Jamnagar :: Jamnagar's real estate business damp Saturday, December 1, 2001
BY SUDHIR VYAS, FOR TIMES NEWS NETWORK
JAMNAGAR: When work on the Reliance refinery at Moti Khavdi was progressing at a hectic pace a few years back, real estate brokers of Jamnagar lived like 'badshahs'.
The demand exceeded the supply and as prices of property and rents went through the roof, they laughed all the way to the bank. Not any more.
The real estate market in Jamnagar is today down in the dump as there are no takers for flats and houses which were once rented out to employees of the Reliance refinery, after most of them shifted to the Reliance township.
The hotel industry, which had also made a killing, is today facing a severe slump in business.
Concrete structures dotting the Jamnagar skyline now represent 'ghost' houses. The rents have crashed almost 60 per cent and yet there aren't any takers!
Earlier, beginning the year 1997 till the refinery was commissioned in the early 2000, house owners used to demand a rent of around Rs 3,000 for a two-room house. And the tenant did not have any choice. He had to accept whatever was being offered by the landlord in connivance with the real estate broker.
The situation is just the opposite today. Property owners are virtually pleading to let out their premises.
Says Harjivan Desai, who owns a house in Patelnagar, "The top floor of my house is lying vacant for the last two years. Despite best efforts to rent it out, I am not getting any tenants. I have slashed the rent by 50 per cent and yet there are no takers."
"During the boom sparked by the refinery work we had constructed two rooms, a bathroom and kitchen on the first floor so as to earn an additional income. The going was very good for almost two years, but now I have been left high and dry."
A 'vigha' of land which was priced around Rs 3,000 before the work on the refinery began, rose to Rs 1 lakh during the peak of the boom. Now, however it is down to Rs 8,000. Apartments in the city are being sold at dirt-cheap prices.
As one moves away from Jamnagar city on the road to Moti Khavdi, a cluster of posh hotels make their appearance. They did throbbing business during the boom but today a deadly silence greets a visitor in the corridors of the hotels.
As the refinery work gathered momentum, as many as 123 hotels, guest houses, motels and restaurants had mushroomed in the city and its peripheral areas. One hotel group had set up a chain of establishments with Three Star facilities.
These days, the rare customer is treated like royalty. "Business has dropped by 60 per cent," revealed a hotel executive preferring to remain anonymous.
"We have to compromise on the tariff and the services offered," the executive said. "We get some business during festivals like Diwali, Christmas and on New Year's eve, provided we offer the crowd some unique entertainment programme."
Asked if some of the hotels were planning to put up the shutters, a senior hotel manager said, "That is not possible after pumping in such a lot of money. Besides, the market is so bad that there won't be any buyers."
He said an attempt to sell was made sometime early this year after the earthquake, "but the price quoted by the buyer was much below our expectations so we have to keep the units running".
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
City gardens drying up claim BJP Saturday, December 1, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: With panchayat elections in sight, BJP has taken its Congress-bashing exercise to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and now even to the gardens of the city.
On Friday, the BJP members of the Recreational and Cultural Committee of AMC alleged after touring 12 gardens of the city: "All of the 100 parks and gardens of Ahmedabad in AMC area are falling prey to lack of maintenance."
Rashmi Shukla, a BJP representative in the committee, said that the gardens, which have valuable plants costing anything between Rs 8 to Rs 8,000 were not being watered. Instead, she alleged, these green patches were used as garbage dumping yards and illegal activities like gambling.
Citing examples, members of the saffron brigade talked of the polluted pond of Parimal Garden in the heart of the city and of Ghotarwadi garden in Maninagar that is the favourite haunt of gamblers. They also pointed at the garden near Best High School that was supposed to be developed as nurturing ground for ayurvedic plants was drying up due to lack of water.
The members of AMC's Recreational and Cultural committee said that the concerned officials of the civic body should take better care of the greeneries in Ahmedabad and that the political wing would oppose any move to allow these parks and gardens to waste away.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
When the chief minister comes calling Friday, November 30, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Vadodara is preparing for the big day. With Chief Minister Narendra Modi planning to visit the city for the first time after assuming charge, BJP workers are keeping no stones unturned to ensure a "dhamaka" reception on Sunday.
Both the city and district units of the party are working overtime as plans are being drawn up to instal huge gateways, banners, party flags along the road that the Chief Minister's entourage is slated to travel. While a plan to organise a reception at the airport itself was shot down by the city BJP top brass, apparently because they thought 9 am may prove to be "too early for most of their party workers to attend and thereby cause an embarrassment," Modi's meeting at Tarsali is billed to be a grand affair.
His route too has been carefully planned _ ensuring that the entourage passes through the heart of the city by taking the Mandvi-Chowkhandi route rather than the VIP Road _ so that people get a glimpse of the BJP's "strength".
The chief minister's visit has also left the district administration and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation in a tizzy. The telephones of top district administration has been ringing constantly as the itinerary is being drawn up to the last details. City Mayor Bharti Vyas has been ringing up district collector, who also drove down the proposed route for Chief Minister's entourage along with a deputy municipal commissioner on Wednesday.
Samras and the art of persuasion
It's a matter of choice. And, whether the choice is voluntary or forced is the question. It's this question that has been playing on the minds of district officials as the state braces up for panchayat elections and the Congress alleges "government diktat" to ensure Samras or the concept of unanimous choice where villages can select their panchayat rather elect. Government officials claim that no directive has come from Gandhinagar. Yet, they admit that allegations by Congressmen are bearing on their minds and even an attempt to make villagers aware of the concept of Samras is being seen with suspicion. "It's a precarious situation," admits a senior official. An official also pointed out that the Samras concept originated in 1992 when Amarsinh Chaudhary's Congress government had given out the GR in this regard. While Samras becomes a key issue in the state's politics, it's the government officials who are having to bear the brunt, mostly psychological, as they go about their duties.
Will VCA now learn its lesson? The victor stands vanquished. And, that too in the hands of the minnows. November 25 may probably remain a black day in the annals of Ranji champion Vadodara after the drubbing they suffered at the hands of Gujarat during their recent Ranji tie. The loss may have been just for nine runs.
But, the damage to the team's moral is enormous. Though the team did not have the services of its key players like Connor Williams and Zaheer Khan, but a loss to Gujarat team is hard to digest. Many are now blaming the Vadodara Cricket Association for indulging more in rivalries than in the well being of the team. For cricket lovers in the city, the recent Kiran More-Jaywant Lele stand-off is fresh in memory, and they feel that such ugly incidents do cast their shadow on a teams performance. Let this loss come as a wake-up call to the VCA officials who can now start thinking about the team and not personal differences.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
CM to dedicate 156 MW GSEG plant on Sat Friday, November 30, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: Chief Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 156 MW gas-based power plant of the Gujarat State Energy Generation Company (GSEG) to the people of Gujarat on Saturday at the project site in village Mora-Hazira road in Surat.
Giving details, managing director of GSEG D J Pandian, said "Based on the availability of the natural gas from its gas wells in the Hazira area, GSPC decided to set up a power project of 156.1 MW at an estimated cost of Rs. 576 crore with natural gas as fuel. Proximity of the project to fuel source, low gestation period resulting in low IDC - low capital cost, strong promoters are some of its major strengths."
"The project progressed fast and we could complete it in record time. GSEG has set up a benchmark for all power projects in the country - both in public sector and in private sector", Pandian added.
The combined cycle's commissioning would be done by the year- end. From Saturday, 100 MW power will be added to the GEB grid and it is expected to reach the full capacity of 156.1 MW by March first week when the combined cycle is put into operation.
GSEG, promoted by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), in association with other state sector companies and central sector PSUs like KRIBHCO and GAIL, is developing a 156 MW gas based combined cycle power generation project at Hazira. On September 30, it completed synchronisation of its first gas turbine and within 15 days synchronised the second one, too.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Technocrats dominate list of probables for MSU VC post Friday, November 30, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: Technocrats seems to dominate the proceedings when it comes to find an incumbent for the chair of the M S University (MSU) vice-chancellor (VC). Scientists and engineers, heavily dominate the list of probable candidates to replace the last V C Anil Kane, an engineer by profession and a technocrat.
According to well-informed sources, the names of about a dozen probable candidates were discussed at the meeting of the search committee to look for the next vice-chancellor. The committee had held its meeting in Delhi on Monday.
Well-informed sources said that the list of names discussed at the meeting included a large number of engineers and scientists. "Many of the names figuring in the list are from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). If the chairman of the committee has his way, we might have another technocrat as the vice-chancellor," a source said.
Notably, director of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) R Mashelkar is the chairman of the panel. According to officials, Mashelkar has so far dominated the proceeding in the meetings. The stress on scientists and technocrats is said to be on his insistence.
Next meeting of the panel is likely to be held in second week of December. A clearer picture of the stance taken by the committee is likely to emerge by then. Insiders said that the committee will either have a very short list of names after the meeting or may even come up with the final list of three names to be sent to the state government.
However, sources pointed out that the other two members of the committee might have their way in pushing a name that might eventually end up becoming the next MSU executive head. "While the chairman might make all his efforts, the committee has persons with BJP leanings in majority. They might try to get at least one of their names through," said a senior university functionary.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
