by the girl, three persons were immediately arrested, they said.

According to police, the fourth accused was arrested today and was taken to the city civil hospital for medical testing. Police have not divulged the name of the accused.

According to police, the victim, who is studying in class 9 had gone to borrow a notebook from her friend on Friday afternoon, when four youths came in an autorickshaw and abducted her.

They took her to a secluded place and raped the girl. Following this, they threatened the girl of dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone, and then let her off near her house, police said.

The girl, who was traumatised due to the incident, did not tell about it to anybody. However, when she started suffering from health problems, she broke down before her mother and narrated the incident to her.

Following this, the girl's parents lodged an FIR yesterday and three accused were immediately arrested.

Police said that tension gripped the small town with people gathering at the police station, as the girl belonged to a majority community, while the accused were from the minority community.

However, the situation has been brought under control.

Asmita Parva to kick start in Mahuva from tomorrow

RAJKOT: The 15th edition of the four-day Asmita Parva will kick off from Tuesday at Kailash Gurukul in Mahuva town of Bhavnagar district. Technocrat Sam Pitroda will deliver a lecture at the opening ceremony of the dance, music and literary festival, which is being organized annually by religious preacher Morari Bapu wherein writers and artistes are also honoured for outstanding contributions in their respective fields.

Jaydev Mankad, a member of the organizing committee, said Asmita Parva is organized during Hanuman Jayanti. "During the four-day event, there would be programmes on dance, music, poetry, art and scholarly discussion on literature, including Gujarati. A dance drama 'Ekatva' will be presented by students of Manavsadhana. It will be choreographed by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Mallika Sarabhai of Darpan Dance Academy, Ahmedabad."

This year, the award for lifetime achievement in painting (Kailas Lalitkala award) will be given to Amit Ambalal. The lifetime achievement awards in Indian classical music and dance (Hanumant awards) will be given to Ustad Sultan Khan: saarangi; Pandit Anindo Chatterjee: tabla; Mrunalini Sarabhai: dance; Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra: vocal music. The lifetime achievement awards in acting will be conferred on Balkrushna Nimbark for Gujarati folkdance (Bhavai), Markand Bhatt for Gujarati theatre and Waheeda Rehman for Indian films.

Mirchi Shahi Carnival held in city

Apr 1, 2012 

VADODARA: Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM organized a two-day Mirchi "Shahi" Carnival at M S University (MSU) Pavilion grounds as an initiative to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of visionary ruler Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.

The royal (shahi) from the kitchen of Gaekwad's of Baroda was opened for Barodians on Saturday and the funds generated from this will be donated for girl child education and widow empowerment.

The inauguration of the royal food (three dishes - royal pherani, shahi pulao and rajwadi bhakharwadi) was done by Radhika Raje Gaekwad and Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, scion of the royal family of erstwhile Baroda state in the presence of municipal commissioner Ashwini Kumar and mayor Jyoti Pandya. Apart from this, different performances like 'malakham' (by Laxminath Vyayam Mandir Akhada), 'mushayara' by Makrand Mulay and ghazals by Rahul Ranade with RJ Kshitij on guitar were organized on Saturday evening. The carnival ended on Sunday night with singer Atul Purohit's garbas to mark the last day of 'Chaitri Navratri' and Ram Navmi while there were school performances, 'malakham' and 'lezim' performances among others since evening.

In 2 days, 24 Pak nationals held off state coast

 Mar 31 2012

As many 24 Pakistani nationals have been arrested and their four boats seized from Indian waters by security agencies in two different incidents in the last 24 hours.
On Friday, Indian Coast Guard apprehended three trawlers off the Porbandar coast and arrested 20 Pakistani fishermen.
In another incident, reported on Thursday night, four Pakistani nationals were arrested off the Kutch coast.
According to reports, all of them have been taken to Okha in Jamnagar district for joint interrogation by various agencies, including police, coast guard, navy and customs.

India is darling of global defense firms

March 30, 2012

Sailor-suited Russian models touted their nation's submarines. Indian officers posed for pictures atop foreign-made armor-plated vehicles.

And working the room at New Delhi's aging exhibition center were French, British and American arms merchants from global defense giants, elbowing each other aside in the search for a deal at Defexpo India 2012, the country's biggest-ever weapons trade show.

Fueled by superpower ambitions and rivalry with China but hampered by a creaky domestic defense industry, India is on a military buying spree that's made it the belle-of-the-global-military ball.

"India's a little yokel with pockets full of cash and everyone's trying to mug it," said Ajai Shukla, a defense analyst and former army colonel.

India's long shopping list calls for $20 billion in fighter jets, $1.5 billion worth of refueling aircraft and billions of dollars in submarines, tanks and artillery, among other equipment, all part of an estimated $80 billion spending spree over the next five years.

Pakistan once kept Indian generals awake at night. But increasingly that mantle goes to China, with its growing economic and military might and festering territorial disputes along its shared 2,800-mile-long border with India. Adding to India's insecurity are memories of its defeat by Beijing in a 1962 border war.

The situation leaves India increasingly bracing for the possibility of a two-front war given close Sino-Pakistani relations. Its armed forces already battle civil unrest and border incursions in the disputed region of Kashmir, a homegrown Maoist insurgency and threat of terrorists breaching its thinly patrolled coast, as seen during the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The country was the world's largest weapons importer for the 2007-11 period, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think tank, followed by South Korea, Pakistan and China. Although the Middle Kingdom's annual military budget of $106 billion is nearly three times India's, the rapid expansion of its homegrown defense industry means it produces an estimated 90% of its weapon systems domestically, compared with 30% for India.

A measure of India's unease is seen in plans to add three army divisions totaling 90,000 soldiers along the border. This anxiety isn't shared, however, with Beijing largely focused on what the American military, not India's, is up to, analysts said.

China holds the high ground given the altitude of the Tibet plateau — key in any land conflict — in part because of its superior hardware and better rail and road links. By some estimates, China could deploy troops within a week, whereas India would need three weeks.

"India must at all costs avoid land competition with China," said Endre Lunde, a consultant with IHS Jane's, a defense consultancy. "It just can't end well."

Biodiesel extracted from sea algae set to propel vehicles

Mar 30, 2012

Rajkot: Extract of the slimy green algae found in abundance across India's 7,517 km coastline is all set to fuel vehicles.

On Friday, the country will witness the first test run of vehicle running on B100 marine microalgal biodiesel in New Delhi. The 200 km test run will be flagged off by Union minister for earth sciences Vilasrao Deshmukh in the presence of scientists belonging to a consortium of nine laboratories led by Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI).

Unlike other biodiesels, which are a mixture of conventional diesel, the B100 biodiesel is 100 per cent extract from the microalgae. Last year, scientists achieved an important milestone in cleaner fuels when a regular diesel vehicle (TAVERA) running on B20 biodiesel prepared from marine microalgae was successfully test-driven.

At present, the cost of the microalgal biodiesel comes out to be Rs 175 per litre. However, scientists are optimistic that the prices could come down to as much as Rs 75 per litre if more advanced extraction technologies are used and more algae are discovered. "Our next step would be to develop more advanced technology for extraction of fuels of microalgae," a top official of CSIR in New Delhi told TOI.

"This would be the first such experiment in the country to run a vehicle on pure marine microalgae biodiesel. This biodiesel, once commercialized and made cheaper, is sure to be the answer to the costly petroleum fuel," the official said, requesting anonymity.

This B100 biodiesel was successfully developed by scientists in a salt farm in Bhavnagar. It was developed under an ambitious project 'New Millennium India Technology Leadership Initiative' (NMITLI) to bring out a viable and scalable process of biofuel from microalgae, initiated in April 2010 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the ministry of earth sciences (MoES).

At present, there is large-scale production of first generation biofuels (bioethanol) from food crops such as, sugarcane, sugar beet, corn, sorghum and wheat, utilizing vast area of fertile cultivable farmland and large quantity of potable water which competes with food production. It has also triggered "food versus fuel" controversy. The second-generation biofuels derived from non-food sources such as jatropha, karanja and microalgae are better options for addressing the energy security and environmental concerns. Among the second generation biofuels, micro-algal biofuels appear to be most promising alternative.

Heat wave grips Saurashtra, Kutch

 Mar 30, 2012

RAJKOT: A blistering heat wave swept entire Saurashtra and Kutch region as people reeled under scorching sun across all major cities. Temperatures hovered around 40 degrees Celsius and people avoided venturing out.

According to India Meteorological Department officials, heat wave conditions are prevailing in parts of Saurashtra and Kutch region and it is likely to continue for one more day.

Amreli, Amreli, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Mahuva saw mercury touching 41 degrees Celsius, the highest in the region.

City roads wore a completely deserted look, especially in the afternoons as most people preferred to cool their heels at home. Hot winds blowing throughout the day only added to their woes.

"Day temperature rose in parts of Saurashtra and changed little over rest of the region. They were above to appreciably above normal over Gujarat region and in parts of Saurashtra and normal over rest of the region,'' a weather official said.

Nights provided some respite from the burning day as temperatures came down to around 25 degrees Celsius. The lowest minimum temperature was 19 degrees Celsius recorded at Naliya in Kutch region. The coastal parts of Saurashtra, too, observed the heat wave like conditions. Coastal towns also witnessed sun fury as temperatures in Porbandar, Veraval and Bhavnagar touched 40 degrees Celsius.

IMD officials said that maximum temperature would be around 40 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature would be around 23 degrees Celsius in the region.

North Gujarat, too, simmered under heat wave as hot desert winds blowing from Rann of Kutch kept temperatures close to 41 degrees Celsius. Temperature in Bhuj, Modasa, Idar and Deesa hovered between 41 degrees Celsius and 42 degrees Celsius.

BJP eyes Kadva Patel & Koli votes

 Mar 20, 2012,

The selection of Mansukh Mandavia and Shankar Vegad -the two new names in the BJP's list for Rajya Sabha elections later this month - is not as unexpected as it appears.

Sources in the party say that the two leaders have been chosen mainly to win over Kadva Patel and Koli voters who have been alienated from the party for some time.

More importantly, both leaders have the approval of chief minister Narendra Modi who has played a decisive role in selection of candidates from Gujarat, the sources added. The third nominee is leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state.

Mandavia belongs to the Kadva Patel community and, according to sources, has the support of BJP workers in his region. Kadva Patels are an important community in Saurashtra where the party did not fare well in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Mandavia's selection for Rajya Sabha is expected to fetch the party his community's support.

The Kadva Patel leader is believed to have come to Modi's attention because of the impressive work done by him for the party's Sangathan Parva (organization festival). The Parva was aimed at strengthening the BJP as an organization and Mandavia was the convenor of the whole exercise.

Similar considerations seem to have influenced the selection of Shankar Vegad. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the party had lost support among Koli voters of Surendranagar. Hence, Vegad has been chosen for the Rajya Sabha as he has a strong support base among the Koli voters of Surendranagar, sources said.

The BJP candidate was defeated by Soma Patel of the Congress in the 2009 parliamentary elections from Surendranagar.

Vegad is the vice-president of Surendranagar city BJP and has been a member of the municipality for 20 years.

He has strong support among party workers in the area and knows the mindset of local voters, the sources said.

Ladder found off Jamnagar coast stirs suspicions

Mar 29, 2012

RAJKOT: The investigating officials from central Intelligence Bureau (IB), Coast Guard, Navy and Jamnagar police on Wednesday found two parts of an aluminum ladder from beneath the sea, 12 nautical miles off the Jamnagar.

This is the same place from where AK-47 assault rifle with 39 live cartridges and a magazine stuck in a fishing net was found. On Wednesday, an operation was carried out by different agencies in the sea.

"We had with us the three fishermen who had found the AK-47 rifle. During the search, we found the ladder in a broken condition,'' inspector, Special Operations Group, Jamnagar, R H Hadia told TOI. "We will rope in scuba divers now for deep search into the sea."

On Sunday night, fisherman Mustafa Saalem Mohammed and two others, who were aboard the vessel Al Zam Zam from Salaya, noticed the rifle in their nets. They immediately informed their owner, who tipped off DRI and local police.

The weapon may have been used by pirates or by security personnel of vessels passing through this international water channel. In the former case, the pirates may have dumped the rifle due to the fear of getting caught. The rifle is in a good condition and seems to have been recently dumped into the sea.

The central agencies are now trying to find out if it was part of any consignment. The finding of the AK-47 assault rifle assumes significance in the light of the fact that Pakistani terrorists had used the Gujarat coast to reach Mumbai and wreak havoc there three years ago.

Modi presents Rs.7.30-cr incentive awards to 298 ‘samras' villages of central Gujarat

Friday, March 23, 2012

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi presented incentive awards worth Rs.7.30-crore to 298 ‘samras gram' panchayats and felicitated their sarpanch (village heads) from seven districts in central zone at a glittering function at Anand today.

Villages which elect their panchayat members through consensus instead of elections attain the status of ‘samras gram'. The seven districts covered today are Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Kheda, Dahod, Panchmahals and Surendranagar.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that several villages in the past had been centres of rivalry between a few influential families and the village panchayat elections also used to be marred by avoidable clashes, leading to neglect of development works in the village. Contesting elections has its charm and appeal, but consensus could be more appealing. With the introduction of ‘samras gram' in the state, he said that such villages now manage their own affairs better than other villages. The concept is democratic and yet more effective. Such villages in cooperation with the officials can do wonders and literally become Eden Garden.

Mr. Modi said that there are many more government schemes which do not require any funds. He called upon the village panchayats to take advantage of such schemes.

Describing ‘samras gram' as Gujarat's yet another gift to the nation, Mr. Modi welcomed the sarpanchs of Maharashtra, who have come to Gujarat to study the novel scheme.

He described Gujarat's massive check dams' network to check rainwater going down the rivers into the sea, implemented at village level, as another unique scheme which is paying handsome dividends in the form of recharging wells and raising the underground water table, to last till another monsoon. He said that ‘nirmal gram' is another successful state government initiative. It began with four such villages ten years back and now number about 6,000. The minimum goals are education of every girl child, nutritious food for every family, toilet in every home and drip irrigation in every farm.

Additional Chief Secretary for Panchayat Rajnikant Patel gave details of the scheme.

Prominent among those who attended the function included Panchayat Minister Narottam Patel, Education Minister Ramanlal Vora, Ministers of State for Health Parbat Patel and Jashwantsinh Bhabhor, Deputy Whip Ambalal Rohit, MPs Smriti Irani and Mansukh Mandviya, Gujarat Mahila Commission Chairperson Lilaben Ankoliya, MLAs Jyotsna Patel and Shrish Shukla, District Panchayat Presidents, ex-MP Deepak Patel and Principal Secretary Sangita Singh.