Congress in Rajkot a divided lot Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: Within just one year, the Congress which had humiliated the BJP in the municipal election is a divided house today. The party had managed to end the BJP's 25-year-old supremacy in the RMC but finds itself in the dock, this time on charge of corruption from party members.
The issue of corruption by standing committee chairman Ladhabhai Borsadiya, his sacking by the city Congress president Manohersinh Jadeja and the matter going to the PCC has snowballed into a major controversy that could eventually take its toll and dent the party's image. There were numerous incidents of severe infighting during the past one year.
While Jadeja rushed to Gandhinagar with over 25 corporators to meet the GPCC president Amarsinh Chaudhary to prove his point, Ladhabhai and his supporters, including minority cell chief Ilyas Khan Pathan and Hemang Vasavada have also reached Gandhingar to buttress their viewpoint.
In fact, the group loyal to Ladhabhai has decided to seek Jadeja's resignation on moral ground. And if the solution was not found in Gandhinagar, the group could approach the central leadership and go to Kamal Nath, who looks after Gujarat affairs.
Incidentally, Mayor Ashok Dangar who was once close to Jadeja has now drifted away from his political mentor and refused to go with him to Gandhinagar. In the 69-member civic body, the Congress has 44 members and the BJP 25.
However, party said on Friday that the Congress in Rajkot was a divided house with groups led by Jadeja, Mansukh Joshi, P C Barot, and others working at cross purposes at various times. Each group tried its best to overshadow the other.
Jadeja, a Kshatriya leader, feels that the Patel lobby was out to get him. So he tried to cut down to size any group opposing him. It was also pointed out by the sources that the demand for resignation of Ladhabhai was a 'show of strength' by the Kshtriya leader but it might boomerang on him.
Jadeja is irked that the mayor and standing committee chairman were not listening to him. His supporters had launched a signature campaign against the mayor on an assurance that they could be given a post after a year. But as things turned out, Ladhabhai was given second term. This angered Meghjibhai Rathod, an aspirant.
Another aspirant Indranil Rajyaguru was tamed and made deputy mayor but the group led by Rathod and leader of the Congress party in the RMC Mohan Sojitra sought the resignation of Ladhabhai to settle old scores.
The BJP which was maintaining a studied silence could not let go this opportunity as it awaited the chance to hit back at the Congress party.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Elusive builders delay consumer cases on broken homes Saturday, October 20, 2001
BY SANJAY PANDEY, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Elusive builders, made respondents in cases related to quake-damaged buildings, were delaying the disposal of a large number of cases filed before consumer courts by staying away from hearings.
Cases filed before the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission and the District Consumers Forum in February-March this year against builders, seeking compensation for collapsed buildings during the January 26 quake, are being frequently adjourned due to the absence of respondents.
"We cannot disclose the details of cases to be filed against builders as they might go underground and would not respond," said a Consumer Education & Research Centre (CERC) official pleading anonymity.
CERC is planning to file at least seven cases on behalf of flat owners of an apartment which collapsed during quake in Ambawadi area. Known for their 'speedier redressal' of cases, the consumer courts would take some time for quake-related cases in order to prove the basic facts, say legal experts.
"As far as my case is concerned, respondents have acknowledged the summons and are also appearing before the court but there are a lot many cases where builders have gone incommunicado," says A O Chudgar, a practising consumer lawyer, fighting a case against a builder on behalf of his father whose house collapsed in the quake.
There are more than 50 cases pending with the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking claims for quake-related building damages and another 25 cases are lying with the forum. Apart from these, some 500 cases have been received by the city civil courts for compensation for quake-damaged buildings.
While the slow progress of quake-related cases in civil courts was understood on account of heavy backlog, the non-appearance of respondents is prolonging the disposal time in the consumer courts. "In a majority of the cases, notices have not been received by respondents as most builders are in jails or have gone underground," says Rajiv Mehta, another consumer lawyer, who is fighting at least 15 cases against a public-limited construction company for deficiency in service.
Complainants, mostly flat owners, are now considering to approach the commission to pray for an ex-parte disposal of the cases. "But going for ex-parte disposal would leave ample scope for the respondents to approach the appellate court for quashing the orders citing various reasons for his absence from the hearings," adds Mehta.
Most of the cases have been filed on the ground that builders handed over defective dwelling units, not in compliance with the national building code. The builders were also held liable for offering defective products to customers in most of the cases filed.
"Still consumer courts are a better alternative to redress grievances as they act faster and require a bare minimum expenditure unlike civil courts," says Naynaben Shah, a consumer lawyer. According to her, more and more people should approach consumer courts as they consume less time and do not charge the court fee too.
Experts see another hitch in the disposal of quake-related cases as complainants have to prove the negligence on the part of the builders. "Builders can easily argue giving natural calamity as the reason for the collapse of buildings," comments a lawyer, adding that cases would take a longer time than usual for disposal.
While cases in consumer bodies are lingering on, nobody from the state has till now approached the National Consumer Redressal Commission, which has a jurisdiction of accepting cases beyond Rs 20 lakh. A CERC official said, "Not many respondents are willing to approach the commission due to the high cost involved in litigation to fight a case."
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
6 hurt in KPT fire Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT/BHUJ: Six workers were injured, two of them seriously, when a fire broke out at oil jetty Number 1 at Kandla port on Friday morning.
The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes, port officials said, claiming that there was no damage to the jetty.
A spokesman for Kandla Port Trust said the six injured had been identified as Anarul Islam (35), Babrul Islam (35), Aliul Islam (35), Asram Ali (38), Prakash Kumar (18) and Togal Ali (28).
They had been employed by the contractors engaged by the port for carrying out repair and maintenance of the jetty, Detibh Engineering.
The injured were initially rushed to the Kandla Port Hospital. After being administered first aid, which they were shifted to Rambaugh hospital at Gandhidham and subsequently shifted to Civil Hospital, Bhuj.
A ship which had brought in edible oil was berthed at jetty Number 1 when the fire broke out. The contract labourers were working beneath the oil jetty at that time. It is believed that a spark from a welding machine caused the fire. The ship was empty when the fire broke out.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
6 hurt in KPT fire Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT/BHUJ: Six workers were injured, two of them seriously, when a fire broke out at oil jetty Number 1 at Kandla port on Friday morning.
The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes, port officials said, claiming that there was no damage to the jetty.
A spokesman for Kandla Port Trust said the six injured had been identified as Anarul Islam (35), Babrul Islam (35), Aliul Islam (35), Asram Ali (38), Prakash Kumar (18) and Togal Ali (28).
They had been employed by the contractors engaged by the port for carrying out repair and maintenance of the jetty, Detibh Engineering.
The injured were initially rushed to the Kandla Port Hospital. After being administered first aid, which they were shifted to Rambaugh hospital at Gandhidham and subsequently shifted to Civil Hospital, Bhuj.
A ship which had brought in edible oil was berthed at jetty Number 1 when the fire broke out. The contract labourers were working beneath the oil jetty at that time. It is believed that a spark from a welding machine caused the fire. The ship was empty when the fire broke out.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Sump turns death trap Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: In a heart-rending incident, one-year old Agastya Amarbhai Bhatt died after falling into the 10 foot-deep underground sump in the premises of the City Gold cine-multiplex on Ashram road on Friday evening.
A crowd gathered around the multiplex around 6.40 pm as the bonny baby suddenly slipped into the sump brimming with water and located at the foot of Cinemasala, the restaurant in the complex.
Eyewitnesses said that the baby was playing on the parapet wall of the fountain adjacent to the stairway, when he suddenly slipped into the sump. His mother and 'ayah' tried to rescue the boy, but in vain.
The fire brigade rushed to the spot and fished out the body of the child in about 15 minutes. The Navrangpura police also rushed to the spot. The father of the boy rushed him to VS hospital where he was declared "brought dead" , hospital sources said.
No one was willing to confirm whether the lid of the sump was open or closed as the public began to vent their ire on the theatre authorities.
City Gold manager Neeraj Ahuja told 'The Times of India' that the lid was closed at the time of the incident. Security guards posted outside Cinemasala kept mum on the episode. There was also an attempt by the multiplex executives to suggest that the tank fell within the jurisdiction of the restaurant.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
