Just 62 cops on street when Rajkot sleeps! Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: In a revelation that speaks volumes of how 'safe' the city is, it has come to light that just 62 policemen are deployed on night patrolling, who are expected to look after the life and property of a population of around 12 lakh.
And if anyone of them goes on leave, the number goes down further. On the other hand, the city is believed to harbour some 800 known criminals!
Though night patrolling has been intensified of late, with officers in short supply, it is often left to a police head constable or even a constable to lead the patrol teams as the city goes into slumber.
Giving details about the strength of his force, city police commissioner Sudhir Sinha said on Monday that considering the population figure of the year 1992, there should have been 2,800 police personnel, including senior officers.
At present there are, besides a police commissioner, two assistant police commissioners, a deputy police commissioner, 12 inspectors, 92 sub-inspectors, 439 assistant sub-inspectors and head constables and 989 constables. This comes to just 1,536, a shortfall of 1,244 police personnel. There are almost 50 vacant posts of sub-inspectors and head constables.
Sinha said if one were to take the rise in population and the expanding city areas with the addition of three new wards in the city, there should have been a proportionate increase in the force beyond the 1992-level.
Besides, there is an urgent need to modernise the force which often lags behind due to obsolete weapons in its armoury while the criminals are equipped with modern arms and adopt innovative modus operandi.
The police commissioner said that there had been a sea change in the crime scenario with white collar crimes, organised crime and terrorist activities showing an increase. All these called for increasing the strength of the force and modernising it so as to make it fighting fit, he added.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Saurashtra turns apple of Modi's eye Tuesday, November 27, 2001
BY SUDHIR VYAS, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAJKOT: Chief Minister Modi, it seems, has developed a special liking for Saurashtra. Within a month after taking charge, he has made three visits to the region.
The first visit was to Rajkot city, on October 27. Modi followed it up with a trip to Morbi on November 10. On Monday, Modi was again in the region, this time at Junagadh. In between, the chief minister accompanied Prime Minister Vajpayee on his visit to Somnath on October 31.
No chief minister in the recent past, including Modi's predecessor Keshubhai Patel, who hailed from Rajkot, has frequented Saurashtra as Modi has been doing.
What does it imply? Is he searching for a 'safe' seat in Saurashtra, the BJP's electoral bastion, to contest an Assembly by-election that would facilitate his membership of the House?
Suddenly, Saurashtra has found the pride of place in Modi's scheme of things. He plans to induct Amreli MP Dileep Sanghani as the Gujarat BJP president. Modi has made it a point to insist, during each visit, that rehabilitation work in the quake-affected areas must be completed by December 31.
A senior RSS leader, wishing to remain anonymous, told 'The Times of India' that Modi, during his interaction with the public, has sought to gauge their response to his pet 'Samras' scheme.
Obviously, with elections to 10,334 gram panchayats less than a month away, Modi wants a direct feedback from the voters before making his next move to keep them in good humour.
Sources close to the Modi said he is very worried about the BJP losing its hold over the grassroots-level workers, and his frequent visits to Saurashtra is an attempt at bringing back them back into the mainstream and making them aware of the need for rejuvenating the party organisation.
During his first visit to Rajkot, Modi had urged BJP workers to bury their differences and work for the party. He had warned them of the adverse consequences that would follow if this did not happen.
Observers say that by focussing his attention on Saurashtra, Modi is desperately trying to ensure that the BJP does not meet its political Waterloo in the region under his leadership.
Significantly, he has been waxing eloquent on his "sacrifices" and "achievements" rather than drawing attention to the party's image which has taken a beating in recent times. His speech at Morbi on November 10 was punctuated with loads of self praise.
However, most of the people who had gathered at Modi's functions or public rallies were 'managed' by BJP leaders hailing from the region to showcase their organising skills.
As a 'paan' shop owner near the venue of Modi's felicitation function at Morbi had remarked, "Sanje badhu veran thai jashe (it would be all barren by evening), implying that after the chief minister leaves, nobody would bother to cast a second glance at the problems of the common man in the area.
A well-known trader in Rajkot echoed the view when he said, "All this is a gimmick. Why does he not announce any steps to ensure that the people's problems are mitigated? He is just buying time."
Sadly, though he has addressed functions aplenty during the last month, at none of these did the chief minister make any announcements that would perk up the spirits of the people of Saurashtra who have been waging relentless battles against drought, not to forget the killer quake.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Vallabhvidyanagar :: SPU convocation Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VALLABHVIDYANAGAR: The 44th convocation ceremony of Sardar Patel University (SPU) will be organised on December 15, the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at the university campus from 3 pm onwards.
State governor and chancellor of the university, Sundar Singh Bhandari will preside over the convocation, while noted scientist A P J Abdul Kalam will be the chief guest and deliver convocation address on the occasion.
Chhotubhai Lallubhai Patel (C L Patel), chairman of Chadutar Vidyamandal, would be awarded the honorary degree of DLitt (Doctor of Letters) for his contribution to Vidyanagar's educational and social fields.
Nearly 6,411 students of the university would receive their degrees on the occasion and 88 students would be awarded gold medals for excelling in the examinations.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Controversy in sugar co-op takes violent turn Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: Controversy over the change of chairman of Sardar Sugar Factory at Ladod village near here took a violent turn after an unruly mob pelted stones on a police jeep on Monday morning.
The incident took place after a group of farmers of the area objected to a move by the co-operative department to replace the chairman of the factory. The department had removed the board of directors led by Sanat Mehta. Instead, former district BJP president Govind Rathwa was appointed on the post.
Expecting trouble at the factory, the police had made elaborate security arrangements. Rathwa and other directors had to be escorted out of the premises after they joined office.
The mob later went out of control and pelted stones on a police jeep (GED 9933). The police refrained from taking extreme steps and had a tough time controlling the mob.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Patel's remand in ISD case extended Tuesday, November 27, 2001
SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
VADODARA: The city court on Monday remanded Shailesh Patel, Arpan Jaiswal and Sunil Nigam _ accused in the international telephone call racket _ for two days further in police custody. Earlier Patel, Jaiswal and Nigam had been remanded to five days in police custody for their involvement in the racket that caused VSNL a loss of Rs 40 crore.
Shailesh Patel, with help of his US-based partners had set up a sophisticated communications system to facilitate incoming telephone calls from the US to India in a manner that obliterated the role of VSNL satellite. The system was put at Patel's Nandini Communications office at Avishkar Complex on Old Padra Road.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
