Centre assures Rs 1,000 cr for Gujarat Monday, October 22, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Chief Minister Narendra Modi received an assurance from Union urban development minister Anantkumar of a Rs 1,000-crore assistance for various city-related projects in the state, an official release said on Sunday.
Modi who is presently in New Delhi, held a meeting with Anantkumar on urban development on Sunday. He also presented a proposal for a metro train between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to ease the rising traffic problem.
The UUD ministry also accepted a scheme on 'Nirmal Gujarat' announced by Modi under which 10,000 toilet units would be set up in the state. The state would also receive Rs 730 crore for the Jamnagar drainage scheme, water supply schemes for Rajkot and Jamnagar, Tankara-Jamnagar, Kutch and Bhachau-Anjar-Kukma. The HUDCO board is expected to provide financial approval for these schemes.
The Centre also accepted a proposal to set up a habitat centre in Ahmedabad at a cost of Rs 100 crore, the release said. It was decided to prepare a comprehensive scheme for the creation of 'slumless' urban centres to the Union government for its acceptance and implementation.
The CM is being accompanied by principal secretary P K Mishra.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
BSNL in process of bettering services Monday, October 22, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: BSNL Gujarat circle is preparing to give private telecom operators in the state a run for their money. "We will put up 350 towers for cellular phone services across the state. Our infrastructure and pricing per telephone call would be our USP against the competition, who we are in no doubts will take a beating," Gujarat circle chief general manager P K Chanda told media persons at a conference here on Sunday. Chanda was here to inaugurate the 8,000 lines new technology exchange at Makarpura.
He said once cellular services will be introduced, the price per call would be around Rs 1.40 per minute. All-India roaming facility will also come at cheaper rates than the ones currently existing in the market, Chanda said.
Speaking about the much-awaited Wireless in Local Loop (WiLL) technology, Chanda said WiLL equipment will reach Vadodara by November. He said initially about 15,000 subscribers will be in a position to avail WiLL in Vadodara and Bhavnagar. He also said soon about 108 exchanges in the state will have ISDN facilities. Currently, about 84 exchanges in Gujarat boast of ISDN.
Chanda also announced the launch of service number 1500. He said customers can now book telephones, get internet connections or ask for any product that is being offered by BSNL simply by dialling 1500. He said this service number was yet another move by BSNL to bring in a gamut of services at the customer's doorstep.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Letters containing powder create panic in Surat Monday, October 22, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
SURAT: The city was under a grip of panic on Saturday after three envelopes containing white powder-like substance, somewhat similar to 'anthrax', was delivered by the postal department to the residence of city mayor Ajay Choksi, corporation Standing Committee chairman Arvind Rana's office and a local BJP leader's house.
The city police swiftly swung into action and immediately despatched the envelopes to the microbiology department of the Government Medical College for examination, said additional commissioner of police Mohan Jha.
Preliminary investigations revealed the letters were posted on October 12 at Navasari with no names of senders on them. What is intriguing is that all the letters took eight days to traverse a distance of around 35 kms till delivery in Surat. And all the letters were addressed to local leaders belonging to a particular political party, said police sources.
Jha told TNN it would be difficult to make any assessment on the nature of the substance found in the envelopes, as only by 2 pm on Sunday some preliminary analysis could be done by the microbiologists. Something concrete could be arrived at only after 48 hours as the substance needs to be cultured to ascertain its biological strains, senior police officials said.
Even though local health authorities had recently claimed to have adequate facilities to tackle any biological outbreak in the city, but sources admitted that even the experts are not adequately equipped to handle such situations.
For better examination, forensic experts' assistance has also been roped-in. Initially they too were reluctant to come forward on the ground of their being ill-equipped to carry out the required test, police sources said.
Highly-placed sources said this could possibly be a case of a statewide mischief.
Following the incident, investigations have been intensified and the co-operation of police from other districts was being sought to find out the involvement of any local hand having vested interests, sources said.
The city police claimed that there was no panic in the city. When asked, senior officials said there was no need of any general guidelines for the people. In case of any suspicion people should seek the assistance of police, sources said.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Initial tests in Surat anthrax scare prove negative Monday, October 22, 2001
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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 HMEDABAD/SURAT: The mysterious letters received by three BJP leaders in Surat city on Saturday have tested negative in the preliminary examination, and may be sent to New Delhi to identify what it was, said sources. | ALL ABOUT ANTHRAX | | | | Panic gripped Surat when three envelopes containing some white powder-like substance was delivered by the postal department to the residence of city mayor Ajay Choksi, corporation Standing Committee chairman Arvind Rana's office at Kotsfil Road and a local BJP leader's house at Rander Road. Sources said three police stations separately investigated the envelopes containing the powder under their jurisdiction. Salabatpura police station, under whose jurisdiction Rana stays, confirmed that the primary tests turned out to be negative. This sample was sent to the New Civil Hospital for examination, sources at the Salabatpura police station told TNN. The sample of the mysterious powder which Choksi received, was sent to forensic experts at Surat and then was to be forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Ahmedabad, sources at the Mahidharpura police station said. The third sample which was received by the local BJP leader was under the jurisdiction of Athwa police station. "We are yet to send the sample for testing," sources at the police station told TNN. Preliminary investigations revealed the letters were posted on October 12 at Navasari with no names of senders on them. What is intriguing is that all the letters took eight days to traverse a distance of around 35 kms till their delivery in Surat. Even though local health authorities in Surat had recently claimed to have adequate facilities to tackle any biological outbreak in the city, but sources admitted that even the experts are not adequately equipped to handle such situations. Highly-placed sources said this could possibly be a case of a statewide mischief. Following the incident, investigations have been intensified by Surat police and the co-operation of police stations of other districts was being sought to find out the involvement of any local hand having vested interests, sources said. Surat police, however, claimed that there was no panic in the city. When asked, senior officials said there was no need of any general guidelines for the people. In case of any suspicion people should seek the assistance of police, they said.
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Initial tests in Surat anthrax scare prove negative Monday, October 22, 2001
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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HMEDABAD/SURAT: The mysterious letters received by three BJP leaders in Surat city on Saturday have tested negative in the preliminary examination, and may be sent to New Delhi to identify what it was, said sources. | ALL ABOUT ANTHRAX | | | | Panic gripped Surat when three envelopes containing some white powder-like substance was delivered by the postal department to the residence of city mayor Ajay Choksi, corporation Standing Committee chairman Arvind Rana's office at Kotsfil Road and a local BJP leader's house at Rander Road. Sources said three police stations separately investigated the envelopes containing the powder under their jurisdiction. Salabatpura police station, under whose jurisdiction Rana stays, confirmed that the primary tests turned out to be negative. This sample was sent to the New Civil Hospital for examination, sources at the Salabatpura police station told TNN. The sample of the mysterious powder which Choksi received, was sent to forensic experts at Surat and then was to be forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Ahmedabad, sources at the Mahidharpura police station said. The third sample which was received by the local BJP leader was under the jurisdiction of Athwa police station. "We are yet to send the sample for testing," sources at the police station told TNN. Preliminary investigations revealed the letters were posted on October 12 at Navasari with no names of senders on them. What is intriguing is that all the letters took eight days to traverse a distance of around 35 kms till their delivery in Surat. Even though local health authorities in Surat had recently claimed to have adequate facilities to tackle any biological outbreak in the city, but sources admitted that even the experts are not adequately equipped to handle such situations. Highly-placed sources said this could possibly be a case of a statewide mischief. Following the incident, investigations have been intensified by Surat police and the co-operation of police stations of other districts was being sought to find out the involvement of any local hand having vested interests, sources said. Surat police, however, claimed that there was no panic in the city. When asked, senior officials said there was no need of any general guidelines for the people. In case of any suspicion people should seek the assistance of police, they said.
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