58 per cent success in polio drive Wednesday, December 5, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: The pulse polio immunisation drive, under the aegis of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, recorded 58.12 per cent success rate on the first day with as many as 2.89 lakh children administered with the polio vaccine.
Maximum vaccinations of children below five years of age were recorded in the central zone (63,463) in the Vatva ward and the lowest was in the west zone with 40,117.
The 100 battalion of Rapid Action Force also participated in the national polio immunisation programme by setting up five immunisation camps at Vastral, Ratanpura, Mahadevnagar, Sumin Park and Shreji Park. At least 3,615 children were administered polio drops at these camps.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Rs 2,400-cr irrigation project approved Wednesday, December 5, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: The state government has approved a major Rs 2,400-crore irrigation project based on Narmada waters to be released through a pipeline network in North Gujarat's Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Patan and Gandhinagar districts, where the ground water level is sinking at an alarming rate posing a great threat to the agriculture sector.
Under the project, Narmada waters would be pumped from two places and released in eight reservoirs like Dharoi, Hathmati, Meshwo, Dantiwada, Sipu, Guhai and Chimnabai. The water would be utilised to irrigate huge areas of cultivable land in these districts and which will result in an additional agricultural production of over Rs 1,200 crore per annum.
The new dispensation headed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi has decided to accord highest priority to the Narmada project and irrigation schemes, and the project was first to be finalised in that direction.
State finance minister Nitin Patel told TNN that Rs 311 crore has been earmarked for the first phase of the Narmada waters-based irrigation project, the foundation of which was laid by Modi last week.
As per the schedule worked out by irrigation department officials, the entire project would be completed in the next 18 to 20 months and once commissioned it is expected to change the face of North Gujarat's economy.
The chief minister has evinced keen interest in the project as ground water is fast depleting in North Gujarat following the haphazard use of water by farmers in past few years coupled with the failure of monsoons in some parts of the region. The reservoirs are fast drying up due to inadequate rainfall.
"This project is aimed at saving the agriculture sector producing foodgrains like pulses, spices and medicinal herbs like Isabgol, which is being exported to several European and Gulf countries," said Patel.
In addition to the augmentation of irrigation potential, the government would also save a sizeable amount of around 25 per cent on subsidy given to farmers by the Gujarat Electricity Board on power consumption. This amounts to about Rs 2,000 crore.
Patel said the water supplied through this project would be equivalent to the water drawn by 12,000 tubewells functioning round the clock, 365 days a year, in the region where water has become a costly commodity in the past few years.
While referring to ambitious Narmada project, the minister disclosed that the state government has mobilised all possible sources for the implementation of all ongoing work. He added that Rs 100 crore will be provided every month for the project, the lifeline of the state.
The state government, he said, has also decided to give high priority to complete irrigation schemes in Saurashtra region where the shortage of water might force farmers to migrate. A large number of farmers from Porbander, Jamnagar and Rajkot districts have started purchasing agricultural land in Surendranagar and Ahmedabad to avail the irrigation facilities in these districts.
"Along with adequate budgetary allocations for the Narmada and other irrigation projects, the government is equally alive to the funds required for the social sector. Under no circumstances core sectors like health, education and other welfare projects would be allowed to suffer for need of funds," the finance minister assured.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
'Uniform condition of supply for electricity boards' Wednesday, December 5, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Minister for energy Kaushik Patel stated that the 'condition of supply', which was different for Gujarat Electricity Board, Ahmedabad Electricity Company and Surat Electricity Company, would be made uniform to do away with any inconvenience caused to consumers due to it.
Patel was speaking at the roadshow of 'Mission 2012 - Power for All' organised by the National Thermal Power Corporation of India (NTPC) and Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). "We are already in the process of forming a committee for evolving a uniform condition of supply for all the electricity companies in the state. The committee will be formed in a week and it will be asked to submit a report within a month," Patel said.
Patel emphasised that there was an urgent need to prevent theft of electricity so as to reduce revenue loss to the state electricity board. He also added that it was necessary to look at an alternative fuel for the power plants.
He said that around 85 per cent of the power plant in the state were thermal compared to 100 per cent hydro power in Kerala, and it was necessary to build more gas-based plants, as coal had very high transportation cost with low calorific value and Naphtha price was very volatile. He said the state had already taken the first step in this direction by passing the Gas Act, which is legally disputed by the centre.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
New power plant at Hazira hardly a relief for state electricity board Wednesday, December 5, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES INTERNET NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: With a power shortfall of 15 per cent during the non-peak period and 20 per cent during the peak period, the state-run Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) will get just a small relief with the commissioning of the Gujarat State Energy Corporation's (GSEC) 156-MW power plant at Hazira on Saturday. The Hazira project will only fractionally bridge the widening gap between the power requirement (over 8,000 MW) and production (6,200 MW). However, the state electricity board would get power at a competitive rate, as it is a gas-based project. The GEB will get power at a cost of Rs 3.24 per unit. This is lower than the cost of power of other Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the state, as its fuel cost is barely Rs 1.63 per unit. According to GEB chairman Nalin Bhatt, the Board was acquiring power from other IPPs at over Rs 4 per unit. Bhatt said that the power cost of IPPs in the state was higher due to the high fuel cost. Most of the IPPs were naphtha-based or coal-based, which cost more than fuels like natural gas, lignite and LNG. Since the state faces a natural gas shortage, many of the power plants use naphtha and coal, which has a huge transportation cost and pilferage risk. However, gas availability has improved from April onwards. According to the Centre Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE) monthly review, as against a decline of 9.2 per cent in April, 2000 in the natural gas production in the state, there was a rise of 13 per cent in its production this April. According to sources, the production had gradually improved thereafter. GEB has also tied up with the Chattisgarh government for purchase of 250 MW power at a cost of Rs 2.50 per unit (which will be the cheapest ever). But, it has not yet been decided when the power would be supplied to the Board. The GEB is also expecting low-cost power from 250 MW lignite-based Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation's (GMDC)'s power project in Kutch, which is expected to be commissioned by 2004. However, analysts are quite sceptical about its long-term viability. They ask whether the state has enough lignite reserve to last them in the long-run or not. "Today, lignite is not easily available to the industry, so one wonders whether it would be easily available for its power project or not," said an infrastructure consultant.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
44 nominations filed for registered graduate senate polls Tuesday, December 4, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: As many as 44 candidatures were filed for the M S University senate polls in the prestigious registered graduate category. These include 13 candidates for the lone seat in the Faculty of Arts. The large number of candidates has surprised several frontrunners for the seat. It is believed that most of these are dummy candidates who will withdraw their candidature in favour of others at the last moment. The frontrunners for the polls are Raisinh Dahima, Dinesh Yadav, Liyakatali Saiyed and Pravinchandra Jani. Three candidates were, meanwhile, elected uncontested in the category. These include Rajeshwari Trivedi from the Faculty of Home Science, Pantul Kothari from the Faculty of Management Studies and Gautam Upadhyay from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication. As many as 41 candidates are in fray for the other 10 seats to which elections will be held. In almost all the categories old timer are being challenged by young faces.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
