Deputy mayor election in VMC postponed Friday, October 5, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: Election to the post of the deputy mayor of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), scheduled for Friday, are likely to be postponed owing to the death Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia.
VMC functionaries said the general board meeting to be held for the purpose on Friday might be adjourned after offering condolences to Scindia. While the next date is being worked out, sources said the polls were likely to be held on October 17.
The decision to postpone the polls was taken after a meeting of representatives of all political parties with the mayor. The standing committee polls, scheduled on the same day, would remain undisturbed.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Rajkot to get additional 10-minute water supply Friday, October 5, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: Residents of Rajkot will get an additional 10-minute water supply, to the present 30 minutes, on every alternate days.
Sources in the Rajkot Municipal Corporation told TNN that the new timetable and implementation date have yet to be worked out.
The decision comes in the wake of dengue fever cases being reported from areas near Aji river.
Sources said the health department has advised people to dispose of water stock more han 6-8 hours old, and replenish it with fresh water. It was to this end that the corporation had decided on the additional water supply.
Meanwhile, another case of dengue fever has been reported. With this the total number of reported dengue cases has risen to three.
The disease, which till Tuesday was confined to only the north of Aji river, has now started spreading to other parts as well. The latest victim: Dhawal Bhanubhai Sarvaiya of Millpara area. His blood samples have been sent for analysis.
To check the spread of the disease, health officials have decided to put as many as 1,000 houses in the area under surveillance. In addition, cleaning and fumigation will be carried out in the area.
Besides dengue, as many as 1,000 cases of viral fever have been reported at various corporation health centres. If cases at private clinics were to be added up, the figure would be much higher, claim officials.
As part of its multi-pronged approach to control the spread of diseases, the RMC has kicked off a public awareness campaign.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
MSU faculty vying for Rs 30-cr WB grant Friday, October 5, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: The M S University's faculty of technology and engineering is vying for a special grant of Rs 30 crore from the World Bank to upgrade the faculty and bring it on par with the IITs.
The World Bank has announced a special project grant of Rs 30 crore each to institutes that have adequate infrastructure and research potential to embark on an ambitious upgradation programme to bring it on par with the best engineering institutes. The state government has sent information to various colleges across Gujarat after it received a notification from the Centre early this year.
The faculty of technology and engineering dean HG Shah said they have already submitted their project proposal to the state government to be forwarded to the Centre.
"We are staking our claim to the grant announced by the World Bank as a part of its project to finance engineering institutes in India. We believe that we are the only institute in Gujarat that fulfils the criteria that they are looking at."
According to him the MSU faculty of technology and engineering in Vadodara is the only one of its kind in the state which has over 56 different academic programmes coupled with faculty to teach undergraduate, graduate and research-level programmes.
"We have 3,400 students, 240 full-time teachers, 100 temporary teachers and at least 88 teachers who hold a PhD. Furthermore we have almost 100 registered students of PhD. These statistics are unique to MSU and no other institute can surpass our academic infrastructure," he said.
"I am confident that our well laid out project that is submitted to the state government would definitely get the WB grant," he said.
Meanwhile the Surat engineering college is identified as one of the 17 regional engineering institutes, which would be upgraded by the Union ministry of human resources in collaboration with the ministry of finance in Gujarat. This is a separate project undertaken by the Centre.
"Though the World Bank grant may still take a few years to materialise, we are confident that the MSU would be selected for upgradation. The country does not have enough quality engineering colleges and many students are unable to get admission to the IITs due to limited number of seats.
"The series of upgradation that are being planned to bring other institutes on par would benefit these large number of students," said Shah, who is an IIT, Mumbai, alumnus.
"Gujarat," he said, "needs an institute that is on par with the IITs, and the MSU is ready to take up the challenge".
According to him in addition to teaching staff that has a strong research inclination, engineering and technological institutes require state of the art equipment, laboratory and libraries for its students. All of which require funds.
In the past, too, the MSU faculty of technology and engineering has received financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the USAID in addition to grants from the University Grants Commission. It already has its own library building, and a workshop, which is one of the best in the state.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
AMC school board chairman tenders resignation Friday, October 5, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Chairman of the municipal school board of AMC, Ganpat Parmar, tendered his resignation to Mayor Himmatsinh Patel on Wednesday.
Parmar's resignation brought the long-drawn controversy which dogged the political wing, especially the Congress in AMC, to a close. Parmar, a member of the regional Congress committee of Gujarat, was elected with BJP support as the municipal school board chairman on January 25, despite strong opposition from Congress leadership in AMC.
In his resignation letter addressed to the mayor, Parmar has said that he has obeyed the party direction. With Parmar's resignation, the suspension order he issued was also nullified by Chaudhary. On Wednesday Parmar withdrew the suspension order he had slapped on the administrative officer of school board, N N Qureshi, a couple of days ago.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
AMC school board chairman tenders resignation Friday, October 5, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Chairman of the municipal school board of AMC, Ganpat Parmar, tendered his resignation to Mayor Himmatsinh Patel on Wednesday.
Parmar's resignation brought the long-drawn controversy which dogged the political wing, especially the Congress in AMC, to a close. Parmar, a member of the regional Congress committee of Gujarat, was elected with BJP support as the municipal school board chairman on January 25, despite strong opposition from Congress leadership in AMC.
In his resignation letter addressed to the mayor, Parmar has said that he has obeyed the party direction. With Parmar's resignation, the suspension order he issued was also nullified by Chaudhary. On Wednesday Parmar withdrew the suspension order he had slapped on the administrative officer of school board, N N Qureshi, a couple of days ago.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
