Modi wants to use ports for tourism Tuesday, October 16, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi has directed the Gujarat Maritime Board to link the development of ports with the development of tourism, business and industry. He said he wanted the state to take a lead in setting up railway linkage in the private sector to strengthen cargo traffic transportation network of ports.
Reviewing the development of ports of Gujarat at a high-level meeting, Modi stressed the need for considering various measures for the development of fishing industry and protecting the interest of fishermen of the state.
He said Gujarat ports had immense potential for promoting tourism activities, and suggested the starting of a cruise service from Mumbai to Mandvi in Kutch covering Porbandar, Girnar, Sasan, Somnath, the desert of Kutch and Diu-Daman.
The chief minister said that as part of the development of 10 important ports undertaken by the state, port and railway network should be linked to ensure creation of modern transportation for the cargo traffic in the private sector.
Modi was apprised of the development of Mundra, Pipavav, Dahej and Hajira ports in the joint sector. Asia's largest chemical port had already developed at Dahej, and the letter of intent has been received for the LNG terminal at Hazira port.
The chief minister stressed that the development of ports should be undertaken in a time-bound manner by maintaining transparency. He suggested to make an in-depth study for the development of about 40 small and medium ports in the state.
He expressed deep concern over the plight of fishermen in getting permit at the Mumbai dock. He said that he had discussed the matter with Maharashtra fishing industry minister and urged him to bring about a solution in a cordial manner. He suggested the co-operation of 'Swadhyay Parivar' organisation in the matter.
The chief minister also discussed about preparing the Fisheries Act with a view to protecting the interests of the fishermen.
Prominent among those present were advisor to chief minister S K Shelat, principal secretary of the chief minister P K Misra, additional chief secretary port development A K Pradhan and vice-chairman of Maritime Board P K Roychaudhary.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
10 self-finance PTC colleges sanctioned by NCTE Tuesday, October 16, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: The National Council for Teachers Education has sanctioned 10 new self-financed Primary Teachers Training Course (PTC) colleges taking the total number of PTC colleges in the state to 78 and the number of seats to 4,500.
Education minister Anandiben Patel told media persons here that the government's plea for opening 10 new PTC colleges has been approved by the NCTE, Bhopal and the process for admission to these colleges has begun in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.
This is for the first time that self finance colleges for PTC courses have opened in Gujarat where the government has launched a unique scheme of appointing Vidya Sahayaks with salary of Rs.2500 in primary schools. She said that in the past three years 50,000 such assistant teachers have been appointed and 11,000 would be appointed during this year.
The state government has fixed Rs.19,500 tuition fees for PTC courses in self-finance colleges. There has been heavy rush for admission to PTC colleges as the demand for teachers in primary schools has been growing fast.
To fill vacancies, the government was recruiting graduates as vidya sahayaks. This move was challenged in the court which ordered that such appointments should be made from those holding PTC certificate.
But following the court order state government approached the council and sought bifurcation of primary education on the lines of NCTE norms and the proposal was sanctioned. Accordingly, Std 1 to 5 will be under primary section and Std 6 and 7 in the upper primary section.
With this major change in primary education the government has decided to recruit graduates as vidya sahayaks for teaching in upper primary classes and PTC teachers for primary section.
The minister said over 5000 vidya sahayaks have been absorbed in the regular posts of teachers in primary schools with a salary of around Rs.7,000 per month.
State government, she said, has directed district education officers to take stern action against managements of high schools which were indulging in irregularities in appointing teachers and in utilisation of the grant given by the government.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
BJP's inefficiency behind power crisis: Amarsinh Tuesday, October 16, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: Leader of the Opposition and president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Amarsinh Chaudhary said the present power crisis in the state was due to the inefficiency of the present Bharatiya Janata Party government.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday evening, Chaudhary said the demand for the power could be met from the existing capacity but the people, and the farmers in particular, were being harassed by the BJP for their own political gains. The state government was not positive in its attitude towards the power needs of the people and farmers, he added.
"There was a wide gap between the power generation and supply and due to transmission loss and inefficiency in power distribution, people were put to hardship. Had the problem been sorted out, farmers would have been able to save their crop and they would have got enough electricity," the Congress leader said while replying to a question.
Chaudhary said his party has decided to create awareness among the people so far as the failure of the BJP leadership was concerned on the crucial Narmada issue. It was only for this reason that the party has decided to take out the Narmada Jal Yatra from October 19.
He said during the yatra, to be taken out in 201 talukas, Congress leaders would also listen to the problems faced by the people in the present government set-up, and added that it was due to the negligence of the BJP rulers that the Narmada project has not seen the light of the day.
He blamed former chief minister Keshubhai Patel for taking political mileage out of the Narmada issue. The inefficiency of the government had resulted in the state paying an interest of Rs 3.50 crore per day on the money borrowed for the project.
Blaming the BJP government led by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, the GPCC leader said, "The Keshubhai government had met with an all-round failure. Except for corruption, not a single problem of the people was solved by the BJP, he said, adding that there should be a CBI inquiry into the corruption indulged by the former chief minister and his number two man, Vajubhai Vala.
He doubted if the new Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be able to stem the rot out of the BJP and lead the party to power once again. Modi is running 'behind schedule' and time was against him in reforming the BJP, he said, adding the Congress was preparing for the next Assembly elections, and presently it is a 'wait-and-watch' situation on how the new chief minister functions.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Gondal MLA may be shifted to Ahmedabad hospital Tuesday, October 16, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: Civil hospital authorities here have recommended that three out of the six persons accused in the Govind Desai attack case of Gondal be shifted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for further check-up. These include Gondal legislator Jairajsinh Jadeja, his brother Hardevsinh and his close associate Jayantibhai Dhol.
The High Court had earlier issued a notice to the civil surgeon of Rajkot Civil Hospital, where the six accused were admitted and under treatment, that they should have been under lock-up, pending disposal of the case.
All the six were arrested by police for their role in the murderous attack on social worker Govind Desai.
The remaining three -- Raju Mevada, Milan Shukla and Bhupat Dabhi -- have been asked to be sent back to jail. Jail officials here have sought the permission of the Gondal court to shift the other three to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for further check-up. The permission was awaited. Meanwhile, all the six accused were sent back to jail.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Directors oppose chairman's move to bail out weak bank Tuesday, October 16, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Two directors of the Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank (ADCB) have opposed their chairman Amit Shah's reported move to extend credit facility to Visnagar Bank.
Pradip Singh Chudasama and Ilesh N Patel, directors of ADCB in a recent meeting with Shah aired their misgivings on credit options being opened to a financially-weak bank.
The duo in a letter to the ADCB chairman have stated, "Visnagar Bank has been given Rs 15-crore credit facility... The bank has been declared a weak bank and yet you have given Rs 15 crores without any security."
Shah however told TNN, "We have no plans to lend any money to Visnagar Bank. This allegation is baseless and is being propagated by people with vested interest."
Chudasama on the other hand while talking to TNN said, "Now the chairman is contemplating extending credit facility yet again to the bank. Why should the earnings of farmers and common masses, deposited with ADCB, be extended to Visnagar. I am against sanctioning of loan under any circumstances to the bank and endangering public money. Like in Visnagar's case our chairman had hiked credit facility extended to two other co-operative banks in the recent past. Both the banks have downed shutters, we can't have a repetition of the same in Visnagar's case, too."
Chudasama threatened to take Shah to court. "I will file a case against the chairman of ADCB for misusing public money. Investing in Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC), giving loans to sinking banks despite examples like the Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank (MMCB) defies logic. I hope that my litigation will work towards making every chairman and director of a co-operative bank accountable to the depositors."
This is the second occasion when Chudasama has openly opposed the ADCB chairman when the latter allegedly tried to give Rs 100 crores at 7.5 per cent interest to bail out MMCB. In September he had joined a hunger strike in front of the bank premises.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
