nine troopers of the sashastra seema bal (ssb) have been arrested in uttar pradesh for harassing women cadets of the national cadet corps from meghalaya on board a train, police said saturday. the ssb soldiers on board the bihar-bound saptakranti express barged into the compartment reserved for women at chandauli, some 350 km from here, late friday, and began harassing the ncc cadets who were returning after participating in the republic day parade in new delhi. the troopers were arrested after the ncc cadets filed a complaint with the government railway police (grp) at the mughalsarai station.a grp spokesperson said that a case under sections 354 and 36o of the indian penal code has been registered against the nine accused, and they have been arrested.
The insufficient number of ticket-booking counters is just another of the many shortfalls plaguing the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station. Passengers awaiting their turn to book tickets here have to reckon with serpentine queues during peak hours. The Railways’ proposal to relocate the six booking counters to a wider area and to augment their number has not yet materialised. Thus, during peak hours, over 100 passengers wait in a congested area with ventilation only on one side. Repeated requests from passengers and staff for more counters have not been heeded. The staff members have put up posters demanding more counters at the station’s main entry and spoken of their workload that takes a toll on their health. They work in two shifts – 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. plus night shift for one group, and a 10-hour shift from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the second. As for passengers’ woes, there are many who land up late at the station and try to jump the queue, worsening the chaos. The situation is a little better at the station’s eastern entry, though only one of the two counters functions during off-peak hours. A senior official in the booking wing, however, said that the rush near ticket counters has reduced after two counters were opened at the eastern entry. “The opening of eight Jansadharan ticket counters at different places in the city and suburbs too has helped,” he said. Vending machines The Ernakulam Area Manager of Southern Railway, P.L. Ashok Kumar, said passengers could better utilise the two ticket-vending machines at the station’s entrance, so that the queue at the counters can be reduced. “Only about 100 people use the machines each day, as compared to over 500 in Aluva and over 1,000 in Thiruvananthapuram.” The Railways has posted two retired employees near the machines. People who possess a smart card can swipe it and the fare will be deducted based on the options they make on the touch screen. Those who do not possess a card can pay the fare to any employee, who will in turn swipe his card, Mr. Ashok Kumar said. Online reservation There are also complaints that online reservation is extremely slow and users often encounter problems in operating it. The allegation is rife that travel agents and others are making undue profits, because of the lacunae in the railway-reservation and booking systems. The Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agarwal recently said after a visit to the Kudumbasree railway ticket counter in Kakkanad that plans are afoot to increase the number of Jansadharan ticket counters. This is in keeping with the policy of reducing the time spent in front of booking counters.
The Minister of Railways Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurated a two day ‘International Seminar’ on “High Speed Trains in India-Issues & Options” being organised by Institute of Railway Electrical Engineers (IREE), here today. The Minister of State for Railways Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal were present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Railways Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that in view of growing economy there is a need to constantly improve infrastructure and address the issues of mobility of people. It is necessary to keep pace with the latest developments taking place world over in Railway sector and technology. Referring to his own experience of high-speed train travel in Japan, Korea and France, the Minister said it is high time to think of such rail projects in India as well. The rapid urbanization, growing economy, rising level of educated work force and higher levels of income margins has caused greater growth in intercity travel both for business and personal reasons. Hence, high speed train services may be required to fulfill the demand gap for faster intercity and inter-regional movement of passenger traffic. The Minister pointed out that six corridors have been identified for techno-economic feasibility studies. The pre-feasibility reports, in respect of these identified corridors are at various stages of preparation and study. Government has already identified Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed corridor, as the pilot project of this kind. A Project Steering Group has been constituted which is examining the options available for this project and finalizing feasible options and also suggesting mechanisms for quickly moving forward. He said that this project needs an estimated Rs. 63,000 crore of investment and it is really a challenging task and the experts will have to work on a financial model which will be win–win situation for all stakeholders. While these high speed services are premium services but in the Indian context a model needs to be worked out which makes it more affordable to bulk of the customers so that the introduction of high speed rail system in India becomes truly inclusive. The Railway Minister hoped that the Seminar with the participation from national and international experts will yield useful recommendations and discuss all relevant issues and all options available on the subject of high speed train services especially in the Indian context. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal also inaugurated an exhibition organised by IREE on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Railways Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Indian Railway has undertaken a massive journey from the steam engine era to electric engine era and has introduced many modern technological developments in its operations. In view of growth in traffic and economy and the consequent demand for faster inter city travel, there is now need to introduce high-speed train services. In this context six corridors have so far been identified by Indian Railways for high-speed trains and the Government has now taken Mumbai-Ahemdabad high speed corridor in the first phase. Shri Chowdhury said that there could be more high-speed corridors in this vast country which may be identified and the 12th Plan has also included high-speed projects. He said that this Seminar will through up precious inputs in this field and yield significant results which will pave the way for implementing high-speed train services in India. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal said that from the beginning made by the Japanese with the Tokaido-Shinkansen High Speed Line, we have come a long way with now 15 countries where High Speed trains of 300 kmph and more are running. Seven more countries are under advance stage of planning to introduce High Speed trains. Indian Railways have also identified some Corridors and commenced some pre-feasibility studies. Referring to the advantages of high-speed trains Shri Mittal said that the economic and social impacts of High Speed rail have been well documented world over. He pointed out that these trains have improved accessibility, resulted in substantial savings of time and thereby enhancing productivity, attracted new economic activities, resulted in better land use, reduction in accident rate and generating additional capacity for railway systems. There is now a need to develop an appropriate financial model which enhances the expansion of such trains in developing countries, Shri Mittal added. Delivering key note address, Member Electrical, Railway Board and Patron, Institution of Railway Electrical Engineers Shri Kul Bhushan said that the need for the introduction of high speed railways in India, not only stems from the rapid demand growth in inter-city passenger segment travel; but also out of the need to curtail over dependence of this nation on imported fossil fuel and the resultant environmental effect. Shri Kul Bhushan said that land has become a scarce resource in the country. High speed rail systems are mostly built on elevated pathways, requiring negligible land, as compared to 6-lane highways. From the international operational experience, high speed railways have the highest performance of safety, as compared to any other mode of mass repaid transportation system because of the factors like absence of level crossing or any type of obstruction on the pathways, advanced signaling and communication, improved track and rolling stock. The two day Seminar would provide an opportunity to manufactures, developers, policy makers, various Government agencies, technical experts and stake holders to discuss and review the present status on Indian Railways on existing routes and look for new technologies for high speed traction in India. Concepts discussed and exhibited at this seminar will help achieve synergy in thought and action across users, suppliers and utilities. The seminar will also help evolve appropriate policies to make efficient technologies competitive. This is significant in the back drop of liberlisation that facilities technology import and set-up of industries in India. Recommendations from a panel of exports will be drawn for framing strategies of acquisition of new technologies. International and national railway agencies having experience in development of high speed passenger rail system, research and development institution, solution providers, industries, project developers and individual experts are participating and sharing their knowledge and experience through papers and presentations in this seminar. Delegates from IR, PSUs, industries and abroad will get immense benefits out of the deliberations of seminar. During the seminar there will be five sessions namely Issues and Operations for Indian Railways, Development of High Speed Passenger Rail Projects, Emerging Trends in High Speed Rail Systems World Wide, Technology Options for Dedicated High Speed Passenger Rail Systems and Financing Models & Commercial Sustainability, Economic, Social, Environmental aspects of High Speed Passenger Rail Projects. Established in the year 1995, the Institution of Railway Electrical Engineers (IREE/India), the organizer of this seminar, is a body of professionals of eminent electrical engineering discipline from a railways and railway related industries, committed to the application of technology advancements in railways. Amongst several of its activities, the institution has in the past organized exhibitions and International & National seminars for facilitating interaction and discussions and other innovative means to further technology progress on Indian Railways. These activities have direct impact on Railway customs in particular & society in general. Shri Raj Kumar, Addl. Member (Electrical), Railway Board and President (IREE) delivered welcome address and Shri Mehtab Singh, Honorary General Secretary, IREE & Chief Electrical Engineer (Northern Railway) proposed the vote of thanks. AKS/HK/BS
for the first time, a woman was drugged and then robbed in a metro train here in the national capital on friday, police said.premjeet singh, 47, of rohini sector 9 in outer delhi was drugged and then robbed of her purse, gold bangles and chain and mutinously brought out of the station and dumped near a school at rohini.premjeet boarded the train from chandni chowk around 3 pm after visiting shish ganj gurdwara. she was returning to rohini. "i was scared of walking or standing on an escalator. a beautiful girl wearing coat and jeans and having short hair offered help. she held my hand and helped to stand on the escalator," premjeet said in her complaint.the girl befriended her and they got into the same train and she sat beside her, police said. "i don't know how she managed to make me unconscious. she managed to make me sniff some sedative or drug after which i fell unconscious," she told the police. after two hours, premjeet found herself lying outside maxfort school in rohini sector 23, and all her belongings stolen. she did not know how she reached there. in a semi-conscious state and with the help of security guards, she managed to call her family members. "my son paramjeet singh came and took me to prasant nursing home at prasant vihar and informed the police," she said. after she was discharged, she told the police that the accused took away her gold bangles, necklace, rings, debit cards and some money left in the purse.the police have registered a case of under sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) and 379 (theft) with rithala metro police station."we have registered a case and verifying the details of the accused girl through cctv footage. we are investigating the matter and are hopeful to nab the culprit very soon," sanjay bhatia, additional deputy commissioner of police (railways) told deccan herald.
with no final word emerging from the government on the shifting of dr brambedkar statue in front of the vidhana soudha to facilitate namma metro works, the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl)on friday decided to carry on the underground station construction by giving extra support to the statue with safety belts.when workers began tying the belts around the statue in the afternoon with the help of a crane, a few startled members of a dalit organisation spread rumours that the statue was being removed. when television channels picked up the news, the followers of ambedkar, many of them belonging to dalit sangharsha samiti (dss), assembled at the work site and raised slogans against the bmrcl officials and the state government.the situation was, however, brought under control after chief secretary s v ranganath held an hour-long meeting with the dalit groups and assured them that the government would not shift the statue. "there shall be no confusion in this regard," ranganath told them. later speaking to the media, he said he had also placed the demands of the dalit groups before chief minister jagadish shettar.tension before soudhaearlier during the protest, n murthy, head of one of the factions of dss, pointed at a crane belt and a hook close to the statue and said that the bmrcl authorities were all set to shift the statue on the sly. "how can the government attempt to even touch the statue when the related matter is pending before the high court. the metro workers have put a hook around the neck of the statue and is an insult to us," he said.soon, other factions of dssgathered at the scene and the protest intensified.then e venkataiah, principal secretary, social welfare department and public works department, arrived at the work site and explained to the protesters that the bmrcl exercise was only a protective measure and there were no orders issued for shifting the statue."in fact, we are giving extra protection. the support around the statue will be there for around 15 days to 20 days till the underground works is completed," he said.he further said that the statue needed extra protection because it was standing on a rock which was being cut for the metro station work. he urged the dalit groups not to be carried away by rumours.'sack sivasailam' however, the protesters, not satisifed with venkataiah's explanation, met the chief secretary for confirmation. later, dalit sangharsha samiti (ambedkar) state secretary mavalli shankar told the media that the bmrcl had harnessed and chained the statue without intimating the dalit representatives. "bmrcl has not been transparent. we have demanded that bmrcl managing director n sivasailam be removed from his post immediately. he is unnecessarily creating controversies when there aren't any. it is not true that the government is losing crores of rupees because of the presence of the statue," said shankar.a few weeks ago, the high court had slapped a contempt notice on the state government for violating its directive on the shifting of the statue. however, the government, fearing opposition from a section of society, chose not to take any decision on it.
railway minister pawan kumar bansal on friday hinted that the bullet train projects here may not materialise soon. he also denied setting any timeline for the high-speed rail corridor between mumbai and ahmedabad."it will be difficult to say when we will have bullet trains. but we have started some preliminary work. our aim is to make tangible progress, but it is not possible to give a timeline for it," bansal told reporters on the sidelines of an international seminar on high-speed trains in india. he talked about the challenges in mobilising resources for the project and absence of a revenue model. "high-speed trains at 350 kmph is our aspirational project and we have selected the mumbai-ahmedabad route for a pilot project. but the cost involved in the 534 km route is very high. it is estimated to be about rs 63,000 crore. since it has to be executed with participation of private players, finalisation of the revenue model is very important," bansal said.the minister also talked about the affordability aspect. "while these are premium services, in the indian context, a model needs to be worked out which makes it more affordable to the people so that the introduction of high-speed rail system here becomes truly inclusive," bansal said at the seminar. in 2009, the indian railways decided to conduct feasibility studies on six identified corridors, over a distance of around 3,800 km. the corridors are pune-mumbai-ahmedabad, delhi-chandigarh-amritsar, delhi-agra-lucknow-varanasi-patna, howrah-haldia, hyderabad-dornkal-vijaywada-chennai and chennai-bangalore-coimbatore-earnakuluam-thiruvananthapuram.they are at various stages of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies. the state governments are also involved in the process. the mumbai-ahmedabad corridor has been selected for the pilot project."there could be more high-speed corridors, which may be identified. the 12th plan has also included high-speed projects," said adhir ranjan chaudhary, minister of state for railways.
Closed-circuit cameras, visible and invisible surveillance, facilities for frisking and scanning and separate coaches for women form part of measures being planned for making the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) gender safe. Announcing the details at a press conference on Friday, HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy said uniformed personnel as well as plainclothesmen from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), including women officers, would keep watch over metro stations. In addition, private security guards will be employed. Moreover, closed-circuit camera footage will be continuously monitored from the Operation Control Centre (OCC) being set up at the Uppal depot. In view of the Delhi gang-rape incident, HMR has invited suggestions from women across the spectrum for making travel safer. Towards this end, essay writing, elocution, quiz and debate competitions will be conducted, the application forms for which are available at the HMR stall at the ongoing industrial exhibition. The suggestions will be discussed at a Women’s Conclave to be held in March with participation from businesswomen, woman IAS and IPS officers, NGOs and academicians. The ideas emerging from the conclave will be presented to the HMR technical team for implementation while designing coaches and stations, Mr. Reddy said. Replying to a question, he said women’s participation in the Metro Rail project was negligible as of now, but women engineers coming forward were welcome. Efforts are on to encourage women entrepreneurs to set up food courts and shopping centres as part of the project.
New Delhi: An upward surge of mercury in north India proved to be short-lived as temperatures dropped on Friday in several areas with fog throwing rail and flight schedules out of gear amid predictions of heavy rain and snowfall in the coming days. A dense fog in the national capital today hit rail, road and air traffic and caused problems for commuters although Delhiites did not experience any drastic change in temperatures. The maximum was recorded at 21.9 degrees Celsius, which is normal for this time of season while the minimum was one notch below normal at 7.6 degrees. The fog, which had reduced visibility to less than 50 metres, affected operations at IGI airport for around five hours, delaying 130 flights along with 19 diversions and cancellations 19 each. Foggy conditions also led to the cancellations of 10 trains and rescheduling of two others. The cold was back after two days of rising temperatures in Kashmir Valley where the mercury dropped by as much as eight notches in Gulmarg. According to the MeT office, the ski resort in north Kashmir which had recorded a low of -2 degrees the previous night was shivering at -10.6 degrees Celsius yesterday. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was -1.4 degrees, lower by over two notches from 1.8 degrees Celsius the previous night. There was no appreciable change in temperatures in Himachal Pradesh with the local MeT office issuing a fresh warning of heavy rain and snowfall from February 4 to February 6 on the back of a strong western disturbance which is to hit the western Himalayan region today. The high altitude areas of the state groaned under the freezing cold with minimum temperatures recorded between -12 and -23 degrees Celsius. The region experienced a clear but chilly morning although the sky got heavily overcast by afternoon, forcing people to stay indoors. Punjab and Haryana saw minimum temperatures rising by up to two notches above normal today with fog disrupting normal life at places like Amritsar, Karnal, Ludhiana, Ambala and Patiala. Chandigarh recorded a low of 8.5 degrees Celsius, which was up by two notches above normal although Hisar in Haryana saw the mercury drop two notches below normal to 5.4 degrees with the MeT office forecasting light rain at isolated places across both the states. The weather in Uttar Pradesh was mainly dry with the minimum dropping in some parts of the state. The mercury stayed below normal in the Kanpur and Moradabad divisions and the lowest recorded temperature in the state was 5.4 degrees Celsius at Najibabad. The weather outlook for the coming week hinted at a possibility of rain and thundershower across western UP and at isolated places in the eastern parts of the state between February 4 to 6. Meanwhile, in eastern India, the hills of Darjeeling today received the season's first snowfall as temperatures at the famous tourist resort dipped to freezing point. The temperature was hovering at around 3 degrees Celsius, the local MeT office said.
Dragging strolleys from the New Delhi railway station to the Airport Metro's New Delhi station will soon be a thing of the past. Because there is now a move to directly connect the Ajmeri Gate end of the railway station to the Airport Metro platform. Sources said the plan to connect the railway station to the Metro source was proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The Delhi division of the Northern Railway is analysing the technical feasibility of the plan. The division is looking at plans to have an elevated skywalk or an underground tunnel leading to the Airport Metro station. "This proposal to bridge the distance between the railway station and the Airport Metro station will boost connectivity and increase ridership on the airport line," a senior official said. The Airport Metro line originates at the New Delhi station, which is over 200 metres away from the Ajmeri Gate end of the railway station. "The idea behind the Airport Metro originating at New Delhi was to receive commuter footfall from the railway station, especially those with connecting flights. All airport metros globally are connected to another mode of transport," the official said. The plan was discussed at a meeting convened at the Ministry of Urban Development last week. "It was proposed initially that connectivity should be from the third foot over bridge at the railway station to the Metro station. This was not found feasible, so connectivity will have to be established from either the first or second foot over bridge," a railway official said. ... contd.
After the fare revision by Indian Railways became effective on January 22, those passengers who have bought tickets in advance at pre-revised rates have to pay the fare difference at the time of travelling. A South Western Railway communiqué said that passengers may pay the fare difference at booking/reservation offices or to the ticket checking staff at Bangalore City, Yeshwantpur and Bangalore Cantonment railway stations or Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) on the trains.
if you are fond of collecting souvenirs and are fascinated with 150-year-old history of indian railways then the newly-opened store at national rail museum at new delhi railway station is the place to drop by. national rail museum opened its first flagship store for rail souvenirs at platform number one in new delhi railway station on monday. souvenir shoppe — designed in a distinct british architectural design with slanting roof and red brick walls to refresh the memories of pre-independence era — aims at depicting the glorious past of indian railways.the souvenir shop would have a host of items with a stamp of railway's heritage on each product. ranging from a replica of world's oldest certified working steam locomotive, fairy queen (1855) to the replica of locomotives used in himalayan darjeeling railway dated 1889. in order to woo kids, different flavours of chocolates in steam loco shapes and old railway princely crests have also been put on sale there. while the store at new delhi railway station is first of its kind, the officials said they are planning to open a similar store at shimla railway station a month later. "the idea behind opening the store is to bring the heritage of indian railways closer to people," said manu goel, executive director, heritage, indian railways. "while new delhi railway station was chosen (as store's venue) due to the high footfall, the next shop is likely to come up at shimla as it is a popular tourist destination. going by the response to these stores, we would take a call on opening such stores at other major stations across the country," he added. divisional railway manager anurag sachan said adequate measures would be taken to popularise the kiosks. "we would incorporate the information about the store in the public announcement system," sachan said. the other items offered for sale at the station include models of old station clock, caps, t-shirts, engine-shaped paper weights, ties and books on heritage steam locos.
a 19-year-old sanitation employee missing for 13 days was found dead in mysterious circumstances at anand parbat in central delhi, police said.the victim's family members protested outside the police station alleging inaction on their complaint of a missing person filed on january 13. they blocked traffic for a few hours. the body of bharat prakash, a resident of north delhi's sabji mandi, was found at anand parbat on friday and was sent to sabji mandi mortuary. the family members were informed the same day. "a passerby called and informed that a body was lying at a vacant land. we rushed to the spot and sent the body to sabji mandi mortuary and checked the missing complaints' (record) and informed the family members," said a police officer. the investigators said there were no injury marks on his body and he might have died accidently but the family members alleged that the police were not investigating the matter properly. the police sent the body for post-mortem on sunday. "the victim went outside his house on january 12 and went missing. the family members had registered a complaint of missing person the next day," said a police officer. his family members claimed that if police had taken the case seriously, prakash would have been alive. according to them, police could access the closed circuit television (cctv) footage at inderlok metro station where the victim was seen the day he went missing. "we have registered a case and are probing the matter. we have also questioned several people," a police official said.
New Delhi: Freedom fighters along with their companions will be able to travel in Duronto trains now as Railways has decided to relaxed rules allowing complimentary pass holders to avail the premier train service. Complimentary passes issued to freedom fighters and their widows are valid in Duronto trains, according to a notification issued by Railways. CRIS will make necessary modifications in the software accordingly. Freedom fighters receiving pension from government are issued complimentary passes on life-time basis for free rail travel in First AC and Second AC classes along with one companion in same class in any train including Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains except Kolkata Metro. However, these passes were not valid in the premier Duronto trains launched in 2010. There are 23 Duronto trains operational so far. Railways has now decided to that complimentary passes issued to freedom fighters/their widows shall also be valid for travel in 2AC and 3AC in Duronto trains along with companion in same class.
a day after the republic day, railway police arrested one person with eight kilograms of ammonium nitrate (an oxidising agent used for making explosives) from sealdah station.identified as jalal ali (30) from murshidabad's lalbah area, the person during interrogation admitted that he was supposed to deliver the consignment to someone at baghajatin area in south kolkata."acting on a tip off, we arrested him as soon as he alighted from down lalgola passenger at the sealdah station on monday morning. we recovered eight kilos of suspected explosive substance (white power-based materials) from him," superintendent of railway police utpal naskar said.when asked what the nature of the explosive was, naskar said, "initial investigation revealed it is ammonium nitrate- an oxidising agent mainly used for low intensity blasts but it has been sent to the forensic laboratory for tests. until the final reports come we cannot say with certainty".the police said they are investigating the possibility of jalal's link with any terror outfit. "we can't say anything since the investivation is on going. but we can say to the extent that he wasn't a mere carrier. he has some more contacts as well," sources said.
bipin gopalakrishna, adgp (law & order), heading the investigation, and mandated to recommend reform measures within the department in light of the tragedy, on monday morning, visited rajanukunte police station. he was accompanied by amar kumar pandey, igp (central zone) and bangalore rural sp d prakash. according to bipin gopalakrishna, it would take at least a fortnight before he could submit his final report to the government. he said they had taken up 25 pointers and are investigating in that direction, adding few other officers will be interviewed to know of their problems and psyche, before submitting the report, with a set of recommendations. confesses to crimemeanwhile, the police said anand kumar has confessed to the crime and given a statement. dysp, nagaraj, it is understood, interrogated anand kumar at doddaballapur police station on sunday night when he gave a written statement confessing to the crime. he has said there was no personal enmity between the two and when vijay kumar abused him and his family and denied him leave, he shot at him.deputy sp nagaraj said anand kumar was a regular absentee and vijay kumar had given him a memo seeking an explaination for his regular absence from duty. anand kumar was on monday evening produced before the acjm court in the city. justice m v chennakeshava reddy remanded anand kumar into police custody for eight days till february 4. vijay kumar was cremated at his father-in-law muniyappa's farm at railway gollahalli in nelamangala.
L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad, the concessionaire for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project, having sunk in about Rs. 600 crore already out of the total estimated expenditure of Rs. 14,143 crore, will be tapping into the Central government’s grant of Rs. 1,458 crore only after exhausting its own funds. This was indicated by L&TMRH Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director V.B. Gadgil, during an interaction with the media a few days ago. “We will exhaust our equity before tapping the viability gap funding (VGF) provided by the Centre,” he said. While he refused to speculate about any escalation in the final cost of the project, stating that it was a “dynamic process”, he was hopeful that the current high interest rates will begin to ease during the year. “It is dangerous to make any predictions (on the final cost) as it depends on various factors but we have factored quite a few ups and downs in the interest rates when the cost estimates were made,” he averred. He also clarified that L&TMRH has not entered into any renegotiations with its consortium of banks on the loan. Financial closure was achieved for Rs. 16,375 crore -- Rs.14,132 crore for the metro rail project and Rs. 2,243 crore for the real estate component. The consortium of 10 public sector banks led by State Bank of India (SBI) has sanctioned the entire debt requirement of Rs. 11,480 crore for the project, the largest fund tie-up in the country for a public, private partnership (PPP) work. The equity component for the project, expected to be around Rs. 3,440 crore, will be infused primarily by the parent L&T group. Although it was yet to tap the loan offered by the consortium of PSBs, L&TMRH has taken a Rs. 500 crore short-term loan from Yes Bank at a very “competitive interest rate” with the permission of the consortium a few months ago. This short term loan has helped the firm not to dig deep into its own funds earmarked for the purpose, he added. Metro rail is being built across 72.16 km on three dense traffic corridors.
a few houses on 6th cross bhoopasandra new extension are not receiving proper water supply due to unknown reasons. i guess it has something to do with power supply by bescom. the residents will be grateful if bwssb and bescom officials do the needful. a resident of bhoopasandra new extensionmy house has not received water supply in the last four years. but every time, we are receiving a 'no draw' bill for rs 83. bringing this to the notice of the bwssbauthorities has not helped. my rr number is e-246926/2-275.jayanarayan kukreja, hal iii stage, new thippasandra the residents of 1st 'a' cross, nagappa reddy layout, kaggadasapura are not getting water supply, even after supply of water started for other roads in the area. repeated requests to bwssbwent in vain. the problem must be fixed at the earliest.a residentchaotic traffic the traffic situation has turned pathetic at gangamma circle at gangammagudi in jalahalli. a number of vehicles plying between jalahalli cross and air force station, jalahalli east and west and bel circle use this stretch of the road. pedestrians and motorists are put to great inconvenience. we hope the authorities concerned will look into the matter. dr sanjeev george, a resident. provide bus servicesthe area between old airport road, indiranagar and ulsoor is a key transit route from mg road to indiranagar, bheemanagar and domlur. but, there is no direct bus facility to the area for the last 45 years. also, the entire cambridge road does not have bus connectivity. introduction of bus services will help those commuting to isro and the defence esi hospital. it will also facilitate movement of residents staying in areas around these establishments and also at the fag end of jogupalya, where several apartments have come up. the bus services will also help reduce the pressure on the roads as people are more inclined to use the services, provided they are regular. venugopal, someswarapura, ulsoorroad not motorablethe road from veerannapalya to kanakanagar, upto the railway gate, is not motorable. it gets worse during rains. bbmp must do the needful at the earliest. m m abraham, aswath nagar, thanisandraclear garbagethe space in front of the library on gubbalala main road has been turned into a garbage dumping yard, posing a health hazard to the residents. the authorities are requested to take necessary action. k raghavan, gubbalala main road, subramanyapura postconstruction work causing inconvenience a lot of dust is raised due to the construction work of flats at the snn raj serenity complex. this has caused problems for residents of the nearby nobel residency colony. hope action is taken at the earliest.n v shantaram, nobel residency colony, off bg road, sos post roads not relaid after repair work more than a dozen roads were dug up by the bwssba year ago to replace sanitary pipelines near the adugodi main road, connecting to koramangala eighth block. the roads were relaid without the pipeline work being completed. the roads were again dug up and a layer of gravel laid two weeks ago to asphalt it, causing inconvenience for the residents and wasting a lot of public money. despite the contractor promising to complete the work in two days, the same has not been done. the authorities concerned are requested to verify why the work is pending or whether there is any foul play.p u antony, 8th block, koramangala the road opposite house number 86, 6th cross in mahalakshmi layout (near the playground) had been dug up for pipe repair work six months ago, but was not relaid later. requests to bbmpto complete the work fast fell on deaf ears. bbmpis requested to act fast and end the inconvenience to the road users.nandish, a resident park needs maintenancethe residents of milk colony (gayathrinagar, subramanyanagar) were gifted a renovated park by the authorities concerned not long ago. though the park has all amenities, as a joint venture of bbmp and a private party, its maintenance is not up to the mark. most of the plants are withering as they are not watered regularly. the park needs proper maintenance. v venkatesh prasad iyer, bommanahalli traffic rule violationsthere are traffic rule violations galore in wilson gardens, a residential area. this is causing huge traffic jams and pollution in the area. heavy vehicles, bmtc and ksrtc buses ply on the roads in the area. another major problem in wilson gardens is the parking of trucks, buses, taxis and other vehicles from other areas on 3rd cross, 4th cross and 12th cross. the authorities are requested to resolve the problem.g raghu, a resident provide streetlightsthe stretch of road from hoysala circle to canara bank on ist main road in kengeri satellite town is totally dark during night because of the absence of streetlights, causing inconvenience to pedestrians, particularly women and children. also, the pavements are so narrow that people are forced to walk on the roads. all this may lead to accidents. the authorities are requested to do the needful. k s sundaram, mig (2nd stage), 6th main, kengeri satellite town ban spitting in busesspitting gutka or paan in some bmtc buses is causing a lot of inconvenience to fellow passengers. sometimes, the bus drivers or conductors themselves are seen doing this, much to the chagrin of the commuters. also, spitting out of the windows of moving buses, apart from causing trouble to passengers sitting in the rear seat can cause accidents to two-wheeler riders when they try to duck the spit. bmtc authorities must ban spitting in buses at the earliest. murali, a residentaccept bills at post officesrecently, i shifted from mysore to bangalore. i was shocked to learn that one cannot pay their electricity and telephone bills at the post offices in bangalore, a facility that has been provided in a much smaller city like mysore. this poses a lot of problems to the residents who have to travel long distances to pay the bills. hope the authorities take the necessary steps. dr shantakumarconstruct public toiletthe entrance to the rustam bagh main road from old airport road (near the telephone junction box in front of the seventh day adventist school and the transformer) has become a public urinal, raising a lot of stench and posing a health hazard to the students. the bbmp may construct a public toilet in the area for the convenience of the public.v padmanabhan, rustam bagh main roadact against defaultersa few residents of new bank colony in konanakunte received bwssb water connections 10 months ago. a few residents got the meters installed immediately and started paying the bills. however, most others haven't got the meters installed, but are enjoying free water supply. those concerned must act at the earliest. ram prasad, konanakuntewrite to usletters of grievances are pouring in and we are doing our best to accommodate as many as possible. readers may write in to highlight civic problems affecting their locality and we will help address them in an interactive and effective manner.grievances and issues related to public utility agencies such as bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike (bbmp), bangalore water supply and sewerage board (bwssb), bangalore metropolitan transport corporation (bmtc) and bangalore electricity supply company limited (bescom) would be highlighted in the weekly column.the writeups, which could be accompanied by photographs highlighting the problems, will be published on mondays. mail your grievances to: peoplesproblems@deccanherald.co.in
another round of fare hike in premier trains looks imminent with railways revising food tariffs for rajdhani, duronto and shatabdi trains."it will be a minor hike ranging between rs 15 and rs 20 for rajdhani, shatabdi and duronto passengers after the revision of catering charges of the premier trains," a top railway official involved with the decision making process said.the revision will be announced shortly and the hike will be implemented as soon as the software is updated accordingly, the official said. once the revision is announced, fares of premier trains will witness hike for the second time after the latest increase on january 22.food tariff was revised for mail and express trains last month after 10 years, but it did not include catering services of rajdhani, shatabdi and duronto trains. passengers in premier trains are entitled to meals and snacks for which charges are included in the price of the ticket.the railway ministry had constituted a committee to study and suggest revision of tariff and menu of standard meals in premier and other mail and express trains.
holding a man guilty of raping a 15-year-old friend of his daughter, a fast track court has said delay by victim in lodging complaint of sexual violence should not be a mitigating factor for conviction of accused as it is agonising for victims to confide in such cases."sexual assault destroys the entire psychology of a woman and pushes her into deep emotional crisis. we cannot expect the victim of a sexual assault to cry in the middle of the road that she has been raped or to visit the police station alone for the lodging of the complaint in this regard, when she has nobody to trust around her," said the judge of the fast track court set up here in the aftermath of december 16 gang rape case.additional sessions judge virender bhat said sexual assault is the most hated crime and it needs immense courage on part of the woman to disclose such crime against her to her well-wishers and police."victim of sexual assault feels it embarrassing and against her honour and dignity to disclose the incident even to her near relations or well-wishers. it takes immense courage for her to apprise her close relations or friends about the incident," the judge said.the court held surya prakash guilty of raping the minor girl who was his daughter's friend and turned down his plea that case against him should be dismissed as the girl had filed complaint days after the incident. the victim, a class 12 pass out, ran away from her native village near varanasi in uttar pradesh as her brothers wanted to fix her marriage and came to delhi in april 2011.she got acquainted with the daughter of the accused who took her to his father at a farmhouse in west delhi, where he was working as a caretaker.on august 12, 2011 prakash raped her when his daughter had gone out of city to meet her brother. he then dumped her near new delhi railway station, where the police apprehended her and she was shifted to nirmal chhaya complex, tihar jail.during her stay there, she disclosed her ordeal to the officials and then a complaint was filed against surya."apparently it is after immense counselling provided to her at nirmal chhaya complex that she garnered courage and disclosed the incident to the welfare officer," said the judge.
A tug boat, which remained stranded near the Pamban rail bridge nearly for two weeks, was salvaged in the early hours of Sunday. The Southern Railway and the Pamban Port conservator heaved a sigh of relief as four high-power boats of a Tuticorin-based firm skilfully pulled the tug boat around 2 a.m and took it away to a safe distance of three nautical miles from the bridge. To facilitate the operation, the Railway suspended train services between 12.30 a.m. and 4.30 a.m. over the bridge. After the tug boat was removed, the Pamban Port conservator, after getting clearance from the Rail bridge Engineer, allowed a pair of tug boat and barge, carrying a generator for Ennore thermal power plant from Mumbai to cross through the bridge from south to north. The pair had been waiting for clearance since January 17. A coast guard vessel and a private vessel, which arrived on Sunday from Mumbai on its way to Kakinada, also crossed through the bridge. Another pair of tug boat and a barge, carrying a crane from Malpe port in Kerala and proceeding to Krishna port in Andhra Pradesh, would be allowed to cross through the bridge on Monday, the conservator said.
Schoolchildren, Scouts and Guides, and dog lovers had a gala time at the Republic Day celebrations organised by the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway at RPF Parade Grounds. The canines included three Labrador Pinchers, a German Shepherd, and a Doberman. They enthralled the crowd with their skills like jumping through a ring of fire, detection of explosives and tracking of criminals, and “obeying the orders of their masters,” drawing cheers from the crowd. Handler K.V.S. Patnaik and other RPF staff were seen keeping a watch on the canines as they sat in the shade of the tent after their performance under the sun. A number of children gathered around and tried to pet and shake hands with the dogs as they lazed on the ground. Manish, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya – 2 (KV-2), 104 Area, was seen asking Mr. Patnaik: “Uncle is there a veggie among these dogs?” He intends to rear a veggie at home as bringing up a non-vegetarian dog would be a costly proposition. Other children were seen asking the handlers whether they could shake hands with the dogs or pass their hands through their silky coat. Dog Squad in charge K.G. Prakashan and second in charge ISN Raju were present. “Waltair Division is one of the most efficient divisions not only in the ECoR but also in the Railways. It is among the few divisions with an originating loading of 50 million tonnes and earning of over Rs. 5,000 crore,” DRM Anil Kumar told the gathering in his Republic Day message. He said though the division had suffered heavy losses in the K-K line due to cyclone and incessant rains, which caused breach of the track at Boddavara and landslides at various places in the section in December last year, the officials and staff met the challenges and restored traffic in the minimum possible time. Earlier, the DRM unfurled the national flag and took the Rashtriya Salami presented by the contingent of RPF, Cadets of Bharat Scouts and Guides, and Civil Defence Personnel at the RPF parade grounds. Additional DRM C. Madhusudhana Rao was present. President of East Coast Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation Anju Anil Kumar and vice-president of E.Co.R.W.W.O Kiran Mayee Rao visited the Railway Hospital and presented Horlicks bottles and fruits to around 80 patients.
The Construction Organisation of the Railways has called for tenders for the track doubling work between Ponmalai and Thanjavur. Tenders have been called for the first two block sections and doubling work would be taken up as soon as the estimate is sanctioned, which is expected to happen soon, Manjula Rangarajan, Divisional Railway Manager, said during her Republic Day address at the Kallukkuzhi Railway ground here on Saturday. Referring to the track doubling work between Valadi and Kallakkudi Palanganatham on the Tiruchi - Vriddhachalam - Villupuram chord line section, is nearing completion, she said. Explaining the robust performance of the division, the DRM said the cumulative earnings of the division has touched Rs.538.31 crore in the last nine months against Rs.429.84 crore earned during the corresponding period of last financial year showing an increase of 25 per cent. From the passenger front, the division has earned Rs.168.21 crore compared to the corresponding period earnings of Rs.148.13 crore in the last financial year showing an increase of almost 14 per cent. From the freight business the Division has earned Rs.335.13 crore in the last nine months (current financial year) against Rs.252.26 crore earned in the corresponding period of last financial year, which shows an increase of 33 per cent. The work of setting up the Rail Museum is also progressing briskly. The division is planning to throw open one phase of it in the near future, Ms. Rangarajan said. During the current financial year two new trains were introduced in the division, Mannargudi – Tirupathi tri-weekly express and Tiruchi – Tirunelveli intercity express. The extension of Dadar – Yesvanthpur Chalukya Express (tri-weekly) to Puducherry is another achievement of the division in the current financial year. In order to provide comfortable travel to passengers the division has been fumigating air conditioned coaches frequently to get rid of pests. Also the division has taken up campaigns and road shows to generate awareness amongst public to enlist their assistance in keeping railway premises and coaches clean. Earlier, Mrs. Manjula Rangarajan unfurled the National Flag and accepted guard of honour given by the Railway Protection Force.
Introduction of new trains, extension of trains, increasing their frequency, and delay in commencing the coach factory at Kanjikode and wagon component unit at Cherthala are to come up at a high-level meeting convened by Southern Railway for MPs from the State here on January 28. Besides, the issues pertaining to poor upkeep of coaches, the alleged neglect towards the State, and improving passenger amenities at railway stations will figure at the meeting convened by General Manager of Southern Railway Rakesh Misra. All MPs from the State have been called for the meeting to be hel at the Government Guest House at Thycaud and to be chaired by Mr. Misra, official sources told The Hindu. The meeting to be attended by Chief Administrative Officers (Construction) Vijayakumar and Dany Thomas, Divisional Managers Rajesh Agrawal (Thiruvananthapuram) and Piyush Agarwal (Palakkad) will review the railway projects and progress of the works. Though the State had got a coach factory at Kanjikode in Palakkad and a wagon component unit at Cherthala in Alappuzha, it has not taken off the ground so far. The fate of new railway lines and surveys sanctioned for the State over the last few years is the same. The meeting that was scheduled for December 21 and January 18 were postponed without assigning any reason. The General Manager will call on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Minister for Transport and Power Aryadan Mohammed, and Chief Secretary K. Jose Cyriac to discuss various issues pertaining to the Railways. Railway passenger associations have expressed doubts about the outcome of the exercise on Monday. Similar meetings with MPs in neighbouring States and at the zonal level in Chennai held long ago had already prioritised the demands. Moreover, the all India railway timetable committee had also met for three-days in Goa from January 8. “The reason for delaying the meeting of MPs from Kerala is unknown. Though having a good presence of Ministers in the Union Cabinet, the State seems to be wasting a golden opportunity by not doing the ground work,” said general secretary of the Western India Passengers’ Association Thomas Simon. Mr. Simon said all depended now on how Mr. Misra conveyed the outcome of the meeting and the demands of the State to the railway authorities and how Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Banswal responded to it. The demand for the exclusive zone, budget allocation, and new trains to Kerala in the budget depended on how the State prioritised the demands and put forward it to the Railways. “Instead of listing demands constituency and district-wise, the MPs should take up the cause of the State,” sources said. The inability to project the demands and prioritise the projects is costing the State dearly. The worst-hit are the commuters, especially those residing in metros and major cities. The demand for a new train from Mumbai to Kochuveli via Kottayam and an overnight express train to Banglaore is yet to materialise.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has given an account of the progress made on various infrastructure projects being implemented for Hyderabad, saying the Rs. 14,000-crore Hyderabad Metro Rail Project “is progressing briskly”. Speaking at the Republic Day celebrations here on Saturday, he said the Nagole-Mettuguda corridor of the project was expected to be completed by December 2014 well ahead of the schedule. He said once the works were grounded, the third phase of Krishna water supply project of the city would be completed in 18 months. Efforts were also on to bring at the earliest, the Godavari waters under a different scheme taken up at a cost of Rs. 3,375 crore. ORR project On the other hand, the prestigious eight-lane Outer Ring Road (ORR) project, whose estimated outlay was Rs. 6,700 crore, was nearing completion. It was completed to the extent of 121 km out of a total length of 158 km envisaged and this stretch was thrown open to traffic. The entire ORR, which would make Hyderabad a city of dependable infrastructure, would be completed by December this year.
A documentary on the Delhi Metro changed the life of 21-year-old Priya Sachan, a woman from Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh. She was fascinated by the Metro and is now the first woman operator of the Gurgaon Rapid Metro, which is to be completed by March. "A show on Discovery channel got me very interested in the Metro. I moved to Delhi for my graduation in electronics from Delhi University and I commuted in the Metro for three years. I fell in love with the Metro," Priya told Newsline. This achievement has made her family proud and she has already set her targets for the job. "Working in the Metro control centre is my ultimate goal. I am getting trained as an operator and a station controller," said Sachan. She passed her Class X board examination in Akbarpur and Class XII from Kanpur. She moved to Delhi three years ago for graduation. She has been commuting in the Metro ever since. Even now, she takes the Metro to Gurgaon every day for her training. Priya says she feels proud to be the first woman operator of the Rapid Metro and says officials have been very supportive. Sachan's father is a businessman while her mother works in the health department of the government. She has an elder sister and a younger brother.
traffic came to a grinding halt on the roads leading to lalbagh as a sea of people made a beeline for the botanical gardens on the last day of the flower show here on saturday.the traffic congestion was also witnessed in most of south bangalore. horticulture department officials put the footfall record to at least one lakh, which according to them, is biggest in recent times. "it was an unimaginable crowd, beyond our control," said jagadish, director, department of horticulture, lalbagh botanical garden.although parking for visitors was provided outside the botanical garden, as the crowd swelled, the surrounding roads were occupied to park vehicles, resulting in little space for traffic movement. m a saleem, additional commissioner (traffic & security) told deccan herald that shantinagar bus stand and the bbmp building on jc road that were the designated spots for parking were occupied by early afternoon and later, it spilled on to the roads surrounding the park. besides, following a hike in wholesale diesel prices, bmtc buses had gathered to refill fuel tanks at retail outlets in the area. this led to a traffic jam in and around the area. as a ripple effect, there was slow moving traffic in jayanagar, jp nagar, shantinagar, double road, jc road and even near city railway station in the afternoon for hours. however, the traffic congestion eased by evening. the horticulture department had put up 250 guards and also sought the assistance of local police when the crowd swelled. however, even with the police being deployed, the crowd could not be controlled, they said. "since the beginning of the flower show, we managed the crowd, but today it was worse. people started pouring in from all directions. many jumped inside the gardens without tickets," said another official.despite repeated requests and advertisements, people had brought food with them and the lawns were strewn with leftover food, paper and plastics. "since there was no parking space near the garden, we presumed there will be decrease in number of visitors. but our calculations went wrong," said another staff.
the department of public instructions (dpi) has decided to initiate a slew of measures to bring down school dropout numbers, which was a whopping 51,994 during 2011-2012. it has decided to allocate sizable funds for publicising education and creating awareness. the recently launched scheme of allotting unique identity numbers for schoolchildren will help keep a track of the dropout rate. as many as one crore children have already got the uid numbers and the dpi would take steps to avoid duplication of the numbers. a special summer training programme, 'chinnara angala', will be conducted to bring the dropouts back to school. with the help of headmasters, the dpi will conduct a survey in railway stations, slums and areas where the concentration of the dropouts is high.
Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu): A coach of the Bangalore-Chennai Shatabdi Express derailed near Baiyappanahalli railway station in the district early on Saturday but no casualties were reported, police said. Rail traffic between Bangalore and Salem was affected following the incident, police said.
Sport is not all about champions and winning teams. But also of those who mould the raw talent into star performers. At a time when many team sports have hit a new low in the State, 42-year-old Puppala Venkat Ram has scripted a memorable moment for Railways by guiding it men’s team to maiden title (beat Services 34-33 in the final) in the just-concluded Senior national handball championship in Kolkata. This is a remarkable for Railways formed the team only in 2006 and started competing in the Nationals. And, more so he is from Hyderabad where the sport is almost dormant. This is a pity for not long ago the city produced some of the finest ever to don India colours including Chenna Reddy (Venkatram’s coach), Suresh, Mustafa, Aziz and Preetam Singh. Just consider this. The only qualified handball coach in Hyderabad - Alex Francis - is now attached to Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Institute of HRD and that too after laying a fresh handball court at Gymkhana Grounds! Venkat Ram, who played seven consecutive Senior nationals (1989-95) and even led Andhra Pradesh to bronze medal in the 1994 Pune National Games, ensured that this team stayed in match-fit frame of mind by organising practice matches with the Army outfits. For, not even the die-hard handball fan can recall when was last time a serious tournament featuring the seniors was organised in the city. In fact, there was more to cheer for Venkat Ram as the winning Railways team also had players Shamsher Singh and Amit Lamba, who were adjudged “best player” and “best goalkeeper” in the Kolkata Nationals. “Definitely, it is sad that handball which was so popular in the city is now badly looking for huge fillip” confesses Venkat Ram, who is grateful to the Railways for putting in place such a wonderful indoor stadium in RRC. “Honestly, there are better job opportunities for all those who do well at the national level as Railways continues to be the biggest employer of all” reminds the SCR Reservation Supervisior-II. What should be done to revive handball in a big way? “The beginning should be made at the school level for it is not such an expensive proposition for learners. Big schools like the AP Sports School (Hakimpet) which have the space should take the lead,” Venkat Ram feels. Well, all that is assured now for this spirited coach is an out-of-turn increment and a cash incentive from Railway Board. But, for the time being, Venkat Ram is savouring his moment of triumph.
A 54-year-old gangman and his junior colleague working on the railway tracks near Hejjala station near Kengeri died when they were run over by a train Friday afternoon. Kadirappa and Bihar native Arun Kumar (26), recruited just eight months back, were on routine inspection of tracks when the team saw the Mysore-bound Cauvery Express thundering towards them. While the others leapt towards the platform side, Kadirappa and Arun Kumar jumped on the other side of the track without noticing that the Basaveswara Express was coming from the opposite direction, hitting the two and injuring them grievously. As both the trains don’t halt at Hejjala, they were running pretty fast and the loco pilots had not even honked, said Shanmugam, a gangman who witnessed the accident. “I shouted to alert them, but they [Kadirappa and Arun Kumar] could not hear me due to the noise of the trains. They panicked and jumped before the train coming from the opposite direction.” When the Basaveswara Express loco pilot realised what had happened, he stopped the train. The five gangmen lifted their injured colleagues on board and took them to Kengeri Station and from there they were rushed to the Rajarajeshwari Hospital. Kadirappa breathed his last on the train while Arun Kumar was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The Government Railway Police said the victims had been unable to see the oncoming train because the other track was on a curve.
NEW DELHI: Aiming to provide good quality food to passengers, the Indian railways is planning to do away with cooking arrangements in pantry cars and setting up 250 base kitchens across the country to prepare about six lakh meals and snacks per day. There will be base kitchens at all major stations including New Delhi, Nizamuddin, Old Delhi, Howrah, Patna, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and other originating stations and junctions where meals will be prepared in hygienic conditions, said a senior railway ministry official. "Pantry cars in trains will be no longer utilized for preparing foods and instead they will be used for storing meals and snacks prepared in base kitchens," he said, adding, "Only hot beverages like tea, coffee and soup will be prepared in pantry cars." There are 302 mail and express trains having pantry cars for preparing and serving food to onboard passengers. Currently, the railways provides about six lakh meals and snacks a day to passengers. "The aim is to provide quality, hygienic food to the passengers," he said and added, "The base kitchens will be set up on railway land near the stations." The railways will give land at a nominal fee of Rs 1 per sq feet to caterers for setting up base kitchens. The total volume of food business in the railways is estimated to be around Rs 2000 crore a year. The railways is also finalizing a common bidding format across the country for providing branded food items.
observing that there is no monitoring mechanism at present to prevent bulk purchase of diesel from retailers, petroleum minister m veerappa moily friday said the centre may have to find a way out to regulate if the practice continued.speaking to deccan herald over bulk buyers in several states, including karnataka, deciding to depend on retailers for their purchases, moily remarked: "let us see. anybody who wants to circumvent these regulations, we will have to find some ways to regulate it."according to reports, the karnataka state road transport corporation has decided to buy diesel for its buses from the retailers. tamil nadu chief minister j jayalalitha has lashed out at the new policy and urged prime minister manmohan singh to withdraw dual pricing of diesel.in a controversial decision, the centre partially deregulated diesel prices last week, allowing the oil marketing companies to hike prices by about 40-45 paise a month and ushered in a dual-pricing regime wherein bulk consumers of diesel would have to pay the full market rate.states' responsibilitymoily denied it would be a double whammy for ordinary people. "it is the responsibility of state governments to make separate allocation for this. time has come when each state should find its own money within the system. like railways or any other central ministry, they will have to make provisions for the same. oil ministry cannot be made to pay. i am not here to make the budget of each state. you cannot empty my pocket to fill your pocket. "every month, prices will rise only by 40-45 paise. we import about 83 per cent of our oil requirements. because of import, diesel subsidy accounts for rs 96,000 crore out of the total rs 1.6 lakh crore of oil subsidy. oil is a commercial product. unless finance ministry supports, there is no funding. unless funding is available we cannot afford to give subsidy."noting that bulk purchasers account for about 18 per cent of the total consumption in the country, moily added: "the centre has decided bulk buyers will not get subsidy. oil is a commercial product. oil marketing companies cannot be made to pay or else they cannot function after a period of time. if the centre continues to account for oil subsidy, it will have impact on national exchequer, fiscal deficit will go up, sovereign ratings will come down and no one will come to invest in this country. ultimately, we may become a junk state."
a trinamool congress leader on friday compared the cpm with a snake besides branding union minister for railways adhir ranjan chowdhury a "murderer".addressing at rally at birati in north 24 parganas, food minister jyotipriya mullick said: "the cpm is like a snake. what you do when a snake enters your house? do the same when you see a cpm worker. never talk, eat or mix with such people".taking a jibe at former chief minister buddhadeb bhattacharjee, the trinamool leader said that "brand buddha has been banned". "these days he addresses people only in places like barasat, baranagar, etc because in other places women are waiting with brooms to chase him away," mullick said. dubbing union minister of state for railways adhir ranjan chowdhury a "murderer", mullick launched a scathing attack on congress leaders including deepa das munshi and abu hasem khan choudhury. mallick has made bizarre prescriptions earlier as well. he not only asked his party workers to resist marrying cpm workers but also advised them not to see their rivals' faces as it would bring bad luck. "while going out never look at their (cpm supporters) faces for it would bring bad luck to you. you may even end up getting crushed under the wheels," mullick has been saying at several party rallies.reacting to mullcik's comments, chowdhury told deccan herald : "they (the trinamool) are in power. (chief minister) mamata banerjee has even constituted a commission to probe an incident which happened over 40 years back. why doesn't she set up a commission to probe whether i am a murderer?"union minister of state for health and family welfare abu hasem khan choudhury said he has informed the party high command. "i have got in touch with the party high command and asked permission so that we can initiate legal action against him".the cpm, however, described mullick's statement as 'hysterical' and 'provocative'.a couple of days back chief minister mamata banerjee was drawn into controversy when she asked people whether she should go and beat the prime minister if her demands are not addressed.
two railway gangmen, who were working on the tracks near hejjala railway station on the outskirts of the city, were mowed down by two speeding trains friday afternoon. while one of them was killed on the spot, the other, who was seriously injured and rushed to a nearby private hospital, was declared brought dead. kadireppa, 54, of andhra pradesh and arun kumar, 26, of bihar belonged to group number 4 of gangmen posted at the wonder la block between hejjala and kumbalagodu railway stations. around 3 pm, a group of eight gangmen were working on the double-line section tracks just half-a-kilometre from the hejjala station. two trains, basaveshwara express (train no 17303) coming from mysore to bangalore and cauvery express (no 06222) bound for mysore from bangalore arrived around the same time and crossed each other parallelly on the double track.the gangmen working between the double tracks, which have a gap of just a feet-and-a-half, saw the two trains fast approaching them from the opposite directions. kadireppa and arun kumar panicked and jumped aside to the adjoining lane. however, both of them were run over by the speeding trains on the double track. kadireppa, who jumped to his right, was mowed down by the basaveshwara express, while arun kumar, who jumped to his left, was run over the cauvery express. fellow gangman shanmugam, who was at work at the very spot, told deccan herald, "we were about seven men working at the site. while we were a little far away, kadireppa and arun kumar were together. in fact, we called them as we saw the two trains approaching from the opposite directions. but, they apparently did not hear us due to the deafening sounds of the trains. we don't know what happened, the two jumped in the opposite directions, directly into the path of the speeding trains."basaveshwara express stopped and, the staff took kadireppa and arun kumar on the train to kengeri railway station. however, kadireppa was dead by then. arun kumar was rushed to rajarajeshwari hospital, where he was declared brought dead. autopsy will be performed at rajarajeshwarihospital before handing over the bodies to their families. city railway police have registered a case.mahadevaiah, the hejjala station master, said kadireppa, was a senior gangman with 33 years of experience and arun kumar was a new recruit and had joined the department eight months ago. arun kumar was first posted at channapattana and was transferred to this block a week ago. compensationsuvankar biswas, public relation officer, south western railway, said that preliminary inquiry has indicated that the accident was a result of the mistake of one of the gangmen, who didn't notice the train approaching him. "a gangman died in an effort to save his colleague. they didn't die on the tracks but succumbed to their injuries later," he said.biswas said they have taken steps to immediately release money to the families of the two gangmen to perform the last rites. "full compensation will be provided later in accordance with rules of the railways," he added.not the firstputtaraju, a hejjala resident, told deccan herald that this was not the first time that such an accident had occurred at the hejjala station. he said that one year ago, a signal employee was mowed down by a speeding train, almost at the same spot. he said that as the trains do not have stop at the station, they do not slow down. the engine drivers do not care even to honk on nearing the station, he alleged.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to take up a comprehensive feasibility study as the first step towards promoting the concept of Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Consultants will soon be appointed to study the potential of TOD in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Area and to come up with a concept for similar development around the proposed Metro Rail station at Balanagar. The HMDA is banking on the present MMTS network, other suburban services run by Diesel Multiple Units that complement the MMTS and the proposed Metro Rail service to initiate development work along the transit lines. The consultants will also be asked to suggest the required strategies and planning and development control regulations to encourage TOD. The best international practices relating to planning, development and implementation will be identified with the ones suited to the city. The study and recommendations will be used to demonstrate the best aspects of TOD in about 0.6-km radius around the Balanagar Metro Station, including the available HMDA land parcel. It will also include the other nearby land parcels of the government and the potential private development work in the vicinity. The HMDA expects such a plan to reflect the proposed land uses, urban design, neighbourhood access, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, urban green concepts and internal roads, apart from efficient connectivity with the Metro station and nearby bus facilities.
Athens’ metro workers, on strike for a ninth straight day to protest planned salary cuts, said on Friday that they will continue to defy the Greek government and remain on strike despite the threat of arrest. Hours earlier, riot police stormed the main depot of the Athens Metro, which had been occupied by workers, in an attempt to end the strike, which has spread to include all public transport in the Greek capital. Police implemented an emergency order issued by the government to end the strike. The order allows the government to arrest or fire workers who refuse to return to work. Police broke through the gates of the depot and cleared the workers. No violence was reported. Government officials have distributed notifications to all metro workers demanding they return to work. Ignoring the order can lead to arrest and jail terms of between three months to five years. Speaking on Greek state television NET, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said he expected the metro to be operational at the weekend. “It is the responsibility of the government to uphold the law and for the general public to not suffer such an inconvenience,” he said. Radio reports said approximately 50 metro workers had returned to work on Friday, far less than the number needed to put the transport system back into operation. The strike has caused massive traffic jams throughout Athens and hampered access to airports. In a show of solidarity, workers with the city’s electric railway, trams, buses and trolley service on Thursday declared a strike. Despite the inconvenience, many commuters expressed their understanding for the strikers, saying they too had suffered pay cuts to their own incomes. “It took me more than two hours to get to work this morning but, despite the inconvenience, I understand what they are going through because I have had my own salary cut by more than 20 per cent,” said Antonia Rapioni, a public servant. Metro workers said they were protesting a unified pay structure the government is planning for civil servants, which would result in the abolition of their collective labour agreement. The government aims to reduce transport workers salaries from 97.7 million euros (131 million dollars) in 2012 to 74.6 million euros this year. Average gross wages without overtime on the metro will fall from about 2,500 euros to 2,038 euros. The government passed a new round of austerity measures in December affecting a variety of sectors to ensure it continues receiving international bailout funds.
Greek riot police stormed the Athens subway train depot early Friday to enforce a government emergency order forcing striking metro workers back to work in an escalating standoff over new austerity measures. Dozens of strikers had barricaded themselves in the depot in western Athens late Thursday, after the government issued a rare civil mobilisation order, under which workers refusing to return to work risk dismissal, arrest and jail time. Metro staff have been outraged by plans to scrap their existing contracts as part of a broader reform to public sector pay, with their union saying the measure would subject them to a roughly 25 per cent pay cut. Police broke through the gates and removed dozens of strikers in the pre-dawn raid, while rows of riot police blocked off roads leading to the depot to prevent hundreds of strike supporters who had begun gathering from getting to the facility. No violence was reported in the raid, with the workers not putting up resistance. The police blockade of the surrounding area continued into the morning rush-hour. The government’s decision to issue a civil mobilisation order led to a swift backlash, with all other public transport workers declaring immediate strikes that left commuters stranded and forced to walk or take taxis home through traffic-clogged streets on Thursday. No buses, trams or trolleys were expected to operate on Friday. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told state-run NET television he expected the metro to be operating “as soon as possible,” estimating that trains would begin running again during the weekend. Defending the government’s decision to invoke a rarely-used law to end the strike, Mr. Kedikoglou insisted the new austerity measures must be implemented. “We are a society, an economy, at a very difficult time,” he said. “People can’t ask for exceptions.” Unions and the main opposition Syriza party accused the government of using dictatorial tactics. “The government is dressed in khaki. It’s a new coup against this country’s constitution to mobilise working people on strike on the subway with military-style methods to try and break their struggle” Syriza lawmaker Dimitris Stratoulis said late Thursday. Late on Thursday, Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras ruled out any softening of the pay reform. “In some public corporations, workers with elementary education are paid more than university professors,” he said. “Nobody wants that sort of situation.”
The Southern Railway Mazdoor Union will join the nation-wide indefinite strike planned in June or July, to press for a charter of demands, including opposition to the move to privatise railway services, its general secretary N. Kannaiah said. Talking to reporters in Madurai on Thursday, he said that a secret ballot among the railway employees would be conducted in May to decide on the strike call given by the All India Railwaymen’s Federation which has been pressing the Centre to remove the anomalies in the reports of the Sixth Pay Commission with reference to railway employees. “Despite having agreed to implement various measures on the issues agreed, the railway administration is yet to execute them,” he said. The federation demanded filling all the 3.5 lakh vacancies. The union was opposed to the new pension scheme for employees who had joined the railways after 2004. “Since Indian Railways has a separate budget, it can do away with the new pension scheme,” he said. Implementing the recommendations for cadre-restructuring in the railways, giving priority for the wards of railway employees in recruitment, extending the tuition fee allowance given to the wards studying in higher secondary classes to those pursuing higher education, and removal of ceiling on bonus were among the other demands. Welcoming the Centre’s decision on raising the rail fare, he justified it, saying it would help meet the increasing running cost. “If the passengers need better amenities and infrastructure, they have to accept this minimal increase,” he said.
postal rallied to hold karnataka state police (ksp) 1-1 in the bdfa super division league at the bangalore football stadium here on thursday.the draw left the two sides facing the threat of relegation with postal having eight points from nine matches and the policemen on 10 points from nine games. postal face aeronautical development establishment in a must-win final game on saturday, while ksp end their campaign against table leaders hindustan aeronautics sports club on the same day.in a drab game, it was postal who had the first attempt on goal in the 13th minute through kenneth. however, ksp goalkeeper nagendra was quick to come off the line and thwart the striker. four minutes later, karthick m failed to control the ball inside the postal box.in the 19th minute, postal's cyril got into the rival penalty area, but his pass was cut off easily by nagendra at the near post. postal custodian ravindran produced a fine save off a long-ranger by sampath kumar in the very next minute.ksp shot into lead in the 32nd minute through a fine goal by arun kumar. a cross from the right wing was cleared and the ball fell to arun on the edge of the box, who smashed it home with a superb volley.srinivas junior missed a golden chance to draw parity as he shot over in a one-on-one situation with nagendra in the 42nd minute.postal replaced cyril with ravindran moving up front as substitute custodian janardhan came on in the 73rd minute. postal were level the very next minute as srinivas senior got into the area from the right wing and placed the ball into the left corner past an advancing nagendra.earlier, a brace by naveen helped rail wheel factory (rwf) edge out relegated side department of youth services and sports (dyss) 2-1 to stay in the super division. naveen struck in the 61st and 78th minutes, while harish pulled one back in the second minute of stoppage time. rwf's win also meant that students union (six points from nine matches) have been relegated. rwf finished with 12 points from 10 matches, while dyss are yet to open their account after their ninth successive loss. friday's matches: kfg-beml sports club vs dyss (1.00 pm); students union vs south united fc (3.00 pm).
A day after commercial operations resumed on the Ambani-run Delhi Airport Express Metro Line, which has now been mandated to not operate services at more than 50 km per hour, the fare tariff on the network has been increased by 50 per cent. The hike came into effect on Wednesday with the minimum fare shooting up from Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 and the maximum from Rs. 100 to Rs. 150. New products Fares on the Airport Line are as mandated in the concessionaire agreement of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, a spokesperson for the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited said. “Most of the fares have remained the same. The most popular product -- the monthly 60/45 journey pass -- has been maintained at the same level. Some fares have been reduced by introducing new products like ‘Return Journey’ token and ‘Sunday/Holiday’ token,” said the spokesperson. “It is in our interest to attract more and more passengers and we will continue to do so by designing a balanced fare structure within provisions of the agreement,” said the spokesperson.
The Ministry of Railways has set up a central monitoring cell with the toll free number i.e. 1800-111-321 for the convenience of railway users to register their complaints regarding railways’ catering services like food quality, over charging etc., both at railway stations and in running trains. Announcing this, here today, the Minister of Railways, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that this facility is available all seven days from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. when during this time generally the food is served to the passengers. The Minister said that as soon as the complaint is registered, all possible actions will be taken on real time basis to address that complaint. This facility has started functioning, he added. AKS/HK/BS
In anticipation of the usual traffic congestion near the City Railway Station and the Kempe Gowda Bus Station on account of the holiday weekend, the traffic police have imposed some restrictions on Thursday and Friday to make commuting easier. A police communiqué requested commuters to avoid K.G. Road, Goods Shed Road, Seshadri Road, Subedar Chattram Poad, Platform Road, Krishna Flour Mill Road between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. on both days. All buses going towards Mysore, Kodagu, Kerala and via Hosur in Tamil Nadu will start only from Mysore Road Bus terminus. Buses bound for Tamil Nadu will start from the Shanthinagar Bus terminus while those going to Davanagere will start from Chikka Lalbagh terminus. Passengers travelling to Shimoga should go to the Yeshwanthpur TTMC. Passengers leaving Bangalore are advised not to bring their vehicles to their place of boarding. Parking of all private vehicles is banned on Dhanvanthri Road, Railway Station Road, Tank Bund Road, Platform Road and Khodays junction on both days. Long-distance idle parking of all transport buses will be restricted to Balekai Mandi, Jakkarayanakere, NGEF Terminal and New Peenya Bus terminal.
SHIMLA: After being revamped and overhauled extensively and fitted with new wheels, the vintage Kalka- Shimla rail motor car is back on the UNESCO heritage railway track since Tuesday. With a final trial held last week on Friday, the rail car hit the tracks on January 22 again. Railway station supervisor of Kalka, Vinay Arora, said, "The rail car has been restored on the track after a gap of about six months and is following its old schedule of 5.10 am from Kalka and 4.25 pm return journey from Shimla. Though there were few passengers on the first day from Kalka, but on its return journey from Shimla to Kalka, it was full." On Wednesday also, the rail car went full on the 96 km stretch, he said. There has been a tremendous response for the vintage car and online bookings were pouring in and queries for chartered bookings were also coming in, he added. The rail car was taken off the tracks last year as the wheels of the car had worn out completely. Besides, it also required other repairs. Fitted with 16 wheels at an estimated cost of over Rs 12 lakh and a new spruced up look, with Shatabadi Express-like chairs, advanced music systems, transparent fibre glass to give an outside view and provision for 12 seats, the rail car is now chugging on the railway track, reminiscing the old world British charm. According to railway officials, the rail car was started by the British in 1927 and with its increasing popularity, four rail cars were introduced at that time, from 1927 to 1930. Last among the four, the rail car here has remained a strong favourite with foreigners and Indians alike, they said. According to details from Baba Bhalku Railway Museum (BBRM) at Shimla, the narrow gauge Kalka-Shimla track of 2'-6" (762mm), which became a world heritage site in 2008, was constructed during the period 1898-1903. The credit for designing it goes to chief engineer H S Harrington with insights from an unlettered local man Bhalku. The first train from Kalka to Shimla ran on November 9, 1903 on this track.
Several road overbridge projects that are under construction to replace railway crossings in and around the city are expected to be completed this year. There are at least 11 works in progress being jointly constructed by the Southern Railway and highways department and these are over suburban railway lines. In the north, the Rs. 88.65 crore 1,720 metre-long Vyasarpadi ROB is expected to be completed by September end. The railways has just commenced its portion of the work. According to sources in the highways, the delay was initially due to land acquisition. But now the shifting of a one-km long sewer line has proved a stumbling block. “About 320 mts of the pipeline has been shifted. The remaining would be shifted by us,” said a source in the highways department. In Tiruvottiyur, since an ROB is to come up at level crossing 3 (Maattu mandhai), the railways has sought permission to close the gate and divert traffic to level crossing 4 at Wimco Nagar. The railways will soon call for tenders for LC3. Meanwhile, contractors do not seem to be interested in bidding for the highways portion of the work at Maattu Mandhai. The fifth call for the tender was made recently. On Tuesday, officials from the two agencies met to discuss 36 projects across the State. “Both sides agreed to speed up works and complete them at the earliest so that the public is not put to undue trouble. It is just not our two agencies that are involved in these works but other government departments including Chennai Metrowater and TANGEDCO and telecom companies” said a source in the highways. In the west, the ROB work at Patravakkam on the Tiruvallur line is expected to be completed by September end. In the south, work on LC37 at Oorapakkam/ Kilambakkam is expected to be completed by March end and for the other one at LC36, the deadline has been set for end August. Similarly, for the Rs. 29 crore Guduvanchery (LC40) ROB, where the railways has just commenced pile foundation work near the tracks and the highways has about 12 more deck slabs to construct, the deadline set is August end. For the two railway gates situated on either side of the Perungalathur station, the alignment and estimates are ready. But the works are awaiting clearance from the National Highways Authority of India.
Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday unveiled a new food catering policy for providing hygienic food at increased prices and to the satisfaction of passengers. A toll-free phone number (1800111321) has been created to take complaints. Mr. Bansal said complaints about quality, quantity or charges would be redressed on a basis. The Railways have so far received 26 complaints in the four days of activating the service. “It is not popular as yet. It will take time. But the lesser the number the better for us,” Mr. Bansal emphasised, underscoring that overcharging happened to be the biggest problem. The service would be available between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. covering the meal times and complaints would be responded to immediately. Mr. Bansal said that if extra money had been charged it would be returned. Caterers would be impressed upon the need to issue receipts for the food supplied and provide the brand fixed for various eatable items. This would be to avoid cheating on price and quality. Checking squads would make surprise inspections and exemplary action would be taken against erring caterers, Mr. Bansal said. Apart from the Railways and the IRCTC, there are about 232 licensed contractors engaged in the Rs. 2,000-crore business. There will be a sea change in the supply of food by May end. Prices are set to be revised. The last time a revision was done in December. He said the Railways had renewed food licences for only four months, after which a review of the licence fee, the Railways’ own share and the quality of food to be served would be made. The catering licence will be for five years and extendable by another five years if the quality of service is found satisfactory. The caterers will be required to have state-of-the-art base kitchens close to railway stations to prepare first class food untouched by humans, packaged and delivered on conveyor belts. Land will be given for setting up base kitchens at major originating stations and at some en route stations for the benefit of passengers of long distance trains. The number of such kitchens might go up to 250 across the country. Stringent standards would be laid for preparation of food in very hygienic conditions and enhanced standards of checking would be put in place, Mr. Bansal said. A proposal for a food laboratory was also under consideration. In regard to bottled water, Mr. Bansal said Rail Neer accounted for just three lakh bottles of the 30 lakh bottles required daily and it would go up to six lakh bottles after new bottling plants were commissioned. The Ministry would determine the other brands of bottled water that could be sold on the railway network.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday called upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his personal intervention in setting up a rail link between Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo to facilitate pilgrims desiring to pay obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib. Badal, who met Singh at his residence here, informed him that the five “Takhts” were the holiest shrines for the Sikh community and millions of pilgrims from all over the world visited them every year to fulfil their life time wish. He said among the various Takhts in Amritsar, Patna Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Hazur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, it was only Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo that was not connected by rail even as the distance between it and Bathinda was only 30 km. Badal also asked the Prime Minister to constitute a Group of Ministers (GoM) for recommending the setting up of a Rs 5,000-crore Technology Mission for agriculture diversification for Green Revolution states on the lines of eastern states in the 12th Five Year Plan. The chief minister also urged Singh to expedite the process of granting requisite approvals for setting up a cancer hospital at Mullanpur near Chandigarh, as land for it had already been handed over to the Department of Atomic Energy. He said a detailed project report for this hospital to come up at a cost of Rs 450 crore was likely to be finalised within this week for the Union Cabinet’s approval. Taking up the issue of rehabilitation of co-operative sugar mills in Punjab, Badal sought a special package from Singh to revive them. The Prime Minister’s intervention was also sought to expedite movement of foodgrains from the state to help liquidate existing foodgrain stocks before fresh arrival. ... contd.
south west railways mysore division manager vinod kumar directed the officials to prepare a map of the available land with the railways and provide basic facilities. speaking after inspecting on the ongoing work at the railway station, he said the map of the birur railway station has been prepared. there is a need to prepare the map which includes details on auto parking stand, parking areas, and other basic facilities provided for the passengers. the foot over bring which is under construction should be extended to provide connection to the railway employees quarters.congress leaders who visited the spot said that the foot over bridge is narrow and will cause inconvenience to the women and aged. a goods shed should be constructed at ballekere. to which, the officer said that goods shed will be constructed at chikmagalur. railway division advisor committee member vinaykumar said that land has not been identified for rms building. senior commercial manager anoop dayanand, manager sudhakar nayak, engineers and others were present.
the bangalore metro rail corporation ltd (bmrcl) on wednesday successfully tested the green line train of the namma metro on the powered tracks in peenya.b l yashavanth chavan, chief engineer (rolling stock) and chief public relations officer said the green train of namma metro north-south corridor ran on its power from the stabling shed at the peenya depot, up to the viaduct ramp, the starting point of the main line of the north corridor. trial runs were held successfully at the peenya depot for a distance of 1.2 km," he said.it can be noted here that the bmrcl has started energising the extra-high-voltage (ehv) and high-voltage (hv) installations along the namma metro reach 3 stretch between malleswaram and peenya. as part of the exercise, power supply is being provided for the various installations along the stretch in a phased manner. this exercise is being implemented in connection with the testing of trains and commissioning of reach-3 and 3-a of phase 1 of the namma metro project.
rail passengers may have to pay additional charges owing to the recent hike in diesel prices.railways may soon impose surcharges or special fares. railway sources said that it might be done in the forthcoming budget or just after. railway minister pawan kumar bansal had assured at the time of announcing increase in passenger fare that there would not be any hike in the forthcoming budget. however, railways officials indicate an increase in fare. it is to come in an indirect manner.railways is contemplating on levying surcharge on special trains and charging more on services like tatkal."in fact, we had not anticipated the diesel price hike would impact that much. according to our calculation we will have to pay rs 3300 crore more for diesel in 2012-13. so, almost 50 per cent of the income from the increased passenger fare will be washed out," said a source in the ministry. railways is to get rs 6600 crores from the recent hike in fares. the oil companies hiked the diesel price by rs 10. 80 per litre for bulk purchaser including railways which spends around rs 24,000 crores annually on fuel. officials said the ministry has almost finalised the structure of rail tariff regulatory authority. it would be a 3-4 member body headed by a chairman. the mandate of the body is being worked out. the main idea behind it is to make decision on passenger fare free from political pressures. so, it's recommendations may be made mandatory."we are yet to decide on this very issue," said a source. after such an authority it would be easier to revise fares whenever fuel prices increase," the source said.
governor h r bhardwaj, on wednesday, called for a 'special cell' to be created in handling cases of crime against women and to appoint more women to handle such cases. speaking at the first-ever state women police conference to mark the 150th anniversary of indian police, he said on the lines of panchayat raj leadership, there must be 33 per cent reservation for women police in the police department as well. "the police department lacks a democratic approach in handling cases. even today there is no effective prosecution, faulty investigations are conducted, which is ultimately leading to miscarriage of the justice," he added. he called for an attitude change by the police department and the society in large to respect women and said india is still backward since women are not encouraged and cited the pending women reservation bill which is yet to passed in the parliament.director general & inspector general of police (dg & igp) lalrokhuma pachau called for increase of women police recruitment from the present 4 per cent to 20 per cent in the coming years. talking about the crime against women, he said lack of registration of firs (first information report) by the victim has encouraged crime rates in the society. "a lot of cases loose track during investigation and many cases get delayed as reports gets held up at the forensic science laboratory, which further delays the trial at the court. there are the reasons why there is very low conviction rate of crime against women," he added.pachau cited ncrp (national crime records bureau) records that only 26.4 per cent of rape cases have been convicted and 27.7 per cent of molestation cases have been convicted last year. he said that there is need to deploy more women constables and assistant sub-inspector (asi) in police stations. pachau recommended for women police to be deployed at police outposts in railway station and bus-station to identify human trafficking cases.
the next time you are served unpalatable food on your train journey, dial toll-free telephone number 1800111321 right away. you will not only be heard, your complaint will be redressed as well by the railways.announcing the networking of catering services on trains and railway platforms to media here on wednesday, railways minister pawan kumar bansal said when a passenger makes a distress call to the toll-free number, a central monitoring system will receive the call and redress the complaint in real time. "you can call while you are traveling," the minister explained. "if the curd served to you is bad or you have been charged more than the stipulated price, you may call the number. instructions will be given immediately and your problem solved," said the minister. the system involves punitive actions for default too, he added. you may call this number between 7 am and 10 pm every day. bansal indicated a revision in food prices by railways but added, "we will ensure food at affordable prices to all categories of passengers." the rail minister said the ministry will appoint checking squads to monitor the quality of food and hygiene standards. he said there were also plans to overhaul the catering system. "we extended the licence of the current contractors for four months only this week. thereafter, we will have new contractors. they will have to show us they are adhering to proper standards in preparing and supplying food. railways will provide them land to erect base kitchens with modern facilities so that food does not get contaminated during cooking or transit," said the minister. he said only branded products will be allowed in case of drinking water, beverages and dairy products.
Commuters in the city have been requested to avoid K.G. Road, Goodshed Road, Sheshadri Road, Subedar Chattram road, Platform Road, Krishna Floor Mill Road between 4 pm and 11 pm on Thursday and Friday. These restrictions are part of measures, by the Bangalore Traffic police, near the city railway station and Kempe Gowda bus depot, in view of the holiday weekend ahead. Bus terminals All buses going towards Mysore, Kodagu and Kerala will leave only from Mysore Road Bus Terminal. Similarly, buses travelling to Tamil Nadu will leave from Shanthinagar Bus terminal while buses travelling to Davanagere will leave from Chikka Lalbhagh Bus terminal. Passengers who are travelling outside the city are requested to take BMTC bus or Autorickshaw to come to City Railway Station or KSRTC Bus Terminal. Passengers travelling towards Mysore and beyond should go only to the Mysore Road Bus Terminal. Passengers travelling to Tamil Nadu destinations in KSRTC and SETC premier buses (to Chennai, Trichy, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Tanjavur, Coimbatore, Madurai & Kumbakonam) should board at Shanthinagar Bus Station. Passengers travelling to Villapuram, Dharmapuri, Salem, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore via Hosur in Tamil Nadu Corporation buses should board at Mysore Road Bus Terminal while passengers travelling to Shimoga should go to Yeshwanthpur TTMC. Parking Parking of all private vehicles will be banned on Dhanvanthri Road, Railway Station Road, Tank Bund Road, Platform Road and Khodeys junction on both days. Long distance idle parking of all transport buses will be restricted to Balekai Mandi, Jakkarayanakere, NGEF Terminal and New Peenya Bus terminal.
Trolley suitcase in tow, Pune resident A. P. Jogania was all set for his maiden trip aboard the Airport Metro Express at New Delhi station on Tuesday. His visit to the Capital coincided with the reopening of the Delhi Airport Metro line and he thought it to be a much better option than getting stuck in the afternoon traffic on the way to the airport. “I come to Delhi often but I have never taken the Airport Metro. I read about the reopening of the line in the newspaper today so I decided to check it out,” he said. Behind him, passengers were scattered here and there – some tugging at heavy luggage and others making their way back home to Dwarka. “We have had a good response and there has been a constant flow of people since this morning,” said an Metro staffer at the station. The Airport Line resumed commercial operations at 5-30 a.m. on Tuesday. Yet, with check-in and baggage facilities for passengers not available for the time being and the usual shops not open inside the premises, the station wore a desolate look – in contrast to the bustling New Delhi metro station only a few metres away. However, a sign suggesting that it was the fastest corridor on the metro network seemed outdated, with the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety giving a clearance only to operating trains at a reduced speed of 50 kmph for the time being. “It is fine if its only 50 kmph, it is much better than getting stuck in traffic and missing my flight!” said another commuter. On Tuesday, passengers were charged a flat rate of Rs.30 as an inaugural day offer. The line was shut down six months ago due to defects in the civil structure and has since undergone extensive repairs. It had carried 68 lakh passengers and one more than 70,000 trips in 15 months.
The director board of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has decided to conduct a feasibility study on extending the light rail line to Tripunithura, Kakkanad, Angamaly, and Fort Kochi. The 10th director board meeting of the KMRL, held in New Delhi on Tuesday, decided to seek Expression of Interest (EoI) from firms for the feasibility study. The proposal is to extend the Aluva-MG Road-Pettah line to Angamaly via the international airport and to Fort Kochi through Mattancherry, and to connect Aluva with Tripunithura through Kakkanad in a loop. The proposed extensions are expected to increase the passenger patronage for the system of mass rapid transport. There has been intense demand from members of the public and air passengers to extend the metro to Angamaly, a busy town located north of the airport, and to Kakkanad, which houses the civil station, industrial units under the Special Economic Zone, the Infopark, and the proposed SmartCity. To help commuters The proposed Aluva-Angamaly stretch comes to 13 km, the Palarivattom-Kakkanad stretch 10 km, and the Jos Junction- Mattancherry- Fort Kochi stretch 12 km. The new lines are expected to help commuters, besides thousands of islanders and tourists. The extensions are likely to be done in the subsequent phases of the metro project. The KMRL will then be fully equipped with the expertise gained from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which executes the 25-km Aluva-Pettah project. The feasibility study will cover potential passenger patronage in these routes and allied aspects, sources associated with the project said. The proposed extensions will result in the congested city expanding towards the north, east, and southwest. The board also decided to invite EoI for conducting a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and for preparing a resettlement and rehabilitation plan for the Kochi Metro Rail. An Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) had been conducted for the project by the School of Environmental Studies under the Cochin University of Science and Technology in 2005, as part of the detailed project report preparation for the DMRC. While this contains a brief SIA, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive assessment afresh, which would form the basis for preparing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
The Minister of Railways, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the elected representative through this Consultative Committee have been presenting demands and needs of common people and Indian Railways is committed to look into these demands and work as far as possible towards meeting people’s aspirations. He emphasized that there is need to ensure balanced development of all regions and assured the Consultative Committee that all States and all regions in the country will get their due in the development of railway related facilities. The Railway Minister was speaking at the Consultative Committee meeting of Members of Parliament for Ministry of Railways here today. The agenda for the meeting was “Railways’ ongoing projects”. The Ministers of State for Railways, Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Shri Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy were especially present at the meeting. Referring to the several ongoing projects of new line construction, gauge conversion and doubling, the Railway Minister said that such projects worth Rs. 1.5 lakh crore are pending as through forward. Due to resource constraint, it is a very challenging task to complete them. He said that Railways will do its best to complete them as far as possible but the financial constraints need to be addressed. Elaborating the rational for recent passenger fare hike, the Railway Minister, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that basic fares had not been revised recent upwards in the last ten years. He pointed out that losses in passenger segment have increased substantially over the years. The Railway Minister pointed out that as a consequence internal resource generation was seriously impacted, resulting in scaling down of Annual Plan size, which has now been limited to Rs. 51,000 crore in 2012-13 as against Rs. 61,000 crore that was originally targeted. Similarly, Fund balances became negative in 2011-12, adversely affecting essential replacement/renewal of assets, operation and maintenance activities and critical safety & passenger amenity works. The Railway Minister emphasized that it was in view of these factors, that increasing passenger fares had became unavoidable. He said that the passenger fare hike was done now so that around Rs. 1200 crore could be mobilized through this in the remaining two months of this current financial year itself so that ongoing railways projects get some resources. Passenger fare hike was also necessary in the overall interests of this critical infrastructure as well as its users on a sustainable basis, he added. Shri Bansal said that he is personally giving priority to safety, punctuality and cleanliness. The Railway Minister said that he has recently gone around the country and visited and inspected some stations with a view to improve level of cleanliness. The Minister informed that 100 stations with more than 10 lakh population and with religious and tourists importance have been identified for taking up cleanliness drive in the first phase. He has also written a letter to General Managers of all Zonal Railways to focus on cleanliness matters. He said that more and more coaches will be provided with bio-toilets and the washing aprons are being provided at the stations. The Minister also informed that a team of officers of Railway Board will be formed who will go around the country to undertake inspections to ensure cleanliness. Referring to the catering services, Minister said that efforts are on to provide quality catering services at a station and in running trains. New tenders are being floated and base kitchens are being constructed to cook food in the most hygienic environment. Efforts are also being made to provide clean linen. Expressing concern over the accidents at unmanned level crossings, the Minister said that Ministry is constantly working to eliminate such crossings and cooperation of State Governments is being sought in this regard. Referring to the recent deaths of some elephants in train accidents, the Minister said that Railways is in touch with the forest departments of respective State Governments so as to avoid such unfortunate incidents. Referring to the Railways preparations for the Kumbh Mela, the Minister said that he along with the Railway Board Members had personally visited Allahabad to take stock of the arrangements made for the passengers. He informed that the effective crowd management mechanism have been put into place to avoid any stampede like situations. He assured to augment more facilities at Allahabad during the Kumbh period as and when required. He said that the demand of the Members to open more PRS Centres at small places with the help of Post Offices will be looked into positively. The Railway Minister also assured that the arrangements for security will be beefed up for the travelling persons specially the women. He also said that Railways will continue to provide facilities to disabled persons. The Members of the Committee also made several suggestions regarding ongoing railway projects and requested for expediting the work of various pending projects on doubling, gauge conversion and foot over bridge, road over bridges etc. A number of members participating the meeting also emphasized on the need of providing improved passenger amenities, clean linen, clean coaches and stations and catering services specially the hygiene and quality of food. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal, Board Members and senior officials of Ministry of Railways were among those present on the occasion. AKS/HK/BS
former 'mr india' rex varghese allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his house here today, police said.body of the 34-year-old was found hanging at his house at koratty near here this morning, they said.rex, a bachelor, won the 'mr india' title in 2007 and worked in railways for a short period. presently he was unemployed.investigations are on to ascertain the reason of suicide.
The highways department has written to Chennai Metro Rail seeking funds to restore the 4.8-km stretch from Little Mount to Officers Training Academy (OTA). It has sought Rs. 22 crore to restore the riding surface for the complete width of 14 metres. An official in the Department said the entire stretch was cut to shift service lines and make way for Metro Rail work. Also, the road width was reduced to seven metres due to erection of barricades. The reduced width carried the weight of over 1.5 lakh vehicles every day, all these months. Due to this, the surface had been disturbed, rendering cold milling impossible. Hence, the entire stretch had to be strengthened, the official said. Vallimayil Palanichamy, a resident of Adambakkam, who uses the road to commute to the TVS area on Anna Salai, said the road was badly damaged just after Kathipara grade separator towards the Meenambakkam side. “It has road cuts and near the pillars, building debris has been dumped, making driving difficult. Traffic also slows down near the barricades,” she said. Two-wheeler riders are the most affected as even a slight variance in road surface can cause accidents and prove fatal. R. Gokul, who commutes regularly from Guindy to Karapakkam, said the stretch from Chellammal College towards the church at Little Mount is in a bad shape. “Many vehicles avoid the space near the barricades. This is a road that leads to the airport. It should be maintained in a better manner,” he said. “We have been receiving complaints from road users. However, as we are yet to receive funds we have not been able to take up work even in spots where Metro Rail work has been completed,” said the Highways official.
the euphoria may not be quite like his first inauguration, yet an expectation-defying crowd of over a million turned out to witness the charismatic barack obama take oath for a second time as us president.in 2009, when obama swept a war-weary america with a promise of change and scripted history by becoming the first african american president, a record 1.8 million people had flooded the national mall to witness his swearing in.this year, the inauguration officers of the presidential inauguration committee and security officers associated with the planning had expected around 800,000 people to turn up for the event.however, officials associated with the crowd management said they estimated that at least a million people had attended the inauguration event in the us capitol yesterday, surpassing expectations.according to washington metro transit authority - which runs the city's metro system - by 4 pm more than 538,000 people had used the metro system and they were expecting the number to cross much more by the end of the day.the huge crowd that crossed a million mark took many organisers by surprise, and is indicative that obama still enjoys much of the popularity he held at the beginning of his first term.obama himself wanted to have a last glimpse of this cheering crowd overlooking the national mall from the capitol hill. "i want to take a look one more time. i'm not going to see this again," he said as he was walking away from the capitol hill after delivering his speech to the hundreds and thousands of people.after having his traditional luncheon at the congress, obama and the first lady drove by the parade route to the hundreds and thousands of cheering crowd who had lined up for hours on monday, some even waiting since early in the morning."obama, obama" and "four more years!" chanted the crowd. many simply screamed and waived the american national flag.when obama and michelle came out of their vehicle and walked for a short distance, both of them waved to the cheering crowd.the first lady, who was wearing deep purple gloves, occasionally clapped when the two weren't holding hands.many onlookers waved flags and clicked pictures.crowds waved and cheered from several rooftops along pennsylvania.as the first couple walked some in crowd chanted: "fired up! ready to go!" - a popular election slogan for the us president.vice president, joe biden, and his wife, jill, also took some time to walk part of the parade route, with biden periodically jogging over to the sidelines to shake hands with people across the barricades.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday, announced a compensation of Rs one lakh to the family of a worker killed in a Metro rail site mishap on January 10. She announced granting the sum from the Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund to the family of Dimple Shah and Rs 25,000 each, to two persons undergoing treatment at a hospital for injuries sustained in the same mishap. Dimple Shah was killed when a launching girder crashed at a Metro rail construction site in Chennai on January 10.
Reliance Infrastructure-run Delhi Airport Metro Express was back on track on Tuesday after a gap of six months, bringing smiles on the faces of commuters looking for seamless travel to the airport. Commercial operations of the 23-km corridor that connects Connaught Place with Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport resumed at 5.30 am today and passengers were charged a flat rate of Rs 30 as an inaugural day offer. Trains on the line will run at a drastically reduced speed of 50 km per hour from the earlier speed of 105 km per hour. This was decided by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety who inspected the corridor last week. However, the speed will be gradually increased after periodic inspection by the Delhi Metro. Passengers could not avail check-in and baggage facilities today. Reliance Infra officials said a separate notification would be issued for this. Though resumption of services would bring smiles on the faces of commuters, an 18-20 minute journey from Connaught Place to the Terminal 3 of IGI Airport will hitherto take at least 30 to 35 minutes, effectively failing the purpose of a high-speed corridor. The corridor was shut in July last year after Reliance Infra complained to the Delhi Metro that cracks have been noticed on civil structures of the corridor. Delhi Metro completed the civil structure and handed it over to Reliance Infra for operations in 2010. Problems were also noticed in the clippings used in the underground section of the corridor. It is believed that the train speed can be increased only when the clipping issue is rectified. ... contd.
reliance infrastructure-run delhi airport metro express was back on track today after a gap of six months, bringing smiles on the faces of commuters looking for seamless travel to the airport.commercial operations of the 23-km corridor that connects connaught place with terminal-3 of the indira gandhi international airport resumed at 5.30 am today and passengers were charged a flat rate of rs 30 as an inaugural day offer.trains on the line will run at a drastically reduced speed of 50 km per hour from the earlier speed of 105 km per hour. this was decided by the commissioner of metro rail safety who inspected the corridor last week.however, the speed will be gradually increased after periodic inspection by the delhi metro.passengers could not avail check-in and baggage facilities today. reliance infra officials said a separate notification would be issued for this.though resumption of services would bring smiles on the faces of commuters, an 18-20 minute journey from connaught place to the terminal 3 of igi airport will hitherto take at least 30 to 35 minutes, effectively failing the purpose of a high-speed corridor.the corridor was shut in july last year after reliance infra complained to the delhi metro that cracks have been noticed on civil structures of the corridor. delhi metro completed the civil structure and handed it over to reliance infra for operations in 2010.problems were also noticed in the clippings used in the underground section of the corridor. it is believed that the train speed can be increased only when the clipping issue is rectified.the problems on the civil structure also led the reliance infrastructure offer to quit the line citing financial non- viability.but, delhi metro rejected the offer and the same is now referred to arbitration.
Ending a six month-wait, the Airport Metro link is set to resume operations on Tuesday. The Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) announced that the Airport Metro will resume commercial operations at its regular time, starting 5.30 am Tuesday. The fare for each trip on Tuesday will be a nominal Rs 30. “The line will run daily from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm with a service frequency of 15 minutes. Passengers can travel on the line at a nominal fare of Rs 30,” the DAMEPL spokesperson said. The regular fare till the airport is Rs 80 while it is Rs 100 for Dwarka Sector 21. The resumption of service was announced after the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety gave safety clearance to the 22.7-km corridor last Friday. The speed limit has been reduced to 50 kmph from 90-100 kmph. The speed will be increased gradually after checks. The Metro, developed under a public-private partnership, connects New Delhi railway station to Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The line terminates at Dwarka Sector-21. Services on the line, which started commercial operations on February 23, 2011, were suspended on July 8, 2012 after defects were detected in the civil structures. “In addition to single journey tokens, the airport line has introduced new products in the form of return journey tokens and Sunday/holiday discount tokens while retaining the monthly passes for regular commuters,” the spokesperson said. Facilities such as a cloak room, trolley and porter service, radio cab service, WiFi at stations will be available from Tuesday. But the baggage check-in infrastructure will resume shortly. It will be notified separately. ... contd.
The 10th director board meeting of Kochi Metro Rail Limited in New Delhi on Tuesday is expected to finalise a few technical parameters for the project. These include specifications such as coach dimensions and a proposal to substitute overhead power lines with lines to be laid parallel to the tracks. Changes suggested The KMRL’s sub-committee concerned had recently suggested changes to these two aspects. Though the plan was to begin operating the metro with three coaches per train, it was later suggested that it ply with three to six coaches. The board is also likely to finalise a sub-committee to prepare a contractual agreement (MoU) between the KMRL and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), implementing agency for the metro. Environmental impact The board is also likely to invite expression of interest (EoI) from firms to do a social and environmental impact assessment of the project. An EoI will also be invited for finalising a new resettlement and rehabilitation plan, a KMRL spokesperson said. The ninth Board meeting had entrusted KMRL’s MD Elias George the task of exploring the availability of alternative funding options, apart from a loan proposed from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation. A report on this would be submitted on Tuesday.
a massive security alert was sounded across the northeast tuesday after separatist rebels announced a boycott of the jan 26 republic day celebrations, an official said."we have placed security forces on high alert to thwart rebels from disrupting the republic day celebrations," shambhu singh, joint secretary (northeast) in the home ministry, told ians tuesday. five frontline separatist groups in the region have called a boycott of the republic day and also a general strike from 1 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. that day as a mark of resistance against what it termed as "indian occupation of the region".the call has been given by the united liberation front of asom (ulfa), the national democratic front of bodoland (ndfb), the national liberation front of twipra (nlft), the tripura people's democratic front (tpdf) and coordination committee (corcom) - an umbrella of seven major separatist outfits - fighting for an independent state for the majority metei community in manipur.these groups are active in assam, manipur and tripura.the five rebel groups announced their boycott monday through a joint statement e-mailed to several media houses."there is a clear image of indian colonial racism manifested in the suppression of human rights under martial and draconian law such as the armed forces special power's act (afspa), 1958 and other forms of suspension of fundamental rights," the statement said. "extra judicial killings, inhuman torture, fake encounter and sexual harassment in the region are routinely carried out to suppress the freedom struggle of our indigenous people."freedom and independence is the only solution for the conflict as the region can never be a part of the indian mainstream. "india's republic day is nothing but bowing to country's perpetual slavery system when people are standing on the line of survival or extinction and it is becoming an urgency of paramount importance to free the region from this colonial rule," the statement stated.separatists rebel groups in the northeast have for years boycotted national events to protest new delhi's rule over the region, and have staged violent attacks in the run up to the celebrations to make their presence felt."we are on full alert and shall see to it that we are able to foil any attempts by rebels to attack," an assam rifles official said.thousands of army, police and paramilitary troopers are standing guard in other northeastern states to ensure that militants are not able to create violence ahead of the republic day celebrations, particularly in manipur."we are not taking chances. the police across manipur have been put on high alert and we are bent on thwarting any subversive activity by the militants," imphal district police chief konsam jayanta singh told ians.rebel groups often target vital installations like road and rail bridges, oil installations, and security forces as part of their design.
The Delhi Airport Metro Express corridor, shut down six months ago because of defects in the civil structure, resumes commercial operations from 5.30 a.m. this Tuesday (today). A flat rate will apply across the line at a discounted nominal fare of Rs.30 per trip which is pegged as a “promotional initiative” where “passengers can travel from anywhere to anywhere on the line” only on the first day. However, with the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) giving clearance to operate trains at a reduced speed of 50 kmph, the 18/20 minute journey from the heart of the city to Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport will now take at least 30 to 35 minutes. “Reliance Metro’s Airport Express Line would run daily from 5-30 a.m. to 11-30 p.m. at a frequency of 15 minutes. Reliance Metro has made arrangements to provide seamless connectivity for Terminal-1 passengers to Aerocity Station through shared cab and shuttle bus services,” said the Reliance Infrastructure-backed Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited in a release. While facilities such as cloak room, trolley and porter services and radio cab services will be available from Day One, check-in and baggage facilities for both international and domestic passengers will not be available for the time being. Among the new initiatives, the Airport Line has introduced new products in the form of ‘Return Journey’ tokens and ‘Sunday/Holiday’ discount tokens while retaining the monthly passes for regular commuters. The line was shut down last July after problems arose due to defects in the civil structure. The defects have been rectified by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the line was offered for re-inspection to the CMRS in December. After a two-day inspection on January 15 and 16, the CMRS, R. K. Kardam, granted clearance to DMRC and Reliance-Infrastructure to resume operations on the 22.7-km line.
The Minister of Railways, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal reviewed the implementation of Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) projects in India being implemented by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), the fully owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Ministry of Railways specially constituted for the purpose. Shri R K Gupta Managing Director DFCCIL made a detailed presentation. The Minister of Railways alongwith Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal, and the Members of Indian Railway Board took stock of the current status of various activities involved in the project implementation and also discussed various issues having critical impact on the project implementation. One of the notable features reflected during the review as acquisition of 7968 hectares of land constituting over 82 per cent which marks achievement of a major landmark of 80 per cent land acquisition stipulated by the funding agencies, e.g. World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was appreciated that approximately 8000 hectares of land over 9 States and 61 Districts has been acquired in a span of less than three years, which is very remarkable. The remaining 18 per cent land acquisition is also progressing steadily. DFCCIL officials also highlighted the current procurement status for physical execution of works indicating that contract for railway track works over 1000 kms is expected to be awarded in coming months making the physical execution visible at the ground level. Shri Vinay Mittal apprised the Railway Minister regarding the remarkable achievement of project authorities in obtaining environmental clearance of two Wild Life Sanctuaries and one Bird Sanctuary within 10 to 16 months, which has been possible due to active support and cooperation of the State Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra and their Forest and Environment officials. The Union Ministry of Forest and Environment has also provided necessary assistance by lending the services of an experienced officer to assist DFC project authorities and guide them in processing various forest and environment clearances. The inter-ministerial cooperation has been very effective for the DFC project in this respect. Shri Mittal also pointed out that DFCCIL has successfully complied with stringent requirement of social impact assessment and its mitigation as stipulated by funding agencies like World Bank and JICA. The initial timelines of commissioning of the entire project by December 2016 for both Eastern and Western Corridors stipulated at the time of approval of the project were also reviewed in the light of the subsequent developments of requirement of environmental clearances, processes involved and the ground realities encountered in the project implementation. It was brought out by the project authorities before the Railway Minister that due to sequential progressive processing of different phases of the project by both World Bank and JICA and course correction in the alignment due to various reasons, the commissioning of DFC would now be achieved in phases varying from December 2015 depending on the availability of funds and funding arrangement being tied up wherever it is yet to be concluded. The Railway Minister emphasized the importance of DFC project to be implemented and commissioned at the earliest and the DFCCIL project authorities assured that no stone will be left unturned with the support and assistance of the Ministry of Railways to achieve this mega project of national importance. AKS/HK/BS
The new rail passenger fares, hiked on January 9, will come into effect from Wednesday, with the minimum fare now being pegged on a par with the platform ticket — Rs. 5. Passengers who booked their tickets in advance will have to shell out the difference to the ticket inspectors aboard the train. Fares will be rounded off to multiples of Rs. 5. The hike is up to 40 per cent, which affects some long distance travellers even in the case of unreserved second class and reserved sleeper class tickets. Both these classes had escaped the price hike net due to pressure from the Trinamool Congress in the budget proposals for 2012-13. The flat increase in base fares linked to each km travelled has, for instance, pushed the fare up for those travelling between Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram in the second class to Rs. 445, up from Rs. 321, for a close to 40 per cent additional burden, and in the sleeper class the additional expense goes up to 35 per cent, with passengers having to pay Rs. 745 now as against Rs. 559. However, fares for these two classes have been raised for the first time in over 10 years. Other charges will be levied separately. The hike in air conditioned coaches has been hiked for the second time in a bid to raise money for meeting the daily working expenses of the Railways. During the current year, the Railways hope to get additional revenue of Rs. 1,200 crore. On an annual basis, the fare hike is expected to yield Rs. 6,600 crore for the Railways additionally under the passenger segment. The Railways left the freight sector untouched this time as it had been raised substantially earlier.
the much-awaited airport express line will resume operations on tuesday after being shut for six months. but the trains on this premium corridor will run at 50 kmph, while they clocked at least 105 kmph before the line was shut down for repairs of its civil structure.the reduction of speed is a big drawback for both delhi metro rail corporation and reliance infrastructure, which have been claiming that trains can reach a maximum of 120 kmph on this line.according to metro officers, the speed can be increased after the 'clipping issue' is solved.commercial operations will start on tuesday at 5.30 am on this reliance infrastructure-run 23-km-long corridor, which connects connaught place with terminal-3 of indira gandhi international airport. the airport express line will run daily from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm at a frequency of 15 minutes. check-in and baggage facilities for both international and domestic passengers will not be available for a while."reliance metro's airport express line is connected directly to terminal-3, passengers arriving at or boarding flights from terminal-1 can also avail this service from aerocity station," said reliance infrastructure ltd in a statement. "reliance metro has made arrangements to provide seamless connectivity for terminal-1 passengers to aerocity station through shared cab and shuttle bus services," said the statement. india's first airport metro started operations on february 23, 2011. but due to defects in civil structures, the service had to be suspended in july 2012.the defects were rectified by dmrc, and the line was offered for reinspection to the commissioner of metro rail safety in december 2012. "the line was inspected by the cmrs on january 15 and 16, and a formal clearance for operations was received on january 18," said a reliance infrastructure officer.the corridor has also introduced products like return journey and holiday discount tokens. on january 22, the reopening day, passengers can travel at a discounted fare of rs 30 per trip, said the statement.
a 28-year-old man, who married a woman from meerut in 2009 against her father's wishes, was shot dead at south-west delhi's sagarpur last week by contract killers.the killers were hired by the victim's father-in-law, police said on monday.according to additional commissioner of police (south-west) anil kumar ojha, 28-year-old ashok kumar was killed over strained relations with his in-laws following his marriage with seema.her 58-year-old father, satpal singh, had hired the contract killers for rs 2 lakh, and had already paid rs 50,000.police have arrested satpal and the five killers — kanwar neeraj, 41, dinesh kumar, 42, amit gupta, 33, punit, 20 and ankit sharma, 22."they were held from sagarpur. ashok was shot in his chest on december 16. he was rushed to deen dayal upadhyay hospital, where he succumbed to injuries," ojha said.ashok married seema against satpal's wish three years ago. "the love marriage had led to strained relations between ashok and his in-laws, though after the marriage the woman's family had accepted her decision," ojha added.a girl was also born from the wedlock, following which ashok kept taunting them over the love marriage issue. this enraged several members of his in-laws in meerut, due to which they decided to kill him.satpal had come to delhi recently to hire the contract killers. they observed that ashok travelled towards sagarpur railway crossing between delhi cantonment and palam every morning."finding the right moment, they executed their plan and shot at him near the railway crossing at 9.30 am on december 16," ojha said.a call was made to the police control room, but no witnesses were found. initially, there was no clue about the culprits involved, so local enquiries were made by police. during investigation, it came to light that ashok had strained relations with his in-laws."accordingly, his relatives were interrogated at length, who gave a different version each time. the statements, however, were contradicted by the circumstantial evidence collected," ojha said.the needle of suspicion pointed towards satpal's involvement, due to which police kept track of his movement. on saturday, police got specific information that satpal would come to meet the contract killers in sagarpur."they were arrested, and satpal confessed to his involvement as well," ojha said.a country-made pistol, two knives and an air pistol have been recovered.
The first batch of steel rails for the elevated metro rail sourced from Tata Steel (Corus), France, is expected to reach the city from the Mumbai port by next month end. The consignment will be starting from the steel firm on Republic Day (January 26) and it will take four weeks to reach the Indian port, said Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy and L&T Metro Rail Managing Director V.B. Gadgil. “These head hardened rails are 10 per cent more expensive than the traditional rails. The ultra wear-resistant rails can cut maintenance costs and are ideal for urban commuting where the trains are likely to run from 5 a.m. to midnight continuously,” they said, during a media interaction. The contract with Tata Steel is worth Rs. 180 crore and the maiden consignment will be stocked at the Uppal yard. The first section where the rails are to be laid will be between Nagole and Mettuguda, an eight kilometre stretch, where the viaduct construction is currently on. Foundation and piers work is on at two other locations including the Miyapur-S.R. Nagar, L.B. Nagar-MGBS stretch while barricading is being done at Begumpet. Another construction front is set to be opened between Hi-Tec City and Jubilee Hills with barricades soon. “Ninety-nine per cent of the contracts are complete. The remaining contract for the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) and another for the escalators/elevators will be signed next month,” they stated. Present status is that 483 foundations, 351 piers and 1,307 segments are ready with 10 segments being made each day at the Uppal casting yard. “We have chosen the best vendors in the world and are aware of the challenges ahead. Lot of design engineering has happened in the background whether in piers or stations designs. We believe in engineering combined with architecture for better aesthetics. For instance, our stations will be built on a single pier,” said Mr. Gadgil. “Last year was a glorious year with the works commencing. This is going to be a landmark project among infrastructure works,” exclaimed Mr. Reddy.
the bangalore water supply and sewerage board (bwssb), as part of its disconnection drive on monday, disconnected water and sanitary lines of hotel city centre located on railway station road for non-payment of pro rata due of nearly rs 57 lakh. on day one of the drive, nearly 224 cases of violation of bwssbrules were identified. the board disconnected water and sanitary lines of 99 houses and issued notices to 125 houses.in north-east sub-division, water and sanitary connections of 30 houses were disconnected and notices were issued. three houses in east sub-division and 20 in north sub-division were identified with illegal connections of the utilities; at south-east sub-division five such connections were disconnected and dues of nearly rs 35,000 were recovered; 100 houses in magadi road sub-division, 13 at rajajinagar and 25 at isro layout were served notices, besides disconnecting 12 such lines at isro layout. the drive will continue at mv garden, murphy town, gouthampura, jayaraj nagar of ulsoor service station area on wednesday, and kodihalli, murugesh palya and maruthi nagar areas of domlur on thursday.
A day after the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) gave the green signal to the airport metro link for resumption of service, senior officials of the Ministry of Urban Development travelled on the corridor to take stock before it is thrown open to the public — commercial operations will start Tuesday morning. Last Saturday, 14 officials, including the deputy secretary, under secretaries, directors, boarded the coaches to travel down the corridor as in situ passengers. Sources said the officials reached the New Delhi Metro station at 11 am and boarded the airport Metro to take stock of the entire route. The trip was undertaken to ascertain the fitness of the corridor, the sources said. “Although the CMRS issued the safety approval, it was decided that senior officials should travel on the corridor first and verify the nature of operation. Since the entire corridor has undergone repairs, such a visit before opening the line to the public is very significant,” a senior official said. The inspection was also aimed to study the nature of preparedness along the line. As in the case of passengers, the ministry officials were frisked by CISF personnel manning the entry gates. The officials also bought journey tokens as they looked at the customer desks. Officials also clocked travel time to record journey time. The corridor distance was covered in 22 minutes, four minutes more than the 18 minutes it took earlier, with coaches travelling at 50 kmph. “The Metro ran at a speed of 50 kmph as instructed by the CMRS. As per routine, the train stopped at every Metro station for 1.5 minutes. The Metro completed its journey in 22 minutes,” said an official who was on board the Metro. ... contd.
come january 23, the bangalore metro rail corporation ltd (bmrcl) will finally get in to some real action along namma metro reach 3 stretch between malleswaram and peenya.starting wednesday, the corporation will start energising the extra-high-voltage (ehv) and high-voltage (hv) installations along this stretch ahead of trial runs of the trains on this route.a senior official of the bmrcl told deccan herald that the power supply would be incorporated for various installations along this stretch in a phased manner. this exercise is in connection with the testing of trains and commissioning of reach-3 and 3-a of phase 1 of namma metro project, he said. "energising the entire viaduct between malleswaram and peenya will take some time as related infrastructure between jalahalli cross and dasarahalli is yet to come up. however, other points at metro train depot at peenya, completed viaduct/bridge portions along reach-3 passing via peenya industry area, peenya village, yeshwanthpur, sandal soap factory, mahalakshmi layout, west of chord road, rajajinagar, devaiah park, railway parallel road, srirampura, sampige road will be energised soon," he added.the official said as the power installations were of the capacity ranging from 66 kv to 4,000 kv, the public have been cautioned to stay away from the installations. "generally, there would be no impact on the surface of the ground or surroundings whenever the sub-stations are commissioned or power cables are laid. however, individuals, government and private agencies, gaining unauthorised entry to the metro sub-stations or other power utilities are instructed to desist from such activity which may endanger their lives as well as those of others and equipment. we have also issued a public notification in this regard," he added.
The Secunderabad railway police on Monday arrested a grocery store owner on charges of making a hoax call stating that a bomb was planted at Cavalry Barracks railway station in Alwal and that it would explode any time. K. Subramanyam (50) of Ramachandrapuram in East Godavari district allegedly made the call through his mobile phone a few days ago. With the help of call data list, the police traced his house and arrested him. Secunderabad Railway SP, M. Kantha Rao said stern action would be taken against those making hoax calls and disrupting the train services.
a mentally retarded woman, who has been raped by several men, has given birth to a baby in uttar pradesh's rampur town, about 350 km from here. the woman, who is also deaf and dumb, spent days at the railway station as she had no place to stay. according to reports, it was the woman's third baby. she had been repeatedly raped by unidentified culprits.reports said the woman was seen writhing in pain near the railway tracks a few metres away from the railway station. she gave birth to a female child near the tracks a few days ago.she was taken to government hospital in the town by some people. ironically the victim is not in a position to reveal the identity of the offenders as she is not only mentally retarded but also dumb and deaf.two women constables had been deployed at the hospital for the security of the victim, officials said.hospital officials said two other children of the victim had been adopted a few days after their delivery. "many people have come forward to adopt the new born...we are examining their requests," officials said.doctors said they planned to send the woman to "nari niketan" (a women's home) as both she and the infant needed care. "the question of giving the child in adoption will be considered by the nari niketan authorities," they said. the matter has also been reported to the police who have promised a thorough investigation. the tragic story once more brings to the fore the question of security of destitute women.
the associated chambers of commerce & industry (assocham) has cautioned the government against the renewed demand of a section of the mining industry for reviewing the current export duty structure on iron ore.the structural deficit of iron ore availability for the domestic steel industry is owing to an upper cap in iron ore production coupled with various environmental concerns, assocham said in a communication to steel secretary d r s chaudhary on monday. rather, assocham said, the government must stay vigilant and not repeat the saga of illegal mining caused by unrestrained iron ore exports and interests of the steel industry should be receive government's attention."india has added huge capacity for agglomeration, that is pelletlisation and sintering during the course of the past few years due to the government's decision to adopt fiscal measures to conserve iron ore resources against demand of the steel industry to ban iron ore exports," said assocham while hailing the government's policy to conserve natural resources by imposing 30 per cent export duty on iron ore and differential railway freight for the domestic and export sectors.india has got about 115 million tonnes (mt) of agglomeration capacity against the production of over 101 mt of fines considering that india produced about 170 million tonnes (mt) of iron ore in 2011, including over 66 mt of lumps and over 101 mt of fines, assocham claimed. "thus, the argument that india does not have enough capacity to utilize iron ore fines is incorrect and factually wrong," the industry body maintained, adding that india is likely to have 170 mt agglomeration capacity (84 mt for pellet making and 86 mt sinter making capacities) by 2014.quashing recent reports that iron ore stocks in india have gone up from 88 mt to 104 mt in 2011, assocham said that it is a misconception that stock levels of iron ore in the country have gone up after imposition of export duty. it pointed out that iron ore stocks of 25 mt have been liquidated in karnataka after suspension of mining by the apex court and iron ore stocks have also gone down by 8 mt in 2011, citing information on the orissa government's website.assocham has also claimed that merchant iron ore producers in orissa are deliberately holding iron ore fines stock and selling the lumps at rs 7,500-rs 8,000 per tonne, making windfall profits in the process. "it is to be noted that orissa supplies iron ore lump to various sponge iron producers located in jharkhand, chhatisgarh and west bengal; and, the eastern region has added about 21 mt agglomeration capacity, including over 15 mt pellet and over five mt sinter during the past five years based on supply of iron ore fines from merchant miners," assocham said.it observed that merchant miners have adopted a strategy of selling lump only in domestic market and fines in china, thereby holding back fines' stock and quoting abnormally high prices to pellet producers. this is happening at a time when pellet producers are struggling to source iron ore fines with merchant miners not selling them in apprehension that pellet producers directly competing with their lump could cause significant reduction in prices, assocham said.msme interest subsidy assocham also welcomed the karnataka government's announcement to provide 5 per cent interest subsidy to micro, small & medium entrepreneurs (msmes). j crasta, co-chairman, assocham southern regional council, in a statement on monday also welcomed the decision to enhance investment limits on projects that can be approved at district level by deputy commissioners. he hoped that this would help cut down the time taken in according clearance to various projects. on the proposed interest subsidy for msmes, crasta said that it was rather ironical that despite their crucial role in the economy, msmes have been saddled with high cost of funds. even the cost of bank funds was much higher for msmes in comparison with largescale enterprises. it is equally important to usher in an enabling environment for industries as a whole and msmes in particular, he said. the state government had taken an in-principle decision to withdraw applicability of trade license on industrial units, though a decision has not yet been notified. similarly, industrial units have been asking for a differential rate of property tax on industrial units, but continue to be clubbed with commercial properties, crasta said.
rail fares in all classes will be costlier from tomorrow.railway minister pawan kumar bansal had announced about 21 per cent hike in passenger fares with an aim to mop up additional revenue of rs 6600 crore in a year.according to him, the hike will rake in an additional rs 1200 crore between january 22 and march 31.he had also said that there will be no further hike in the rail budget 2013-14.fares of ordinary second class (suburban) trains will go up by 2 paise per km while for non-suburban travel it will be 3 paise.travel by second class mail and express trains will be costlier by 4 paise per km, while it will be 6 paise more in sleeper class.travellers by ac chair car and ac three tier will have to shell out 10 paise more per km, first class by 3 paise, ac two tier by 6 paise and ac first class by 10 paise.the fares for first class, ac two tier and ac first/ executive class were already raised by 10 paise per km, 15 and 30 paise respectively in the fiscal's budget.breaking away from the populism of his predecessors, including lalu prasad and mamata banerjee, bansal, who was made the railway minister last october, has said that the decision to hike the fares was "imperative" as lack of revision in the last 10 years has had a "telling effect" on the railway finances.dinesh trivedi, who succeeded his party chief banerjee, made a bold decision to hike fares in the budget in february, 2012 to mop up an additional rs 4000 crore but he was made to resign by his party trinamool congress which was opposed to it.
after being shut for six months, reliance infrastructure-run delhi airport metro express would be thrown open for the public from tomorrow but trains will run at a drastically reduced speed of 50 km per hour.trains on the corridor were earlier running at a speed of 105 km per hour.commercial operations of the 23-km corridor that connects connaught place with terminal-3 of the indira gandhi international airport will begin at 5.30 am on tuesday morning.however, check-in and baggage facilities for both international and domestic passengers would not be available for the time being.though resumption of services would bring smiles on the faces of commuters, an 18-20 minute journey from connaught place to the terminal 3 of igi airport will hitherto take at least 30 to 35 minutes, effectively failing the purpose of a high-speed corridor."reliance metro's airport express line would run daily from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm at a frequency of 15 minutes. reliance metro has made arrangements to provide seamless connectivity for terminal-1 passengers to aerocity station through shared cab and shuttle bus services," a reliance infra spokesman said.as a promotional initiative, passengers can travel on the line at a discounted fare of rs 30 tomorrow from anywhere to anywhere. on a normal day, the minimum fare is rs 20 and the maximum is rs 100.the services would resume tomorrow six months after the line was shut down for repairs in the civil structure. the commissioner of metro rail safety r k kardam, who inspected the corridor last week, gave the green signal for resumption of service at a reduced speed of 50 km per hour.the speed would gradually be increased after periodic inspections by the delhi metro. trains on the corridor were run at a speed of 105 km per hour when the line was shut on july 8, 2012. in addition to single journey tokens, airport line has introduced new products in the form of return journey tokens and sunday/holiday discount tokens while retaining the monthly passes for regular commuters.baggage check-in infrastructure for both national and international travel are in place but the service of baggage check-in would start shortly, the spokesman said.the corridor was shut in july last year after reliance infra complained to the delhi metro that cracks have been noticed on civil structures of the corridor. delhi metro completed the civil structure and handed it over to reliance infra for operations in 2010.the reduction of speed comes a big blow for both delhi metro and reliance infra which have been claiming that trains can be run at a maximum of 120 km per hour.problems were also noticed in the clippings used in the underground section of the corridor. it is believed that the train speed can be increased only when the clipping issue is rectified.the problems on the civil structure also led the reliance infrastructure offer to quit the line citing financial non- viability. but, delhi metro rejected the offer and the same is now referred to arbitration.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is going to construct an underground subway across the busy Pankha Road in West Delhi to connect its Dabri Mor Metro station on the upcoming Janakpuri West – Botanical Garden corridor with the localities on the other side of the road. A statement by DMRC said this subway will come up just before the Dabri Mor circle on the left side of Pankha Road. Thus entry to Dabri Mor station would be provided from both sides of Pankha Road. The Dabri Mor station will be constructed just adjacent to the Janakpuri C2D area on Delhi Development Authority land. The subway will connect the station with localities such as Sitapuri, Dabri Mor Police Station and Sagarpur on the other side of Pankha Road. The DMRC has claimed that construction of this subway will be an engineering feat as it will be built 9.77 metres below the road level and without hampering the construction of a flyover right above it. The subway will also pass below the existing drain on Pankha Road and the Metro tunnel will come up below the subway at a depth of 17.05 metres from road level. An innovative technology known as ‘box pushing’ will be used to construct this subway. In the use of this technology, vertical excavation or large scale digging is not required. The technology uses reinforced cement concrete boxes in segments that are cast and then pushed through below the road to create a tunnel. The traffic on the busy road also will not be hampered. Generally the construction of such subways involves large scale excavation which lead to problems such as diversion of road traffic. The technology being used in this construction by Delhi Metro would minimise public inconvenience, DMRC said. Apart from Metro commuters, the subway would also help the general public cross the busy Pankha Road. This subway would be about 75 metres long and would have a breadth of 7 metres and height of about 3.5 metres. Approximately 20,000 Metro commuters are expected to use the Dabri Mor station daily once the line is commissioned in 2016. The DMRC said the tenders for the station have been received and are being evaluated currently. This station has been built in a slightly curved manner to avoid any demolition of private or public properties.
In yet another rail accident involving wildlife in Odisha, a bear was killed and its cub seriously injured, hit by a train near Subalaya in the Berhampur forest division in the small hours of Sunday. It was in the same area where five elephants were fatally knocked down by the speeding Chennai-bound Coromandel Express on the night of December 29 last. In Sunday’s accident, said to have occurred around 4 a.m., the 10-year-old mother bear, received head injury and died on the spot. The two-year-old female cub, suffered fracture in both legs. It was first treated at the Rambha veterinary hospital and later shifted to the Nandankanan Zoological Park as its condition was serious, said Bijay Kumar Hota, ranger of the Khallikote forest range, where the accident occurred.
delhi metro will construct a subway across the busy pankha road at janakpuri area in west delhi to connect one of its proposed stations under phase-3 with localities on the other side of the road. the subway will also help commuters to cross the road as it will come up in an unpaid area of the station.the dabri mor metro station will be constructed adjacent to c2-d block of janakpuri on the upcoming janakpuri west-botanical garden corridor. thus, the station will have entry from both sides of pankha road. the subway will be built before the dabri mor circle on the left side of pankha road moving towards sagarpur and delhi cantonment areas. "it will connect the station with localities such as sitapuri, dabri mor police station and sagarpur," said a delhi metro official. it will be 75 metre long stretch with seven metre breadth and about 3.5 metre height.landmark engineeringmetro officials said the subway will be an architectural landmark as it will be built at a depth of 9.77 metre from the road level without hampering the construction of a flyover right above it."the subway will pass below the existing drain on pankha road. an innovative technology known as box pushing will be used to construct it," the official said."generally, the construction of such subways involve large scale excavation which lead to problems like diversion of road traffic. but this technology doesn't require vertical excavation or large scale digging." "therefore, the traffic on the busy road will not be hampered and shall minimise public inconvenience," added the official. the dabri mor metro station will cater to areas such as sitapuri, dabri, sagarpur, uttam nagar, and parts of janakpuri. metro officials said approximately 20,000 commuters are expected to use this line after it is commissioned in 2016.
terror outfit indian mujahideen through an email has threatened to carry out an attack in delhi — like the 26/11 mumbai attack — in the coming few days and they have allegedly made necessary arrangements.the special cell of delhi police received a complaint from the leela kempinski in gurgaon that it has received a threatening email from people claiming to be members of im on sunday. the leela kempinski then forwarded the mail to its hotel — the leela palace in chankyapuri — on sunday afternoon. thereafter, the hotel immediately approached special cell of delhi police with the complaint and a copy of the email. police after receiving the email started a probe into the matter, and are trying to trace the computer from where the email was sent. "we have received a complaint from the leela palace in chanakyapuri about the im terror attack threat," said a senior police officer.the email stated that im operatives will carry out a terror strike in delhi and will target the leela palace just like they attacked taj mahal palace in mumbai. "we are prepared and we are warning you," the email stated.intelligence reports also stated that im may target new delhi on republic day. the special cell in october last year had arrested five suspected im members for involvement in the 2012 pune serial blasts. police found that they had plans to carry out blasts in delhi and bihar. sayed maqbool, who hails from maharashtra's nanded district, was arrested from hyderabad on tuesday last for executing the blasts. earlier, police arrested asad khan, 33, and imran khan, 31, from their hideout in south-east delhi's pul prahladpur on september 26, while sayed feroz alias hamza, 38, was nabbed from nizamuddin railway station on october 1 and landge irfan mustafa, 30, from jaipur on october 10. but three operatives of im responsible for the pune attack are still absconding, and police are carrying out raids to nab them. one of the im operatives raju bhai was based in delhi and was providing shelter to the arrested members. raju is said to have set up a few modules in delhi. police have intensified their counter-terror apparatus and are gathering intelligence and questioning the arrested accused.
The crew of the tug boat, which was towing a barge, that crashed into Pamban rail bridge on January 13, causing damage, has violated “operational procedure,” according to C. Sylendra Babu, Additional Director General of Police, Coastal Security Group (CSG). Preliminary enquiries conducted by the CSG revealed that the crew of the tug boat, owned by Kolkata-based Titagarh Marine Ltd. had violated operational procedure while anchoring, Mr. Babu told The Hindu, after chairing a combined high level meeting with representatives of various stakeholders at the Coast Guard Station in Mandapam on Saturday. The CSG has registered case against the company under section 151 of the Indian Railways Act, 1989, for causing damage to Railway property; he said, adding that after finding out the exact cause for the mishap, the crew would be dealt with as per the law. The explanations offered by the crew that anchor failure, following gusty winds, resulted in the freak mishap, could not be accepted as they should have obtained the weather report and details of the wind speed. “In today’s technological development, one could get the weather report on mobile phones,” he said. He said when Pamban port officials made it clear that they should anchor the vessels two nautical miles away from the bridge, the crew should have taken extreme care while anchoring the vessels. But on the very next day of their arrival on January 8, the two vessels were hardly 300 meters away from the bridge, he said. Mr. Babu, after inspecting the repair and restoration work at the Pamban rail bridge, held a combined meeting with the representatives of Indian Coast Guard, Navy, Southern Railway, Pamban Port, Railway Protection Force and Tamil Nadu Railway Police at the Mandapam Coast Guard Station and discussed as how the barge crashed into the bridge. He said they discussed in the meeting whether ships could be allowed to cross through the bridge as and whey they arrive to avoid such mishaps in future and about the steps to be taken to avert such accidents. Sources said the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has also filed a case against the private company under sections 154 and 174 of the Indian Railways Act, 1989. The cases were registered based on a complaint given by R. Sivakumar, Senior Section Engineer (Bridge), Pamban, against Subashish Lahiri, the ship contractor of Corporated Ship Management Services (Pvt) Ltd., Kolkata.
what will you do if you are travelling on a train crossing through bihar, and your luggage is stolen? obviously, you will lodge a complaint with the government railway police (grp) at the next station.this is precisely what tata steel employee jitendra sinha did when he found his suitcases containing cash, jewellery and expensive clothes stolen while coming from jamshedpur to patna on the south bihar express at around 6 am. he got down at patna railway station and went to the grp office to lodge an fir. but much to his horror, he was admonished by the grp as if he was the culprit. he was even dissuaded by the police not to lodge any fir. when that too did not work, he was given a lecture by the same police on why it was important to stay awake when the train was crossing between kiul and patna, which happens to be a happy hunting ground for the luggage-lifters."the police first made me wait for three hours to lodge the complaint because initially they rebuked me for not being cautious. then they told me that since the incident site was not under their jurisdiction, i should avoid lodging an fir there. but when i insisted, one of the cops gave me sermon how it was imperative for every passenger to not sleep when the train was crossing through specific zones where luggage-lifters were active," said jitendra."after we boarded the train in jamshedpur at 7 pm the previous night, we remained awake till the train reached kiul at around 4 am. everything was fine till then. surprisingly, all of us fell asleep after that. the next thing we knew was that all our luggage containing valuables and clothes had been stolen by 6 am. other passenger umesh kumar sinha, travelling in the same bogie, was also relieved of his belongings.he too faced the same ordeal while lodging complaint with the police," said jitendra, who was travelling along with my wife neeta and daughter prachi.the police got angry with jitendra when he pointed out that there was no patrolling party in the train, and the dubious attendant, who took money to allow unauthorised passengers enter the compartment, was not in his uniform. "you slept in the moving train… and you are blaming the cops and the attendant," the grp men reportedly admonished the complainant.meanwhile, jitendra's complaint has been forwarded from patna junction grp to patna saheb grp under whose jurisdiction the theft took place.
wretched roadstrucks loaded with sand and gravel (jelly stones) are parked daily on both sides of the road on the kottigepalya-gollarahatti stretch of magadi road.though the road widening work was taken up three years ago, the quality of asphalting and widening work is poor and not uniform. the congestion of the road due to parking of trucks, the sand which is spilt on the road and the substandard work has caused problems for road users. there are also no streetlights on the road. we request the authorities to take up immediate action in this regard.lokesh, bharatnagar, viswaneedam post.streetlights not switched offstreetlights are not switched off during the day time on the 2nd main road in prashanthnagar. complaints to the energy minister and the assistant engineer concerned resulted in the lights being switched off for some days. but once again, the lights are not being switched off, despite bescom authorities advising bbmp south circle to turn off the lights at dawn. the authorities are requested to resolve the problem permanently.p lrao close the open drain there is an open drain near the bda complex in banashankari opposite punjab national bank. it has posed a great danger to pedestrians and vehicle users. the roads are no better. the authorities need to set it right.bhaskar reddybanashankaripower disruption​an electricity pole was shifted to an adjacent plot by the ​bescom authorities at singanayakahalli in rajankunte, to facilitate construction of a compound wall. but the wiring works were not done properly, resulting in disruption of power supply in eight houses in the vicinity. complaining to the lineman and junior engineer did not help. it is in the interest of the residents, if the problem is fixed at the earliest.n k shankar, # 384, doddaballapur main road, singanayakanalliexorbitant parking feea sum of rs 20 is charged as car parking charges at cantonment railway station for a mere 10 minutes. the attendants there say the minimum parking fee is rs 20 for the first two hours. the minimum parking fee at the city railway station is rs 10. the authorities must look into the anomaly.satyanarayana, vasanthanagar complete underpass workit has ​taken two years to undertake work on the underpass (of a mere one km) at cnr rao circle, causing inconvenience to the road users. if the palike is so starved of funds, it can collect money from in donation boxes kept near the temporary underpass. the long-delayed work must be finished at the earliest.vimala lakhotia repair roads​the road condition in areas surrounding kadubisanahalli, especially at panathur road junction, is abysmal. these roads are a part of the famed outer ring road. the underpass construction work was completed recently at the expense of these "connecting" roads. i request the authorities concerned to ensure that the connecting roads are repaired.santosh shaastry palike turns bingipura into landfill the bbmp and its contractors have converted s bingipura village, off bannerghatta road, into a landfill site and are dumping the city's garbage there. initially, they used to dump garbage in the open fields. a high-rise compound was constructed around the place recently. a banner has also come up, indicating the blueprint of a proposed park on the site, to divert the attention of innocent villagers. the villagers are facing untold miseries because of this. it is hoped that garbage segregation and disposal is done in a sensible and scientific way.prakash r, jayanagar 8th block repair suranjandas roadthe suranjandas road connects two major roads - the old airport road and old madras road. the road is very congested due to heavy vehicular traffic and the road widening work. also, the stretch from beml circle to hal main gate junction is in very bad condition, with a number of potholes. the officials are requested to do the needful.k hari kiran, new thippasandra night bus service requiredthe g3 and g4 big 10 bus services of the bmtc from brigade road junction to electronics city has helped commuters a great deal. but there are hardly any of these buses operating after 9 pm. there are many commuters, especially women, from brigade road to electronics city after 8 pm. the authorities must ply more of these buses after 9 pm.poornima building byelaws are being violated in the construction of ground plus five floors, without providing setbacks or car parking, on the road from kundalahalli gate to sai baba temple. even the mandatory two feet space is not provide between buildings. corrective steps must be taken in these buildings to prevent mishaps and damage to neighbouring buildings in future. nayak r kre-install traffic lightthe traffic light in front of mallya hospital which allowed pedestrians to cross the road has been removed. it is impossible to cross this road now. vehicle users do not care to slow down for pedestrians. the police must reintroduce the traffic light. m n subba rao supply water residents of 5th main road, hbr layout 3rd block,1st stage are not getting cauvery water for some years now. the residents are buying water from private suppliers by paying a huge sum of money.p rajagopalan discipline bus driversthe ​bmtc drivers are found talking on their mobile phones while driving on the city roads. the bmtc authorities are hereby requested to advise the drivers to desist from this dangerous practice, which may lead to accidents.nazir ahmedclear garbagethe vacant site on # 187 on nagarbhavi main road in canara bank colony has turned into a garbage dumping yard as the owner has not bothered to visit the site in the past 15 to 20 years. m s nanjundaiah
for the first time, indian railways is likely to introduce braille stickers in trains for visually-challenged passengers to facilitate their travel."we are planning to provide braille stickers inside the coaches for assisting visually impaired passengers," a senior railway ministry official said."we are in the process of finalising details of introducing braille stickers. this is the first time that indian railways is exploring such initiative," the official added. the initiative is likely to be announced in the rail budget 2013-14, he said.braille is a writing system which enables visually challenged and partially sighted people to read and write through touch. recognising the needs of physically challenged persons, the railways has also decided to provide special arrangements in all mail and express trains to facilitate their travel. "railways is manufacturing coaches with specially designed compartments and toilets for passengers with disabilities. now second class luggage room coaches are being modified to facilitate boarding of trains by the differently abled travellers," he said.all mail and express trains with modified coaches, known as slrd (second class luggage rake for disabled) coaches, will have reserved seats for physically challenged persons, official said.doors of slrd coaches are being widened to facilitate the boarding of passengers using wheel-chairs. railways had made a commitment to a parliamentary committee to make special provision for facilitating train boarding for physically challenged passengers. "till date approximately 2,300 such coaches have been manufactured and at least one slrd is provided in almost every mail and express train. similarly garib rath trains have been provided with ac compartment in power cars for differently abled passengers," he said.
a week after the historic pamban rail bridge (prb) over the sea, connecting the pilgrim-island of rameshwaram with mainland india, was damaged when a barge rammed into it in the palk straits, the railways on sunday resumed train services partially. they hope to restore full services from jan 22.this gingerly resumption of train services over the 2.3 km long, 100-years-old cantilever bridge was made possible after a big team of engineers and workers worked rigorously for the past week in the repair and restoration works at the site, official sources in rameshwaram said on sunday.on saturday, the damaged 121st pier of prb was completely dismantled and a temporary pier using steel cribs was erected in its place, the sources said. earlier the railway engineers had, on either side of the damaged pier, erected two temporary piers to enable the removal of the twisted pier caused by the mishap.the damaged pier's structure was so strong, that the railway engineers and workers found it a herculean task in breaking it down. eventually, they had to deploy an unconventional method of using controlled blasting with low-intensive gelatin sticks that caused some cracks in the structure. then workmen pulled it down.a k rastogi, southern railway's madurai divisional manager, m satish, chief engineer from chennai, oversaw the restoration works. a trial run by a lone engine, followed by it pulling an empty rake with 22 coaches was done on the temporarily repaired prb on saturday, was successful and it cleared the decks for resuming normal train services from sunday. however, the railways wished to take no chances and hence decided to start with a restricted trains flow over the prb.
Jaipur: Ruling out roll-back of the 'small' 45 paisa increase in diesel prices, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily today said bulk consumers like Railways will have to find their own budget to buy the fuel at market price. "No, no, there is no question of roll back," Moily, who is here to attend the Congress brainstorming session, told reporters. The government had two days back raised diesel prices after a gap of four months by a marginal 45 paisa per liter for retail users like car and truck owners and hiked the rate for bulk users like defence and Railways by about Rs 10, to cut subsidy bill. After including local sales tax or VAT, price of diesel for retail users went up by 50 paisa to Rs Rs 47.65 a litre in Delhi. Bulk users, which consumer around 17.77 per cent of the total diesel sales in the country, will pay Rs 56.88 a litre in Delhi. The government has refused to call its January 17 decision deregulation even though it has permitted oil companies to raise diesel prices by the same quantum from time to time till the over Rs 9 per litre loss on the fuel is wiped out. Moily said diesel and petrol had been deregulated by the BJP-led NDA government in 2002, but the UPA government had continues to subsidise diesel, the nation's most consumed fuel. "This (deregulation) has been going on even during the days of NDA," he said. "(There were demands that) there should be deregulation of diesel and this is the only commodity where we have the regulations." Asked about the impact of the decision on Railways, Moily said it will "largely" have no impact as bulk buyers purchase other inputs and fuels at commercial rates. "They are all running commercially and ultimately they have to find their own budget," he said. Railways buy 2.428 million tonnes of diesel annually and will have to shell out Rs 2,727 crore more for buying the fuel at market price. State transport undertakings would have to shell out an additional Rs 2,462 crore for buying 2.192 million tonnes of diesel at market price. Defence, the third largest bulk buyer, would pay an additional Rs 299 crore for purchase of their annual 267,000 tonnes of diesel.
petroleum and natural gas minister m. veerappa moily saturday ruled out the possibility of government rolling back the decision allowing oil marketing companies (omcs) to revise diesel prices from time to time. "india is the only country where we have the regulation of the diesel prices. we have to pay dollars and billions of crore are paid. if we go on paying in dollars ultimately the country will become bankrupt," moily said, when asked if government was contemplating rolling back the partial deregulation of diesel prices as demanded by the entire opposition and parties supporting the government.diesel accounts for 59 percent of the estimated rs.160,000 crore fuel subsidy bill of the government in 2012-13. the decision is expected to cut the subsidy bill by rs.12,900 crore as a result of the hike in price of diesel sold to bulk consumers like the railways and state transport undertakings. the oil companies have been permitted to raise diesel prices by a small quantum periodically till such time that they are able to cover rs 9.60 per litre loss they incur on the fuel.the minister said continuing the heavy fuel subsidies will only burden the economy."what will happen if the fiscal deficit rises? our ratings and investment will come down. nobody will come and invest and when it comes down then we become a junk state," moily said.
Ruling out roll-back of the “small” 45 paisa increase in diesel prices, Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily on Saturday said bulk consumers like Railways will have to find their own budget to buy the fuel at market price. “No, no, there is no question of roll back,” Mr. Moily, who is in Jaipur to attend the Congress brainstorming session, told reporters. The government had two days back raised diesel prices after a gap of four months by a marginal 45 paisa per litre for retail users like car and truck owners and hiked the rate for bulk users like defence and Railways by about Rs. 10, to cut subsidy bill. After including local sales tax or VAT, price of diesel for retail users went up by 50 paisa to Rs. 47.65 a litre in Delhi. Bulk users, which consumer around 17.77 per cent of the total diesel sales in the country, will pay Rs. 56.88 a litre in Delhi. The government has refused to call its January 17 decision deregulation even though it has permitted oil companies to raise diesel prices by the same quantum from time to time till the over Rs 9 per litre loss on the fuel is wiped out. Mr. Moily said diesel and petrol had been deregulated by the BJP-led NDA government in 2002, but the UPA government had continues to subsidise diesel, the nation’s most consumed fuel. “This (deregulation) has been going on even during the days of NDA,” he said. “(There were demands that) there should be deregulation of diesel and this is the only commodity where we have the regulations.” Asked about the impact of the decision on Railways, Mr. Moily said it will “largely” have no impact as bulk buyers purchase other inputs and fuels at commercial rates. “They are all running commercially and ultimately they have to find their own budget,” he said. Railways buy 2.428 million tonnes of diesel annually and will have to shell out Rs. 2,727 crore more for buying the fuel at market price. State transport undertakings would have to shell out an additional Rs. 2,462 crore for buying 2.192 million tonnes of diesel at market price. Defence, the third largest bulk buyer, would pay an additional Rs 299 crore for purchase of their annual 267,000 tonnes of diesel.
LUCKNOW: Passengers who got reservation done before January 22 but will be boarding the train after January 21 midnight will have to pay the difference in the fare as per the hikes announced recently. The hike in rail fare will come into effect from January 22. Railways, therefore, have made arrangements to make it easier for passengers to pay the difference in fare. Passengers can pay the excess fare at the additional counters opened at Lucknow Junction. They can pay the extra fare and obtain receipt for it to save themselves from inconvenience during the journey. A passenger will otherwise be asked to pay the extra fare on-board the train.
CHENNAI: Stepping up her attack on the UPA government, chief minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced a state-wide protest by AIADMK in front of central government offices on January 24 over 'denial' of the state's rights and other issues including diesel price and railway fare hike. The AIADMK chief announced the decision to hit the streets citing the delay in notifying the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal's final award, denial of additional power to the state reeling under acute shortage and allocation of funds. The protests, to be held by the labour wing of the party in district headquarters, was also against the Centre's measures such as repeated increase in prices of petroleum products and railway fare which badly hit the poor people, she said in a statement here. Jayalalithaa alleged "the Congress-led UPA government was bent upon stifling the rights of states dealing a blow to the federal character enshrined in the Constitution and rejecting the just demands of non-congress ruled states." She accused the Centre of maintaining silence on the issue of notifying the Cauvery tribunal's final award because of political reasons. The DMK, a key ally of UPA, remained a mute spectator for 'selfish' motives. Jayalalithaa, who spares no opportunity to target the UPA at the Centre, asked party cadres to register their protest against the "dictatorial alliance which is led by the Congress and includes DMK.
stepping up her attack on the upa government, chief minister jayalalithaa today announced a state-wide protest by aiadmk in front of central government offices on january 24 over 'denial' of the state's rights and other issues including diesel price and railway fare hike.the aiadmk chief announced the decision to hit the streets citing the delay in notifying the cauvery waters dispute tribunal's final award, denial of additional power to the state reeling under acute shortage and allocation of funds.the protests, to be held by the labour wing of the party in district headquarters, was also against the centre's measures such as repeated increase in prices of petroleum products and railway fare which badly hit the poor people, she said in a statement here.jayalalithaa alleged "the congress-led upa government was bent upon stifling the rights of states dealing a blow to the federal character enshrined in the constitution and rejecting the just demands of non-congress ruled states.she accused the centre of maintaining silence on the issue of notifying the cauvery tribunal's final award because of political reasons. the dmk, a key ally of upa, remained a mute spectator for 'selfish' motives.jayalalithaa, who spares no opportunity to target the upa at the centre, asked party cadres to register their protest against the "dictatorial alliance which is led by the congress and includes dmk."
A booklet with graphic representations brought out by the safety department of the South Western Railway, Bangalore Division, to create safety awareness among loco pilots and station masters appears to have offended loco pilots and station masters. The booklet comes in the wake of the May 22, 2012 Hampi Express accident at Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh that claimed 25 lives. The Commissioner of Railway Safety had, after an inquiry, held the loco pilot and the station master of Penukonda Railway Station responsible for accident. While the loco pilot was charged with jumping the caution signal, the station master was charged with setting points towards the line occupied by a stationary goods train. The caricatures show the family members of a loco pilot persuading him to go for shopping at a time when he was supposed to take rest after his shift. After the loco pilot leaves home for duty, his wife comes to know about the Penukonda accident and is worried whether it was the same train driven by her husband. However, her husband returns home safely after two days as he was driving another train at the time. The caricatures go on to discuss safety aspects with opinions from experts who say that the Penukonda accident was due to the negligence of the loco pilot as well as the station master. The expert in the caricatures says that proper rest is a must for loco pilots. Decrease workload However, the All India Loco Running Staff Association, South Western Railway, has taken objection to these caricatures saying that they paint loco pilots and their families in bad picture. All the railway zones should have implemented the recommendations of the Railway Board towards enhancing the comfort levels of loco pilots and providing adequate rest to them to help avoid Signal Passing At Danger. The South Western Railway instead is blaming loco pilots and their families for accidents, the association regretted. It also pointed out that many posts of loco pilots are lying vacant as a result of which railway divisions are extending the working hours of loco pilots. ‘Only educative’ Sources in the South Western Railway said that the authorities did not intend to put loco pilots and their families in bad light. The literature is only educative and is aimed at enhancing awareness among loco pilots, station masters and their families about the safety of passengers, the sources said. “Very few people read through printed letters, be it rules or guidelines. Hence, we thought about pictorial depiction of an incident to draw their attention. If the association has reacted, it is good as the loco pilots have gone through the material,” the sources said. They also said that the Penukonda accident was purely because of the negligence of the loco pilot and the station master. The loco pilot had reportedly spent the entire day of his rest attending to domestic work and reported back to duty without having had any rest. Clearly, he was fatigued when the train crossed the signal at danger, the sources said.
With the hike in the diesel prices for bulk purchases raised to the market price, the Railways have to cough up 30 per cent more on fuel cost and are staring at the spectre of another increase in rail charges, although the recent passenger hike is yet to come into force. The government’s decision to do away with subsidy on diesel to bulk purchasers will impose an additional annual burden of Rs. 2,700 crore on the Railways. About 250 crore litre of diesel is consumed by the Railways to operate 70 per cent of its 65,000 km route. The oil marketing companies have raised the diesel prices by Rs. 9.25 a litre for bulk purchasers for an actual burden of Rs. 10.8 after including other charges like VAT. Currently, the Railways dole out about Rs. 9,000 crore annually on diesel. Only 30 per cent of the track has been electrified so far. Given the pace of electrification, the continued dependence on diesel will only compound the woes of the Railways, which are hard pressed to meet even the daily operating expenses. The Railways will have to bear an additional burden of Rs. 550 crore in the remaining part of the current financial year, taking away almost half of the revenue of Rs. 1,200 crore Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has struggled to raise, by hiking passenger fares that will become effective from January 22. Similarly, the annual burden of Rs. 2,700 due to the rise in diesel prices would leave little of Rs. 6,500 crore, which the Railways would be realising from hiked passenger fares for development purposes. Last week, Mr. Bansal stressed that the revenue raised would be used for better amenities and passenger safety. While he ruled out any hike in passenger fares in his budget proposals for the next financial year and resisted freight rate hike to not render the Railways uncompetitive, Railway authorities said they would have to collectively consider the ramification. The option would be to either absorb the hike or pass a part of it to the passengers. The recent hike in passenger fares was about 25 per cent over and above what was proposed, but withdrawn, in the budget proposals for 2012-13. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had directed the Railways to put up the constitution of a Rail Tariff Authority for the consideration of the Cabinet, so that the body could automatically take note of the volatility in the prices of fuel and other inputs and make recommendations for adjusting the fares accordingly. But the Ministry has not considered it necessary to meet that deadline.
making way for namma metro, some of the education department offices will be shifting out of their k groad office to a new premise in sheshadripuram.the foundation stone for the centralised admission cell was laid by chief minister jagadish shettar and primary & secondary education minister vishweshwara hegde kageri on friday. the building is expected to house the offices of the cell, mid-day meals office, textbooks association office and other allied offices related to primary school and secondary education department. kageri said close to rs 17.50 crore will be spent on the new building, slated to come up within the government urdu higher primary school. fearing demolition of urdu school, local residents who protested the move, were assured by kageri that the school will be given rs 55 lakh for allotment of a new building within the same premise.
Gets safety clearance at reduced speed, travel time will nearly double. Six months after operations were suspended over safety concerns, the Airport Metro service will be back on the tracks as early as Monday or Tuesday next. It will run at 50 kmph, down from the 90-100 kmph it did earlier. The speed will be increased gradually after inspection of the line. On Friday, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) showed the green light for resumption of service after giving safety clearance to the 22.7-km line. CMRS R K Kadam sent a seven-page clearance document to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). “The CMRS has issued approval for commencement of operations on the Airport Metro line. The corridor is now fit for operation,” a DMRC spokesperson said. The approval came 48 hours after the CMRS completed a two-day inspection of the corridor. The Airport Metro is a public-private partnership between the DMRC and Reliance Infra-backed operator Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Ltd (DAMEPL). Services on the line were suspended on July 8, 2012, after structural defects were detected. The clearance for resumption of service has come with a rider. The CMRS has said the initial speed limit has to be 50 kmph. “The speed limit will be increased gradually after periodic inspection by the DMRC,” sources said, adding that the DMRC had asked for a speed limit of 80 kmph. The Airport Metro line was designed as a high-speed corridor with coaches running at 120 kmph. Before services were suspended, the Metro touched a peak speed of 105 kmph. ... contd.
karnataka power transmission corporation limited (kptcl) managing director s selvakumar, on friday, said the power corporation is all set to provide necessary power to upcoming corridors of the namma metro in different parts of the city.selvakumar inaugurated a set of sub station of kptcl in the city and said the sub-stations at vrishabhavathi valley and remko centre will provide the electricity to the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) to run trains whenever the reach 2 becomes operational in this part. "the station at remko is 2x31.5 mvacapacity and the one at vrishabhavathi valley is of 2x150 mva capacity," he added.officials of kptcl said the new stations will meet the additional power demand of areas namely nayandanahalli, mysore road, kengeri and rajarajeshwarinagar. another sub-station of 2x20 mva was also inaugurated in kengeri on friday.
The delegation level Inter-Governmental Railway meeting between India and Bangladesh was held here from 14th to 16th January 2013. On the agenda for this meeting, there were items relating to technical, operational and financial matters such as improvement in running of Maitree Express, streamlining of inter-country freight train operations, upgrading infrastructure and establishing more rail connectivity points to enhance people-to-people contact between the two countries. This inter-ministerial bilateral meeting is held alternately in Dhaka and New Delhi and provides a forum for discussion for important railway related issues. With a view to increasing people-to-people contact between India and Bangladesh, it was decided to expedite the projects for opening rail links between Akhaura (Bangladesh) – Agartala (India), Chilahati (Bangladesh) – Haldibari (India), Shahbazpur (Bangladesh) – Mahishashan (India) and Birol (Bangladesh) – Radhikapur (India) and also examine the feasibility of establishing a rail link between Feni (Bang;ladesh) and Belonia (India). Both the delegations agreed to examine the feasibility of increasing the frequency of Maitree Express and introducing the system of return tickets. A Working Group comprising of Government officials from both countries has been formed. It will o into the total gamut issues relating to financial, operational, commercial and security issues including passenger comfort associated with the running of Maitree Express. The Working Group will submit its report soon. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Devi Prasad Pande, Additional Member (Traffic), Railway Board and Bangladesh delegation was led by Mr. Shah Zahirul Islam, Additional Director General (Operation). The discussions were held and concluded in a cordial constructive atmosphere. AKS/HK/BS
The Railways have generated Rs. 61434.74 crore of revenue earnings from commodity-wise freight traffic during April-December 2012 as compared to Rs. 49197.03 crore during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 24.87 per cent. Railways carried 735.32 million tonnes of commodity-wise freight traffic during April-December 2012 as compared to 704.86 million tonnes carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 4.32 per cent. The Net Tonne Kilo Metres (NTKM) went up from 466870 million during April-December 2011 to 470956 million during April-December 2012, showing an increase of 0.88 per cent. Out of the total earnings of Rs. 7491.74 crore from commodity-wise freight traffic during the month of December 2012, Rs. 3347.27 crore came from transportation of 44.50 million tonnes of coal, followed by Rs. 581.75 crore from 9.46 million tonnes of iron ore for exports, steel plants and for other domestic user, Rs. 674.78 crore from 8.72 million tonnes of cement, Rs. 596.54 crore from 4.24 million tonnes of foodgrains, Rs. 403.16 crore from 3.45 million tonnes of petroleum oil and lubricant (POL), Rs. 440.40 crore from 3.01 million tonnes of Pig iron and finished steel from steel plants and other points, Rs. 480.23 crore from 4.38 million tonnes of fertilizers, Rs. 130.07 crore from 1.24 million tonnes of raw material for steel plants except iron ore, Rs. 335.67 crore from 3.43 million tonnes by container service and Rs. 501.87 crore from 5.79 million tonnes of other goods. AKS/HK/BS
data for 800 companies from bombay stock exchange. values are: day's closing price, previous closing price in brackets, 52-week low and high in bold, and volume traded (in 000) in brackets.group aa a b b 691.3(699.15)915-676(7) a c c 1386.0(1387.35)1514-1105(24) abbot 1489.95(1486.35)1807-1375(0) abg shipyard 383.25(386.2)463-295(28) abirlanuv 1148.85(1157.35)1185-726(56) acl 197.5(197.85)220-135(249) adani enter 262.95(267.9)455-151(313) akruti city 178.35(180.5)240-161(51) allahabad bank 181.55(186.75)211-103(168) alok industr 11.69(11.88)23-10(1318) alstom proje 385.0(393.4)441-326(8) andhra bank 121.5(125.0)138-89(112) apollo hosps 807.35(809.65)902-553(7) apollo tyres 88.4(90.05)102-63(195) arvind 99.85(103.8)107-59(1290) ashok leyland 26.7(26.45)32-20(670) asian paints 4276.6(4313.4)4494-2701(4) aurobindo phar 188.25(192.6)204-95(212) axis bank 1409.65(1422.45)1429-922(168) b b h e l 225.6(229.3)328-195(380) bajajhoin 998.25(990.45)1058-625(5) balaji tele. 54.95(59.45)63-30(182) ballarpur ind 22.7(22.8)26-17(61) bank of india 379.4(385.05)408-253(150) bharat earth. 275.65(277.5)702-270(25) bharat forge 251.7(256.15)347-245(43) bhartiartl 342.45(345.25)400-238(384) bk of baroda 872.35(877.2)899-606(56) bombay dye 126.1(131.05)139-73(166) boschl 9150.4(9109.0)9590-7100(2) bpcl 381.6(385.25)395-252(80) brigade enterprises 90.1(93.0)112-45(45) britannia ind 495.0(485.6)599-400(219) c c e s c 314.9(318.65)345-226(26) c m c 1345.9(1366.65)1446-685(2) cadila health 870.05(871.45)964-629(3) cairn india 336.15(340.5)400-296(153) canara bank 508.9(523.05)566-306(44) castrol india 308.75(312.9)338-193(17) central bank of india 89.45(91.6)111-62(122) century enka 126.15(128.4)144-100(12) century tex 412.9(427.35)470-241(97) chambal fert 67.75(68.5)94-62(99) chennai petro 149.2(149.2)184-117(16) cipla 415.9(418.45)435-286(224) coal india ltd 352.45(354.9)386-301(109) colgatepalm. 1465.25(1468.75)1580-948(12) corp bank 469.45(482.35)528-362(9) crompton gr. 117.75(120.05)167-102(330) cummins india 515.25(521.9)550-383(14) d,e,f dabur india 128.65(128.25)140-92(37) dena bank 118.45(122.35)128-58(746) dish tv india 77.4(78.15)84-52(658) dlf 248.6(252.5)261-169(1210) dr reddy`s lab 1926.05(1898.95)1952-1528(197) e i h 69.95(70.55)103-65(15) edelweiss capital 36.0(37.2)45-25(391) educomp sol 139.0(141.15)262-128(91) eng india 227.7(228.7)288-206(15) escorts 71.3(73.15)93-55(99) essel propack 40.7(40.95)46-27(23) exide ind 142.15(146.3)166-112(191) f d c 92.65(93.5)105-75(28) federal bank 516.4(525.0)550-335(34) finolex cables 57.0(56.55)64-29(56) finolex ind 60.1(61.05)76-46(23) g g e shipping 259.95(264.5)291-216(8) gail 372.7(372.05)401-303(174) geometric 112.9(112.1)125-57(279) gillette ind 2500.0(2512.2)2624-1840(0) glaxo smithk. 2190.0(2201.65)2338-1916(14) glaxocon 3822.4(3835.4)3894-2179(16) global tele 26.65(27.25)61-23(95) gmr infra 20.05(20.55)34-16(977) godrej cp 731.05(718.6)767-391(10) grasim ind 3062.05(3080.6)3511-2216(7) great offshore 93.9(96.25)140-73(15) guj. min deve 200.0(202.6)221-158(24) gujarat gas 309.05(308.6)437-270(33) gujarat narmada 80.25(80.2)92-75(13) gujarat st petronet 77.15(78.5)89-62(148) h h c l infosys 41.0(41.0)51-34(580) h c l tech 674.25(664.65)681-410(446) h d f c bank 660.55(668.6)705-463(79) hdfc 816.95(823.55)882-610(84) hdil 120.1(118.65)135-59(7106) hero honda 1835.45(1844.8)2278-1743(60) hexaware tec 91.4(93.45)142-78(803) hind petro 325.85(331.6)356-254(118) hind zinc 132.15(135.75)149-113(125) hindalco ind 123.4(129.05)164-100(852) hpcl 325.85(331.6)356-254(118) hsng dev infra 120.1(118.65)135-59(7106) hsq dev fin 816.95(823.55)882-610(84) hul 499.2(504.65)579-375(200) hul 499.2(504.65)579-375(200) i i c i india 975.7(979.9)1015-775(26) i t c 283.65(283.4)306-197(216) icici bank 1179.05(1202.85)1209-762(182) idbi 113.1(115.3)121-82(293) idea cellular 117.25(122.4)124-71(777) idfc 171.8(176.15)185-110(666) india cements 86.4(88.2)118-69(133) india infoline 82.9(84.4)93-44(34) indiabulls real est 78.0(80.35)83-41(2145) indian bank 209.05(214.05)265-152(18) indian hotels 64.0(65.45)80-51(176) indian ovrsea 87.8(91.55)119-66(169) indusind bank 430.2(441.2)445-270(51) infosys tech 2771.05(2789.95)2990-2101(96) ingersollrand 476.0(484.4)543-417(3) ingvysya 571.05(578.6)600-305(56) ioc 294.7(297.7)300-239(76) ipca lab 489.2(499.75)537-276(4) ispat ind 11.0(11.32)15-9(523) j,k,l j & k bank 1321.0(1359.0)1473-730(12) j b chem 88.25(90.35)96-58(18) jaiprakash ass 92.35(96.2)106-58(1621) jaypee infratech limited 52.65(53.75)61-39(118) jet airways 583.5(594.15)639-215(305) jindal 120.9(123.4)180-101(64) jindal steel 429.45(443.25)663-321(132) jsw steel 838.95(859.2)885-566(126) kfa 14.3(14.07)30-7(7469) kotakbank 624.1(629.8)676-456(25) l i c hsq fin 279.7(283.25)300-228(148) l&t 1542.25(1558.3)1719-1106(141) lanco infratech 13.93(14.18)25-10(2313) lupin 580.1(583.1)631-412(48) m,n,o m & m 902.15(929.55)974-621(93) m&m 902.15(929.55)974-621(93) mangalore ref 65.15(66.05)74-49(93) maruti 1492.95(1546.0)1599-1015(68) merck 666.0(671.15)714-555(1) mphasis bfl 400.0(399.05)439-317(11) mtnl 26.5(27.3)45-20(385) mtnl 26.5(27.3)45-20(385) n t p c 156.05(155.75)190-138(627) national alum 48.95(49.65)68-44(36) nestle ind 4850.0(4829.5)5040-4011(0) neyveli lignite 81.95(84.1)105-70(16) o n g c 303.4(306.7)310-240(223) omaxe 164.05(166.0)171-139(101) oracle fin 3290.45(3317.3)3414-1920(4) orchid chem 99.45(100.1)197-95(166) oriental bank 339.35(346.15)367-207(99) p,q,r p & g hygiene 2595.0(2604.05)2784-1811(0) parsvnath dev 37.45(38.9)64-35(102) pfizer 1171.0(1170.2)1410-1073(0) pidilite ind 217.2(217.8)239-133(583) piramalhe 562.7(572.15)617-395(4) pnb 883.55(901.25)1091-659(35) polaris soft 128.45(120.6)175-102(710) power fin corp 204.35(207.25)223-139(94) power grid corp 111.9(111.15)124-98(202) punj lloyd 55.95(58.15)65-41(990) ranbaxy lab 496.0(494.45)578-395(106) rashtriya chem 53.95(54.85)73-47(95) raymond 425.8(436.4)488-324(68) rcom 80.95(86.05)109-46(5431) reliance capital 479.9(496.1)508-265(858) reliance ind 860.4(845.85)881-671(713) reliance power 92.15(93.95)139-75(1002) relinfra 535.7(554.75)679-412(314) rolta india 66.9(68.35)108-58(278) s s a i l 92.0(94.45)115-75(277) satyam comp 115.7(118.9)120-64(446) sbi 2432.9(2488.9)2550-1800(274) shipping corp 55.55(56.4)81-48(84) siemens 655.5(661.65)838-630(71) skf 602.8(598.35)728-557(1) sobha developers 401.45(420.2)424-231(22) sterlite ind 115.95(116.55)138-88(625) sterlite optical 33.45(34.25)46-27(150) sun pharma 719.9(729.75)775-505(35) suntv 414.4(434.7)446-176(72) suzlon energy 18.95(19.6)32-14(4384) syndicate bnk 139.1(143.9)145-82(223) t,u,v tata chem 371.8(373.5)381-295(76) tata elxsi 237.3(232.9)254-190(81) tata power 106.1(107.8)121-83(177) tata tea 156.3(158.35)181-91(282) tatacomm 239.9(245.55)266-190(32) tatamotors 320.05(330.75)337-202(1119) tcs 1348.1(1334.3)1438-1046(303) tech mahindra 996.2(998.8)1043-579(114) thermax 597.0(600.05)639-401(6) tisco 414.95(424.1)500-347(483) titan ind 276.3(276.2)313-180(229) torrent pharma 740.0(739.6)761-536(3) torrent power 179.25(179.65)252-146(17) tvs motor 45.4(47.4)55-31(126) union bank 261.05(269.3)288-150(158) unitedphos 134.5(136.65)168-105(162) vijaya bank 62.8(65.15)68-46(270) w,x,y,z welspunguj 101.4(104.45)156-83(78) wipro 420.05(420.15)452-325(124) wockhardt 1685.0(1663.5)1827-339(57) wyeth 867.45(875.5)1044-794(27) zeeenter 223.1(230.3)247-114(279) group ba 3i infotech 8.14(8.22)22-7(260) a p paper 281.25(286.55)373-140(14) a.k.capital services 237.95(228.05)273-131(7) aarti ind 101.85(102.2)108-48(14) aban offsho 375.35(379.9)571-320(63) adani power ltd 65.35(65.4)96-36(503) adani power ltd 65.35(65.4)96-36(503) adhunik metaliks 43.05(42.5)59-24(59) adlabs films 80.2(83.95)103-49(22) advanta india 999.3(1013.7)1063-280(0) aegis logis 179.55(183.7)210-110(11) aftek ltd 10.08(10.7)14-5(497) aia engineering 330.0(333.75)395-285(6) akar tools 25.8(26.05)43-19(40) alembic pharmaceuticals ltd 69.4(70.4)78-37(25) alpha graphic india 28.05(29.25)30-12(111) amar remedies 41.95(43.6)163-28(71) andhra petroch 13.85(13.99)27-13(195) anikinds 37.0(36.2)40-24(132) ankush finstock ltd 15.8(16.1)20-5(313) ansal properties 37.0(39.35)42-21(56) anukaran 40.7(39.95)40-2(127) apl apollo tubes ltd 177.9(170.0)201-130(25) aptech 67.65(68.5)99-64(183) archies 24.65(25.4)34-20(39) arrow webtex 75.25(77.35)87-52(408) ashapura mine. 51.45(49.0)57-8(118) ashika credit capital ltd 102.5(102.35)150-37(22) asian granito india 46.5(46.85)56-35(28) astra zeneca 1415.0(1416.9)2649-1310(3) astral poly technik 376.0(375.95)423-148(3) atlanta 39.6(40.85)70-32(44) atul chem 370.0(385.05)472-153(36) autoline industries 131.7(135.1)211-125(28) b,c,d b o c india 383.0(381.8)530-303(3) bajaj auto fin 1393.5(1403.95)1458-647(9) bajaj hind 23.9(24.3)37-23(589) balrampur chini 43.0(43.95)74-37(476) bank of maha 59.1(59.65)66-42(46) bartronics india 24.85(25.75)46-18(36) bata india 834.1(853.55)989-571(31) bayer 1225.0(1233.8)1341-746(1) berger paints 157.2(162.35)166-93(133) bgr energy systems 260.2(262.75)373-221(17) bhandari hos. 41.9(44.05)59-29(22) bharati shipyard 66.2(67.3)114-61(19) bhartiya int 190.0(184.45)192-45(5) bhussteel 428.0(430.25)505-320(174) bil energy systems ltd 107.25(106.95)123-44(24) biocon ltd 280.2(285.25)321-208(42) bombay bur trdg 147.9(150.15)158-76(234) bombay rayon fashions 261.15(261.75)283-220(47) c r i s i l 1006.15(1035.0)1261-855(0) can fin homes 179.15(177.55)186-96(23) carborun. univ 149.5(148.25)175-137(11) ceat 110.6(112.2)125-80(26) cerasan 436.75(443.0)463-176(4) chemfab alkalis 98.75(102.0)108-37(33) chirawa cements 127.35(125.35)163-20(470) cholam. inv 285.25(285.55)299-133(5) chromatic india 126.65(125.2)139-59(73) city union bnk 60.7(60.5)65-35(1627) colourchem 612.4(617.25)683-575(2) consolidated construction consortium 15.89(16.53)24-11(66) core project 310.5(312.7)345-245(8) coromandel fert 255.7(256.2)313-234(3) cox and kings(india) ltd 132.65(136.15)201-119(26) d c w 20.3(20.75)26-8(166) dabur pharma 102.65(102.7)176-78(35) decolight ceramics 12.02(10.93)12-2(358) deepak fert 123.9(124.8)170-123(12) den networks ltd 206.75(202.8)212-62(118) development credit bank 49.25(50.2)52-36(1104) dewan hsq fin 214.25(219.65)279-142(40) dhanuka 126.25(126.55)140-80(18) dishman pharma 111.0(114.1)124-41(111) divi's lab 1062.75(1068.8)1233-711(6) e,f,g e i dparry 189.6(191.1)256-165(16) eicher motors 2755.0(2767.5)3240-1532(0) elder pharma 393.9(400.15)474-267(5) elecon eng 46.6(47.35)70-39(26) electrosteel c. 25.95(26.5)29-16(129) empee distilleries 85.05(83.85)96-54(37) ess dee aluminium 341.75(346.4)410-114(3) essar oil 73.15(72.8)75-44(911) eveready ind 23.05(23.45)32-16(101) everest 265.3(271.15)282-119(3) everest kanto cylinder 29.05(30.3)49-23(70) everonn systems india 128.0(130.95)333-127(55) excel info 30.4(29.0)31-16(38) fairfield atlas 131.6(136.3)187-75(6) fiem industries 197.85(199.35)219-123(25) firstsource solutions 11.7(12.11)15-7(404) flexituff international limited 208.15(219.3)384-175(28) fortis healthcare 110.2(111.6)119-89(24) future capital holdings 193.95(199.2)234-116(8) future ventures india ltd 10.13(10.21)11-7(354) g i c hsq fin 143.6(145.1)156-82(92) gallantt metal 26.9(27.9)32-15(198) gangotri iron 44.1(44.45)50-28(260) gateway distriparks 135.0(137.8)159-126(430) gati 35.85(36.25)49-27(39) geodesic inf 23.0(24.0)65-20(490) gitanjali gems 582.9(602.95)614-296(202) glenmark phar 512.55(509.85)550-286(60) globus spirits 129.65(129.0)150-87(23) glodyne 24.6(25.7)434-24(60) godrej indus 313.75(322.25)331-182(106) goenka diamond & jewels ltd. 33.75(32.8)34-4(1120) goodyear india 330.65(332.85)412-297(12) greenply ind 392.0(385.75)420-170(2) gruh fin 232.5(235.8)249-110(23) guj. alkalies 145.5(147.05)154-100(291) guj. fluoroch. 330.0(335.75)542-303(8) guj. nre coke 22.05(22.55)28-15(1021) guj. state fert 66.4(68.65)91-64(114) h,i h f c l 10.04(10.32)16-9(313) hanung toys 163.25(168.25)179-106(28) hatsun agro 88.45(88.15)99-66(14) havell`s india 684.25(689.8)699-420(39) himatsingka s. 40.45(40.5)45-26(31) hind con 18.8(19.4)33-14(732) hind motors 11.88(11.93)14-7(265) hind oil exp 110.35(110.0)152-92(459) hind sanitary 131.05(135.6)181-104(34) hondasiel 602.0(620.25)707-301(1) honeywell 2552.0(2609.55)3391-1861(0) hotel leela 29.05(29.15)40-27(39) hyderabad ind 514.0(521.4)547-305(2) i f c i 36.95(38.35)49-24(3452) i v r cons 42.1(44.15)75-36(935) ibn18 34.85(35.95)38-15(1529) icra 1450.0(1420.1)1582-830(0) il&fs transportation networks ltd. 213.5(217.85)227-156(22) ilfs venture 23.5(23.5)32-23(42) india glycols 169.05(171.7)226-118(17) indiabulls finan 317.0(328.4)339-156(237) indiabulls power 13.49(13.66)20-9(3277) indian infotech and software 22.25(22.0)26-3(1328) indo tech transformers 174.0(178.1)185-72(32) indraprastha gas 261.65(257.6)391-170(135) innoventive industries ltd. 135.3(142.35)145-83(39) inox leisure 88.15(88.1)96-45(74) insecticides india 416.3(417.15)476-356(9) irb infrastructure developers 127.75(130.45)210-100(212) ivrcl infrastruc 42.1(44.15)75-36(935) j,k j b f ind 123.7(122.9)151-97(9) j k ind 120.7(124.35)131-69(11) j kumar infraprojects 235.4(234.4)248-143(55) jagran prakashan 111.0(110.8)117-78(104) jai corp 80.55(83.2)117-50(1267) jain irrigation 82.85(84.7)121-59(592) jaiprakash hydro 34.9(36.5)49-24(982) jay bh maruti 65.1(62.9)78-41(35) jay shree tea 114.65(117.65)128-78(14) jhaveri weld 52.75(54.25)58-6(26) jindal south west holdings 596.7(616.95)1092-446(36) jindalph 117.05(117.0)176-116(23) jindpolyfm 182.65(175.85)240-153(166) jk cement 335.15(336.8)369-108(11) jk paper 38.5(38.75)46-32(25) jklakshmi 139.85(141.2)171-42(41) jubilant org 217.0(224.0)248-154(11) jyothy laboratories 156.0(156.7)208-78(39) jyoti struct 43.7(44.9)58-36(34) k r b l 25.65(26.4)28-16(51) kalpataru pwr 101.3(98.35)134-64(68) kalyani steels 56.4(58.0)70-46(41) kamanwala ind 32.6(33.25)45-28(28) kamdhenu ispat 31.7(33.2)36-12(128) kanani industries ltd 34.6(33.7)47-18(75) kar vysy bank 554.65(555.9)574-352(14) karnataka bnk 169.25(175.25)198-70(784) kaveri seed company 1416.0(1454.15)1491-455(5) kecil 66.0(68.45)80-43(21) kesoram ind 134.6(135.1)170-105(9) kgnind 15.95(15.55)32-14(225) kirloskar ferro 31.5(32.65)33-20(515) kirlpnu 518.9(539.75)574-400(3) kolte patil developers 122.45(126.0)133-33(225) kpitcumm 113.8(118.2)142-71(48) kpr mill 137.05(136.85)148-75(38) kwality credit & leasing 100.0(99.8)151-24(66) kwality dairy 33.45(34.35)47-25(56) l,m l k p mer fin 61.2(61.25)76-52(33) la opala glass 261.95(271.35)302-89(9) lakshmi machine 2249.65(2257.3)2330-1497(1) liberty phosp 189.5(193.2)229-55(76) liberty shoes 102.0(103.5)125-65(8) lincoln pharmaceuticals 57.5(57.65)58-22(22) lovable lingerie ltd 353.5(361.45)479-292(17) lumax ind 377.0(377.6)460-325(24) m and b switchgears limited 23.75(24.4)27-5(79) m r f 13393.5(13546.9)13850-7111(3) madhur capital 15.82(15.07)37-6(87) madras cements 231.25(232.65)253-105(16) magmafin 98.45(100.3)110-53(54) mah scooter 521.1(518.0)555-275(19) mahindra 1105.05(1122.75)1224-602(8) mahindra ugine 59.15(61.35)66-45(51) mahinlife 409.8(413.2)452-249(2) man infraconstruction ltd. 175.95(172.3)229-98(182) manappuram gen 44.45(44.3)60-18(1676) mandhana industries ltd. 277.9(277.75)299-211(24) mangalam cem 160.5(162.85)192-93(13) mangalore chem 40.75(41.45)57-36(141) manjal auto 40.0(39.3)62-37(38) marg 48.05(48.3)103-47(51) marico ind 225.2(226.85)250-146(8) mathew easow 41.7(41.55)87-25(35) max india 245.1(250.25)266-149(9) mcleod russel india 344.7(349.5)372-175(17) mcnally bharat engineering company 99.3(100.15)128-81(33) mindtree 737.55(740.75)761-371(5) mmtc ltd 617.55(623.75)958-571(12) monsanto india 638.5(654.4)792-599(1) moonlac trading & finance 19.25(18.45)30-15(63) motherson sumi 194.4(195.15)208-97(84) mundra port 135.6(136.45)157-105(112) muthoot cap 124.95(125.85)138-58(9) muthoot finance ltd 212.8(220.0)246-105(95) mysore cem 52.1(54.3)60-26(46) n,o n i i t 28.8(29.35)56-28(139) nagarjuna con 55.55(58.5)66-28(136) nahar spin 82.9(84.1)87-45(26) natco pharma 450.25(453.65)505-252(3) national pero 530.0(537.6)557-358(1) navneet pub 63.4(64.45)70-51(66) nbventure 192.45(190.2)226-147(10) nectar lifescn 19.7(20.1)26-17(45) neocorp 36.5(35.75)49-21(164) nesco 789.95(792.6)827-577(1) network 18 media 42.7(44.2)50-26(82) nhpc 25.3(25.5)26-14(840) nhpc ltd 25.3(25.5)26-14(840) niit technologies 266.3(277.35)324-199(34) nikki global finance 509.0(494.95)509-121(7) nitesh estates ltd. 16.45(16.9)24-12(80) nitin fire protection industries 67.25(68.35)83-28(45) noida toll bridge 23.4(23.4)29-20(89) oil india ltd 493.4(492.25)552-431(20) omkar speciality chemicals ltd 142.0(143.4)147-50(30) omnitech infosolutions 180.75(180.8)204-105(39) onelife capital advisors limited 763.65(758.05)848-223(30) onmobile global 44.1(45.6)84-28(239) opto circu 107.15(110.05)225-97(136) orbit corporation 54.35(56.2)68-33(256) orbit exp 69.0(68.75)70-41(15) orient paper 79.15(79.15)102-48(43) orissa minerals development company ltd 4208.25(4208.4)6039-2555(34) p,q,r p.m. telelinnks 25.45(24.25)195-23(65) page industries 3385.0(3412.55)3610-2424(0) pantaloon ret 245.6(258.55)271-126(495) paper products 73.65(75.15)81-58(39) parekh aluminex 155.5(148.1)389-140(810) pasupati fincap 10.29(10.09)45-9(334) pearl org 36.4(34.7)36-16(55) persistent systems ltd. 564.05(554.65)568-301(14) petronet lng 161.8(164.35)179-122(163) pg electroplast ltd 364.0(374.85)394-132(51) phoenix mills 255.4(245.1)274-155(26) phoenixlamp 45.8(44.85)88-43(31) pidrugs 221.3(219.7)257-57(23) pipavav shipyard 85.9(86.2)98-52(487) piramglas 86.4(87.35)124-82(608) plethico pharmaceuticals 352.0(356.5)396-156(138) pradeep metl 25.3(24.65)28-13(83) praj ind 48.2(48.85)92-40(101) prakash constrowell ltd 19.8(18.0)21-8(1225) prakash steelage ltd 118.9(119.7)200-116(11) pratibha industries 52.5(54.6)58-35(39) premier auto 120.85(139.6)151-62(354) prime focus 44.35(45.6)64-41(106) prism cement 48.1(48.65)60-39(18) provogue (india) 15.0(15.2)36-11(93) pslltd 56.9(57.35)71-54(23) ptc 76.7(78.5)80-45(54) ptc india financial services ltd 17.25(17.7)20-10(209) puravankara projects 115.55(114.55)117-55(151) pvr 285.0(288.55)341-126(26) radico khait 145.4(145.9)155-92(165) raj television network 211.95(214.0)257-81(42) rajesh exp 139.65(139.5)150-110(92) rallis india 145.4(149.3)168-111(44) rasoya proteins ltd 103.6(104.95)106-18(43) redington india 85.3(85.35)94-65(768) rei agro 9.84(9.99)17-7(247) reliance indust 466.15(476.2)565-342(339) ricoh india 55.1(55.5)91-29(23) ruchi soya ind 71.35(72.9)107-59(17) rural electrification corporation 247.75(250.35)267-142(105) s s bk of bikaner 462.65(475.0)501-326(11) s bk of travan 592.5(606.1)671-470(2) sabero org guj 118.65(117.75)174-60(9) saintgobain 36.7(37.45)70-33(83) sandesh 357.15(354.4)370-230(18) sandur mang 471.85(468.3)590-365(11) sasken comm 121.25(119.05)151-103(53) scooters india 33.7(35.45)42-24(43) se investments 386.0(385.25)405-205(55) sesa goa 191.0(193.85)270-158(204) shakti pumps (india) limited 66.25(67.4)73-35(21) sharp ind 11.55(11.48)60-7(164) shasun chem 129.3(133.1)185-48(46) shilpi cable technologies ltd 16.75(18.15)25-8(64) shree cement 4449.95(4517.1)4700-2034(0) shree ganesh jewellery house ltd 121.95(125.2)139-65(94) shree renuka sugars 30.8(31.55)42-25(1676) shriram trans 779.0(798.4)800-475(6) signet 220.0(218.65)259-76(8) sintex ind 70.45(72.05)104-50(715) sks microfinance ltd 167.6(174.2)198-54(223) solar explosives 995.0(995.85)1069-736(14) sonata soft 24.15(24.65)27-17(53) southind.bank 27.9(29.0)30-20(1361) spicejet 45.65(45.85)50-20(3818) splash mediaworks 13.86(14.14)34-13(231) sr ray alkalies 11.25(11.02)13-7(125) srei int fin 43.35(44.85)51-18(335) srs ltd 44.0(44.3)51-26(254) state trading 226.45(231.6)333-197(11) steelcast 54.9(56.4)63-26(18) strides arcolab 1081.0(1060.6)1224-377(306) subexltd 13.4(13.51)35-11(117) sudar garments ltd 172.95(180.05)184-48(225) sun pharma advanced research company 127.2(131.75)145-65(227) sundaram fin 487.5(491.45)559-263(5) sundaram multi pap ltd. 20.6(20.6)24-12(178) sunil hitech 86.25(85.8)90-55(74) sunteck realty 500.0(492.95)563-278(42) supreme ind 301.1(301.6)314-172(4) supreme petro 61.45(62.6)70-36(15) surya roshni 77.35(79.5)82-44(11) suven 29.75(30.2)35-13(60) t,u t.v. today 79.7(83.3)93-49(39) talwalkars better value fitness ltd. 183.7(185.95)223-133(14) tantia constructions 45.6(45.4)64-39(41) tata coffee 1570.15(1584.85)1674-791(13) tata investment 459.75(459.65)535-416(3) texmaco rail & engineering ltd 67.0(66.75)78-47(16) thinksoft 88.85(91.0)123-40(53) thirumalai chem 128.0(129.85)145-42(22) tide water 8113.95(8161.3)8585-6385(0) time technoplast 48.0(48.3)59-34(19) timken india 191.9(193.3)269-182(21) tinplate of india 52.55(52.15)57-36(34) tourism fin 25.15(26.25)30-21(47) tplplast 90.1(99.65)205-62(11) trent 1217.4(1264.5)1345-771(2) ttk prestige 3734.9(3513.1)3996-2285(85) ttml 12.31(12.86)18-10(575) tube invest 198.65(199.3)221-116(6) tulip 26.05(27.4)129-26(72) ubholding 95.0(99.95)155-53(425) uco bank 82.25(85.0)95-58(259) uflex 100.35(99.65)146-91(49) ultratech 1920.05(1919.85)2074-1093(16) unichem lab 198.3(201.4)216-124(15) unitdspr 1791.1(1821.15)2149-478(668) unitech 37.9(39.7)40-18(8408) united bank of india 78.65(80.4)87-49(28) unity infraprojects 43.55(45.0)56-34(52) ushamartin 30.0(30.65)43-21(31) ushdev int 227.25(227.25)325-185(17) usher agro ltd. 58.0(58.05)68-39(45) uttam steel 67.4(67.25)85-56(70) v,w,x,y,z v guard industries 501.6(510.35)590-164(5) v s t ind 1837.0(1843.25)2025-1120(54) vaibhav gems 133.05(139.0)151-33(6) vardhman poly 75.15(72.0)101-41(54) venkys 464.95(471.5)621-322(3) videocon 216.6(223.2)246-161(36) vikas wsp 45.2(44.85)76-24(121) vikasglo 173.4(176.2)225-60(19) vikram thermo 61.8(58.35)63-29(38) vinati organics 158.8(153.5)180-72(10) vivmed labs 339.0(340.1)444-278(4) voltas 102.7(104.85)138-81(451) welspun india 67.5(66.5)69-33(52) west coast pap 99.0(101.85)134-44(50) whirlpool 280.95(275.1)289-165(14) wire & wireless 28.25(29.0)30-6(551) yes bank 518.25(528.15)535-278(818) zandu phar 1482.6(1492.4)1905-1282(2) zee news 18.25(18.95)19-9(99) zensar tech 283.0(282.95)302-134(4) zenu infotech 71.45(72.5)83-22(34) zodiac cloth 233.05(220.7)268-164(72) zuari ind 103.9(105.2)196-101(9) zylog systems 62.2(63.65)340-55(65) group ta,b amara raja 295.9(296.7)311-101(385) arvind remedies 31.5(30.7)40-19(125) assam company 8.47(9.03)10-4(802) b & a ltd 197.1(198.3)255-88(13) b p l 22.0(23.5)25-14(172) bharat ferti 105.75(108.95)129-39(9) binani ind 130.85(133.4)157-96(14) c,d choice international 51.2(52.15)54-28(56) commitment cap 52.3(52.85)61-16(30) compact disc 16.8(16.9)31-14(66) compulearn 8.26(8.61)25-8(155) crestani 15.5(15.95)50-15(130) d c m 77.8(70.75)206-48(79) db stock brokers 96.05(96.05)112-92(31) decngold 20.55(21.15)26-15(42) dhanalakshmi bk 67.45(68.3)79-42(252) e,f,g,h,i,j e p c ind 156.1(156.3)166-80(125) financial tech 1132.3(1172.95)1223-552(46) hind dorr 23.55(24.1)56-21(41) hitachih 156.45(157.15)171-98(40) i f b ind 110.9(115.2)130-60(217) inani marb 433.8(439.4)630-95(33) intensive air systems 14.65(15.4)19-4(680) jayaswals ne 12.8(13.16)22-9(70) jindal worldwide 152.0(149.05)172-75(14) k,l,m,n,o kotawala ind 200.15(200.5)200-82(124) luminaire technologies 51.95(52.05)52-11(1109) manoj housing finance 54.95(54.9)64-33(23) mount ev min 124.25(133.55)150-68(104) nelco 51.4(51.85)60-38(19) nfl infotech 36.9(38.95)64-24(44) nirlon 43.0(43.0)61-31(92) oil country 53.3(55.6)63-47(51) p,q,r peninsula 72.75(74.85)84-27(65) polypro fibrils (i) 13.45(13.72)15-8(64) prakash ind 50.3(51.55)65-38(87) r m mohite textiles 29.2(26.7)48-15(63) r s software 171.6(178.15)208-46(11) rain 35.35(36.4)48-29(70) rander fin 88.05(90.0)153-47(53) rollatainers 466.25(444.05)473-94(10) s,t s kumars 14.08(14.46)40-12(861) s p l 104.6(110.1)114-33(30) shalibhadra fin 49.5(48.9)79-40(118) shirp gold ref 89.25(85.0)146-79(14) shristi 174.6(166.3)204-65(28) som distilleries 184.35(195.55)294-125(27) sri adhikari 90.25(90.2)109-64(16) subhkam 104.0(108.6)159-83(11) symphony comfort 341.75(348.25)1250-173(6) u,v,w,x,y,z upsurge invest 51.0(48.6)83-22(50) vas animations 24.8(25.9)57-18(56) venus remedies 273.45(275.6)327-155(5) viceroy hotels 25.1(25.95)34-14(37) vikas globalone ltd 173.4(176.2)225-60(19) walchandnagar 82.95(86.8)111-63(157) group sa,b amrutanj 151.0(153.35)178-138(5) amrutanjan health care 151.0(153.35)178-138(5) amtek auto 83.05(85.25)146-69(72) apw president systems 130.25(132.55)261-121(75) atul auto 197.85(197.8)222-72(36) bajaj elect 205.0(205.3)234-162(7) balkrishna ind 293.35(296.75)317-166(8) bf utilities 350.55(357.1)490-311(51) bharat bijlee 555.0(567.45)767-528(2) bi 204.5(209.95)267-132(37) c,d,e,f,g camson bio technologies 67.5(70.25)72-36(21) carnation nutra 492.15(498.25)532-320(3) compucom soft 17.7(18.1)29-9(761) controlpr 90.85(85.05)94-28(52) damodar threads 53.05(51.5)56-25(16) dolphin off ent 119.9(120.4)128-71(25) dynamatic tech 900.0(918.8)1048-590(1) emami 580.0(580.0)654-341(3) erainfra 135.8(136.0)145-91(75) geojit 25.7(25.75)28-14(91) granules ind 156.7(159.7)234-64(6) gulf oil corp 84.05(85.6)103-64(26) h,i,j,k,l hawkins cook 2395.0(2400.85)2448-1220(1) helios & matheson 53.5(54.15)61-22(28) hind nati.gl 198.0(201.0)220-156(10) ion exchange 125.75(129.4)159-100(7) jmfinan 22.0(22.55)25-11(413) k sera prod 13.06(12.51)14-2(305) kennamet 795.0(800.45)1247-793(4) kirloskar bro 167.35(170.1)184-108(5) kisan mouldings 40.55(43.3)44-17(30) lambodhara textile 83.55(87.9)178-31(18) m,n,o,p,q,r madhucon projects 39.15(40.75)74-27(89) man indus 125.5(126.8)238-91(24) mercator lines 20.35(20.75)33-16(110) micro tech 41.55(42.35)91-38(52) modison metals 39.2(39.75)51-30(31) mohit industries 56.9(57.55)68-21(27) nakoda tex 11.89(11.95)13-7(93) ortin laboratories 34.3(34.8)36-13(55) patel eng 81.85(84.1)127-62(28) rainbow papers 82.6(82.35)91-59(378) relaxo footwear 873.1(908.6)916-262(1) s sanwaria agro 36.7(37.85)49-12(51) sarda energy & minerals ltd 128.7(132.4)155-104(8) sardaen 128.7(132.4)155-104(8) shahi shipping 132.25(136.0)153-70(469) shakti pumps 66.25(67.4)73-35(21) sharon bio-medicine 360.0(362.5)460-288(11) shivvani 98.4(99.65)224-97(30) southern ispat 8.82(8.58)9-2(245) steel exchange india 84.0(80.95)104-70(74) subros 29.95(29.5)40-22(57) super sales ag 268.0(259.25)286-126(13) syncom form 64.65(65.55)79-33(19) t,u,v,w,x,y,z tilaknagar industries 80.15(81.8)86-36(86) timex 23.5(24.15)29-16(90) unitedbrew 769.75(778.75)1023-404(200) v i p ind 85.25(83.85)127-68(202) vadilal ind 223.05(228.7)306-96(15) valecha eng 59.45(61.6)83-45(28) vardhman industries 40.05(36.45)42-24(39) vinati organics 158.8(153.5)180-72(10) wim plast 412.5(419.7)427-185(5) zicom elec sec 85.3(86.55)100-32(15) zydus wellness ltd 492.15(498.25)532-320(3) group za,b aarey drugs 60.0(60.0)71-9(36) aci infocom 152.7(157.7)176-45(68) agarwal holdings 21.8(22.7)73-21(1524) apeego 214.35(214.45)225-20(243) ashutosh paper mills 56.65(56.15)86-20(106) associated finlease 38.3(40.25)44-10(94) barasia holding & trading company 225.0(226.45)254-152(20) beryl drugs 30.2(32.2)37-14(34) blue circle services 46.35(46.15)85-45(1773) c,d,e,f centron ind 135.15(142.25)214-23(22) confidence trading company 318.75(318.25)320-11(61) dhvanil chemicals 74.5(75.45)86-29(495) elpro packaging 15.25(14.53)47-9(131) empire ind 708.0(712.75)787-590(1) esaar 58.65(57.95)65-10(338) eurogold jewellery 102.9(98.0)119-13(34) finalysis credit & guarantee company 158.4(159.9)173-30(19) g,h,i gemstone investment 15.15(15.1)20-7(1914) global securities 74.5(77.9)82-10(78) grenada investment & trading comapny 112.6(112.8)142-11(21) hind. copper 138.0(140.7)320-136(92) hingir rampur 146.8(139.85)146-16(102) imp finance 34.6(33.7)47-18(75) insul elec 500.0(492.95)563-278(42) intec secur. 74.4(75.7)90-38(20) intellcap 96.05(91.5)103-78(1450) j,k,l,m jalan metallurgical 317.55(319.95)390-52(93) jalgaon reroll 47.8(50.0)128-47(197) kalefilms 16.7(17.15)49-14(394) krishnadeep trade 52.7(50.25)88-35(25) lesha steels 98.35(108.6)145-66(19) mahanivesh 504.0(509.95)525-207(131) margltd 48.05(48.3)103-47(51) mppolyprole 206.6(212.7)243-88(74) n,o,p,q national min 159.9(163.55)206-149(416) natraj comm 125.0(125.25)137-36(45) ncl research and financial services 1155.0(1159.0)1189-136(18) new horizon leasing & finance 100.1(99.8)125-87(19) p i industries 639.9(669.5)693-424(3) parikh herbals 16.24(15.94)65-5(711) pee jay international 9.48(9.13)9-2(150) polytex india 251.0(251.7)281-131(109) r rajesh strips 40.0(38.85)41-20(41) rasoya proteins 103.6(104.95)106-18(43) regency trust 29.7(30.95)59-15(38) responind 93.75(92.0)135-77(31) riba textiles 31.05(32.65)35-13(28) s s v electricals 9.77(9.87)12-3(320) sawaca finance 174.95(171.4)234-34(110) secunderabad healthcare 17.7(18.6)30-6(100) shaktiman mercantile 47.7(47.0)85-32(409) shree nath 86.0(85.0)88-8(2686) shubham granites 18.5(19.05)50-13(120) sudarshan chem 442.0(449.1)719-370(3) sulabh eng 470.0(473.05)494-16(23) surya industrial corporation 105.4(103.0)105-64(24) swan mills 126.0(126.0)147-58(294) t,u,v thakker`s dev 186.9(178.0)186-96(21) tilak finance 125.95(120.65)126-9(14) toshika chemicals 187.35(187.0)195-58(86) trendy knitwear 13.0(13.0)19-4(289) unisys software and holding industries 264.55(261.75)300-107(78) unno ind 22.9(22.25)23-2(159) veerenrgy 14.7(15.6)19-2(643) venusvent 12.18(12.32)26-8(194) vishal cotspin 138.0(137.6)190-122(10) vision tech 9.15(9.0)11-5(463) w,x,y,z wyn aqua exp 19.8(19.95)21-5(195)
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has urged Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal to start a direct daily train to Mumbai from the state capital. Home Minister Umashankar Gupta in a letter Tuesday to Bansal said people from Bhopal were facing many problems as there was no direct train to the metroplis from the city. He also said that due to lack of direct daily train to Mumbai many needy people such as cancer patients and their families face inconvenience due to lack of quota in trains via Bhopal. Many tourists, thousands of youngsters working in Mumbai and businesspersons also go through this discomfort, he pointed out. Keeping in view the difficulties of the residents, Gupta has urged to run the weekly Habibganj-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus train from Bhopal to Mumbai and vice versa, on a daily basis.
at least two people were killed and two others injured when a helicopter crashed in central london today after colliding with a crane on top of a tower near the river thames during rush hour.two people were killed and two others injured as a helicopter crashed into a crane on top of st george wharf tower, a residential building currently under construction, near the river thames in central london this morning, a metropolitan police spokesman said."two people have died and two taken to hospital. details are awaited," the spokesman told pti.the helicopter was reported to have been carrying a pilot but no passengers. it struck the ground just 20 yards from vauxhall station, a major commuting hub in the capital.the fate of the pilot is not known. at least two cars were hit by debris from the crash.london fire brigade said the crash happened near wandsworth road in south lambeth and 60 firefighters were there. burning wreckage lay in the road but firefighters have brought the fire under control.the police said in a statement that they had been alerted at approximately 8 am (local time) this morning to an incident at wandsworth road."at this early stage it appears a helicopter was in a collision with a crane on top of a building. met officers, the ambulance service and the london fire brigade have attended," the statement said.dense black smoke was billowing from the area, close to the river thames, after the helicopter spiralled to the ground in what eyewitnesses told sky news looked like "a massive ball of flame".the metropolitan police have said that the helicopter is not one of their fleet.the incident caused gridlock with all approaches to the vauxhall cross one way system closed at the height of the rush hour and vauxhall tube station and railway station closed.
There is mounting concern that the vast tracts of land lying unutilised at the Harbour Terminus and Old Railway stations in the city will fall into wrong hands if the Railways does not renovate the stations. The Railways is yet to include the proposals in its budget, despite demand from different quarters over the past many years. The availability of funds is not a problem since a good share of funds earmarked for Kerala’s railway development remains unused during most years. The renovation of these stations that are located in Willingdon Island and behind the High Court would also decongest the two main railway stations in the city. The land mafia eyes prime public lands like these to build concrete structures and try to usurp them with the help of corrupt officials, said the chairman of the Old Railway Station Vikasana Samity, M. R. Rajendran Nair. “Hence, it is high time the Railways paid heed to demand from members of the public and augmented amenities at these stations. It is sad to see that the Railways is silent on the issue, despite demand from leaders of different political parties.” The Old Railway station can become a berthing terminal for select trains from Ernakulam Junction and Town stations. This would in turn decongest the two main stations, where there is paucity of platforms to accommodate trains. Mr. Nair said that trains can take a turn from Edapally and establish a link with the station, if the rail lines are cleaned up. “The Railways’ revenue will increase if the valuable property is optimally used. It can also become a hub for short-distance trains. This will in turn encourage motorists to shift to trains, thus decongesting roads. It will also save fuel and lessen pollution in the city, especially when the work is on for the Kochi Metro.” He called upon the agency to shun its bureaucratic approach and adopt a democratic approach to revitalize the station. Harbour Terminus Rejuvenation of the Harbour Terminus station will considerably decongest the Ernakulam Junction station, since it can become the terminal station for many trains that presently end their trip at the Junction. This will also be of immense help to people of West Kochi. Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agarwal had said recently that there is no urgency in renovating the two stations, but the proposal could be considered in the future. To a question on the possibility of electrifying the city-Harbour Terminus rail line, he said that the Navy had expressed concerns about the safety of its flights if overhead lines were pulled adjacent to the airport. Ernakulam Area Manager of Southern Railway P. L. Ashok Kumar said that signalling and communication systems have to be re-established in the harbour line. The staff who were withdrawn too will have to be posted back. On the inordinate delay in commissioning the Railway bridge to the island, he said it would be commissioned in March. Mr. Ashok Kumar added that the Old Railway station in the city (built at the initiative of an erstwhile King of Kochi) can be developed as a passenger terminal. “Linking it with the two city stations will be tough. But it can host trains coming from Shornur.” Suburb stations As for railway stations in the suburbs like Tripunithura and Kalamassery, there is persistent demand that more trains stop here. The demand to construct a halt station at Vytilla and a full-fledged railway station near the international airport at Nedumbassery are also gaining ground. The Railways has demanded an exit through the airport, so that even members of the general public can gain access to the station. A senior airport official said that the matter has been taken up with the State government.
The Southern Railway has rescheduled the operation of some of its trains in the Madurai Division following the damage caused to a pier of the Pamban bridge. According to a Southern Railway press release, the following trains have been fully cancelled: 22622 Kanyakumari- Rameswaram Express leaving Kanyakumari on January 15 and 18. 22621 Rameswaram-Kanyakumari Express leaving Rameswaram on January 17 and 19. 56721 Madurai-Rameswaram passenger, 56723 Madurai-Rameswaram passenger, 56725 Madurai-Rameswaram passenger, 56726 Rameswaram-Madurai passenger, 56724 Rameswaram-Madurai passenger, 56829 Tiruchi-Rameswaram passenger and 56830 Rameswaram-Tiruchi passenger — from January 14 to 19. 56722 Rameswaram-Madurai passenger from January 15 to 20. The following trains are terminated at Mandapam and partially cancelled between Mandapam and Rameswaram: 16713 Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram Express and the 16701 Chennai Egmore-Rameswaram Express leaving Chennai Egmore have been terminated at Mandapam and partially cancelled between Mandapam and Rameswaram till January 18. 16714 Rameswaram-Chennai Egmore Express and 16702 Rameswaram-Chennai Egmore Express leaving Rameswaram have been partially cancelled between Rameswaram and Mandapam till January 19. They will leave Mandapam as per schedule. The following trains are terminated at Madurai and partially cancelled between Madurai and Rameswaram: 16779 Tirupati- Rameswaram Express leaving Tirupati on January 15 and 18 will be terminated at Madurai and partially cancelled between Madurai and Rameswaram.. 16780 Rameswaram-Tirupati Express leaving Rameswaram on January 17 and 19 will be partially cancelled between Rameswaram and Madurai. It will leave from Madurai as per schedule. 16734 Okha-Rameswaram Express arriving Rameswaram on January 17 will be terminated at Madurai and partially cancelled between Madurai and Rameswaram. 16733 Rameswaram-Okha Express leaving Rameswaram on January 18 will be partially cancelled between Rameswaram and Madurai. The train will leave from Madurai as per schedule. The following trains are terminated at Tiruchi and partially cancelled between Tiruchi and Rameswaram: 14260 Varanasi-Rameswaram Express will be terminated at Tiruchi on January 16 and partially cancelled between Tiruchi and Rameswaram. 14259 Rameswaram-Varanasi Express leaving Rameswaram on January 16 will be partially cancelled between Rameswaram and Tiruchi. The train will leave from Tiruchi as per schedule.
A 40-year-old man was run over by a suburban train near the Tiruvottiyur railway station on Monday. The police said, around 7.30 a.m., S. Palaniswamy, a resident of West Matha Koil Street in Tiruvottiyur, was trying to cross the track near the railway station when a train hit him. Palaniswamy sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the Stanley Government Hospital, where, around 2.30 p.m., he succumbed to his injuries. A post mortem examination was done on Tuesday and the body was handed over to his family. Palaniswamy’s death is the tenth such in less than a month on the track between Basin Bridge and Gummudipoondi, which is on the northern suburban rail line. A fortnight ago, A. Magendran (30), a medical officer attached to the primary health care centre (PHC) in Minjur was killed on a track in Pudhu Nagar near the Athipattu railway station. A day before, a 40-year-old man was killed on the track near the Kathivakkam railway station. Every month, on an average, at least 15 persons die on the tracks between the Basin Bridge and Gummudipoondi railway stations. Of the nearly 20 railway stations between, a police source said, stations like Tiruvottiyur, Ennore, Kathivakkam, Korrupet, Basin Bridge, Minjur, Ponneri and Gummudipoondi are high accident-prone spots. This is mainly due to congested habitations along the tracks in these places and a lack of side walls along the tracks. “Persons between 18 and 30 years of age comprise a large number of the victims. Most of the victims wear headphones and don’t hear an approaching train until it is too late,” said a railway official.
Restoration work on the damaged Pamban Rail bridge was in full swing on Tuesday, even as the Coastal Security Group (CSG) filed a case against the Kolkata-based private company which built the barge that crashed into the bridge early on Sunday. The CSG filed a case against Titagarh Marine Ltd under section 151 of the Indian Railways Act 1989 for damaging railway property. The marine police wing of the CSG launched an investigation by interrogating the Captain and crew members of the tug boat, which was towing the barge to Karwar for being handed over to the Indian Navy. The 162-tonne tug boat still remains stuck between rocks a few yards away from the bridge. The 220-tonne barge has, however, been towed away and anchored at the Rameswaram port, an official at the Pamban Port said. Two days after the freak accident, which has cut off rail traffic to the pilgrim centre of Rameswaram island, a large team of engineers from the Madurai Division of Southern Railway, divers from Tuticorin and local fishermen are straining every nerve to put the bridge back in order, under the direct supervision of the Chief Bridge Engineer who flew down from Chennai on Sunday. Though initial reports suggested that the 121st pier had tilted to 60 degrees after the barge crashed into it following anchor failure, officials said it had tilted to 47 degrees. They heaved a sigh of relief as there has not been much of damage to the girder. The restoration work commenced on Sunday itself, when the Railways moved the men and material, a senior official at the worksite said. Two temporary piers using steel cribs are being erected on either side of the damaged pier to support the gird, he said. After erecting the two piers, the damaged pier would be dismantled and another temporary pier with steel cribs would be erected, after which train services would resume. “We are planning to complete the entire work in seven days. We should be able to clear the first train by Sunday (January 20) or latest by Monday (January 21),” he said. The construction of temporary piers was a real challenge due to heavy under water current, the official said. “We have deployed the best divers, but work could be undertaken only for two hours in early morning and two hours in the evening, because of heavy water current,” he said. He said the erection of the first pier on Pamban side, where the depth of sea is two metres, has almost been completed. Erection of a similar pier on the Mandapam side, where the depth is three metres, would be completed by Wednesday evening or by Thursday, the official said. After the erection of the two piers, the existing damaged pier would be dismantled and a third temporary pier erected.
Indian Railways have carried 735.10 million tonnes of revenue earning freight traffic during April-December 2012. The freight carried shows an increase of 31.33 million tonnes over the freight traffic of 703.77 million tonnes actually carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 4.45 per cent. During the month of December 2012, the revenue earning freight traffic carried by Indian Railways was 88.19 million tonnes. There is an increase of 1.42 million tonnes over the actual freight traffic of 86.77 million tonnes carried by the Indian Railways during the same period last year, showing an increase of 1.64 per cent. AKS/HK/BS
the twin cities of noida and greater noida accounted for a whopping 87 per cent of the total jobs generated in the top six cities of uttar pradesh between in 2012, a trend is likely to continue in 2013, says a study by assocham. a total of over 65,300 new jobs were generated in six major cities of — agra, allahabad, aligarh, kanpur, lucknow, noida and greater noida — during the year.about 31,900 jobs were created in the first six months and about 33,400 jobs in the second half of 2012, according to a sector specific analysis titled 'job trends across india in 2012'. with about 56,800 jobs, noida and greater noida together accounted for about 87 per cent of the jobs created in the state during the period under review, the study said.it was followed by lucknow: over 4,700 jobs with over seven per cent, kanpur: over 1,600 jobs with about 2.5 per cent, agra: over 1,300 jobs with about two per cent, allahabad: over 1,100 jobs with over 1.5 per cent and aligarh: over 550 jobs, less than one per cent share."while 2012 saw a decline of over 21 per cent in the job generation in various sectors of the indian economy, the job generation growth in up declined at an average of about 12.5 per cent during the year gone by," said d s rawat, assocham secretary general."a total of over 5.3 lakh jobs were generated during this period across india," he said."delhi and national capital region topped as over 1.1 lakh jobs were generated between january 1 and december 15, 2012, followed by mumbai — over 77,000 jobs, bangalore — over 75,000 jobs, chennai — over 44,000 jobs, and least number of jobs were generated in kolkata — over 25,000 jobs, among the top five metro centres," said rawat.
a woman stole an empty commuter train from a depot on tuesday and drove it to a suburb of stockholm where it derailed and slammed into an apartment building, officials said.the woman was seriously injured in the early morning crash and was flown to a stockholm hospital, police spokesman lars bystrom said. no one else was injured.bystrom said the woman was arrested on suspicion of endangering the public. tomas hedenius, a spokesman for train operator arriva, said the woman, born in 1990, stole the four-car train at a depot outside stockholm.she then drove it about 1.6 kilometres to the end station on the railway line, where it jumped off the tracks, careered for about 25 metres and crashed into a three-story building.photographs from the scene showed the crumpled front car of the train buried deep into the structure."there were three families inside the apartment building, but no one was injured. at least not physically," hedenius said.the motives of the woman, who worked for a company contracted to carry out cleaning for the train operator, were not immediately clear."we have only heard good things about her. we're investigating how this could happen, and why she did what she did," hedenius said.he said it's unclear how she got the keys to the train, but added that driving it is not that complicated."generally speaking that's possible even if you're not a train driver," he said. "you can read about it on the internet, or observe how others do it."
NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court has dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a city consumer rights activist against the Indian Railways seeking direction to deposit the entire amount lying with the railways with the Prime Minister Relief Fund (PMRF), since discount in fares to the passengers who travelled in high capacity coaches was not passed over to them. Last year, AV Prabhune of Nagpur, filed a PIL arguing that on February 26, 2008, while presenting the budget, the railway minister had stated that discount in fares to all passengers travelling in high capacity coaches shall be given. According to the petitioner, despite the said position and despite issuance of commercial circular on March 20, 2008 effective from April 1, 2008, the same was not implemented by the railways in the country. Due to this default, around 60.87 lakh passengers in three zones were deprived of such discount nor any arrangement for refund of the amount on account of discount was made. Thus, according to him, the said amount cannot be retained by the Indian Railways and it was required to refund to the passengers or should be transferred to the PMRF along with penalty of Rs one crore or 5 per cent interest on such amount. Prabhune then argued that the implementation has not been made by the officers and, therefore, they should be held guilty and recovery should be made from their salaries. Prabhune pointed out his own example and contended that he was refunded Rs 39 because he had travelled once from Nagpur to Delhi in a high capacity coach. He had to fight for about 18 months to get refund. According to him, around 66 lakh passengers have been similarly deprived of the discount. On the contrary, railways countered the claim made by the petitioner and claimed that railways did take all steps for implementation of the circular issued in 2008. The railway administration said individual passengers after the completion of their journeys had the option of claiming refund under the refund rules by sending original tickets to the chief commercial manager (refund) of journey or by producing these tickets after completion of the journey at the destination station. The passengers were duly informed of this fact by audio visuals through messages which was shown in bold caption in reservation chart and by announcing through public announcement system. Railways also claimed that necessary arrangements were made in the software of display on the reservation chart that such passengers could take refund of the difference of the fare at the destination station. The court dismissed the PIL saying, "Railways followed all the guidelines issued on subject from time to time. There is no failure in implementation of these instructions."
a 16-year-old girl has allegedly been raped by an auto-rickshaw driver in gujarat's patan district, police said today.the minor was to leave with her parents to attend a family function in bhavnagar in some days.however, on sunday between 10pm and midnight, the girl put some clothes in a bag and left home without informing her parents, sidhpur deputy superintendent of police n c patel, who is investigating the case, told pti.she hired an auto-rickshaw for patan railway station, but the driver told her that he had to refuel the vehicle and went to unjha petrol pump.the driver didn't have sufficient money, and therefore the girl paid rs 200 for refuelling the vehicle, police said.their image was captured in the cctv, installed at the petrol pump, they said.the driver then drove back to patan and on way, he raped the girl at a farm before dropping her at patan s t bus stand instead of railway station, the dy sp said.the girl changed her clothes at the bus stand, patel said, adding that someone noticed that she was bleeding and called ambulance service, which took her to patan civil hospital.later, her parents were called and a complaint was filed.the girl gave names of three different persons, but during the investigation it was found that there was no person by such name in the locality.she also gave three different registration numbers of auto-rickshaws, which were not found valid when checked with the local regional transport office.the accused has not been identified so far, police said adding that the victim was not cooperating with them in the probe.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said the much-delayed work on the Railway Coach Factory at Kanjikode here will start this year. Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Palakkad Government Medical College here on Monday, the Chief Minister said he had held talks with the Union Railway Minister and the Railway Board Chairman during their visit to Kozhikode on January 2. They said they were trying to find a partner for the construction work. The work was being taken up under the Public Private Partnership mode, he said. IIT promised The Chief Minister said the State would get an IIT in the 12th Five Year Plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised it in Kochi recently. “If Kerala gets an IIT, it will be started in Palakkad as the State government had promised earlier,” Mr. Chandy said. The new medical college, the coach factory and the promised IIT would catalyse the development of Palakkad, one of the backward regions of the State, he added.
Lucknow: Four bogies of Barauni-Gwalior mail caught fire late Monday when the train was stationed at Moth railway station near Jhansi, disrupting the train traffic on Jhansi-Kanpur route for about two hours. The sleeper coach S-8 of the Gwalior-bound train caught fire at Moth station, around 320-kms from here, and soon it spread to three other bogies, PRO Jhansi Division Ravi Prakash said. Three bogies were totally and one was partially damaged in the fire, he said. No was injured in the incident, Prakash said. The cause behind the fire was yet to be ascertained,he said adding, a probe has been ordered into the matter. The passengers of the train were taken to Jhansi. The four bogies were replaced and the journey was resumed after two hours, the official said. Four fire brigades were reportedly pressed into service to douse the blaze.
the railways is all set to increase the capacity of its computer server to produce 65,000 tickets in an hour from the present 45,000. the increased capacity will save the server from crashes that have been plaguing the system recently.giving details of the project an irctc (indian railways catering and tourism corporation) official said: "at the moment, we have a maximum capacity of producing around 45,000 tickets in an hour. however, this is not sufficient to fulfil our needs. we face huge rush during the opening one hour period for tatkal tickets from 10 am to 11am which leads to a server crash."to save the system, the railways is replacing the dual (double) core server by hexa (six) core server. the capability of fireball (gateway software) is also being increased to accommodate more hits at a time. at the moment, due to low capacity, increased number of hits causes the server to crash."at the moment, irctc produces 4.30 lakh tickets a day, on an average. we are working on increasing the capacity," said spokesperson of irctc pradip kundu. the irctc is spending rs 10 crore for ushering in changes to the ticketing system.
rail passengers travelling between the national capital and chandigarh would now have an option of third shatabdi express to travel between two cities. railways minister pawan kumar bansal flagged off third shatabdi express connecting chandigarh with new delhi on monday. the minister flagged off the train, which would run six days a week (except sunday), from chandigarh - the lok sabha constituency of bansal. two pairs of shatabdi trains are already running between new delhi and kalka passing through chandigarh. "the non-stop chandigarh-new delhi-chandigarh shatabdi express would comprise one executive ac chair car and nine ac chair car coaches. the 12046 chandigarh-new delhi shatabdi express will depart from chandigarh at 11.40 am to reach new delhi at 3 pm the same day. while returning, the 12045 new delhi- chandigarh shatabdi express train will depart from new delhi at 7.15 pm to reach chandigarh at 10.35 pm the same day," a northern railway official said. justifying the third shatabdi train for chandigarh, the official said there was a huge demand to introduce an exclusive service between chandigarh and new delhi at convenient timings from either end.
After failing to ensure a place for it on the World Heritage Site list in 2009, Railways is making fresh attempts to see that the Matheran Light Rail (MLR) gets enlisted by UNESCO this time. “We are making fresh attempts to make the MLR a World Heritage Site and accordingly a new application is being sent to UNESCO,” said Subodh Jain, general manager of Central Railway. Matheran, located on the Western Ghats range at 2,625 ft above sea level, is connected with Neral station by a unique 2-foot narrow gauge rail track and has been operational for more than a hundred years. The construction of the Neral-Matheran line in Maharashtra was started in 1904 and the toy train had its first run in 1907. The Railways first submitted the proposal to include the Matheran rail on UNESCO heritage list in 2006. Three years later, UNESCO conveyed its decision to the Railways citing various reasons for not giving its nod. In the meantime, a major chunk of the line got washed away due to heavy rains, but it was restored and made operational in February 2007. “If it gets the WHS status, the hill station will attract the attention of global tourists and this will transform the economy of the area,” said Jain. The toy train hauled by diesel engine is, however, running losses as the expenditure is exceeding the earning. “Though it is a loss making route we want it to be inscribed in the World Heritage list. We are trying to make it financially viable by introducing a shuttle service during the monsoon,” said Jain.
a 32-year-old man, who was released from jail for his good behaviour after serving sentence in a rape and murder case of a minor girl, was again arrested for allegedly raping and killing a girl here, police said today.sunil suresh alias pappu salve was arrested yesterday for allegedly kidnapping a nine-year-old girl from shirdi town of ahmednagar district in maharashtra on december 28 last year following which he raped her and then killed her.salve was arrested yesterday near manmad railway station in nashik district by shirdi police. he was later produced in rahata local court which remanded him to police custody till january 17, police said.earlier, salve was arrested in 2003 for raping and murdering a minor girl in sinnar area of nashik district.later, nashik sessions court had awarded death sentence to him in the case. but he had appealed in the bombay high court against the sentence and was acquitted in the case, police sources said.however, he was serving two jail terms - ten-year and seven-year rigorous imprisonment each - for cases of rape and murder against him lodged in ambad and nashik police stations in 2002, police said.on account of his good behaviour, he was released from the nashik road jail on may 28, 2012.after release from jail, salve kidnapped the nine-year-old girl from shirdi and allegedly raped and murdered her on december 28, 2012.he then threw the victim's body at an isolated place near shirdi railway station.the decomposed body was recovered on friday night, police said.additional superintendent of police sunita thakare had yesterday said that a rape and murder case against suresh will be tried by a fast-track court.enraged over the incident, people in shirdi took out a protest march yesterday and demanded stern punishment for salve.the ncm suggested that in section 354 of the ipc, the phrase "sexual harassment" should include blackmailing and stalking with or without bodily contact.observing that boys are also victim of unnatural offences, it said, "they (boys) too need strict legal protection and the punishment should be equally severe."dubbing the religious system prevalent in the country as "patriarchal", the commission said "manu smriti and triple talaq are examples enough to prove gender bias. this bias cannot be removed through just one criminal law."it also said that delay in registering crimes against women and the odious and boorish questions put to the prosecutrix have to be done away with initially.as a guard against custodial rape cases, the commission suggested making mandatory installation of cctv in all police stations for greater accountability from the cops."senior police officers of the rank of dsp/sp should be informed immediately of the incident. there should be regular monitoring and review of all sexual assault cases including pending cases by the sp/ssp/igp," it said, adding that failure to lodge fir by police should be made punishable by law.the commission also recommended that interference on behalf of rape accused by anyone, especially police force, should be made a punishable offence.in cases of consensual sex, it said, the minimum age for consent needs to be brought down to 16 years from 18, with consequential amendment in the crpc and the evidence act."at times there is a thin line separating consensual sex from rape and the former is becoming a little more common today," ncm observed.for medical examination, it prescribed a uniform protocol for treatment and collection of medical evidence to ensure dignified treatment and examination of rape victims.
To ensure safety of women on Delhi Metro, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has decided to increase the number of its women personnel to 25 per cent of its total deployment. The decision comes after the Central government recently announced that police stations in the national capital will have more women staff. "We have decided to enhance the number of our women personnel and take their strength to 25 per cent of our total deployment in the Delhi Metro. The exercise is on," CISF chief Rajiv told PTI. The Director General (DG) said the women personnel will be deployed to patrol Metro trains, conduct special checks and carry out frisking duties. "We can increase the number of women personnel in Delhi Metro upto a limit as their duties are designated. But still, we will be able to enhance their numbers to a satisfactory level in a phased manner," the DG said. At present, close to 5,000 CISF personnel guard the Delhi Metro network and about 800 of them are women personnel who render a variety of security duties. Earlier this month, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said that two women sub-inspectors and 10 women constables will be posted in each of the 166 police stations in the national capital. The CISF, according to the DG, has also asked Delhi Metro authorities to give its personnel access in certain control rooms on Metro stations for better control and security of stations. Some stations in the Phase-I project of the Metro will also have more CCTVs in vulnerable areas. The CISF had recently issued fresh directives for enhanced deployment of uniformed and plainclothes women and men personnel in late night metro trains. ... contd.
To ensure safety of women on Delhi Metro, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has decided to increase the number of its women personnel to 25 per cent of its total deployment. The decision comes after the Central government recently announced that police stations in the national capital will have more women staff. “We have decided to enhance the number of our women personnel and take their strength to 25 per cent of our total deployment in the Delhi Metro. The exercise is on,” CISF chief Rajiv told PTI. The Director General (DG) said the women personnel will be deployed to patrol Metro trains, conduct special checks and carry out frisking duties. “We can increase the number of women personnel in Delhi Metro upto a limit as their duties are designated. But still, we will be able to enhance their numbers to a satisfactory level in a phased manner,” the DG said. At present, close to 5,000 CISF personnel guard the Delhi Metro network and about 800 of them are women personnel who render a variety of security duties. Earlier this month, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said that two women sub—inspectors and 10 women constables will be posted in each of the 166 police stations in the national capital. The CISF, according to the DG, has also asked Delhi Metro authorities to give its personnel access in certain control rooms on Metro stations for better control and security of stations. Some stations in the Phase—I project of the Metro will also have more CCTVs in vulnerable areas. The CISF had recently issued fresh directives for enhanced deployment of uniformed and plainclothes women and men personnel in late night metro trains. The instructions were issued in the wake of the gang—rape of a 23—year—old girl in the national capital last month.
The South overbridge is likely to be rebuilt as a four-lane one as part of the Kochi Metro project. The Railway Ministry will earmark funds in its forthcoming budget, to fund a portion of the expenses. It would also bear 50 per cent of the cost of reconstruction of the North overbridge. This was decided at a meeting held in Delhi recently to discuss issues related to Railways in different metros. Metro viaduct The Railway Board also assured that discussion would be held with Southern Railway authorities for sparing some land near the railway quarters in Ernakulam South for the construction of a metro viaduct, sources in Kochi Metro Rail Limited said. “The Kochi Metro project would not merely be a mode of transportation but would also be a lever for the urban renewal of Kochi. Our endeavour is to integrate all modes of transport to provide commuters hassle-free traffic solutions,” said Elias George, MD, KMRL.
The Railways and the airways have approached the lean period problem in contrasting ways. Some of the airways have slashed their fares, while the Railways hiked passenger fares in their bid to wriggle out of their tight economic situation. Time will tell whether the action of some of the flight operators affects the Railways, which hurriedly hiked fares aiming to cash in on the Kumbh Mela rush to bridge the gap in its falling revenue earnings ahead of the financial closure in March and the presentation of the Railway Budget in February. The Railways first hiked the surcharge on tickets related to the Kumbh Mela and then hiked the lower economy class by about 25 per cent in a desperate bid to capitalise on the pilgrimage to the confluence in Allahabad to offset the lean period till April-end. Apparently to present a people-friendly budget, the Railways completed their exercise of fare hikes in one go and did not spare the higher air conditioned classes. The Railways provide additional facilities and corner a part of the pilgrims heading for the Kumbh Mela, which might have come as a bonanza for the economically blighted national transporter, as it had exhausted the other avenue of raising revenue by hiking freight charges. Freight rates were hiked ahead of the presentation of the budget for 2012-13 in a bid to bring down the losses of the Railways. It is now feared that any further hike would price it out of the market, particularly when the budgeted target for freight seemed out of its reach for the current financial year. Perhaps the Railways had not reckoned with the possibility of a slash in base price of air tickets by some of the private operators making air travel attractive, to the chagrin of the Railways. One hopes it does not turn to be a financial miscalculation. Usually, pilgrimages are encouraged and the burden is limited to a surcharge on tickets. This time, the conditions are different. Pushed to a corner, the Railways saw the Kumbh Mela as the only way out. On auspicious days, the number of devotees arriving for a holy dip is estimated to cross 40 million. The Railways are hoping that the double fare hike does not discourage the devotees this time. The tragedy of the Railways is that there is a drop, in not only freight, but also passenger traffic. Last year, it increased freight rates to make up for the loss, this year it turned its attention to passenger fares. The authorities are praying that their decision does not make more of its passengers look skywards.
Pursuant to pressure from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Western Railway is expecting the Maharashtra government to sign a support agreement by the month end which would put the premium 60 km Churchgate-Virar Elevated Rail Corridor in Mumbai, the biggest Public Private Partnership (PPP) project in the country so far, on course. This would be the first step towards winning the confidence of bidders for the Rs. 21,000-crore two-track project with the capacity to transport 90,000 passengers per hour in the superior travel comfort of air-conditioned coaches. The objective is to address capacity constraints on the present suburban system, which during peak hours presents a scary picture with women too clinging to reach their destination in time. Trespassing on these tracks claim at least 10 to 15 lives every day. Western Railway General Manager, Mukesh Kumar, told a visiting team of journalists that two more tracks were being constructed to ease the pressure, besides the elevated corridor, which had got stuck up for various reasons. Allegations were that there were objections from notable persons who detested the elevated corridor overlooking their residences. Under pressure from the PMO, during the past eight months, Railway and State government officials together have redrawn a new alignment and now they are in the midst of signing an agreement to convey the message to the private concessionaire that both the State and the Centre were in mutual agreement on the details of the project and that the private players should have no cause for concern on any issue. The Railways are seeking the State government to agree to shift utilities, grant required space and help it in relief and rehabilitation of those displaced due to the project. The realignment has reduced the number of displaced people as a good part of the corridor will now be underground. Three private firms — L&T, GMR and IL&FS — have evinced interest in the project. The Railways hope to finalise the contract over the next three months. Mr. Kumar said talks were on with other private firms as well. While only one player is usually chosen for a project, Mr. Kumar said it would be difficult to say whether more than one entity would be enlisted for the purpose, given the magnitude of the project. He admitted that they were seeking more concessions from the Railways, which, however, he did not divulge. Expected to be completed in five years, the price structure for the eight-coach train to run at a speed of 100 km per hour touching 26 stations would be on the higher side similar to that of Hyderabad fare structure. The rumours were that the private players were also seeking an assurance from the Railways that they would not be running a similar superior service on their local tracks.
The rising mercury has brought respite to railway passengers and Northern Railway officials. With the fog density dropping in the capital, most trains that were delayed or cancelled are now running on schedule. Till last Sunday, around 12 trains were running behind schedule. On the contrary, as many as 65 trains were running late till Monday. Dense fog had severely hit train operations. Due to poor visibility, certain long-distance trains were running late by a day or more. Northern Railway had to cancel 17 trains and partially cancel 23 trains. “There has been a tremendous improvement in the train operations since the density of fog decreased. Visibility on the tracks has improved, enabling trains to run on schedule,” a Northern Railway spokesperson said. Officials said fog is still a problem in many places around Delhi. “Trains from Ambala, Bihar, Agra, Varanasi and Kalka are still facing delays due to fog. With normalisation of weather, trains will run on schedule in these sections,” the spokesperson said. Temperature rises to 25.2°C After unusually cold weather earlier this month, the mercury on Saturday soared to 25.2 degree Celsius, making it the warmest day of the year at 5 degrees higher than the average maximum temperature. The temperature rose three notches from Friday, while the minimum temperature remained the same at 7.7 degree Celsius, with no variation from the normal for this time of the year. However, 25.2 degree will be the plateau of the weekend mercury levels as India Meteorological Department officials predicted that the top temperature on Sunday will be 24 degree Celsius, while the low will be around 8 degree Celsius. ... contd.
three men, including a safdarjung hospital employee and an mba, have been arrested for allegedly making extortion calls to a north-west delhi businessman demanding rs 15 lakh with one of them pretending to be underworld don chhota rajan, police said on saturday.manjoor khan, 25, ranvijay rao, 27, and mohammad asif, 27, were part of an interstate gang operating in delhi and gujarat.the fake chhota rajan gang targeted affluent people, threatening to kill their family members, police said.the arrests came after a businessman from pitampura lodged a complaint with maurya enclave police station on january 2, saying that he was getting extortion calls from chhota rajan."regular demands for rs 15 lakh were being made. the complainant was threatened with dire consequences," said mohammad akhtar rizvi, deputy commissioner of police (north-west). his son would be killed if he went to police, he was told.police then put his mobile phones under electronic surveillance. they also kept tabs on workers at his factory.following instructions from police, the businessman carried a bag - supposedly containing rs 6 lakh - to the meeting point with the extortionists near safdurjang hospital.a police team nabbed the gang's collection agent asif red-handed as he received the bag. ranvijay was next arrested in kidwai nagar on january 9.but mastermind manjoor was unaware about the developments. "he was also arrested red-handed near iffco chowk metro station when he came to collect the money on january 11 as per plan," rizvi said.a fourth gang member, satender, is still at large and teams have been deployed to nab him. later, the gang was also found involved in another case of extortion with the same modus operandi in vadodara in gujarat, police said.manjoor, who hails from bihar's gopalganj district, has been to saudi arabia. "he is the main person who used to present himself as chhota rajan to extort money," rizvi said.mbaranvijay is a native of uttar pradesh and works with silokhera genpact in gurgaon sector 31, while asif works as a technical medical assistant at safdarjung hospital.
prem kumar's all-round show (117 not out and 4-40) fashioned asc centre's 75-run win over central excise and customs in the ksca group ii first division league here. riding on prem's hundred, asc centre made 260/9 in their 50 overs. naveen claimed 4-52, while sunil n raju (3-38) and aditya sagar (2-52) chipped in. despite sandeep av and devraj t patil making 52 each, the rest of the central excise and customs batsmen found the going tough as they were bowled out for 185 in the 40th over. prem was the wrecker-in-chief and he was ably supported by koteshwara rao (2-23). brief scores: asc centre: 260/9 in 50 overs (prem kumar 117 n.o.; aditya sagar 2-52, naveen 4-52, sunil n raju 3-38) bt central excise and customs: 185 all out in 39.1 overs (sandeep av 52, devraj t patil 52; prem kumar 4-40, koteshwara rao 2-23).hal sport club: 227 all out in 45.3 overs (nihal ullal 52, sarvanan 50, sharath srinivas 41; iiliaz 2-30, prasad 2-34, rohith 5-35) bt south western railway institute, mysore: 165 all out in 41.2 overs (kiran am 55; david mathias 2-39, daniel sequiera 4-31, bk kumar 2-21).vijaya bank: 196 all out in 41 overs (r samarth 29, chiranjeevi 57, kv siddarth 49; j suchith 3-30, rohit more 2-25) lt to canara bank: 197/6 in 46.1 overs (bharath chipli 51, kp pawan 28, j suchith 45; c raghavendra 4-31).rail wheel factory sports association: 175 all out in 38 overs (praveen kumar 65, kh manoj 30 n.o.; pavan deshpande 3-28, nooruddin 2-35, anirudh joshi 2-32) bt state bank of mysore: 163 all out in 32.3 overs (samarth reddy 25, pavan deshpande 51, anirudh joshi 55; manoj kh 2-20, prasanna patil 2-32, pranesh desai 3-30).
hosts karnataka lost 35-36 to services in a thrilling quarterfinal encounter to crash out of the 60th senior national super league kabaddi championships at the sir m vishweshwaraiah stadium here on saturday. after both teams were tied at 30-30 in regulation time, the match went into tie-breaker of five raids each. both teams converted the five raids and scores were tied at 35-35. in the golden raid, karnataka won the toss and prashant rai went ahead to raid the services territory but was snapped up by the latter resulting in a nail-biting victory. earlier, the contest began with both sides fighting hard to assert their dominance. services were leading 12-10 at half-time with surjeet singh and suraj desai garnering points for them. however, bs shabbir and rai launched a late surge to get karnataka close, collecting a flurry of points but services held their nerve to emerge victors. results (quarterfinals): men: services bt karnataka 36-35 (after golden raid); uttar pradesh bt jammu & kashmir 30-19.league phase: pool a: railways bt uttar pradesh 33-28, maharashtra bt hyderabad 28-25. pool b: rajasthan drew with karnataka 30-30, delhi bt bihar 16-8. pool c: services bt vidarbha 65-35. pool d: tamil nadu bt odisha 22-15. women: quarterfinals: railways bt uttar pradesh 42-12; himachal pradesh bt andhra pradesh 32-19.
even as thousands scrambled to get a pie of the rs 2,013 one-way ticket to most destinations offered by budget carrier spicejet since friday morning the airline website remained crashed for most part of the day while some online ticketing portals took the airline off their listings.the carrier had announced on friday that it would sell 10 lakh tickets across its domestic network for an all-inclusive fare of rs 2,013 for sale till january 13 for travel between february 1 and april 30.when contacted by deccan herald, a spicejet spokesman said, "our website is experiencing heavy traffic since morning because of the promo that we have announced. we have added more servers to ensure that those who book tickets will not face any problem." he, however, ruled out extension of dates of low-fare tickets because of the problems encountered by travellers in booking tickets. asked about the ticketing portals not offering spicejet tickets, he said some portals had taken the airline off but many were still selling tickets. "however, it is true that some of the portals which are selling our tickets are slow because of the heavy traffic." for most part of the day, the airline website remained busy with the message, "our online booking site is currently experiencing heavy traffic. please try again later."while some passengers like shaila gurudutt succeeded in getting tickets from bangalore to mumbai, others like radha khattar were not so successful in delhi despite multiple attempts. however, unlike expectations, the spicejet offer did not move other airlines as competitors refused bite the bullet.the airline's offer came a day after the indian railways hiked train fares across the board by up to 34 per cent.
maha kumbh mela is a propitious occasion for the devout, and for the uttar pradesh government, it is likely to be a rs 12,000 crore revenue-generating event, besides generating business and employment opportunities. a forecast paper titled "maha kumbh mela 2013- possible revenue generation resources for uttar pradesh" by trade body the associated chambers of commerce and industry of india (assocham) released on saturday said that the event will bring cheers to airline companies, hotels, tour operators, reeling under subdued demand from a slowdown in the economy. in the process, it would also result in revenues of rs 12,000 crore to the up government's coffers. the mela is also expected to generate about 6 lakh job opportunities, the paper added. the maha kumbh mela will be from january 27 to february 25, 2013, at allahabad in uttar pradesh.inbound tourism will get a fillip according to the paper; estimates reveal that about a million international foreign tourists are expected to visit india on the eve of the mela. uttar pradesh tour operators attract over 5 lakh foreign tourists and each foreign tourist spends an estimated amount of rs.25,000 in tourist packages. ccording to assocham secretary general, d s rawat, australia, uk, canada, malaysia, singapore, south africa, new zealand, mauritius, zimbabwe, sri lanka will be the countries from where tourist arrivals are expected for the maha kumbh.hotel industry is aiming at 100 per cent occupancy rate for maha kumbh, which currently is experiencing 70 per cent occupancy rate on an average. the beneficiaries would include small, budget and luxury hotels. national and international media will arrive in large numbers. duration of foreign tourists stay in india will be 20-30 days. these are likely to employ over 2.5 lakh skilled and unskilled workforce.rawat added: "apart from allahabad, other nearby states like rajasthan (jaipur, jabalpur, udaipur, bhilwara, kota etc), uttarkhand (nainital, musoorie, aulli, dehradun, haridwar, ranikhet, almora), u.p. (agra, lucknow) punjab (amrtisar, chandigarh, ludhaiana), himachal pradesh (shimla, kufri, manali, panchkula) will also be the major beneficiaries states in revenue generation where large number of foreign tourists are expected to explore tourists destinations." uttar pradesh tourism, privately-owned hospitals, traders, railway and international airports are likely to earn whooping revenue of over rs. 1,500 crore in maha kumbh through increased inflow of foreign & domestic tourists by offering attractive tour packages and medical tourism facilities, according to the paper.
Blasting the Centre for the recent hike in passenger fares for trains, the former Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Lalu Prasad, remarked here on Saturday that the country’s largest public utility had “derailed.” “The revenue earned from the increase will not bring any major gains to the Railways. Those sitting in the government are playing havoc with the lifeline of the people. Ever since I have left the Ministry, the Railways had derailed from the track. The move has put people in difficulty,” Mr. Prasad told reporters after he filed his nomination for the post of the RJD’s national president. If elected, Mr. Prasad will hold the party’s top post for the eighth time in succession. The announcement will be made on January 20 during the party’s national convention in Patna. Mr. Prasad said the Centre should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. Referring to his tenure as Railways Minister, he said the effort was towards harnessing the potential of the freight service for generating revenue. Many of his initiatives in the area of goods train services and creation of warehousing facilities for traders, did not see the light of the day after he left the Ministry. Instead of increasing fare, the government should improve the freight infrastructure, he said.
the number of new annual hiv/aids cases in india have dropped by 57 percent in the last decade as against 20 percent globally, health and family welfare minister ghulam nabi azad said saturday."in the last decade, the global average declining rate for new hiv infections was 20 percent, in india it is 57 percent," said azad at the closing function of the third phase of the red ribbon express here.a recent report by national aids control organisation (naco) said india has seen new hiv cases go down from 2.74 lakh in 2000 to 1.16 lakh in 2011 - an overall reduction of 57 percent.devoted to fighting hiv/aids, the third phase of the express train came to a final halt at the safdarjung railway station here after covering over 160 stations in 23 states.it was flagged off jan 12, 2012 on the national youth day.in its journey of one year, 90,000 people availed the hiv/aids counselling in the train, on the platform and around the train halt-stations. in its third phase, the train apart from spreading awareness on hiv/aids, the train also conducted general health check-ups.the first edition of the express was launched in 2007 while the second phase was flagged off in 2009.
around 20-25 persons received injuries when two boggies of the barak valley passenger train derailed this afternoon at dima hasao hills district of assam.railway officials said the incident took place at around 1 pm near remote harangajao railway station when the train was on its way from lumding to silchar.senior railway officials rushed to the spot and work has been taken up to repair parts of the track which was damaged due to the derailment.all railway services in the metergauge track connecting barak valley to the rest of assam has been temporarily stopped till the track is restored.
a driver at bangalore metro rail corporation limited was electrocuted while drying clothes on a wire in front of his residence here, police said. the man was identified as krishna (35), they said.
Having suffered a severe dent in its image following an acute shortfall of coaches and a spate of accidents involving ill-maintained coaches in Kerala, the railways has grown wiser. The coach position is getting back to normal and steps have been taken to ensure their upkeep, Thiruvanathapuram Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agarwal assured. “The Thiruvananthapuram Division is not an outhouse of other divisions (in Southern Railway). We must get back each coach that is sent to Chennai for periodic repairs,” he said. He was responding to questions from reporters here about reports that about 25 per cent of the coaches sent for repairs from Kerala were diverted to places in Tamil Nadu, causing acute coach shortage in the State. On passengers being forced to travel in inferior coaches because of the shortage of AC coaches, Mr Agarwal said this mismatch was being addressed. The Ernakulam Area Manager of Southern Railway P L Ashok Kumar had said all trains were plying with the sanctioned number of coaches since Tuesday. “Steps are being taken so that shortage of coaches can be anticipated well in advance. We also need coaches to step up the existing coach composition in trains. More coaches can be added to trains that travel with 18 coaches, so that more passengers can be accommodated in them,” Mr Agarwal said, at a press conference here. Biennale tie-up The railways was engaged in discussion with the biennale organisers so that artists could help spruce up railway stations and make them livelier, he said. Initially, they could unleash their creativity in Ernakulam Junction and stations south of it. “They can depict theme-based works or even murals, which commuters would prefer than dull concrete,” he told reporters here on Thursday. A blueprint to convert the Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram stations into world-class stations is being readied and it has to be decided where the artists can step in, he said. Biennale curator Bose Krishnamachari said the biennale was ‘serious’ about the proposal. “The idea is still at a conceptual stage. We haven’t physically scouted the stations proposed. We will hold further discussions with the railway officials for a roadmap on this. And the project would be executed using the services of Kerala-based artists,” he said. Delay in overbridges Mr Agarwal expressed concern over the delay by the State government in constructing overbridges at busy level crossings. The Division needs 100 rail overbridges, for which the railways will bear 50 per cent of the cost. Such structures are built within six months in places like Delhi.
the northern railway cancelled a dozen trains on friday owing to fog. around 25 trains are running late. lichchavi express, toofan abha express, lal quila express, howrah janata express, garhwal express and patna jansadharan express are among the major long-distance trains that have been cancelled. at least nine trains were rescheduled, including bhubaneswar rajdhani. "out of the nine trains rescheduled on friday, bhubaneswar rajdhani, swatantra senani and mahananda express will depart on saturday," said a northern railway official. moreover, 15 trains scheduled to arrive here on friday were running behind schedule. "mahananda express, unchahaar express, bhubaneswar rajdhani, swatantra senani and kashi vishwanath express are running late by more than 10 hours. mahananda is late by 30 hours," a railways official said. new shatabdi for chda new shatabdi express will be launched on january 14 to run on the chandigarh-new delhi-chandigarh route for six days a week. this will be the third shatabdi to run between delhi and chandigarh, the lok sabha constituency of railway minister pawan kumar bansal.comprising one executive ac chair car and nine ac chair car coaches, train number 12046 chandigarh-new delhi shatabdi express will depart from chandigarh at 11.40 am to reach new delhi at 3 pm the same day.in the return direction, train number 12045 new delhi-chandigarh shatabdi express train will depart at 7.15 pm to reach chandigarh at 10.35 pm the same day. it will not run on sunday.
while inaugurating the much awaited railway underpass at gulabi bagh on friday, chief minister sheila dikshit said the outer ring road is going to be signal-free in days to come.some flyovers, railway underbridges and a partly elevated road between vikas puri and wazirabad will be constructed at a cost of about rs 2,400 crore. the project will start next month.with the opening of railway underpass at gulabi bagh, at a cost of rs 24 crore, commuters coming from shalimar bagh, pratap nagar, ashok vihar, inderlok, shastri nagar, and shahzada bagh will save time and fuel while going towards isbt through azad market."the plan of our government is to make the entire outer ring road signal-free. we will begin with a stretch of 20 km from vikaspuri to wazirabad that will be redeveloped with construction of three flyovers at bhalaswa chowk, burari chowk, mukundpur chowk and two loops at mukundpur chowk for a right turn," said dikshit. re-engineering"the re-engineering of this stretch will facilitate uninterrupted travel resulting in relief to a large number of passengers and residents of vikaspuri, janakpuri etc."the plan also includes a six-lane parallel road to be constructed from sanjay gandhi transport nagar to wazirabad chowk with a flyover to cross nalah and nh-i. "a 3.30 km-long elevated road from anandkunj junction to mira bagh t junction, 2.60 km-long elevated road from somvihar chowk to depali chowk and another 2.60 km-long elevated road from power house pitampura to railway overbridge at mukarba chowk will be built to make the stretch completely signal-free," said a senior public works department official.he added that it will help in reducing traffic snarls at jawala heri, paschim vihar, bhehra enclave, mangolpuri pitampura, rohini, saraswati vihar, prashant vihar, and badli. also, at burari, nirankari colony, bhalaswa haiderpur, shalimar bagh and mukundpur. union minister kapil sibal and delhi pwd minister raj kumar chauhan were present. "with the commissioning of the new projects, it is expected that there will be a huge saving of fuel and travelling time resulting in an end to traffic jams," said chauhan."outer ring road and ring road have attained the status of lifelines in the city," he added. local mla rajesh jain, chief whip of congress legislative party and mla kunwar karan singh, local councillors satbir sharma and prerna singh were also present.
noida and greater noida boards on friday gave green signal to metro rail projects from noida to greater noida and city centre to sector 62.though it was planned during the former uttar pradesh chief minister mayawati's tenure, the change of guard saw the project being put on hold as new officers and the state government wanted changes in it before giving the approval.noida ceo sanjiv saran and greater noida ceo rama raman said after the meeting of the two boards that the total length of the metro project is 29.70 kilometre. it will be run on 1,433 gauge and will have 22 stations.train speedthe maximum speed of train would be 95 kilometre per hour while scheduled speed is 35 kilometre per hour. at present, cost of the project is expected to be around rs 5,500 crore, they said.the areas to be covered under the project are sectors 32, 51, 83, 101, 143, 147, knowledge park ii, pari chowk, sector alpha, delta and knowledge park ivas. greater noida industrial development authority as per ncrpb master plan approval has to construct 20 to 25 per cent ews and lig houses in near future. the authority has planned to develop 10,000 such houses.
water supply will be affected on january 17 and 18 at kumara park east and west, areas under malleswaram service station, sadashivanagar, yeshwantpur, mutyalanagara, mathikere, bhashyam park, gayathrinagar, areas under sanjaynagar and rt nagar service stations, anandnagar, hebbal, bannappa park, pillanna garden, fraser town, shivajinagar, chickpet, cottonpet, gandhinagar, vidhana soudha, bangalore railway station, sampani ramanagara, udaam nagar, st mark's road, richmond town, cox's town, doddakunte , ombr service station area, hrbr, lingarajapura and surrounding areas.bwssb will take up maintenance works in cauvery iii stage water supply project and hence there will be no water supply for over 10 hours.
23 Ministry of Railways has made some relaxation in the condition of production of original Proof of Identity during train travel and particularly for the passengers belonging to the lower economic classes. Under this relaxation, attested photocopy of Ration Card with photograph and Nationalised Bank Passbook with photographs shall also be accepted as a prescribed proof of identity only in case of reserved tickets booked through computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters, for undertaking journey in Sleeper (SL) and Second Reserved Sitting (2S) classes. The photocopy of the Ration Card with photograph and Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph should be attested by a Gazetted Officer or the Chief Reservation Supervisor or Station Manager/Station Master. This relaxation applies only to Ration Card and Nationalized Bank Pass Book and not in case of other types of proofs of identity cards for which only original proof will be required during journey. The above provision is not applicable for all classes of e-tickets and Tatkal tickets and tickets issued through PRS counter for travelling in Air-conditioned classes and First Class. Travelling with these categories of tickets shall continue to be governed by existing instructions. This provision shall be made effective from 15.1.2013. ****** AKS/hck/bs
Thousands of workers have been toiling on the Rs. 14,600-crore Metro Rail project over the past several months. Two of them are now no longer alive to see the fruit of their labour. Despite advanced safety measures, massive infrastructure projects such as Chennai Metro Rail involve a fair amount of risk that is unavoidable, said an official of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). However, labourers at the accident spot on Thursday said they had no written agreement with the terms of their employment. “All we have is an entry pass stating which site we work at,” said a worker. Asked if they signed any document that spoke of the risk element and details of compensation in the event of an accident, the workers replied in the negative. V. Somasundaram, chief general manager (constructions), CMRL, said: “We will check into that.” With a number of contractors and sub-contractors in the picture, how does a contractual agreement with labourers work? Who is accountable in the case of an accident causing death or injury to a worker? A CMRL official said their insurance covered all labourers, irrespective of who engaged them. However, the compensation for an accident victim is the discretion of the labour commissionerate. CMRL, through its main contractor (L&T in this case), will have to arrange for the compensation amount. It took personnel of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services over an hour to retrieve the body of 22-year-old Dimple Shah, who died in the accident at the Alandur site. He is survived by his wife and two children, who live in Patna. The labour commissionerate will soon hand over the compensation sum of Rs. 9 lakh to his family, according to the CMRL official. Mr. Somasundaram, observing that CMRL followed international standards in labour contracts, said: “We have even asked an NGO working with construction labourers to document details of workers across Metro Rail sites,” he said. According to a worker at the site, the wages, ranging from Rs. 210 to Rs. 230 at the site, were satisfactory. “But it is important to spell out details of compensation at the time of employment,” he said. Put up in Ambal Nagar, Jafferkhanpet, the site had become a second home to them, another worker said. A. Shanti, who resides very close to the site, was in a state of shock on Thursday. “The workers often come home saying, ‘Akka…. thanni venum’ (sister, we want some water) in broken Tamil.” (With inputs from K. Manikandan)
The second fatal accident at a Chennai Metro Rail site has happened in less than six months after the first. While investigation is on to ascertain the cause of the accident, experts say a host of factors, ranging from oversight to malfunctioning equipment, could have led to Thursday’s incident. L. Boeing Singh of IIT Guwahati says, “Usually, such accidents take place due to the inadequacy of structural design or an oversight during operation. But we cannot attribute a reason without a probing the accident.” Another engineering expert from IIT Madras, on condition of anonymity, said, while using a launching girder — an iron structure used to place concrete piles between pillars along elevated corridors — there is a risk it may slip and fall. “When the alignment of the launching girder is not proper or the load is arranged eccentrically, such accidents may occur,” he said. In the past, the use of launching girders in large-scale constructions has proven successful in the West because of adherence to stringent safety practices, he said. “There should always be a supervisor or engineer around to inspect the site when such important operations are executed. It is the absence of such supervision that led to a girder collapse at a Delhi Metro Rail site. Six persons lost their lives in the 2009 accident,” he said. An official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said, ever since the accident in July 2009, they had beefed up security arrangements as Phase-III of Metro Rail work is in progress. “Only periodical maintenance of equipment and meticulous inspection can avert such accidents. That’s what we have been doing so far,” he said. A.R. Shanthakumar, former dean of Anna University, said, safety should be a habit at construction sites. “From wearing the safety head-gear to steel-ribbed shoes, everything matters as far as safety is concerned. Also, if workers use safety belts, then it may prevent them from falling while they work at great heights,” he said.
New Delhi: Railways is mulling linking of train tickets with Aadhar cards to tackle the menace of touts in bookings. "We are exploring the possibility of linking Aadhar system with issuing of train tickets and if this happens, the tout menace will be effectively curbed in ticketing system," Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said here today. Passengers often do not get tickets in advance as bulk tickets are being cornered by touts. "I have recently met Nandan Nilekani and discussed the issue with him. Our aim is to ensure availability of tickets by genuine passengers as there are complaints of touts booking bulk tickets in the name of tour and travel operators," he said. Railways has made it mandatory for passengers in reserved class to carry I-cards as a step to check touts. "We have taken several steps to prevent tout operation. We are also strengthening the software to facilitate maximum booking of online tickets," he said. Railways has banned booking of tickets by agents between 10 am and 11 am as the period is dedicated for tatkal booking by passengers. Advocating the introduction of the Aadhar system, Bansal further said, "It is not only tickets, even money can be transferred in pensioners' accounts directly with the Aadhar card system." There are 12 lakh pensioners in Railways. Asked when the Aadhar system will be implemented in Railways, he said, "It is an idea and we have to work it out." Bansal said Railways has taken several steps to curb wasteful expenditure. "I have instructed that there will be no full-page advertisement in newspapers as was the practice earlier. If any ad has to be published, then it should be one-fourth size of the paper."
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday ruled out a rollback of the rise in rail fares even as he denied there was any political reason behind the announcement made a few weeks ahead of the Railway budget. Talking to reporters, Mr. Bansal said there would be no fare hike in the budget. He shot down questions as to whether 2014 general election was behind the timing of the announcement. Elections were far away, he stressed. The new proposal was based on the same formula on which fares were hiked in the 2012-13 budget, but with an additional burden of 20 to 25 per cent to make up for the loss the railways had to suffer on account of the withdrawal of fare rates for the second and sleeper classes. Safety and cleanliness Mr. Bansal said demands for safety and cleanliness had to be kept in mind while taking financial decisions. “That is now our responsibility after the present exercise.” While expecting to rake in Rs. 1,200 crore over the next 10 weeks, he noted that if the proposals presented by the then Railway Minister, Dinesh Trivedi, had been accepted, the railways would have gained a lot in the last 10 months. The fares were withdrawn and Mr. Trivedi lost his job at the behest of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee. Evading a question whether Mr. Trivedi’s proposals were rolled back due to political reasons, Mr. Bansal underlined the importance of politics but said there was need to rise above it at times. The Minister said results would show in the near future given the fact that the Plan size was downgraded further by about Rs.9,000 crore from Rs.60,100 crore to Rs.51,000 crore. The rise in fares was likely to yield an additional revenue of about Rs.6,500 crore annually. He admitted that there would be administrative problems in realising the rate difference from passengers, including those destined for the Kumbh Mela, who had booked their tickets before January 22 when the new rates come into effect. To ensure easy availability of tickets to genuine passengers, a better server and a new system for booking tickets would be put in place soon.
Justifying the hike in rail fares, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said it was a “sound economic decision” given the financial health of railways. Mr Chidambaram also sought to make light the opposition criticism of the decision saying it was fair game for them to oppose the fare hike for the sake of opposition. “I think these are sound economic decisions. I think we should not politicise these decisions. Of course, economic decisions are taken by a political government but they do not cease to be economic decisions,” he told reporters here. “Railway fare hike is an economic decision. Railway fares have not been hiked for 10 years,” he further said. Mr Chidambaram also said there was no proposal before the Cabinet to increase diesel prices.
an all-round effort from shoaib manager (91 and 3-23) powered rail wheel factory sports association to a narrow four-run win over agorc in the ksca group ii, idivision super league here on thursday. brief scores:rail wheel factory sports association: 220 all out in 47.5 overs (shoaib manager 91, akshay ck 62; kp rohan 2-17, mr darshan 4-60, shashindra k 4-35) bt agorc: 216/9 in 50 overs (k shashindra 26, shishir bhavane 48, raghavendra d 49; ck akshay 2-48, shoaib manager 3-23, k yere gound 2-33).south western railway inst, mysore: 144 all out in 37 overs (kiran am 39, dhananjaya s 27; nc aiyappa 4-32, suchith j 3-28) lt to canara bank: 148/5 in 28 overs (kb pawan 50, kn bharath 46; p prajwal 2-42, g prasad 2-24).kptc sports organsiation: 235/8 in 50 overs (manjunath 75, anil kumar 66, hardik munoth 42; chethan 2-33, fayaz 2-49] lt to dtdc sports club: 239/2 in 34.4 overs (as krishna 109, varun narendar 114 n.o.).vijaya bank: 259/7 in 50 overs (rohan kadam 51, chiranjeevi 25, kv siddharath 61, ba vinay 36, ar mahesh 26 n.o.; sanjay yadav 4-32, prem kumar 2-61) bt asc centre: 163 all out in 39.4 overs (kiran kumar 27; vinay kumar h 3-49, raghavendra 5-31).iaf cricket club: 114 all out in 42.4 overs (n aravinda 2-25, chethan williams 2-19, syed nooruddin 3-16, pawan deshpande 2-0) lt to state bank of mysore: 115/1 in 9 overs (b akhil 76 n.o., mk manjunath 30).central exicse & customs rec club: 346/4 in 50 overs (sachin k 31, sandeep av 46, sunil raju 139, devaraj patil 53, a sagar 28 n.o., b naveen 37 n.o.) bt hal sports club: 249 all out in 44.2 overs (david mathias 121, daniel sequiria 32; aditya b sagar 2-30, parappa m 5-39).
A 22-year-old construction worker was crushed to death and three others were injured at a Metro Rail site in the city on Thursday. The worker was caught under a lifting girder — an iron structure used to place concrete piles between pillars along the elevated corridor — that came crashing down on Railway Station Road, between the Alandur and St. Thomas Mount stations around 3.45 a.m. Dimple Shah, who sustained injuries on his face, chest and abdomen, died on the spot, St. Thomas Mount police said. This the second case of a worker getting killed at a Metro Rail construction site in Chennai. In August 2012, one worker died and six others were seriously injured following a crane boom failure near Pachaiyappa’s College. Police have registered a case under section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC, and officers at the St. Thomas police station said further investigations are under way. The injured workers injured , Mumtaz Ansari, Nand Paswan and Samir Khan, are being treated in a city hospital. According to said S. Krishnamoorthy, chief general manager (public relations), Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), two of the labourers suffered grievous injuries, while one escaped with a minor injury. “However, all three are out of danger now.” On what, in CMRL’s opinion, might have caused the accident, Mr. Krishnamoorthy said: “From our initial observation, it appears that the lifting girder was in a state of unbalance, causing the launching girder to pitch forward and downwards. Further investigation is on to ascertain the root cause. Residents of the area said they woke up to a loud noise and rushed outside only to see a cloud of dust caused by the girder collapse. Construction work at the site is being carried out by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), one of the contractors engaged by CMRL. The worker who died was a migrant labourer from Bihar, engaged by Shelmec, a sub-contractor. The body, after post-mortem at Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital in Chromepet, was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. It will be flown to Bihar after completion of paperwork and other formalities, the police said. Four held The St. Thomas Mount police arrested site engineers, Marudupandian and Sandeep Singh, and safety officers Bineeth and Vimal.
Lucknow: Terming the hike in rail fares as "anti-people", former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday demanded its immediate rollback. "Bahujan Samaj Party demands that the rise in railway fares, which have been increased in an arbitrary manner by the UPA government, be withdrawn immediately," she said. "After hiking the price of petrol, diesel and LPG the UPA government has now raised the fare of railways making travel costlier for poor and middle-class people as they will be the worst effected... Centre has hiked the fare of all the classes which is not in interest of people and BSP demands it to be withdrawn," Mayawati said. Alleging that the Centre has done "Congressikaran" of the Railways, she said that earlier when the department was with the alliance partners of the UPA it had escaped the wrong economic policies of the Congress. "But by hiking the fares just month and a half before the budget , it (Congress) has given yet another example of its arbitrariness," she said. On the brutal killing of two soldiers by Pakistani Army in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the BSP chief said that beside the Indian government, Pakistan too needs to take the incident seriously so that problems between the two nations does not escalate. "I believe that there is a need to take concrete action after going into the details of the incident in Poonch so that such cases do not recur", Mayawati said. The BSP chief also said that the Centre should extend financial assistance to the family of the soldiers and Ministry of Defence should initiate steps to give jobs to their widows in keeping with their capability. On law and order situation in UP, she said that a memorandum was handed over to Governor BL Joshi by her party but no action has been taken so far. On death caused by intense cold, she said that it was the result of the state government's apathy. "State government only makes announcements there is nothing on the ground", she added.
New Delhi: Government had to hike railway fares as maintenance of public services comes at a cost, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today said. "The maintenance of standards in public services comes at a cost. That cost has to be defrayed in a Public Private partnership," Tewari tweeted on social networking site twitter. Yesterday, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had announced an across-the-board hike in fares of all classes from midnight of January 21 to net an additional Rs 6,600 crore a year. The announcement, which was a made only about a month ahead of the Railway budget, is the first such increase in Railway fares in nearly a decade.
Chennai: DMK, a key constituent of UPA, today said it would not support any hike that might affect the poor and the party MPs would take up the latest rail fare increase issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "DMK will not support any hike that will hit the poor," party chief M Karunanidhi said when reporters asked him about the railway fare hike announced by P K Bansal Wednesday. Replying to another question, he said his party would take up the matter with the Prime Minister through its MPs. In the pre-budget measure, the government has announced an across-the-board increase in rail passenger fares with effect from January 21 to net an additional Rs 6,600 crore a year, the first such increase in a decade. The hike coming a month before the presentation of railway budget has been slammed by opposition parties which have demanded a rollback.
a worker was killed and two others were injured when a launching girder crashed at a construction site of the chennai metro rail project here today.the incident occurred at the st thomas mount station early this morning, killing a migrant worker and injuring two others, police said.the injured have been admitted to a private hospital and a case registered, police added.in august last year, one labourer was killed and six others injured when a crane engaged in work at a metro rail construction site opposite pachaiyappa's college in kilpauk locality had collapsed.
A mega ticket checking drive was undertaken recently on Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway under the supervision Assistant Commercial Manager Ch. Lakshminarasimham yielding Rs.2.58 lakh in penalty. The Ticket Checking drive was conducted on ticketless travellers on all important Passenger/ Express trains at Eluru station on January 8. The services of 58 Ticket Checking Staff, In-Charge Supervisors, Railway Protection Force and Govt. Railway Police personnel were used during the Mega Checks. During this time 589 cases of Passengers travelling without valid tickets and carrying un-booked luggage were detected and Rs.2.58 lakh was realised from them. Six passengers, who failed to pay the Railway dues, were prosecuted. During the current Financial a total number of 594 checks were conducted in all sections of Vijayawada Division. As a result of these checks, 6,18,228 cases of passengers without tickets and carrying un-booked luggage were detected and Rs.1893.22 lakh was realised. Eighty one passengers who failed to pay the Railway dues were prosecuted. Sankranti Specials South Central Railway will run four Special Trains between Secunderabad-Kakinada Port in order to clear extra rush of passengers during the Sankranti festival as per the following schedule: Train No. 07101 Secunderabad-Kakinada Port Special Train will depart Secunderabad at 11 p.m. on January 11, and 13 and arrive at Kakinada Port at 9.45 a.m. on the next day. The train will arrive/depart Vijayawada at 5.05 a.m. In the return direction, Train No.07102 Kakinada Port-Secunderabad Special train will depart Kakinada Port at 10 p.m. on January 12, and 14 and arrive at Secunderabad at 8.50 a.m. the next day. The Train will arrive/depart Vijayawada at 2.45 a.m./3.00 a.m. Enroute, these trains will stop in both the direction at Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Vijayawada, Eluru, Tadepalligudem, Nidadavolu, Rajamundry, Anaparti, Samalkot and Kakinada Town stations. These trains will consist of fourteen Sleeper Class coaches and two Second Class Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches, totalling to sixteen coaches.
turning a single state with a long tradition of entrepreneurship and a solid political majority into an investor-friendly economic powerhouse is one thing.replicating that experience across a diverse country of 1.2 billion would be a tougher prospect for narendra modi, whose leadership of booming gujarat state has led to his being touted as a potential candidate to become india's next prime minister.while modi wins praise even from critics for cutting red tape and making government more responsive and predictable, many ingredients for gujarat's run of growth were in place well before he took office in 2001."it is like an icing on cake sort of thing. you have a nice cake and modi has done a lot of good icing," said rakesh chaudhary, director of pratibha group, a textile manufacturer in palsana on the outskirts of surat.industry in gujarat is helped by a long coastline and plenty of barren land that is easy to turn over to factory use.the power that comes from a long-standing and heavy majority for his bharatiya janata party (bjp) in the state also gives modi an advantage that he would not enjoy on a national stage marked by fractious coalition politics.despite a controversial past - modi is accused by critics of not doing enough to stop or of even quietly encouraging religious riots in 2002 that saw as many as 2,000 killed, most of them muslims - he has established a reputation as an economic reformer in part by building on the strengths of gujarat and marketing them heavily.modi's marketing savvy, aided by the washington lobbying and public affairs firm apco worldwide, will be on display at the biennial "vibrant gujarat summit" that begins on friday.initiated by modi in 2003 to attract investment after the violence and an earthquake in 2001, the event is attended by thousands of corporate officials who pledge billions in investment, although in reality only a fraction has seen the light of day. of 12.4 trillion rupees in investment proposed at the 2009 event, just 8.5 percent had been spent as of november 2011, according to state government data."under modi's regime, there has been significant improvement in infrastructure growth, significant improvement in industrialisation, as well as agriculture," said jahangir aziz, senior asia economist at jpmorgan. "but what has been overplayed is initial conditions were actually pretty decent in gujarat."higher office?the stocky modi, who favours traditional indian attire and a clipped white beard, plays down any prime ministerial ambitions.but his popularity in gujarat - the bjp won 115 of the state assembly's 182 seats in a december election - has fuelled speculation that he could lead his hindu nationalist party in 2014 against the congress party, which has been beset by corruption scandals and overseen a sharp economic slowdown."his economic record in gujarat is obviously something which matters a lot to the middle classes. that, coupled with strong leadership," said swapan dasgupta, an analyst with links to the bjp who expects modi to be the party standard-bearer in 2014.critics say that while modi has indeed encouraged investment and helped bring reliable electricity and law and order, double-digit growth has not been shared broadly enough. in the five years through march 2010, some states - including tamil nadu and karnataka - did better at bringing down poverty levels."big business people get a lot from the government and scheduled caste people (minorities) get a lot, but people like us who are in between get nothing," said bhupendra thakkar, 50, who earns 6,000 rupees a month selling fruit near surat's decrepit railway station.friend of businessmodi lured tata motors (tamo.ns) to the state in 2008 after the company's plans to build a factory for its low-cost nano car were thwarted by farmers in west bengal.ford motor co (f.n) and maruti suzuki (mrti.ns) are also building plants in gujarat - high profile investments that carry the added benefit of acting as marketing tools.in the seven years through march 2011, gujarat's economy grew an annual 10.08 percent at constant prices, against 6.45 percent in the eight years through march 2002 (modi took office in october 2001), which was still ahead of the all-india average of 6.16 percent. a handful of states, including maharashtra and tamil nadu, clocked bigger gains over the same recent period.by comparison, policy gridlock at the national level has contributed to a drop-off in corporate investment, putting india on track to record its slowest annual growth rate in a decade.accustomed to getting his way, modi, 62, could struggle to negotiate the coalition politics that have become the norm at the national level and have hindered attempts at reform by prime minister manmohan singh's congress-led administration."policymaking has benefited from the fact that the bjp has had absolute majority in the state legislature - an advantage it certainly will not enjoy in the federal parliament," said anjalika bardalai, an analyst with the eurasia group in london.modi has also been able to leverage the business acumen of gujaratis, a group that has long been known for trading and entrepreneurship and includes a prosperous global diaspora as well as billionaires such as adani group chief gautam adani and mukesh ambani, who controls reliance industries (reli.ns), india's most valuable company."modi might not be as successful as he has been here because the business mentality is unique to gujarat," said chandrakant sanghavi, chairman of sanghavi exports international, a diamond trader and processor. "it could be prevalent in other states but the ratio may be less."
Unlike at MRTS and suburban train stations, commuters at Chennai Metro rail stations will have to leave the facilities within a stipulated time failing which they will have to pay a penalty. Both the time limit and penalty are yet to be decided, according to the sources at Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The limit and penalty may be different for entry and exit within the same station and different stations. Deterring miscreants “We don’t want people to stay for long and crowd the station, especially since the stations are to be air-conditioned; hence this rule. This move will also deter miscreants from hanging out in the facilities for a long time,” said an official of CMRL. The factors that will be considered while fixing the penalty include the frequency of trains, time taken by them to travel between stations and the duration of each halt at a station, sources said. The penalty for staying beyond the time limit will be imposed on both commuters with a token (a single journey ticket) and smart card holders (a rechargeable card that may be used for multiple journeys). The penalty system is followed in both Delhi and Bangalore metro systems. In stations in these cities, the commuter enters the paid area from the unpaid area by feeding the token/smart card into a device where the time of entry is registered. While exiting, if the commuter is found to have stayed beyond the time stipulated, she will be fined. Commuters approve Delhi metro commuters seemed to approve of this rule. K. Gayatri, (22), who travels from Pitam Pura to Inder Lok every day, says, “This system is ideal as it acts as a bar to miscreants who might otherwise cause us trouble. Moreover, the time limit allotted by the Delhi metro is enough for us to enter and exit the station.” Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials said that the system had increased the safety of commuters to a great extent.
23 Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the passenger fares with effective from the midnight of 21st January 2013 and 22nd January 2013 (i.e. w.e.f. 0000 hours of 22-1-2013). This decision was announced today i.e. on 9th January 2013, by Minister of Railways Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal at a Press Conference held in Rail Bhawan. Minister of State for Railways Shri. Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy and Railway Board Members were also present. The fare increase, class-wise, is as per the following table: S No. Class of Travel Proposed per km increase in fares i. Second Class Ordinary (Suburban) 2 Paise ii. Second Class Ordinary (Non-Suburban) 3 Paise iii. Second Class (Mail / Express) 4 Paise iv. Sleeper Class 6 Paise v. AC Chair Car 10 Paise vi. AC 3-Tier 10 Paise vii First Class 03 Paise* viii. AC2-Tier 06 Paise* ix. AC First Class 10 Paise* * In addition to increase of 10 paise per km in case of First Class, 15 paise per km in case of AC 2Tier and 30 paise per km in case of AC First / Executive Class already implemented w.e.f. 01-04-12. Moreover, it has also been decided (i) do away with the present practice of levying Development Charge on passenger tickets, and (ii) have all chargeable fares in multiples of Rs. 5/-. Elaborating the rational for fare hike, the Railway Minister, Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that basic fares had not been revised upwards in the last ten years (except for the increase implemented w.e.f. 01-04-12 in respect of only First Class @ 10 paise per km, AC 2Tier @ 15 paise per km and AC First / Executive Class @ 30 paise per km). He pointed out that Losses in passenger segment which were Rs.6159 Cr in 2004-05 had risen to Rs.19964 Cr in 2010-11 (18% per annum) and is expected to increase to Rs.25000 Cr in 2012-13. Shri Bansal informed that Railway’s Input costs have increased by 10.6% per annum between 2004-05 and 2010-11, whereas fares stagnated or were reduced in Lower Classes aggravating passenger losses. He emphasized that cross subsidy through freight business is no more viable in view of fast evolving competition from other modes. Referring to the 2012-13 Railway Budget, Shri Bansal said that across-the-board fare hike proposal placed in 2012-13 Railway Budget in Parliament was finally approved only for First, 2nd AC and First AC/Executive Classes, which together constitute only about 0.3 % of total passengers and about 10% of total earnings from passenger segment. The Railway Minister pointed out that as a consequence Internal resource generation was seriously impacted, resulting in scaling down of Annual Plan size, which has now been limited to Rs. 51,000 crore in 2012-13 as against Rs. 61,000 crore that was originally targeted. Similarly, Fund balances became negative in 2011-12, adversely affecting essential replacement /renewal of assets, operation and maintenance activities and critical safety & passenger amenity works. The Railway Minister emphasized that it was in view of these factors, that increasing passenger fares had became unavoidable. It was also necessary to do so in the overall interests of this critical infrastructure as well as its users on a sustainable basis. ****** AKS/hck/bs
NEW DELHI: The CPM on Wednesday opposed the hike in rail fares and demanded rollback in all categories except AC I and AC II. The party polit bureau said the fare hike of second class, sleeper and suburban fares is "particularly unjustified" as they will hit the common man already grappling with price rise. Slamming the timing of the fare hike announcement, the CPM said in a statement, "The railway minister has shown contempt for Parliament by announcing these fare hikes just a month before the railway budget is to be placed in Parliament." The party will organize nationwide protests against the fare hike.
after reeling under cold wave, delhiites on wednesday got a welcome respite as mercury soared by over five degrees to settle at 20.9 degree celsius.it was, however, a chilly morning as shallow fog enveloped the national capital during the early hours. the minimum was recorded at 4.4 degree celsius, three notches below normal and up from tuesday's 3.3 degrees, the met department said.the conditions got better as the day progressed and people were seen enjoying the sun. the winds too were not as chilly as they have been over the past 10 days.the maximum temperature,which was 15.4 degree celsius on tuesday, rose to 20.9 degrees celsius. rail and air traffic remained normal. the weatherman has forecast mostly clear skies with shallow fog in the morning for thursday. the minimum and maximum temperature would be hovering between 5 and 21 degree celsius respectively, it said. up shivers though a bright sunshine greeted the people in some parts of the state, uttar pradesh continued to be in the grip of intense cold wave conditions with the death toll from cold in the state crossing the 200 mark. minimum temperature fell to below zero degree at many places, forcing the authorities to close the educational institutions till 12th up to january 12.temperature dipped at agra, lucknow, muzaffarnagar and kanpur towns, according to the met office. on tuesday, the temperature in lucknow dipped to -0.2 degree celsius, which was the lowest in 49 years.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday described the increase in Railway fares as the “last nail in the coffin” of Congress-led UPA government, which was “least sensitive to the hardships of a common man”. In a statement, Badal said the hike of 2 to 10 paise per kilometre was a stab in the back of countrymen, especially the poor, for whom Railways was the only mode of economic and viable public carrier. “Today, people belonging to different strata of the society feel ditched and dejected despite assurance by the Centre that there would be no increase in the Railway fares. The hike would put a hole in the pocket of common man, as fares of alternate public transport systems, including state roadways buses, has already been enhanced to offset the subsequent hikes in the prices of diesel,” he added. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, while slamming the decision, said: “The voters are ruing the day when they elected this insensitive government, which was making every essential commodity out of their reach by raising their prices.” Questioning the silence of state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on diesel, LPG price and rail fare hike, Sukhbir said: “These media-savvy paper leaders are confining their politics to daily statements. They are hardly concerned about the hardships being faced by the people...”
the across the board hike in rail fare by the indian railways has invoked a mixed response from the rail passengers in delhi.while some criticised the hike as unwarranted at a time when people are reeling under the spiralling inflation other justified it saying the railways needs to provide services commensurate to the hike. the reaction also differed amongst the different class of passengers. dinkar kumar, a marketing professional with a private company in bahadurgarh, who travels in sleeper class, termed the hike to be very steep. "i travel very often as the nature of my job is such. they may justify the hike saying it is coming after a decade, but what about improvement in the services they are providing," dinkar asked."i have to board magadh express for patna. its original time of departure is 8:20 pm. but there is no guarantee when the train would leave as the train coming from patna is to reach delhi at 7:15 pm," said dinkar.however, there were some who justified the hike."i am a retired government servant, so i know the system needs money to modernise. the railways are increasing the fare after a long time, so one can't say it is very steep. however, people are right in demanding better services," said s s bhardwaj, before boarding tamil nadu express at new delhi station. passengers criticised the hike in sleeper class fare and ac-3 stating that the maximum number of people travel in these categories.they said while people travelling in ac-3 and ac-1 and high-end trains like rajdhani and shatabdi can afford the hike, it will be difficult for those travelling in other categories to bear the increased burden. no relevance"trains like garib rath were introduced to provide maximum comfort to people who earlier used to travel in sleeper class. but by increasing the fare in those categories by around 20 per cent, the very rationale of these trains loses relevance," said salabh kumar, a student. however, people travelling in ac-2 and ac-1 regularly also termed the increase unjustified stating that they will be forced to travel by air. dr amit kumar dwivedi, a faculty member at entrepreneurship development institute of india in ahemdabad said the increase is very steep as the railways had very recently introduced service tax on air-conditioned class. "i travel very frequently to attend seminars. by hiking the fare the department is forcing people travelling in these categories to travel by air," dwivedi said before boarding ahmadabad rajdhani from new delhi railway station.
the historic town hall in old delhi, which was the headquarter of the unified delhi municipal corporation, is all set to emerge in a new avatar.in a few months, the north delhi municipal corporation will convert the town hall into a one-stop destination for tourists where they will get a glimpse of the entire city ever since its inception. according to plans, the revamped town hall will be a 'miniature of delhi' portraying city's ancient heritage and culture. the corporation officials said a blueprint is being finalised with the help of historians from delhi university, jawaharlal nehru university and archaelogical survey of india. the experts are preparing a detailed report. a senior corporation officer said the structure is being redeveloped in such a way that it will attract people across age. "the place will be an attraction for children as well as city's old timers who have witnessed its transformation over the decades. even tourists will have an opportunity to experience the grandeur of city's cultural heritage, architecture, food and modernity," the officer said. the town hall is lying vacant after the mcd shifted to the civic centre in 2011. the corporation had earlier planned to reuse the structure as a high-end heritage hotel, but the plan failed to materialise due to mcd trifurcation and the municipal polls. now, the north corporation has decided to develop it on different lines. officials said the plan has been finalised keeping in view the high turnout of visitors especially the foreign tourists.the project will also have an experiential museum, a theatre hall, open-air amphitheatre, a haat with food-street and local artisans along the lines of delhi haat. officials said literature, photographs and paintings showing the transformation of delhi like the coronation darbar of 1911, nehru hoisting the tricolour at the red fort on the first independence day, and the advent of railway in delhi will be exhibited.
NEW DELHI: For the first time in a decade, the railways on Wednesday increased passenger fares across all classes to improve its dwindling finances and shore up services on trains and at stations. The increase, ranging between 2 paise and 10 paise per kilometre, depending on the class you travel, will translate into a higher burden for those travelling longer distances and in the cheaper classes. The sharpest raise was reserved for sleeper class passengers, where it will cost up to 33% more for those traveling from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram from January 21 midnight. Similarly, in AC 3-Tier coaches on Rajdhani, the hike in basic fare, which excludes catering and reservation fee, will add up to as much as 16% between Delhi and Ernakulam. A similar differential is visible if one looks at the hike for sleeper class fares (27%) and AC 3-Tier fares (13%) between the national capital and Chennai. There are two reasons for this skew in the hikes. On the one hand, an increase of 6 paise per km in sleeper class fares constitutes a larger percentage hike than a 10 paise per km hike in upper class fares. Also, since the existing fares are 'telescopic', that is the per kilometre rate decreases as distance increases, a flat per km addition effectively hikes longer distance fares more in percentage terms. In fact, the percentage increases in upper class fares will actually be even lower since the proposed hikes pertain only to the base fare. Other elements of the fare like reservation charges, catering charges, superfast charges and so on remain unchanged. These account for a larger proportion of upper class ticket prices than in the cheaper classes. Also, the revision in AC first and second class fares is lower given that they were raised in the last budget, when pressure from allies such as Mamata Banerjee had forced the government to withdraw its plans for an across-the-board increase. Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who had talked about the imminent fare hike with TOI on Tuesday, said the increase will help the state-run transporter generate Rs 6,600 crore a year and only partially bridge the gap between income and revenue, which is projected to touch Rs 25,000 crore by the year-end. During the remaining part of the current financial year, railways will be able to earn Rs 1,200 crore. The move comes just a day after ratings agency Fitch once again talked of a possible downgrade in India's sovereign rating to junk grade, citing poor finances and slow growth. While the decision may have been on expected lines, the timing, which is just eight weeks before the rail budget, came as a surprise to many. The protest from political parties, however, is something that would not have come as a surprise. The Left immediately raised the red flag, along with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, its key rival in West Bengal. While terming it anti-democratic, the BJP joined other opposition parties in demanding a rollback, saying that Parliament had been bypassed. Bansal, who broke away from the populism of his predecessors, said the decision to hike fares was imperative as railways has not revised fares for the last 10 years which was showing on its finances. "At this point, it is imperative to go for a reasonable fare hike immediately," Bansal said, emphasizing that fares will not be touched in the railw budget. The minister said earnings had been severely impaired, forcing the transporter to scale down its plan size from Rs 60,800 crore to Rs 51,000 crore this year, and lower freight target by 13 million tonnes. "Input cost has increased by 10.6% every year between 2004-05 and 2010-11 whereas fares stagnated and were reduced in lower classes, which aggravated loss in passenger segment," he said. How to download and use alive App Step 1: Get the Alive app: Give a missed call to 18001023324 or go to aliveapp.in Step 2: Open Alive app on your phone and scan this picture by focussing your phone's camera on it. Hold your phone about 6 inches over the photo and watch it come alive . Android and iOS phones scan the picture automatically, while Nokia and BlackBerry users need to click options and then, capture. Step 3: You will get various options that'll enable you to view, save and share exclusive videos Available on select Android (version 2.2 and above), iOS (version 4.3 and above), BB (version 5.0 and above) and Symbian (version S60 and above) handsets Missed call Application powered by TIMESMOBILE LTD.
The announcement of a hike in railway fares has evoked a mixed response, with the Left and the BJP slamming the decision, while the Congress and the industry backed it. Calling the hike “unjustified,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded that the government withdraw the increase in all categories except in the top two classes of AC first class and AC two tier. It accused the Railway Minister of showing contempt for Parliament by announcing the hike just a month before the Railway budget is to be placed before Parliament and asked all its units to organise protests against the “new burden being imposed on the people.” In a similar vein, senior leaders of the Communist Party of India Gurudas Dasgupta and D. Raja termed the decision anti-people and called for a rollback. Mr. Dasgupta criticised the government for adding to the burden on the people who were already reeling under increasing prices of essential commodities. “It is a government which cannot perform,” he said. According to Mr. Raja the railways should have found other ways of raising resources instead of further burdening the common man. The former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajnath Singh, said the decision to increase the fare just before the Budget Session of Parliament “exposes the anti-people and anti-democratic face of the UPA government.” He felt that the “massive” fare hike should have come in small doses. India Inc., however, welcomed the fare hike decision on the ground that it was needed to bring the railways back on track. Director-general of the Confederation of Indian Industries Chandrajit Banerjee said: “This marginal increase is going to be important in helping the railways to reduce its losses. Also, this will lead to more safety and better services for the passengers.” The president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry Rajkumar Dhoot too endorsed the move, saying: “The railway infrastructure was in dire straits… to make railways a viable and growing enterprise, the government should not shy away from increasing the tariff as and when necessary.” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said the fare hike was inevitable. He was, however, evasive on whether the Congress president Sonia Gandhi was consulted.
the railway board has withdrawn its may 15 circular that states that tatkal ticket holders will be given priority while clearing waiting lists over normal reservation ticket holders. this comes after a public interest litigation (pil) was filed before the madhya pradesh high court's principal bench in jabalpur by a journalist. the court had directed the railways on december 12 to appoint a competent official where the petitioner could file his complaint in this regard. but the railways moved a review petition on tuesday to inform the high court that it has withdrawn the circular. the pil was filed by sanjeev pandey who termed the circular against the interest of a large number of normal reservation ticket holders who book their tickets three to four months in advance to get confirmed tickets.
railway minister pawan kumar bansal on wednesday asserted that his ministry was left with no option but to hike the passenger fare as it has become difficult to provide safety and amenities to passengers with the current revenue. he said the hike would fetch railways rs 6,600 crore in 2012-13 as revenue.replying to queries from mediapersons, he said that the decision to increase in passenger fare prior to budget session was taken to earn at least rs 1,200 crore in the remaining months before the new financial starts. he also obliquely criticised trinamool congress chief mamamta banejeee who made dinesh trivedi, the then railway minister, to roll back the hike in passenger fare. bansal said that basic fares have not been revised upwards in the last ten years except for the increase implemented in the last budget for only first class, ac 2tier and ac first / executive class. "across the board fare hike proposal placed in 2012-13 railway budget in parliament finally approved only for first, 2nd ac and first ac/executive classes, which together constitute only about 0.3 per cent of total passengers and about 10 per cent of total earnings from passenger segment," he said. "fund balances were negative in 2011-12, adversely affecting essential replacement renewal of assets, operation and maintenance activities and critical safety and passenger amenity works," the minister asserted.
Metro commuters at night can now travel without worry. To ensure safety of women passengers, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will deploy personnel clad in uniform and plain clothes on Metro trains from 8.30 pm till the service ends at 11 pm. “CISF personnel will be on duty, both in plain clothes and uniform. They will patrol Metro coaches and platforms to ensure security of passengers, especially women,” CISF chief Rajiv said. The personnel will keep an eye on troublemakers, if any, on trains and women police personnel will travel in the first coach which is reserved for women, he said. The decision was taken in the wake of the December 16 gangrape of a 23-year-old woman on board a moving bus in South Delhi. She later died of her injuries. The CISF Director General had undertaken a surprise inspection of the Metro network after the December 16 incident. He said these orders have been issued with immediate effect and both the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Delhi Police have been informed about the new measure. The CISF has also deployed two exclusive women Quick Reaction Teams at Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk Metro stations to meet any emergency, Rajiv said. A CISF helpline has been started for Delhi Metro — 011-22185555. Commuters can report harassment or molestation attempts to this number, Rajiv said.
the hike in railway fares was not unexpected. but commuters now expect the centre to do something about improving the pathetic railway infrastructure and fast. here's what they feel about the hike and what they want the government to do. "nowadays, most people can afford the fares. but the hike becomes a burden when it is not accompanied by better facilities," said raghavendra, a resident of whitefield. "the trains have no security at all, whether first ac or general. nowadays, almost anybody can enter the bogie and sometimes, they occupy your seat and then dare to argue. the guards don't even bother to attend to the matter. instead, they ask the genuine ticket holders to adjust with the encroachers."'comparatively cheaper'"compared to the airlines, the railways are less expensive. but people still prefer flying, because they feel that the user development fee they pay is worth it. the airport lobbies, restrooms and toilets are clean. there are checks and balances to see to it that passengers have the basic facilities they want at all times. but that is not the case at all with the railways," said aditya agarwal, a traveller from erode, tamil nadu. "i am sure, the railway minister has travelled on trains abroad, but never in the ones in india. if he does, he will understand the chaos prevailing in the trains. for instance, everyone queues up in front of the ticket counter for the old and the handicapped, since it is the only one operating here. tell me, where will a old man like me go? " dault narang, a resident of malleswaram said, while waiting at the reservation counter at the cantonment station.a railway official, on condition of anonymity, said "being in the department, we realise the problems and inconveniences faced by the passengers. but, we are helpless as long as the government looks at the railways from the votebank perspective." "now that the government is at least close to the market pricing methodology, it's high time they also bring in reforms, both in terms of security and infrastructure. otherwise, such places of high public gathering will not only be susceptible to threats, but also cause gross inconvenience for the passengers," he said.
busy, congested, stressful. this is how the world's first subway system was depicted by london newspapers in 1863. it's a situation that would be familiar to nail-biting passengers of the present as the tube turned 150 years old wednesday."the constant cry, as the trains arrived, of 'no room,' appeared to have a very depressing effect upon those assembled," the guardian newspaper reported on the public opening of london's metropolitan line on january 10, 1863. the first stretch of rail had opened the day before, on january 9.the line — the first part of what is now an extensive london transport network that has shaped the british capital and its suburbs — ran 120 trains each way during the day, carrying up to 40,000 excited passengers. extra steam locomotives and cars were called in to handle the crowds.architectural historian david lawrence said the rapid expansion of the subway network — better known in london as the tube — had a major impact on the city's design. the tube helped lure people away from the inner city into new areas where new housing was being built near the stations.the houses were built in a village style mocked by some historians as already dated."they were selling an england which had already passed by that time," said lawrence, a principal lecturer at kingston university.in 1919, the metropolitan company became directly involved in developing what came to be called "metro-land" on surplus land. one of the company's promotional posters displayed drab rows of inner city terrace houses and urged people to, "leave this and move to edgware." they were also selling the dual benefit of a quiet, unpolluted suburban life," hesaid.
In a rather unusual move, Railway Minister P.K. Bansal on Wednesday announced an across-the-board hike in passenger fares less than two months before presenting the Railway budget. The hike comes into effect from January 21. As a consolation, however, Mr. Bansal said there would be no further fare hike in the budget. The increase ranges from two paise a km in the basic fare for second class ordinary (suburban) passengers to 10 paise a km for AC chair car and AC first class. For instance, a passenger travelling from New Delhi to Chennai by the Tamil Nadu or G.T. Express will have to pay an extra Rs. 91 for a second class ticket, Rs. 132 for a sleeper ticket, Rs. 312 for AC-3 tier, Rs. 132 for AC 2-tier, and Rs. 223 for AC first class on the basic fare. (The increase in AC 2-tier and AC first class fares is in addition to the hike made in April. The hike proposed in the rail budget then for other classes of travel was rolled back immediately thereafter.) Interestingly, the hike effected by Mr. Bansal for the economically sensitive classes is more than what was proposed by his predecessor Dinesh Trivedi (of the Trinamool Congress) in his budget for 2012-13. But Mr. Trivedi incurred the wrath of his party chief, Mamata Banerjee, for his across-the board-hike, and lost his job. The second ordinary and sleeper classes, heavily patronised by the economically weaker sections, had remained untouched for a decade. Non-committal on freight To repeated queries, he declined to say whether there would be any hike in freight charges too. “I am not saying anything [about freight charges] either way. We are not saying anything now.” Mr. Bansal said, “We will go around explaining to the people the need for the increase [in passenger fares]. I am sure they will understand the financial problems faced by the Railways. ……We cannot let the Railway system collapse.” Even as losses in the passenger segment were relentlessly going up, revenue from freight was falling due to a general slowdown in the economy, he said. As of December 2012, coal movement, the bread and butter of the Railways, was down by 13 million tonnes. “We could not have waited till the Budget. A careful assessment of our financial situation showed that unless we hiked the fare immediately, we would not be able to carry on with some of our essential safety and passenger amenity-related activities.” The fare hike, he said, was expected to yield Rs. 6,600 crore a year. During the current financial year (up to March 31), it would help the Railways mop up an additional Rs. 1,200 crore. Noting that passenger fares had not been hiked over the last 10 years except for the first, AC two-tier and AC first/executive classes in April last, Mr. Bansal said the losses in the passenger segment were expected to go up to Rs. 25,000 crore this financial year, a four-fold increase over the figure of Rs. 6,159 crore in 2004-05. In contrast, input costs increased by 10.6 per cent every year during the period between 2004-05 and 2010-11. “Cross-subsidy through business [is also] no more viable in view of the fast-evolving competition from other modes of transport.” Mr. Bansal said the Railways would do away with levying developmental charges on passenger tickets, and all chargeable fares would be in multiples of Rs. 5.
Railway Minister P.K. Bansal on Wednesday said the passenger fare hike to be effected from January 21 was expected to yield Rs. 6,600 crore a year. During the current financial year (up to March 31), it would help the Railways mop up an additional Rs. 1,200 crore. The increase ranges from two paise a km in the basic fare for second class ordinary (suburban) passengers to 10 paise a km for AC chair car and AC first class. Mr. Bansal said, “ I am sure people will understand the financial problems faced by the Railways. ……We cannot let the Railway system collapse.” Even as losses in the passenger segment were relentlessly going up, revenue from freight was falling due to a general slowdown in the economy, he said. As of December 2012, coal movement, the bread and butter of the Railways, was down by 13 million tonnes. “We could not have waited till the Budget. A careful assessment of our financial situation showed that unless we hiked the fare immediately, we would not be able to carry on with some of our essential safety and passenger amenity-related activities.” Noting that passenger fares had not been hiked over the last 10 years except for the first, AC two-tier and AC first/executive classes in April last, Mr. Bansal said the losses in the passenger segment were expected to go up to Rs. 25,000 crore this financial year, a four-fold increase over the figure of Rs. 6,159 crore in 2004-05. In contrast, input costs increased by 10.6 per cent every year during the period between 2004-05 and 2010-11. “Cross-subsidy through business [is also] no more viable in view of the fast-evolving competition from other modes of transport.” Mr. Bansal said the Railways would do away with levying developmental charges on passenger tickets, and all chargeable fares would be in multiples of Rs. 5.
The former Railway Minister, Mukul Roy, has slammed the United Progressive Alliance government for the hike in rail fares and the manner in which Parliament was “bypassed” on the issue. “This government is carrying on a loot. The manner in which the railway fares were hiked by 20 per cent and Parliament by-passed to do this is completely improper and against the interests of people,” the senior Trinamool Congress leader told journalists at the State Secretariat. Mr. Roy said the hike decision came amid other “anti-people” measures, including repeated hikes in fuel prices, withdrawal of subsidies on LPG and the introduction of foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. “The decision is anti-people and anti-poor and will affect the people at large,” he said. Mr. Roy was appointed the Railway Minister after his predecessor Dinesh Trivedi resigned, days after presenting the Railway budget that proposed a hike in fares. Mr. Roy rolled back the fare hike, except for three high-end classes of travel. “I do not agree with their [the Centre’s] opinion. There are so many ways and means to increase revenues…I was the Railway Minister for six months. There was no need for the hike in fares at the moment,” he observed. Mr. Roy said he spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Railway Board when he took the decision to roll back the hike and outlined his strategy to “protect the Railways without increasing the fares.”
Congress today endorsed the decision to hike railway fares, saying it becomes “inevitable” sometimes, but was evasive on whether party chief Sonia Gandhi was taken on board on the issue or not. “If fare is hiked in railways, it is not done with the permission of Sonia Gandhi. Party is a different entity and the government is a different one. Railway Minister is the best person to answer why he chose to hike the railway fare now,” AICC spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters in Delhi. Pressed if Ms. Gandhi was consulted, Mr. Alvi said he was not aware whether it was done or not. The spokesman said that “sometimes it is inevitable” when asked how does the party look at the decision to effect an across the board hike in fares of all classes from midnight of January 21 to net an additional Rs. 6,600 crore a year, the first such increase in a decade.
in the wake of rising incidents of elephant deaths due to collisions with trains, the environment ministry today decided to electronically tag the animals in high-traffic areas to allow forest officials to keep a track of their movements and prevent accidents.environment minister jayanthi natarajan announced a slew of measures including appointment of forest officials at railway control rooms in prominent wildlife areas to protect the national heritage animal from "grave danger" and put out the list of well-known vulnerable patches for wild life and convey these to the railways.the decisions were taken at a meeting here of a coordination committee of officials from the railway ministry and the environment ministry in which the recent deaths of elephants due to collisions with trains in odisha and west bengal were reviewed."a decision has been taken to start a pilot scheme to electronically tag all elephants particularly in high-traffic areas, so that wildlife and forest personnel could keep track of their movements, and warn railway officials well in time to enable them to avoid accidents," natarajan said.often the time lag between spotting of an elephant, and the information reaching the driver of the train was too little to enable effective action to prevent accidents. once elephants are electronically tagged, forest personnel could track their movements, and keep them away from harm, she said, according to a release."a further decision was taken at the meeting, that in prominent wildlife areas, or wherever considered necessary or feasible, forest officials could be posted at railway control rooms to coordinate with, and keep railway staff informed regarding the movement of wild life, particularly elephants, to enable railway authorities to take preventive action, well in advance," she said.
The Inter Railway Time Table Committee (IRTTC) meet, scheduled to be held in Goa on January 8 and 9, is a prelude to the Railway Budget 2013-14. The IRTTC examines the proposals received from different Railway Zones for running of new passenger trains, revision of timings and extension of services of existing trains. The recommendations are sent to Railway Board for inclusion in the budget. The proposals of Waltair Division had already been sent to the East Coast Railway (ECoR) headquarters in Bhubaneswar for its clearance before they are placed in the IRTTC meet. The trains, presently being diverted via Duvvada, should also be included in the IRTTC for revising the timings and to bring them to the city. Ironically, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy seemed more worried about the revenues of Odisha and ECoR, when his attention was brought to the demand for creation of new zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters. “They (ECoR authorities) say that ECoR will not be economically viable, if Waltair Division is separated,” the Chief Minister told the media at the airport here during his recent visit. Perhaps, Mr. Reddy is unaware that ECoR had extended some of the important trains, terminating at Visakhapatnam, to Bhubaneswar while failing to extend some trains, terminating at Bhubaneswar and Puri, to Visakhapatnam on a reciprocal basis, this despite Waltair Division contributing half of the total revenue of three divisions in the zone. Our peoples’ representatives should nsure that the demands are placed at the IRTTC meet so that they could be included in the forthcoming Railway budget. The immediate demands of the people of Visakhapatnam include: re-routing of the diverted trains through Visakhapatnam, extension of important trains like the Howrah to Titlagarh Ispat Express to Visakhapatnam, Chennai – Vijayawada Janshatabdi to Vizag, Howrah – Bhubaneswar Janshatabdi to Vizag and Vijayawada-Hubli bi-weekly Amaravati Express to Vizag. There are demands for more south-bound trains with a number of persons from the region being employed in the software sector in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi. There are also demands for extension of Vizag –Howarh Weekly to Machilipatnam and Digha – Vizag Weekly to Kakinada to provide connectivity to these places. It may be recalled that Railway Board officials had expressed their helplessness in the past and told that strong political will was necessary to achieve the demands. It’s time our peoples’ representatives and Ministers take the right steps at the right time to show their commitment to the people of the region, who voted them to power.
there was no let up in biting cold wave sweeping punjab, haryana and chandigarh with narnaul registering sub-zero temperature today.narnaul in haryana, whose minimum temperature of minus 3 deg c yesterday was the lowest since 1969, today registered a low of minus 0.7 deg c, six notches below normal, the met office said here.chandigarh, where yesterday's maximum of 6.1 deg c, had broken all previous records, today experienced the season's coldest night as minimum further dropped to 1.5 deg c, down five notches. people in the two states covered themselves with heavy woollens while lighting of fires along the roadsides and sipping hot beverages was a common sight.keeping in view the biting cold conditions, all schools here have been ordered to remain closed till sunday. during the past few days, foggy weather here has caused major disruptions of the flight schedule.bhiwani in haryana also braved an extremely cold night recording a minimum of 0.5 deg c. there was no relief from cold for hisar and ambala residents, where the respective lows settled at 2.5 deg c and 2.3 deg c.in punjab, piercing chill swept bathinda, where the minimum settled at 0.2 deg c, down six notches. adampur recorded a low of 1.8 deg c followed by patiala, where the minimum settled at 2.1 deg c.amritsar and ludhiana also reeled under biting cold recording respective below normal minimums of 2.8 deg c and 3 deg c. severe cold sweeping the region for the past few days has claimed 13 lives in punjab and four in haryana.meanwhile, a thick blanket of fog continued to envelop many parts of punjab and haryana reducing visibility considerably. in the wake of dense fog, air, rail and road traffic in the region has been affected.unscheduled power cuts at many places in the region have also added to the woes of the people. the met here has said that cold conditions accompanied by dense fog would prevail over haryana and punjab during the next two days.ground frost is also likely to occur at a few places in the two states until wednesday.according to the met office here, slight relief from fog and bone-chilling temperatures can be expected by thursday.
Porters know railway stations inside out, and this intimate knowledge of the location and their effortless interaction with passengers could be of immense help to law enforcement agencies to control crime. The Government Railway Police (GRP), cashing in on this apparent advantage, has started an initiative involving porters to prevent crime and offences against women at railway stations. As part of the initiative, the GRP on Monday organised a meeting at the Secunderabad Railway Station. Close to 200 porters of the Secunderabad station attended the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, GRP Superintendent of Police M. Kantha Rao said porters should be cautious while at work. He asked them to alert police whenever they found abandoned objects and suspicious persons at railway stations. He also asked them to inform police if anyone misbehaved with women or tried to capture images of women using mobile camera on platforms or on trains. “You can play a crucial role in helping the police to curb crime or other incidents,” he told porters at the meeting held on platform No. 1. He also sought their help in tracing missing children and curbing the habit of whitener-sniffing by street children at railway stations. He also announced that porters and passengers could call up the 24-hour GRP Control Room on 040-27853755 or 94407-00040 / 94409-04873 to pass on information, complaints or suggestions. DSP I. Jyothiprakash urged porters not to demand excess charges from passengers. He also asked them to avoid consumption of alcohol while at work. GRP Secunderabad Inspector J. Upendhar also spoke on the occasion. Judicial officers from various parts of the State will participate in a day-long seminar on ‘Sexual Violence Against Women – Issues and Challenges’ at the Dr. Marri Chenna Reddy HRD Institute here on Tuesday. The seminar being organised by Andhra Pradesh Judicial Academy will be attended by judges, public prosecutors, advocates, police officers, senior IAS officers, women activists, human rights activists, media representatives and CII personnel. They will discuss all aspects of the issue and gender injustice faced by women and submit their views to Justice J.S. Verma Committee and the State government. This is the first time judicial officers will be giving their recommendations to the government to curb sexual violence against women. The teaching and non-teaching staff of Dr. B.R. ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) expressed solidarity and concern with the Delhi rape victim, who passed away recently. In-charge of Women’s Development and Extension Centre, BRAOU, Prof. G. Pushpa Chakrapani administered a pledge to create a better and safe environment for the entire humanity, a press release said. BRAOU Vice-Chancellor P. Prakash, Director (Academic) Prof. N. Venkata Narayana, Registrar A. Sudhakar, teaching and non-teaching staff members of the university were present.
The extent of involvement of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in the Kochi Metro Rail project will be finalised here on Tuesday, at a meeting that will be chaired by the Union Minister for Urban Development Kamal Nath. As per preliminary reports, the DMRC will execute the project and invite tenders. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Union Ministers Vayalar Ravi and K.V. Thomas, Minister for Power and Transport Aryadan Mohammad, Union Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna, Chief Secretary of Kerala Jose Cyriac, Urban Development Joint Secretary and Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s Board member S.K. Lohia, KMRL MD Elias George and DMRC MD Mangu Singh will attend the meeting. The Principal Adviser of DMRC E. Sreedharan too will attend the meeting where the terms of engagement of the DMRC in the project will be finalised. Minister arrives E. Sreedharan will continue as principal advisor to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, said Kamal Nath, Union Minister for Urban Development. He was responding to media queries on his arrival at the Cochin International Airport for the meeting to finalise the Kochi Metro Rail Project here on Tuesday. The DMRC will extend all possible support to KMRL and the aim is to complete the Kochi Metro Rail as soon as possible, Mr. Kamal Nath said.
the high court on monday slapped a contempt notice on the state government and the bangalore metro rail corporation (bmrcl) for not shifting the ambedkar statue near vidhana soudha to facilitate metro rail work.the court was hearing a contempt petition by v amarnathan, a city-based advocate, and an affidavit filed by the government seeking two months to shift the statue. a division bench comprising acting chief justice k sreedhar rao and justice b v nagarathna directed bmrcl officials to appear in court during the next hearing and clarify if there were any technical hitches for shifting the statue without damage.amarnathan, who petitioned the court for shifting the statue to make way for metro works, has now filed for contempt charges against the state government for not complying with the high court's orders.the petitioner contended that the statues of jawaharlal nehru and subhash chandra bose had been shifted while the ambedkar statue was not moved following protests by some organisations. this amounted to wilful disobedience and contempt of court, he argued. when the government's affidavit seeking extension of time came up, counsel amarnathan dubbed it a false plea. he argued that the state was trying to mislead the court. "way back in 2010, the social welfare minister had issued an order directing that the statue should not be shifted. the government is seeking time to prolong the issue," he said.the state, on its part, contended that it needed time to seek technical advice to ensure there was no harm to the statue during shifting. to this, the bench asked if it required two months and, instead, directed bmrcl officials to appear before it and testify if there were any technical problems in moving the statue without causing damage.no shifting of ambedkar statuefacing a catch-22 situation over shifting the dr brambedkar statue near vidhana soudha to make way for the metro rail laying, the state government has hit upon a novel plan.the government plans to lift the statue from the base and suspend it in the air using pillars, without shifting it from its present location, reports dhns from bangalore. according to sources, with available technical know-how, the statue could be supported with pillars located at strategic locations without having to relocate it. this way, any damage to the statue from vibrations during tunnelling work could be avoided.
fog continues to hit rail traffic across north and east india. while the northern railway cancelled 18 long-distance trains on monday, 29 other trains scheduled to depart from delhi were rescheduled as most trains were running behind schedule. at least 40 long-distance trains coming towards the city are also running behind schedule, said a railways official.some of the long-distance trains that were cancelled on monday include kalka howrah mail, patna-delhi samporrna express, mahabodhi express, bhagalpur garib rath, delhi chandigarh express and howrah-sri ganganagar toofan abha express, among others.of the 29 trains rescheduled on monday, at least seven trains, including rajdhani, will depart on tuesday. "swatantra senani express, rewa express, sealdah duronto, purushottam express, bhubaneshwar rajdhani and brahmaputra mail have been rescheduled for tuesday," said a northern railway official.several other trains arriving in the capital were running behind schedule ranging from two to 48 hours. "bhagalpur-anand vihar garib rath, scheduled to reach delhi on sunday, is running late by 48 hours. similarly, rewa express is running late by 32 hours, and west bengal sampark kranti is running late by 25 hours," said another official. special trainto clear the rush during kumbh mela, the railways has decided to run train number 04117-04118 allahabad-anand vihar terminal-allahabad kumbh mela express special train.the train will run on two days in january and five days in february in both direction. "from allahabad, the train will run on january 14 and 27; in february it will run on 10, 11, 15, 16 and 25. in the return direction (from anand vihar to allahabad), the train will run on january 15 and 28; in february it will run on 11, 12, 16, 17 and 26," said a railways official.
Sankranti, also known as ‘pedda panduga’, is the time of the year when Telugus make it a point to visit their native places and celebrate the festival along with their family and friends. Trains are the most sought-after mode of transport in view of safety, reliability, and low cost. Thousands of people from Visakhapatnam and North Andhra districts of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam have settled in Hyderabad, Chennai, and other cities and towns of the country. Needless to say that trains bound for Hyderabad run to full capacity almost all through the year. When that is the case, the demand for berths during Sankranti and other festivals is a foregone conclusion. Ironically, both the East Coast Railway and the South Central Railway do not seem to have any plans to introduce special trains. Neither of the two zones has made any announcement so far though Pongal is just round the corner. Border disputes and path constraints between the two railway zones are believed to be the reasons for the ‘disinterest’ in running special trains. SCR had operated only a few specials last year due to shortage of loco pilots, guards, and other constraints like inadequate number of platforms at Secunderabad. The specials announced by ECoR last year had to be withdrawn on the ground that it was not informed to SCR in advance. It was an indication of lack of coordination, understanding, and communication between the various wings of SCR and ECoR. This is forcing many passengers to travel in unreserved compartments and others to cancel their journeys. “Can the ECoR authorities ignore the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri and abstain from running specials?” ask rail users. The Waltair division officials claim that they are in a comfortable position as far as supply of rakes is concerned. When that is the case, why is ECoR unable to take a timely decisions to obtain the path and run specials to Secunderabad, Tirupati, and Chennai, which are the routes with huge wait list, as tickets are booked 120 days ahead of Pongal? Creation of a new zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters or bringing Waltair Division under the purview of SCR is the only way to provide better services to the local people, feel those watching the developments.
A minor girl was allegedly gangraped by three men, including her friend, near Subedarganj railway station in Khuldabad area of the city on Wednesday. Police arrested five persons on Thursday, and said that the victim had identified the accused. Those arrested have been identified as Arif (21), who was detained on Wednesday, Bablu, Pappu, Vidya and Sandeep. Bablu, a father of four children, and Pappu, both aged around 25, were allegedly involved in the rape. Vidya and Sandeep, in their mid-30s, have been charged with criminal conspiracy. All four are residents of Rajrooppur Pachhiyaha in Khuldabad area. Senior Superintendent of Police (Allahabad) Mohit Agrawal, said: “The proceedings under the National Security Act will be invoked against those accused of rape. Strict action will be taken against the other two also, who had connived with the other accused.” According to the police, the girl had left her house in Khuldabad late on Wednesday afternoon on the pretext of meeting her friend in Rajrooppur. On the way she met Arif, also a Rajrooppur resident, with whom had been friendly for the past one month. Instead of taking her to the friend’s house, Arif took her to a secluded place near Subedarganj railway station, where he allegedly raped her. The police said that at least four persons — Bablu, Pappu, Vidya and Sandeep — had begun trailing Arif. “After keeping an eye on the couple for some time, all four went to them and began beating up Arif. Vidya and Sandeep caught him and handed him to the RPF police post at Subedarganj railway station. Bablu and Pappu, who stayed behind, took turns to rape the girl,” said Circle Officer (Kotwali), Samar Bahadur Singh. Four of the five accused, barring Arif, knew each other, he added. ... contd.
north delhi municipal corporation has expedited the process of collecting property tax from the owners of commercial properties — hotels, shops, motels, farm houses — who have not paid tax for many years.corporation's property tax department has so far issued 3,500 demand orders to clear the dues that amount to approximately rs 50 crore. most of them are in karol bagh, paharganj, kirti nagar, rohini and narela areas. these defaulters are liable to pay tax at the rate of 20 per cent.officials said they will initiate coercive action against defaulters if they fail to clear the dues in 30 days. to begin with, their accounts will be attached. "our main target is hotels in karol bagh and sadar paharganj zones, big commercial units in karol bagh especially those located on bank street and big showrooms in the wood and furniture market in kirti nagar," said m s a khan, assessor and collector of the corporation. he said farmhouses and motels in narela will also be targeted."in one such move, orders have been issued against 44 shops in a mall and four hotels in rohini area. the process of rent attachment has also been initiated against ritu wears, a leading family fashion store at m2k in rohini," he added.the corporation has also launched a crackdown against government properties to recover property tax estimated to run into crores of rupees. northern railways, dda and the postal department are the major defaulters.regarding government properties, the officer said the matter is being taken up with the government agencies at various levels."since the northern railways has not provided the complete details of its properties, we will start issuing orders separately against all the properties which are in our records. the drive will start with the new delhi and old delhi railway stations," khan said.
the state cabinet on thursday approved a proposal to provide drinking water to the residents of anekal and the karnataka housing board's suryanagar layouts and surrounding areas by pumping water from the shimsha river at a cost of rs 450 crore.briefing reporters on the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, urban development minister s suresh kumar said water will be pumped from a distance of 65 km under the project. all three phases of suryanagar layouts and the proposed fourth phase layout will be covered under the project. about two tmc ft of water is required for this purpose, he added.the karnataka urban water supply and sewerage board, the karnataka housing board, the rural development and panchayat raj department and the anekal town municipal council will jointly implement the project, he said.the cabinet gave its approval to purchase two parcels of private lands - 600 acres in togarighatta village of kolammanahalli hobli of tumkur district and 476 acres at sasalu village in doddaballapur taluk of bangalore rural district - to develop landfill sites to dump garbage generated in the bbmp limits. the government will purchase the lands on consent basis, the minister said.the cabinet also decided to give away 46.18 acres of land at rs 99.46 lakh per acre at the proposed kempe gowda layout for setting up indian institute of human settlement. the institute will be like a university for urban development. a group of noted entrepreneurs, including nandan nilekani and kiran mazumdar-shaw, has come forward to set up the institute, he added.the cabinet approved a proposal to construct arogya bhavan on 4.35 acres land where leprosy hospital is currently located on magadi road at a cost of rs 79 crore. the proposed bhavan will house all 37 different offices of the health and family welfare department. it will be a ground plus eight floor building, suresh kumar said.approval was also given to acquire 3.16 acres of binny mill land to be handed over to the indian railways. the government has taken about three acres of land belonging to the railways to implement its okalipuram corridor project. hence, the binny mill land will be given to the railways as replacement, he added.
the rape in delhi seems to have so dented the confidence of the women workforce, especially in the bpo and ites sectors, that they have either sought curtailment of their working hours after sunset, or simply called it quits, according to a dipstick survey.according to an assocham social development foundation survey, in the last fortnight, one in three women workers has either refused to work post-evening, or quit her job, resulting in the reduction of the sectors' productive efficiency by 35 per cent.bangalore, says the survey, boasts of nearly 1,800 ites and bpo units with over 1.5 lakh women workers.stating that nearly 82 per cent of the women respondents have said they have started leaving their workplace after sunset, the survey notes that the level of anxiety has been more pronounced among women who travel by buses, chartered buses, three-wheelers and metro trains.the survey, which queried 2,500 women, found that productivity of women, specially in major cities like bangalore, chennai, mumbai, hyderabad, pune and ahmedabad, besides the delhi-ncr region, was badly impacted due to long hours and shift jobs.about 89 per cent of those interviewed, especially in bangalore, said they have begun insisting on leaving offices on time, immediately after duty hours, given the general milieu of insecurity. this, says the survey, despite the fact that nearly 61 per cent of the respondents stating that they are satisfied with the security arrangements in bangalore both within and outside their workplace.according to them, the absence of proper transport facilities at the organisations has rendered commuting difficult involving long hours in local buses, trains, cars, etc.while 65 per cent said they need to travel more than 50 km, 26 per cent pointed out that they travel more than 25 km every day.in 2011-12, the it industry had 52 per cent women in its workforce compared with 32 per cent in 2008-09. at the entry level, in 2007-08, 48 per cent were women compared with 62 per cent in 2011-12.the findings reveal that the bpo workforce is relatively young, the majority being less than 30 years. the mean age of women employees in bpos has been found to be 21 to 28 years.
city-based advocate a v amarnathan, who had filed a petition seeking shifting of dr b r ambedkar statue to pave way for construction of namma metro works, has now filed a contempt petition against the state government for not complying with the high court orders. amarnathan said that statues of pandit jawaharlal nehru and netaji subhash chandra bose have been shifted, while that of ambedkar remains at the same place despite the high court order to shift it.the government was not shifting the statue due to protets from some organisations and, this attitude of the government amounts to wilfull disobedience, he stated. he pointed that the state had committed an act of civil contempt of the court and sought action against it.
vishesh bhriguvanshi and yadwinder singh steered uttarakhand to the final of the 63rd senior national basketball championship with a superb display in the semifinal against services here on thursday.bhriguvanshi netted 29 points while yadwinder scored 21. with murali krishnan providing able support, they moved past a fighting serives 83-66.in the other men's semifinal punjab defeated tamil nadu 79-59. the women's final will be between indian railways and tamil nadu.railways outplayed delhi 84-45, with the defending champions hammering in 25 points in the last quarter, when delhi could gain only eight points.results: men: semifinal:uttarakhand 83 (vishesh bhriguvanshi 29, yadwinder singh 21, murali krishnan 14) bt services 66 (joginder singh 15, gopal ram 13, dalip kumar 12, jairam jaat 10). punjab 79 (amritpal singh 26, talwinderjit singh 22, ranbeer singh 11, satnam singh 10) bt tamil nadu 59 (c v dinesh 21, pratham singh 13, rikin pethani 10).5th-8th place play-off: indian railways: 55 (ravi 12, gagandeep 10) bt chhattishgarh: 37; rajasthan: 79 (vinod kumar 23, kamran khan 19, hirendra singh 13) bt kerala: 45 (abhilash 11). 9th place play-off: delhi: 66 (narender 28, shaki 16) bt andhra pradesh: 59 (pk kulu 20, nihal 14).women: semifinals: indian railways: 84 (geethu anna jose 34, pushpa maddu 12) bt delhi: 45 (pratima singh 14, manauti passi 12, raspreet sandhu 11).tamil nadu 61 (m adhirai 23, apporva m 15, rajapriya darshini 12, soniya joy 11) bt chhattisgarh 56 (s seema 21, saranjeet k 10). quarterfinals:indian railways: 68 (geethu anna jose 17, p anitha 12, smruthi r 9) bt karnataka: 36 (kruthika 15). 9th place play-off: west bengal: 67 (p das 15, s oraon 14) bt madhya pradesh: 47 (meenakshi tanwar 12, lovely h 8, trisha h 6). 5th-8th place play-off: maharashtra: 63 (shireen 23, sneha 16) bt karnataka: 47 (navaneetha pw 14); kerala: 50 (merlin baby 16, jeena ps 13) bt punjab: 21 (harpreet kaur 8).
a software engineer was fatally ran over by a train while crossing the railway track near whitefield station here, sparking protests by residents who stopped two trains for nearly two hours.vipin, a native of delhi, was trying to cross the track at kadugodi when mishap occurred, police said.the mishap sparked protest by nearby residents who raised slogans against railway authorities for not meeting their long-pending demand for a skywalk at kadugodi to enable people of the area cross the track.the protesters stopped the chennai-bangalore and bangalore-chennai trains for nearly two hours.the protesters dispersed after railway authorities assured them of looking into the matter, police said.
The 24th Road Safety Week campaign kicked off here on Tuesday. Transport Department officials, in association with the Madurai City Traffic Police, distributed pamphlets to motorists and public at Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Stand. Student volunteers pasted black stickers on two-wheelers and bigger vehicles to promote safe driving practices at the railway junction on West Veli Street. Vehicles using air-horns within city limits were stopped by the officials. Motorists were asked to avoid using mobile phones while driving. The risks involved in drinking and driving were highlighted during the campaign. Transport officials led by RTO (North) N. Ravichandran, Natarajan (south) and ACP (traffic) K. Magudapathy conducted the campaign. Motor vehicle inspectors M.V. Ganesa Subramani, A. Mookan, Kalai Selvi, Saravana Kumaran, Kartikeyan and Vijay participated in the drive. According to a press release, blood donation and eye screening camps will be held. Students will be taught to follow traffic signals.
A study will soon be commissioned to explore the options available for the commercial exploitation of spaces in and around upcoming city Metro rail stations. A few months ago, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) floated tenders in order to hire a consultancy firm to advise them about this. Once CMRL awards the tender to a consultancy firm — which may happen by the end of the month — the firm will begin the study. “The consultancy firm may carry out the study for about five months. They will study the area around each of the metro stations and give recommendations on how they can be commercially used,” said a CMRL official. The firm will determine whether the area surrounding the metro stations are purely residential or commercial or a mixture of both. Based on that, they will project the revenue the contractor — to whom CMRL can rent out the space — may get. This will help CMRL in fixing rental prices, he said. “This can be one of the ways in which CMRL can generate revenue. For this, spaces have already been allocated in the stations as the construction process is on,” the official added. In Delhi’s metro, there are defined spaces, earmarked for property development. The city’s metro stations also have bookshops, ATMs, fast food chains and even a first-aid facility. Interested consultancy firms need to have at least 10 years experience in advisory services and have executed three such assignments, the official added.
at first glance, this six-acre plot with mounds of garbage in venkateshapuram, kadugondanahalli, conjures up the image of mandur landfill. it has been more than five years since this heap of filth in the city is left to rot. the pile up has become the root cause of health hazards in the area. persistent dog menace, unbearable stench and mosquito crisis has made life miserable for 37,000-odd citizens living in the area. the locality faces frequent clogging of stormwater drainage. on most of the days garbage is burnt and thick black smoke rising high in the air is a common sight here. residents alleged that the palike, instead of clearing the mound, covered it with mud. "the garbage trucks do come once in two days, but are irregular. they leave half of the waste there only. even neighbours and well-off people dispose waste here. just a month ago, the road got blocked and drainage water was overflowing on the main road giving off an awful smell. burning of garbage has been leading to air pollution affecting our health," complained kempanna, a resident. corporator from the area, noor jaan shariff, lamented that the local people were turning the place dirty. he added that the matter has been brought to notice to the bbmp commissioner, siddaiah. who promised him of getting the garbage cleared once the land which is currently in the hands of bangalore development authority is handed over to bbmp."presently, there are disputes regarding the ownership of the land between bda and a private company. the matter is still in the high court. we will take action once the disputes are resolved," siddaiah said.many of the residents who have been staying in the area for more than a decade maintain that the situation wasn't like this earlier. they claimed that the land was teeming with small huts, hotels and commercial establishments six years ago. however, ever since the bda got hold of the land and demolished the illegal structures, the property in survey number 126, 128/4 turned into a stinking yard. according to residents, the bda demolished the structures to make way for a depot or a metro station. but no one is sure about it as they were not informed of the demolition. bda surveyor for the area, narendra kumar, said he had no knowledge of the real purpose of acquisition.
it has been more than two months since the 'hire abicycle' facility was introduced at namma metro stations along the reach 1 (between mg road to baiyyappanahalli). however, the registration of users is yet to gain momentum.the chairman of kerberon automations, syed haseeb arfat, the man behind automated tracking and control of green assets (atcag), which has tied up with the bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike (bbmp) and bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) for providing bicycle hiring facility, said they had only 35 registered users till date. "we have introduced the facility at all namma metro stations along reach-1, except at the indiranagar station where we are waiting for power network. the registration is expected to pick up as we are upgrading our facilities at three more junctions along mg road — near public utility building, anil kumble circle and at the brigade road-residency road junction. this will be done within a span of two weeks and a total of nine centres will offer the facility for bicycle lovers," he added.another member of the kerberon automations said the delay in opening online registrations had held up number of people coming forward to hire bicycles. "we will complete the related procedures and open the online registration by january-end," he added.another member of kerberon automations said a total of 70 bicycles and 120 parking slots will be available for the users once the service begins in all locations.
more than 750 senior sportspersons are expected to take part in the 34th state-level masters athletics sports meet to be held at the district stadium on january 5 and 6. around 500 senior sportspersons from various parts of the state have already registered themselves for the event, which is being organised by the karnataka masters athletics association, in association with its district counterpart. the district will thus welcome the new year with a state-level sports meet, which is being conducted for the first time in the district. kolar has comparatively a higher number of senior athletes. now being the host of the event, it has organised various competitions for athletes from various age groups. athletes between the age group of 35 and 80 years, for men and for women, between the age group of 35 to 75 years, can take part in the various events. the district stadium is being spruced up for the great occasion.events for menfollowing are the events that will be held for men - 100 mtrs, 200 mtrs, 400 mtrs, 800 mtrs, 1,500 mtrs, 5,000 mtrs, 10,000 mtrs long run, five km walk, discus throwing, hammer throw, javelin throw, shot put, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, 100 hurdles (50 and 55 years), 110 hurdles (35 and 45 years), 300 mtrs hurdles (60 and 70 years), 400 mtrs hurdles (35 and 45 years) 80 mtrs hurdles (40 to 60 years), 3,000 mtrs steeple chase contests - will be mark the state-level sports meet.events for womenfollowing are the events that will be held for women - 100 mtrs, 200 mtrs, 400 mtrs, 800 mtrs, 1,500 mtrs, 5,000 mtrs, 10,000 mtrs running long, five km walk, discus throw, hammer throw, javelin throw, shot put, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, 100 mtrs hurdles (to all those above 35 years), 300 mtrs hurdles (between 50 and 60 years), 400 mtrs hurdles (35 and 45 mtrs), 80 mtrs hurdles (40 and 60 years), 2,000 mtrs steeple chase contests - will be held. cross-country racealso, apart from the above competitions, a 10 km-long and five km-long cross-country running races will also be held for men and women between 35 and 50 years of age.since this is an open sports meet, anybody can take part in the events, according to association secretary and veteran sportsperson v marappa.speaking to deccan herald, here on tuesday, he said, all those above 60 years, who are interested to take part in the various events, should compulsorily submit their medical certificates. events like pole vault and steple chase will be held at the kantheerava stadium in bangalore, he added.stadium spruced upmeanwhile, preparations are going on in full swing since monday onwards, at the district stadium in the city, which will be hosting the great event. as many as 30 sports experts will be arriving from bangalore on january 4 to the city. the services of as many as 40 physical teachers will taken for the conduct of the event.the field and rings for the shot put and discus throw are also being readied and efforts are on to keep the stadium clean from shrubs, thorns, stones and bushes. the stadium is being spruced up and waste and garbage is being cleared. boarding and lodging facilities are being provided to the out-station sportspersons at the venkateshwara kalyana mantapa, near the railway over-bridge, the kalyana mantapa belonging to the kumbara community and at various other places, which are in close proximity to the stadium. also, apart from these facilities, the secretary informed that star sports personalities will be provided accommodation at the sports residential school. while, union minister k h muniyappa will be inaugurating the programme, minister r varthur prakash will be presiding over the programme.president of the zilla panchayat chowdeshwari will set in motion the sports activities and former minister k shrinivas gowda will be hoisting the sports flag.
the odisha forest and environment department of government has registered cases against the driver of the super fast coromandel express that rammed into a herd of wild elephants near rambha in ganjam district, killing five pachyderms on the spot. he has been booked under different sections of the wildlife protection act. "we have already registered cases against the driver. a detailed investigation into the tragic incident is on. we will not hesitate to register cases against other people if they are found guilty after our investigation," said forest and environment minister bijoyshree routray, indirectly indicating that cases may be filed against more railway personnel. sources in the wildlife division in the forest and environment department said an additional conservator of forests had been directed to conduct the investigation and submit his report to the government as early as possible. the state forest department and the east coast railways have been at loggerheads since the late saturday night incident with both holding each other responsible for the mishap. routray had called an emergency meeting of the senior forest officials and the officials from the east coast railways here on monday to discuss the issue. however, the meeting also ended with both hurling charges against each other.the state government is contemplating writing letters to the union railways as well as forest and environment ministries on the issue. however, sources said, the centre has already sought a report from the state's chief wildlife warden on the incident. he has been asked to submit the report within five days.
from january 1 onwards, air passengers may not carry printouts of tickets to enter the airports as showing a soft copy of the ticket on mobile phone will suffice. however, producing a photo identity is mandatory.the bureau of civil aviation security (bcas), the nodal agency for civil aviation security, has relaxed the provisions for entry into the airports by allowing passengers to show soft copy of the air tickets on smart-phones, tablets or laptops.a civil aviation ministry official said: "we took into account demands from passengers to change over to this system. also, it's an environment-friendly gesture that will save paper and electricity. tagging and stamping of the cabin baggage is next on the junked list. "at present, cabin bag is stamped at the security area of the airport. a passenger will have to go back to the security area if a cabin bag is not stamped. this is a hassle and doing away with it will save time for passengers, airline staff and security personnel." the indian railways had started accepting soft copy of tickets about a year ago.
The metro rail project will have an overhead 25 KV power line across the 72-km viaduct being constructed in the three corridors. Initially, the authorities thought of having the power line between the tracks as is prevalent in Europe which also provides an aesthetic look. But after consulting experts and studying the power systems of some existing metro lines, it was decided to go in for an overhead line, said Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy. “We will be striving to come up with a better design to compensate for the overhead traction line,” he said. Tie-up with Transco HMR has tied up with APTransco for uninterrupted power supply to the railway traction and also for the stations and depots. About 75 MW of power will be required a day for the project. Transco will be supplying 130 KV power, which will be scaled to 25 KV for the traction. It will 35 KV for the other auxiliary services at the depots/stations. Four key substations are coming up for the project at Uppal, Miyapur, Yousufguda and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) Imliban. Construction at the five-acre Uppal site inside the depot is in an advanced stage of completion, while work on the Miyapur substation is set to begin on another five-acre site. These two are the main power receiving stations. Free land to Transco It is the same case with the Yousufguda substation where construction is expected to begin soon. Land at MGBS is yet to be delineated and these substations will be on one-acre sites each. Land has been given free to Transco for constructing these facilities with built in redundancies and extra cabling. “The power supply system is being designed in such a manner that power can be drawn seamlessly from across any of the three corridors in case of a problem or failure on a particular stretch or corridor,” explained Mr. Reddy.
NEW DELHI: Each time there is a major crime in any metro or terror attack in the country's mainland, there is a renewed nationwide war cry on reforming India's archaic police system. However, all these seem to fall on the government's deaf ears, leaving recommendations on much needed-reform — as suggested by various expert panels as well as the Supreme Court — gathering dust. Neither the Centre nor states have been pro-active to improve the quality of policing. Official records show that only 14 states have either enacted the new Police Act or amended their existing laws to incorporate SC's suggestions. States like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal have been laggards. The apex court in its September, 2006, judgment had come out with seven key suggestions, including prescribing minimum tenure of two years for state police chief and officers on operational duties, separating investigation and law and order functions of police and several other measures to insulate police personnel from political interference in discharging their day-to-day duties. Even the Model Police Act - submitted by an expert committee a month later - could not be translated into legislation, with the home ministry failing to put it before Parliament. The Act, incorporates several suggestions including creation of state police board (for deciding on promotion and transfers of cops), ensure fixed tenure of police chief and other key functionaries, earmarking dedicated personnel for crime investigation and improved service condition of policemen. Retired IPS officer Prakash Singh, on whose petition the SC had come out with its judgment in 2006, on Monday said, "Reforms are not happening due to states' cussedness. Chief Ministers treat police department as their 'zamindari' (fiefdom). They are against reforms because they don't want to give police autonomy". Singh said the Union home ministry too did not act in the manner it was expected to, but the states were more to blame for the status quo. Police being a state subject under Indian Constitution, it was the responsibility of states to legislate on issues concerning law and order in the federal set up, he added. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand, however, have initiated marginal reforms. Though these states have enacted the new Police Act, most of them retain the powers of politicians (chief ministers) to have a say in appointment of police chief and other top posts. The laws are mainly focused on setting up of police complaints authority (to look into complaints against police officers) which is only one of the seven key directives of the Supreme Court. Measures like setting up of state security commission (to check political or bureaucratic pressure on police); merit-based selection of state police chief from among three senior most cops; giving them security of tenure; separate the investigation and law and order functions of the police and setting up of police establishment board (deciding all transfers, promotions, postings and other service related matters) are yet to see the light of day. Besides, the apex court had also directed setting up of a National Security Commission at Union level for selection of chiefs of central police organizations, including the seven paramilitary forces.
a jilted lover allegedly attacked a girl with a blade and later consumed poison in kopri area of thane city, police said today.while the 25-year-old woman was returning home from work at around 9.45 pm yesterday, her male friend - narendra kave - confronted her near the railway bridge crossing and slashed several of her body parts with a blade, police said.later, in an attempt to end his own life, kave, also around 25 years of age, consumed poison. both were residents of kopri colony in thane and the woman had broken off with the accused sometime back.both of them have been hospitalised and were reported to be out of danger, police said. an offence under section 307 (attempt to murder) has been registered against the accused.further investigation was on.
It is not just peak hour commuter rush that amounts to the mad confusion in suburban railway stations. There is a fair amount of uncertainty among passengers when it comes to positioning themselves on the platform to board the train. Unaware if the approaching train is a 9-car or 12-car one, until it enters the station, commuters make a dash for the compartment of their choice at the last minute since coach positions vary on both rakes. The situation on the Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu sector is worse on Mondays when apart from the regular office crowd, there are large hordes of people returning to the city from weekend getaways. Close to 250 services are operated in this sector every day. Twelve-car rakes were introduced a few years ago to increase passenger-carrying capacity on the suburban network. “Since the 12-cars are operated alongside the 9-car rakes, confusion reigns supreme,” said R. Prakash, a frequent train commuter to Egmore. Regular commuters like him say they have raised the issue at public grievance forums on several occasions in the past but to no avail. The issue might seem trivial to the occasional commuter, but is a pressing problem for those who use the service on a regular basis, said S. Anand, a resident of East Tambaram, who travels to Chetpet daily. A simple solution would be to announce over the public address system if the oncoming train is a 12-car or a 9-car one. Commuters can then wait at the appropriate spots to board the train, Mr. Anand said. In the past, efforts were made to install digital boards inside compartments so that names of approaching stations could be displayed for passengers’ benefit. According to Mr. Anand, digital display boards specifying the number of cars in the approaching train is the need of the hour at suburban stations.
While Brigade Road was lit colourfully and was abuzz with preparations to usher in the New Year on Monday night, there was also a subdued group of protesters who gathered near the road junction with banners and posters in remembrance of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim of New Delhi who died after a battle for life and many such victims of sexual abuse. Posters that read “Prepare and Prevent, Don’t repair and repent”, and “You raped her since her dress provoked you, I should break your face because your stupidity provoked me”, were on display at the candle-light protest organised by ITHI-ITEC (IT and ITeS Employees Centre). Speaking to The Hindu, one of the protesters, Arun Ramachandran, a business analyst from an IT firm, said that they were holding the protest to voice their concern over such social issues. He added that they had been holding protests in various places in the city during the past one week. More than celebrating, this is a time for mourning the loss, he added. While the protesters mainly consisted of IT employees, there were also others who had come to show their support to the cause. One of them was Yahodha who was alerted to the protest through Facebook and was in constant touch with the organisers to support them. A large number of candles were lit near the Metro station on Brigade Road where a poster of Nirbhaya on her hospital bed was pinned. While the protests continued on the roads, some women returned home after having decided not to stay on the roads till midnight. Ishani, a college student, who had come with her friends to Brigade Road, said that she still felt uncomfortable to stay out late. “There have been so many cases of sexual abuse that there is really no way to say that you are safe. Even though protests may be held, there is no action yet against the perpetrators,” she added. Asked if they would be staying out to usher in the New Year, Kruthi too agreed with her friend Ishani and said that there was no way she was going to stay out late.
Year-end Review- 2011 Year-end Review- 2012 RAILWAYS REVENUE EARNINGS UP BY 19.23 PER CENT DURING APRIL – N0VEMBER 2012 CARRYING ID PROOF IS NOW COMPULSORY DURING JOURNEY IN TRAINS IN ANY RESERVED CLASSES RAILWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON FAST TRACK DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL CORRIDORS IN CHHATISGARH FORMAL MOU FOR SETTING UP RAILWAY STATIONS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SIGNED TWO MOUs SIGNED WITH MINISTRY OF STEEL TRAIN COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM TRIAL BEGINS FOG RELATED INFORMATION THROUGH WEBSITE BIDDING PROCESS FOR MUMBAI ELEVATED RAIL CORRIDOR (ERC) PROJECT SET IN MOTION RULES FRAMED FOR ENSURING CLEANLINESS & HYGIENE IN RAILWAY PREMISES- VIOLATORS TO PAY FINE UPTO RS. 500/- POLICY ANNOUNCED FOR RAIL-CONNECTIVITY AND CAPACITY AUGMENTATION PROJECTS BANIHAL-QAZIGUND SECTION COMPLETED AND TRIAL RUNS STARTED RAILWAYS AND TOURISM SIGN MOU ON CLEAN INDIA CAMPAIGN TRAVEL DISTANCE EXTENDED FROM 100 KMS TO 150 KMS UNDER IZZAT SCHEME TWO MORE AC DOUBLE DECKER TRAINS INTRODUCED TRAIN RUNNING INFORMATION FACILITY EXPANDED TO COVER ALL TRAINS A MULTI PRONGED STRATEGY TO PROVIDE FASTER AND SAFER TRAIN JOURNEYS The year 2012 has been significant for the Railways in achieving goals and targets with regard to the following: RAILWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON FAST TRACK The year 2012 saw a big push for the key infrastructure projects of Railways. After a review meeting on infrastructure held by the Prime Minister in the last week of November 2012, deadline has been set for such important infrastructure projects like the elevated rail corridor in Mumbai, setting up of locomotive factories on public private partnership, rail tariff authority and Dedicated Freight Corridors. A time bound action plan has since been initiated by the Railway Ministry on these issues. GROWTH IN REVENUE GENERATION The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during 1st April to 30th November 2012 were Rs.78868.17 crore compared to Rs. 66150.48 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 19.23 per cent. The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs. 43891.25 crore during 1st April – 30th November 2011 to Rs. 54487.10 crore during 1st April – 30th November 2012, registering an increase of 24.14 per cent. The total passenger revenue earnings during 1st April – 30th November 2012 were Rs. 20423.31 crore compared to Rs. 18742.83 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 8.97 per cent. In the calendar year 2012, Indian Railways has achieved scrap sale of Rs. 3903.84 crore till Nov. 2012. For the corresponding period in 2011 sale achieved by Railway was 3748.68 crore. The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during 1st April – 30th November 2012 were 5700.57 million compared to 5517.86 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 3.31 per cent. Indian Railways have carried 647.11 million tonnes of revenue earning freight traffic during April-November 2012. The freight carried shows an increase of 29.06 million tonnes over the freight traffic of 618.05 million tonnes actually carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 4.70 per cent. FORMAL MOU FOR SETTING UP RAILWAY STATIONS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SIGNED In a path breaking initiative taken by the Ministry of Railways, a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in February 2012 for setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) namely “Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited” (IRSDL) to take up work of redevelopment of railway stations along with station maintenance across India in a dedicated manner as a part of the continuous process of augmenting and improving amenities at the railway stations. The MoU was signed between the two agencies of the Ministry of Railways, namely Ircon International Limited (IRCON) and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) for formation of this new SPV. Under new SPV, it is proposed to provide the identified stations with well designed concourses, high quality waiting spaces, easy access to the platforms, congestion free platforms, modern ‘State of the art’ Catering facilities, Hotels and other facilities. The redeveloped stations would have provision for convenient entry; inter platform transfer and easy access to all the facilities for the physically disabled persons and senior citizens. The stations would also be provided with waste disposal facilities to improve hygiene and cleanliness. After conducting preliminary studies & holding consultations with zonal railways, five stations, Bijwasan (Delhi) Habibganj (Bhopal), Anand Vihar (Delhi), Chandigarh, Shivaji Nagar (Pune), have been identified for implementation through IRSDC in the first phase. CARRYING ID PROOF MADE COMPULSORY DURING TRAIN JOURNEYS IN ANY RESERVED CLASS As a major initiative to further facilitate the travel of bonafide and legitimate passengers and to reduce the scope for misuse of reserved ticketing system by unscrupulous elements/middlemen, the Ministry of Railways has now made it compulsory to carry prescribed original proof of identity cards during train travel on all reserved classes of tickets. Those travelling without an original identify proof shall be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly. This new change of policy is aimed at facilitating the travel of bonafide and genuine passengers and simultaneously checking the scope for travel on transferred tickets. It is also considered that this policy provision shall also be useful from the security point of view. SIGNING TWO MOUs WITH MINISTRY OF STEEL Indian Railways signed this year two MoUs signifying new innovative financial funding for development of infrastructure projects in the country. Railways signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NMDC Ltd., a navratan Pubic Undertaking Sector under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel for doubling the 150 kms Laddalpur-Kirandul section of the Kottavalsa – Kirindul line of the east cost Railway to augment the evacuation capacity of NMDC to meet the increased demand for iron ore of the Indian steel industry. Indian Railways also signed an MoU with another PSU of Ministry of Steel namely, RINL, for setting up a forged wheel factory at Rae Barely in Uttar Pradesh. This factory, the biggest such plant in India will manufacture one lakh wheels every year. MUMBAI ELEVATED RAILCORIDOR (ERC) PROJECT Mumbai has one of the most crowded and overloaded suburban systems in the world. Concerned about the capacity constraint on the Corridor, Ministry of Railways has decided to augment the system capacity and has accordingly envisioned a two track elevated Corridor along Churchgate-Virra section. This new Elevated Rail Corridor (ERC) will be between Oval Maidan and Virar of Western Railway in Mumbai area. The indicative cost of 63.27 km-long ERC project is approximately Rs. 21,000 crore. Under this corridor, 26 stations are proposed, out of which 5 stations would be underground, 19 elevated and 2 at grade. ERC is proposed to be built through Public-Private Partnership on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. The bidding process for selection of a private entity as the bidder to whom the Project may be awarded has been set in motion with first prebid conference being held in November 2012. Moreover, the Ministry of Railways continued talks with Government of Maharashtra for signing state support agreement, which is crucial for the success of the project. POLICY FOR RAIL-CONNECTIVITY AND CAPACITY AUGMENTATION PROJECTS In a major policy initiative to attract private capital for accelerated construction of fixed Rail infrastructure, Ministry of Railways has formulated an investor-friendly policy framework for private participation in rail connectivity and capacity augmentation projects. The policy contains five models, namely, Non-Government Railway, Joint Venture with equity participation by Railways, capacity augmentation through funding by customers, BOT and BOT annuity. The latter two (BOT and BOT annuity) will follow the existing appraisal and approval procedure laid down by Ministry of Finance through PPP-AC route. Model agreements will be prepared for all these models. First-mile and last-mile and inter-connecting lines for the entire freight commodity basket would be covered under the policy. The policy would provide much-needed impetus to building of critical missing in railway network and evacuation from ports, mines, big industrial units and plants. This will give a boost to industrial development of the country and significantly enhance freight traffic of railways. BANIHAL-QAZIGUND SECTION COMPLETED AND TRIAL RUNS STARTED The Indian Railway has achieved one more milestone in transportation sector with the completion of Banihal-Qazigund section of ambitious and challenging Udhampur-Baramullah-Srinagar Rail link Project. Trials by running trains have started in the section by Railways with the arrival of first Track Tamping machine at Banihal on 24th December 2012 from Qazigund. All the major works have been completed and finishing touch is being given. This section will be ready for opening shortly The 17.729 km long section consists of only one tunnel of 11.215 km length known as Pir Panjal Tunnel, which is the longest transportation tunnel in India and second longest in Asia. This tunnel was big engineering marvel and breakthrough accomplished by IRCON International Ltd., a PSU under the Ministry of Railways which is executing the Dharam-Qazigund-Baramullah section of this challenging J&K rail project. Opening of Banihal-Qazigund railway section will be a turning point not only in the history of Jammu & Kashmir State only, but for the Indian history. A lot of problems are being faced by passengers travelling between Banihal and Qazigund due to closure of Jawahar Tunnel in winter season owing to heavy snow fall. All these problems will be reduced to a large extent by running of train services between Banihal-Qazigund. Moreover the distance between Banihal and Qazigund will also be reduced from 35 Km road length to 17.729 Kms railway line. It will be a cheaper, faster and dependable mode of transport. ADARSH STATION & MFCs The scheme of Adarsh stations has been introduced from the year 2009. Adarsh Stations are provided with basic facilities such as drinking water, adequate toilets, catering services, waiting rooms and dormitories especially for lady passengers, better signage, etc. A total of 976 stations have been identified as Adarsh Stations and against which 616 stations have been developed so far. Work at 69 stations has been completed during 2012-13 so far. Work at another 229 stations is targeted for completion in 2012-13. A new concept of development of Multi Functional Complexes (MFCs) with budget hotels was introduced to provide rail users facilities like food plaza, ATM, Variety Store, Books & Chemist shops, Parking etc. So far, a total of 196 stations have been identified for MFCs. Construction of 37 MFC buildings has been completed. DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDORS Indian Railways’ ambitious project of ‘Dedicated Freight Corridor’ (DFC) continued its implementation momentum during this year. There has been progress on both the corridors namely 1499 km long Western DFC from Jawahar Lal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai to Dadri/Tughlakabad (Near Delhi) and 1839 km long Eastern DFC from Ludhiana (Punjab) to Dankuni (Near Kolkata). Land acquisition is progressing well and as on November.2012, out of total land of 10703 hectares to be acquired for both corridors, 7768 hectares i.e. 73% has been acquired. Initial funding agreements for Western DFC through JICA and part of Eastern DFC (Ludhiana-Khurja-Kanpur-Mughalsarai) through World Bank have already been formalized while remaining Dankuni-Sonnagar section of Eastern DFC is proposed to be implemented through PPP and Mughalsarai-Sonnagar section of Eastern DFC in being implemented through own resources of the Ministry of Railways. In case of Eastern DFC, tender for Civil Works for Khurja-Kanpur section has been opened and is shortly going to be awarded. 66 Km Durgawati-Karwandia section of this corridor is targeted for commissioning in December 2013. Construction work of formation, bridges and laying of track is in progress. In case of Western DFC, pre-qualification for Civil Contract for 625 km, Rewari – Palanpur section of phase 1 has been completed. Construction work of 54 major and important bridges in Vaiterna-Bharuch section of this corridor is in progress and 5 major bridges have been completed. MOU ON CLEAN INDIA CAMPAIGN A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ‘Campaign Clean India’ was signed between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Railways. Under the MOU, the two Ministries will work together towards a sustained sensitization campaign to train travelers and service providers under the Capacity Building for Service Providers scheme of Ministry of Tourism and for consultations and discussions with the stake holders including the travel trade to evolve strategies for the up-keep and cleanliness of the stations and coaches. The Ministry of Railways will encourage the Hotels and Travel Trade Associations, the Companies and the Corporate Houses to adopt Railway Stations in furtherance of Campaign Clean India. The Minister of Tourism will undertake branding of long distance trains running on important routes in different of the country, whereby one side would depict important tourism sites of the country and the other side would carry Campaign Clean India message on mutually agreed routes and terms. NEW PRODUCTION UNITS Indian Railways commissioned the Diesel Component Factory at Dankuni on 28th May 2012. The factory was inaugurated by flagging of the first engine block manufactured from Dankuni. Rail Coach Factory at Rae Bareli commenced its manufacturing activities. This factory is manufacturing superior LHB type coaches which will help Indian Railways to mitigate coach shortage. It has manufactured 51 coaches up to November 2012 by sourcing shells from Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. The foundation stone was laid on 21st February 2012 for the construction of the state-of-the-art Coach Factory at Palakkad in Kerala. The foundation stone for the commencement of work for the Ancillary Unit of CLW has been laid on 28th May, 2012. A Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) is being commissioned at Haldia. In the first phase the plant will produce one rake (of 8 coaches) every month, while in the second phase, the infrastructure of this Plant of Haldia will be augmented through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode to roll out 50 rakes of DMU annually. Rail Wheel Plant of Bela (near Patna) has started casting wheels successfully. AIR CONDITIONED DOUBLE DECKER Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured Air conditioned double decker train was introduced for the first time between Howrah and Dhanbad. Now this year, an improved design of such train has been developed and its services between Jaipur and Delhi and Ahemdabad and Mumbai have been introduced. Such services are also planned between Habibganj-Indore and Chennai-Bangalore in near future. AC double decker train with improved passenger friendly design is having capacity of 120 passengers per coach and are becoming popular among passengers. EFFORTS OF RAILWAYS ON ENERGY CONSERVATION, ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES AND GREEN ENERGY Indian Railways continued its efforts on energy conservation, on exploring alternate energy sources and on adopting green energy initiatives. Indian Railways has started use of energy efficient new generation electric locomotives and Electrical Multiple Units (EMUs) with 3 phase regenerative braking features, head on generation systems for eliminating use of DG sets in trains. Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will be manufacturing 72 AC EMU rakes equipped with three phase propulsion equipment. First batch of two prototype rakes is likely to be manufactured by 31.03.2012. To improve efficiency and to explore alternate sources of energy, Indian Railways have already taken a large number of steps & measures which include Solar projects for addition of another 4.69 MWp by providing solar PV modules at 200 stations, 21 administrative buildings and 1000 level crossing gates have been initiated as green energy initiative with assistance from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. So far Indian Railways has harnessed 10.5 MW of wind energy and about 4.5 MW of solar energy at LC gates, way side Railway stations, street lights, solar water heaters at training institutes/running rooms/hospitals/rest houses/canteens/base kitchens etc. The project of providing of CFL in Railway colonies has been awarded Special Jury award at UIC conference in Venice. HIGHEST EVER 11 NATIONAL CONSERVATION AWARDS FOR RAILWAYS Continued efforts and constant persuasion by Railway Board and energy conservation initiatives by Zonal Railways have resulted into bagging highest ever 11 National Energy Conservation Awards by the Indian Railways out of total awards of 87 from 773 applications during 2012, which were awarded by the President of India during National Energy Conservation Day on 14th December 2012. ENHANCING SAFETY – TPWS AND TCAS Indian Railways continued its thrust on enhancing safety. Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) was extended on pilot basis on main line operations on Hazrat Nizamuddin – Agra Section of Northern/North Central Railway (200 Route Kilometres) where work is under progress. Based upon experience gained from ACD & TPWS systems, Indian Railways has now taken up development of Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). TCAS shall be a fusion of functionalities of TPWS & ACD and shall prevent Signal Passing at Danger as well as Collisions. After invitation of Expression of Interest, six Indian firms have been shortlisted. One of the firm has developed the Prototype which underwent field trials in Oct’2012 over South Central Railway. SIGNALlNG & TELECOM SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT To increase efficiency and enhance safety in train operations, modern signaling system with Route Relay/Panel/ Electronic Interlocking with Multi Aspect Colour Light Signaling (MACLS) has been provided at 252 more stations this year. To increase line capacity and reduce headway, Automatic Block Signaling has been provided on 169 Route Kms increasing the total Route Kms with Automatic Block Signaling to 2376 RKM. Mobile Train Radio Communication system for communication among train Driver, Guard, Station Master, Control Office & field maintenance staff during run of the train has been commissioned on 1725 route kilometres and work is in progress in 1000 route kilometres which is expected to be commissioned shortly. OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE COMMISSIONED During the 2012 calendar year, 2915 Rkm OFC Cable has been commissioned taking total to 42,915 Rkm. and 4500 Rkm Quad cable has been commissioned taking total to 48100 Rkm. All the zonal exchanges and divisional change have been connected on the newly established Next Generation Network (NGN) of Railways. V-Sat terminal in 41 Accident Relief Train (ART’s) for data & voice communication have already been installed and the work is underway to cover more ARTs. On-board internet facility in running trains is under trial. ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE ASSEMBLY AND ANCILLARY UNIT OF CLW AT DANKUNI In order to ramp up production of 6000 HP new generation locomotives from a level of 50 in 2009-10 to complete switch over to 3 phase locos, an Electric Loco Assembly and Ancillary Unit of CLW at Dankuni has been envisaged. The construction work at Dankuni Unit entrusted to a Railway PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) commenced in October, 2012. The unit will be recipient of latest Japanese technology 3-Phase 9000 HP electric locomotives under JICA Loan. 5500 HORSE POWER DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE Diesel Locomotive Works/Varanasi in association with Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow has designed a 5500 HP Diesel locomotive fort freight services with state-of-the-art technology. This locomotive is capable of delivering 1000 HP more power vis-à-vis the current High Horse Power Diesel locomotives. A prototype WDG5 loco has been manufactured and is currently under safety trials. Series production of this type of locomotives has been planned and will commence after completion of the ongoing validation process. PASSENGER AMENITIES - IMPROVED TICKETING SYSTEM Passenger Reservation System (PRS) facility has been made available at around 2987 locations by year-end by adding around 160 new locations during the year. Under the Mushkil Aasaan scheme (Mobile ticketing vans), four Mobile ticketing vans were functioning before the commencement of the year i.e. one each at Delhi, Kolkata, Vapi and Jaipur, one more such van has been introduced at Anand from June 2012. Further locations are being finalized for the introduction of such vans. Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) facility has been extended to approximately 460 new locations/stations during the year, increasing the total number of locations with UTS facility to 5551. Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) have been introduced in suburban tickets and platform tickets. About 250 ATVMs were commissioned during the year taking the total tally of installed ATVMs to 808 on Indian Railways. It has been decided to set up AC Executive lounges at important stations to provide value added services at a charge, offering facilities such as wi-fi internet, buffet services, wash and change concierge services for pre-departure and post-arrival assistance to passengers. BOOKING TICKET THROUGH MOBILE PHONE To bring further convenience to the rail users, Indian Railways through Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railway, is offering the service of booking e-ticket over the mobile phone. After initial registration and downloading of suitable software on the mobile handset with internet facility, it is quite easy for the mobile users to book a reserve ticket through their own mobile. After booking, the passenger l receives a reservation message with full details of the ticket including PNR, Train No, date of journey, class etc. This virtual message is treated at par with the print-out of the e-ticket. INTRODUCTION OF BIO-TOILETS With a commitment to provide hygienic environment to its passengers and staff, Indian Railways, along with Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) have developed Environment Friendly Bio-toilets for its passenger coaches. In these bio-toilets, the human waste is treated by bacteria, which is benign to the humans. This bacteria converts human waste into water and gases (methane and CO2). The gases escape to atmosphere and treated waste water is discharged after chlorination. Human waste thus does not fall on the tracks. Eight trains are running with 436 bio-toilets and in the year 2012-13, 2500 more bio-toilets are planned to be introduced. A complete switch-over to bio-toilets in new coaches has been planned by 2016-17 and the Indian Railway has targeted elimination of direct discharge passenger coach toilet systems by the end of the Thirteenth Five Year Plan i.e., 2021-22. TRAVEL DISTANCE EXTENDED FROM 100 KMS TO 150 KMS UNDER IZZAT SCHEME The travel distance from l00 kilometres has been extended to 150 kilometres under IZZAT scheme. There is no change in other terms and conditions. This extension of travel distance from 100 kms to 150 kms is admissible on IZZAT Monthly Season Tickets (MST) purchased on and after June 1, 2012. IZZAT is a scheme of uniformly priced MST of Rs. 25/- inclusive of all surcharges issued up to distance of 100 Kms to persons working in unorganised sector with monthly income not exceeding Rs. 1500/-. This distance has now been increased from 100 km to 150 km. COMPLIMENTARY RAILWAY CARD PASS FACILITY/CONCESSION EXTENDED Continuing with its social measures, Indian Railways has decided that the civilian recipients of gallantry awards of Chakra series (namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra) will also be provided 1st /2nd Class AC Complimentary Card passes on the lines as admissible to Defence awardees. The procedure and other conditions for issue of such Card Passes to civilian Chakra awardees remain the same as applicable to Defence awardees. Complimentary Card Passes issued to sportspersons who are Arjuna Awardees have now been made valid for travel in 1st Class/2nd AC in Rajdhani trains and Chair Car (CC) in Shatabdi trains besides being valid for travel in 1st Class/2nd AC in other mail/express trains (except Duronto trains) over All Indian Railways (except Metro Railway/Kolkata) as per the existing provision. Concession is also given in train fares to patients suffering' from Sickle Cell Anaemia/Aplastic Anaemia, when travelling for treatment/periodical check-up to the Government recognized hospitals, and return after treatment/periodical check-up. The element of concession will be 50 per cent in the basic fares of Sleeper, AC Chair Car, AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier classes. IMPROVEMENT IN CATERING SERVICES Supervision and monitoring of catering services both in trains and at stations has been strengthened, as a result of this the number of complaint cases has reduced by 4.82 % (approx.) during the Calendar Year (up to October, 2012) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. About 26860 inspections have been carried out during January, 2012 to October , 20 12 by Zonal Railways for ensuring quality in catering. In order to make catering services effective, a Standard Bid Documents (SBDs) have been prepared for award of tenders for various catering services over Indian Railways. MODERN METHODS FOR CLEANING COACHES, RUNNING TRAINS & STATIONS Indian Railways continued to strengthen its modern methodologies for cleaning which included intensive mechanized cleaning of coaches in the coaching depots, On-board Housekeeping Scheme (OBHS) for running trains and mechanized cleaning under Clean Train Station scheme. In addition, fifty locations have been identified to set up Mechanized laundries for improving the quality of washing of bed rolls. TRAIN RUNNING INFORMATION FACILITY EXPANDED TO COVER ALL TRAINS To provide accurate train running information to the public, the Indian Railways has expanded the train running information facility. Now the information on the running of all trains is available at www.trainenquiry.com. Similarly this facility is available through SMS on 139. Earlier, train running information of only selected 36 important trains (Shatabdi, Rajdhani & Duronto) were available at website www.simran.in and through SMS on 9415139139. A MULTI PRONGED STRATEGY FOR FASTER AND SAFER TRAIN JOURNEYS Indian Railways is adopting a multi pronged strategy to provide a safer, faster, cleaner, and comfortable passenger trains. Firstly, seven corridors have been identified for conducting pre-feasibility studies for running high speed trains (popularly referred as Bullet trains) at speeds above 350 kmph. These corridors will be set up through PPP route. Initially, Mumbai- Ahemdabad corridor has been taken up for which pre-feasibility has been completed. Secondly, a study is also being done on Delhi-Mumbai route with Japanese help to raise the speed of passenger trains from 160 kmph to 200 kmph being referred to as Semi-High Speed. Thirdly, Indian Railways is working on the concept of acquiring Electrical Multiple Units (EMU) Train sets for intercity journeys for operating speed ranging from 130-160 km/hour. With high pick-up and increased acceleration & deceleration characteristic, these proposed modern distributed powered EMU train sets will provide faster and safer movement and will substantially reduce run time. FOG RELATED INFORMATION THROUGH WEBSITE In another step to provide relief to passengers who will be hit by fog and affected by train delays, the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), of Ministry of Railways, has launched its mini-site for fog-related information in collaboration with railyatri.in. The website, can be accessed at http://events.trainenquiry.com/fog. It will provide information related to fog report on routes over the last 24 hours, current-time list of trains affected by fog, cancellations and diversions and trains rescheduled from origin. All four sets of information will inform people about the delay in trains due to fog in a bid to let them plan their journey better. The website will be updated every 2 to 10 minutes so that the passengers can get the latest information on the status of their trains. Northern Railway has started a new Enquiry No. 011-23747110 for train status. Moreover, five digit train number can also be sent on mobile number 9717631813 through SMS to get latest status. This is in addition to 139 Enquity Number. RULES FRAMED FOR ENSURING CLEANLINESS & HYGIENE IN RAILWAY PREMISES – VIOLATERS TO PAY FINE UPTO RS. 500/- The Ministry of Railways has issued a notification containing rules on prohibition of activities affecting cleanliness and hygiene in the Railway premises alongwith penalties for contravention of these rules. Under these notified rules, no person shall (i) throw or deposit litter in any occupied or unoccupied Railway premises or the carriage except in authorised places; (ii) cook, bathe, spit, urinate, defecate, feed animal or birds, repair or wash vehicles, washing utensils or clothes or any other objects or keep any type of storage in any Railway premises except in such facilities or conveniences specifically provided for any of these purposes; (iii) paste or put up any poster or write or draw anything or matter in any compartment or carriage of the Railways or any premises thereof, without any lawful authority; (iv) indulge in defacing Railway property. Authorised Vendors/hawkers will make necessary arrangement to keep the container or waste basket for collecting litter and proper disposal of its contents. Whosoever contravenes any of the provisions of these rules or fails to comply with such provisions shall be punished with a fine which shall not exceed five hundred rupees. POLICIES TO FACILITATE PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN TERMINALS AND RAKES (1) Liberalized Wagon Investment Scheme (LWIS) : LWIS allows investment by End users (viz. producers, manufacturers and consumers of goods) in Special Purpose Wagons (SPW) and High Capacity Wagons (HCW). The policy was issued on 15.04.2008. With a view to make the scheme more liberal and customer-friendly, the Liberalized Wagon Investment Scheme (LWIS) has been reviewed and policy guidelines on Revised Liberalized Wagon Investment Scheme (LWIS) have been issued on 02.01.2012. So far, approval for procurement of 52 rakes by 10 firms, having an approximate value of 1218 crores has been accorded to various customers by Ministry of Railways. Out of which, 14 rakes have been procured/ inducted and are running on the system. (2) Wagon Leasing Scheme (WLS) : This Scheme has been launched to introduce the concept of leasing of railway wagons on IR. The scheme aims at induction of rakes through PPP route with the private sector for High Capacity Wagons and Special Purpose Wagons and wagons for container movement. WLS can lease wagons to Automobile Freight Train Operators, Liberalized Wagon Investment Scheme, Special Freight Train Operators and Container Train Operators. The policy has been issued on 15.04.2008. M/s. GATX and have been registered as Wagon Leasing Company under the policy on 18.05.2012 and M/s Touax Texmaco Railcar Leasing Pvt. registered on 20.09.12 under the policy. (3) Automobile Freight Train Operator Scheme (AFTO) : To increase Indian Raiwlays’ market share in transportation of automobile i.e. two/three-wheelers, cars and tractors etc. by inviting private participation, a new scheme namely Automobile Freight Train Operator Scheme AFTO has been issued on 19.07.2010. The policy is however, under modification with a view to make it further investor friendly. M/s Maruti Suzuki and M/s APL Logistics Vascor Automotive Ltd. have applied to participate under the scheme this year. (4) Special Freight Train Operator Scheme (SFTO) : To increase Rail share in the commodities like fertilizers, molasses, edible oil, caustic soda, chemicals, petrochemicals, alumina, bulk cement and fly ash etc., a new scheme namely Special Freight Train Operator Scheme (SFTO) has been launched , to attract private investment in special purpose wagons required for transportation of these commodities. Policy has been issued on 31.05.2010. Approval has been given this year to M/s Fourcee for procurement of 3 rakes (tank wagons) for Caustic Soda. These rakes will run on East Coast Railway. Policy is under mo0dification to make it further attractive for investors. (5) Private Freight Terminals (PFT) : To facilitate rapid development of a network of freight terminals with private investment to provide efficient and cost effective logistics services with warehousing solution to end users, a new scheme namely Private Freight Terminal (PFT) has been launched. Policy has been issued on 31.05.2010 which was modified and revised this year to attract more investment.. So far 32 proposals have been received, out of which PFTs at Timmapur (SCR), Wardha (CR), Tadali (CR), Somathane (CR), Pali (NWR) and KRIBHCO Siding Hazira (WR) have been notified. In principle approval has been given to 14 PFTs by zonal railways. FREIGHT INCENTIVE SCHEMES A slew of freight incentive schemes have been introduced with the objective of generating additional traffic volume and additional revenue for the Railways. These schemes which are in operation since 2006, have since been meaningfully moderated and suitably modified based on experience gained in the interregnum These schemes have been re-introduced as “The Freight Incentive Schemes and Transportation Products 2009” . The schemes have been giving better yield to Railways. FREIGHT OPERATION INFORMATION SYSTEM Freight Operation Information System (FOIS) is being extended to cover the 235 weighbridge locations on Indian Railways. 95 such weighbridge locations were commissioned during the year increasing the number of such locations commissioned to 135. The e-payment facility was further extended to more customers and the percentage of freight collected through this channel increased to 74.6% from 40% at the end of the previous year. Improvement in freight loading performance was achieved with intensive monitoring of freight terminals through FOIS for effective reduction in wagon detention. FREIGHT MAINTENANCE MANAGER (FMM) COMMISSIONED Wagon maintenance application called Freight Maintenance Manager (FMM) which entails maintenance of historical data for wagons and their critical components and the availability of spare parts at various workshops was commissioned at Dadri and Dandarikalan in the month of Feb. & March 2012 respectively. Moreover, the pilot project for Locoshed Management System (LMS) for management of diesel sheds has been commissioned at Tughlakabad and Lucknow sheds. UPGRADING SPEED OF BOXN WAGONS THROUGH IN-HOUSE DESIGN UPGRADATION An in-house design of upgraded suspension has been finalized which will be used to convert existing BOXN type wagons to BOXNHAM wagons at a marginal additional cost. While the existing BOXN wagon is fit to run at 60 kmph in loaded and 80 kmph in empty condition, the converted BOXNHAM wagon has been cleared to run at 75 kmph with CC+8+2 load and at 100 kmph in empty condition,. This design promises to revolutionize freight transportation on Indian Railways by bringing about 25% increase in maximum speed of bulk of goods trains. The first BOXNHAM rake of 59 wagons has been turned out from Jhansi workshop in May, 2012. CONTAINER TRAFFIC CHARGES RATIONALISED Periodic revision in Haulage charges for movement of containers in privately owned wagons have been carried out and made applicable for implementation in two phases: w.e.f. 01.12.2012 and the other phase w.e.f. 01.02.2013, respectively. Partial modifications in case of Hub & Spoke System too has been carried out for implementation w.e.f. 01.01.2013. DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL CORRIDORS IN CHHATISGARH Continuing with the Indian Railways and State Government partnership model, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of rail corridors in Chhatisgarh state was signed. The three rail corridors meant for both passengers and freight would be developed in northern region of Chhatisgarh state, approximately 452 kilometres in total length.. These are:- 1) East Corridor: Bhupdevpur-Gharghoda-Dharamjaygarh up to Korba with spur from Gharghoda to Donga Mauha to connect mines of Gare-Pelma block, approximately 180 kilometres in length, 2) North Corridor: Surajpur-Parsa-Katghora-Korba, approximately 150 kilometres in length and 3) East-West Corridor: Gevra Raod to Pendra Road via Dipka, Katghora, Sindurgarh, approximately 122 kilometres in length. These corridors will be implemented through specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). DIVIDEND BY RAILWAY PSUs For the financial year 2011-12, seven profit making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under administrative control of Ministry of Railways have given Rs. 405.78 Crore as dividend to the Ministry which is approximately 14% more than the dividend paid for the last year. The PSUs are Container Corporation of Indian Limited (CONCOR), Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), IRCON International Limited, Railtel Corporation of India Limited (RCIL), Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and RITES. RAILTEL BECOMES MINI-RATNA A PSU of Ministry of Raiwlays namely Railtel Corporation of India Ltd. has been granted status of mini-Ratna Category I in May2012. FILLING UP OF VACANCIES ON PRIORITY BASIS Filling up of vacancies is a matter of priority and is being actively pursued by Railways Recruitment Boards. In 2012, fourteen written examinations have been held for 271 categories, covering 50515 vacancies. Panels of about 15,838 candidates mainly for safety category posts have been supplied to Zonal Railways/Production Units during the last 11 months period i.e. 1st January 2012 to 30th November 2012. Five centralized notifications have been issued in 2012 covering 27,038 vacancies in 138 categories. Examinations against 4 notifications, out of five issued in 2012, have already been held in this year itself for 26,213 vacancies. FELICITATION OF RAILWAY SPORTSPERSONS FOR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE Railway sportspersons were felicitated by the Railway Ministry for their remarkable performance in the London Olympics – 2012. They were presented with a shawl, a memento and the cheque of the award amount. Sushil Kumar, who won silver medal in wrestling (66 kg. Free Style) event in London Olympics was given a cash award of Rs. 75 lakh. Joydeep Karmakar who got 4th position in the final in Shooting (50m Prone) and Ms. Krishna Punia who got 7th position in the final in Discuss Throw were given Rs. 25 lakh cash award each. Recognizing the commitment and contribution of coaches, an award of Rs. 1 lakh each for Shri Satpal, Coach of Sushil Kumar, Sh. Sunny Thomas, Coach of Joydeep Karmakar and Sh. Virender Punia, Coach of Krishna Punia was also given. In a momentous recognition of the role and contribution of the Indian Railways in promoting sports in the country, Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) of Ministry of Railways has bagged “Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar”, for the year 2012 which is a part of National Sports Awards, announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. BETTER MEDICAL CARE TO RAILWAY BENEFICIARIES Ministry of Railways has approved a cashless medical scheme for retired railway employees called Retired Employees Liberalized Health Scheme (RELHS). Under this scheme, the beneficiaries can take treatment in Recognized Private Hospitals in emergencies. The Zonal Railways are in the process of implementing the scheme. RELHS has been made mandatory for post March 2009 retirees and open-ended for other retired employees/ eligible dependents. A full fledged Cardiac Unit has been commissioned at Jag Jivan Ram Railway Hospital (JRH) Mumbai. A new Super-specialty Centre at B. R. Singh Hospital IN Eastern Railway for treatment of cardiac ailments has become fully functional. RITEs, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, has been engaged as Transaction Advisor and Consultant for setting up of Medical Colleges on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode at Chennai, Guwahati, Kharagpur, Lucknow and Secunderabad. e-PROCUREMENT AND e-AUCTION Indian Railways have implemented e-procurement system for All Zonal Railways and Production Units. So for 3.5 lakh e-tenders have been uploaded on central web site www.ireps.gov.in and more than 17,000 vendors have registered with the site. Electronic procurement has facilitated vendors and the participating industry to gain free excess to Railway’s supply tenders and has improved transparency and competitiveness in tendering process. Moreover, with the aim of transparency through e-governance, Indian Railways has started E-auction as one of the mode for disposal of scrap since March 2012. E-auction has been started on all Zonal Railways. STRENGTHENING OF BILATERAL COOPERATION IN RAIL SECTOR WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES Bilateral cooperation in Railway sector with foreign countries is an ongoing process. India and China, among others, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Technical Cooperation in Railway Sector. Under this MoU, both the countries will enhance mutual cooperation across various areas of rail technology including High Speed Rail, Heavy Haulage and Station Development. A MoU was also signed between Indian Railways and Belgium on bilateral co-operation for the effective development and modernization of railway sector of both the countries. Another Memorandum of Understanding was signed betwee. Government of India and Government of Spain on technical cooperation in the field of Railway sector. Delegation level talks were held separately with Switzerland and Germany on bilateral cooperation in the railway sector. s ROLLING STOCK PRODUCTION Indian Railways continue to do well in the rolling stock production. In the current year (till November, 2012), 416 locomotives have been manufactured, 2513 coaches have been manufactured and 16426 wagons have been procured. IRFC RAISES FUNDS FOR ROLLING STOCK AND RAILWAY PROJECTS Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) has been mandated to raise Rs.15,000 crore in 2012-13 (Rs. 14,896 crore to finance rolling stock and Rs. 104 crore for railway projects being executed by RVNL). Till end of November 2012, IRFC has raised and transferred to Ministry of Railways Rs. 2,652 crore. Ministry of Finance has approved issue of tax free bonds by IRFC amounting to Rs. 10,000 crore during the FY 2012-13. Notification in this regard has been issued by Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance on 06.11.2012. IRFC is in the process of raising funds through issue of tax free bonds by way of private placement and public issue. 78 DAY’S WAGES AS PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS FOR THE YEAR 2011-12 The Union Cabinet has accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Railways for payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days' wages for the financial year 2011-12 for all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees. The financial implication of payment of 78 days' PLB to Railway employees has been estimated to be Rs.1021.56 crore. The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is Rs.3500/- per month. About 12.37 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees benefited from the decision. * * * * * * AKS/HK/LK
the commercial street police arrested an autorickshaw driver saturday night for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger. the suspect identified as nawaz, 26, a resident of cauvery nagar in banashankari was produced before the 11th additional city metropolitan magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody, the police said.vishakh vandana who works at a private firm on cunningham road hired an auto near her office at 9:40 pm. she wanted to go to metro station on mg road, from where she would board the train to baiyyapanahalli.the auto driver allegedly stopped the vehicle on infantry road and told her that he had run out of fuel. soon after she got down from the auto, he allegedly held her hand and misbehaved with her. a shocked vishakh cried for help. a few passersby rushed to the spot and thrashed the driver. he was later handed over to the police.
Three persons died on Monday morning in separate accidents on the Central Railway’s main line between Vikhroli and Ghatkopar, as suburban railway services on the line continued to be in a state of disarray for the second day in a row. The accidents took place in a span of two hours. The victims — Dipesh Kadam (24), Ashok Shelar (34) and a 23-year-old unidentified man — were taken to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghakopar where they were declared dead. “Two of the deaths were because the men were standing on the edge and fell off the train, while one was caused due to trespassing,” said SS Dhumal, senior inspector at Kurla GRP said. More than a hundred services were canceled and others were running with a delay of about 40 minutes with the CR operating special blocks since Saturday night. Though the work was over early on Monday and blocks lifted, trains were moving slowly and halting between stations, resulting in overcrowding and people walking on tracks. “I left at the usual time. I was aware that services were affected but did not expect the problem to continue today. I was stranded in the train for nearly three hours,” said Sandhya Baviskar, a clerk in the prosecutor’s office at Sessions court. She travels from Dombivli to south Mumbai for work daily. The block carried out on Saturday was for remodeling the yard at Thane to ensure faster entry and exit of trains at Thane station. The CR also operated traffic blocks between Mulund and Kalwa on December 30 to improve signaling system and track layout at Thane for test-charging of traction to 25 KV AC power system. ... contd.
New Delhi: A new age Shatabdi train will be flagged off on January 14, an auspicious day in Hindu calender, from Chandigarh by Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. The 14-coach train is the first Shatabdi to be equipped with newly designed coupler for ensuring jerk-free ride for passengers, a senior Railway Ministry official said. Currently, these couplers are being used in two Durontos and a few Rajdhani trains. The newly designed couplers developed at Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) will be used in all Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains in phases. Bansal, who is also an MP from Chandigarh, will flag off the new train at Chandigarh railway station at around on Makar Sankranti (January 14). Railways have decided to introduce the third Shatabdi connecting Delhi and Chandigarh, the official said. The new Shatabdi will have one Executive Class coach and rest Chair Cars. More coaches will be added including Executive Class coach later on depending on the demand, the official said.
Can you really seal up the security in an Indian railway station with a combination of high-tech surveillance equipment and old policing methods? Not easy at all. During a recent visit to Chennai Central, it became evident that even the best of intentions do not translate into efficient, smooth processes. Those who enter the station concourse through the main entrance archway encounter metal frame detectors, and a baggage scanner. Since the volume of passengers is large, it is impossible to scan every piece of baggage to the desired level. Actually, it is impossible to scan every item with the available infrastructure. So only a cursory check, that too of a small section of bags entering the station is possible. That may not be new information. What is interesting is that Central has many archways that lead to the concourse, and the systems are not exactly airport-style. So for those who take the trouble of walking a few more paces to the North, towards Walltax Road, there is no scanner at all at the entrance. It is almost certain that it will take a lot of effort to sew up the security details at Central and Egmore stations alone. The Railway said sometime ago that the investment on security, CCTV cameras and other equipment, with internet protocol-based analysis systems for 14 major railway stations was an impressive Rs. 41 plus crore. Now, consider the upcoming Metro rail system. If the Bangalore Metro security infrastructure is a model, Chennai Metro’s requirements will be of a much higher order. It is not just a question of security of the stations, which is a tall order in itself, but also checking for intrusions along tracks at sensitive locations, monitoring crowding and queues, and so on. At the present volumes of significant peak hour passenger traffic, the Bangalore Metro system frisks all passengers and scans all baggage. NICE Security Solutions announced in September that the Bangalore Namma Metro had launched its security solution and was poised to handle 1.2 million passengers by 2013, and achieve full capacity by 2014. What it claims to do is capture and analyse data from several types of sensors in an integrated manner. Presumably, the Chennai Metro will operate on a similar basis, considering that the objective of such high-efficiency systems is to be minimally intrusive, while facilitating a large number of users to move quickly. For our traditional railways, it will remain a challenge to secure a large, open system that often lacks basic facilities, even to accurately inform passengers. For example, many trains stop at a dozen stations on a route, some of them at dead of night. Passenger trains attract far less attention than the Shatabdis, Durontos and Rajdhanis. In a poor country with people often on the move with nothing more than gunny bags holding their possessions, a system of potent-but-effective baggage scanners, many electronic eyes looking down from vantage points feeding millions of images into computers for analysis, and frisking is an ironic contrast — one that is possible only a showpiece in select stations. The real solution is to bridge the divided ends.
indian railways scored a hard-fought win over hyderabad to emerge champions in the men's section of the 58th senior national ball badminton championship here on sunday. after easing past andhra 29-10, 29-13 in the semifinals at the mei layout grounds, railways men were tested in a well contested final. railways, however, held their nerve to beat andhra 29-21, 29-27. in contrast, tamil nadu women pocketed the title in fine fashion. packing a punch in the summit clash, tamil nadu eves trounced kerala 29-17, 29-9. hosts karnataka bagged a bronze medal in the women's section, defeating andhra 21-29, 29-19, 29-10 in the third-place play-off. results: men:final: indian railways bt hyderabad 29-21, 29-27. semifinals:hyderabad bt maharashtra 29-18, 29-14; indian railways bt andhra pradesh 29-10, 29-13.third place play-off: maharashtra bt andhra 28-29, 29-27, 29-28. women: final: tamil nadu bt kerala 29-17, 29-9. semifinals:tamil nadu bt andhra 29-6, 29-18; kerala bt karnataka 29-26, 29-7. third-place play-off:karnataka bt andhra 21-29, 29-19, 29-10.
london olympics silver medallist vijay kumar on sunday clinched the gold medal in the men's rapid fire pistol event at the 56th national shooting championship here.while vijay shot 572 and 25 in the finals to win the top prize in his event, punjab's heena sidhu bagged the gold in the women's air pistol competition after shooting 383 and 99.5 in the qualifiers and finals respectively. harpreet singh (569 + 21) of navy clinched the silver in the men's rapid fire pistol event ahead of army's pemba tamang, who shot 572 and 18.in heena's event, annu raj singh won the silver with scores of 383 and 96.8 while the bronze went to priyanka susvirkar of railways who shot 378+100.8.in the 3-position men's event, surendra singh rathod of army won the gold with scores of 1158 + 97.9. the silver went to sanjeev rajput who scored 1154 + 97.6 while the bronze was won by chain singh of army for shooting 1150 + 100.4.aribam excelsaribam dicky sharma of army bagged the gold in the 3-position junior men's event. the silver went to brahma puri of gujarat while h sanahal singh of army had to be satisfied with a bronze. in the air pistol junior women's meet, shreya gawande of maharashtra won the gold, with punjab's malaika goel and madhya pradesh's surabhi pathak winning the silver and bronze respectively.gawande won yellow metal in the air pistol youth category too, with goel of punjab and haryana's manjeet finishing second and third respectively.
mumbai were 323/5 against gujarat at the end of the second day's play with a lead of 79 runs in their group a match. wasim jaffer's well-made 171 and hiken shah's half-century (82) powering mumbai to a position of strength.suryakumar yadav was batting on 23 and abhishek nayar was undefeated on six at stumps. ranji trophy round-up brief scores: group a: at mumbai: gujarat: 244 all out in 78.3 overs (parthiv patel 101, bhargav merai 41, samit gohel 30; ankeet chavan 3-54, zaheer khan 2-40, javed khan 2-46) vs mumbai: 323/5 in 99 overs (wasim jaffer 171, hiken shah 82; rush kalaria 2-48).at rajkot: saurashtra: 242 all out in 104.5 overs (arpit vasavada 54, sheldon jackson 53, kamlesh makvana 51; ishwar pandey 3-43, rameez khan 2-33, ankit sharma 2-61) and 18/1 in 10 overs vs madhya pradesh: 135 all out in 60.2 overs (naman ojha 44, udit birla 34; vishal joshi 3-17, jaydev unadkat 3-20, dharmendrasingh jadeja 3-51).at jaipur: rajasthan: 384 all out in 120.3 overs (vineet saxena 84, ashok menaria 63, dishant yagnik 51, hrishikesh kanitkar 42, pankaj singh 37 n.o., rashmi parida 31, robin bist 26; ashish reddy 5-67, amol shinde 3-99) vs hyderabad: 160/5 in 47 overs (kolla sumanth 43, akshath reddy 41, hanuma vihari 38; rituraj singh 2-39).at kolkata: railways 214 all out in 89.2 overs (amit paunikar 50, murali kartik 48, karan sharma 32; sourav sarkar 4-62, shib sankar paul 2-51) and 20/0 in 8 overs vs bengal: 157 all out in 76.2 overs (abhishek jhunjhunwala 47, sudip chatterjee 38; karan sharma 4-22, krishnakant upadhayaya 3-30, ranjitkumar mali 3-39).group b: at nagpur: delhi 523/9 decl in 170 overs (vaibhav rawal 104, unmukt chand 82, rajat bhatia 68, mithun manhas 54, mohit sharma 53, sumit narwal 39 n.o., pradeep sangwan 34, shikhar dhawan 30, puneet bisht 26; gaurav upadhayaya 2-53, sandeep singh 2-70, shrikant wagh 2-95, akshay wakhare 2-103) vs vidarbha: 20/1 in 7 overs.at cuttack: uttar pradesh: 160 and 111 all out in 40.1 overs (umang sharma 37, ali murtaza 25; basant mohanty 4-31, deepak behera 3-27) vs odisha: 127 all out in 42.5 overs (imtiaz ahmed 5-45, ankit rajpoot 2-33) and 53/4 in 20 overs (imtiaz ahmed 3-11). at chennai: tamil nadu: 181/3 in 78 overs (abhinva mukund 60, baba aparajith 42, kb arun karthik 33 batting; yuzvendra chahal 2-74) vs haryana.group c: at porvorim: goa: 381 all out in 134.5 overs (amogh sunil desai 105, reagan pinto 61, manvinder bisla 48, saurabh bandekar 33, shadab jakati 29; arup das 5-83, arlen konwar 2-90 vs assam: 134/1 in 43 overs (pallavkumar das 70, sibsankar roy 48 batting).at cuddapah: andhra: 329 all out in 108.1 overs (amol muzumdar 146, syed shahabuddin 49, bodapati sumanth 47; unnikrishnan manukrishnan 3-87, k j rakesh 2-20, sandeep warrier 2-73, chovvakkaran shahid 2-76) vs kerala: 55/2 in 18.2 overs (v a jagadeesh 27 batting; paidikalva vijayakumar 2-20).at delhi: services: 185 and 32/2 in 13 overs vs jharkhand: 120 all out in 58 overs (saurabh tiwary 29, akash verma 28; suraj yadav 6-43, nishan singh 2-41).at jammu: tripura: 60/2 in 23 overs (subhrajit roy 37 batting; parvez rassol 2-20) vs jammu & kashmir (match affected by rain).
star player geethu anna jose scored 16 points to spur indian railways to a commanding 116-47 win over uttar pradesh in the 63rd senior national basketball championship here on sunday.results: men: madhya pradesh: 59 (christopher singh 23) bt puducherry: 38 rajasthan: 89 (vinod 23) bt bihar: 34 chhattishgarh: 76 (ajay pratap 27, shyam 19, kiran pal 13) bt gujarat: 59; indian railways: 93 (vikram parmar 14, gagan deep singh 14) bt haryana: 72; uttarakhand: 87 (trideep rai 16) bt andhra pradesh: 48; assam: 79 (somuir 26) bt maharashtra: 71 (raj kalbhor 22); odisha: 64 (sashikanta mohanty 16) bt jharkhand: 41; haryana: 72 (monika 31) bt bihar: 65; kerala: 90 (euddre perera 33) bt delhi: 61.women:tamil nadu: 76 bt bt andhra pradesh: 48; indian railways:116 (geethu anna jose 16) bt up: 47; hp: 35 bt uttarakhand: 13; madhya pradesh:72 (trishna 16) bt gujarat: 16; maharashtra: 58 bt karnataka: 51 (savitha 10); odisha: 64 bt jammu & kashmir: 13.
five wild elephants were killed when the howrah-chennai super fast coromandel express rammed into an herd of elephants at subala near rambha in southern odisha's ganjam district on saturday night. train services were affected in the sector for a few hours because of the mishap.the express train heading for chennai was in high speed when the accident occurred. the impact was so severe that the pachyderms were dragged on the track for almost a kilometre. a couple of elephants were cut into pieces. the killed elephants include a baby and a pregnant one. a contractual labourer working for a private company engaged by the railways also killed in the mishap. preliminary investigation suggested that the man was standing near the door of a compartment of the express train and was thrown out under the impact of the accident and died. however, no other passengers of the super fast express received any injuries in the mishap.a blame game has already begun between the east coast railways authorities and the state forest department officials over the tragic incident. according to forest department officials, the local railway authorities had already been alerted about the movement of the elephant herd in the area. but no instruction was given to the express train driver to go slow and be watchful. "our officials had already informed the railway authorities about the movement of the elephant herd but no step was taken to avoid the mishap," said the state forest and environment minister bijayshree routray.the allegation, however, has been strongly refuted by the east coast railway authorities. "the accident occurred at 12.45 am and the information was conveyed to us around the same time. the accident could have been avoided had we received the information early," said r n mohapatra, the chief public relations officer of the east coast railways.one elephant was killed in a similar train mishap at the same place four months ago. the area was known as an elephant crossing zone. a sign board had already been put near the track highlighting this for the benefit of the train drivers, a forest department official said. minister routray said he would be holding a meeting with the railway officials soon on the issue. "if they will not cooperate with us then i will convey the matter to the chief minister and request him to take it up with the railway ministry at the centre," he added.
Seven more persons fell prey to biting cold wave in UP where death toll due to the harsh weather touched 69 today, while most other parts of North India also shivered and fog disrupted rail and air traffic. The National capital had a gloomy weather as the fog returned after four days, and the maximum temperature was recorded at 17 degree Celsius, a drop of four notches. The minimum was recorded at 7.7 deg C. The fog also affected the schedule of about 50 flights, according to airport sources. However, the meteorological department on Sunday forecasted a clear sky with mist in the morning for tomorrow. In Uttar Pradesh, severe cold wave claimed seven more lives pushing the death toll this winter to 69. Two people died in Barabanki district and one each in Gonda, Deoria, Ballia, Banda, and Hamirpur districts. Maximum temperature continued to be below normal by 6 to 11 deg C in parts of the state and the lowest minimum temperature was 0.7 deg C at Lucknow airport. Normal life in most parts of Punjab and Haryana was crippled due to the fog, which threw rail and road traffic out of gear. However, minimum temperature in the region rose due to cloudy sky. While most of the flights from Chandigarh airport were cancelled or re-scheduled, several trains criss-crossing the region were running hours behind the schedule due to low visibility. Hisar was the coldest place in the plains of Punjab and Haryana with a low of 2.2 deg C, four notches below normal. Mercury plummeted in northern parts of Rajasthan with Shri Ganganagar freezing at a low of 0.6 deg C, 4 degrees below normal. Himachal Pradesh remained under the grip of cold wave as night temperatures dropped by one to three notches. Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district and Kalpa in adjoining tribal district of Kinnaur recorded minimum temperatures at minus 7.6 degree and minus 3.8 degrees respectively. Tourist resort Manali reeled under severe cold with mercury dipping to minus 1.5 deg C and Solan, Bhuntar and Sundernagar recording a low of 0.2 deg C, 1.0 deg C and 1.7 deg C, three degree below normal. The high altitude areas of the state reeled under arctic conditions with minimum temperature staying between minus 10 and minus 18 degree Celsius. All natural sources of water like lakes, springs, rivulets and large stretch of the Chandrabhaga river in Spiti were frozen for the past three weeks, causing sharp fall in discharge of water in snow-fed Sutlej, Ravi and Beas Rivers. The power generation in hydropower projects has also gone down sharply
at least 20 people were killed and 24 injured on sunday in a car bomb attack that targeted a bus taking shia pilgrims to iran in pakistan's restive southwest, hours after 21 soldiers abducted by taliban from check-posts near peshawar were gunned down by the militants.explosives planted in a car parked by the roadside were detonated by remote control when the bus was passing through the mastung district of baluchistan province, deputy commissioner tufail baloch told reporters.other officials said the wounded, many of them with burns, were taken to two hospitals in the provincial capital of quetta. officials of the bomb disposal squad said an estimated 80 kg of explosives were used in the attack.no group claimed responsibility for the incident though the banned lashkar-e-jhangvi has been blamed for earlier attacks on shias in balochistan.the vehicle that was targeted was part of a convoy of three buses carrying shia pilgrims from lahore, jhang and multan in the punjab province, to neighbouring iran. the buses were headed for the taftan border crossing. baloch said the buses had been provided an escort in view of earlier attacks on shia pilgrims.the route taken by the buses is usually cleared in advance but the attack occurred near a market where several vehicles were parked by the roadside, he said. the explosion triggered a fire in the bus. witnesses said several people were burnt alive. the two other buses were slightly damaged by the blast.on saturday, seven people were killed and 50 others wounded when a bus was targeted with a bomb near a railway station in karachi.in a separate incident, 21 pakistani security personnel kidnapped by the taliban from check-posts near peshawar were gunned down by the militants on sunday, police officials said.the bullet-riddled bodies of the soliders were found in the jabai area, located a short distance from peshawar, the capital of the khyber-pakhtunkhwa province. they were reportedly shot dead at a cricket ground.two more kidnapped security personnel escaped and one of them was seriously injured.one of these personnel alerted local authorities, who found the bodies.the taliban had kidnapped 23 personnel of the levies militia after overrunning three check-posts early on thursday.over 200 militants armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades had attacked the posts.two security personnel were killed in the attack.the attackers, who were wearing uniforms of security forces, had taken away weapons and vehicles from the check-posts.
Five out of the ten metro stations in Central Delhi, that were closed down for an indefinite period in the wake of the death of the gang-rape victim, were opened this afternoon. The stations which opened are Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk and Patel Chowk. However, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course, Jor Bagh and Khan Market stations will remain closed till further orders. However, inter-change facility will be available at the Central Secretariat station, DMRC officials said. The decision to close down the Metro stations was taken by the Delhi Police which is making all out efforts to prevent protesters from reaching India Gate. They have already cordoned off the entire India Gate area. Police had last week as well closed down Metro stations to prevent protesters from reaching the protest sites.
india gate and its adjacent areas in the national capital will remain out of bounds for public sunday to prevent mass protests following the dec 16 gang-rape victim's death, police said.the 23-year-old woman's body was flown into the city from singapore early sunday and cremated here. like saturday, after news of the woman's death came, delhi police have closed all roads leading to india gate. "rajpath, vijay chowk and all roads leading to india gate will be closed for general traffic. travellers are advised to avoid these roads," delhi traffic police posted on its facebook page.as many as 10 delhi metro stations on three networks -- yellow, blue and violet lines -- also continue to remain shut for an indefinite period.the stations are pragati maidan, mandi house, barakhamba road, rajiv chowk, patel chowk, central secretariat, udyog bhavan, race course, jor bagh and khan market.a metro official said commuters would, however, be able to inter-change trains at the rajiv chowk and central secretariat stations. but no one will be allowed to enter or exit these stations.
The Kanyakumari District Railway Users’ Association has urged the Southern Railways to extend Tiruchi – Tirunelveli inter-city express to Nagercoil. In a memorandum to J. Helen Davidson, MP, its president S.R. Sree Ram has stated that a large number of people from different parts of the district travel daily to Tirunelveli, Virudunagar, Madurai, Dindigal and Tiruchi for employment, higher studies, business, to High Court Bench at Madurai, universities, and Passport Seva Kendras. They depend on buses since there are train services from Nagercoil to Madurai and Tiruchi only at 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. respectively. Hence, if the inter-city express is extended to Nagercoil, there will a good patronage to the service.
A senior railway station manager in Pallavaram was thrashed by around 50 railway staff members attached to the southern railway mazdoor union (SRMU), who also ransacked his office, on Wednesday. Railway sources said that, on December 21, M. Venketaramani, a station master at the Pallavaram railway station, got two days of special casual leave on December 23 and 24 to attend a meeting of the SRMU subject to the conditions that his service could be spared with adequate station masters available for duty and that it was duly approved by his immediate senior officer, in this instance the senior station manager. However, of the other five station masters attached to the Pallavaram railway station, three were unavailable for duty during the period and two were already in-charge at Pallavaram and Meenambakkam. As a result, the senior station manager, S. Murugesan denied Venketaramani the leave. Upset over the denial of leave, Venketaramani asked the senior station manager to mark him absent for the two days. Subsequently, Murugesan marked him absent when Venketaramani did not report for work. However, when Venketaramani reported for duty a day later, he noticed the marks in the attendance register against his name and got agitated. “The station master argued with the senior station manager despite the latter explaining to him that he couldn’t do anything if a staff member was absent,” said a railway official, who was present during the altercation. On Wednesday, around 6 p.m., Venketaramani along with around 50 members of the SRMU thrashed the senior station manager and ransacked his office by breaking his wooden name-plate and some furniture. He was also threatened. This occurred in the presence of a large number of commuters waiting to board a train and a handful of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel. “We were scared to see the large number of railway union members thrashing the station manager. They also shouted at commuters, who tried to intervene, and asked them to mind their work,” said A. Suriya, a commuter. Neither the RPF personnel at Pallavaram railway station nor higher railway officials came to the rescue of the senior station manager. Instead, they suggested that the station manager arrive at a compromise with the union members. Further, according to the manager, complaints were registered with the divisional operating manager, senior division operating manager (headquarters) and Southern Railway (traffic–headquarters) but no action has been taken so far. “We have received information about the incident. The matter will be investigated,” said a senior railway official.
Last year, the punctuality performance of Delhi Metro was 99.75 per cent, said E. Sreedharan, former director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Trains are considered late if delayed by 60 seconds and there is no question of manipulation since the systems are computerised. “Punctuality is nothing but respect for others’ time. We realised that if the trains are to be punctual, we have to be punctual ourselves,” he said while delivering the 137 International Convention Lecture at Theosophical Society on Saturday. He attributed the early completion of work on the Delhi metro to the unique work culture at DMRC. “We accomplished the task owing to the cardinal principles of work culture such as punctuality, integrity, professional competence and an essence of social accountability that we religiously followed,” he added. Referring to a study that showed that Delhi metro had put 1 million vehicles off the road by carrying 22 lakh passengers a day, he said that the service that covers 190 km. had contributed greatly to saving fuel. “The link between New Delhi railway station and the airport is a high-speed metro in which passengers can travel a distance of 20 kms in 18 minutes. DMRC employed frontline technology from around the world in fields such as planning, design and execution,” Mr. Sreedharan said.
The shutting down of ten Delhi Metro railway stations, the security barricades with grim-looking cops or plain despair and grief kept away from Jantar Mantar many of those who bravely took to the streets last Sunday demanding instant justice for the gang-rape victim who breathed her last in a Singapore hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning. “I woke up to the news on television and felt this growing sense of despair that refused to go away. I did not feel like taking to the streets, and instead watched the condolence meeting and other silent marches on television,” said Baghya, a visitor to the city. “I got tear-gassed last Sunday and was hurt. I wanted to be at Jantar Mantar today [Saturday], but the heavy security barricades acted as a deterrent,” said C.A. student Achin Oberoi. “My friend who has been part of the protest since the beginning and would have been here today [Saturday] could not make it because his close relative is at the hospital,” said Delhi University student Sunny. “My brother wouldn’t let me come. He was frightened for my safety after last Sunday,” said Preeti, a housewife who was present throughout Sunday’s agitation. Another silent march south of the city, organised by Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union, also took away numbers from the condolence meeting. “We had our own condolence meeting that was organised in Munirka, that had a lot of participation from nearby,” said former student Roshan Kishore, who was part of the struggle from the beginning. However, it was the closing down of the metro stations that kept many people away. “I have no other means of transport; I really wanted to show my support at Jantar Mantar, but there was no way to go,” said Anupam, another visitor to the city who was at India Gate last Sunday.
banglorean's dream of a safer and faster mode of transport remained elusive in 2012 as government promises of providing an efficient and economical transport system remained only on paper. be it the urban transport buses, the metro rail or the cycling tracks, none of them met their logical conclusion leading to a sense of disappointment and dismay among commuters. with the waiting game never ending, citizens are hoping that year 2013 will provide them much-needed break from traffic snarls and other hurdles for smooth commuting in the city. vinaya k, a bank employee in malleswaram, says she wants to see namma metro running along more corridors of the city at least in 2013. "as we all know, more private vehicles are hitting the road every year and the trend has not declined. hence, hastening metro works should be the priority for the authorities," she notes. for sujay lobo, a student from koramangala, redesigning of road junctions for smoother movement of vehicles should be the focus. "setting up infrastructure projects such as flyover and underpass will take longer time. we have learnt that quick-fix infrastructure such as magic box don't help much. better traffic management with the help of available technology is what i see as much needed change in the coming year," he said.indian institute of science's centre for infrastructure, sustainable transportation and urban planning (cistup) chairman and transport expert prof t g sitharam concurs that authorities should focus on "softer infrastructure" to alleviate the commuting woes of the city. "i wish to see more buses with hybrid engine, less polluting levels and systems such as intelligence transport system adopted. if not bus rapid transport system, the government should focus on forming bus priority lanes to promote mass transport," he added.on namma metro, prof sitharam notes that the effort should be to complete the underground corridors as soon as possible. "unless that happens, the real motto of the project won't be achieved. also, bangalore metro rail corporation ltd should open the elevated corridors (malleswaram to peenya) as and when they are ready and begin commercial operations to ease traffic at least on those stretches."
at a time when the young of the country have been protesting against gruesome crimes, ineffective policing and lack of a credible system for punishing the offenders, what do the citizens of this metropolis want and how the city police have geared up to meet the expectations of the public? "we want the police on the ground especially in the evenings and night times. their presence on the road definitely provides sense of security for us in light of what we have been seeing in other metros," says abhijna, a college student. however some complain that the police are insensitive to the citizens' problems and especially to women even in times of need. city police commissioner bgjyothiprakash mirji said policemen across the country were drawing flak for their insensitivity towards gender issues and hence it has been planned to conduct workshops to sensitise the force on such topics. the spate of murders, particularly of home-alone women and senior citizens have become cause of concern for bangaloreans. "one fears to go out as there is almost a murder a day in this city. there is no security for elderly people and women. the police have never reached out to us as a community," laments satyanarayana rao, a retired government servant. mirji said the police force was facing severe shortage of human resources and it was not possible to post a cop at every house in the city. he said community policing has been introduced on a pilot basis in the limits of seven police stations which will be extended across the city in the coming year. respite from the pellmell on the city roads is another burning issue that most residents want to be addressed to on a priority basis."the metro work, construction of numerous flyovers and underpasses have brought the city to its knees. it has made a mess of the city. commuting on mysore road has become a nightmarish experience these days," said darshan, a resident of girinagar.m a saleem, additional commissioner (traffic and security) said mysore road would be made free of traffic chaos in the first half of 2013. he said road users have to bear with civic works as the structures were being built for their benefit. saleem said the traffic police would blend technology in a better way to improve their functioning. "by the end of january, we will shift to an exclusive traffic management complex with 80 display screens that will enable us to monitor traffic more meticulously, " he added.the police also intend to launch a campaign to encourage itcompanies promote car pooling to ease congestion.
while 10 metro stations on the central delhi route were closed on sunday for indefinite period as a precautionary measure to prevent protesters reaching areas of high security, commuters fretted about it.last week, hundreds of protesters reached raisina hill and the surrounding areas to voice their anguish over the gang rape of 23-year-old victim which was followed by closure of several stations for the next few days."i had to reach parliament street. i didn't know that metro stations are closed again. although the train stopped at rajiv chowk, nobody was allowed to exit," said prerna khanna, who works in a consultancy firm."i had to get off at a later station. it took me another 45 minutes to find an autorickshaw," she said.pragati maidan, mandi house, barakhamba road, rajiv chowk, patel chowk, central secretariat, udyog bhawan, race course, jor bagh and khan market stations were closed. however, inter-change facility was available at rajiv chowk and central secretariat.though saturday witnessed less office rush from the weekdays, many of them who had to go to office opted for autos. "firstly, the autorickshaw drivers did not even stop. if they stopped, they were charging three times more than the meter's amount. this is not fair. since metro is a public transport, the government has no right to stop it according to its whims," girish jagtap, an it professional in connaught place. "the protesters who felt genuinely about the issue still reached the protest venue. this act is juvenile and unacceptable," he said.heavy patrolling and police presence were seen on all roads leading to india gate. "by shutting down metro stations where all the high profile people sit shows insensitivity. it seems as if a section of the public does not even exist for them and can fend off for themselves, but politicians should be protected," said madhulika singh, who works in an advertising firm. "if this much security is beefed up in the city every day, such cases would not even happen," she said.
seventeen persons were injured when a train rammed into a stationary goods train at marwar-mundwa station in rajasthan in wee hours today.the incident occurred at 0214 hrs when the kota-hanumangarh holiday special train while approaching the station rammed into a goods train which was stationary at the same track, north western railway spokesperson said.grp sources said that 17 people were injured in the incident. however, no derailment took place.the track was cleared in the morning and the train left for its destination at 0940 hrs.an inquiry has been ordered into the matter, the spokesperson said.
hundreds gathered in the heart of the indian capital saturday following the death of the gang-rape victim in singapore even as security forces sealed off india gate and nearby areas.while small groups engaged in animated discussions at jantar mantar, hundreds squatted on a road facing the monument to mourn the death of the 23-year-old who was brutally raped and tortured dec 16.after 13 days of struggle first in delhi's safdarjung hospital and later in singapore, the victim succumbed to multiple-organ failure at 2.15 a.m. indian time.in the crowds were people of all age groups although young men and women dominated. some looked sullen and distraught while others were visibly angry over the fate the young woman suffered.others carried flowers in memory of the victim, a physiotherapist intern from uttar pradesh who was employed in a hospital here.a few were upset over the government decision to shift her to singapore at a time when her health was precarious."we are mourning her death," said a young man in jantar mantar, one of two sites where delhi police have said protests could take place.earlier, as the singapore hospital announced her death, authorities here deployed hundreds of police and paramilitary forces to foil demonstrations that had earlier turned violent leaving a policeman dead.police said the entire central vista including rajpath, vijay chowk and all roads leading to india gate would be out of bounds both for traffic as the general public."all travellers are advised to avoid these roads," delhi traffic police tweeted.on a police request, delhi metro also announced the closure of 10 stations spread over three networks -- yellow, blue and violet.the stations are pragati maidan, mandi house, barakhamba road, rajiv chowk, patel chowk, central secretariat, udyog bhavan, race course, jor bagh and khan market.a metro official said the inter-change services would continue at the rajiv chowk and central secretariat stations. but no one would be allowed to enter or exit from any of these stations.the measure was aimed at preventing crowds from gathering in the city centre, police sources said.delhi police spokesperson rajan bhagat said people could gather at jantar manar, about a kilometre from parliament, and the ramlila ground, another protest site.
more than 650 rape cases have been reported in the national capital region (ncr) this year.according to the national crime records bureau (ncrb), this was an increase over 522 rape cases reported in delhi, the highest for any metro in the country, and the ncr in 2011. the number of rapes in india shot up from 1953 to 2011 by a staggering 873 percent, the cpi-m's "people's democracy" said this month.this was three times faster than all cognizable crimes put together and three-and-a-half times faster than murder. and between 2007 and 2011, rape incidents increased by 9.7 percent.
why was the gang-rape victim shifted to singapore when her health was so precarious? was the government trying to deflect the protests? and was it to be blamed for her death? the angry questions did the rounds saturday as delhiites woke up to the news that the physiotherapy intern had died fighting her grievous injuries miles away from home.in metro trains and buses, on the streets and inside homes, the anger spilled over. delhi police moved swiftly to seal india gate and surrounding areas to foil street protests, but the ire was palpable."this sheila dikshit must go," said one woman in delhi metro, and many nodded in agreement. "what of the prime minister and the home minister? they woke up so late," added another as the topic escalated into a full-fledged debate.women, young and old, professionals and homemakers, joined in animatedly. the capital has excellent medical facilities and the woman was being taken care of, said a young student on her way to give an exam. there was also the palpable unease that the physiotherapy intern could just as well have been them. she was battling on valiantly and had even given two statements on her ordeal, added another concerned citizen. then why was she moved? it was a six hour flight even though it was an air ambulance?the questions found echo elsewhere and the government was the unmistakeable target. for lax policing that had led to the gang-rape and torture on dec 16, and for taking the risky decision to move the grievously injured 23-year-old to singapore.the girl had had a cardiac arrest, suffered significant brain injuries and was in an extremely critical condition when she was admitted to the mount elizabeth hospital thursday morning, the hospital had said. besides a prior cardiac arrest, she also had infection of her lungs and abdomen, "as well as significant brain injury", said kelvin loh, mount elizabeth hospital's chief executive officer. doctors here had said moving her abroad in such a condition was "unusual". "i can't understand the logic behind it, or rather it is unusual to transfer the girl from delhi to singapore when the patient has suffered a cardiac arrest, as i have been informed by the media," samiran nundy, chairman, department of surgical gastroenterology and organ transplantation, sir ganga ram hospital, told ians friday when the young woman struggled for life.the 23-year-old victim was brutally beaten and raped by six men on a moving bus in delhi dec 16. she was left with severe multiple intestinal, abdominal and other injuries and flown to singapore late wednesday."my suggestion would have been to stabilise her in india and get her out of the crisis; then do her intestinal transplant later. one cannot think about intestinal transplant at this moment. first, the infection spreading in her should be stopped, then one can think about transplant," nundy said.another senior doctor from the trauma centre of the all india institute of medical sciences, requesting anonymity, said: "maybe it was politically logical to shift the patient. but as a doctor, i would say it is totally insensitive to shift the patient with her infection spreading. shifting now, that too within a few hours of cardiac arrest, is thoughtless."on saturday morning, those fears were realised. the 23-year-old left to die after being brutally tortured and raped was finally dead.
in a move to ward off mass protests in the city centre following the death of the gang-rape victim, delhi police said saturday that india gate and nearby areas would be out of bounds for the public."entire central vista including rajpath, vijay chowk and all roads leading to india gate will be closed for general traffic. all travellers are advised to avoid these roads," delhi traffic police tweeted.on a police request, delhi metro also announced the closure of 10 stations spread over three networks -- yellow, blue and violet.the stations are: pragati maidan, mandi house, barakhamba road, rajiv chowk, patel chowk, central secretariat, udyog bhavan, race course, jor bagh and khan market.a metro official said the inter-change services would, however, continue at the rajiv chowk and central secretariat stations. but no one would be allowed to enter or exit from any of these stations.delhi police spokesperson rajan bhagat said people could stage protests at jantar manar, about a kilometre from parliament, and the ramlila ground, a usual protest site.there have been several protests in the heart of the capital, one of which left a policeman dead, since the woman was gang-raped in a bus dec 16 and dumped to die by a roadside, the physiotherapy intern died in a singapore hospital saturday after battling for life for 13 days.
Northern Railway made history on Friday as the first train chugged through India’s longest railway tunnel in the Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The train, on a trial run, arrived at Banihal station from Qazigund in Anantnag district of Kashmir, and was welcomed by hundreds of residents of this highway town. The train chugged in at the station amid thunderous applause from the people, who had assembled here to witness the historic achievement of Indian railways. The trial run was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages falling along the Qazigund-Banihal railway link who were demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at Hillad village. The protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track again but were persuaded by the civil administration officials to allow the train to pass. A. P. Mishra, Member of the Railway Board, said the train services between Banihal and Kashmir Valley will start in February or March next year while the entire railway project connecting the Valley with the rest of the country will be completed by 2017. While the Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund link has been functional for the past four years, this was the first time that a train has crossed the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain range. The highlight of the Qazigund-Banihal link is the 11.21-km tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in India, which has reduced the distance between the two towns by half. The tunnel, which was constructed by Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC), will reduce the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 kilometres (by road) to just 17.5 kilometres (by train). The Pir Panjal tunnel, which is the second longest in Asia, is a vital link in the Railways’ dream project of connecting Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu region. The tunnel is 8.40 metres wide with a height of 7.39 metres. There is a provision of a three-metre-wide road along the length of the tunnel for the purpose of maintenance and emergency relief. The rail link will provide an alternative link between Kashmir and rest of the country as the Srinagar-Jammu national highway gets blocked regularly due to heavy snowfall.
Hundreds of irate passengers blocked the tracks at the Bangalore City Railway station after they found that the Bangalore City–Chennai Mail was rescheduled. Claiming that they were not informed about the “sudden rescheduling” of the train, they blocked the tracks. One of the passengers told The Hindu that several women, children and elderly were left stranded at the railway station. “We have been told that we can take the 7 a.m. (Saturday) train to Chennai. We are not willing to wait in the station for that train. The South Western Railway cannot reschedule trains at its own whims,” the passenger said. According to a press release from the SWR, the train was scheduled to leave Bangalore City station at 10.40 p.m. However, with its pairing train running late, the train was rescheduled to leave at 5.30 a.m. on Saturday. Anil Kumar Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore, said that SWR had announced the rescheduling of the Chennai Mail on Friday morning itself through various media. “We had to reschedule as the Karnataka Express from New Delhi to Bangalore came late. It is the same rake that goes to Chennai after maintenance. We will consider the requests for ticket refund from the passengers who have been inconvenienced,” he said.
Ten Metro stations in Central Delhi were closed down today for an indefinite period as a precautionary measure by Delhi Police to prevent agitators from reaching India Gate to protest the death of the gang-rape victim. All the stations which were locked down are close to India Gate and Raisina Hills, the epicentre of the protests against the brutal assault of a girl last week. The stations which will remain out of bounds for people are Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course, Jor Bagh and Khan Market. However, inter-change facility will be available at Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat stations, DMRC officials said. The decision to close down the Metro stations was taken by the Delhi Police which is making all out efforts to prevent protesters from reaching India Gate. They have already blocked the entire India Gate area. Police had last week also closed down Metro stations to prevent protesters from reaching the protest sites. Girl's body to be brought back today Braveheart victim wanted to live PM condoles girl's death Docs defend decision to shift girl to Singapore
the delhi traffic police have issued an advisory asking people to avoid the india gate area on saturday, say media reports. all the roads leading to india gate, the site of vociferous protests, have been closed. ten metro stations in the vicinity have also been shut down."entire central vista including rajpath, vijay chowk and all road (sic) leading to india gate will be closed for general traffic, kamal attaturk marg also closed. all traveler (sic) advised to avoid these roads," tweeted delhi police on saturday morning.
SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: A day after angry villagers in south Kashmir's Anantnag blocked the trial run of a train through India's longest 11.21-km tunnel linking Qazigund to Banihal demanding halts at Hillad village in Qazigund, the railways carried out the first test run on Friday. "Northern Railway is going to achieve one more milestone in J&K in transportation with the completion of Banihal-Qazigund section of Udhampur-Baramullah-Srinagar Rail link project...The first track tamping machine arrived at Banihal on December 24 from Qazigund. Rs 1691cr was incurred by the railways to complete this section," said a Northern Railway spokesman. The tunnel constructed by Hindustan Construction Corporation will reduce the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 km (by road) to just 17.5 km (by train). The Pir Panjal tunnel has attained the distinction of being the second longest railway tunnel in Asia, an HCC spokesman said. The tunnel section of the track was built at a cost of Rs 1691 crore, and took seven years to complete. The tunnel was built by NATM (new Austrian tunnelling method) used for the first time on such a large scale in India. The tunnel has been made waterproof. It's equipped with air quality monitoring, ventilation, communication, and fire-fighting systems.
The ‘lifeline’ of Malabar is on the threshold of completing 125 years. The Kozhikode railway station, which links the city to every nook and cranny of the country through the railway network, is now set to be upgraded as a world-class facility. The Kozhikode railway station caters to an average 30,220 commuters daily and earnings on an average comes to Rs.12.78 lakh, says Additional Divisional Railway Manger, Palakkad, Mohan A. Menon. Union Minister for Railways Pawan Kumar Banswal along with K.J. Surya Prakash Reddy, Union Minister of State for Railways, is flying down to Kozhikode on Wednesday to attend a function being organised at the station to mark its 125th anniversary. As it strides past a historic milestone on January 2, the Kozhikode railway station is gearing up to emerge as an integrated complex for rail and the Light Mass Rapid Transit System with the introduction of the state-of-the-art monorail along the 14.2-km stretch from Medical College to Meenchanda. The history of Railways in Kerala dates back to March 12, 1861, when the 19 mile-long (30.5 km) Beypore-Tirur railway line was commissioned by the South-West line of the Madras Railway Company. Edward Davidson’s narrative historical treatise The Railways of India published in 1868 goes into the details of the railway project that extended to 406 miles from Madras to Beypore and spanned 17 districts. The 14.5-km Tirur-Kuttipuram section followed on May 1, 1861; the 37-km Kuttipuram-Pattambi stretch on September 23, 1862; and the 105-km Pattambi-Podanur stretch on April 14, 1862. The locomotive and the coaches for operating the trains from Beypore arrived by sea at the Beypore port. At present, Beypore does not figure on the railway map. There was a widespread feeling that Railways had made a mistake stopping at Beypore, then an insignificant hamlet, and the line should have been brought to the district headquarters at Calicut (now Kozhikode), barely 11 km from the terminus. William Logan’s famed Malabar Manual recaptures the spirit behind the commissioning of the Beypore-Calicut railway line and the Calicut railway station on January 2, 1888. The “Administration report” of Madras Railway Company of 1888 has also documents that the lines were open for traffic, including the extension to Calicut, by nine miles. “The erstwhile Beypore station, together with 1.5 miles of that line from the Kadalundi bridge, has been abandoned, and three new stations were opened on this extension, viz Kadalundi, Feroke, and Kallayi, going up to Calicut,” it says. Bridging the Kadalundi river was indeed a troublesome task those days, for it was 2,370 feet in width, with a bottom of mud to a great depth. Kadalundi bridge was 840-ft long, with twelve 70- ft girders on piers of cast-iron cylinders of 6 ft diameter, having 12 spans each of 64 ft, as per Logan’s manual. The expenditure incurred for this principal work from Beypore to Calicut those days was a princely sum of Rs.7, 86,709. The construction of the Calicut railway station cost Rs.12, 53,802. Of the total amount, Rs.1,35,000 was donated by Malabar Local Fund Board and Kozhikode Municipal Commissioner. The remnant portions removed from the condemned Beypore railway station were brought to Kozhikode and used in constructing an engine shed. The construction of bridges at Feroke and Kallayi were completed after the Calicut railway station was thrown open.
unidentified miscreants allegedly forged official letterhead of union overseas indian affairs minister vayalar ravi to confirm a wait-listed indian railways ticket, police said on friday.the incident came to light when ravi's private secretary sadhna shankar complained to delhi police commissioner neeraj kumar. according to a senior police official, a case was lodged with the economic offences wing police station on monday."it has come to our notice that somebody has forged the official letterhead of the minister for sending a letter of request to union railways minister pawan kumar bansal for confirmation of a wait-listed ticket in respect of a man named raj narayan," shankar said in her statement to police.shankar said ravi had not written any such letter."i have been directed to request you to get the matter investigated and take appropriate action against the culprits," she added.the police official said shankar handed over the railway ticket and the forged letterhead, and a probe has been initiated.the culprits face charges under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 470 (using forged document as genuine) of the indian penal code.in june, a travel agent from central delhi was arrested for forging the signature and letterhead of bharatiya janata party leader and member of parliament shahnawaz hussain to confirm wait listed railway tickets.
the team headed by bijay kumar singh, director, (security, vigilance and enforcement), bangalore metro transport corporation (bmtc), investigating the alleged molestation of two bhutanese sisters by a bmtc conductor, will submit its report on saturday. however, no complaint has been filed with the police yet. "we have recorded the statements of each person involved in the case, including a detailed account of the incident by the two bhutanese girls," singh said. the report will be submitted to the managing director of the bmtc.the suspects, driver mallesh and conductor jayaram, have been taken off the duty till the completion of the inquiry.the victims - 25-year-old civil engineer working in the city for the last two months and her 26-year-old sister, a senior manager with a private company - stay at kammanahalli and work at marathalli. the incident took place around 7.50 am on wednesday, when the two took a bmtc bus (no 500d) from kammanahalli. the conductor first issued a daily pass on their request and when they wanted to buy tickets instead, an altercation broke out between the conductor and the sisters, followed by the alleged molestation of the sisters by the conductor.
If a Chinese train covering roughly 2300 km in about 10 hours in one of the severest of cold conditions, makes headlines, the Indian Railways may well be in contention for the dubious distinction of running the slowest trains. Slumberous speed A train has been running at a slumberous speed of about 10 km. per hour in this age of bullet trains. It has been delayed by as many as 116 hours and 27 minutes. The 12488 Delhi-Jogbani Express is on the tracks for five days now having started its crawl on December 23 and is yet to reach Delhi. As per the projection it is likely to take about 139 hours and 43 minutes to cover the journey of 1383 km. running at the rate of 10 km. per hour. The tortoise, according to information posted on the internet, covers about 0.21 km. to 0.48 km. per hour. Five times late Normally the Delhi-Jogbani express is supposed to take about 23 hours and 16 minutes to reach its destination, almost less than a day. Now it is running almost five times behind its scheduled time. In India, the Dibrugarh (Assam)-Kanyakumari Vivek Express covers the longest distance of 4286 km. in 82 hours and 30 minutes. Trundles along The 12181 Jabalpur-Jaipur Express, which commenced its journey on December 24, is also set to surpass the journey time of Vivek Express. Usually it does the 896 km journey in 15 hours and 25 minutes, which it is now expected to complete in 98 hours and 23 minutes, trundling along at less than 9 km. per hour. The 12506 Delhi-Guwahati Express which started its journey on December 25 is not far behind. It is 47 hours and 16 minutes behind the schedule. The train is scheduled to cover its 1867 km journey in 34 hours. Mind-boggling delay The mind-boggling delay has been attributed to fog conditions which have almost crippled services, with over 550 trains affected and 268 trains running late; about 186 other trains have been cancelled or short terminated or diverted, while about 110 others have been rescheduled across the country.
a vacation bench of the high court of karnataka on friday refused to grant interim stay on its order for shifting the dr brambedkar statue in front of vidhana soudha for metro works.mavalli shankar and eight others had filed a public interest litigation seeking an interim stay claiming that there was no need for shifting the statue as the metro works were almost complete near the vidhana soudha. the division bench comprising justices billappa and vsuri appa rao, while refusing the stay the order, directed the bangalore metro rail corporation to submit a report on the status of the shifting work.the division bench comprising chief justice vikramajit sen and justice b v nagarathna on december 12 set a 15-day deadline for the government to temporarily shift the statue to facilitate namma metro works.
northern railways on friday made history as the first train chugged through india's longest railway tunnel through the pir panjal mountain range, connecting the kashmir valley to banihal town on the srinagar-jammu national highway.the train on a trial run, arrived at banihal station from qazigund in the anantnag district of kashmir, was witnessed by hundreds of local residents of this highway town.the train chugged in at the station amidst thunderous applause from the people, who had assembled here to witness the historic achievement of indian railways.the trial run was to be conducted on thursday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages falling along the qazigund-banihal railway link, who were demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at hillad village.the protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track on friday again but were persuaded by the civil administration officials to allow the train to pass.
karnataka men and women scored comfortable victories on the second day of the 58th senior national ball badminton championships at mei grounds onfriday.karnataka men beat isro 29-17, 29-7 before outclassing chandigarh 29-1, 29-2 while the women routed uttarakhand 29-2, 29-0. in other matches in the men's section, tamil nadu defeated dae 29-4, 29-12, andhra pradesh put it past chhatisgarh 29-7, 29-7 and delhi won against assam 29-18, 29-6. in other women's matches, tn got the better of chandigarh 29-4, 29-9 while kerala beat himachal pradesh 29-5, 29-0. results: men:karnataka bt isro 29-17, 29-7; karnataka bt chandigarh 29-1, 29-2; tamil nadu bt dae 29-4, 29-12; andhra bt chhattisgarh 29-7, 29-7; bihar bt himachal pradesh 29-10, 29-10; mumbai bt punjab 29-22, 29-17; delhi bt assam 29-18, 29-6; haryana bt ncr 29-11, 29-9; indian railways bt manipur 29-3, 29-2; dae bt madhya pradesh 29-15, 29-13; chhattisgarh bt haryana 29-16, 29-11; tamil nadu bt uttarakhand 29-0, 29-12; andhra bt uttar pradesh 29-1, 29-0; isro bt bihar 29-15, 29-11; west bengal bt tripura 29-10, 29-10; madhya pradesh bt delhi 29-12, 29-4; jharkhand bt up 29-3, 29-14; hyderabad bt tripura 29-5, 29-3; indian railways bt isro 29-10, 29-5; west bengal bt jammu & kashmir 29-2, 23-13; gujarat bt ncr 29-2, 29-6; gujarat bt manipur 29-4, 29-0; kerala bt ncr 29-0, 29-0; mumbai bt jammu & kashmir 29-5, 29-10. women:karnataka bt uttarakhand 29-2, 29-0; tamil nadu bt chandigarh 29-4, 29-9; chhattisgarh bt jammu & kashmir 29-2, 29-2; kerala bt hp 29-5, 29-0; maharashtra bt haryana 29-22, 29-13; hyderabad bt delhi 29-10, 29-6; andhra bt punjab 29-11, 29-5; jharkhand bt goa 29-4, 29-1; assam bt mp 29-2, 29-3; odisha bt uttarakhand 29-2, 29-1; west bengal bt jammu & kashmir 29-7, 29-7; delhi bt manipur 29-12, 29-9; bihar bt rajasthan 29-2, 29-3; maharashtra bt odisha 29-17, 29-7; hyderabad bt gujarat 29-4, 29-6; andhra bt puducherry 29-15, 29-4; hyderabad bt jammu & kashmir 29-0, 29-0.
Banihal (J&K): Northern Railways Friday made history as the first train chugged through India's longest railway tunnel through the Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on Srinagar-Jammu National highway. The train on a trial run, arrived at Banihal station from Qazigund in Anantnag district of Kashmir, was witnessed by hundreds of local residents of this highway town. The train chugged in at the station amidst thunderous applause from the people, who had assembled here to witness the historic achievement of Indian railways. The trial run was scheduled to be conducted yesterday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages falling along Qazigund-Banihal railway link, who were demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at Hillad village. The protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track today again but were persuaded by the civil administration officials to allow the train to pass. A P Mishra, member of the Railway Board, said the train services between Banihal and Kashmir Valley will start in February or March next year while the entire railway project connecting the Valley with the rest of the country will be completed by 2017. While the Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund link is functional for the past four years, this was the first time that a train has crossed the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain range. The highlight of the Qazigund-Banihal link is the 11.21 km tunnel the longest railway tunnel in India, which has reduced the distance between the two towns by half. The tunnel, which was constructed by Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC), will reduce the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 kilometres (by road) to just 17.5 kilometres (by train). The Pir Panjal tunnel, which is the second longest in Asia, is a vital link in the Railway dream project of connecting Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu region. The tunnel is 8.40 metres wide with a height of 7.39 metres. There is a provision of a three metre wide road along the length of the tunnel for the purpose of maintenance and emergency relief. The rail link will provide an alternative link between Kashmir and rest of the country as Srinagar-Jammu National Highway gets blocked regularly due to heavy snowfall during winter months.
BANIHAL (J&K): Northern Railways made history on Friday as the first train chugged through India's longest railway tunnel through the Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on Srinagar-Jammu National highway. The train on a trial run, arrived at Banihal station from Qazigund in Anantnag district of Kashmir. The train chugged in at the station amidst thunderous applause from the people, who had assembled here to witness the historic achievement of Indian railways. The trial run was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages falling along Qazigund-Banihal railway link, who were demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at Hillad village. The protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track again on Friday but were persuaded by the civil administration officials to allow the train to pass. A P Mishra, member of the Railway Board, said the train services between Banihal and Kashmir Valley will start in February or March next year while the entire railway project connecting the Valley with the rest of the country will be completed by 2017. While the Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund link is functional for the past four years, this was the first time that a train has crossed the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain range. The highlight of the Qazigund-Banihal link is the 11.21 km tunnel - the longest railway tunnel in India, which has reduced the distance between the two towns by half. The tunnel, which was constructed by Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC), will reduce the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 kilometres (by road) to just 17.5 kilometres (by train). The Pir Panjal tunnel, which is the second longest in Asia, is a vital link in the Railway dream project of connecting Kashmir to Udhampur in Jammu region. The tunnel is 8.40 metres wide with a height of 7.39 metres. There is a provision of a three metre wide road along the length of the tunnel for the purpose of maintenance and emergency relief. The rail link will provide an alternative link between Kashmir and rest of the country as Srinagar-Jammu National Highway gets blocked regularly due to heavy snowfall during winter months.
Passengers no longer need to wait in serpentine queues to book tickets at the Ernakulam Junction railway station thanks to the new automatic vending machine installed at the station on Monday. The vending machine was inaugurated by MP P. Rajeev. The machine can be used for current bookings in second ordinary, second express and second super express trains along with securing unreserved and platform tickets. Smart card The machine is operated with a smart card that can be bought from separate counters at the station. A smart card would cost Rs.100 out of which Rs.48 would be charged for the card and the remaining Rs.52 can be used for further bookings. Each card has a validity of six months during which the card can be recharged by contacting the Chief Booking Supervisor. The price of the ticket would be automatically deducted from the pre-loaded card and top-ups can be done conveniently at the railway counters.Facilitators The services of two facilitators are being made available at the vending machine operating point to help commuters use the facility. “We expect to install separate automatic vending machines for each zone in future so that we can extend services for booking in all classes which can help make ticket bookings more convenient,” said M. Sudalai, Chief Booking Supervisor. The automatic ticket vending machines were installed by the Southern Railway at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Aluva. Glitch rectified All the stations were to be commissioned simultaneously, but there was a slight hiccup at Aluva railway station with the machine unable to print the tickets. The problem was rectified within an hour, L. Ashok Kumar, Area Manager, Southern Railway, told The Hindu. More machines Similar machines will be set up at more stations in the State in a phased manner, according to him. The inauguration was attended by Station Manager Chandran and Asst. Supervisor M.A. Joseph. The machines, built by a private company, had been launched in railway stations under the Northern Railway earlier.
Members of the Tulunada Rakshana Vedike in Mangalore on Thursday protested demanding a road under bridge (RuB) at Mahakalipadpu railway level-crossing on the busy road that connects Jeppu Market with the National Highway 66. This road is used by many vehicles that approach NH 66. This is the second time the vedike is protesting demanding an RuB at Mahakalipadu. The vedike on Thursday demanded an underground drainage system in the area. Vedike president Yogish Shetty said that motorists and residents had been facing a problem because of the frequent closure of the railway gate. Four hours were spent by motorists crossing the gate that closes almost 50 times a day. Criss-cross movement of vehicles soon after the gate opened resulted in traffic jams that delayed movement of vehicles, more so during the peak morning and evening hours, he said. Absence of an underground-drainage system had resulted in water-logging on the road, which had caused many potholes on this 1.5-km-long stretch. “We are raising this issue on your behalf. Please bear with the inconvenience that has been caused to you for 15 minutes today,” he said addressing the motorists on the spot. But Mr. Shetty’s plea fell on deaf ears as the motorists continued to honk their horns in the hope of dispersing the protesting crowd. The protesters had blocked the movement of the traffic after having walked about 200 metres away from the railway gate. They had blocked the traffic just as the railway gate opened and vehicles started moving. The police had to force protesters to leave the spot and they had to make their speeches in a corner at the Morgan’s Gate Circle. Meanwhile, Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner (MCC) Harish Kumar K. told The Hindu that the corporation would have to bear the estimated cost of Rs. 15 crore for Mahakalipadpu RuB. In addition, it would have to bear the cost of constructing another RuB at Jeppu Kudpady. The corporation was yet to take a decision on how the projects would be funded.
bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike commissioner siddaiah, who inspected kr puram constituency on thursday, directed that posters, flyers, flexes and other promotional materials in the locality be removed in a week.he directed engineers of various wards, who were present during the inspection, to fine those who indulge in defacing public property. the commissioner, who took note of bad roads in k r puram, said rs 35 crore has been allocated for taking up road repairs and the issue would be raised during the upcoming council meeting.during the inspection, the commissioner was suggested to build a skywalk to make crossing the road between k r puram railway station and ring road easy for people.while inquiring about collection of taxes in mahadevpura constituency, he took revenue officials to task over failure to collect taxes from companies such as iti, hal etc. siddaiah also suspended a revenue official umesh for dereliction of duty.
the government seems to be in no hurry to grant approval to the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) for shifting the b r ambedkar statue in front of the vidhana soudha. the karnataka high court on december 12 had set a 15-day deadline for the state government to temporarily shift the statue to facilitate namma metro works and, the deadline ended on thursday.the bmrclofficials on thursday said they have not received any official communication from the state government on shifting of the statue.asenior official from the public works department (pwd), under whose jurisdiction the statue area falls, said discussions were still on at higher level and, they have not received any order so far. "in fact, the pwdis not a party in the case. we will issue orders to bmrcl only when government asks us to do so. also, the deadline of 15 days gets counted from the day when the state government received the order. going by this, the government still has three to four days to issue the order," he said.sources in pwd said a decision has been taken at the higher level not to hurry on the issue. dissenting voices"another round of discussion will be held with organisations such as karnataka dalit sangarsha samiti (dss), who are against the shifting of the statue. efforts will be made to convince them before issuing the orders," he said.on december 12, the division bench comprising chief justice vikramajit sen and justice b v nagarathna said: "continued presence of the statue at the location can endanger the statue itself. we direct the government to remove the statue within 15 days and ensure that no damage is caused to it." the bench has said the relocation will be temporary and directed the state government to shift it to a proper site within the vicinity of vidhana soudha.
Helen, one of the two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) deployed on Namma Metro’s East-West underground corridor, achieved a breakthrough when it emerged at the Vidhana Soudha underground metro station site at five minutes before noon on Wednesday. Its counterpart, Margarita, is about 255 m away from the Vidhana Soudha station, according to a Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, (BMRCL) spokesperson. Helen had commenced burrowing work from the Sir M. Visvesvaraya (Central College) underground metro station site on May 14 year and took about six months to dig the 725-m tunnel. A BMRCL release said throughout the length, Helen encountered very hard rock of 300 mega pascal (MPA) with very short stretch of sand silt. The breakthrough was accurate, the release said. Minister for Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs S. Suresh Kumar witnessed Helen’s breakthrough, according to BMRCL Managing Director N. Sivasailam. Long journey It took almost one-and-a-half years for Helen to burrow about 1.7 km tunnel, starting from Majestic, from where it had commenced work in May 2011 to reach Vidhana Soudha. The TBM reached Central College station premises in March this year after burrowing 975 m of tunnel. Dismantling and reassembling of the TBM took about two months before it commenced its onward journey towards Vidhana Soudha. Ambedkar statue The delay in shifting of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s statue, which is located very close to the TBM shaft towards Cubbon Park (Minsk Square) underground metro station, could slow down further movement of the tunnel boring machines, BMRCL officials fear. The Karnataka High Court had on December 12 directed the government to shift the statue within 15 days. However, the government is yet to take any action with one more day remaining to comply with the court directive. The machines have to be dismantled after their entry into Vidhana Soudha station premises and reassembled towards Cubbon Park station to burrow a distance of another about 500 m. The tunnelling work is likely to commence in February and end by May-June. A single TBM has already burrowed one tunnel between Cubbon Park station and BRV Parade Grounds and burrowing of the second tunnel on this stretch is under way. BMRCL is hopeful of completing the entire tunnelling work on the East-West corridor by June 2013.
The railway tracks near Rangarajapuram flyover continue to be a death trap for people. An unidentified youth who was allegedly trying to cross the railway track near the flyover on Wednesday was hit by a train. According to residents of the locality, the victim along with his companion who was allegedly speaking on the mobile phone had tried to cross the track at 4.30 p.m. The other person allegedly escaped from the spot after the accident. A total of five persons have been killed in the spot after the inauguration of the flyover. A few weeks ago, S. Rajagopalan (59) of the locality was hit by a train when he tried to cross the railway tracks through the damaged portion of the walls near the flyover. Following the accidents, the railways have already cleared the broken portions of the wall near Kodambakkam Railway Station to reconstruct it. “The police personnel are present near the flyover. But they are yet to prevent people from crossing the tracks. They remain mute spectators,” said Vishvamitra, a resident of the locality. “Many persons use the tracks as public toilet. The police have to take action,” he added. “The work on construction of a wall has started near Kodambakkam railway station. The completion of the work is expected to prevent such accidents,” said C. Seshadri, president of Subramania Nagar Civic Welfare Association. The wall near the railway track was demolished during the construction of the flyover by the Railways and the Chennai Corporation. Residents attributed the delay in providing the residents with a pedestrian subway to the Chennai Corporation and Railways. The Railways have completed a portion of the subway and the Corporation is all set to commence the work. The ‘Y’-shaped flyover has been constructed to reduce traffic congestion on the Doraisamy subway.
The manufacture of metro cars for the city has begun at a factory set up by French company Alstom Transport. The first train set (four coaches) will be ready in 2013. Although the formal inauguration of the factory at Sri City near Tada in Andhra Pradesh is likely to take place only in March, work began in October itself, said officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). Alstom was awarded a Rs. 1,471-crore order for the manufacture of 168 metro coaches. Nine train sets (36 coaches) will be produced and tested by Alstom at their Lapa factory in Brazil, while the remaining cars will be produced at the site in India, said Jojo Alexander, managing director, Alstom Transport India. CMRL officials said the purpose behind setting up a factory in the country was the promotion of indigenous manufacturing and reduction of cost. “Also, having a manufacturer locally makes servicing and maintenance easier,” said a CMRL official. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)’s contractor Bombardier Transportation manufactured metro cars in Savli in Gujarat. Meanwhile, the model coach made at the factory in Brazil arrived in Chennai early this month and it may be taken to Sri City before CMRL puts it up for public viewing in Chennai.
Train services are bogged down in the biting cold wave and thick fog across the northern and eastern plains, making the lives of lakhs of passengers miserable. The Railways have announced cancellation, short termination and rescheduling of services. More than 173 trains were running behind schedule owing to fog. Some trains were delayed by more than the scheduled journey time. For instance, the New Delhi-Darbhanga Express is running more than a day behind schedule. Several other trains are delayed by more than 24 hours. Trains running through the breadth of the country like the one connecting Bhubaneswar and Mumbai have also been affected. The total number of trains rescheduled across the country from the points of origin is as high as 113. The Railways have been forced to cancel several pair of trains up to January 1. The number of trains fully or partially cancelled stands at 111.
The 20th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition passed of peacefully in the district amid visible police presence at vital spots, including bus stands, railway station, and places of workshop. Police patrol teams crisscrossed the city in vehicles. At several spots, posses of personnel kept vigil. Various Muslim organisations observed the day by organising demonstrations across the district. Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) members, including women, staged a demonstration at Chinthamani pressing their demands, including urging the Centre to construct Babri Masjid in the place where it stood. Popular Front of India observed the day as anti-fascist day and organised a seminar in Thuraiyur. The speakers urged the government to punish those who were responsible for the destruction of the masjid and rebuild the masjid on the same site. At Puthur, 21 Hindu Munnani volunteers were taken into custody when they staged a demonstration demanding construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Representatives of the MDMK, CPI (M), CPI, VCK and other parties expressed their solidarity with the demands of Tamilzhaga Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam for a debate on the Liberhan Commission report in Parliament, and punishment for the perpetrators of Babri Masjid demolition.
fifteen wagons of a goods train carrying kerosene caught fire between jarwal and saryu railway stations after some bogies derailed in the wee hours this morning, throwing rail traffic out of gear on the lucknow- gorakhpur route.sixteen wagons of the train derailed and 15 of them caught fire, pro, northern railway, alok srivastava said.railway employees detached 31 other wagons of the train and fire tenders rushed from lucknow and bahraich fought to control the blaze for seven to eight hours, he said.in the wake of the incident, the route of 11 trains on the down line and 14 on the up line have been changed and three others have been cancelled.150 metres long rail track on the down line and 50 metres on the up line has been badly damaged due to the fire, srivastav said. gm of north eastern railway b. ramachandran has ordered an equiry and rail traffic on the route is likely to be restored by the evening.senior railway officials have rushed to the spot, he said, adding that the loss was estimated to be in crores of rupees.
Fifteen wagons of a train carrying kerosene caught fire after it derailed near Jarwal Railway Station in the district in the wee hours on Friday. The fire broke out after four bogies including the engine of the train going to Bihar derailed, PRO, Northern Railway, Alok Srivastava said. Fire tenders have been rushed to control the flames from the district headquarters, he said. No injuries or casualties have been reported so far. The route of about 12 trains has been changed while four others have been cancelled, he said. General Manager, North Eastern Railway, B. Ramachandran has ordered an enquiry and rail traffic on the route is likely to be restored by the evening.
The southern section of the suburban rail network in the city is turning out to be the deadliest of the three rail lines. According to government railway police (GRP) figures, 465 persons died along the tracks on the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu stretch between January and November this year. Around 440 persons died on the Chennai Central-Arakkonam stretch on the west line while about 160 persons died on the north line between Korukuppet and Gummudipoondi during the same period. Last year, 402 persons lost their lives on the 56-km Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu stretch. Talking on cellphones when crossing tracks seems to be the commonest cause of such accidents, an official said. On an average, every fifteen minutes, a train passes through the suburbs on this stretch. During rush hours, the frequency comes down to 10 minutes. Around 290 suburban services are operated between Chennai Beach and Chengalpattu every day. Hundreds of long distance trains run between Chennai and the southern districts via Chengalpattu. Lack of fence or side barricade at most stations, especially near congested settlements along Chromepet, Pallavaram, Tambaram and Paranur, result in deaths on tracks. “Students and office-goers under 30 years of age constitute nearly 90 per cent of such victims. As most of them are either talking on cellphones or wearing headphones, they don’t hear an approaching train until it is too late,” said a GRP officer. “Fewer human settlements along the tracks on the north and west suburban lines restrict trespassing. Also, there are fewer services on these stretches as compared to the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu sector, which is probably why the number of deaths is low,” the officer said. In an effort to prevent such accidents, GRP has identified 15 danger zones on the southern line, within city limits. These include the stations at Mambalam, Kodambakkam, Guindy, Tambaram, Tiruvallur and Arakkonam where it has been suggested that parapet walls be built along the tracks to prevent trespassing. Further, all drivers of local trains have been asked to reduce speed to 20 kmph when they approach such accident-prone stations. The drivers must decrease speed of the train about 200 metres ahead of the station. Currently, most suburban trains run at a speed of 60 kmph, an official said.
property owners would end up paying more taxes to east delhi municipal corporation from the next financial year with the civic body on thursday proposing an increase in the unit area value and introducing new levies.it has proposed three new taxes - professional tax, betterment tax and electricity tax - and a five per cent education cess on property tax for east delhi residents. if that wasn't enough, the edmc has also proposed a steep hike in parking charges edmc commissioner s s yadav, presenting a rs 1947.69 crore budget for the the next financial year 2013-14 on thursday, chose not to tinker with the existing property tax rates.but at the same time, he proposed to levy a 10 per cent betterment tax on property tax, apart from the education cess. yadav said the education cess will be used in improving the quality of education. he justified the betterment tax, saying the value of properties is rising due to infrastructure development, modern transport facilities and regularisation of colonies in east delhi. with the corporation proposing around 100 per cent increase in the base rate of properties, coupled with the betterment tax and the education cess, property owners will end up paying around 60 per cent more property tax. "the value of properties in east delhi has increased over the last few years. therefore, it is important to hike property tax base value that was last revised in 2004," the edmc commissioner said. base unit value is one of the major determinant in calculating property tax, with the other components being plot area, occupancy factor, use factor, age of the structure and rate of tax (depending on category of the colony). professional taxthe proposed professional tax will be levied on all professionals, traders and job holders whose annual income is rs 5 lakh and above. three slabs will be created on the basis of income tax returns. professionals earning between rs 5 to rs 10 lakh per annum will pay rs 1,200 per year and those making more than rs 10 lakh will shell out rs 2,400 per annum. dealers who are liable to paying vat and whose annual turnover is more than rs 25 lakh will have to pay a professional tax of rs 2,500 per annum. yadav termed the new tax to be a meagre amount. "delhi is the only metro city where the local bodies have not levied professional tax. local bodies in almost all the major metro cities have this tax in place," he said. the civic body has also proposed to levy electricity tax at the rate of rs 200 per year per kilowatton power generators of 5 kw and above. commercial establishments, group housing socities and others using heavy generators are likely to be covered under the new tax. the corporation expects to generate an extra revenue of rs 120 crore during the next fiscal if the new tax regime is implemented. parking charges hikedthe civic body plans to increase the parking charges in east delhi . instead of the current two slabs — up to 10 hours and above 10 hours — for parking charges, the new proposal provides for four slabs of up to 30 minutes, 30 minutes to 1 hour, 1 hour to 3 hours and above 3 hours. four-wheelers will be charged 50 per cent extra during the 5 pm to 9 pm peak hours. officials said the budget proposals were aimed at making the corporation self-sufficient. but the ruling bharatiya janata party leaders stress that they will be scrutinised before the house passes them."the corporation officials have put in lot of effort in preparing the budget proposals, however, the proposals would be discussed in details by the members of the standing committee and other members in the house," said standing committee chairman mahak singh. "the interest of the people would be duly considered." he said.
a suspended deputy commandant of assam rifles was arrested on wednesday for running a fake job racket promising employment with indian army and union health and family welfare ministry, police said on thursday.dr kamdev das, 45, of jharkhand's deoghar district, was running the racket with accomplices archana sinha and ravinder chauhan.kamdev, an mbbs from darbhanga medical college, was appointed as a medical officer (assistant commandant) in assam rifles in 2003 and was promoted to deputy commandant in 2007. he used to be a medical officer in assam rifles' recruitment centres, where he met many touts, including archana."these touts used to bribe kamdev for their candidates during recruitment. thereafter, archana proposed him to help her candidates as well," said deputy commissioner of police (crime and railways) s b s tyagi.archana was the mastermind of the racket which operated in 10 states, including delhi and assam. she used to ask candidates to come to guwahati and jorhat, and kamdev arranged fake medical examinations.kamdev allegedly provided samples of appointment letters among other necessary material issued by assam rifles to archana. she would then prepare fake appointment letters and send photocopies of provisional appointment letters for candidates. she used to collect rs 1.5 lakh to rs 1.7 lakh per candidate. of this, kamdev was paid rs 40,000.several cases are lodged against them for duping jobseekers to the tune of several crores.the racket was busted after ravinder was apprehended near hazrat nizamuddin railway station in september 2011 and on his instance, mastermind archana was held in assam's jorhat city in october 2011.a list of about 2,000 prospective candidates and rs 5.19 lakh in cash, 21 fake government seals and stamps and 200 provisional appointment letters were recovered from them. after interrogation, archana disclosed kamdev's involvement.assam rifles had ordered kamdev to join the investigation, but he did not report to the crime branch police station and fled. he was later suspended by the paramilitary force.a trap was laid after sub-inspector p c yadav received information that kamdev would come to saket court. he was arrested near the court complex.
chief minister jagadish shettar told the council on thursday that the government was unable to initiate phase 2 of the bangalore metro project as the union cabinet's approval for the same was awaited.replying to a query posed by bjp mlc m r doreswamy in the council, shettar said that once the centre gave its nod, the state would start works on the project and complete the same within five years."the state cabinet has given its approval for the project and set aside rs 400 crore for preliminary works. a proposal has been sent to the centre for release of funds. in fact i have given a separate memorandum to union home minister p chidambaram," he added.
railway passengers can look forward to a more safe and secure travel in future, thanks to a path-breaking technology developed by hyderabad batteries limited (hbl).the train collision avoidance system (tcas), developed by the company, has been successfully tested in real time and the system is found to be viable and effective, officials of the south central railway said.field trials were conducted last month in real time on a track near tandur station. two tcas-equipped locomotives operated a series of test runs, simulating scenarios including head-on collisions; rear-end collisions, and spads (signal passed at danger). the trains ran at converging speeds of 200 km per hour for the head-on tests, and 60 km per hour for spad and collision demonstrations.a safety device designed to prevent train accidents, tcas is based on a combination of railway signalling data with radio communications, global position, radio frequency identification devices, software and logic.hbl power systems was the first company to respond to the expression of interest floated by the research, design and standards organisation (rdso) of the indian railways to develop an anti-collision device in august 2008.the system is designed to automatically bring trains to a halt when collision-like situations arise or when the red signal is violated, for various reasons. it has essential features of both automatic train protection and collision prevention in one solution. the system has two categories - one to prevent collisions between trains in station section and block section and the other to prevent collisions between trains and road traffic at level crossings. "to address the typical needs of indian railways, hbl has developed solutions for both the requirements," a company spokesman said.the successful trials were witnessed by the railway board chairman vinay mittal, director-general of rdso, khulbhushan, and other senior officials. phased project"it is a path-breaking technology. following its successful demonstration, we would like to complete all the trials within a year and install the device in a phased manner," the officials said. the new system is essentially a fusion of train protection warning system (tpws) and anti-collision device (acd). the tpws and acd are already operational on a trial basis on selected routes. as a pilot project, tpws has been provided on chennai suburban section and another pilot project is in progress on nizamuddin-agra section.hbl power systems, apart from the rail safety device, has developed electronic interlocking system, audio frequency track circuits and train management systems.
a special train from mysore will ferry supporters of former chief minister b s yeddyurappa from mysore to haveri, where he will formally launch his kjp party on december 9.a top party functionary in the district has approached the south western railway (swr), mysore division on thursday to run a train exclusively for the convention. railway department sources told deccan herald that there was a proposal to run two trains earlier, from the party side. however, it was later finalised to one. following the request, the railways are assessing the availability of rakes without disturbing the regular services. train detailsthe train will have 18 compartments of second class that will be readied as per the request. currently, the railways has only four such bogies ready. keeping in view the regular services, the train will run on the eve of the convention from mysore station.each compartment can accommodate 72 passengers and the fare will be fixed per head rs 181 (to and fro) according to the given capacity of the bogies. the fare amount alone will be between rs seven lakh and eight lakh apart from the refundable deposit of rs nine lakh. the train from mysore-haveri will pass via hassan, arasikere, birur, davangere and harihara junctions. it is not known, however, whether the trains have to be run non-stop up to haveri or will stop at junctions eroute. in case of an express run, it may take seven hours to reach the destination and additional three hours if stoppages are allowed.from haveri, the train will be moved to hubli for water wash and other maintenance works. ksrtc buses bookedthis is for the first time in the recent past, that a train is booked from mysore station. about seven to eight years ago, a train was booked by jss mahavidyapeetha for 'bharat darshan' yatra to new delhi as part of a circuit tour from mysore. one or two compartments are usually booked on trains in advance on special occasions.ksrtc buses have also been also booked from mysore district. from h d kote, six buses have already been booked. on thursday, a request for 10 buses has been made at kr nagar, said an officer on condition of anonymity.
A 36-year-old Indian allegedly committed suicide on the Dubai Metro track after being disallowed to return home by his employer. “On Monday the Indian worker, who has been identified as H.U.M committed suicide on the track,” said Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police. “The speeding Metro struck the man while he was lying on the track. Man was under the influence of alcohol and used the emergency fire exit to access the track,” he said. Maj. Gen. Mazeina said H.U.M was working in Dubai since 2010 and had asked his company to cancel his residency visa and send him home. “The company did cancel his visa but we are investigating why the company delayed sending H.U.M back home,” Maj Gen. Mazeina said. The deceased’s body was beyond recognition and police took two days to identify him after one of his friends filed a missing report about him. The suicide took place on Monday, the first death in the railways’ three years of operation. “The friend told police H.U.M was depressed and unhappy because he wanted to go back home but the sponsor, for no clear reasons, was not letting him go so he would put an end to his life,” Maj. Gen. Mazeina was quoted by Gulf News as saying.
union urban development secretary sudhir krishna on wednesday said that the commission for metro rail safety is studying the safety issues in the airport express corridor.he told reporters that the delhi metro rail corporation (dmrc) rectified all defects found on the line and submitted the report to the cmrs.the dates for an inspection by the cmrs were awaited. as soon as the cmrs gives approval, we can move forward, he said. since the corridor has undergone repairs at various levels, an inspection and safety nod by cmrs is mandatory.the line was temporarily shut on july 8 after the reliance infrastructure-led consortium found some defects on the civil structure and brought them to the notice of the delhi metro.since then, repair work on the corridor has been on and got completed a month ago. trial runs have also been successful, sources said.ever since the operations were shut down, delhi metro and reliance infra have been at loggerheads on several issues which culminated with the consortium sending a notice to terminate the agreement.delhi metro, however, rejected the offer and asked it to operate the line and referred the pending issues for arbitration.krishna said the delhi metro is trying to integrate the 'more' card with its feeder buses. he said the authorities which provided different modes of transport had to coordinate with each other for successful implementation of the card. the more card is a single card for utilising multiple mode of transport systems including metro, buses and parking.
a worker employed with a private firm involved in construction of pay- and-use toilets on mg road boulevard was electrocuted while at work wednesday afternoon.nattkal, 18, of guntur in andhra pradesh was digging the earth when he came in contact with a live wire and collapsed, stated a preliminary investigation. though he was rushed to bowring hospital, he was declared brought dead.the bangalore metro rail corporation limited had entrusted the construction work to pradeep industrial packers ltd (pipl). the authorities of bmrcl claimed that they were not responsible for the tragedy as they had assigned the job to pipl. sources said the utilities were reportedly not shifted (in this case electric wire) from the construction site before starting the work. there was a live underground electric wire, connecting mgroad metro station with the metro facility at brvground. the cubbon park police have taken up a suo motu case. "we have registered a case against pipl. directors of the company will be held responsible," dcp(central)b rravikanthe gowda said. he added that bmrcl cannot escape from responsibility and that the officials concerned would be questioned.
The Director Board of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will entrust its MD Elias George with the task of probing more funding options for Kochi Metro Rail. “Even as we explore other alternatives, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will support the project,” Kerala’s Chief Secretary Jose Cyriac told reporters, following a board meeting here on Tuesday. Obtaining loan is a risk and we cannot put all eggs in one basket. Generally, a consortium (of financial agencies) is formed, like for the Bangalore Metro, he said. Sources associated with the Kochi Metro said though JICA offers loans at a low interest rate of 1.50 per cent, one could never predict the changes in conversion rate of the Yen (Japanese currency). The original plan was to avail Rs 2,174 crore or 44 per cent of the project cost of Rs 5,182 crore from JICA. The State and the central governments would contribute the rest. The quantum of loan will marginally increase because eight more hectares will be acquired for the metro, in addition to the 32 hectares planned initially. World wide, funding is available at low interest rates. Within India, agencies like the HUDCO were keen to fund such projects, they said. DMRC’s role Referring to the delay in filing a report about the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) scale of involvement in the project, Mr Cyriac said "the terms of engagement (about the involvement) had to be done carefully. The drafts are ready. Once it is finalised, we can proceed by convening an emergency board meeting or even without a meeting. We are confident of sorting out the issue. No time limit has been fixed (for the committee led by Union Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna and having the Chief Secretaries of New Delhi and Kerala as members) to decide on the scale of DMRC’s involvement in metro). But its report will be ready in the coming days or weeks." To a question on the JICA team’s keenness to integrate different modes of transport under a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA), he said emphasis would be given to transit-oriented development since metro rail would contribute to an all-round development (of the city and its suburbs). The involvement of all civic and transportation stakeholders was important, he said. Mr Sudhir Krishna said Kochi Corporation, GCDA and nearby municipalities must extend all help for metro rail project. Land acquisition He said the JICA team that visited Kochi a week ago were interested in the metro rail’s environment impact assessment and rehabilitation. “Land acquisition for the project has to be speeded up. Today’s board meeting also discussed the proposed revision of the metro rail’s DPR.”
Hoardings put up on railway station premises are subject to regulation as per government laws, the Madras High Court said. Imposing costs of Rs. 25,000 each, the Court dismissied five writ petitions that sought to restrain the Chennai Corporation from interfering with hoardings put up in railway precincts. The costs should be paid to the civic body. In a common order on a batch of petitions, Justice D. Hariparanthaman said, it was the case of the petitioners, Sri Raghavendra Ad Lab and four others, that since the hoardings were on railway premises, they need not get licence under Section 326-C of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act. He said, the hoardings erected on railway premises also came under the definition of ‘hoarding’ under Section 326-A. If held otherwise, it would defeat the very purpose of the law which was to regulate all hoardings exhibiting advertisements that were visible to public. The petitioners had been granted permission by Southern Railway to erect hoardings on payment of licence fee. The Chennai Corporation sought to regulate the hoardings by insisting that the petitioners should obtain licence. Otherwise, the structures could be removed. Counsel for the petitioners contended that the civic body had no power to regulate hoardings put up by petitioners on railway premises. Justice Hariparanthaman said the word ‘hoarding’ had been given the widest meaning. If an advertisement was displayed on hoardings, it came within the definition of Section 326-A, he said.
data for 800 companies from bombay stock exchange. values are: day's closing price, previous closing price in brackets, 52-week low and high in bold, and volume traded (in 000) in brackets group aa a b b 718.15(712.85)915-541(6) a c c 1434.25(1383.95)1514-1083(36) abbot 1455.0(1469.1)1807-1375(1) abirlanuv 1097.15(1064.7)1115-710(65) acl 209.65(207.7)220-135(101) adani enter 259.35(239.8)455-151(866) allahabad bank 146.8(143.4)211-103(193) alok industr 11.21(11.29)23-10(3878) alstom proje 417.7(418.45)441-280(7) andhra bank 111.55(110.15)138-79(141) apollo hosps 815.0(816.65)902-452(50) apollo tyres 84.0(84.45)102-53(244) arvind 91.7(89.65)107-59(350) ashok leyland 27.75(28.35)32-20(811) asian paints 4350.4(4327.55)4380-2551(7) aurobindo phar 191.0(188.05)192-83(317) axis bank 1318.9(1316.35)1324-784(146) b b a s f india 738.75(732.0)750-427(8) b h e l 237.05(233.35)328-195(525) bajajhoin 858.2(859.35)885-625(4) balaji tele. 54.75(51.95)58-29(340) ballarpur ind 23.45(23.5)26-17(146) bank of india 280.6(280.8)408-253(78) bharat earth. 289.4(283.8)702-270(22) bharat elec 1184.7(1189.1)1665-1124(0) bharat forge 266.55(265.7)347-231(45) bhartiartl 331.2(337.15)400-238(301) birla corp 294.0(291.55)312-202(8) bk of baroda 758.35(763.05)881-606(36) bombay dye 131.05(126.3)132-62(467) boschl 9050.0(9126.5)9400-6425(0) bpcl 344.95(347.55)394-229(47) brigade enterprises 72.85(73.25)81-38(17) britannia ind 495.15(496.35)599-400(8) c c e s c 316.05(309.55)345-186(90) c m c 1147.9(1119.8)1191-685(4) cadila health 843.5(836.8)964-629(14) cairn india 332.4(329.35)400-290(92) canara bank 462.65(464.8)566-306(99) castrol india 295.1(296.25)338-192(33) central bank of india 78.5(76.75)111-62(256) century enka 131.95(131.25)144-88(15) century tex 420.0(414.45)423-215(213) chambal fert 68.75(67.4)94-62(202) cipla 413.5(414.0)416-286(198) coal india ltd 366.15(365.95)386-293(97) colgatepalm. 1462.8(1441.6)1479-932(33) corp bank 417.75(422.3)528-335(12) crompton gr. 115.35(114.4)167-102(178) cummins india 490.0(483.15)517-322(12) d,e,f dabur india 129.0(127.8)140-92(82) dena bank 113.2(111.1)115-47(369) dish tv india 76.65(78.45)84-52(637) dlf 210.65(210.1)261-169(565) dr reddy`s lab 1831.6(1822.9)1849-1528(16) e i h 73.25(71.95)103-69(33) edelweiss capital 34.85(36.2)45-21(69) educomp sol 152.35(150.15)262-128(235) eng india 229.45(228.95)288-195(9) escorts 68.7(66.35)93-55(658) essel propack 40.6(40.85)43-23(25) exide ind 146.95(142.1)166-98(227) f d c 87.7(87.65)95-75(24) federal bank 483.4(481.8)494-322(47) finolex cables 54.9(52.4)55-21(183) finolex ind 62.85(61.65)76-42(48) g g e shipping 255.0(253.15)285-183(13) gail 348.6(352.35)404-303(27) geometric 107.35(105.9)125-42(102) gillette ind 2420.0(2350.25)2624-1771(0) glaxo smithk. 2021.95(2045.9)2338-1830(1) glaxocon 3723.6(3689.9)3894-2179(12) global tele 30.9(29.35)61-23(587) gmr infra 19.65(18.65)34-16(4610) godrej cp 728.1(735.45)744-370(7) grasim ind 3340.0(3359.65)3511-2216(4) great offshore 104.25(101.2)140-70(204) gtl infrastructure 8.51(8.23)14-6(655) guj. min deve 211.35(210.2)221-151(28) gujarat gas 304.7(300.65)437-270(39) gujarat narmada 83.8(81.4)92-70(34) gujarat st petronet 75.45(73.6)92-62(212) h h c l infosys 38.75(38.55)52-34(79) h c l tech 647.45(654.75)658-380(51) h d f c bank 687.0(703.65)705-400(271) h m t 42.2(41.5)53-26(56) hdfc 835.65(841.45)848-600(108) hdil 113.9(112.9)135-52(2761) hero honda 1820.7(1827.9)2278-1702(31) hexaware tec 108.6(109.05)142-73(149) hind petro 289.85(286.55)356-238(33) hind zinc 141.8(139.25)149-113(181) hindalco ind 117.6(116.35)164-100(654) hindujav 500.85(495.15)522-286(2) hpcl 289.85(286.55)356-238(33) hsng dev infra 113.9(112.9)135-52(2761) hsq dev fin 835.65(841.45)848-600(108) hul 536.05(538.35)579-375(72) hul 536.05(538.35)579-375(72) i i c i india 966.0(969.9)983-693(18) i t c 296.15(298.25)299-192(206) icici bank 1102.25(1098.6)1114-641(366) idbi 108.65(108.1)121-77(438) idea cellular 97.0(97.15)102-71(119) idfc 169.35(173.05)174-90(522) india cements 89.1(85.75)118-65(269) india infoline 80.05(77.75)84-42(447) indiabulls real est 70.8(68.55)83-40(1932) indian bank 185.25(183.15)265-152(23) indian hotels 66.3(62.7)80-51(337) indian ovrsea 80.85(78.35)119-66(206) indusind bank 421.0(417.6)423-221(59) infosys tech 2436.0(2436.6)2990-2101(40) ingersollrand 474.75(472.7)543-355(3) ingvysya 496.5(491.6)501-276(28) ioc 262.85(263.4)291-239(20) ipca lab 462.55(456.65)495-245(8) ispat ind 10.17(9.98)15-9(445) j,k,l j & k bank 1373.65(1377.15)1432-645(14) j b chem 85.3(84.75)90-58(28) jaiprakash ass 97.35(96.15)98-50(2401) jaypee infratech limited 48.0(46.9)61-33(114) jet airways 555.9(528.7)598-167(1387) jindal 128.9(131.65)180-101(92) jindal stainless 70.3(69.9)88-55(35) jindal steel 405.1(402.0)663-321(202) jsw steel 752.25(742.5)885-464(89) kfa 13.24(13.28)30-7(4286) kotakbank 665.35(668.7)673-418(31) l i c hsq fin 266.4(265.7)290-208(295) l&t 1666.15(1667.1)1719-971(112) lanco infratech 13.9(13.89)25-8(3621) lupin 585.55(590.7)631-409(34) m,n,o m & m 955.7(944.85)964-621(81) m&m 955.7(944.85)964-621(81) mangalore ref 63.3(60.7)74-49(147) maruti 1489.3(1473.55)1514-905(53) mastek 146.0(141.05)185-74(17) merck 642.0(625.85)714-555(5) mphasis bfl 400.9(388.4)439-295(76) mtnl 25.45(25.6)45-20(418) mtnl 25.45(25.6)45-20(418) n t p c 160.65(162.1)190-138(85) nation.ferti 75.6(74.95)96-43(23) national alum 48.7(46.35)68-44(270) nestle ind 4688.35(4765.45)5024-3930(3) novartis india 675.05(676.1)934-616(1) o n g c 262.55(264.9)303-240(128) omaxe 165.1(165.8)171-128(61) oracle fin 2900.95(2905.2)3125-1738(1) orchid chem 102.85(101.4)197-95(209) oriental bank 333.1(336.9)341-190(92) p,q,r parsvnath dev 38.95(38.85)64-35(31) pfizer 1170.95(1164.7)1410-1071(1) pidilite ind 215.2(214.15)224-133(146) piramalhe 492.6(496.35)562-355(4) pnb 782.5(785.6)1091-659(30) polaris soft 124.7(125.05)175-102(70) power fin corp 193.75(192.4)223-131(231) power grid corp 118.85(118.0)124-95(227) punj lloyd 54.65(54.35)65-37(597) ranbaxy lab 501.1(503.25)578-366(75) rashtriya chem 53.8(53.15)73-42(132) raymond 464.6(440.8)467-300(357) rcom 71.5(71.35)109-46(2573) reliance capital 423.45(422.75)481-225(615) reliance ind 803.7(793.9)881-671(299) reliance power 97.25(97.05)139-68(926) relinfra 488.7(485.35)679-328(231) rolta india 62.2(62.35)108-50(129) s s a i l 81.7(80.85)115-73(186) satyam comp 102.9(101.75)116-62(274) sbi 2203.3(2170.05)2474-1576(330) shipping corp 54.45(53.35)81-46(120) siemens 678.0(670.6)838-627(26) skf 635.5(635.0)728-535(1) sobha developers 364.5(365.45)398-185(3) sterlite ind 108.45(108.5)138-86(573) sterlite optical 31.5(30.95)46-27(258) sun pharma 705.1(709.75)728-488(25) suntv 409.05(408.2)415-176(107) suzlon energy 19.5(19.55)32-14(10200) syndicate bnk 126.55(127.65)128-67(108) t,u,v tata chem 335.0(327.9)374-295(339) tata elxsi 234.5(243.05)254-167(52) tata power 107.45(107.55)121-80(221) tata tea 168.35(165.7)181-83(753) tatacomm 229.75(238.55)266-185(32) tatamotors 272.05(274.25)320-167(1299) tcs 1314.85(1312.85)1438-1046(175) tech mahindra 891.1(883.4)1043-537(48) thermax 605.6(590.05)639-388(64) tisco 390.65(385.4)500-332(501) titan ind 306.2(311.75)313-154(147) tn newsprint 110.15(111.35)121-75(10) torrent pharma 683.65(665.5)727-504(5) torrent power 162.45(160.25)252-146(37) tvs motor 40.1(38.95)59-31(372) union bank 237.6(242.4)273-150(266) unitedphos 125.4(119.2)168-105(946) vijaya bank 60.55(58.55)68-43(521) w,x,y,z welspunguj 104.6(105.6)156-64(159) wipro 394.6(392.95)452-325(200) wockhardt 1668.0(1601.2)1827-251(24) zeeenter 200.15(195.15)208-113(350) group ba agarind 148.6(138.2)154-85(14) 3i infotech 7.89(7.52)22-7(1074) a p paper 295.9(298.2)373-120(14) aarti ind 93.0(92.35)98-43(13) aban offsho 392.8(381.3)571-320(196) adani power ltd 54.4(52.9)96-36(826) adani power ltd 54.4(52.9)96-36(826) adhunik metaliks 33.45(31.5)59-24(213) adlabs films 98.15(96.4)103-49(1712) advanta india 859.25(856.9)882-222(2) aegis logis 180.8(176.65)193-100(23) agro tech foods 468.95(466.75)517-340(4) ajanta pharma 380.0(379.5)505-145(4) alembic pharmaceuticals ltd 66.65(63.7)78-34(68) alstom 198.25(197.45)230-132(7) ankit metal 20.6(20.75)23-11(244) ankush finstock ltd 15.05(14.5)20-5(89) ansal properties 32.95(32.8)41-21(89) anuh pharma 149.75(150.8)164-110(8) apl apollo tubes ltd 184.4(185.2)201-121(22) aptech 68.25(67.25)102-64(146) archies 28.25(26.9)35-20(180) arrow webtex 81.45(77.6)87-52(2452) arshiya international ltd. 127.0(125.85)171-111(35) ashapura mine. 45.4(45.75)48-8(55) ashika credit capital ltd 123.2(116.3)150-37(26) astra micro 41.0(39.05)49-33(105) astra zeneca 1510.0(1527.0)2649-1209(3) atlanta 39.45(39.25)70-32(34) atul chem 427.8(424.85)448-135(6) autoline industries 164.45(164.85)211-76(215) avaya 414.0(410.85)468-121(3) b,c b o c india 395.5(398.6)530-265(3) bajaj auto fin 1370.0(1380.05)1394-585(4) bajaj hind 27.4(26.8)37-23(733) balmer lawri. 664.05(662.95)709-463(1) balrampur chini 63.75(63.9)74-32(118) bank of maha 56.3(55.8)58-37(57) bartronics india 22.4(22.65)46-18(48) bata india 922.75(920.2)989-492(32) bayer 1289.7(1276.8)1341-673(14) berger paints 153.1(148.95)156-78(86) bgr energy systems 274.45(269.1)373-172(134) bhandari hos. 44.9(45.75)59-21(24) bharati shipyard 68.9(67.7)114-61(55) bhartiya int 169.85(168.05)169-45(8) bhussteel 467.9(460.95)513-296(44) bilpowerq 19.7(19.1)48-14(93) biocon ltd 294.05(286.45)329-208(150) bl kashyap 9.74(9.84)15-7(146) blue dart ex. 1917.9(1954.85)2205-1389(1) blue star 198.1(194.95)230-150(9) bombay bur trdg 122.85(122.75)137-67(17) bombay rayon fashions 266.0(258.7)286-199(308) c r i s i l 1060.75(960.95)1261-750(140) can fin homes 134.3(138.35)147-87(11) ceat 105.05(104.45)125-66(51) cerasan 432.9(429.4)454-158(24) chirawa cements 154.3(156.85)163-14(369) cholam. inv 242.8(247.35)253-106(5) chromatic india 94.1(91.75)101-59(89) cinemax india 20.7(21.76)39-11(83) city union bnk 55.85(52.05)58-33(660) core project 313.0(315.25)345-245(20) coromandel fert 275.55(273.65)313-234(19) cox and kings(india) ltd 137.4(136.95)207-119(57) crew b.o.s. prod 20.7(19.4)40-19(178) d,e,f d c m shr. con 73.9(72.0)86-37(41) d c w 23.95(23.2)26-7(457) daawat 60.3(58.0)69-32(19) dabur pharma 91.1(92.05)176-78(26) decolight ceramics 8.04(8.34)9-2(193) deepak fert 126.5(125.95)170-118(8) den networks ltd 204.65(203.55)206-46(28) development credit bank 48.35(46.9)52-30(1585) dewan hsq fin 203.0(200.3)279-142(9) dhampur sugar 60.85(61.0)75-27(17) dhanuka 128.3(125.95)140-80(15) dil 591.0(586.7)776-358(3) dishman pharma 119.55(115.15)123-32(306) divi's lab 1171.85(1174.75)1233-711(4) eicher motors 2802.65(2730.15)3240-1376(2) elder pharma 355.45(335.25)378-267(15) elecon eng 47.6(47.85)70-39(59) electrosteel c. 25.4(25.9)29-15(114) emkayglof 21.35(20.5)52-20(71) empee distilleries 86.55(85.2)96-52(23) entertainment network india 260.0(257.35)276-194(11) ess dee aluminium 297.45(296.4)321-114(25) essar oil 71.3(70.0)73-44(813) essarship 92.3(92.15)106-46(13) eveready ind 23.9(24.35)32-16(133) everest 247.45(251.7)257-102(18) everest kanto cylinder 29.95(28.55)49-23(65) everonn systems india 141.55(140.95)475-133(195) excel crop 214.2(210.75)242-85(23) fairfield atlas 130.95(126.8)187-62(28) fameindia 56.5(53.85)73-32(20) fedders lloyd 47.0(46.2)73-41(28) fedmoggoe 196.7(198.15)335-190(6) fiem industries 185.05(170.1)216-123(239) fineotex chemical ltd 52.05(49.1)105-17(67) firstsource solutions 12.18(12.0)15-5(940) flexituff international limited 234.3(248.3)384-175(89) fortis healthcare 112.25(112.3)117-81(150) future capital holdings 225.3(220.55)234-101(260) future ventures india ltd 9.99(10.0)11-7(578) g,h g i c hsq fin 118.55(117.35)127-68(50) gallantt metal 28.05(28.45)32-15(57) gammon india 39.0(38.35)63-35(44) gateway distriparks 132.8(133.05)159-117(21) gati 35.45(35.0)49-23(97) gei industrial systems ltd. 81.15(89.9)141-52(54) geodesic inf 51.6(51.9)65-33(265) ghcl 38.45(37.65)44-27(38) gitanjali gems 481.0(492.5)499-286(279) glenmark phar 441.75(436.0)456-265(24) globus spirits 123.25(123.05)137-87(8) glodyne 29.45(28.05)434-26(521) godrej indus 305.65(306.5)327-168(124) goenka diamond & jewels ltd. 29.05(30.7)31-2(327) goodyear india 329.8(309.3)412-276(32) gruh fin 211.3(212.65)223-101(15) guj. alkalies 138.7(137.8)145-100(24) guj. fluoroch. 329.75(331.95)542-303(44) guj. nre coke 18.9(18.35)28-14(209) guj. state fert 71.45(71.6)92-64(32) h f c l 10.28(10.24)16-10(630) hanung toys 165.85(166.25)172-76(147) harrisons malay 65.5(65.35)86-49(40) havell`s india 583.55(573.45)672-365(28) henkel india 43.65(41.6)43-20(43) hercules hoists 136.6(134.2)164-95(13) heritage food 466.9(485.7)562-133(8) himatsingka s. 40.45(38.65)41-22(335) hind con 18.35(18.3)33-14(593) hind oil exp 100.4(98.55)152-86(365) hind sanitary 137.25(132.8)181-104(104) hondasiel 637.75(628.9)668-261(2) honeywell 2431.75(2359.2)3391-1620(6) hotel leela 31.15(30.3)40-27(73) ht media 109.9(103.1)149-82(24) i,j i f c i 31.95(31.35)49-19(3596) i v r cons 42.9(42.25)75-27(1096) ibn18 35.1(35.75)36-15(3906) icra 1576.0(1318.45)1582-797(74) iid forgings 127.0(125.85)171-111(35) il&fs transportation networks ltd. 195.2(194.75)224-143(21) inabs 690.0(695.3)850-566(7) india glycols 188.6(186.75)226-111(45) indiabulls finan 245.8(251.1)270-128(472) indiabulls power 14.28(12.66)20-8(3669) indian infotech and software 21.95(22.4)24-1(1427) indo tech transformers 140.05(141.3)148-69(8) indraprastha gas 266.55(266.6)407-170(81) indswift lab 50.7(48.75)133-39(44) info edge india 372.0(366.2)400-274(5) inox leisure 92.3(87.95)92-35(42) insecticides india 405.2(403.75)476-356(6) irb infrastructure developers 135.95(135.35)210-100(307) ismt 22.35(22.6)34-21(52) itdcem 248.85(258.0)275-111(5) ivrcl infrastruc 42.9(42.25)75-27(1096) j b f ind 129.9(128.55)151-89(32) j k ind 115.2(115.5)131-58(9) j kumar infraprojects 230.0(226.5)242-143(7) jagran prakashan 103.65(101.95)114-78(11) jai corp 61.05(59.95)117-45(1500) jain irrigation 71.75(67.75)123-59(1474) jaiprakash hydro 39.4(38.7)49-24(164) jay shree tea 114.1(118.9)123-78(50) jhaveri weld 39.85(38.9)43-3(46) jindal drilling 245.85(237.55)360-227(4) jindal south west holdings 576.2(569.3)1092-356(40) jindpolyfm 190.2(189.5)240-143(45) jk cement 291.2(298.0)334-96(8) jklakshmi 137.85(137.5)142-36(105) jubilant org 213.0(209.5)243-154(34) jyothy laboratories 192.2(188.85)208-72(99) jyoti struct 48.1(47.6)58-35(80) k,l k r b l 27.35(26.9)28-12(515) kajaria ceramic 258.95(256.95)259-90(81) kale consult 372.7(375.75)407-91(11) kalpataru pwr 83.4(83.2)134-64(19) kalyani steels 57.2(55.8)70-32(400) kanani industries ltd 40.0(38.1)43-18(76) kansanero 1059.6(1081.75)1114-801(1) kar vysy bank 475.5(470.4)482-322(18) karnataka bnk 183.7(175.15)186-64(3556) kaveri seed company 1340.0(1319.8)1355-420(3) kecil 65.15(64.8)80-31(22) kemrock ind 55.8(56.7)570-54(25) kesoram ind 143.0(140.3)170-83(14) kirloskar ferro 30.0(30.35)33-20(73) kohinoor 29.7(29.1)44-25(46) kolte patil developers 84.75(78.7)86-26(405) kovai medi. 163.0(164.45)169-89(14) kpitcumm 127.3(128.4)142-68(25) kpr mill 132.65(129.35)148-75(9) kwality dairy 32.6(33.35)51-25(206) l k p mer fin 62.9(61.95)82-52(42) la opala glass 206.75(190.0)211-89(42) lakshmi machine 2085.0(2072.0)2204-1426(2) lakshmi over 23.85(23.2)25-13(45) liberty phosp 194.6(192.4)205-45(24) liberty shoes 107.9(106.8)125-56(33) lincoln pharmaceuticals 45.0(45.05)46-19(38) lovable lingerie ltd 383.1(375.95)479-278(211) lumax ind 379.0(378.9)460-325(17) m,n m and b switchgears limited 218.0(210.85)221-50(62) m r f 10899.1(10915.8)11570-6471(3) macmillan ind 111.6(106.3)120-27(31) madras cements 203.0(202.9)219-100(11) mahindra 1017.95(997.05)1024-590(7) mahinlife 416.95(414.7)452-235(3) man infraconstruction ltd. 169.0(165.4)229-90(54) manali petro 11.73(11.43)14-7(541) manappuram gen 36.3(36.55)60-18(375) mandhana industries ltd. 243.95(239.1)299-208(26) mangalam cem 180.7(174.3)192-76(30) mangalore chem 41.1(40.4)57-33(129) marico ind 223.6(222.3)250-134(20) max india 243.0(239.5)250-140(28) mcleod russel india 352.7(352.2)367-165(16) mcnally bharat engineering company 98.6(97.65)128-79(15) mhril 339.7(323.6)346-255(63) mindtree 717.2(719.65)761-371(17) mirza 24.0(24.7)26-16(88) mmtc ltd 672.55(677.8)1009-438(16) monsanto india 652.0(646.3)792-599(5) motherson sumi 174.55(174.55)180-86(22) mundra port 132.15(129.7)157-105(218) muthoot cap 98.8(97.8)103-51(10) muthoot finance ltd 201.45(205.0)231-105(26) mysore cem 54.35(53.15)56-25(123) n i i t 31.85(31.25)56-29(155) nagarjuna con 49.15(47.55)66-28(378) natco pharma 439.0(440.1)468-216(8) national pero 512.3(502.8)535-312(3) navneet pub 57.2(56.5)65-50(38) ndtv 82.2(78.65)82-24(114) nectar lifescn 21.55(20.25)26-15(110) nelcast 24.4(22.95)36-19(72) nesco 724.9(704.3)775-499(11) network 18 media 45.15(46.05)55-26(1361) nhpc 23.5(23.25)24-14(3372) nhpc ltd 23.5(23.25)24-14(3372) niit technologies 278.1(279.45)324-166(4) nilkamal plast 248.0(238.6)274-177(38) nitesh estates ltd. 14.19(13.62)24-12(149) nitin fire protection industries 67.85(68.05)83-23(254) nocil 16.8(16.75)20-15(247) o,p,q oil india ltd 456.0(454.2)552-431(9) omkar speciality chemicals ltd 121.0(123.95)131-49(50) omnitech infosolutions 163.0(165.5)183-105(23) onelife capital advisors limited 779.6(752.4)848-193(45) onmobile global 42.3(43.65)84-28(258) opto circu 108.6(108.1)225-97(224) orbit corporation 58.9(57.5)68-25(746) orient paper 86.6(84.35)90-44(160) orissa minerals development company ltd 3767.75(3752.1)6039-2555(4) oswal agro 17.2(17.4)33-14(62) page industries 3531.75(3346.9)3610-2275(2) pantaloon ret 230.75(210.45)234-125(3584) pasupati fincap 23.45(23.85)45-9(44) persistent systems ltd. 500.2(478.9)514-290(15) petronet lng 162.85(162.3)179-122(325) pg electroplast ltd 275.0(271.0)301-123(52) phillips carbon 94.9(95.0)121-77(12) pidrugs 186.1(184.7)199-51(12) pipavav shipyard 85.15(84.15)88-52(908) plethico pharmaceuticals 272.15(272.15)396-156(56) pnb gilts 27.25(26.95)31-23(64) polyplex corp 205.0(202.35)216-143(6) pradip overseas ltd. 33.25(34.95)127-33(36) praj ind 49.95(47.9)92-40(583) prakash constrowell ltd 152.0(151.0)259-81(17) prakash steelage ltd 143.0(143.5)200-114(11) premier auto 117.45(109.7)119-59(85) prime focus 44.8(44.35)64-33(195) prism cement 54.35(55.55)60-35(36) provogue (india) 16.1(15.16)36-11(692) pslltd 58.1(57.0)71-50(55) ptc 75.95(71.85)76-38(607) ptc india financial services ltd 18.55(18.7)20-9(302) puravankara projects 88.9(86.4)91-54(34) pvr 324.6(301.7)333-115(1536) r r systems international 170.0(169.0)195-112(6) radico khait 146.05(145.75)151-92(18) raj television network 181.75(183.75)257-63(11) rajesh exp 125.95(125.85)148-110(15) rallis india 166.5(159.8)168-111(177) rapicut carbides 109.8(102.0)114-42(20) ratnabali cap 133.5(127.15)133-97(76) redington india 80.7(82.8)94-65(13) rei agro 11.75(11.9)22-7(195) reliance indust 437.85(432.55)565-272(344) reliance media world ltd 48.75(46.9)66-35(206) religare enterprises 301.85(303.15)448-300(277) rohit ferro tech 31.15(32.3)44-21(67) ruchi soya ind 63.25(61.7)107-59(19) rural electrification corporation 233.75(230.35)251-142(249) s s bk of bikaner 408.75(405.0)470-302(18) s bk of travan 535.0(522.15)671-451(7) s r f 214.2(207.95)304-192(7) sanghvi movers 89.0(89.0)125-84(35) saregama ind 92.65(89.85)120-55(101) sasken comm 115.0(114.0)151-91(14) se investments 345.0(348.0)382-70(84) sesa goa 182.45(182.15)270-148(191) shakti pumps (india) limited 65.9(66.85)68-29(16) shanthi gears 60.55(58.0)76-30(44) shasun chem 173.25(166.7)185-38(212) shlakshmi 88.6(84.3)156-58(12) shree cement 4313.0(4374.75)4470-1881(0) shree ganesh jewellery house ltd 119.2(118.2)133-65(28) shree renuka sugars 31.65(31.2)42-22(984) shrenuj & co 63.8(60.4)90-50(67) shriram city 910.0(933.15)950-461(1) shriram trans 672.3(668.35)677-416(6) signet 166.95(167.6)209-76(8) sintex ind 63.95(63.7)104-50(434) sks microfinance ltd 157.7(165.95)174-54(756) solar explosives 989.0(966.35)1024-667(5) sona koyo st 13.15(13.7)15-9(86) sonata soft 26.15(25.85)27-17(120) southind.bank 25.85(24.85)28-19(3804) sowbhagya exports 15.75(15.55)27-13(81) spel semicond 7.23(6.45)9-6(172) spicejet 43.4(41.2)46-15(6984) srei int fin 36.2(35.25)37-18(265) srs ltd 43.0(41.85)48-26(186) state trading 218.35(220.1)333-110(28) strides arcolab 1185.15(1132.9)1211-369(165) subexltd 14.82(14.78)35-11(239) sudar garments ltd 156.6(150.65)165-43(361) sujana towers 7.5(7.58)10-3(372) sun pharma advanced research company 125.35(119.8)127-63(640) sundaram fin 1009.35(1000.0)1030-420(5) sundaram multi pap ltd. 16.35(15.11)18-12(621) sunflag iron 22.05(21.05)27-19(66) sunteck realty 390.0(390.6)422-242(3) superhouse le 62.4(59.35)67-40(24) supreme ind 287.15(286.2)301-160(3) suven 32.4(29.15)32-11(1059) swaraj engin 445.0(432.8)476-349(3) swiss glass 47.6(43.3)47-29(92) t,u,v t.v. today 86.7(86.25)90-41(143) talwalkars better value fitness ltd. 206.75(204.7)223-108(54) tantia constructions 51.8(50.55)64-31(32) tata coffee 1389.8(1383.75)1562-711(54) tata investment 448.4(439.8)535-410(7) tata metaliks 64.35(62.85)78-51(33) tata sponge 309.0(309.0)351-232(8) texmaco rail & engineering ltd 64.35(65.35)78-47(25) thinksoft 88.35(90.85)123-35(39) thomas cook 61.35(60.0)74-32(41) tide water 7798.5(7802.05)8539-5676(1) time technoplast 46.7(46.75)59-34(25) timken india 197.85(198.15)269-163(22) tinplate of india 53.0(52.75)57-32(22) titanor components 248.05(256.25)278-76(13) trent 1236.95(1212.3)1260-771(7) triveni eng & ind 20.8(20.9)24-12(107) ttk prestige 3653.3(3523.9)3996-2151(23) ttml 12.15(12.45)18-10(443) tulip 37.6(35.85)134-34(147) ubholding 118.15(119.25)155-53(293) uco bank 76.6(75.5)95-44(245) uflex 100.45(99.65)146-91(76) ultratech 1998.3(1954.5)2074-1093(20) unichem lab 196.3(189.65)203-101(63) unitdspr 1999.8(1992.3)2149-450(523) unitech 32.45(31.7)37-17(7084) united bank of india 75.3(74.6)87-45(303) unity infraprojects 46.15(46.05)56-24(36) ushamartin 32.1(30.6)43-21(197) usher agro ltd. 61.4(61.35)104-34(56) uttam steel 58.2(58.0)85-48(24) v guard industries 521.45(524.0)538-141(30) vaibhav gems 87.6(92.2)124-25(12) vardhman poly 72.3(69.75)101-41(27) varun shipping 15.9(15.75)22-14(82) venkys 491.75(489.95)621-322(15) videocon 238.8(212.8)246-161(1432) vikas wsp 52.05(50.8)76-9(381) vikasglo 127.95(114.9)175-60(13) viseshin 19.3(19.63)19-2(89) vivmed labs 345.0(344.15)444-213(17) voltas 111.15(108.2)138-71(165) w,x,y,z w p i l 347.35(357.55)458-169(3) welspun india 64.45(65.45)69-22(24) west coast pap 113.05(118.35)122-44(96) whirlpool 265.0(264.35)272-141(14) wire & wireless 22.85(23.15)26-5(1002) yes bank 447.55(442.4)449-230(158) zandu phar 1462.9(1442.3)1905-1199(2) zee news 16.9(17.07)19-8(178) zensar tech 260.0(261.5)302-125(4) zenu infotech 56.6(54.9)57-22(73) zodiac cloth 194.6(185.25)233-164(5) zuari ind 119.25(121.25)196-113(18) zylog systems 71.7(68.3)340-65(362) group ta aarti drugs 215.25(216.75)230-72(13) amara raja 253.0(250.55)267-89(23) andrew yule 20.1(20.5)28-12(61) assam company 7.24(7.32)10-4(223) atlas cycles 383.1(386.9)466-247(4) b b p l 20.25(20.25)23-14(68) binani ind 131.65(129.0)150-88(34) brilliant securities 112.45(110.25)112-39(44) c,d cerebra int 22.5(23.8)37-21(79) commitment cap 33.4(34.0)61-16(67) cubical finan. 78.5(79.55)91-21(123) db stock brokers 96.2(96.2)112-90(37) dhanalakshmi bk 69.25(65.85)79-42(2782) e,f e p c ind 127.8(134.5)140-63(20) elder health. 90.0(80.0)127-66(11) financial tech 1137.75(1136.4)1223-518(28) g,h g e i hamon in. 81.15(89.9)141-52(54) goodricke group 162.65(167.55)174-103(21) guj. sidhee cem 14.68(14.73)16-6(285) hasti finance ltd 83.3(82.95)89-48(14) hind dorr 24.95(22.7)56-21(73) i,j i f b ind 112.3(110.85)130-58(19) inani marb 611.75(629.95)630-93(30) 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circle services 64.05(68.25)85-60(955) centron ind 177.75(177.85)183-23(12) dhvanil chemicals 74.45(75.05)86-26(273) esaar 54.3(56.4)64-10(139) finalysis credit & guarantee company 103.65(101.75)103-30(63) g,h gemstone investment 15.1(15.45)20-7(1928) goyal financials 58.8(56.0)58-13(30) grenada investment & trading comapny 116.4(117.15)142-11(27) gujarat reclaim 1560.0(1530.3)2020-1060(1) hind. copper 152.6(153.2)320-146(362) i,j,k imp finance 40.0(38.1)43-18(76) infodrive soft 9.31(9.79)23-5(130) insul elec 390.0(390.6)422-242(3) intec secur. 71.75(73.65)90-27(21) jain marble udhyog 25.75(26.24)26-9(67) jalan metallurgical 354.0(349.7)354-52(82) jalgaon reroll 111.25(115.35)128-40(259) kalefilms 31.0(31.65)49-17(1185) l,m,n,o lesha steels 77.5(80.15)145-75(16) mahanivesh 348.45(340.0)358-250(27) mppolyprole 170.0(171.0)178-88(6) national min 164.95(162.65)206-136(52) natraj comm 119.45(120.3)128-35(119) ncl research and financial services 891.65(887.05)999-94(17) osian industries 34.55(35.25)174-34(65) p,q,r pflinfotc 30.45(29.0)263-15(37) polytex india 240.75(240.4)281-121(169) residency hou 46.5(44.3)79-33(101) rosebud commercial 43.3(44.05)54-17(26) s s v electricals 7.28(7.43)13-3(199) sawaca finance 205.95(206.6)234-18(56) secunderabad healthcare 25.95(26.25)30-3(70) shree nath 68.3(66.3)68-8(501) sulabh eng 410.0(403.5)423-11(5) surya industrial corporation 75.2(75.95)77-64(27) svl capitals 92.1(93.75)95-40(12) swan mills 132.4(133.2)147-56(131) t,u,v tilak finance 75.25(73.8)75-9(33) toshika chemicals 172.2(172.7)180-37(71) trendy knitwear 13.48(13.47)19-4(492) tuni textile mills 205.0(207.5)284-29(322) unisys software and holding industries 260.0(267.95)300-62(122) veerenrgy 14.77(14.65)17-1(1676) venusvent 12.53(12.73)26-6(206) vishal cotspin 143.7(144.65)190-122(8) w,x,y,z wyn aqua exp 20.0(19.95)21-5(168)
after becoming the first indian cricketer to make three triple centuries in first class cricket, saurashtra all rounder ravindra jadeja is now eyeing a berth in the national team."i was focusing to do well as i have been out of national team for the last six to seven months and after making triple centuries, i have proved my ability to stay on wicket for long," jadeja, who on sunday scored 331 runs against railways in ranji trophy group a match said here today."with this knock, i have proved that i am fit for limited overs cricket as well as for five day match," he added.jadeja also said that with three triple centuries, his confidence level has gone up, which would help him deliver his best in the subsequent matches."i was waiting to deliver my best after being dropped from the national side. i worked hard to sharpen my cricketing skills," he stated adding he wanted to play big inning but was not thinking to make two triple centuries in a season."i didn't think to make two triple centuries in a single season because making three hundred plus has never been easy."he, however, termed his unbeaten 303 against gujarat in the opening match as his best."we were chasing 600 plus runs for getting first inning lead and therefore that inning of unbeaten 303 is my best inning compared to this 331(against railways)" jadeja said.
the karnataka women's commission today suggested that the state government establish a central monitoring agency to handle cases of missing women and girls.it said monitoring cells should be set up at all bus and railway stations with the help of police to curb pimps from approaching vulnerable girls at these points.the commission, which was asked by the government to study the reasons for a large number of girls and women going missing from mysore, recommended making moral education mandatory for students. they also emphasised on the role of information and communication technology to combat the menace of girls and women reported missing, kidnapped or trafficked.the commission's study was submitted today to deputy chief minister and home minister r ashok by its chairperson c manjula and other members.the study revealed that a large number of victims were teenagers or adolescents, especially school and college students.it suggested addressing sexuality in this group, sensitising them on human rights of women and children and to start counselling cells at all schools and colleges to discuss the status of missing girls and human trafficking issues."there should be regular and constant vigil system in police stations towards the person and institutions involved in human trafficking, who run illegal and unregistered clubs, and homestays, to lure innocent girls and women," it said.it demanded that the home department frame suitable rules and issue a circular to police officers and police stations to make it compulsory to list and parade criminals involved in all types of crime and illegal activities against women and girls.teleserials, especially those which have scenes inducing adolescents and girls to run away from the home should be censored, it said.in mysore city 1,612 girls and boys went missing since 2009 to 2011. out of 1,612 missing 843 were girls.of this, 1,194 were traced and 418 remained untraced, the report said.
Tense moments prevailed at Mambalam railway station on Sunday after an explosive-like substance was found in a dustbin there. The incident happened around 11.30 a.m. when the station was crowded with T. Nagar shoppers. Govindammal and her sister Krishnaveni, members of the railway station cleaning staff, found the suspicious-looking object. “We found a pipe-like object while emptying a garbage bin near the Railway Protection Force (RPF) office on platform 2,” said Krishnaveni. They took it to the station master. “She asked to us to take it to the RPF. There was a red tape around the pipe and a thread hanging from the end. I got scared,” said Krishnaveni, who has been working at the station for a few months now. RPF personnel alerted the bomb disposal squad and they reached the station and inspected the object. “It was hollow and there was no explosive substance. It was 1.15 feet in length. We suspect it was some model used in a cracker shop,” said a senior RPF officer. Though it was not a real explosive, officials said they did not want to take any chances. They scanned the station premises. “It could be an exercise to test the police as December 6, the Babri Masjid attack anniversary, is just round the corner,” a police officer said.
to attract more people, delhi traffic police have decided to remodel the four training parks into destinations to impart knowledge about traffic rules to motorists, apart from providing recreational facilities.the city traffic police have training parks at four places — baba kharak singh marg, punjabi bagh, pragati maidan and roshanara road. these parks are used to educate children about the traffic rules. the traffic police have decided to renovate these parks to attract more city residents including the elderly."we have planned to create miniatures of the important landmarks of the city like india gate, red fort, and qutub minar. it will give them an idea of the traffic situation in different parts of the city like new delhi and old delhi railway stations," said special commissioner of police (traffic) sudhir yadav. "the facility will help the visitors in updating their knowledge of traffic rules in a virtual setting of the city."main features of the traffic parks include virtual setting of roundabouts, pedestrian facility, functioning of signal lights, and different kind of carriageways. the traffic police officials said the renovation of the four these parks will be done phase-wise with bks marg park being the first to get a facelift. "we have roped in delhi college of arts and commerce to design the bks marg training park. they have suggested some designs, which we will be finalising soon," said yadav.officials said renovated parks will also have facilities like mini-theatre with a seating capacity of 25 to 30 people, which will impart knowledge about different aspects of the city traffic to the visitors. while renovation of the bks marg training park is expected to be completed within next few months, the design for other parks is still being finalised, said an official. since the training park at punjabi bagh is next to the metro station, traffic police department is likely to renovate it in partnership with the delhi metro rail corporation. "we can also choose delhi metro as the theme to renovate the park at punjabi bagh with miniatures of metro trains. however, the final blueprint is yet to made," said yadav. traffic cops said they are preparing a list of do's and don'ts of traffic rules which will be distributed among the visitors.
ply more buses to horamavuthe authorities of the bangalore metropolitan transport corporation should introduce more buses to horamavu. only five-six buses ply to horamavu resulting in heavy crowding of buses. commuters are compelled to travel on footboard during peak hours. not even a single new service has been introduced to the area in the last three years. the population of the locality is increasing and hence more buses are required.manjesh c, horamavushabby work on swd slabsthe bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike has been removing stone slabs over the stormwater drains in maruthi mandir ward. the stones are being replaced with concrete slabs made on the spot, the quality of which is questionable. few slabs made in similar way and laid in different areas have already been damaged. the stone slabs would have lasted a life time and the gaps between the slabs would have also allowed some amount of water percolation into the ground which would help in ground water rejuvenation. the storm water drains were built almost 10 years ago and had absolutely no problem. the project to replace stone slabs with concrete ones appears to be scheme to swindle money on a continuous basis as the newly built concrete slabs will break down owing to their shabby build thus creating a continuous opportunity for maintenance and corruption. added to all these is the discomfiture the citizens have to go through for a period of more than a month without access to proper roads due to digging.madhavagarbage pile up in kammanahallia vacant land adjacent to the building 'the motherland' on kacharakanahalli road was used as a playground by children. the land has now been dug up to make way for a building thus depriving children a playground. in addition, the land is being turned into a dump yard since garbage is being dumped indiscriminately in the vicinity. garbage mounds, in fact, have become ubiquitous on the road. pourakarmikas are adding to the mess by setting them on fire which billow out obnoxious smoke. only a few residents are practising garbage segregation and pourakarmikas are themselves confused a lot over collection of garbage. animals rummaging through the garbage mounds further compound the problem. the authorities concerned should take action well before kammanahalli degenerates into further mess.anuradha r, kammanahallioverflowing drainsewerage water has been overflowing on veerapillai street for the past one month contaminating ground water in the area. needless to say, this has put the local people at the risk of health problems. a major health hazard may occur if the authorities do not take any step to stem the flow of sewerage water. there has been an increase in the mosquito population and with the fear of dengue lurking, residents only pray that they be spared. it is high time the authorities concerned take note of the problem and address it at the earliest.ravi chandernandidurg road in bad shapethe second cross of nandidurg extension and the main road are in poor state owing to number of potholes. it is awful to see miller road being indiscriminately dug on one side and partially blocked on the other side owing to drainage work, which is progressing at a snail's pace. waterlogging at the cantonment railway under bridge is a major hazard. the bbmp should take up the work on the two roads as soon as possible. the residents may be compelled to move the high court with a public interest litigation as a last resort.h n srihari, residents' associationrun more buses to shivajinagarthe bmtc should ply more buses on route 222-e from kengeri satellite town to shivajinagar at least during peak hours. a lot of people commute from kengeri to shivajinagar for work and they have to catch two buses via majestic. a direct bus from kengeri would be most helpful for the daily commuters.k s sundaram, kengerireckless disposal of garbagegarbage dumped behind bagmane tech park in cvraman nagar constituency is not cleared for weeks together leading to foul smell and breeding of mosquitoes. all the shops in the area throw garbage on the road. the residents in the locality, however, segregate waste and hand it over to the bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike garbage collection trucks. unfortunately, shopkeepers are not adhering to the practice. the authorities concerned should enforce strict vigilance for some period to make sure that the practice is adhered to. a residentirregular water supply water supply to motappanapalya, in hal2nd stage of indiranagar has become irregular of late. the supply is on alternate days and water does not reach the houses because of poor water pressure. the problem has been brought to the notice of the bwssb inspector who assured to talk to the valveman. however, the problem has not been resolved. the supply to houses in indiranagar is not affected. will the bwssb take steps to restore regular water supply?abhishek b s, tata consultancy servicescharter service of bmtc busesit is disheartening to note that while regular commuters of the bmtc buses wait for hours together at bus stops, lot of bmtc buses have been drafted for chartered services for companies/software parks. once these buses drop the employees, they are pressed into normal services between 10 am to 4 pm. when no one needs them. the bmtc should introduce more buses during peak hours and make sure that every area is covered by ac carona, volvo or marco polo buses. a lot of affluent people nowadays are willing to travel in ac buses in the interest of pollution control, saving fuel and to avoid traffic jams and are willing to pay higher fare to travel in such buses as long as they are made available.all the buses are routed to depots by 8.30 pm. in a city like bangalore where normally people leave offices by 8.30 pm, the bmtc should ensure that it has regular bus services at least till 10 pm. ihave conveyed my concern on the grievance address platform of the bmtcwebsite.satish srinivasan
NEW DELHI: Now, Rail Neer — packaged drinking water supplied by the railways in trains and platforms — will cost Rs 15 for a one-litre bottle. Railways has cleared the proposal to increase the rate of Rail Neer from Rs 12 to Rs 15. While, the price of 500 ml bottle will be raised from Rs 8 to Rs 10. IRCTC, a railway PSU, has to finalize a date for implementation of the new rate. IRCTC manufactures Rail Neer at three locations — Nangloi (Delhi), Danapur (Bihar) and Palur (near Chennai) — with a cumulative production capacity of 3.80 lakh bottles (1 litre capacity) per day.
The Union Urban Development Ministry’s decision to permit the involvement of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in the Kochi Metro project is being seen as the result of political pressure exerted by the State government. The Opposition too had launched an all-out campaign to ensure that the agency implemented the project. The technical and supervisory help of the DMRC head office in Delhi will provide an impetus to the project. Already, the DMRC Kochi unit and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) together have over 60 employees, most of whom are technical experts. The decision on the DMRC’s involvement in the Kochi Metro is being seen as the culmination of overwhelming public support for the agency that had built up over the years. This had prompted the stakeholders and decision makers, many of whom reportedly made attempts to keep the DMRC away from the project, to have a relook at their stand. The credibility and track record that the agency had built up over the past 15 years under the stewardship of E. Sreedharan stood it in good stead, since people were fed up with civil works undertaken by many other agencies that dragged on for years or were embroiled in scams. The Rs.5,182-crore project that was mooted in 2004 to decongest Kochi would link Aluva with Pettah through M.G. Road. Other projects Friday’s decision would also reflect in the DMRC’s involvement in the Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram mono rail projects, the high-speed rail corridor, and a few bridge projects in Kochi. Over a month ago, its Director Board took a decision that its nod was required for the agency to undertake works outside Delhi. This was widely interpreted as a hasty decision that was taken to keep the DMRC out of the Kochi Metro project. As Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in New Delhi on Friday, the DMRC was involved with the Metro project from 2004 when it was entrusted with the task of preparing the detailed project report. Minister for Transport Aryadan Mohammed and Union Ministers Vayalar Ravi and K.V. Thomas along with Mr. Chandy met Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday. In 2009, the then Left Democratic Front (LDF)-led government had entrusted the DMRC with the preparatory works for the Metro project — building two overbridges and widening three arterial roads in Kochi. Subsequently, attempts were made within the State and at the Centre to hand over the Metro’s work to private players, by inviting global tenders. The DMRC’s then Managing Director and currently Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan was among those who had highlighted the perils of involving private players. The plight of the Hyderabad and Mumbai metros, which encountered delays and were caught in scams after being handed over to private firms, were cited as examples. Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Ms Sheila Dikshit said that steps would be taken to ensure that the DMRC’s involvement in the Kochi Metro would not affect the works on phase three and four of Delhi Metro. Mr. Chandy said that a committee comprising the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Delhi would in tandem with the Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna ready the terms of agreement (about the DMRC’s involvement in the project). Interestingly, Kochi Metro covers a distance of only 25 km, while the Delhi Metro is over 400 km and the DMRC has ample number of personnel for the purpose. The DMRC’s Kochi project office has over 30 technical experts led by a Project Director, while KMRL — the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed for the Metro was in the process of recruiting more technical staff. The DMRC’s technical experts in Kochi include a Joint GM, four Deputy GMs, three managers, three assistant managers and a team of 23 engineers. The KMRL, led by MD, too is on a hiring mode, seeking the service of personnel who were associated with metro rails across the world. The Kochi-based technical personnel are expected to act in tandem with the DMRC’s head office, for the Kochi Metro.
The railways have increased the price of packaged drinking water produced by IRCTC under the brand name Rail Neer by as much as 25 percent. The one litre bottle which so far could be bought for Rs. 12 will now be available at Rs. 15 in trains and stations. Similarly the 500 ml capacity bottle could be had for Rs. 10 as against its earlier price of Rs. 8. The railways have also allowed a hike in the price of the other brands of packaged water bottles that are permitted for sale on trains and stations at prices on par with the maximum retail price fixed for the two capacities of Rail Neer bottles.
while the users and the operators are yet to come to terms with the usefulness of sarojini nagar market's multi-level parking, which completed one year on friday, a transport planning expert dismisses it as an ideal solution to the parking woes in the city. p k sarkar, a professor in the department of transport planning at the school of planning and architecture (spa),says that the multi-level parking would not serve the purpose if the conditions under which they are being operated currently. "first of all, multi-level parkings are required only if there is no alternative. if it is required at all, they need to be backed by a proper action plan. in order to make them a success, the government needs to eliminate roadside parking and making it mandatory for all motorists to park their vehicles in the multi-level parking. else, surface parking should be made so exorbitant that people have no other option but to use the facility. otherwise, such facilities at cramped places like sarojini nagar market would only add up to the chaos instead of decongesting it," said sarkar. the expert further said that the city would not require multi-level parkings once a robust and integrated mass transit network like delhi metro is put in place.ideal solution"around 1,100 new vehicles are being rolled out on the capital everyday. in that context, an ideal solution for all parking and traffic woes in the city is mass transit facility of delhi metro. with a well-laid feeder service, if delhi metro becomes a reality, such facilities would lose relevance any way. people would prefer taking metro to sarojini nagar market than their own car," said sarkar. according to the latest figures released by the delhi government, the total number of vehicles registered in the city has touched 74 lakh.
the politics of constructing memorial for late shiv sena chief bal thackeray is fast snowballing into a major controversy in mumbai.the grandson of bharat ratna dr b r ambedkar, anand raj, on friday snubbed the demand made by sena workers and suggested that the memorial should be built on kohinoor mills in central mumbai where maharashtra navnirman sena (mns) chief raj thackeray once had a massive financial stake.soon after the cremation of bal thackeray, mns corporator sandeep deshpande in the sena-ruled brihanmumbai municipal corporation (bmc) demanded that late thackeray's memorial be built upon a vacant piece of land at india united mill, a national textile corporation (ntc) mills, popularly known as indu mills, located in the vicinity of shivaji park where the sena chief was cremated last sunday.there were other suggestions also; a congress corporator suggested renaming dadar railway station after thackeray while some suggested that bandra-worli sea link, named after rajiv gandhi, be renamed after thackeray.
the cabinet has constituted an empowered committee to look after railway projects funded by private investors. it also empowered the railway ministry to decide on such projects, said ministry sources.according to sources in railway ministry, the decision was taken on thursday meeting of cabinet committee on infrastructure(cci) while deciding the policy framework for private investment in railways.the committee will be comprised of chairman railway board, secretary planning commission and the secretary of ministry concerned with the project.sources said that railway has been authority to finalize such projects in order to avoid delay. earlier, such projects required approval of cabinet."railways is focussing on connectivity projects and promoting first-mile to last mile connectivity. in the joint venture projects, the private party will get 95 per cent of user charge levied on users of infrastructure developed under such projects. the railways will get 5 per cent of the charge," said a ministry official.railways is trying to compete with the road transport through increased connectivity to ports and mines. there are many projects which are waiting for such projects, particularly in mineral rich states like chhatisgarh, odisha and jharkhand.
The Indian Railways has made it compulsory for all passengers to carry the proof of identity in all reserved classes from December 1. Initiative This according to the Railways is an initiative to facilitate the travel of bonafide passengers and to reduce the scope for misuse of reserved ticketing system by unscrupulous elements or middlemen. Passengers in reserved classes of Second Class (2S); Sleeper Class (SL); III Economy Class (3E) and First Class (FC) with effect from December 1 have to show one of the prescribed proof of identity. The Railways has expanded the list of prescribed proofs of identity by including photo identity cards having serial numbers issued by Public Sector undertakings of State / Central Government, District Administrations, Municipal Administrations and Panchayat Administrations. The new list of prescribed proofs of identity for undertaking journey is: 1. Voter Photo Identity Card issued by Election Commission of India; 2. Passport; 3.PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department; 4. Driving Licence issued by Regional Transport Authorities; 5. Photo Identity Card having serial number issued by Central / State Government such as: Pension Pay Orders (PPO), Ration Card with photographs, Senior Citizen Cards, Below Poverty Line Cards, ESI Cards with photograph issued for taking treatment in ESI dispensaries; CGHS Cards with photograph issued to individual family members of Central Government employees; 6. Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognised School/College for their Students; 7. Nationalised Bank Passbook with photographs; 8. Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph; 9. Unique Identification Card “Aadhaar”; 10. Photo ID cards having serial number issued by Public Sector Undertakings of State/Central Government, District Administrations, Municipal Bodies and Panchayat Administrations.
The Punjab government on Thursday finalised the Project Report of Rs 9,840 crore ambitious Ludhiana Metro, paving way for its submission to Union Government for final approval. At a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal the “financial model” for the Ludhiana Metro was also approved “so that there should be least financial burden on people of Punjab”. The relief and resettlement policy for the project was also finalised. Sukhbir directed that there should be minimum possible displacement of people due to the project and Metro Authority can go for underground lines instead of displacing people, even if it may raise the price of project. Sukhbir approved the Metro Alignment from on Ferozepur Road to BBMB Power House on the Chandigarh Road that would have 15.70 km out of which 12.152 km would be elevated and the remaining distance would be underground. It would have 11 elevated and three underground stations, Similarly, the alignment for Corridor-2 from Gill Village to Rahon Road, spanning a distance of 13.035 kms, was also finalised. This corridor will have 13 stations — six elevated and seven underground. The Corridor-1 will require 11.70 acre of land while Corridor-2 will need 19.05 acre for alignment, station and receiving substation. It will require 65 acres for Baddowal Depot and 52 acres for Gill Village Depot. It was also decided that Ludhiana Metro be covered under Delhi Metro Railway Operation and Maintenance Act, 2002 and other legal framework controlling Delhi Metro.
To boost industrialisation, trade and commercial activity in Punjab, the state government would soon set up a dry port near Kila Raipur in Ludhiana to link it with the Eastern and Western Railway Freight corridor. A decision to this effect was taken in the 92nd meeting of the Project Approval Board held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here on Thursday. The dry port will be a joint venture of Punjab State Container and Warehousing Corporation Limited and Container Corporation of India Limited — a Navratna PSU of Ministry of Railways, an official spokesperson said here.
chaos at pragati maidan metro station is likely to prevail despite opening up of two more gates to ease the movement at the india international trade fair. police officials said additional gates might not be able to tackle the rush as the station will see maximum footfall from november 19 to 27. it is the nearest station to the venue.nearly 1.5 million visitors are expected during this year's fair compared to last year's figure of 1.4 million. "if we go by the present estimates, general public normally travels via metro. we will see maximum rush at the venue's gates, which are next to the metro station," said a police officer. "people need to be on their best behaviour to cooperate with us."but metro officials said they have made adequate arrangements to overcome any mishap. they added that these gates are usually opened every year to make movement easier. "since a large crowd is expected this year we have made additional arrangements," said a delhi metro rail corporation official. during last year's trade fair, the average daily footfall at the pragati maidan metro station was approximately 1.2 lakh passengers which is likely to increase this year. "we do not have any estimates about how much will the footfall be, but we are seeing more rush near indraprastha metro station too since the beginning of the fair," said the official.the two gates are being used as only exit gates at present. barricaded pathways have been formed for trade fair visitors to enter the station where three pathways are for men and one for women. there is only one metal detector for women and five detectors for men. security has also been beefed up at the station. "since the guards are working on rotational basis, we do not have the exact count of guards being deployed at pragati maidan. but security has been enhanced," said hemender singh, spokesperson of central industrial security force.arrangements for additional ticket counters have been made at the pragati maidan metro station.
A Pakistani lawmaker surprised his colleagues on Friday by suggesting that the country’s railways be handed over to the former Indian Railway Minister, Laloo Prasad, if the government was unable to tackle the state-run entity’s numerous problems. Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Sajid Ahmed made the suggestion in the National Assembly while Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Noman Islam Sheikh was answering questions about the performance of the railways. Mr. Prasad is widely credited with guiding the turnaround of the Indian Railways. Pakistan Railways has been plagued by several problems over the past few years, including lack of locomotives, shortage of spare parts and fuel and cancellation of dozens of trains due to a financial crunch.
the tussle between the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) and the south western railways (swr) over construction of a 66-metre-long viaduct span crossing the railway line at malleswaram has been finally resolved. bmrcl officials told deccan herald that they were preparing for the construction of this crucial viaduct at malleswaram as all pending formalities has been cleared. a senior official from the bmrcl said the actual work over the railway line in malleswaram will be started in a few days. "even though the commissioner for metro railway safety (crs), southern circle, had approved the construction of a 66-metre-long viaduct span in september first week, we were not able to start work as there were some financial issues to be settled with the swr. the matter has now been resolved," he said.confirmationconfirming the resolution of the issue, suvankar biswas, spokesperson, swr, said they have no problems in regard to bmrcl carrying out metro works at malleswaram. "when the bmrcl officials fix a date, we will restrict the speed of the trains to 20-km/hour on both the tracks of the section passing through malleswaram to facilitate the works. in fact, we had never asked the bmrcl to stop work anywhere. we just wanted them to clear necessary technical and financial formalities before taking up the work," he said.the construction of the bridge at malleswaram is vital for opening the namma metro line on reach 3 from sampige road metro station (swastik) to peenya and hesaraghatta cross metro station. the bmrcl has requested swrfor 26 traffic blocks, each of two-and-a-half hours at any time of the day or night, for launching the trusses, steel beams and other staging materials spanning the tracks at this point.
three people, including an 18-year-old girl, were found dead in separate incidents in the city on friday. akshatha, a second pu student, allegedly jumped in front of a moving train at sahakarnagar railway gate. a student of sri jagadguru renukacharyacollege, akshatha, the railway police said, had left a suicide note stating that "nobody is responsible for my death. i think i have cheated a lot of people in my life and i do not intend to cheat people anymore." akshatha's father panchaksharaiah is a mechanic with the bmtc. according to her parents, akshatha was a meritorious student.leaps to deathin another case, satindra kumar, 40, a manager with a private firm, allegedly jumped to his death from the fourth floor of a hotel he was staying in. kumar, a native of gurgaon, had come to bangalore two days ago to attend a series of meetings. on thursday, he had participated in a meeting near mysore and was scheduled to take part in another meeting in bangalore. the whitefield police, who have registered a case, said they found several liquor bottles in his hotel room. kumar was married with a three-year-old son.man found hangingg harisha, 30, was found hanging in his room at nagavarapalya. it is said that harisha was unemployed and depressed that he was not able to take care of his ailing mother. the incident came to light when his sister came to visit her mother at their house.
a pakistani lawmaker surprised his colleagues on friday by suggesting that the country's railways should be handed over to former indian railway minister lalu prasad if the government was unable to tackle the state-run entity's numerous problems.muttahida qaumi movement lawmaker sajid ahmed made the suggestion in the national assembly or lower house of parliament while parliamentary secretary for railways noman islam sheikh was answering questions about the performance of the railways.lalu is widely credited for guiding the turnaround of the indian railways.pakistan railways has been plagued by several problems over the past few years, including the lack of locomotives, shortage of spare parts and fuel and the cancellation of dozens of trains due to lack of financial resources. sheikh said new locomotives would have to be purchased for reviving the railways and making it a profitable organisation.he said the railways ministry had floated a tender for purchasing 69 new locomotives. all non-productive expenses had been stopped and expenditures were being incurred in line with available resources, he said.
alleging usurping of compensation by their relatives, a few pakistani families who lost their loved ones in the 2007 samjhauta express blasts near panipat, haryana, are set to meet officials of the ministry of external affairs in new delhi on monday. at least three pakistani nationals, who lost their relatives in the blast that killed 68 people, mostly pakistan nationals, reached panipat on thursday.no compensation despite being awarded compensation in lakhs by the railways tribunal, they have not received any. the compensation was gobbled up by their relatives in india, pakistan-based advocate momin malik alleged. malik said munne khan, a pakistan national, whose wife and two children were killed in the blast, did not get the money as his relatives in india grabbed the rs 15-lakh compensation. "khan's relatives collected the compensation and told the aggrieved family members in pakistan that their petition had been quashed by the court," malik claimed. citing another case of two brothers, sayed umar and sayed fahad ali, who lost their parents in the blast, malik alleged they lost a compensation of rs 18 lakh to their relatives in india. the matter has been taken up with the pakistan high commission in new delhi and the indian high commission in islamabad, malik said.he threatened to file police complaints against the relatives. the aggrieved families had moved indian courts for enhancement of the compensation. "general power of attorneys were given to their relatives in india for a smooth and expeditious trial. the court enhanced the compensation, but it never reached the beneficiaries," malik alleged.
Humayun Kabir, Congress legislator and a loyalist of Minister of state for Railways Adhir Chowdhury today resigned from the party to join the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Kabir, the MLA from Rejinagar in Murshidabad district said in a letter faxed to WBPCC President Pradip Bhattacherjee and Chowdhury, that he was quitting the party and all posts. "I resigned from all Congress posts. I will also put in my papers as MLA and join the Trinamool Congress on November 20," he said from Rejinagar. "I have already got in touch with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and held talks with TMC's all India General Secretary Mukul Roy," he said. Kabir is likely to be inducted in the ministry in a reshuffle expected next week. To a question, Kabir said he would meet Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on November 20 to submit his resignation as MLA and discuss the technicalities of his quitting the Congress. Kabir, a first time MLA and an associate of Adhir Chowdhury since 1998 was not getting along well with him. He was also the Murshidabad district Congress and president of the party's district kisan cell. He also claimed that he quit the party as it had lost confidence in building up a proper movement against the CPI(M). Another Congress MLA Krishnendu Chowdhury from the Congress stronghold of Malda district would join the Trinamool Congress on November 20 and is likely to be inducted into the ministry in the ministerial reshuffle. "I will join Trinamool Congress on November 20 in Kolkata," Krishnendu Chowdhury, chairman of the Englishbazar Municipality in Malda district told PTI over phone. He, however, evaded a query whether he would resign as MLA. ... contd.
Humayun Kabir, Congress legislator and a loyalist of Minister of state for Railways Adhir Chowdhury on Friday resigned from the party to join the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Mr. Kabir, the MLA from Rejinagar in Murshidabad district said in a letter faxed to WBPCC President Pradip Bhattacherjee and Chowdhury, that he was quitting the party and all posts. “I resigned from all Congress posts. I will also put in my papers as MLA and join the Trinamool Congress on November 20,” he said from Rejinagar. “I have already got in touch with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and held talks with TMC’s all India General Secretary Mukul Roy,” he said. Mr. Kabir is likely to be inducted in the ministry in a reshuffle expected next week. To a question, Mr. Kabir said he would meet Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on November 20 to submit his resignation as MLA and discuss the technicalities of his quitting the Congress. Mr. Kabir, a first time MLA and an associate of Adhir Chowdhury since 1998 was not getting along well with him. He was also the Murshidabad district Congress and president of the party’s district kisan cell. He also claimed that he quit the party as it had lost confidence in building up a proper movement against the CPI(M). Another Congress MLA Krishnendu Chowdhury from the Congress stronghold of Malda district would join the Trinamool Congress on November 20 and is likely to be inducted into the ministry in the ministerial reshuffle. “I will join Trinamool Congress on November 20 in Kolkata,” Mr. Chowdhury, chairman of the Englishbazar Municipality in Malda district told PTI over phone. He, however, evaded a query whether he would resign as MLA. Murshidabad district party secretary Mafuz Alam said it was unfortunate that Mr. Kabir resigned to join TMC ‘to fulfil his personal ambitions’. WBPCC chief Pradip Bhattacherjee had said that it was clear that the sole agenda of the TMC appeared to breakup of the Congress in the State.
The Kochi Metro Rail project requires 40.409 hectares of land, including for pay-and-park lots. The requirement is over eight hectares more than the estimate in the detailed project report. The terminal stations at Aluva and Pettah and the stations at Kalamassery, Edappally and Kaloor will have big parking lots. These details were mentioned in a report submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. (KMRL) based on a joint inspection a week ago of the metro alignment and the station sites. The total land required for the 22 stations is 9.4 hectares, which includes the area required for parking lots. For the additional parking envisaged at major stations, 2.79 hectares of land will be used, says a press release issued by the KMRL. The coach depot at Muttom, meant for the maintenance and repair of rolling stock, requires 23.6 hectares of land. It was earlier estimated at 17 hectares. “We are going ahead with the preparations at a fast pace to avoid any delay in implementing the project. “The next step is taking possession of the land so that we can start the metro’s work,” Elias George, Managing Director, KMRL, said.
The precise extent of land required for the Kochi Metro Rail project will be known only after the Revenue Department conducts a survey along the metro’s Aluva-MG Road-Pettah alignment and the proposed station sites. The DMRC’s estimate that 40.40 hectares of land would be required might vary after the revenue survey. The survey, expected to begin shortly, will reveal the amount of land encroached on roads and metro-station sites. Many ‘puramboke’ lands too are reportedly encroached upon. “There might be slight variations in the land required, based on the survey’s outcome. Metro stations will make optimal use of vacant and ‘puramboke’ lands,” KMRL sources said. Plans are afoot to rehabilitate traders and dwellers in ‘puramboke’ lands. Sources said the proposal to acquire six more hectares for the coaching yard at Muttom was for shifting electrical high-tension lines. Ninety four more hectares of land is required at Muttom and 20 hectares at Kakkanad for establishing commercial hubs (a metro village). Officials of the DMRC said they had handed over their requirements of land, so that the metro’s work could be speeded up. “The survey might throw up aspects that will marginally vary the land required.” Around 1.70 hectares will be acquired along the Aluva-Edappally NH for widening narrow portions in the stretch, so that four-lane traffic is possible when work on the metro’s pillars is on. An MoU is expected to be signed with the NHAI in this regard. With eight metres’ width of the road out of bounds for vehicles, parking is likely to be banned at select stretches. The following are the places where the viaduct will be positioned outside the median — the Aluva shunting neck, Aluva railway station to Pulinchodu, near the Muttom yard, near the Vallarpadam Road at Kalamassery, the over bridge at Kalamassery near Nippon Toyota, the Madhava Pharmacy – M G Road corridor, Jos Junction corridor, the entry and exit of South Railway station and Vyttila mobility hub, and Silver Sand Island area.
In a bid to streamline traffic at Koti junction and Secunderabad Railway Station, the traffic police are planning to implement one-way traffic systems at both these places. However, owing to the infrastructural bottlenecks, authorities are planning to implement the plans on a trial basis to study the effects of one-ways. A blueprint for one-way at Secunderabad Railway Station is ready, but the existing road congestion might create problems as St. John junction, Clock Tower junction, Secunderabad Railway Station and road near Gurudwara already have heavy traffic, Additional CP (Traffic) C.V. Anand said. “We are looking for viable alternatives and will impose one-way, at both Secunderabad and Koti, on a trial basis soon,” he said. Authorities also have doubts regarding the one-way initiative at Koti junction. They were sceptical about the strength of the causeway between Kachiguda and Chaderghat to sustain increased traffic volume. “Imposing one-way traffic is a better way to decongest crowded junctions and roads in the city. However, we are still weighing the feasibility of these plans here,” Mr. Anand said. The traffic police is also engaging public over these issues. They have asked people to give their opinion on their Facebook page and got some valuable tips too. While some welcomed the initiatives, others pointed out the practical difficulties and suggested alternative plans. Majority of the people said the congestion at Secunderabad Railway Station is mainly due to the presence of petty vendors and pedestrians and providing an alternative for them would decongest the roads. Other suggestions included drastic steps like shifting the Midhani, Dilsukhnagar and Uppal bus stops towards the Bhoiguda entrance of the Secunderabad Railway Station. Have a better idea about solving this tough traffic puzzle? Share your views at The Hindu, Hyderabad Facebook page ‘www.facebook.com/TheHinduHyd’ or send a mail to ‘hydlife@thehindu.co.in’.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday agreed to permit the L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) constructing the elevated metro rail project for the city to take up the piers work in other parts of the city too. He asked Hyderabad Metro Rail Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy to ensure that the GHMC, Water Board and the traffic police allow more work sites. The Special Task Force headed by the Chief Secretary too will be meeting more frequently to resolve any contentious issues between various departments, he informed L&TMRH Chairman Y.M. Deosthalee and Managing Director V.B. Gadgil when they called on him. The metro rail officials of the concessionaire reiterated the request to permit starting piers work at various other locations at the earliest as they were ready to pump in more personnel, machinery and manpower to speed up the project. They apprised the Chief Minister about the progress of works.
NEW DELHI: In a move that is likely to expedite the construction of Kolkata's East West Metro Rail project, West Bengal has started the process of transferring its shares to the Centre. On Thursday, share transfer to the railways and Union urban development ministry was formalized, sources said. The decision was taken at a meeting here that was attended by top officials from West Bengal government. Now, railway ministry will own 74% stake in the project with the UD ministry holding the rest. This is in accordance with the Union Cabinet decision in August. The East West Metro is the only such project in the country that does not have any stake of the state government. The move to have complete central control over the project was initiated by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when she was rail minister and at that time, Left government was in power in Bengal. But there were reports of the state government hesitating to hand over its stake soon after TMC walked out of the UPA government. There were reports that the state government was worried whether stake handover at this stage would benefit the Congress. Minister of state for railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told TOI that after he took charge, the ministry had pursued the case with the state government. "We have pursued the state government to hand over the stake. Our aim is to keep promises that the UPA has made to the people of Bengal. The project will be expedited," he said. Government sources said the cash strapped Bengal government had no option but to hand over the stake. They said the state government had written to the UD ministry on November 9 informing that it had started the process of stake transfer. The other major decision at Thursday's meeting was dissolution of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation's board. A new board will be constituted soon, sources said. In a stop-gap arrangement, KMRCL director H K Sharma has been appointed acting managing director. Till April 2012, the project had received Rs 942.95 crore, including Rs 402.25 crore loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Bengal government has paid around Rs 242.5 crore, which includes its equity and subordinate debt. Once the state hands over the entire stake, the Centre will reimburse the amount to the state government.
KOLKATA: Three days after the Mamata Banerjee government withdrew B P Gopalika, the erstwhile managing director of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), the East-West Metro project got a new chief executive officer (CEO) on Thursday. A chief engineer with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, H K Sharma, who used to be the director (projects and planning), KMRCL, was appointed the new CEO of the company. The decision was taken at a crucial meeting on the transfer of Bengal government's share to the ministry of railways for execution of the ambitious project in New Delhi on Thursday. After Thursday's meeting, the Bengal government would have no role in the Rs 4,674-crore East-West Metro project which will connect Salt Lake's Sector V to Howrah. Last week, chief secretary Sanjay Mitra wrote to Sudhir Krishna, secretary, Union ministry of urban development, expressing the Bengal government's decision to transfer its share to the ministry of railways. Accordingly, Krishna, who is also the chairman, KMRCL, called a meeting on Thursday. The meeting was attended by the chief secretary and transport secretary Gopalika, who used to be the managing-director, KMRCL . Before joining KMRCL as a whole-time director, Sharma, now the CEO, used to be chief engineer (planning), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. According to an order issued by the state transport department on Monday, along with Gopalika, the two other directors - state urban development secretary Debashis Sen and railway adviser and special secretary, transport department, J K Saha - representing the Bengal government in KMRCL, were also withdrawn. Although it was at chief minister Mamata Banerjee's behest that the decision to give up Bengal government's 50 % equity to railways was taken, the transfer process didn't take off, thus jeopardising the East-West Metro project. The state government seemed to be dragging its feet on the transfer ever since Mamata quit the UPA and ceased to have control of the railway ministry. Ironically, it was Mamata's idea that the railways should carry out the project and take the burden off the cash-strapped Bengal government, which was supposed to pay Rs 701 crore as its equity contribution. So far, the Bengal government has only paid Rs 146 crore for the project. The railways, after its takeover (with a 74% equity, including 24% from the ministry of urban development), is supposed to return this Rs 146 crore to the Bengal government. The East-West Metro project has a new chief executive officer (CEO), a chief engineer of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The decision was taken at the crucial meeting on the transfer of Bengal government's share to the ministry of railways for execution of the ambitious project in New Delhi on Thursday. On Monday, the Mamata Banerjee government passed an order and withdrew its directors, including managing director B P Gopalika, from Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), the centre-state joint venture company formed to execute the East West Metro Corridor project. The withdrawal was reaffirmed at the meeting in Delhi and H K Sharma, who used to be director (projects and planning), KMRCL, was appointed as the CEO of the company. After Thursday's meeting, the Bengal government would have no role in the Rs 4,674-crore East-West Metro project which will connect Salt Lake's Sector V to Howrah. Last week, chief secretary Sanjay Mitra wrote to Sudhir Krishna, secretary, Union ministry of urban development, expressing the Bengal government's decision to transfer its share to the ministry of railways. Accordingly, Krishna, who is also the chairman, KMRCL, called a meeting on Thursday. The meeting was attended by the chief secretary and transport secretary Gopalika, who used to be the managing-director, KMRCL. Before joining KMRCL as a whole-time director, Sharma, now the CEO, used to be chief engineer (planning), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. According to an order issued by the state transport department on Monday, along with Gopalika, the other two directors representing the Bengal government in KMRCL, state urban development secretary Debashis Sen and railway adviser and special secretary, transport department, J K Saha, have been withdrawn. Although it was at chief minister Mamata Banerjee's behest that the decision to give up Bengal government's 50 % equity to railways was taken, the transfer process didn't take off, thus jeopardising the East-West Metro project. The state government seemed to be dragging its feet on the transfer ever since Mamata quit the UPA and ceased to have control of the railway ministry. Ironically, it was Mamata's idea that the railways should carry out the project and take the burden off the cash-strapped Bengal government, which was supposed to pay Rs 701 crore as its equity contribution. So far, the Bengal government has only paid Rs 146 crore for the project. The railways, after its takeover (with a 74 % equity, including 24 % from the ministry of urban development), is supposed to return this Rs 146 crore to the Bengal government.
Two of the city’s major railway stations will now be armed with a state-of-the-art security system. As part of a nationwide drive by Indian Railways to enhance passenger security, Chennai Central and Egmore stations will get CCTV surveillance cameras, under-vehicle scanners and x-ray baggage screening devices. On Thursday, Southern Railway became the first zonal railway to implement the Integrated Security System (ISS) being rolled out at select railway stations by the Indian Railways. In Chennai, ISS facilities will be installed at five suburban terminals too — Basin Bridge, Chennai Beach, Mambalam, Tambaram and Tiruvallur. A total of 14 stations on the Southern Railway network benefit from the Rs. 41-crore ISS project. The centrepiece of ISS is Under Vehicle Scanning Systems (UVSS) at 18 entry/exit points at nine major stations. It will monitor and records under-the-carriage images of vehicles in motion. It also captures images of the vehicle driver and is equipped with a number plate recognition system. The features of the CCTV surveillance system with 625 IP-based cameras include recording and play back, storing of video data for 30 days, video analytics like intrusion detection and left object detection. The 295 x-ray baggage screening devices will have different tunnel sizes for different capacities of luggage while entry points will feature door frame metal detectors for personnel scanning, hand-held metal detectors and parcel scanners. Explosives detection facilities will involve bomb suites, bomb suppression blanket and bomb basket for the detection personnel. Other facilities include vapour trace detector for vapour sampling and car remote opening tools.
Athlete Pinki Pramanik on Thursday sought West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s intervention to ensure that the police did not “humiliate” her any further. “I want Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure that the police do not humiliate me. There is a legal case going on and I have nothing to say regarding it. But the police should stop making comments on my gender,” Ms. Pramanik told The Hindu. “I will write to Ms. Banerjee in the next few days seeking a meeting with her,” she said. The athlete has been charged with, among other offences, the rape of a woman who used to share her house. A charge sheet was filed in Barasat court in North 24 Parganas district on Monday. Additional Public Prosecutor had said “Pinki is a male,” referring to the medical tests to ascertain her gender. Ms. Pramanik alleged that such remarks in public regarding her gender were driving her to contemplate suicide. She questioned Ms. Banerjee’s silence in her case stating that there were repeated violations of her rights by the police during her stay in a correctional home and after her release. The athlete, who works as a ticket inspector in the Eastern Railway, said she was finding it difficult to continue with her job and would go on leave from Friday. “When I am on the job, a number of people come and surround me, some even make nasty remarks. I am forced to remain inside the office most of the times,” she said adding repeated remarks on her gender were like a “mental torture” to her. Anamika Acharya, who shared Ms. Pramanik’s house at Baguihati in the city, had filed a police complaint in June, accusing the athlete of raping her. Claiming that there were inconsistencies in the statements made by Ms. Acharya, the athlete said: “I am waiting to get the copies of charge sheet and the medical report that will be handed over to me on November 26. After that, I will file a defamation suit against her.” “My medals will not be taken away from me of that, I am sure,” said the former middle distance runner who won the 4X100 metres gold in 2006 Doha Asian games.
vaman acharya, chairman, karnataka state pollution control board (kspcb) on thursday said the board was mulling over putting restrictions on the namma metro construction work during the night.the kspcbchairman said the board has received a number of complaints pertaining to pollution and related problems due to metro works in the city. also, we need to consider the recent high court ruling, which has banned construction activities after 10 pm, he added. "we are also contemplating setting up a committee to monitor pollution from metro construction activities and, make related recommendations to address the problem. the board was not very keen on enforcing night restriction for metro works as the project has a short deadline to meet and, such restrictions will delay the project. however, in the wake of the recent court ruling, we have to be rigid in enforcing restrictions," he said. acharya said the whole effort was to try and bring down the pollution which has been caused by the metro work in the city. "we are of the opinion that the bangalore metro rail corporation ltd. (bmrcl) should make efforts to tar or concretise roads before construction begins, so that the dust generation can be reduced," he added.a senior official of the bmrcl, on the condition of anonymity, said restriction of namma metro work during night will hit the project deadlines severely. already the project has been delayed due to problems such as land acquisition. most of the work on metro corridors, including sensitive works like welding etc., can be carried out only during night, he said. one of the spokespersons of the bmrcl, however, said that they would be in a position to write back to the kspcb only after they get an official communication from them.
known to be a sharp critic of west bengal chief minister mamata banerjee, congress leader and mos for railways adhir chowdhury is all set to dissolve the decorative posts which were constituted during her tenure as the railway minister."the railways is not a dumping ground for painters and poets. the ministry is facing an acute shortage of funds, thanks to the leaders who led the ministry earlier. it is useless to maintain such ceremonial posts only to reward or please some people," adhir chowdhury told deccan herald over phone.banerjee, allegedly in a bid to seek intellectual support for the trinamool, formed several expert committees including railway passenger amenities committee (rpac) and railway heritage and culture committee (rhcc), and the committees were packed with painters, poets and academics.while the rpac is headed by painter shuvaprasanna and has fellow painter samir aich, singer pallab kirtaniya and film directors gautam ghose and haranath chakraborty as members, the rhcc is chaired by theatre personality saoli mitra and has poet joy goswami and thespians bibhas chakraborty and arpita ghosh as members.though the move evoked widespread criticism from all sections of society, an unfazed banerjee showered them with honorarium, perks and benefits. these decorative committees, with virtually no work, continued to function even after she quit the ministry.apart from perks which include free travel, food and lodging facilities while on official tours, the head of the committee is paid an honorarium of rs 50,000 while the members are given rs 25,000 each."maintaining the railways is a huge task. will these intellectuals draw pictures, write poems or perform plays inside railway coaches? only those who have knowledge of the railways should be allowed to work here. this is not the proper forum to rehabilitate civil society members close to leaders who held the ministry earlier," chowdhury added."i will step down from the committee myself. we never begged the ministry to accommodate us," said samir aich.
kaushik udupa contributed with both bat and ball as itc sports club defeated bhel (edn) sports club by eight wickets in the ksca group ii, division ii league match here. batting first, bhel were skittled out for 168 in 28.3 overs with giridhar v koppikar scalping three wickets for itc. sendhil kumar (2/17) and udupa (2/10) picked up two wickets each. jagadish top scored for bhel with 43. chasing 169 for victory, half-centuries from udupa (61) and rakshitha shiva kumar (51 n.o.) propelled itc to a comfortable win in the 29th over.brief scores: nal staff club: 123/9 in 30 overs (venu 40, balaji 33; rahamathulla khan 2-28) lt to air india sports club: 127/3 in 18.3 overs (rahamathulla khan 44, piyush 40 n.o.).beml sports club, kgf: 104 all out in 21.2 overs (prabhakar 41; adithya 2-23, murgesh 4-17, dikshanshu 2-12) lt to corporation bank: 107/3 in 14 overs (kishore 61; dean 2-26).beml rail coach sports club: 145/9 in 30 overs (sampreet 47, muniraj 29; koushik 3-24, ajay n 2-16, sushel samitha 3-33) lt to abrasive technology cc: 146/4 in 23.4 overs (n ajay 76 n.o.; a manohar 2-18).secretariat cricket club: 118 all out in 25.2 overs (arjun gowda 32; ranjan 2-28, jagadish 2-20, raghu 2-12) lt to bosch sports club, naganathapura: 119/1 in 15.3 overs (ranjan 48, harsha 61 n.o.).ksrtc sports club: 42 all out in 12.5 overs (satish k 3-12, ganesh 6-7) lt to karnataka state police cc: 44/3 in 4.3 overs (venugopal 2-16).cip sports club: 131 all out in 26 overs (varun prakash 53; sank saleem 4-29, mr ravindra 3-33) lt to beml recreation club, bangalore: 132/2 in 21.3 overs (rishab gm 68 n.o., srinivas 26). bhel (edn) sports club: 168 all out in 28.3 overs (shiva kumar r 25, sr jagadish 43; sendhil kumar 2-17, giridhar v koppikar 3-24, kaushik udupa 2-10) lt to itc sports club: 172/2 in 28.1 overs (kaushik udupa 61, rakshitha shiva kumar 51 n.o.).
despite a campaign by karnataka state pollution control board (kspcb) for a safe and soundless deepavali, the noise and air pollution levels shot up during the three-day festival in most areas of the city, including silent zones. the highest noise level was recorded in yelahanka new town, categorised as an industrial zone. on november 13, it recorded 84 db (decibel), an increase of 14 per cent compared to the recording on a normal day. city railway station recorded the highest air pollution with an increase in sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide levels, registering an average of 72 per cent increase in air pollutants on all the three days.addressing reporters here on thursday, vaman acharya, chairman, kspcb, admitted that the campaign has not yielded good results in terms of reducing the pollution levels in the city. "air pollution has increased in the city. but, noise levels in certain areas have come down compared to the previous year's recording. we are contemplating writing a letter to the state government to ban loud crackers in the state," he added.air pollution levels had increased on all the three days of the festival. at the city railway station, there was a 95 per cent increase in sulphur dioxide, 67 per cent increase in nitrogen dioxide and 56 per cent increase in carbon monoxide levels. at the kspcb office in s g halli, air pollution shot up by 48 per cent and, at peenya (rajgopalnagar) there was 30.01 per cent increase in ambient air quality.highest noise level was recorded in yelahanka new town with 84 db followed by 80 db at parisara bhavan on church street on november 13. these two places recorded high ambient noise level on november 14 too. indiranagar esi hospital, which is considered to be a silent zone, registered 70.3 db on november 13. nisarga bhavan in basaveshwarnagar and btm layout also recorded high levels of noise pollution.
a woman tourist from holland was injured after she was pushed out off a running train by an unidentified person who robbed her in haridwar district, police said today.flair de noozle (34) from holland was going to amritsar by dehradun-amritsar express on the night of november 12 when she was pushed off the train by an unknown man, ssp arun mohan joshi said.he said the incident occurred when flair went to the toilet with a bag tied around her waist after the train left laxar station. as she came out of the toilet, a man standing near the wash basin pushed her out of the running train, he said.the man too jumped out and snatched the bag from the tourist who was lying unconscious near the railway track, the ssp said, adding that the culprit later fled.a police patrol team found her lying there and rushed her to a nearby nursing home from where she was discharged yesterday. the bag contained flair's passport, atm and credit cards and an ipod among other valuables, joshi said.flair came to india on october 2 on a tourist visa, he added.
The Chennai traffic police have announced traffic diversion because of the ongoing Metro Rail work. The modifications will be in effect from Thursday between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. on GST Road at Meenambakkam and OTA and at Little Mount. Omni buses and government mofussil buses from the southern districts will not be allowed to enter GST Road from Tambaram. They will be diverted at Perungalathur via Maduravoyal Bypass, Poonamalee High Road, Alapakkam, Onion Market and Nerkundram. Buses headed to CMBT from Sriperumbudhur will not be allowed to enter Poonamallee bus depot. They will be diverted at Poonamallee via Poonamallee Bypass Road, Saveetha Dental College, Thiruverkadu, Vanagaram, Maduravoyal and Nerkundram. Buses departing from Koyambedu must take the route via Kaliamman Koil Street, Nesapakkam Junction, 100-Feet Road and Maduravoyal Road.
November 1 will always bring memories of pain and anguish to the family of Qaseema Bee, 21, a widow from Lalithabagh locality in old city. For on this ‘unlucky’ day her husband, Shaik Mahboob, went missing from the house after a police team came to pick him up. Two days later his body was found on the railway tracks between Uppuguda and Falaknuma railway station. The ordeal for the family began in the early hours of November 1 when a CCS police team came to the house of Shaik Mahboob to enquire about the whereabouts of his brother-in-law, Ghouse, an alleged property offender. Mahboob, who collected garbage, stayed close to the house of his in-laws. However, on not finding Ghouse at his house the police picked up his father, Madaar. Detained The team then headed to Edi Bazaar and detained one Qasim, a relative of Ghouse. “The policemen enquired about Ghouse and detained us. Later in the evening we were brought again to Lalithabagh and we waited for Mahboob to come. Police felt he could give them some clue,” said Qasim. Meanwhile Mahboob, who reached the house and came to know about police picking up his relatives left the house saying that he was going to the police station, the family members say. ‘Harassment’ However, later in the night Mahboob called his wife and said that he was ending his life due to police harassment and disconnected the phone. The family immediately rushed to Uppuguda and searched for him as he indicated that he was near Uppuguda. “Though it was raining heavily we searched for him for three to four hours but could not locate him,” says Qaseema Bee, wife of the deceased. It was only on November 3 that Qasim received a call that Mahboob’s body was found on the railway tracks. “As I could not understand the language I asked the police to speak. They informed about Mahboob’s death and immediately let us off,” Qasim said. The family alleges that two years ago when Mahboob and other family members were picked up by the police they were beaten up with leather belts. “We told police that he is not coming to our house for past six or seven years but again they come and harass us,” says a family member. The family has not come out of the shock as yet. “He headed to work in the morning and came back in the afternoons. Neither did he have the habit of smoking or consuming alcohol,” says Hassan, his uncle. He is worried about the two children left by Mahboob. Who will look after two-year-old Khaja Hussain and four-year-old Hassan Basha? Deny When contacted the Central Crime Station (CCS) officials denied having either summoned Mahboob or illegally detaining his relatives.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website continues to be under pressure, much to the chagrin of passengers who could not book tickets online for about 10 minutes on Wednesday morning. The website flunked, following a network glitch attributed to the continued festival rush for about a week. Adding to the pressure is the demand for tickets from those wanting to celebrate Chhat Puja back home. The IRCTC website choked a number of times in the run-up to Deepavali with people desperately trying to book tickets to go home. On Wednesday, the website collapsed soon after Tatkal ticket booking commenced at 10 a.m. but was restored after 10 minutes. However, only about 53,000 tickets were booked as against the normal figure of 60,000 during the two-hour period for Tatkal from10 a.m. and 12 noon. There were more than 12 lakh hits during this period, while the system is capable of handling just about 10 lakh connections, officials maintained. IRCTC hopes to improve the system within three months and increase its running capacity to 30 lakh-40 lakh hits.
to prevent incidents of train running over people, especially at unmanned railway crossings, northern railway's delhi division has decided to hold street plays for creating awareness among the residents living in close proximity to the rail tracks. while street plays will be organised across all major train routes across the division, shahadra-shamli line has been chosen as the first stretch for holding them next month. the initiative will begin at the shahadra-shamli stretch as it has the maximum number of unmanned crossings than any other single stretch across delhi division. "there are 69 unmanned crossings over the 90-km stretch. the initiative would be flagged off from december 15. the theatre groups would be performing street plays near the crossings and the colonies and slums located on the sides of the rail tracks," a senior railway official said. officials cited carelessness on the part of the victims for several fatal accidents. "several accidents in the past have occurred just because of the carelessness of the victims. it is a common sight that people cross rail tracks while listening to music with their earphones on," an official said."some people were fatally hit by approaching trains as they could not hear the horn. similarly, all motorists need to slow down at the time of crossing and check whether any train is approaching the unmanned crossing," an official said.while two people lost their lives on the shahadra-shamli stretch at an unmanned crossing. since april 1 this year, a total of 823 people died in accidents on rail tracks till september in the entire delhi area. a total of 1,485 died on rail tracks in the area last year.
demanding that the authorities drop the project to construct a parking lot inside lalbagh, members of the lalbagh walkers association (lwa) have launched a signature campaign to protect the city's significant lung space.the parking lot, proposed to be built on a five-acre plot at the botanical garden's south gate, is supposedly to facilitate free movement of visitors to the biannual flower shows.the association members staged a demonstration at the information centre in lalbagh on wednesday morning, condemning moves to shrink the historic garden. they said the horticulture department's action would not only adversely affect the flora and fauna in lalbagh, but also disturb the peace and tranquility of the garden. they feared that the project would lead to several other commercial activities benefiting vested interests.the members expressed shock over the statements made by m k shankarlinge gowda, principal secretary, horticulture department, justifying the parking lot project citing other examples, even when a report from the committee is awaited.in a memorandum to be submitted to the horticulture minister, they said:"the move is intriguing as it is intended to pre-empt the committee submitting the report in an objective manner. the compulsion to defend the parking lot project is not in the public interest. already, a portion of lalbagh has been lost to the metro line. further appropriation or acquisition of lalbagh land for any other purpose cannot be allowed."the government and the authorities concerned, they said, should have taken steps to enrich lalbagh with numerous native and exotic flora by way of acclimatisation and multiplication of plants and further extending the garden. "instead, they are indulging in deplorable acts aimed at shrinking the lung space, as in the present case. as admitted, parking space is available at the shanthinagar bus stand, hopcoms yard and double road gate to accommodate 500 vehicles," they said.the proposed parking lot is in violation of the provisions of the karnataka parks, playfields and open spaces (preservation and regulation) act, 1985, the lwa contended. the public can cope with the situation, rather than losing any part of the landmark garden, they said in the memorandum, seeking the intervention of the minister.sadashiva reddy, president, lwa, told deccan herald that 80 members had signed the document and the campaign would continue for the next few days.
city's bicycle lovers have a reason to rejoice, as three more units of 'hire a bicycle' will be set up at public utility building, anil kumble circle and brigade road-residency road junction by month- end.now, the facility is available at the mg road, trinity circle and ulsoor namma metro stations.automated tracking and control of green assets (atcag), which has provided the facility, has a tie-up with the bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike (bbmp) and the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl). chairperson of kerberon automations, syed haseeb arafat, the man behind atcag, said benefits of renting a bicycle can be maximised if the users are provided with the option of bike stands."by month-end, the facility will be provided at remaining stations along reach-1 such as indiranagar, sv road and baiyyappanahalli. with this, the number of units will go up to nine," he said.a registration point at each of the units will help the interested people avail the service, he added.as stands have been constructed at metro stations, a bicycle enthusiast can pick and park a bicycle at any of the stations. once the services are operationalised at all the nine points, as many as 60 bicycles and 120 parking slots will be available for the users, said arafat.users' responsethough the facility was launched only a few weeks ago, there has been a gradual increase in the number of people using bicycles, he added. arafat noted that software professionals whose offices were located in and around mg road were using the bicycles in greater numbers now,"we are getting good response to our online portal, wherein public can register for the service by producing necessary documents," he said.
South Western Railway has said that it has made special efforts to cater for passenger requirements in Karnataka by implementing many of the budget decisions and operating special trains. An official release said that of the nine new trains, extension of four trains and increase in frequency of seven trains announced in the budget, seven new trains, four extensions and increase in frequency of six trains have already been implemented. The zone claimed that it has been more responsive to the demands of passengers for introduction of new train services. A new special train, which is the common practice before introducing a new train service, was introduced between Yeshwantpur-Miraj-Yeshwantpur thrice a week from October 2. Similarly, a new special train was introduced between Hubli-Bijapur-Hubli from September 27, it said. The zone had operated eight special trains between Bangalore and Guwahati from August 15 to 17 to cater for the mass exodus of northeast Indians from Bangalore to their home State, it said. The SWR has been operating special trains to cater to the extra rush of passengers during peak season every year. This year also, 2,709 special trains were operated between April and October and 3,273 extra coaches were attached to trains to different destinations despite limited resources of coaches, locomotives and load capacity, the release said.
police and protesters clashed in spain on wednesday as millions of workers went on strike across europe to protest spending cuts they say have made the economic crisis worse.hundreds of flights were cancelled, car factories and ports were at a standstill and trains barely ran in spain and portugal where unions held their first ever coordinated general strike.riot police arrested at least two protesters in madrid and hit others with batons, witnesses said, and in rome students pelted police with rocks in a protest over money-saving plans for the school system.international rail services were disrupted by strikes in belgium and workers in greece, italy and france planned work stoppages or demonstrations as part of a "european day of action and solidarity"."we're on strike to stop these suicidal policies," said candido mendez, head of spain's second-biggest labour federation, the general workers' union, or ugt. more than 60 people were arrested in spain and 34 injured, 18 of them security officials after scuffles at picket lines and damage to storefronts. protesters jammed cash machines with glue and coins and plastered anti-government stickers on shop windows. power consumption dropped 16 percent with factories idled.international lenders and some economists say the programmes of tax hikes and spending cuts are necessary for putting public finances back on a healthy track. several southern european countries have seen bursts of violence. a coordinated protest to the austerity has yet to gain traction and governments have largely stuck to their policies. spain, where the crisis has pushed millions into poverty, has seen some of the biggest protests. prime minister mariano rajoy is trying to put off asking for european aid that could require even more budget cuts.
When the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in Railway Budget for 2009-10 that Mangalore Central Station would become a world class station, hopes were high. But more than three years later, there is hardly anything on the ground, though Palakkad Division of Southern Railway does maintain that the project is still alive. The division has sent an inception report to the Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai. All that the inception report contains, according to official sources, is that the station can have shopping complexes, second entry point, and a few works can be taken up related to platforms. The Railway sources agree that the second entry point (from Attavar side) has already been planned and is set to be implemented whether the station attains world class status or not. Second, the then Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said that the railways would make it world class if the State government gave it five acres of land. But till today, the railways has not made any request in this regard to the State government. Mr. Muniyappa had on the other hand had favoured developing Mangalore Junction station into a world class station. Some of the railway officials themselves think that the announcements of world class station — the number of stations identified being over 50 — are more a political statements than a result of carefully evaluated proposals. They point out that barring Chennai, there is no news of upgrading stations such as Ernakulam, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. Though the announcement about Mangalore came in early 2009, the details provided by Press Information Bureau’s Economic Editors’ Conference 2010 indicative of the fact that Mangalore is not in the immediate radar under the scheme: “A view has been taken to focus more on greenfield stations such as Anand Vihar, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bypannahalli, Majerhat, Habibganj, Kolkata, and Bijwasan,” it said. That developing a world class station is a huge project and the kind of preparation needed is conspicuously absent in Mangalore is clear from the fact that one of the two volumes on manual for standards, available online, runs into 288 pages. Best facilities Superior services to passengers such as slip-resistant surfaces Efficient movement of commuters Superior train operations and maintenance facilities Smoother and safe road traffic flow to and from the station Adequate parking within the station premises Sustainable design principles including rainwater harvesting Maximum use of natural light and ventilation, minimise energy consumption Open, spacious aesthetic appeal suiting city’s architectural heritage (Source: Indian Railways’ volume 1 of the manual for standards for world class stations)
Mangalore Central Railway Station in the morning is teeming with young students emerging from trains coming from Kerala. Some students told The Hindu that travelling by train to Mangalore every day is a mixed bag. Many agreed with what Dr. Vasudevan, Chief Medical Officer, Kottakal Aryavaidya Sala, who has been travelling for more than the past one year to Mangalore from Kanhangad when he said the train was always packed to capacity. Sometimes, the police have to be called as drunkards enter the train and pick quarrels. Some people smoke in the toilet, which is unsafe for everybody in the train, he said. Navneet, MBA student in Mangalore, has been commuting for five years between Kasaragod and Mangalore. According to him, the train does get overcrowded and students are forced to hang from the doors. “It is not for fun. There is no space,” he said. He said that cases of quarrels with drunken people in the train have become “rare” in the last three months, ever since the police presence in the trains started. The problem of drunkards, who are sometimes daily wage earners, and takes place only in the evening trains. There could be 30 cases of drunken people in the evening train (which leaves Mangalore at 4.30 pm). “They start commenting on others, especially girls, whose classmates protest and quarrels start,” he said. While degree students make the bulk of the travellers, the post graduates are very few. Pre-university students travel in relatively high numbers but ask for help when they are harassed by drunken elements. “PU, they won't speak, they will tell their seniors or degree students, who will intervene,” he said. “Smoking goes on in the toilets but no one has complained though they the complain about drunken elements,” said Rohith, one of about 20 BBM students at SDM Law College, who travel every day to the city. No one cares about the notice that says they will be fined for smoking inside the toilets, he said. Yet another problem that students face in trains first two to three months during the new academic session is that of ragging. While there is no ragging in the morning trains because of police (who are in mufti), it does happen in the evening trains, when there is no police in mufti. Freshers alone in a compartment with seniors are ragged. While they know it is best to travel in groups, the seniors will get the fresher anyway if they want to rag him or her, he said. He has been taking a train from Kasaragod to Mangalore for five years and said train travel was good and bad. Trains cost less and are more reliable and faster than buses reaching Mangalore from Kasaragod in 50 minutes. Another problem that existed earlier but not any more is that of trains having to wait before Nethravathi river when there was a single bridge. Now with two bridges, there is no need for trains to wait. The trains travel and reach on time. On track, on foot Navneet said that students take a short cut to their college from the Mangalore Central Railway Station to save time. They walk by the railway track to Srinivas College, Pandeshwar, as it takes them five minutes versus 10 minutes by road in an autorickshaw. He said there are no trains coming on that route except goods train, which move at night or in the afternoon but not in the morning. “They (students) ask engine drivers and there are no passenger trains; so it is no problem,” he said. Navneet says the number of students is increasing each succeeding year especially as Plus 2 students from Kerala also come to Mangalore while earlier it was only degree students, he said.
A plethora of promises and proposals await railway stations in Mangalore — from introduction of new trains to developing world-class stations. But, in the eagerness of it all, have mofussil stations of Ullal and Surathkal been left in the lurch? Sixteen trains – of which 10 are daily trains – pass through the Surathkal station. Even with an important technology institute nearby as well as being a bustling suburb, the station manages meagre number of commuters travelling from it: according to officials, only around 500 travel from the station daily, or around 15,000 people monthly. Ullal Railway Station, similarly, seems to be a picture of neglect. Seven trains – of which five are passenger trains – stop at the station; and railway officials said an average of 10,500 people use the station monthly. The passenger amenities in Surathkal station, coming under Konkan Railways, have not changed since 1998, said an official there. There is no Passenger Reservation System, and those from the area or Mulki have to travel to Mangalore Central or Kankanady for bookings. Konkan Railway rules say tickets, according to quota, can be issued only one hour before the scheduled arrival of trains and this leads to long queues. The lack of an enquiry system or a ticket vending machine adds to the consternation of commuters. Shockingly, for those alighting from trains coming from Uttara Kannada, there is no platform on the other side of the station. “There is only one toilet here, and it is in a horrible condition. A pay and use toilet should be introduced,” said Mukunda N., a student of National Institute of Technology-Karnataka nearby. Though the station ideally provides access to trains to his hometown Mumbai, the lack of a proper waiting room, lack of an automated system informing the coach position or delays in the train schedule, unavailability of food at the station among others sees him going to Kankanady or Mangalore Central to board a train. “The station is hardly developed. How can you expect anyone to use it?,” he said. Similarly, on the other side of Mangalore, hidden among undergrowth is the Ullal station. There is hardly a road leading to the station, and commuters are dependent entirely on autorickshaws. The entry and exit from the station is just as bare as the station itself. The narrow road has no electric lights and the dense undergrowth all around give it a spooky appearance. Taranath, a resident of Someshwara who takes the evening train from Mangalore Central daily, said women hardly travel in the train as the station and its surrounding hardly offer any security. Officials say the station has not seen any development for the past 10 years. “We have asked for a waiting room, a cleaner toilet, and better facilities. However, funds allocated to the station are correlated with the revenue generated form the station. With no trains, there are no commuters, and hence, facilities remain undeveloped,” said a railway official.
after helen and margarita, the two tunnel boring machines (tbms) now being used along the east-west corridor of the namma metro project, the bangalore metro rail corporation (bmrcl) has deployed another pair of tbms, seli and herenknecht, on the north-south corridor.the new tbms have started work at krmarket to launch the south ramp, which is part of the underground section of the four-km long north-south corridor between sampige road and the national college, basavanagudi. asenior official from the bmrclsaid the temporary tunnel ring erection for the first tbm is almost over and that for the second one is under progress.secant piling work is in progress for the north ramp and excavation of 13,507 cubic metre (cum) of sand has been completed out of the required 27,689 cum. "erection of gantry crane soil anchoring work is in progress. at chickpet, out of 848 secant piles, 703 have been completed. station excavation of 15,455 cum has also been completed. at kr market, 777 secant piles have been completed, out of the 866. temporary steel decking for kr road is in progress. a total of 573 tunnel rings have been cast, out of 3,384, at hesaraghatta casting yard," he said.tbm 1 (helen) and tbm 2 (margarita) are being used for tunnel boring from sir m visvesvaraya station towards the vidhana soudha station in the underground section of 4.8- km east-west corridor (between m chinnaswamy cricket stadium and magadi road). "helen has progressed up to 483 m and margarita has gone up to 351 m. tbm 3 between cubbon park and the east ramp has completed east-bound tunnel and 24 m of west-bound tunnel," he added.at the underground work of majestic interchange station, secant piling work of 1,790 numbers has been completed out of 1,948. temporary road decking work at dharmambudi road and gubbi thotadappa road is in progress, the official said.elevated corridorthe reach-4 stretch between kr market and rv road on the elevated stretch is also progressing and 98 per cent of the viaduct work has been completed. the overall progress of station work is also good at 80 per cent.however, in other corridors, work needs to gain pace and, in some stretches, the bmrcl is yet to take possession of the land for the construction. for instance, along reach 3a (yeshwantpur to peenya depot), the number of properties proposed for possession is 122. however, the corporation has been able to take possession of only 81 properties, while 77 of the properties in possession have been demolished to create space for the construction.along reach-2 (magadi road to mysore road terminal), 94 per cent of the work on viaduct and 60 per cent of the work on stations have been completed. on reach-3 (swastik to yeshwantpur), 67 per cent of work is completed at yeshwantpur, soap factory, mahalakshmi stations and 64 per cent of work is completed on rajajinagar, kuvempu road and srirampuram stations. along reach-4a (rv road to puttenahalli cross), overall progress is 79 per cent in viaduct construction.
chief minister jagadish shettar has directed the civic agencies to work in tandem with the namma metro authorities to facilitate smooth flow of traffic at crucial junctions in the city.shettar, who went on city rounds on monday to acquire a first hand knowledge of the civic problems, made it a point to visit the nayandahalli junction along the mysore road. sources in the chief minister's office said the visit followed media reports in the recent past, which highlighted the poor state of roads on the stretch on account of the ongoing infrastructure projects in the city.double flyoverwhile the bangalore metro rail corporation (bmrcl) is building a portion of namma metro east-west corridor here, the bangalore development authority (bda) is executing the work on the double flyover work at this junction.the bmrcl has completed construction of the corridor and station works are in progress.the bda, on its part, has opened one wing of the flyover for traffic, but the crucial wing parallel to mysore road has not been completed. due to the movement of earth movers and other heavy vehicles, the road at the junction has been damaged badly, making it a nightmare for motorists.palike told to help"the chief minister also wanted the bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike (bbmp) to chip in to hasten the work and restore roads," said a source. mayor d venkatesh murthy, bmrcl managing director n sivasailam and officials from the bdaand bbmpaccompanied the chief minister.principal secretary to chief minister, pradeep singh kharola, who accompanied shettar, told deccan herald that the chief minister also inspected the namma metro stretch from krmarket to rvroad, where the bmrcl launched tunneling work recently as part of the north-south corridor. sources in the corporation said the chief minister also asked namma metro officials to speed up work on the project at major junctions and if required, deploy more men and machines.
Preparation of railway reservation charts at the 11th hour is inconveniencing wait-listed passengers. The charts are prepared and displayed an hour before departure of trains in violation of railway rules. As per the rules, charts should be prepared three hours before train departures. Rajdhani and August Kranti express trains are notorious for chart delays, so are Mahanagri Express, Vidarbha Express and Punjab Mail. At a recent meeting with Central Railway divisional manager Mukesh Nigam, Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee member Nirmal Jain raised the issue. He said, “In Mumbai, passengers come from distant places. Charts for many trains are prepared just an hour before departure. The charts should be prepared at least three hours before departure.” Ved Prakash, a director-producer who frequently travels to Delhi, said, “Charts for Rajdhani and August Kranti are prepared 40 minutes-one hour before departure. Passengers often reach the station without knowing their reservation status and find that their ticket is not confirmed.”
union minister for home affairs sushil kumar shinde will chair the 25th southern zonal council meeting in bangalore on november 16. the chief ministers of andhra pradesh (kiran kumar reddy), kerala (oommen chandy), tamil nadu (j jayalalitha), puducherry (n rangaswamy) and karnataka (jagadish shettar) will take part in the meeting. progress on the implementation of recommendations made at earlier meetings at puducherry and hyderabad will be reviewed at the meeting. the agenda of the meeting includes the need for maintaining status quo ante with respect to central allocation of funds under poverty alleviation and rural development programmes, issues relating to fisheries, especially security of the fishermen, the need to strengthen the drugs control organisation in southern states, extension of high speed rail corridor between mangalore and udupi, introduction of peninsular tourism trains in southern zone and addressing the problem of coastal erosion and supply of building materials from approved quarries of tamil nadu.the ministry of home affairs will also review matters relating to police administration in the southern states, human trafficking and atrocities committed against people belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
To ensure that they are in time to celebrate Deepavali, people from various parts of Tamil Nadu rushed to the bus stands in the city and also the railway station to find accommodation in buses and trains that take them to their home town. People could be seen in hundreds at the Gandhipuram, Ukkadam, Singanallur and Mettupalayam Road bus stands. Sources said that the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operated over 400 buses to clear the additional rush of commuters. It operated a bus every five minutes to Tiruchi and Madurai. But it appeared to be insufficient to clear the rush of passengers, who could be seen fighting for leg space to get a foothold. Likewise, the Corporation also operated buses from Tirupur to Theni, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari and other places in the south of the State. Though the Corporation offered booking facilities in buses for destinations that were more than 150 km away, passengers had availed of the facility more than a month ago. Many commuters could be seen complaining about lack of seats in long-distance buses. Private operators also reported full occupancy in buses, especially those with Chennai as destination. The scene at the Coimbatore Railway Junction was no different as commuters without reserve tickets jostled for space in open compartments. The police had a tough time regulating the crowd.
With Diwali just a day away, the Northern Railway has made special arrangements to secure the railways stations and trains and to ensure the safety of passengers. As part of the drive, the sale of platform tickets has been stopped to restrict the entry of non-passengers on the platforms. The officials are also expecting the rush at the railway stations to lessen soon as the Diwali and Chhat Puja rush is about to start waning. “The festive rush of passengers for Diwali and Chhat Puja is expected to decrease substantially from Monday. The reason is that most of the people leave before Diwali because of the short gap between the two festivals,” said a senior official. But the official was quick to add that special arrangements for festive rush will continue even after Chhat Puja. Dealing with the festive crowd on stations remains a challenge for the railway administration. In order to check the extra flow of passengers on platforms, a temporary ban on the sale of platform tickets has been put in place from Sunday at the four busiest railway stations in the Capital – New Delhi, Delhi Junction, Anand Vihar and Hazrat Nizamuddin. For clearing the rush at these stations, 25 extra booking counters and an equal number of reservation counters have also been set up. On Saturday, Northern Railway General Manager along with other senior officials also made a “surprise” visit to New Delhi railway station. The Northern Railway authorities have also enhanced the security at the stations to provide safe travel to the passengers. According to a railway official, 15 extra companies of the Railway Protection Force have been deployed for security purposes on Delhi’s four main stations. Besides this, the movement of people in and around these stations is being closely monitored through over 100 closed circuit television cameras that have been fixed at various vantage points. “We have round-the-clock monitoring room at all these stations. But even more importantly, we are also keeping a tab on those who monitor these cameras in monitoring rooms,” the official said.
while all major railway stations in the capital are seeing a heavy rush with passengers leaving for home ahead of the festive season, a majority of attendants of passengers who came to see off their kith and kin on sunday were left stranded outside the station. the northern railway has temporarily stopped sale of platform tickets at four busy stations - new delhi, old delhi, nizamuddin and anand vihar — between november 11 and 23 to control extra rush on the occasion of diwali and chhat puja. the decision invited criticism from several passengers, especially the elderly and women. confusion prevailed at the station. while some chose to enter the station without platform tickets, the law abiding ones were left stranded. "i came here to drop my family. they have three bags to carry apart from my two kids. since they don't have a confirmed ticket, i have no idea how they will board the general compartment, which has the maximum rush," said sunil prabhu, a resident of buxar waiting to board bihar-bound shramjeevi express.however, railway officials said clerks manning the ticket counters at all stations have been advised to issue platform tickets. avoiding rush"the decision has been taken to avoid overcrowding on the station premises, including the platform and foot overbridges. however, all the clerks have been asked to issue platform tickets to attendants of senior citizens and women," said northern railway spokesperson neeraj sharma."all such passengers need to show up at ticket counters to ensure that only those who genuinely need assistance get the tickets," said sharma.platform tickets can also be bought from dedicated counters for senior citizens, he added. officials said several other measures are being taken to ease the rush at the four major stations. "special trains have been distributed at the four major terminals. to avoid last-minute changes, platforms for all the trains including the specials ones, are fixed during the entire festival rush period. change, if required, will be done only with approval of the divisional railway manager," said a senior railway official. officials said most of the east-bound trains from new delhi station are being sent from platform number 16 — the outermost platform on ajmeri gate side of the station."it helps in decongesting the foot overbridges as passengers moving to platform number 16 can directly get on to the platform through the main entrance as well as the vip entrance," an official said. while the four major stations saw a footfall of over 12 lakh people, around five lakh people visit new delhi station alone, officials said. the rush is likely to increase with more people expected to leave for chhat puja after diwali.
streetlights not workingthe streetlights at 5th main, 'b' sector, yelahanka new town have not been working for the past four months.the problem was brought to the notice of bbmp official, muniraj over mobile phone (9535293715) and to gnaneshwar (je) byatarayanapura bbmp office (9008601414).it was also informed to grievance cell (22660000) on october 20, (grievance no, 103555) and reminded on october 31. however,, the lights have not been repaired till date. residents are finding it difficult to use the road. a public tap is installed close to an electricity pole and hence residents cannot collect water. the authorities necessary steps.s manjunath, 214, 5th main, b sector, yelahanka new townprevent misuse of playgroundstwo playgrounds are located adjacent to each other in sahakarnagar, bangalore north. the residents and the schoolchildren use the grounds regularly and both have been kept neat and tidy. hundreds of students from vivekananda school located opposite the grounds play here. the jd(s) held a political rally at the grounds on september 30, 2012 where meals was served at the end of event. many local and state leaders of the party attended the function. but next day, regular walkers found the grounds littered with meals plates, leftover food, plastic covers and water bottles. this very ground is used by schoolchildren for parking their bicycles and playing. can a responsible political party commit this kind of nuisance? how can the voters such party to power? the authorities concerned need to take suitable action.sridharimprove bus connectivity in citythe volvo city service on route v-600kc between nagarabhavi bda complex and electronics city operates only at 8 am from the nagarabhavi bdacomplex. no other schedules are operated for the rest of the day from here. many officegoers head to jayanagar, jp nagar, btm layout, hsr layout and other surrounding areas for their work and as such there is a huge demanded for volvo ac buses from this part of the city. hence, the bmtc is requested to ply additional trips at 9 am, 9.30 am and 10.15 am from nagarabhavi bdacomplex. varun dambal, 72,1st block, nagarbhavi 2nd stagetrim bus routessome of the long route bmtc buses are plying covering abnormally wider areas leading to avoidable waste of time and fuel. they also add to pollution and already congested roads of bangalore. on account of the circuitous route taken by these buses, passengers reach their destination belatedly. one such route is 401k. it takes one and half hours to two and half hours to travel from yelahanka to kengeri and vice versa. will the bmtc authorities kindly look into this and rationalise the routes.b s badarinarayanaply more buses commuters are finding it difficult to travel to rt nagar and sultanpalya due to lack of bus services. the bmtc is requested to provide a bus service from hegde nagar to majestic via veeranna palya - sultanpalya- rt nagar. m m abraham, aswath nagar, thanisandradivert city busesthere is a need for a direct bus between nandini layout and malleswaram circle which may terminate at kbs. at present the route 80a has a number of buses plying through rajajinagar and some of them may be routed through malleswaram to help people from nandini layout.dr k s rao, nandini layoutheavy traffic congestionthe traffic on tin factory flyover - kr puram railway station - whitefield/marathalli ring road is getting worse on weekdays. the authorities concerned - traffic police, bmtc and bbmp - should chalk out a solution to ease the congestion. road users are facing trouble in passing through the two-km stretch.raghudirect bus requiredthere is no direct bmtc service from kaggadasapura, vignan nagar to whitefield and halairport . the residents have to go to the old airport road to take the bus. this also compels people to depend on autos. the commuters would be greatly benefitted if a direct bus is introduced .ajai prabhu
South Western Railway has started a weekly Special Express train service between Bangalore City and Tirunelveli from November 11. According to a press release, Train Nos. 06515/06516 will make three trips between Bangalore City and Tirunelveli in each direction as per the following details. Train No. 06515 Bangalore City – Tirunelveli will depart Bangalore City at 6.45 a.m. on Sundays and arrive at Tirunelveli at 7.30 p.m. on the same day. En route the train will arrive/depart Bangalore Cantonment at 6.55 a.m./6.57 a.m.; Hosur at 7.55 a.m./7.57 a.m.; Dharmapuri at 9.21 a.m./9.23 a.m.; depart Omalur at 10.40 a.m.; Salem at 11.15 a.m./11.20 a.m.; Erode at 12.20 p.m./12.40 p.m.; Karur at 1.40 p.m./1.45 p.m.; Dindigul at 2.55 p.m./3.05 p.m.; Madurai at 4.05 p.m./4.10 p.m.; Virudunagar at 4.48 p.m./4.50 p.m.; Satur at 5.13 p.m./5-15 p.m.; Kovlipatti at 5.13 p.m./5.15 p.m. and arrive/depart at Vanci Maniyachchi at 6.08 p.m./6.10 p.m. In the return direction, Train No. 06516 Tirunelveli – Bangalore City will depart Tirunelveli at 11.15 p.m. on Sundays and will arrive at Bangalore the next day at 1.10 p.m. En route the train will arrive/depart Vanci Maniyachchi at 11.49 p.m./11.50 p.m.; Kovlipatti at 00.18 a.m./00.20 a.m.; Satur at 00.38 a.m./00.40 a.m.; Virudunagar at 1.08 a.m./1.10 a.m.; Madurai at 3.00 a.m./3.05 a.m.; Dindigul at 4.10 a.m./4.15 a.m.; Karur at 5.30 a.m./5.35 a.m.; Erode at 7.25 a.m./7.40 a.m.; Salem at 8.30 a.m./8.35 a.m.; depart Omalur at 9.15 a.m.; Dharmapuri at 10 a.m./10.02 a.m.; Hosur at 11.10 a.m./11.12 a.m. and arrive/depart Bangalore Cantonment at 12.08 p.m./12.10 p.m.
Delhi Metro is set to install automated platform gates at all the 63 upcoming stations of the Phase-III corridor. So far, only the Airport Express line has platform gates. “Tenders have been floated to provide automated half-height platform gates at all Metro stations of Line 7 and Line 8 of Phase III. The platform gates will be installed at the platforms on build-operate-transfer basis. The signalling system will be based on communication-based train control (CBTC) implementing driverless or unattended train operation,” a Metro spokesperson said. Line 7 (Mukundpur-Dhaula Kuan-Maujpur-Shiv Vihar) has 38 stations, while Line 8 (Janakpuri West- Kalindi Kunj-Botanical Garden) has 25. Officials said six-coach trains will run in these corridors. Screen doors act as protective barriers, separating the commuters standing on platforms from tracks. These automated gates will be around 1.7-metres (5.6 feet) high — the average height of a man. The planned height would allay fears of overheating at underground sections, officials said. Earlier, Delhi Metro chief Mangu Singh had said the platform screen doors might not be feasible at all stations. “The Metro tunnels need ventilation, and will become overtly heated if there are platform screen doors at all stations. But at crowded stations like Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate, which handle footfalls of over 5 lakh commuters daily, it can be useful,” he said. Delhi Metro considered the proposal to install the screen doors, despite being an expensive proposition, following a spate of suicides on the tracks at stations and people getting stuck in train doors. ... contd.
: Unsatisfied with the replies given to his host of demands, AIADMK Tiruchi MP P. Kumar walked out of a high-level railway meeting convened here on Friday in which issues pertaining to improving passenger amenities at railway stations, operation of new trains, extension of some trains and increasing their frequency were raised by the participating Members of Parliament. The nearly three-hour long meeting held at Zonal Railway Training School premises was attended by seven MPs, South Western Railway General Manager, holding additional charge as Southern Railway General Manager, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Additional General Manager Dr. G. Narayanan and top railway officers from Southern Railway headquarters, Tiruchi and Madurai railway divisions. Minutes after the in-camera meeting commenced, the oral replies given by the General Manager to the charter of demands placed by MP Kumar did not satisfy the latter. Mr. Kumar placed a total number of 18 demands at the meeting that included restoration of the Rockfort Express to Tiruchi, extension of the Tiruchi- Tirunelveli Inter City Day Express up to Kanyakumari with a stoppage at Manapparai, introduction of Tiruchi – Bangalore – Tiruchi, Tiruchi – Tirupathi, and Pudukottai – Tiruchi – Chennai day time expresses, stoppage of all trains at Srirangam station, introduction of Tiruchi – Chennai – Tiruchi Duronto express and a coach factory at Golden Rock in Tiruchi. For majority of the demands put forth by Mr. Kumar, the reply given to him was that the matter had to be decided by the Railway Board or “not feasible”. “I walked out the meeting as the replies were not satisfactory,” Mr. Kumar later told The Hindu on the phone. AIADMK Mayiladuthurai MP O.S. Manian sought improvement of basic amenities at several railway stations including proper passenger seating facility and extension of platform shelters at many stations for the benefit of travellers. Mr. Manian said he had raised the reintroduction of the Sengottah – Chennai and Thanjavur – Chennai passengers which were stopped due to conversion of the mainline section to broad gauge. Stoppage of Chendur Express at Papanasam railway station was his other demand. DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi N. Siva also sought the stoppage of Tiruchi – Tirunelveli Inter City Express at Manapparai. Though it was said that being a superfast train it could not have many stoppages, Mr. Siva pointed out the stations the train halted at present and their distance. Elaborating further, he said when the train could halt at stations beyond Madurai all within a distance of around 30 to 40 kilometre, it was not logical to state that the express cannot have a stoppage at Manapparai that falls between Tiruchi and Dindigul (around 100 km). Introduction of Tiruchi – Bangalore day time express via Vriddhachalam and Salem, Tiruchi – Coimbatore day time express and Puducherry – Kanyakumari express via mainline and touching Tiruchi, provision of an escalator facility at Tiruchi Junction for the benefit of the aged, women and children and widening of the road over bridge near Tiruchi Junction were among his other demands. He also wanted a proper monitoring mechanism for the railway catering. The other MPs who spoke were K.S. Azhagiri of the Congress, DMK MPs M. Thangavelu, A.K.S. Vijayan and D. Venugopal.
mithun manhas stroked his way to a flawless century as delhi took 188 runs first innings lead against odisha on the second day of the ranji trophy at the ferozeshah kotla on saturday.manhas (161 n.o., 273b, 26x4), who has been the mainstay of delhi middle order for years, produced yet another classy innings which was also his 21st first-class hundred, even as his younger counterparts struggled to apply themselves. only sumit narwal (66, 95b, 8x4, 1x6) stood firm with a fluent knock, adding 139 runs for the seventh wicket that saved delhi from what could have been a precarious situation.basant mohanty (4/81) was odisha's best bowler despite bowling 12 no balls as delhi wrapped up their first innings for 331.odisha were 7/0 in the second innings with abhilash mallick batting at one and paresh patel 6 at the end of the day's play.resuming at 62/3 and trailing by 81 runs, delhi were reduced to 131/5 before lunch after overnight batsman manan sharma (15) and milind kumar (8) were back to the hut without significant contributions. delhi erased the lead before lunch but punit bisht (11), who was in good touch in the first match, fell cheaply soon after the break, edging to wicketkeeper off basant mohanty.all this while, manhas stood tall amidst ruins. the wicket was not easy to bat on, but a watchful manhas never let it affect his strokeplay. there is an old-world charm to his batting and he played with a straight bat, drove with elegance, and even made room for odd cuts. such was his timing that a straight drive off deepak behara sped past with the accuracy of a measuring scale.crackerjackit was a crackerjack innings by manhas, who reached his 100 (to cover) and 150 (to midwicket) with hits to the fence. in his 15th season, manhas reached his fourth 150-plus knock of the career, the earlier ones being 193 vs punjab in 2001, 158 vs railways in 2002 and 170 vs maharashtra in 2009.manhas found an ideal companion in narwal, who was simply brilliant on the off side. it was a rather swift innings from narwal, who remorselessly hit alok mangaraj to three boundaries in an over-- extra cover, gully and square leg and even lofted left-armer dhiraj singh for a six over long off. the two brought stability to delhi innings and steadily worked on increasing the lead.orissa took the new ball in 92.2 overs. five overs later, mangaraj struck twice, first disturbing the off stump of narwal and two balls balls later packing off vikas mishra leg before for a duck. the last two wickets were polished up for 29 runs, with a cramping manhas doing the bulk of scoring to put delhi in a dominating position.score boardodisha (i innings): 143 all outdelhi (i innings; o/n: 62/3): unmukt chand c das b b mohanty 3, shikhar dhawan c r mohantry b b mohanty 22, mohit sharma lbw d behara 16, mithun manhas 161 n.o., manan sharma c mallick b mangaraj 15, milind kumar lbw d behera 8, punit bisht c das b b mohanty 11, sumit narwal b mangaraj 66, vikas mishra lbw mangaraj 0, parvinder awana b b mohanty 6, pawan suyal st das b patel 0. extras (nb-19, lb-3, b-1) 23. total: (all out, 105.4 overs) 331. fall of wickets: 1-5 (chand), 2-41 (mohit sharma), 3-55 (dhawan), 4-106 (manan), 5-131 (milind), 6-163 (bisht), 7-302 (narwal), 8-302 (mishra), 9-326.bowling: basant mohanty 29-9-81-4, alok mangaraj 16-2-63-3, rakesh mohanty 3-0-10-0, deepak behera 19-5-47-2, biplab samantray 10-0-35-0, dhiraj singh 18-5-58-0, govind poddar 5-0-24-0, paresh patel 5.4-1-9-1odisha (ii innings): abhilash mallick 1 n.o., paresh patel 6 n.o. total (for no loss, 5 overs) 7.bowling: parvinder awana 1-0-1-0, vikas mishra 2-2-0-0, manan sharma 2-1-6-0.
A grievance meeting for 123 Division will be held on November 18 at 10 a.m. The meet will discuss and redress civic issues with the concerned officials of Corporation, Metro Water, electricity and others. The programme will take place at the 123 Division Councillor Office, C.P. Ramaswamy Road, Alwarpet. The Division covers Alwarpet, Teynampet, Abhiramapuram, RA Puram and part of Mylapore. For details, contact Dr. E. Muralidharan at 94440-44474.
The work on doubling of rail lines running south of Ernakulam through Kottayam and Alappuzha is off the track because of bureaucratic delays and problems associated with transporting red earth to construction sites. The railways is not in a position to fix a deadline for the long-pending line-doubling works. The doubling is crucial to ensure faster movement of trains through both the routes. The work has come to a standstill, mainly on the 10-km-long Chengannur-Thiruvalla stretch. Sources in the railway’s construction wing said residents in some localities and a few government bodies are objecting to sourcing red earth and construction materials, citing environment norms. “Many local panchayats are issuing stop memos against collecting the earth. This has in turn steeply increased its price and contractors are demanding higher amounts. We have approached the revenue and environment departments and they have promised to solve the issue.” The problems arose after the authorities cited a court judgment and insisted that permits for quarrying earth will be issued only after environment impact assessment. A total of 20 lakh cubic metres of red earth is required. The cost per tipper lorry load has more than doubled to over Rs 3,000. A few contractors are unduly inflating the cost by citing different excuses, the sources said. As for land acquisition, most issues have been settled but for isolated court cases. The railways generally takes around two and a half years to double the line, once land is handed over. While constructing tunnels is a tough job in Kottayam, a few major bridges have to be built in Alappuzha. Though work is in progress to double the Mulanthuruthy–Piravom route, there are complaints that it is not fast enough. Here, earth is sourced directly from railway properties. Alappuzha route In the Alappuzha route, similar problems have delayed the doubling work, especially on the Ambalapuzha-Haripad sector.
The L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) has urged the government to ensure speedy clearances in the right of way like shift of utilities and pipelines so that construction can be taken into the heart of Hyderabad soon. “If we are to speed up the work we need continuous support from the government. We are currently pouring 500 cubic metres of concrete a day and this has to be scaled to 1,500 cubic metres to complete the project in five years. We cannot do the work at this pace and need faster clearances,” said Project Director M.P. Naidu. He was addressing a gathering after the Minister for Municipal Administration, M. Maheedhar Reddy, inaugurated the automatic steel cutting and bending plant. The Minister in turn assured him that the government will extend all possible support for the project which was necessary to mitigate the traffic scenario of the capital. The plant equipped with computer operated machines can handle 3,500 tons of steel roads a month or 120 tons a day for cutting and bending with high accuracy and at good speed. “Any delay in the project implementation will impact the entire State,” he acknowledged and alluded to the problems being faced by Bangalore and Chennai metros on shifting of statues and other issues. However, he also pointed out that the initial fears and apprehensions about the project seem to have abated here with the government too being liberal with compensation to people losing their properties. ‘Engineering challenge’ Stating that the project was an “engineering challenge”, Mr. Reddy had no doubt that all sections of the society would benefit once the metro rail was commissioned. HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy said 322 foundations, 175 piers and 760 pre-cast segments have been completed so far. About two lakh tonnes of steel would be needed for pillars, viaduct, depots and stations.
Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Valyapure has said that the State government has questioned the demand placed by Indian Railways for increasing the share of the State in railway projects citing escalation of the costs. Speaking to The Hindu here on Friday, Mr. Valyapure said, “We have told Indian Railways that the blame for cost escalation due to delay should be borne by the Railways and the State government cannot be held responsible for it..” Mr. Valyapure said that the State government had discharged its duties by acquiring land required in time for these projects and the delay was mainly due to the scanty allocation of funds by the Union government. He said that the Railways had sought an escalation of 30 per cent in the cost of the projects taken up on cost sharing basis in the State. “We have not accepted this as we are not responsible for the delay,” he said. Mr. Valyapure said that the State government had released Rs. 18 crore for the Gulbarga-Bidar rail line project a couple of days ago. The State government has given clearance for work on a railway overbridge on the Gulbarga-Afzalpur highway.
northern railway's delhi division has withdrawn its facebook page, apparently because it was attracting negative publicity.the dedicated page had become a hit among passengers boarding trains from the capital as it helped them check availability of berths, timings and other information.sources said it was withdrawn as it was "bringing negative publicity for the railways after several passengers used the facility to go public with their complaints over railway operations."logging into the facebook page, a passenger could know the status of vacant berths as well as arrival and departure times - with exact platform numbers - for trains from the three major stations of new delhi, nizamuddin and old delhi.page was usefulas per rules, a reserved ticket can be booked at reservation counters and on the internet only up to the time of preparation of reservation chart. once the charts are up, berths still available can be booked only at the 'current' counters at major stations.the facebook page helped passengers by showing details of available berths after the chart had been prepared. that hit unscrupulous elements who charged premium for last-minute confirmed tickets. senior northern railway officials said the decision to shut down the page was taken on technical grounds."the decision to shut down the page has been taken on technical grounds. several proxy pages of the delhi division had also emerged over the last few months," said northern railway spokesperson neeraj sharma."people were confused about the authenticity of the page. they were logging into wrong pages for registering complaints. while railway authorities were unaware of the complaints, the message going out was that the railway was not redressing them," said sharma. maintaining the page also required a dedicated manpower, sharma added.however, senior northern railway officials who have been a part the project in the past, said on condition of anonymity that the railways could have come up with other ways of dealing with the complaints, instead of closing down the page which had increased the online reach of the railways."with increasing internet users' density, the page had become a huge hit with passengers. it was also developing as a tool to regulate some of the operations in a better way," said a source."since it was an open platform, many people registered their complaints as well. instead of closing down the facility, other means like suggesting users to register their complaints at the correct forum should have been the preferred choice," said the source.the facebook page of the northern railway was launched in april 2011. while the facebook page had over 10,000 'likes', the 'unique hits' — or first-time visitors — on the website crossed 60,000.
a person was killed and two others were critically injured after being hit by a train at a railway crossing in south-east delhi's sarita vihar on thursday.one person travelling on a bicycle and two others on a motorcycle risked their lives by trying to cross the railway crossing, despite the fact that the gates had been closed."they were hit by a train moving towards palwal. the impact broke the motorcycle apart and one of the rider died on the spot," a railway police official said.twoinjured are admitted at aiims the trauma centre.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday inaugurated the Rail Coach Factory at Lalganj in her Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, flagging off 20 air-conditioned coaches assembled at the plant that had faced several hurdles since the foundation was laid. “When the foundation stone was laid, some persons spread rumours, but the factory has been built within a short time,” she said, expressing satisfaction at the completion of the project in time. Ms. Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to her constituency, handed over letters of appointment for Group D jobs in the factory to 14 persons whose land was acquired for the project. Land belonging to 1,434 farmers and other individuals had been acquired for the factory built on 541 hectares. Besides compensation for the land, the Railways had assured the landowners of jobs to one person of each family. Mulayam Singh was the Chief Minister when the foundation was laid in February 2007. In 2008, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party regime cancelled the land deed, bringing the construction to a halt. On a public interest litigation petition, the Allahabad High Court allowed the project to proceed. In January 2009, the Railways signed a 99-year land lease agreement with the State government. Ms. Gandhi, visiting her constituency for the first time after the Congress was routed in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections early this year, did not mention either Ms. Mayawati or Mr. Mulayam Singh in her short address. Stating that the Railways played an important role in India’s development, Ms. Gandhi promised steps for investments to improve railway security. Ms. Gandhi said the Rae Bareli factory — the third of its kind, after the Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Tamil Nadu, and the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Punjab — would spur growth in the region, facilitating small-scale units to be set up and creating jobs for the youth. “The total cost of the project is Rs. 2,500 crore, and Rs. 800 crore has already been invested…” She also laid the foundation for a multi-functional complex and the doubling of the 65-km Uttaratiya-Rae Bareli line. She announced that a new line would be laid between Rae Bareli, Unchahar and Amethi, and that the Mughalsarai-Unchahar line would be electrified. Railway Minister Pawan Kuman Bansal said the factory would become fully operational in the next year and a half. Initially, it would turn out 1,000 coaches a year, and the capacity would gradually be ramped up to 3,000. Following her arrival at the Fursatganj airport, Ms. Gandhi visited the Footwear Design Institute. Later in the day on Wednesday, she addressed the second convocation of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Rae Bareli. While her son Rahul Gandhi will be on a day’s visit to Amethi on Thursday, Priyanka Vadra will reach Rae Bareli on the same day and stay here till November 9.
the railways will extend the dadar-yeshwanthpur-dadar chalukya express (11017/11018) to pondicherry (tri-weekly) and tirunelveli (tri-weekly). from november 9, the train originating from dadar will run on fridays, sundays and mondays; from pondicherry on tuesdays, wednesdays and sundays, starting november 7; from dadar to tirunelveli on tuesdays, wednesdays, saturdays, starting november 10; and from tirunelveli to dadar on mondays, thursdays and fridays, starting november 9.the extended trains will be renumbered as dadar-pondicherry express (tri-weekly/11005), pondicherry-dadar express (tri-weekly/11006), dadar-tirunelveli express (tri-weekly/11021) and tirunelveli-dadar express (tri-weekly/11022). the commercial stoppages on the extended routes would be as follows:*yeshwanthpur to pondicherry: banaswadi, krishnarajapuram, bangarpet, jolarpettai, katpadi, vellore, arni road, polur, tiruvannamalai, tirukkovillur and villupuram stations.* yeshwanthpur to tirunelveli: banaswadi, hosur, dharmapuri, salem, erode, karur, dindigul, madurai, virudunagar, satur, kovilpattai and vanchi maniyachchi junction stationsschedule* the dadar-pondicherry tri weekly express (11005) will depart dadar on tuesdays, wednesdays and saturdays at 9.30 pm fromnovember 9.*the pondicherry-dadar tri weekly express (11006) will depart pondicherry on tuesdays, wednesdays and sundays from november 7 at 8.15 pm.*the dadar-tirunelveli tri weekly express (11021) will depart dadar on sundays, mondays and fridays at 9.30 pm from november 10 and arrive in tirunelveli at 11.45 am on mondays, thursdays and fridays.*in the return direction, tirunelveli-dadar tri weekly express (11022)will depart tirunelveli on mondays, thursday and fridays from november 9 at 2.45 pm. change in days of services:*the dadar-mysore weekly sharavati express (11035) will depart dadar on thursdays instead of tuesdays from november 8.*the mysore-dadar weekly sharavati express (11036) will depart mysore on sundays instead of thursdays fromnovember 11.
the state government is contemplating setting up generic medical shops outside government hospitals under the health department to enable poor patients buy drugs at 20 per cent of the maximum retail price.health and family welfare minister aravinda limbavali said here on wednesday that the generic medical shops would be handed over to co-operative societies, missionaries and non-governmental organisations on a non-profit basis. he was speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed sir cvraman general hospital.the minister said the government had already been providing free medicines to patients with bpl cards and selling drugs to apl card holders at reduced prices. with the 108 ambulance service completing four years in the state, it was being planned to introduce 'happy drop' service - dropping mother and child from the hospital to their houses after the delivery. he said a 24-hour helpline - 104 - was also on the cards.sir cv raman general hospital is a 250-bed hospital located on old madras road in indiranagar, opposite vivekananda metro station. the health facility has been constructed at a cost of rs 30 crore in 24 months, and will be expanded to a 500-bed hospital. it has all the specialities including blood bank, pharmacy and multipurpose halls.
congress chief sonia gandhi on wednesday dedicated the ambitious rail coach factory at lalganj in her lok sabha constituency of raebareli to the nation and laid stress on cleanliness on trains.sonia, who arrived at raebareli on wednesday on a two-day visit, flagged off seven rail coaches at an impressive ceremony as she complimented the railways on commissioning of the factory in such a short time. speaking on the occasion, she said that the rs 2,500-crore factory would generate local employment and help in the development of the region.sonia took a dig at those who had expressed doubts over the completion of the project. she also presented appointment letters to 14 people, whose land had been acquired for the project. the railways has said that all those, whose lands had been acquired, will be given employment.she asked the railways to pay more attention towards cleanliness on trains. the congress president also announced that the raebareli railway station would be modernised. the number of platforms would be increased and washing lines would be constructed.railway minister pawan bansal was also present on the occasion. he said 1,000 stainless steel coaches would be manufactured at the factory this year. its capacity would go up gradually to 2,500 coaches over a few years, he added.
water which collects under the railway bridge at turuvekere, connecting channarayapattana has been an inconvenience to people for four years.the problem worsens especially during rainy season.when the railway track was first constructed here, a road was laid below the bridge. an arrangement was made to channel water flowing in the area into a nearby stream through an underground drain.initially, the problem arose when the drain filled with mud or waste. the problem was usually resolved when the drain was cleared, but residents now claim that the drain has not been maintained for four years. "whenever it rains, the water flows through the roads and scollects under the bridge. this has inconvenienced motorists as well as pedestrians. when it rains heavily, nearly four feet of water collects on the road, which even hinders vehicles from passing through," residents said. the city municipal council (cmc) has finally decided to address the matter after reports on the drain began to appear in the media. residents said that the cmchas now begun work to clean the drain. but as the land near the stream has become soft because of water stagnation, heavy machines, especially a suction machine, were prevented from operating here. as machines cannot be used here frequently, the water continues to stagnate, residents added. the state of affairs has created traffic jams at the bridge, which last for several hours and sometimes even lead to accidents."there is need to find a permanent solution for this problem," residents said and demanded that the cmc, the public works department and the railways department discuss the issue and plan a permanent solution to the problem as soon as possible.
table guide data for 800 companies from bombay stock exchange. values are: day's closing price, previous closing price in brackets, 52-week low and high in bold, and volume traded (in 000) in brackets. group aa a b b 725.55(728.2)915-541(35) a c c 1470.25(1470.75)1514-1083(24) abg shipyard 391.05(372.7)463-295(11) abirlanuv 928.2(931.35)1028-710(8) acl 217.9(214.9)220-135(233) adani enter 228.7(227.7)468-151(389) allahabad bank 142.45(136.65)211-103(390) alok industr 11.79(11.82)23-10(1199) alstom proje 412.35(414.25)540-280(7) andhra bank 106.5(104.65)138-79(136) apollo hosps 880.5(818.6)899-452(202) apollo tyres 84.2(84.85)102-53(501) arvind 83.4(83.1)108-59(141) ashok leyland 24.8(24.3)32-20(794) asian paints 4109.95(4097.7)4170-2551(23) aurobindo phar 175.75(175.5)178-80(358) axis bank 1233.25(1220.65)1309-784(231) b b a s f india 676.8(684.2)731-427(5) b h e l 236.4(232.45)340-195(362) bajajhoin 871.5(875.4)885-625(1) balaji tele. 49.9(47.7)58-28(160) ballarpur ind 22.75(22.3)26-17(97) bank of india 287.75(279.0)408-253(122) bharat earth. 291.95(292.15)702-270(11) bharat elec 1216.05(1199.3)1665-1124(2) bharat forge 266.65(266.9)347-231(41) bhartiartl 271.1(273.5)412-238(719) bk of baroda 775.05(753.15)881-606(130) bombay dye 115.0(113.05)118-62(254) boschl 8849.75(8887.85)9300-6425(0) bpcl 339.5(341.2)394-229(23) brigade enterprises 68.05(67.8)81-38(56) britannia ind 470.1(479.85)599-400(21) c c e s c 276.25(280.8)345-186(33) cadila health 859.2(886.65)964-629(118) cairn india 331.35(329.7)400-284(174) canara bank 435.5(419.35)566-306(183) castrol india 303.75(303.8)338-192(28) central bank of india 74.9(73.1)111-62(544) century enka 129.4(127.25)145-88(16) century tex 403.7(402.85)408-215(126) chambal fert 67.85(68.95)94-62(164) chennai petro 132.05(136.9)197-117(16) cipla 395.6(396.35)400-284(271) coal india ltd 348.15(351.25)386-293(135) colgatepalm. 1298.2(1307.6)1316-932(7) corp bank 404.25(397.75)528-335(8) crompton gr. 113.5(111.05)167-102(595) cummins india 490.0(485.0)517-322(18) d,e,f dabur india 128.35(127.15)140-92(45) dena bank 113.9(110.7)114-47(911) dish tv india 76.1(75.25)84-52(476) dlf 210.95(206.4)261-169(755) dr reddy`s lab 1794.15(1785.9)1818-1501(10) e i h 73.3(72.75)103-72(54) edelweiss capital 35.15(35.6)45-21(52) educomp sol 151.9(149.4)274-128(233) eng india 229.7(231.35)288-195(93) escorts 64.7(64.0)93-55(96) essel propack 40.95(41.1)43-23(56) exide ind 140.25(138.6)166-98(149) f d c 87.5(89.7)95-75(37) federal bank 481.75(477.4)494-322(7) finolex cables 43.7(42.95)49-21(53) finolex ind 65.4(65.1)76-42(34) g gail 365.7(363.05)425-303(36) geometric 106.25(105.75)125-36(99) glaxo smithk. 1998.3(1999.25)2338-1830(0) glaxocon 3055.95(3069.2)3200-2179(1) global tele 28.95(28.4)61-23(278) gmr infra 21.3(20.35)34-17(1405) godrej cp 698.15(685.25)744-370(27) grasim ind 3407.05(3358.7)3511-2207(10) great offshore 101.0(99.9)140-70(30) gtl infrastructure 7.82(7.75)14-6(179) guj. ind power 70.85(68.4)84-56(15) guj. min deve 215.25(213.8)220-151(49) gujarat gas 300.2(299.65)451-270(6) gujarat st petronet 74.7(75.3)102-62(107) h h c l infosys 39.15(39.2)63-34(170) h c l tech 616.8(609.0)621-374(60) h d f c bank 640.15(639.8)645-400(198) h m t 43.35(43.2)53-26(32) hdfc 797.35(782.35)804-600(397) hdil 105.25(105.9)135-52(3818) hero honda 1945.65(1935.4)2278-1702(26) hexaware tec 115.6(114.9)142-73(117) hind petro 299.2(299.1)356-238(36) hind zinc 139.15(139.65)149-106(88) hindalco ind 113.7(112.55)164-100(691) hindujav 485.1(483.45)522-286(11) hpcl 299.2(299.1)356-238(36) hsng dev infra 105.25(105.9)135-52(3818) hsq dev fin 797.35(782.35)804-600(397) hul 532.25(532.7)579-373(200) hul 532.25(532.7)579-373(200) i i c i india 946.85(956.3)983-693(1) i t c 289.8(289.25)299-189(227) icici bank 1092.25(1081.85)1102-641(808) idbi 103.65(98.2)121-77(839) idea cellular 87.45(85.05)103-71(569) idfc 166.5(162.55)168-90(645) india cements 92.8(96.6)118-65(513) india infoline 70.65(70.9)78-42(49) indiabulls real est 62.7(61.45)83-40(1317) indian bank 173.0(166.35)265-152(25) indian hotels 63.55(62.95)80-51(83) indian ovrsea 75.3(72.7)119-66(153) indusind bank 366.15(363.45)375-221(138) infosys tech 2399.2(2383.9)2990-2101(48) ingersollrand 475.0(472.8)543-355(5) ingvysya 460.0(455.8)475-276(7) ioc 262.45(261.25)300-239(25) ipca lab 458.8(461.95)495-234(5) ispat ind 10.13(10.05)15-9(261) j,k,l j & k bank 1335.2(1309.7)1362-645(81) j b chem 73.95(73.25)78-58(18) jaiprakash ass 93.65(88.65)96-50(3329) jaypee infratech limited 49.2(48.6)61-33(136) jet airways 372.55(370.8)411-167(148) jindal 119.75(119.2)180-101(204) jindal stainless 65.3(67.0)92-55(69) jindal steel 387.45(386.35)663-321(225) jsw steel 752.6(748.65)885-464(97) kfa 12.83(12.55)30-7(11084) kotakbank 627.95(626.2)651-418(28) l i c hsq fin 255.45(253.7)290-208(317) l&t 1668.5(1665.2)1719-971(181) lanco infratech 12.42(12.31)25-8(3201) lupin 588.2(586.85)631-409(72) m,n,o m & m 917.1(914.4)926-621(153) m&m 917.1(914.4)926-621(153) mangalore ref 65.85(66.45)74-49(72) maruti 1468.0(1454.55)1488-905(51) mastek 147.8(142.1)185-73(27) maytas infra 61.9(60.95)93-48(26) mirc elec 12.37(12.94)20-10(142) mtnl 27.3(26.5)45-20(655) mtnl 27.3(26.5)45-20(655) n t p c 169.8(168.4)190-138(92) national alum 45.95(46.4)68-45(105) nestle ind 4862.4(4860.15)5024-3930(1) o n g c 266.6(267.05)303-240(210) omaxe 160.2(160.0)171-128(151) oracle fin 2870.0(2869.2)3125-1738(2) orchid chem 106.25(104.3)197-100(224) oriental bank 328.2(324.75)336-190(82) p,q,r p & g hygiene 2509.0(2430.1)2544-1600(0) parsvnath dev 39.6(39.15)79-32(459) pfizer 1143.0(1141.95)1410-1071(1) pidilite ind 201.0(190.25)224-133(111) piramalhe 478.0(489.95)562-340(5) pnb 777.0(757.15)1091-659(109) polaris soft 119.7(120.0)175-102(28) power fin corp 191.75(188.15)223-131(429) power grid corp 119.5(119.35)124-94(290) punj lloyd 53.55(52.75)65-37(380) ranbaxy lab 550.35(547.3)578-366(127) rashtriya chem 54.35(54.3)73-42(71) raymond 400.4(398.1)439-300(87) rcom 57.8(56.4)109-46(2121) reliance capital 406.8(394.45)481-225(1184) reliance ind 800.45(805.15)895-671(455) reliance power 98.65(97.55)139-68(898) relinfra 485.2(478.5)679-328(480) rolta india 64.95(64.95)108-50(170) s s a i l 83.35(82.4)115-73(144) satyam comp 110.65(110.65)116-62(418) sbi 2214.35(2172.85)2474-1576(563) shipping corp 51.55(51.05)81-46(99) siemens 706.0(709.4)862-627(21) sobha developers 385.6(379.0)394-185(8) sterlite ind 102.5(101.75)138-86(437) sterlite optical 30.2(30.3)46-27(129) sun pharma 701.45(698.1)728-486(19) suntv 342.2(343.15)373-176(42) suzlon energy 15.65(15.6)37-14(1297) syndicate bnk 121.3(119.4)125-67(73) t,u,v tata chem 318.5(318.85)374-295(30) tata elxsi 222.4(220.75)254-167(8) tata power 103.85(106.45)121-80(397) tata tea 159.65(158.1)164-80(600) tatacomm 249.15(251.75)266-176(46) tatamotors 269.25(266.85)320-160(1289) tcs 1328.8(1321.0)1438-1042(53) tech mahindra 967.7(963.15)1043-537(30) thermax 591.0(573.9)601-388(5) tisco 401.95(398.7)500-332(430) titan ind 292.3(290.95)295-154(231) tn newsprint 115.6(112.0)121-75(73) torrent power 164.95(167.6)252-146(18) tvs motor 38.55(38.45)67-31(120) union bank 232.0(218.1)273-150(588) unitedphos 119.05(118.75)168-105(112) vijaya bank 54.95(54.25)68-43(224) w,x,y,z welspunguj 101.35(100.35)156-64(145) wipro 367.5(365.95)452-325(115) wockhardt 1625.8(1559.7)1637-251(28) zeeenter 196.1(194.35)208-112(139) group ba 3i infotech 7.47(7.62)25-7(480) a p paper 300.7(303.7)373-120(18) aarti ind 95.0(92.3)98-39(151) aban offsho 420.8(425.65)571-320(123) acropetal technologies ltd 12.61(12.98)19-10(170) acrysil 106.6(96.15)110-58(29) adani power ltd 49.95(49.65)96-36(332) adani power ltd 49.95(49.65)96-36(332) adlabs films 72.9(71.65)97-49(133) advanta india 830.55(827.7)882-222(35) aegis logis 173.3(172.1)193-100(45) ajanta pharma 371.9(380.05)505-145(7) akar tools 26.5(25.45)44-19(73) alembic pharmaceuticals ltd 68.25(67.4)78-34(34) alstom 205.55(203.7)230-132(12) amar remedies 41.7(38.4)163-28(216) anikinds 34.5(33.45)40-22(51) anil products 205.0(198.9)294-190(5) ansal properties 30.9(30.85)41-21(199) aptech 68.45(67.6)128-64(100) archies 26.75(26.6)39-20(59) arrow webtex 70.05(70.0)104-52(517) arshiya international ltd. 121.0(121.95)171-111(44) arvee denims 72.6(66.0)72-27(70) asahi songwon colors 82.25(84.35)105-69(20) asahi songwon colors ltd 82.25(84.35)105-69(20) ashapura mine. 42.2(40.2)42-8(110) ashika credit capital ltd 115.4(112.9)150-25(30) astra zeneca 1536.6(1520.7)2649-1195(1) astral poly technik 369.0(345.0)370-124(4) atul chem 426.45(415.3)448-135(30) autoline industries 168.7(169.25)211-69(25) avaya 392.05(393.75)468-121(3) b,c b o c india 411.8(402.05)530-265(18) bajaj auto fin 1315.35(1299.95)1345-585(7) bajaj hind 29.8(29.3)37-23(311) balmer law 195.4(191.0)204-134(7) balmer lawri. 636.9(644.05)664-463(3) balrampur chini 67.1(65.2)74-32(505) bank of maha 53.6(53.4)58-37(37) bartronics india 24.3(23.7)54-18(121) bata india 865.75(864.8)989-492(17) bayer 1170.9(1158.2)1176-673(1) bengal&assam 266.0(263.75)275-170(18) berger paints 144.35(142.3)156-78(248) bgr energy systems 268.4(268.8)373-172(46) bhandari hos. 47.1(46.55)59-21(37) bharati shipyard 69.7(68.75)114-61(19) bhartiya int 133.85(133.65)138-45(108) bhussteel 489.0(490.8)513-296(60) bil energy systems ltd 84.35(83.6)123-44(243) biocon ltd 288.3(284.85)349-208(118) birla ericsson 16.9(16.47)18-8(178) blue star 192.15(193.4)230-150(8) bombay bur trdg 610.1(598.2)631-338(29) brooks laboratories ltd 22.35(18.65)28-12(188) can fin homes 129.15(125.8)139-87(53) carbon everflow 85.25(82.75)99-65(26) ceat 107.75(106.75)125-66(94) chirawa cements 142.0(141.45)160-14(176) cholam. inv 233.55(231.5)242-106(651) chromatic india 89.75(90.45)101-56(75) cinemax india 20.32(16.94)39-11(277) city union bnk 59.45(59.05)61-39(86) core project 307.65(309.2)345-245(4) cox and kings(india) ltd 145.4(147.3)231-119(55) crew b.o.s. prod 25.05(25.55)40-19(57) d,e,f d c m shr. con 72.7(68.6)86-37(72) d c w 23.65(23.8)26-7(361) d s kulkarni 72.4(73.4)79-47(44) daawat 64.7(65.75)69-32(33) dabur pharma 95.0(92.95)176-78(126) den networks ltd 182.05(185.2)188-46(42) development credit bank 44.25(43.05)52-30(451) dewan hsq fin 206.65(202.35)279-142(35) dhanuka 128.5(122.7)138-80(65) dishman pharma 99.85(98.85)107-32(174) divi's lab 1159.45(1138.5)1215-695(55) e i dparry 225.0(228.3)256-165(28) eicher motors 2593.8(2541.9)2636-1376(4) elder pharma 334.2(327.95)406-267(14) elecon eng 50.8(50.4)70-39(28) electrosteel c. 28.3(28.4)29-15(734) entertainment network india 244.85(244.2)258-194(213) ess dee aluminium 302.3(281.6)313-114(140) essar oil 65.9(65.95)87-44(580) essar shipping ltd 27.65(29.85)95-16(61) essarship 102.5(101.7)106-46(38) eveready ind 22.85(22.9)35-16(86) everest 235.15(220.8)241-102(30) everonn systems india 149.2(146.65)475-135(112) excel crop 224.0(221.0)235-85(24) farry industries 17.22(16.4)36-13(80) firstsource solutions 11.81(11.77)15-5(529) flexituff international limited 203.15(206.85)384-175(36) fortis healthcare 105.15(102.75)132-81(93) future capital holdings 170.4(170.15)186-101(38) future ventures india ltd 9.4(9.25)9-7(258) g g i c hsq fin 121.85(116.15)124-68(229) gallantt metal 29.6(29.35)36-15(104) gammon india 39.9(39.8)67-36(269) gangotri iron 38.15(38.2)52-28(91) gati 36.5(35.4)54-23(126) geodesic inf 41.7(41.5)65-33(53) ghcl 39.2(39.2)44-27(535) gitanjali gems 399.9(400.55)443-286(254) glenmark phar 430.95(431.0)449-265(37) globus spirits 123.25(121.5)132-87(17) glodyne 49.35(47.0)434-45(62) gmm pfaudler 105.35(106.65)122-72(10) godawari power 121.85(122.2)136-69(22) godfrey phi. 3330.0(3229.9)3944-2349(2) godrej indus 319.35(317.5)327-168(566) goenka diamond & jewels ltd. 28.2(28.05)29-2(88) goodyear india 325.05(330.1)412-269(4) greave 73.2(74.45)99-60(1241) gruh fin 202.0(195.5)223-101(53) guj. alkalies 138.45(134.3)145-100(89) guj. amb exp 24.55(24.8)26-16(104) guj. nre coke 18.95(19.2)28-14(2593) guj. state fert 73.8(74.75)100-64(30) gujarat pipavav port ltd 48.75(48.6)69-46(39) gulshan polyols 79.2(79.65)85-50(24) h,i h f c l 10.92(10.87)16-10(341) hanung toys 141.05(138.9)155-76(110) havell`s india 594.5(581.05)672-365(47) hercules hoists 139.9(140.7)164-95(17) heritage food 444.7(425.5)450-133(88) hikal 433.0(449.3)479-226(22) himatsingka s. 36.9(36.45)38-22(49) hind con 17.35(17.05)33-14(622) hind motors 10.3(9.84)14-7(124) hind oil exp 97.6(95.6)152-86(367) hind sanitary 121.65(119.5)181-104(25) hondasiel 567.75(541.2)574-261(4) hotel leela 30.1(29.5)40-27(129) ht media 97.95(97.5)149-82(1112) hyderabad ind 483.8(488.1)547-255(4) i f c i 29.55(28.45)49-19(2866) i v r cons 43.45(41.95)75-27(1637) ibn18 29.6(29.15)38-15(2784) icra 1301.15(1337.3)1449-797(1) iid forgings 121.0(121.95)171-111(44) il&fs transportation networks ltd. 189.2(189.05)224-143(16) india glycols 218.2(213.6)226-111(54) indiabulls finan 239.35(233.4)260-116(271) indiabulls power 11.9(11.75)20-8(395) indian infotech and software 19.8(19.6)24-1(911) indrapr. medi 36.7(36.3)44-32(53) indraprastha gas 264.8(260.55)436-170(355) indswift lab 54.15(54.6)133-39(24) info edge india 352.9(346.8)400-274(3) infotech ent 193.35(201.05)207-100(535) inox leisure 78.0(74.3)81-35(32) insecticides india 418.0(420.8)476-311(16) irb infrastructure developers 125.8(122.55)210-100(726) ivrcl infrastruc 43.45(41.95)75-27(1637) j j b f ind 137.85(139.8)151-89(18) j k ind 119.3(116.1)131-53(18) j l morison 415.0(407.0)462-335(6) jai corp 59.0(57.75)117-45(480) jain irrigation 67.95(67.7)126-59(501) jaiprakash hydro 38.2(38.3)49-24(171) jay shree tea 106.1(106.95)141-78(125) jayant agro org 150.0(148.7)156-78(11) jhaveri weld 34.15(32.75)40-2(79) jhs svendgaard laboratories 30.8(32.55)48-27(47) jindal south west holdings 567.75(560.55)1092-356(21) jindalph 138.1(136.2)176-110(14) jindpolyfm 197.05(198.25)240-143(30) jk cement 309.0(295.9)309-95(61) jklakshmi 126.95(126.85)131-36(81) jubilant org 215.5(218.45)243-154(48) jyothy laboratories 178.05(173.35)185-62(41) jyoti struct 44.25(43.45)63-35(129) k,l k g denim 15.17(15.01)16-8(139) k r b l 26.65(26.4)28-12(412) k s b pumps 228.0(227.15)266-141(43) kajaria ceramic 220.25(217.5)223-84(11) kalpataru pwr 83.55(82.75)134-64(46) kalyani steels 53.7(53.45)70-32(41) kar vysy bank 480.0(469.65)481-322(18) karnataka bnk 140.65(138.8)142-64(844) kaveri seed company 1164.15(1145.75)1284-400(1) kecil 62.55(62.0)80-31(106) kei ind 19.25(18.8)22-12(78) kemrock ind 72.6(73.55)570-70(77) kesoram ind 144.05(143.9)170-83(43) kgnind 17.2(17.0)32-13(173) kirloskar ferro 30.9(28.35)32-19(2484) kohinoor 30.25(30.15)46-25(51) kolte patil developers 75.65(76.75)77-26(476) kpitcumm 122.8(122.2)142-68(1068) kpr mill 129.6(130.65)148-75(11) kwality dairy 40.9(44.2)182-25(3370) l k p mer fin 61.0(61.0)82-52(60) la opala glass 159.8(157.55)160-89(9) lakshmi machine 2116.25(2124.8)2204-1426(1) liberty phosp 170.85(171.75)184-45(51) liberty shoes 102.3(106.95)125-56(49) lincoln pharmaceuticals 33.45(31.75)35-19(41) lloyd elect 62.55(62.95)74-36(42) lloyds steel ind 12.0(10.97)14-6(140) lovable lingerie ltd 369.6(369.45)531-278(72) m m and b switchgears limited 192.5(192.0)197-50(13) m r f 10279.7(10307.0)11570-6330(1) madras cements 218.0(212.5)219-100(110) man infraconstruction ltd. 196.8(193.95)229-90(23) manali petro 11.68(11.93)14-7(130) manappuram gen 37.75(36.7)67-18(590) mandhana industries ltd. 243.0(241.15)299-187(32) mangalam cem 175.35(175.1)183-76(140) mangalore chem 44.25(45.05)57-30(167) marico ind 205.6(208.65)217-134(15) max india 242.95(233.9)250-140(50) maxwell industries 25.5(25.4)33-18(195) mcdowell holdings 87.3(85.55)89-31(17) mcleod russel india 312.35(307.15)345-165(28) midfield industries ltd 34.95(35.1)56-32(40) midpoint software & electro systems 47.75(47.0)48-17(36) mindtree 687.6(675.05)761-371(21) mirza 21.6(21.15)23-16(180) mmtc ltd 733.65(736.25)1009-438(28) monnet ispat 292.0(289.4)560-265(5) monsanto india 638.8(630.65)800-599(2) motherson sumi 158.55(156.35)179-86(87) mundra port 131.15(134.6)166-105(221) muthoot cap 94.5(92.65)95-51(12) mysore cem 53.45(51.5)56-25(86) n,o n i i t 33.55(33.5)56-29(34) nagarjuna agri 80.95(77.9)90-50(18) nagarjuna con 45.45(45.2)66-28(217) natco pharma 384.8(382.2)437-197(2) national pero 498.5(496.65)535-312(2) navneet pub 57.45(57.6)71-50(21) nbventure 185.45(185.1)226-147(177) nectar lifescn 21.9(22.5)26-15(128) nelcast 25.4(22.0)36-19(230) neocorp 32.0(31.75)49-21(43) nesco 699.8(699.4)775-499(2) network 18 media 36.7(36.95)62-26(280) nhpc 22.25(22.35)24-14(1196) nhpc ltd 22.25(22.35)24-14(1196) niit technologies 287.75(289.65)324-166(7) nilkamal plast 235.85(232.25)282-177(9) nitco tiles 26.5(26.85)53-18(98) nitin fire protection industries 70.25(65.85)73-22(716) nocil 16.9(16.85)20-15(96) noida toll bridge 24.9(25.35)29-19(92) o c l india 157.85(162.2)169-75(12) oil india ltd 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poly medicure ltd 335.0(330.0)345-172(7) polyplex corp 209.65(209.6)216-143(6) ponnisug 345.7(321.4)355-71(15) pradip overseas ltd. 38.95(40.95)127-38(356) praj ind 47.65(45.15)92-40(364) prakash constrowell ltd 150.0(150.0)311-81(9) prakash steelage ltd 158.0(160.85)200-114(10) pratibha industries 50.05(49.85)58-27(22) prime focus 49.45(49.9)64-33(114) prism cement 57.25(57.65)60-35(83) provogue (india) 14.67(14.9)36-11(90) pslltd 57.35(56.55)71-50(42) ptc 69.5(69.9)74-38(103) ptc india financial services ltd 16.21(16.03)18-9(144) puravankara projects 87.3(76.8)89-54(788) pvr 234.6(234.4)239-115(17) r radico khait 117.95(117.75)134-92(10) raj television network 216.85(218.05)257-63(44) rajesh exp 124.0(126.15)149-110(12) rallis india 148.6(142.95)169-111(1206) rane madras 164.8(153.3)165-90(37) rasoya proteins ltd 88.8(89.55)94-18(34) redington india 83.8(84.0)97-65(24) rei agro 10.51(10.5)23-7(120) reliance indust 410.45(405.7)565-272(99) repro india 227.8(235.8)258-145(9) ricoh india 71.4(75.15)91-24(175) rswmltd 102.55(102.05)106-60(12) ruby mills 733.75(692.8)899-590(2) rural electrification corporation 221.05(218.65)251-142(229) s s bk of bikaner 412.0(415.5)470-302(9) s r f 224.95(225.75)314-192(25) saintgobain 39.95(38.1)70-33(151) sandur mang 435.65(439.65)590-261(6) se investments 344.0(343.45)382-70(65) sesa goa 176.05(175.4)270-148(146) shasun chem 153.05(144.7)185-38(301) shaw wall gel 152.85(156.0)164-82(10) shree cement 4399.0(4323.7)4442-1881(0) shree ganesh jewellery house ltd 128.05(120.15)152-65(448) shree renuka sugars 32.1(31.75)57-22(1125) shrenuj & co 58.0(58.6)90-50(19) shriram epc 73.0(70.8)125-49(27) shriram trans 622.2(624.05)669-416(3) signet 168.65(169.75)209-76(10) sintex ind 66.05(64.75)122-50(620) sks microfinance ltd 119.85(117.8)205-54(72) solar explosives 984.0(981.65)1024-667(5) sonata soft 24.65(24.6)27-17(66) southind.bank 22.85(23.0)28-19(225) spicejet 36.05(35.75)41-15(2678) splash mediaworks 14.55(14.5)38-14(99) sr ray 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7840.0(7775.75)8539-5676(0) time technoplast 45.5(45.55)60-34(28) timken india 206.55(207.05)269-163(24) titanor components 214.65(218.8)229-76(14) tplplast 192.65(188.2)198-59(12) transformers 136.4(137.85)223-122(8) trent 1140.0(1158.35)1260-771(1) triveni eng & ind 21.8(21.7)24-12(74) triveni turbine ltd 58.3(58.3)59-30(21) ttk prestige 3448.85(3431.05)3996-2151(11) ttml 10.96(10.97)18-10(206) tube invest 167.3(169.9)183-96(14) tulip 39.05(39.0)155-34(57) ubholding 126.15(120.85)155-53(864) uco bank 74.4(73.65)95-44(1400) uflex 103.65(102.6)165-91(96) ultratech 2028.0(2019.95)2074-1093(13) unichem lab 185.9(185.75)203-101(11) unitdspr 1300.1(1243.85)1424-450(714) unitech 25.65(24.0)37-17(6667) united bank of india 65.6(64.7)87-45(51) unity infraprojects 45.3(44.5)56-22(59) ushamartin 31.05(31.4)43-21(158) ushdev int 235.0(235.4)349-185(9) usher agro ltd. 62.25(62.25)128-34(44) uttam steel 63.0(61.4)85-48(63) v,w,x,y,z v guard industries 444.45(442.8)457-141(25) vaibhav gems 89.55(92.35)93-24(41) vardhman poly 65.55(67.7)101-41(109) vardhtext 247.55(257.35)265-155(14) varun industries 21.5(17.95)279-16(56) venkys 489.7(496.6)621-322(7) vesuvius 347.0(343.0)464-305(3) videocon 170.55(169.5)196-161(13) vikas wsp 57.8(57.15)76-9(204) vivmed labs 351.65(351.15)444-212(27) voltas 112.5(113.75)138-71(157) w p i l 387.05(393.55)458-169(4) west coast pap 95.95(91.4)122-44(187) whirlpool 257.5(255.05)272-141(4) winsome yarns 17.85(18.05)33-15(190) wire & wireless 22.35(21.35)24-5(244) yes bank 420.15(420.9)424-230(200) zee news 15.55(15.38)17-8(165) zensar tech 256.15(250.3)302-113(5) zenu infotech 42.5(44.7)45-22(51) zuari ind 120.5(118.25)214-118(14) zylog systems 98.2(103.35)340-98(61) group ta,b aarti drugs 217.7(191.3)221-72(208) amara raja 255.65(258.3)267-89(399) arvind remedies 32.7(32.2)40-18(46) atlas cycles 402.0(404.1)466-247(3) autolite 17.3(16.5)26-12(101) blissgvs 42.95(41.85)44-20(49) c choice international 39.8(39.65)66-28(35) commitment cap 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62.85(66.15)174-20(127) associated finlease 36.25(37.45)38-10(80) b,c,d,e,f barasia holding & trading company 213.65(211.9)254-129(15) beryl drugs 28.25(28.7)33-14(67) blue circle services 70.35(71.35)85-61(289) centron ind 126.7(122.8)130-23(37) dhvanil chemicals 78.75(81.8)86-25(156) electrotherm 51.65(47.45)174-41(39) empire ind 724.8(715.7)787-560(1) esaar 51.05(51.35)58-9(275) finalysis credit & guarantee company 77.85(77.1)78-30(53) g,h,i,j gemstone investment 17.5(17.45)20-5(1073) goyal financials 47.1(45.0)47-13(56) grenada investment & trading comapny 116.0(116.0)142-11(41) hind. copper 258.6(258.8)320-146(31) inca finlease 17.35(17.85)160-16(238) intec secur. 75.85(86.85)89-27(49) jain marble udhyog 17.7(16.86)27-9(121) jalan metallurgical 350.0(347.15)350-52(43) jalgaon reroll 121.0(123.05)128-27(179) k,l,m,n,o,p,q kalefilms 33.0(30.0)49-17(463) kosha cubidor 24.45(25.6)26-4(389) national min 182.3(186.15)232-136(33) natraj comm 117.15(118.8)124-35(52) ncl research and financial services 849.3(854.65)888-94(1) parikh herbals 39.4(41.45)65-5(139) polytex india 234.4(235.1)259-117(206) r ram kaashyap 19.9(19.75)36-16(169) rasoya proteins 88.8(89.55)94-18(34) residency hou 40.25(42.1)79-33(45) rosebud commercial 40.1(38.25)42-17(161) s s p capital financing 50.1(53.3)139-33(28) s v electricals 8.33(7.94)13-3(144) sai wires india 31.85(30.7)117-12(126) sawaca finance 214.9(214.9)234-15(73) secunderabad healthcare 25.0(24.5)25-2(758) shree nath 48.5(48.0)49-8(86) shubham granites 19.45(18.55)50-5(124) sulabh eng 417.0(410.0)419-11(7) swan mills 136.65(136.75)147-56(301) t,u,v,w,x,y,z tilak finance 56.3(55.25)56-9(406) toshika chemicals 156.0(160.8)165-19(102) tuni textile mills 245.0(249.85)284-24(204) veerenrgy 15.15(15.3)17-1(2504) venusvent 15.0(14.62)26-6(337) vision tech 9.6(9.22)10-5(220) wyn aqua exp 20.5(20.45)20-5(88)
New Delhi: UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday inaugurated a modern rail coach manufacturing factory in her Lok Sabha constituency Rae Barreli. Sonia, after inaugurating the coach factory, said, "The coach manufacturing unit here will provide job opportunities to the local residents and farmers who have given their land for this project and add to the development of the area." The inauguration of the Rs 1,685 crore coach factory was delayed for more than a year due to the vexed issue of compensation to farmers whose land was used for the factory. The issue is being settled now as railways have decided to provide jobs to all the affected land owners, said a senior Railway Ministry official. Beside the inauguration, Sonia will also hand over appointment letters to farmers whose land was used for the project. The country's largest public transporter had acquired 541 hectares of land for the coach manufacturing factory, out of which 283 hectares belonged to private land owners. Railways have agreed to provide jobs to about 1,400 persons in compensation for the land acquired for the factory. Jobs will be given to the land owners in 'Group D' category. Railways have just released Rs 150 crore for the factory against the demand for Rs 400 crore. The project received a push after the Railway Ministry came to Congress following the exit of Trinamool Congress from UPA whose representatives had held the key portfolio for the last three and half years. The Rae Bareli coach factory is expected to cater to railways' increasing demand for coaches by annually rolling out about 1,000 coaches. Currently, the factory is engaged only in assembling coaches.
A fresh petition was filed before the Kerala High Court on Tuesday seeking a directive to the Union and the State governments to entrust the work of Kochi Metro Rail to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The petition was filed by Balachandran, State secretary, Bharatiya Janata Karshaka Morcha. He said lame excuses were being made to keep the DMRC out of the work on the project. The court had earlier dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by Mr. Balakrishan with a liberty to move the court again.
The automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) are expected to be installed at the Mysore Railway Station within a month, thus obviating the need to stand in lengthy queues to buy unreserved tickets. The banks The machines will be installed in the existing automated teller machine (ATM) kiosks of five banks — State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Vijaya Bank, Punjab National Bank and the Union Bank of India. The respective banks will manage the system. Two other banks — Bank of Baroda and Oriental Bank of Commerce — are also expected to install the facility. MP submits wishlist The issue came up when A.H. Vishwanath, MP, submitted a wishlist to railway officials during a meeting held here on Tuesday. The meeting was consequent to a directive by the Ministry of Railways to General Managers of the Zonal Railway to hold two meetings in a year with the local MPs to discuss various demands. Mr. Vishwanath had sought additional booking counters and the officials said the existing counters would suffice as the ATVMs were likely to be installed soon. Once the machines were installed, the waiting time for passengers would reduce, they said. In addition, three Janasadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks would be sanctioned for Mysore and they would be authorised to dispense railway tickets. One would be located at Ramaswamy Circle, one at Shivarampet and one near the railway station. Slow pace of work Mr. Vishwanath also drew attention to the slow pace of track-doubling work between Bangalore and Mysore and said that it had to be expedited. Track-doubling was an important infrastructure project was expected to act as a catalyst for the comprehensive growth of the city, he said. Officials said work between Hanakere and Mandya; Mandya and Yeliur; and Channapatna and Shettihalli would be commissioned this year while the critical section was the work on Naganahalli-Pandavapura section which had slowed down owing to delay in land acquisition. However, they expressed confidence that the work was likely to be completed in 2014. Regular halts sought R. Dhruvanarayan, Chamarajanagar MP, stressed the need to introduce more long-distance trains from Chamarajanagar. He also wanted regular halt for all passenger trains operating on the section at Mariyala near Chamarajanagar town. Underlining the need for additional facilities at Chamarajanagar, Mr. Dhruvanarayan sought a goods shed. South Western Railway General Manager A.K. Mital, Mysore Divisional Railway Manager Vinod Kumar, Additional Divisional Railway Manager Rakesh Gupta, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Anup S. Dayanand and other officials were present. Though there are 14 MPs in the jurisdiction of the Mysore Railway Division, only two attended the meeting.
He escaped by boarding Metro, Haryana policemen to be suspended. The undertrial, who escaped from the custody of Haryana policemen while they were with him on the Kashmere Gate Metro station on Monday, had the Metro token with him, investigators have been told. This, police said, allowed undertrial Sandeep Kumar (23) to walk out of the Metro premises of the next station. Suspension orders against Head Constable Manoj and Constable Tejpal have been issued and police are probing if the accompanying policemen had any role in the escape of the prisoner. According to police, Kumar was handcuffed and tied with a rope — the other end of which was tied to the belt of the head constable. On Kashmere Gate station, the policemen gave Kumar the token while entering the premises. Later, while Kumar got on the train, the two policemen could not board the Metro as the doors closed. Police said as the rope was tied to the head constable’s belt, the policeman was forced run along with the moving train till he managed to untie the rope. Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Maheshwar Dayal said: “A departmental inquiry into the incident has been ordered. The personnel will be suspended.” The two policemen were taking Kumar to Bhondsi Jail in Haryana, after a hearing at a Chandigarh court. They came to Kashmere Gate ISBT and then decided to take the Metro to HUDA City Centre station. Police said the CCTV footage showed that Kumar, who was wearing a track suit, covered his handcuffed hands with a shawl. Police suspect that Kumar got off at the Chandni Chowk station, which is usually crowded. Here, he used the token to exit the station premises. ... contd.
Appointed in-charge of Kishanganj Railways Akhara, Olympic medalist to balance role with Rio ambition. It’s quite unusual for the chief guest of an event to arrive before the rest of the felicitating party. Yet at the function where Sushil Kumar was appointed as officer in charge of the Railways akhara in Kishanganj, the double Olympic medalist, casually walked in at the scheduled time early on Tuesday morning, even as the red carpet to welcome him was still being laid out. Sushil, though, didn't seem nonplussed about the entire situation. He quietly made himself at home in one of the small dormitories that house wrestlers in the akhara and waited for the other dignitaries to arrive. In the meanwhile workers hurriedly put up a hoarding bearing Sushil's name over the room he was to use as an office while others swept the premises. Some resident wrestlers were also caught off guard and hurried about brushing their teeth. An employee of the Railways, Sushil had been appointed with the express aim of producing world class wrestlers at the facility. And on just the first day on the job after performing puja to ensure his mission would be a success, Sushil who was accompanied by fellow Olympic medalist Yogeshwar, had a simple suggestion to make. "The first thing I would ensure is that there is self discipline. You can have all the facilities in the world but you need to ensure that you make the most of it. My biggest strength was that I had self discipline. When I was asked to do something at a particular time, I ensured I did it. When the coaches set up a schedule, it is up to the wrestlers to ensure that they follow it perfectly," he said. ... contd.
women artisans and connoisseurs of handicrafts, handwoven clothes and handmade jewellery have a new destination in delhi now. after a string of dilli haats at ina, pitampura and janakpuri, and a number of seasonal exhibitions at pragati maidan, emporiums etc., we now have a mahila haat specifically for women artisans. this beautiful haat, located above a multi-level parking lot on asaf ali road, sells everything from clothes with ethnic embroideries, jewellery from different regions, accessories, home decorations, toys to kitchen furnishings. no wonder, women customers are as happy as the women artisans.at the moment, the haat has 30 stalls manned by women artisans brought in by ngos and shgs from across the country. these women are most happy to gain a new avenue of employment. sunil sharma, from jyoti women and child development society, is supervising 16 artisans brought in from all over india. "the authorities have taken a very good step by establishing this mahila haat. we do have three dilli haats but then there are thousands waiting to showcase their products. women artisans, especially lose out as they have little knowledge of the lottery system through which stalls are granted at the haats. here, they have better chances of getting stalls, being women."najima khatoun of chandni chowk, who has a stall of embroidered and embellished clothes and bags here, adds, "i appreciate the thought which has gone behind the location of this haat. old delhi has so many women artisans from the muslim community who do zari and zardosi work. however, our families being conservative, we are not allowed to go far to sell our wares. businessmen purchase these goods from us at low prices and sell them at exorbitant rates in the open market.""now that we are selling these products by ourselves, we are earning much more and feel economically and socially empowered." artisans from other states are equally happy. razia mallik of nadia, west bengal, selling traditional kantha garments here, says, "i like the fact that this haat is close to the old and new delhi railway stations and isbt. we can commute easily from our native places to the haat. accommodation is also cheap in old delhi.""i also see many foreigners, who have come to see the monuments of old delhi, stopping by this haat. we are all hopeful that this crowd will only increase in time to come."one such foreigner alicia vetkins from us, who have seen admiring jewellery here, says, "i love the ethnic jewellery of india. i appreciate the hardwork and craft that goes into it and buy loads of it every time i am visiting delhi. this haat will be on my itinerary chart every time now."pulkita jain of hansraj college, who bought embroidered bags, clothes and home decoration items here, adds, "this stuff is expensive as compared to machine made goods; but i would like to think that i am not just paying for a bag but also the good cause behind it. i feel happy to be a part of the mission that mahila haat represents."
Mumbai: Metro cities of India are the favourite destinations of international travellers visiting the country with New Delhi at the number one spot, followed by Mumbai and Bangalore, according to the latest Hotel Price Index report. "Metro cities dominate the top 10 favourite Indian destinations list amongst international travellers. The capital city of New Delhi bags the number one spot as the most popular Indian destination for overseas travellers, followed by Mumbai in second place and Bangalore comes in third on the list," the Hotel Price Index (HPI) report said. Other popular metros include Chennai at fourth position, Hyderabad (eighth) and Kolkata (ninth). Goa, the popular beach and party destination of the country, is fifth most favourite destination for foreigners, while Jaipur, popularly known as the 'Pink City', is at the sixth spot. Cochin, a city in Kerala, takes the 10th position on the list. According to the report, South East Asian destinations are popular with Indian travellers going abroad. The great value rates available in Bangkok make it the most preferred international destination amongst Indians, followed by Singapore, it said. Other popular South East Asian destinations in the top 10 list included Pattaya, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Phuket on the sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th positions, respectively. The other international destinations in the top 10 list include Dubai on the third spot, New York on the fourth, London on the fifth and Las Vegas on the eighth, the report added.
A baby girl was found abandoned on the Madurai-Kollam passenger train that arrived at the Kollam railway station on Monday morning. The child was found by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel during a routine check of the train before it was taken to the yard. The child appeared friendly. The RPF personnel launched a search for the girl’s parents at the railway station but in vain. Since no one came forward to claim the child, the district Child Welfare Council (CWC) authorities were informed. CWC chairman C.J. Antony said the child, around two years of age, called out for her mother occasionally but did not say anything else. Prima facie, the child appeared to be a Malayali, he said. Since the Kollam CWC unit does not have facilities to accommodate children below five years of age, the child was taken to the adoption centre of the State Council for Child Welfare in Thiruvananthapuram in the evening.
Even as confusion prevails over whether the DMRC would spare its resources for the Kochi Metro Rail project, the agency’s Principal Adviser E. Sreedharan inspected a few project sites on Monday. He also went through the paper works that the agency’s Kochi unit had prepared to kick-start the metro’s civil works and interacted with the technical team here. A week ago, the Union Urban Development Ministry had expressed reservations about sparing the DMRC’s resources for the Kochi metro. On Monday, Mr Sreedharan visited the North overbridge, where the DMRC is engaged in constructing a four-lane bridge in place of the two-lane one, and asked the engineers to speed up the works so that lanes one and four can be opened to traffic this month, as per schedule. Lanes two and three and the metro-rail pillars at the centre were expected to be commissioned by September 2013. Atlantis overbridge He also visited the site of the Atlantis overbridge, near Thevara, on Monday evening. The proposed bridge and the Salim Rajan overbridge that the DMRC intended to throw open to traffic in January, are expected to cater to vehicles that are diverted when the South overbridge is pulled down and rebuilt as a four-lane one. Kakkanad extension He also visited the international stadium in Kaloor where a metro station has been proposed. It is from here that the metro’s Kakkanad extension has been planned. Mr. Sreedharan is learnt to have asked DMRC officials to do a site survey for the purpose. Mr. Sreedharan is scheduled to go to New Delhi along with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed and the Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd Elias George on Wednesday to discuss the situation arising out of the objections raised by the Urban Development Ministry. Talking to reporters, Mr. Sreedharan said he would make his stand clear on the Metro rail depending on the outcome of the Delhi meeting. Reacting to the raging controversy over Metro ail, sources associated with the project said the DMRC was already associated with the Metro, two monorails, high-speed rail corridor, three major bridges proposed on the four-lane Moolampilly-Chattanad Road. It was recently entrusted with rebuilding the bottlenecked culvert near the PVS Hospital, Kaloor.
At 8-30 p.m. this past Friday, the ladies’ compartment on a Qutab Minar-bound Delhi Metro train was infiltrated by roughly ten men -- young and old -- who were playing deaf to the announcement “Male passengers are requested not to travel in the first compartment which is reserved for ladies only. Doing so is a punishable offence”. Several hung to the railings looking around the compartment at women, comprising office-goers, college students and mothers with children, as if it was just an extension of the general compartment. The women in the compartment nervously looked at each other, wondering if someone will speak up and tell the men to withdraw further back into that section of the train that is now commonly known as the “male compartments”. As the train pulled into one of the stations on the Yellow Line (Jahangirpuri–HUDA City Centre), two women constables from the Central Industrial Security Force stepped into the compartment and started asking the men to move back. “Arrey, there is one guy standing in the front of the train,” laughed one of the constables, as she asked him to join the rest on their way. “You should not travel in this compartment,” said the other constable to the men who just stared back vacantly. The women constables de-boarded the train without slapping fines on any of the men, and as the train started moving the men were back in the ladies’ compartment within minutes. If the constables had challaned the male passengers, the CISF could have collected fines running into thousands of rupees with the Delhi Metro fixing a fine of Rs.250 each on offenders. The CISF has, however, earned more than Rs.8 lakh in fines since a “special drive” was launched on July 13 to prevent unlawful entry and activities of male passengers inside the ladies’ coach with eight to ten teams deployed on several lines on the Delhi Metro network. “While we don’t have the provision of deploying permanent staff on the ladies’ coach, we do have special teams headed by a woman sub-inspector which keep a close watch,” said a CISF spokesperson, adding that the force does require more manpower. In September, 1,552 male passengers were fined; 896 in October, and 141 in the first four days of November with total fines running up to more than Rs.6 lakh. “There are not very many cases,” said a Delhi Metro spokesperson, “Passengers travelling on the Delhi Metro are improving.” Earlier, following complaints from women passengers regarding entry and misbehaviour of male passengers inside the ladies’ coach, the DMRC set up a 24x7 Helpline (155370). “During the day we do not receive as many calls but some calls come in after 9 p.m. when the metro is fairly empty,” said the spokesperson.
Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) from Russia have arrived at the Metro Rail’s May Day Park site in Chintadripet. The TBMs will be employed for tunnelling the stretch between Anna Salai and Gemini. About five Russians have been involved with assembling of these machines. Tunnelling operations will begin in December, an official said. “There is a minor technical glitch which has to be cleared. Only then, the placement of temporary rings will begin,” he said. It will take nearly a year to tunnel the distance of 2,820 metres from Anna Salai to Gemini, the official said. Tunnelling would be done at a speed of one or two metres a day, to begin with, and increased gradually. Meanwhile, at Nehru Park station, where tunnelling work first began, the first TBM has drilled more than 100 metres. The second one was launched just a few days ago.
As a premier rail terminal that is used by thousands of people every hour, Chennai Central needs services that are both reliable and of high quality. Passengers are weary at the end of a journey — they encounter bed-bugs in the air-conditioned compartment linen and various pests in all bogies — and want a comfortable, quick exit from the station. Those who come to the station to take a train have to elbow their way to the platforms, as the main concourses have long exhausted their capacity to handle the throngs. What is really striking about Central is its deteriorating traffic ecology: waste of circulating space outside the stately terminal. This is evident in the parking area, the autorickshaw stands, and the lanes that lead out towards the erstwhile Moore Market. Rubbish has proliferated in all areas outside of the terminal, blocking pedestrian movement, and in the monsoon, this filthy landscape turns into a horror for those who must transport their baggage to cars, the run-down taxi and autorickshaw bays or buses across the road. To walk to the two pedestrian subways outside is to brave an obstacle course. Of course, some of the difficulty is temporary, because of the construction of a major interchange — a metro rail station for passengers to change lines. But is it extraordinarily difficult to create a proper paved surface in the precincts of the station and improve the lighting for the present? The irony of the situation is that it is the same officialdom governing the environment at Central that is promising us a different world when the Chennai Metro arrives. Undoubtedly, the Metro is shaping up as an engineering marvel that can potentially change the way we all move. It is a pity that the rail corridors under implementation are woefully inadequate to meet demand from far corners of the city and the system is losing economies of scale. Again, it remains to be seen if the government will aid linking of buses and feeder transport to it, and give harassed passengers the option of a common rail-bus ticket. Laissez faire taxi and autorickshaw operations that exist today can only put off commuters if they remain unchanged. Crucially, Southern Railway and the Tamil Nadu authorities have to shake off their indolence in managing public space. The proof of their rosy future concepts will lie in how efficiently they act in the present. Central station is poised to become much more crowded in about two years – the Metro station here will be common for both the Metro lines now under implementation – one leading west to Thirumangalam and on to Koyambedu, and the other south, to the airport. It will connect, as Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. notes, more than one suburban railway a short distance away. The most important government hospital in the State is also only a couple of hundred metres away and the new Madras Medical College building in the nearby Old Jail area is ready. Thus, what Central needs today is a traffic ecologist to study it carefully, and reorder the lines of movement – putting people first. So here is a list of things to do immediately: A. Clean up the entire complex of muck, debris, and filth to increase circulating space B. Pave the surface used by passengers and vehicles to proper engineering standards C. Put up sign boards inside and outside the terminal on facilities available, with directions using global travel signage standards. D. Improve lighting in public access areas outside the terminal. E. Run a regulated and transparent call taxi and autorickshaw service, abolishing monopolies. None of this is expensive and there is a lot of passenger goodwill to be gained.
the proposed land acquisition bill aims to remove the hurdles in acquisition of land for the infrastructure projects built for public.the draft bill, sent to 12 ministries for their opinion, says the government can acquire land for public private partnership (ppp) projects with the consent of 67 per cent of landowners in the areas but it should have a majority stake in the project. the government can also help the companies involved in such projects. however, if a ppp is driven by private companies, then land acquisition requires consent of at least 80 per cent of landowners. for these projects, the government may not lend any help in acquiring the land.infra project listthe draft also contains a list of 29 infrastructure projects identified as projects built for public purpose. the list of public purpose projects includes roads, bridges, ports, airport, urban public transport, telecommunication towers, hospitals and educational institutes, railway tracks, power projects, oil pipelines, oil/gas/liquefied natural gas storage facilities, water supply pipelines, water treatment plants and irrigation projects.as the centre is planning to bring the bill in the winter session, which will start on november 22, it is expected to be sent to the cabinet soon.as per the land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement (larr) bill cleared by the group of ministers headed by agriculture minister sharad pawar, if private companies want to develop projects, including industries, they need to approach landowners and acquire the land. for this too, the government will not extend help. however, industry body ficci strongly opposed certain clauses in the bill saying that the government should help the private sector to acquire the land even for private projects instead of only ppp projects. in a letter to pawar, ficci president r v kanoria said state governments should help in land acquisition for the private sector.he said that if the government did not help the private companies, then large projects like steel and cement plants will face a big hurdle.
atleast 80 per cent of the work on supplying drinking water from river bhadra to kadur-birur towns have been completed. the drinking water will be supplied to the town shortly, said mla dr y c vishwanath. speaking to mediapersons after inspecting the work on water storage tank, purifying unit and jackwell, at doddaghatta, haliyoor and lakkavalli, he said the estimated cost of the bhadra drinking water project was rs 36 crore in 2007-08. however, it has been escalated to rs 48 crore. by changing the original plan of the project, it has been decided to supply water to additional 34 villages. karnataka state water supply and sewerage board assistant engineer prabhakar said that pipelines will have to be laid in tarikere town. the building owners have already left aside 45 feet land for laying the pipelines. however, the nh authorities want the pipelines to be laid 50 feet from the highway. atleast 21.5 km pipelines have been laid from bhadra river to water purifying unit. the distance between the river and the unit is 24 km. "we have already taken permission from the railways to lay pipelines below the railway track. we have already deposited a sum of rs three lakh to the railways, to take up the work," the mla said. he said "once the project is ready, then water will be supplied to kadur and birur regularly. water metres will be installed in every house. the karnataka state water supply and sewerage board will maintain the water project from 2012 to 2042. the work is likley to be completed in the next five to six months." tahsildar roopa, kadur tmc president bharathi mahalinga, birur tmc president s ramesh and others were present.
whether laws and rules are different for police and public? though many a times members of public witness the disparity or traffic violations by none other than police themselves, no one dares to question the police, because police are police!in one such incident on october 28, i was a 'victim.' as my son wanted to have popcorn, i parked my car right in front of bharath mall around 7 pm (where already two police jeeps - one belonging to deputy commissioner of police and another interceptor were parked).about 5 to 7 minutes minutes after iparked the car, the dcp along with his wife and family members arrived out of bharath mall after shopping and left the place in his jeep.a minute after the dcp's jeep left, the police officer in the interceptor announced in a microphone that the area is 'no parking' and that i should not have parked car in the area.till the dcp left the venue, it was a parking area. but as soon as the dcp left, the area suddenly became 'no parking' zone!this is not the only case where police officers violate the rule. police travelling between nanthoor and pumpwell in a one-way is a common scene. police personnel riding in a bike without helmet or taking u-turn at non-specified areas is also not a rare scene.perhaps, it is time the police commissioner or officials concerned teach their personnel to follow the rules, before they take action against the public. be a model, before you point finger or take action agaist common men.lokesh, kadri, mangaloreprovide buses to vamadapadavthe number of buses plying between bcroad and vamadapadav via manihalla are very few and that too they don't run on time. as a result, a large number of people including students and office-goers find it very difficult to commute and reach their schools/colleges and offices.though many representations have been given to the people's representative and officials concerned, it was of no use. will at least the ksrtcstart operating bus on this route. if no action is taken in this regard, we will have to no choice, but to boycott the next elections.residents of vamadapadav.mangaloreans disappointed againwe the citizens of mangalore thank the indian railways, for extending yeshwantpur-kannur-yeshwantpur train to karwar, by bifurcating that train at mangalore central railway station, as per the orders of karnataka high court. though it was delayed, we welcome the move. at the same time it has to be said that mangaloreans have been put under disappointment, because minister of state for railways k h muniyappa has said that mangalore central railway station may not get 'world class status,' because no additional land is available in that station. the railways want three acre of additional land at mangalore central to carry out the said work.the minister had made announcements twice, regarding the transformation of mangalore central station as 'world class' on august, 2009 and on november, 2011.he also added that multi-storied building could come up on the central station, which was the brain-child of the then drm s k raina.according to the information sought by railway yathri sangha technical advisor anil hegde under rti, southern railway chief engineer and public relation officer confirmed that the hope of world class railway status for mangalore central is still active. on all the three occasions, there was no demand from the railways for additional land of 3 acres.why the announcements on upgrading mangalore to world class becomes a routine of every railway programme, despite no public demand? now, some reports suggest that, union minister muniyappa has agreed to make mangalore junction (kankanady) as world class station, if 5 acres of land is provided there. mangalore citizens would not accept this, because mangalore central is more important than mangalore junction station. if the minister is interested, let him provide basic facilities at junction station.it is now clear that upgrading mangalore central is almost impossible or may be dropped; it should be the responsibility of minister to make mangalore central as clean and model station and also to create new division with headquarters at mangalore by splitting palghat division. people expect this from the minister and he should not disappoint them.sukumar talapadyprovide humps near gerosa, double gateit is more than two years that the road from fr muller's hospital to nandigudda circle was concretised and the main road is very busy with heavy traffic. previously, it was an asphalted wide road and after concretisation, there was a lot of traffic congestion. at that time, to avoid accidents near gerosa high school, a hump has been provided and the second was formed near double gate (joseph nagar entrance) as this stretch is an accident prone area where a number of two-wheelers met with accidents and many lost their lives. the vehicle owners, mainly two-wheelers, cross here to enter joseph nagar gate and find it difficult to cross because of heavy traffic. realising the situation, the then corporator salim made arrangements to install humps and there after no accidents occurred. though these two humps were there till concretisation of the road, after that the humps were not provided. as a result, again the area became accident prone and already few accidents have occurred. mcc should look into the matter immediately.j f d'souza attavarguidelines required for decorationsas a part of dasara celebrations, lights have been hung at various locations in the city. it is delightful to see the city so colorful and well lit during this festive occasion. however, these lights pose a serious hazard to the public. at many places, these lights are hung at very low-level, especially those along road dividers. moreover, there are ropes tied very low across streetlamps to hold these lights in place. these ropes are difficult to see in the evening when it's dark and any person trying to cross the road can walk right into these ropes. this is a major inconvenience and can also lead to accidents. i am appalled at the gross carelessness on the part of the contractors hired to put up these lights and the negligence of the authorities concerned in noticing this obvious hazard and rectifying this problem. the authorities need to take immediate and effective action in arranging these lights and ropes to be hung well overhead. also proper guidelines should be laid down for any public decoration and lighting so that safety and public convenience is never compromised.veronica correaprovide additional lpg cylindersthe central government in its recent order limited the issue of subsidised lpg cylinders to six per year and advised state governments to extend the same facility by providing additional cylinders on subsidised rate by spending from their state exchequer, if interested. the congress-led state governments have already started implementing it, but karnataka government has not opened its eyes so far. instead, the ruling bjp representatives are engaged in power game and many are identified with rebel leaders.anyway, the karnataka government should take a decision immediately on the lpg cylinder issue.k p a rahim jeppusolve parking problemas one of your readers wrote recently, it takes nearly 30 minutes to travel from bunts hostel to pvs circle during peak hours due to the random parking of vehicles on both sides of the road! though it may sound exaggerated to any outsider, the fact is, and this is true on many other important roads in mangalore too, with no one concerned about it. the much talked and awaited multi-storied parking facility in old service bus stand remains a distant dream for every citizen. plenty of promises have been made by elected representatives on various infrastructure projects, but majority have not been implemented till date. with the exponential rise of vehicle density on highways and city roads, the city is getting choked with no space left for cyclists and pedestrians.it is very unfortunate that pedestrians and riders are getting knocked down frequently in city roads and also in national highway. as long as disciplined parking is strictly enforced by the authorities concerned, the situation will only become worse resulting in many more fatal accidents. but, does anyone care? with the traffic density on every road increasing everyday, i request the authorities concerned to wake up and plan for better organised parking before it is too late.may i suggest to them, that there is a great opportunity for the city corporation to properly utilise the priceless parking space available under the four major flyovers within the city. we have flyovers at kuntikana near a j hospital, kottara chowki, kulur and at surathkal. under these flyovers there is abundant parking space available, which can be asphalted, marked and used as paid parking space. this has been successfully done in all the major cities of gujarat, which can be easily replicated by mcc.this space can be tendered out, which will give a livelihood to a few unemployed youth and also generate revenue for the mcc which can be utilised for the maintenance of these flyovers.we are fortunate to have a very enlightened and pro active corporation commissioner who can take the initiative to create this valuable parking space within the city limits and contribute positively towards better traffic management. the tax paying citizens of mangalore will be ever grateful for him for making their life safer on city roads. earnestly hope they will.b n r rao, kadri temple roadreaders may send their letters to the editor, deccan herald, yenepoya chambers, 2nd floor, balmatta, mangalore or e-mail to deccanherald.mangalore@gmail.com
despite elaborate arrangements made by police for the congress rally in ramlila maidan on sunday, a traffic nightmare unfolded in the heart of the capital. vehicles were not moving at all in several areas, creating problems for commuters.traffic on roads leading to central delhi remained chock-a-block till evening as police were unable to manage the flow of the vehicles travelling to and from the rally venue.roads leading to the venue were choked with vehicles carrying party workers from delhi, haryana, rajasthan, up and adjoining states. long serpentine queues of vehicles were seen on tilak marg, mathura road-bhairon road, dhaula kuan, dr dinesh nandani dalmia chowk, jhandewalan, chatta rail chowk and new darya ganj road.anand sharma, a resident of mahipalpur, said he reached a family function in karol bagh two hours late due to severe traffic restrictions. "it usually takes me half-an-hour to reach, but on sunday i was stuck near jhandewalan for around an hour," he said.traffic congestion was seen from 8 am till two hours after the dispersal of the rally. to reduce jams, goods vehicle were diverted to wazirabad t-point, chandagi ram akhara, isbt loop to shahadra, eastern foot of isbt yamuna bridge and laxmi nagar, among other places but these were of no avail. people trying to reach new delhi railway station and lok nayak hospital were also stuck in traffic.another commuter, divya, said the government should try to avoid conducting such events in the heart of the city. "if they organise it, the traffic manager should be more visionary and chalk out neat and clear plans to manage it," said the mayur vihar resident.similarly, another commuter kanika said, "police had promised to minimise traffic jam to a bare minimum. but the situation on the roads has a different story to narrate."chaos in south delhithe cascading effect of the rally was troublesome for hundreds of commuters in south delhi also. the entire stretch from ashram flyover on ring road to bikaji cama place near r k puram was choked with vehicles. those trying to exit from arterial roads near dilli haat and sarojini nagar were also trapped due to the added rush of diwali shoppers."the rally means nothing to us. it has already affected my day's business. i've been stuck here for an hour and have not got a single passenger," said an auto driver in sarojini nagar.a cab driver who had to see off his relatives in new delhi railway station was fuming. "neither i could meet them nor run my taxi to ferry people in this rush. what's the point of the rally? it only inconveniences people," said ramesh gupta, a private cab driver.
a youth has been jailed for 10 years by a delhi court for kidnapping and raping a minor girl to compel her to marry him.additional sessions judge kamini lau also imposed a fine of rs 20,000 on up native raju kumar verma, saying his crime was "unpardonable". 13-yr-old kidnappedthe court held raju guilty of kidnapping the 13-year-old girl from here and taking her to ballia in up, noting that he was an "old player" and had eloped earlier also with a girl, who had died in mysterious circumstances after giving birth to two children.the court sentenced raju, saying it is a matter of "national concern" that cases of allurement and elopement of young girls and their sexual exploitation are rising. "of late, instances of young girls of impressionable age are being lured and sexually exploited," the court said.the prosecution said raju was living near the victim's house at nithari village in north-west delhi, and was working as a mason here. he began courting her since september last year, writing letters to her to say he was in love with her, police said. he lured the girl into accompanying him. raju took her to a railway station here, from where they went to ballia.
New Delhi: Railways has decided to equip all new doubledecker coaches with automatic smoke detector systems to prevent any fire incident. The proposed Chennai-Bangalore and Habibgunj-Indore doubledecker trains will be operational with full-fledged fire alarm systems, a senior Railway Minister involved with the safety measure said. However, Delhi-Jaipur and Howrah-Dhanbad doubledecker trains, which are already operational, as well as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains, would be equipped with the system in due course as per the fire safety measures initiated by Railways, he said. Research Designs and Standard Organisation has finalised the specification for the system and tendering process is on for awarding the contract, the minister said. Once the vendor is selected for the job, all the LHB and doubledecker coaches will be fitted with the fire alarm system at the manufacturing level, while retrofitting procedures will be adopted for the already manufactured LHB coaches, he said. Fire alarm systems, vital for protection of lives and assets, is very complicated in trains due to the electrical environment, vibrations, and variation in temperature and humidity, which can interfere with the system's functioning, he said, adding, the system has been developed after several trials in the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express. Describing its functioning, he said there are three layers of warning in the smoke detection system. In the first stage, when some smoke is detected, an alert will be sent to a console, which would be manned by a guard. "The guard will alert the coach attendant accordingly after seeing the warning on the console," he said. If more smoke starts coming out from the same coach, a strobe light would be flashed simultaneously outside that coach and on the console manned by the guard, he said. Finally, automatic brakes will be applied to stop the train, followed by a hooter sound, if the system detects considerable amount of smoke or fire in the coach, he said. The fire safety system will be installed only in air conditioned coaches- AC First, AC Second, AC Three Tier, AC Chaircar and AC pantry car. The minister said the current system is meant for AC coaches only but soon an effective system for non-AC coaches will also be developed. The LHB coaches have fire retardant quality. "The materials used for flooring, seating arrangement, curtains and vestibules in the LHB coaches are all fire retardant," he said.
New Delhi: Railways has decided to equip all new double-decker coaches with automatic smoke detector systems to prevent any fire incident. The proposed Chennai-Bangalore and Habibgunj-Indore doubledecker trains will be operational with full-fledged fire alarm systems, a senior Railway Minister involved with the safety measure said. However, Delhi-Jaipur and Howrah-Dhanbad double-decker trains, which are already operational, as well as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains, would be equipped with the system in due course as per the fire safety measures initiated by Railways, he said. Research Designs and Standard Organisation has finalised the specification for the system and tendering process is on for awarding the contract, the minister said. Once the vendor is selected for the job, all the LHB and doubledecker coaches will be fitted with the fire alarm system at the manufacturing level, while retrofitting procedures will be adopted for the already manufactured LHB coaches, he said. Fire alarm systems, vital for protection of lives and assets, is very complicated in trains due to the electrical environment, vibrations, and variation in temperature and humidity, which can interfere with the system's functioning, he said, adding, the system has been developed after several trials in the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express. Describing its functioning, he said there are three layers of warning in the smoke detection system. In the first stage, when some smoke is detected, an alert will be sent to a console, which would be manned by a guard. "The guard will alert the coach attendant accordingly after seeing the warning on the console," he said. If more smoke starts coming out from the same coach, a strobe light would be flashed simultaneously outside that coach and on the console manned by the guard, he said. Finally, automatic brakes will be applied to stop the train, followed by a hooter sound, if the system detects considerable amount of smoke or fire in the coach, he said. The fire safety system will be installed only in air conditioned coaches - AC First, AC Second, AC Three Tier, AC Chair car and AC pantry car. The minister said the current system is meant for AC coaches only but soon an effective system for non-AC coaches will also be developed. The LHB coaches have fire retardant quality. "The materials used for flooring, seating arrangement, curtains and vestibules in the LHB coaches are all fire retardant," he said.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found loopholes in the Delhi airport modernisation project. The Delhi metro-airport link line has gone into arbitration because of structural faults detected on the viaduct and dispute in passenger traffic projections. The Public, Private Partnership (PPP) working modes have come under intense scrutiny with critics bashing them up. While the jury is still out on issues being faced by these two projects, the government – Central & State both, are sure about the PPPs role in infrastructure development. The elevated metro rail project for Hyderabad too is being constructed under this model and top officials dealing with it assert this is the right way to go. Intense deliberations “The PPP mode was chosen after intense deliberations. There are built-in precautions in the Concessionnaire Agreement (CA) and a single agency – L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad, end to end, is designing, constructing and will later operate & maintain once commissioned till the contract time, 30 years, which can be extended for another 30 years,” explains Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy. Not wanting to get into any issues concerning the two Delhi projects, he affirms, “Our model was very clear from the beginning. The government has openly indicated what it was going to give like 269 acres of land for stations and depots besides facilitating the right of way in widening roads, shifting utilities, etc.,” he says. ‘Joint partnership’ Appointment of Louis Berger, a noted engineering firm, as the Independent Engineer (IE) for the project with the consultancy cost of Rs.83.60 crore to be shared equally by the HMR and L&TMRH, is a significant aspect. “We do not interfere with the IE and it’s a joint partnership,” attests Mr. Reddy. The IE will check designs and drawings submitted by the concessionaire, give recommendations, inspect and monitor quality of work at every stage to ensure the system is built as per the prescribed technical specifications, performance criteria and safety standards. HMR has also another rung of railway experts, retired personnel from high positions to assist in ensuring standards in construction and safety. The fares have been frozen with the price escalation formula depending on the inflation to be okayed by the government so that “no one can influence” them, he avers. Effectively it means no surprises such as development fee when the services begin to run will be in store. The Rs.14,143 crore 72.16 km elevated metro line project being constructed across three traffic corridors has also obtained a viability gap funding of Rs.1,458 from the Centre. There appears be no doubt about the revenue model either. Losses are expected in the first six or seven years of operations and in a 60 years period, five to six of ‘low’ periods have been factored in. High earnings “Real estate earnings will be high because of the transit oriented development as the lines are being built on the dense traffic corridors. Our ridership projection of 15 lakh-25 lakh per day in a 10 year span was not contested. Sure, there are lots of risks involved but it’s a calculated risk and progress is about someone taking the first step,” avers the MD.
Officials of the Kochi Metro Rail Limited, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Revenue Department and National Highways Authority of India carried out a joint inspection of the proposed stations and parking lots along the Kochi metro rail’s alignment on Saturday. They inspected the premises of 15 of the 23 stations proposed between Aluva and Madhava Pharmacy Junction. The Aluva-Edappally stretch of NH 47, where a few narrow portions will have to be widened, was also inspected. The aim was to assess the area of land required for each station and adjacent parking lots. The metro’s detailed project report estimates that 26 hectares of land is required for the stations and the huge parking lots envisaged at the Aluva and Tripunithura Pettah metro stations. The KMRL has proposed parking lots at all the stations to enable commuters to park their vehicles. The team that inspected the station sites included the KMRL’s MD Elias George, the DMRC’s Kochi Project Director P. Sriram and District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth. A KMRL spokesperson said stakeholders would hold a meeting after inspecting the premises of the eight stations proposed between Madhava Pharmacy Junction and Pettah. The extent of land required for the stations would be finalised after the meeting. Officials of the NHAI on Friday held discussions with their KMRL counterparts, on how to ensure smooth flow of vehicles when work on the metro’s pillars is on. In the coming week, Mr. Elias is expected to hold discussions with senior NHAI officials in New Delhi and submit a proposal on widening the NH. An MoU too is expected to be signed for this purpose.
battle lines have been drawn for tomorrow's poll for the 68-member himachal assembly where political heavyweights prem kumar dhumal and virbhadra singh are jostling for attention of voters for whom the issue of price rise and corruption seems to have surpassed the anti-incumbency factor.the bjp and congress are contesting all 68 seats while bsp has fielded 66 candidates followed by himachal lokhit party (36), tmc (25), sp (16), cpi-m (15), ncp and swabhiman party (12 each), cpi (7), shiv sena (4) and 105 independents.led by chief minister prem kumar dhumal, the incumbent bjp is hoping to script history in himachal by going the punjab way, where the akali-bjp combine returned to power against historical projections.much like punjab, himachal has never repeated a government since 1977. whether the november 4 elections mark a departure from norm or whether they see the congress repeating an uttarakhand, remains to be seen.in all, 459 candidates are in the fray for tomorrow's elections, 27 of them women. as many as 7253 polling stations have been set up, including the highest polling station in hikkim in lahaul and spiti at a height of over 15,000 feet.counting will take place on december 20.in the 2007 poll, bjp had won 41 as against congress' 23, while the independents and bsp won 3 and one seat respectively.corruption in both the bjp and congress camps is a major election issue in the state, with the latter facing graver charges in the wake of scams such as coal block allocations, 2g spectrum and commonwealth games by cong-led upa at the centre.though corruption charges have flown thick and high throughout the period of campaigning, the congress has somehow managed to neutralise their effect by launching a counter offensive against dhumal and his cabinet colleagues. virbhadra singh has openly accused the cm of giving away chunks of prime land to private players at throwaway prices. the much-hyped bjp offensive against virbhadra singh on corruption in the wake of a series of graft allegations against him got diluted after congress launched a counter-offensive against bjp in wake of allegations of "dubious" funding by companies of its president nitin gadkari.in fact, by the end of canvassing yesterday, corruption had taken a rear seat with price rise emerging the strongest. the bjp leadership has used lpg cap and diesel cost hike issues well to push the congress to the wall by telling the voters how their household budgets would go for a toss.in himachal, where rail network is negligible, diesel is the lifeline of economy and at home, lpg remains a must have in the absence of alternative fuels.dhumal tried to woo 22.31 lakh women voters by projecting free induction hotplates as his answer to congress' lpg cap. the local congress leaders too were pushed to get the centre to stall another lpg price hike at the last moment."price rise is affecting us badly and the lpg cap is going to disturb our household budgets. it is a major factor this time," says satya sharma in amboya village in sirmour district. neelam kumari of bannaur village on the border with uttarakhand in the same district airs similar views and this is also echoed by women across the state.though national and local issues would impact election results in their own way, the emergence of bjp rebels under the umbrella of himachal lokhit party (hlp) has made the fight interesting.in 12 segments out of 68, rebels will make a huge difference. that's a critical factor considering in 2007 elections, the victory margin in 22 seats was less than 2500 votes and in another 40 segments it was less than 5000 votes.in such a scenario, the power of dhumal and virbhadra to swing votes at the last moment will matter. the ground situation indicates that while the bjp may perform better in smaller districts like hamirpur, una, kullu, chamba, solan and nahan, the congress will retain its hold in shimla and kangra districts. in kangra, bjp rebels will mar party's chances. so far as voters' constitution goes, a significant 50.01 per cent is upper caste vote in himachal, followed by 25.59 per cent sc, 17.08 per cent obcs, 4.32 per cent st and 3 per cent minority votes. traditionally, scs go with the congress.the presence of a third force in hlp and also of bsp, ncp and tmc contestants will also determine results and so will independents who had bagged 8 per cent of the vote share in 2007 elections when the bjp took 43.78 per cent and the congress 38.90 per cent.the bsp had in the last elections managed a meagre 7.26 per cent vote share followed by cpm's 0.57 per cent and cpi's 0.19 per cent. the left parties, which are part of hlp this time, are hoping to improve their tally riding on the wave of shimla municipal election win.tomorrow's elections will decide the fate of several key players. for two time cm dhumal, a repeat victory would mean a stronger position within the bjp ahead of 2014 lok sabha polls and the party taking itself forward strongly in the next elections.for virbhadra, who is fighting his last elections, winning is a matter of prestige considering the congress hasn't projected him as the cm candidate. maheshwar singh, the former bjp himachal chief and head of hlp, is also keen to make a point by toppling the bjp applecart in and around kullu, his home district where he is a "raja"."in the absence of a definite wave in favour of any party, hlp may well hold the key to the next government," says gagan kumar in kullu. but khyali ram in hamirpur feels there has to be a cm from the lower hills this time, as this would ensure all-round development of the neglected areas and pitches for dhumal.in shimla's outskirts, neetu sharma of tutu comes strongly in favour of virbhadra and his party. sunil kumar, a young bank employee in dharamshala also comes in congress's support, saying, "there has to be a change of government, as himachal has done in the past."also on watch will be 84-year-old vidya stokes of the congress, the oldest candidate in the run, who is fighting her marxist nephew in theog.tomorrow's poll will also see 96-year-old shyam saran negi of kalpa village in kinnaur district of himachal pradesh, cast his vote. he is considered as the first and oldest voter in the country as per ec records.p
A sensitisation programme involving non-governmental organisations was organised for the railway staff to help differently abled commuters who arrive at Thriuvananthapuram Central, which is being upgraded as a world-class station. Braille without Borders, National Association for the Blind, and Chakshumathi, an NGO working for empowering the visually challenged, joined hands with Railways to arrange the programme for frontline personnel and commuters. Experts from Braille without Borders organised an interactive session and took classes on the platform. The organisation had developed a method to enlighten the staff through practical sessions such as ‘blindfolded assignment’ and ‘wheelchair assignment.’ The railway staff were divided into groups and provided guidance by volunteers from the NGOs. The staff got a feel of the difficulties faced by the differently abled. Later, the participants shared their experience and volunteered to help the differently abled arriving at the station. One of the components in upgrading Thriuvananthapuram Central into a world class station is creating appropriate amenities to facilitate access for the differently abled, including senior citizens and children. Additional Divisional Railway Manager V. Rajeevan said the suggestions of the NGOs would be implemented at the railway stations in a phased manner.
A group of women residents of Railway Colony, East Tambaram, staged a spontaneous protest by squatting on a railway line at Tambaram railway station on Saturday last. They were demanding the resumption of supply of drinking water, which had stopped over three days ago. There are a few hundred families of employees of Southern Railway across various ranks living in the sprawling Railway Colony. Supply of drinking water, being provided to them by the Southern Railway administration had been erratic over the past few weeks and stopped completely three days ago due to a faulty motor at Tambaram. As a result, the families suffered a lot over the past few days. As their supply began to dwindle, they managed to borrow water from their friends living outside the colony. As it became very difficult walking long distances to get water, a group of women residents squatted on the railway line from Beach to Tambaram near platform No. 1. However, Southern Railway staff and personnel from Government Railway Police, Tambaram, rushed to the spot, pacified the agitated women residents and only after an assurance that water supply would be resumed at the earliest, did the women disperse. A few women who stayed back, told reporters that the Southern Railway’s attention towards welfare of its staff and their families has been dwindling. Railway Colony in East Tambaram was an important establishment of the Chennai Division of Southern Railway for more than six decades and there had been a sharp dip in the quality of life of people living here. From being a model for residential localities for Government staff, it has now been completely neglected, the women said, and appealed to the Southern Railway administration to provide greater care and attention to their locality. The women assembled at the spot around 4 p.m. Though the train services were not affected, one service towards Beach was delayed by a few minutes, according to the railway officials.
With Deepavali round the corner, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has deployed additional strength at railway stations and in trains. Armed guards will be provided to passengers carrying valuables. Women constables in plainclothes have been deployed in EMUs and armed constables in express trains. “Passengers carrying valuables are requested to inform us. Only then, can we deploy armed guards who will patrol the compartment and monitor the person’s valuables closely,” a GRP officer said. Officers said that transporting firecrackers and other combustible material is an offence that will attract severe punishment and fine. Fifteen special parties comprising a sub-inspector and five police constables have been formed to be deployed in all trains to guard against transporting firecrackers. Checking of trains, baggages and parcels has been intensified at all important railway stations like Chennai Central, Egmore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore. A helpline — 9962500500 — is functioning round the clock.
Revising an earlier decision, the Railways on Friday notified that there would be no separate Tatkal ticket booking counters from the next financial year. It also decided to dispense with concessions on various charges besides the basic fares in premier superfast trains. A circular said concession would be provided only on basic fares and not on fees such as reservation, sleeper and catering charges, supplementary charges for superfast trains and enhanced reservation charges with effect from April 1, 2013. Earlier, to counter touts, the Railways had decided to operate separate counters that opened at 10.00 a.m.
hundreds of commuters had a harrowing time and were left stranded for hours near central delhi's patel nagar on friday after the roads were blocked by manish singh chaudhary's family members, friends and local people.the 21-year-old delhi university student was allegedly shot dead by local goon sanjay jat on thursday evening. manish's family claimed that police were not taking action despite the accused being identified.they kept both roads outside patel nagar metro station blocked from 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm."it led to traffic jams on patel road, pusa road, shankar marg, dr k s krishnan marg, balraj khanna marg and chaudhary girdhari lal marg," a traffic official said.senior police officials were seen trying to negotiate with protesters and bring the situation under control, but they were hell-bent on blocking the roads till sanjay jat and his mother saroj were arrested."we told them that saroj had been arrested and sanjay would be arrested as soon as he is discharged from hospital. however, the protesters were demanding that sanjay and saroj should be brought in front of them," a police official said.police officials offered to take some protesters to the hospital where sanjay is undergoing treatment, but it was turned down.the protesters finally agreed to clear the roads at 5.30 pm after being promised that sanjay would be arrested the moment he is discharged from the hospital.they, however, warned that they will block the roads again if sanjay manages to roam free on saturday.several commuters were stuck on the roads when the protest began around 1.30 pm. manisha sachdeva of janakpuri said she had to rush home to her two-year-old daughter, but was stuck outside patel nagar metro station for over two hours."i left my daughter with my neighbour due to some urgent work i had at connaught place. i thought my travel would not take too much time and i would return home soon, but i have been stuck here for over two hours with no help from any police or traffic official," manisha said.those stuck near patel nagar metro station were led out through service roads and u-turns to dr k s krishnan marg and balraj khanna marg. traffic officials later diverted vehicles to minimise the effect.
south asian games gold medallist chhote lal yadav bowed out of the men's national boxing championship after losing his quarterfinal bout 11-17 to manipur's s santosh singh, here on friday.in the other half of the draw last year's bronze medallist v durga rao of karnataka booked a place in the semifinals with a victory over yudh veer of madhya pradesh. he next faces haryana state champion ajay kumar.chhote lal's defeat in the bantam weight category was a major blow to the services team.chhote lal, last year's nationals' bronze medal winner, was slow off the mark and singh took complete advantage of his sluggish start.the manipuri said he was under no pressure going into the bout. "i have sparred with chhote lal many times in training camps before and i know his game. i have been working very hard for this tournament and i was sure of making it into the semifinals," singh said. he next faces ashish gautam of uttar pradesh. meanwhile, commonwealth games bronze medallist amandeep singh of railways and 2009 asian championship gold medallist nanao singh of services continued their winning run and advanced into the round of four of the light flyweight category.amandeep defeated salman anwar shaikh of maharashtra, while nanao overpowered vinod kumar of spsb.local lad k sagar's campaign came to an end when he lost to last year's silver medallist pankaj saini of punjab.
the railways have made it mandatory for travellers of all reserved classes to carry identity proof. the decision will come into effect from december 1.the ministry has also expanded the list to include a wide range of identification proofs.this will apply to all reserved classes including reserved second class (2s), sleeper class (sl), iii economy class (3e) and first class (fc). at the moment only passengers travelling on e-tickets, tatkal tickets, ac classes, except in iii economy -3e class) are required to carry identity proof.the ministry has also decided to expand the list of prescribed proofs of identity to include photo identity cards having serial numbers issued by public sector undertakings of state/central governments, district administrations, municipal administrations and panchayat administrations.the expanded list of the prescribed proofs of identity for undertaking journey on tatkal ticket and other reserved classes will now be as follows: voter photo identity card issued by election commission of india; passport, pan card issued by income tax department and driving licence issued by rto. photo identity cards having serial number issued by central/state governments include pension pay order (ppo), ration card with photographs, senior citizen cards, below poverty line (bpl) cards, esi cards (with photograph) issued for taking treatment in esi dispensaries, cghs cards (with photograph) issued to individual family members of central government employees, student identity card with photograph issued by recognised school/colleges for their students, nationalised bank passbook with photographs, credit cards issued by banks with laminated photograph, unique identification card "aadhaar" and photo identity cards having serial number issued by public sector undertakings of state/central governments and district administrations.the ministry has claimed that it will reduce scope of misuse of reserved ticketing system by middlemen.
passengers might face travelling woes as metros will run slow for nearly five hours on the dilshad garden to tis hazari line on sunday. according to an advisory issued by the delhi metro rail corporation, services on the line will remain partially affected due to maintenance work. "the train services between dilshad garden and tis hazari section will be available at a frequency of only 10 to 15 minutes from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm on sunday," said a dmrc official.
sachin tendulkar roared back to form ahead of the upcoming test series against england with a strokeful 137, while ajinkya rahane remained unbeaten on 105 to help mumbai pile up 344 for four against railways on the opening day of their four-day ranji trophy match here today.tendulkar, in mumbai colours after three years, came in at no 5 and batted fluently after starting cautiously against a largely inexperienced raileays attack to reach his hundred off 103 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes.in all, the senior india batsman, whose last hundred in any form of the game was his unprecedented and much-feted 100th international century at dhaka on march 16, struck 21 fours and three sixes during his 136-ball knock before edging medium pacer anureet singh to the slip cordon, three overs before stumps.the 200-run partnership between tendulkar, who batted for just over three hours, and one down rahane placed mumbai in command in their opening group a fixture at the wankhede stadium here.rahane, who fully utilised the life given to him on seven by murali kartik, faced 203 balls and struck 13 fours during his unconquered knock. giving him company at close of play was abhishek nayar, who is yet to open his account.the cynosure of all eyes on day one of the match was clearly tendulkar. the 39-year-old senior batsman's form in the last test series against new zealand at home was a cause for concern as he was bowled three times in as many innings.but the script was tottaly different today, albeit at a lower level of competition.the three-figure innings was his 18th in the championship and his 79th in first class cricket and it placed him within striking distance of overhauling sunil gavaskar's domestic record of 81 tons in games lasting three or more days.
New Delhi: In an attempt to facilitate travel of bonafide passengers and reduce misuse of ticketing system, the railways on Thursday decided to extend the condition of carrying original proof of identity during travel on reserved tickets for all classes in a train. The change will come into effect from December 1, said a statement from the ministry. At present, only passengers travelling on e-tickets, Tatkal tickets and in air-conditioned class have to produce original proof of identity during the journey. Further, the ministry also decided to expand the list of prescribed proofs of identity to include photo identity cards having serial numbers issued by public sector undertakings of state/central government, district administration, municipal administration and panchayat administration. The decision to introduce photo I-cards for sleeper class passengers is likely to deter touts from booking tickets under fictitious names and selling them to passengers at a premium, the official said. Passengers can carry any of these ten ID proofs while undertaking train journey -- voter ID card, passport, PAN card, driving licence, photo identity card having serial number issued by central/state government, student identity card with photograph issued by recognised school/college, Aadhar card, nationalised bank passbook with photograph and credit cards issued by banks with laminated photograph.
The district administration handed over 80 per cent of the compensation amount to six landowners who surrendered their land on the Town Hall-Madhava Pharmacy Junction stretch on Thursday. November had been fixed as the deadline for acquiring the land. The landowners are to get a total of Rs.52 lakh per cent. The land acquired will be used to widen the narrow stretch on Banerjee Road into a 22-m-wide road. Fifty-six cents of land is required for this purpose. The delay in acquiring the land had invited much criticism. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which was entrusted with the task of widening three arterial roads in the city and building two overbridges, had awarded the widening work to a contractor earlier this year, anticipating that the land would have been acquired on time. The widening of the MG Road (for which nine cents is yet to be acquired) and Jos Junction-Ernakulam Junction railway station road (37.50 cents yet to be acquired) is expected to be taken up alongside the work on the Kochi metro. Officials entrusted with the land acquisition said most of the landowners on the three roads had handed over their letters of consent. Eighty per cent of the compensation amount will be paid to all of them in the coming days. A few are yet to give the letter, reportedly because of differences of opinion among co-owners. A few landowners have formed a forum demanding quick payment of the compensation.
New Delhi: In an attempt to facilitate travel of bonafide passengers and reduce misuse of ticketing system, the railways Thursday decided to extend the condition of carrying original proof of identity during travel on reserved tickets for all classes in a train. The change will come into effect from Dec 1, said a statement from the ministry. At present, only passengers travelling on e-tickets, Tatkal tickets and in air-conditioned class have to produce original proof of identity during the journey. Further, the ministry also decided to expand the list of prescribed proofs of identity to include photo identity cards having serial numbers issued by public sector undertakings of state/central government, district administration, municipal administration and panchayat administration.
the rewari steam locomotive shed, which was resurrected over the last few years by the northern railways, has turned into a favourite for film-makers. the over 100-year-old heritage structure has proved to be an ideal location for upcoming movies like bhaag milkha bhaag and the shahrukh khan-starrer chennai express.the bhaag milkha bhaag crew wound up filming on the premises on wednesday. the movie about the iconic athlete, starring farhan akhtar and sonam kapoor, was shot in the rewari loco shed and the farrukhnagar railway station in rewari between october 8 and october 31. some of the sequences on milkha singh's childhood were shot in the railway colony in the neighbourhood of rewari station, railway officials said. according to northern railways officials, rewari loco shed — being the only surviving steam loco shed in india and housing some of the last remaining steam locomotives of the country — attracts a lot of filmmakers."it has much on offer for the present generation which has not witnessed the glorious steam era. with a rural background, the loco shed provides a perfect setting for movies on the bygone era. the producers of bhaag milkha bhaag had requested for a special train for two days, which was provided to them," said northern railways cpro, neeraj sharma.officials say filmmaker rohit shetty also approached them for permission to shoot his next film chennai express at the rewari loco shed. the shooting of the shahrukh khan-deepika padukone movie is likely to begin in december.the loco shed is generating revenue, besides promoting heritage through movies. sources said the railways is earning nearly rs 4 lakh a day for providing a four-coach train and a steam engine for shooting purposes.apart from the rewari shed, some other properties of the railways are also in demand. rajkumar hirani of munnabhai and 3 idiots fame has sought permission for shooting his next film p.k. starring aamir khan at safdarjung railway station in the capital, officials said.
many parts of north and north-western tamil nadu took the brunt of nature's fury in the wake of the tropical cyclone 'nilam' that crossed the state's coast near mamallapuram wednesday evening, even as the toll in the cyclone-related deaths climbed to 13 on thursday.while the cyclonic system in the last few days pounded nagapattinam, tiruvarur, cuddalore, kancheepuram, ariyalur, villupuram, tiruvannamalai, vellore, salem, dharmapuri and parts of tiruvallur and chennai districts, more than half the deaths due to wall collapses, crashing of trees and lightning strikes were from vellore and tiruvannamalai districts, official sources said.the cyclone had its humanitarian fallout as well. in a village near periyapalayam in tiruvallur district, parents of a five-year-old girl child, yogalakshmi, who was instantly crushed to death as a tree crashed down on their house, donated her eyes to the district government hospital.the high-velocity winds knocked down hundreds of trees as 'nilam' moved north-westwards on thursday towards rayalaseema region in andhra pradesh. in kancheepuram district, over 1100 electric poles crashed and several transformers were damaged, straining the power distribution, sources said.it was a tale of woe for paddy-growing farmers, particularly in nagapattinam and tiruvarur districts, in the tail-end areas of cauvery delta, with the incessant rains flooding 1,27,000 hectares of 'samba' (long-term) paddy crop. the met office here said 'nilam', which had already weakened into a depression as it moved over to rayalaseema and south interior karnataka, will weaken further into a low pressure area during next 12 hours.4 die in ap normal life was affected in all the coastal districts of andhra pradesh and four persons were killed on thursday - three due to electrocution and another person in a wall collapse - in prakasam, nellore and anantapur districts. standing paddy, banana and other crops were damaged and normal life thrown out of gear.cyclone 'nilam' brought torrential rains to several parts of kerala, leaving low-lying areas in the state capital and kochi flooded since wednesday evening. both road and rail traffic was affected in thiruvananthapuram. power and water supply was hit in many parts of the city. officials declared a holiday for schools. the downpour has partially disrupted vehicular transport in the commercial hub of kochi as well.weathermen here said that the rains will continue for the next 48 hours. fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea for the next two days.
the south western railway (swr) has decided to extend the period of tri-weekly express specials between kochuveli-bangalore city-kochuveli stations (06316/06315) till jan 28, 2013 to clear extra rush for sabarimala festival/winter season. accordingly, kochuveli-bangalore city-tri weekly express will depart kochuveli at 4.30 pm on sundays, mondays and fridays from november 2, 2012 and arrive in bangalore city at 10 am the next day. the last special train from kochuveli end is on january 28, 2013. in the return direction, bangalorecity-kochuveli-bangalorecity will depart bangalorecity at 5.15 pm on mondays, tuesdays and saturdays from november 3, 2012 and arrive in kochuveli at 9.25 the next day. the last special train from bangalore city end is on january 29, 2013. en route, the tri-weekly express specials will pass through alappuzha, ernakulam junction, thrissur, palakkad, coimbatore, erode, salem and jolarpettai "a" cabin. timings changedbangalore-ernakulam bi-weekly express and bangalore-ernakulam weekly express will depart bangalore railway station at 6.50 pm instead of 5.15 pm and arrive in ernakulam station at 6.10 am instead of 4.15 am.bangalore city-trivandrum weekly express will depart bangalore city station at 5.15 pm instead of 6.50 pm and arrive in trivandrum at station at 10.30 am of 11.10 am. cancellationsthe swr has fully/partially cancelled the following passenger trains between ballakere-kadur-birur stations in mysore division due to commissioning of doubling between ballakere-kadur-birur stations and pre-interlocking and non-interlocking working at kadur. fully cancelledbangalore-hubli passenger from november 2, 4, 7; hubli-bangalore passenger on november 2, 4 and 7; bangalore-shimoga town fast passenger on november 7, 8, 9; shimoga town-bangalore fast passenger on november 7, 8 and 9.
operations of namma metro reach - 2 from yeshwantpur to peenya will be launched in the next six months, said chief minister jagadish shettar. speaking at the 57th karnataka rajyostava celebrations organised at the kanteerava stadium here on thursday, the chief minister said that if the government excels in the field of education, then it is easier to meet the targets in other fields. "we have began to adopt latest technology in the education field. we have introduced computer education in government schools which is helping students to expand their knowledge," he said.jagadish shettar said the government will be giving importance for the development of tier ii and ii cities in the coming days. the chief minister's speech was obstructed when the members of the students' federation of india shouted slogans against the state government's decision on closure of kannada schools in the state. speaking to deccan herald, n ananth nayak, state president, sfi said the government is planning to close 12,740 kannada schools in the state. it has already closed 3,170 kannada schools and has no moral right to celebrate rajyostava. we are against the report submitted by prof govinda who has recommended for the closure of kannada schools," he added. due to incessant rains on thursday, schoolchildren dressed up to perform at the event were disappointed as the cultural programmes was cancelled. "we have practiced to perform at the programme, but we are disappointed," said sudha, a student of malleswaram ladies association high school. however hema, another student said though they were disappointed, they were confident they would perform next year. later in the day, chief minister jagadish shettar laid the foundation stone for the construction of the mini vidhana soudha at yelahanka satellite town. he said when the government will take up reorganisation of taluks, yelahanka will be converted into a taluk. the mini vidhana soudha will be built at a cost of rs 13 crore, with the government contributing rs eight core and bruhat bangalore mahanagara palike contributing rs five crore.
New Delhi: It will be mandatory for sleeper- class train passengers to carry identity proof from December 1, this year, Railways announced on Thursday, in a bid to facilitate travel by bonafide people and reduce the scope for misuse of tickets by touts. "Earlier it was mandatory for AC-class passengers to carry I-cards. Now, we have decided to make sleeper-class passengers also to carry I-card. This has been done to facilitate genuine passengers to avail confirm tickets," said a senior Railway Ministry official here. In February, Railways had made it mandatory for AC-class passengers to carry identity proof with them. Passengers travelling on a Tatkal or an e-ticket are also required to carry I-cards while undertaking train journey. "Non-AC travellers were kept out of the photo I-card decision at that time," the official said, adding, "The policy ambit is being widened now so that every passenger in reserved class onboard a train has a valid identity card." From December 1, passengers failing to produce original identity proof in sleeper class, as and when asked for, will be treated as "without ticket" and charged accordingly. The rule will apply for all forms of ticket, including those for sleeper class, issued by Railways through computerised passenger reservation system (PRS) or Internet. The decision to introduce photo I-cards for sleeper class passengers is likely to deter touts from booking tickets under fictitious names and selling them to passengers at a premium, the official said. Passengers can carry any of these ten ID proofs while undertaking train journey -- voter ID card, passport, PAN card, driving licence, photo identity card having serial number issued by central/state government, student identity card with photograph issued by recognised school/college, Aadhar card, nationalised bank passbook with photograph and credit cards issued by banks with laminated photograph.
rohit sharma, who has been in and out of the national limited overs squads, said he was looking forward to the eight home tests that the indian cricket team would play this season to force his way in. "i'm always working towards that. there are certain things that are not in my hands. whatever is in my hands, i'll try and do. tomorrow (friday) is a real opportunity for me to showcase (my talent). i will try to perform and leave it up to the selectors and everybody else," he said while preparing for mumbai's ranji trophy opener against railways at the wankhede stadium here. sharma, 25, has played 85 odis and 32 t20 internationals and is a key member of the mumbai indians ipl franchise, but is yet to play a test after narrowly missing out on the distinction when he twisted his ankle during training hours before the commencement of the nagpur test against australia in 2008. "i have to start my season on a positive note. it will be an important game playing at home. i just need to be positive and i am in a good frame of mind before the start of the match," he told reporters ahead of the 39-time champions' campaign opener. sharma was pleased that senior cricketers sachin tendulkar and zaheer khan had decided to play the game. "it's brilliant for mumbai cricket. they have come together in the past and won us games. it'll be a good boost for mumbai cricket and all the guys in the team. they can always look upon them and learn something. it will be a big boost for us," he said. sharma said batting with tendulkar for the indians has been of great help. "since i got into the mumbai indians team two years back we've been close to each other. he's been following my batting, what i do in the nets and all. and whenever he feels something has to be corrected, he comes and talks to me about what is to be corrected and what i need to work on. we regularly have a chat on how i can improve my cricket," sharma said.
ajinkya rahane on thursday insisted he does not have preference for a particular batting position and that he was willing to bat at any number.india 'a' coach lalchand rajput had said before the warm-up game against the visiting england team that rahane 'likes to bat at number 3, giving a clear hint that murali vijay and abhinav mukund would open the innings."i am not particular about which number i should bat. i will be happy to bat wherever team management wants me to. i just want to score runs," said the mumbai batsman after scoring a half-century in the second innings of the drawn tie.rahane said he was pleased with his second innings effort of 54 in 98 balls after scoring just four in the first essay. "i am happy with my second innings effort after the disappointment in the first. it will give me confidence going forward to the ranji trophy game tomorrow (against railways at the wankhede stadium)," he said.the 24-year-old batsman praised bowling effort of yuvraj singh, who returned a career-best first class haul of 5/94. "yuvraj bowled very well. he bowled well in the t20 world cup too (in sri lanka). he is a useful bowler."
new york's subway system, a crucial lifeline for the city, resumed limited service today after three days of closure in the wake of superstorm sandy, providing some relief to thousands of commuters affected due to the worst traffic crises.the city's mass transit authority said 14 of the 26 subway lines will begin operating today even as uncertainty loomed over the full restoration of service, which officials said could take days.with tunnels still flooded and power outages yet to be fixed in lower manhattan, subways and trains going into the area remained suspended.the new york city subway system is the lifeline for about 8.7 million people who use the public transport to get to work daily.during the three days that the subway service was suspended, new yorkers were forced to walk miles and wait in line for hours for buses.traffic was moving at a snail's pace on the city's roads as taxis and cars tried to navigate through detours and partially open bridges and tunnels.in some relief to the commuters, new york governor andrew cuomo announced that the metropolitan transit authority's (mta) subway, bus and commuter rail services will be free for today and tomorrow because of the transportation emergency."the gridlock we experienced yesterday shows that the new york metropolitan region is in a transportation emergency," cuomo said."to get people out of their cars and onto mass transit, i immediately authorised the mta to suspend transit fares through the end of the work week."referring to the system's 8.7 million weekday users, mta chairman and chief executive officer joseph lhota said, "we are going to come back even stronger than we were before, but until we get there i'm asking for their patience. for this service to come back, it's basically rail by rail, switch by switch."with no electricity to power the third rail or to operate signals in downtown manhattan, there would still be no service in the area and downtown brooklyn. the long island rail road and metro-north railroad also began limited service yesterday.bus service was running at near normal levels on all local, limited and express routes.mta said given the limited service in operation, customers are advised to give themselves extra time for their commute, and if possible change their routine by travelling later in the morning or in the evening.the path train service, which connects new jersey to new york, still remained suspended till further notice.a large majority of residents in new jersey use the train service to get to work in manhattan.however, new jersey governor chris christie said that he expected path trains to be unavailable for at least seven to 10 days given that it would take considerable time to drain out the water and restore power to the stations.
It is the same old story. As happened during the Dasara festival, most trains from the city are running to full capacity and passengers feel let down by the railway authorities. A senior citizen who planned to go to Bangalore to visit his daughter in December was snubbed by the railway reservation system two months in advance. Though the railway authorities have introduced a few special trains, they have failed to meet the demand. “There is no room on any train to Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi. Some berths are, however, available in trains to Hyderabad,” said a travel agent, who didn’t want to be identified. He attributed the present rush to the wedding season and pilgrim rush to Sabarimala. For instance, there are no berths available on Dibrugarh — Yeshwantpur Express till December 23, and in the case of the Howrah — Chennai Mail the waiting time is till the first week of January. Adding to the passengers’ woes is the cut in the quota of berths from Visakhapatnam and their transfer to the quota for Bhubaneswar. Ironically, the authorities of Waltair Division of East Coast Railway (ECoR) are “helpless” when it comes to adding coaches even when there is a possibility. The plight of passengers travelling by AC coaches is the worst, as neither 3-tier AC nor 2-tier AC coaches are being added to trains starting from here though the waitlist is more than the capacity of an AC coach. The problem in attaching more coaches at short notice is caused by the maintenance of the rolling stock at Puri, a good eight hours journey from here. In contrast, the South Central Railway has decentralised the maintenance of rolling stock by positioning coaches at stations from where the trains originate. Will the ECoR learn any lessons before Deepavali so that it can clear the long waiting list and redress the grievances of passengers?
setting aside political rivalry, us president barack obama toured the new jersey coastline ravaged by superstorm sandy with its republican governor, with the two leaders praising each other for their response to the disaster and assuring all help to the affected residents.the rare bipartisanship displayed by obama and governor chris christie, a fierce critic of the president, comes just days ahead of the november 6 presidential election.obama, who got an aerial view of destroyed houses and beaches in the state known for its casinos and other recreational spots, praised christie for his recovery efforts, saying the governor had put his "heart and soul" in making sure the state "bounces back stronger than before.""i just want to thank him for his extraordinary leadership and participation," obama said yesterday.he assured residents that the government would "not quit" and offered all help in rebuilding the destroyed cities.obama, who had suspended his election campaigning in the wake of the storm, said the biggest priority is to restore electricity for the millions of residents and businesses in states like new jersey and new york, which have been the hardest hit by the storm."our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. my message... is we are here for you, we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure you get all the help you need till you rebuild," he said. "we are going to be here for the haul."obama said the federal government would work with the christie administration in "getting power turned back on" and his office is looking at the possibility of using federal and military assets from around the country to help put the transport system back on its feet. "we are going to have a lot of work to do. i do not want anyone to feel that somehow this is going to get cleaned up overnight. we want to make sure people have realistic expectations. what i can promise you is that the federal government will be working as closely as possible with state and local officials and we will not quit until this is done," obama said.earlier speaking at a shelter in the state's brigantine beach, obama said christie is "working overtime" to bring the situation back to normal as soon as possible.christie, who had praised obama for his leadership in handling the crisis in the aftermath of the storm, thanked the president for visiting the state and surveying the damage."we took a whole tour of the coast. he got a chance to see the destruction along the coast of new jersey... i want to thank the president for coming here today. it's really important to have the president of the united states acknowledge all the suffering that's going on here in new jersey and i appreciate it very much."we're going to work together to make sure we get ourselves through this crisis and get everything back to normal," christie said.the governor had spoken in support of republican presidential candidate mitt romney at his party's national convention.at a rally in virginia last week, christie had lashed out at the president, saying obama did not know how to be a leader."he's like a man wandering around a dark room, hands up against the wall, clutching for the light switch of leadership, and he just can't find it," christie had said at the rally.in new jersey's hoboken town, national guard troops were called in to rescue thousands of residents trapped by floodwaters.the storm, which is estimated to have caused a loss of billions of dollars, resulted in the death of least 59 people, including 24 in new york city.while the state authorities were working round the clock to restore services, it will be four to five days before the public transport system and power is brought back on its feet.new york city mayor michael bloomberg said a total of 643,000 customers were without power and restoration would take days.residents also had to deal with poor cellphone service as carriers like at&t and verizon scrambled to pump water from their systems.new jersey's newark liberty international airport and new york's kennedy international airport slowly began to resume operations.in manhattan, a leading city hospital bellevue was forced to evacuate nearly 700 patients after its back-up generators failed.this was the second hospital after new york university's langone medical center that had to move its patients to a different facility due to power failure.the united nations, which had remained closed for three days, is set to reopen.due to the impact of the storm, diplomats at the united nations had to move to a temporary base for a special meeting yesterday after the security council chamber suffered serious water damage.the new york stock exchange also reopened after remaining shut for the first two days of the week.bloomberg rang the opening bell at the stock exchange.the storm also led to incidents of burglary and looting with queens district attorney richard brown announcing that more than a dozen people had been charged with stealing from liquor, clothing and electronic stores.the states ravaged by the storm have slowly begun to restore essential services and clean up the debris.while new york's subway system was still not fully operational, governor andrew cuomo said limited subway service would resume shortly, with buses providing remainder services from brooklyn to manhattan.limited service would also be restored to two commuter rail lines for the city's suburbs.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala has said that he will meet the Prime Minister with the demand to entrust the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation with the work on the Kochi Metro Rail project. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here on Wednesday, Mr. Chennithala said the State government and the KPCC were of the opinion that DMRC and E. Sreedharan should be at the helm of affairs. All arguments against giving the work to DMRC were baseless. The CPI(M) was engaged in a misinformation campaign, Mr. Chennithala said. The Congress organisational revamp would be undertaken shortly. A decision in this regard would be taken in consultation with the party high command, Mr. Chennithala said. A decision on the takeover of the Pariyaram Medical College would be taken after the United Democratic Front’s meeting on November 5.
On Wednesday, K. Krishnarajan was stranded in the rain, without a train, bus, auto or call taxi to take him to his destination. Around 3.45 p.m., he reached Velachery railway station to board an MRTS to Park Station not realising that train services had been stopped due to the cyclone. The marketing executive tried to hail an autorickshaw and later, book a call taxi, but in vain. Nobody was willing to take him to his destination thanks to the downpour and heavy winds. Many like him were stranded in different parts of the city. MRTS services between Beach and Velachery were stopped around 3.15 p.m. Railway authorities said that services had been cancelled due to the cyclone and until further orders, trains would not be operated on the stretch. K. Ramesh, who was to travel to Egmore, was in a fix after cancellation of services at Velachery MRTS station. “I was to board the 5.30 p.m. Kanniyakumari Express, but I’m not sure if I will be able to make it on time,” he said. Bus services that are regularly operated from Velachery MRTS station did not ply after 3 p.m. Commuters were forced to look for alternative modes of transport — share autorickshaws and call taxis to get to their destinations. Poor patronage and fewer services cost the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) about Rs. 60 lakh, an MTC official said. “There were fewer buses on the road. When I tried to contact some call-taxi operators, they said their vehicles would take a while. So I walked from Mount Road to my house in Mylapore,” said S. Varadarajan, an accountant. Call taxis were unable to operate on full strength as several drivers did not turn up to work. C. Ambikapathy, president of Tamil Nadu Call Taxi Owners Association, said they had fewer bookings. “We get about 18,000 calls on a regular day. But on Wednesday, there were just 12,000 calls and we were unable to manage as many drivers took leave. Some were not willing to ply their vehicles fearing they would get stuck on the waterlogged roads,” he said.
more than 3.75 million people up and down us east coast were still without power as cities and towns started recovering from the wrath of hurricane sandy that left new york and new jersey devastated.death toll from the disaster rose to 70 deaths in the united states, including 24 in new york city, 8 in new jersey and 4 in connecticut as rescue workers pulled bodies from wreckage across the region, according to the new york times.new york governor andrew m. cuomo said initial damage estimates "project up to $6 billion in lost economic revenue" in the state.a wide stretch of lower manhattan remained dark, as did the jersey shore, waterfront neighbourhoods in brooklyn and queens, and most of long island.touring battered new jersey with the state's republican governor chris christie, who has been all praise for president barack obama's handling of the situation, obama promised the federal government "will not quit" until communities are cleaned up, according to cnn."we are not going to tolerate red tape, we are not going to tolerate bureaucracy," obama said. "and i've instituted a 15-minute rule, essentially, on my team. you return everybody's phone calls in 15 minutes, whether it's the mayors, the governors, county officials."if they need something, we figure out a way to say yes."some 10,000 army and air national guard forces were on duty in the 13 states affected by the storm.mass transit was still in disarray. most buses were running in new york city, and some subway lines were due to open thursday. most of new jersey's statewide bus service will be restored thursday, christie's office announced, though most rail lines will still be closed.two new york-area airports-john f. kennedy and newark liberty-reopened wednesday with limited service. laguardia airport, where floodwaters had covered runways and taxiways, will reopen with limited service thursday morning, the port authority of new york and new jersey said.the lincoln tunnel was open, but the holland tunnel, the other tunnel connecting new york and new jersey, was still full of water. the port authority said it can't start pumping out the water until power is restored.about 2.2 million homes and businesses in new jersey are still without power tonight, utility officials said. jersey central power & light reports 940,000 outages and atlantic city electric was down to 107,000, according to new jersey star ledger
The Mysore division of South Western Railways is banking on innovative methods and hoping to further tap into advertising to increase revenue. This would supplement its freight and passenger earnings, which are its major sources of revenue. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Anup Dayanand Sadhu told The Hindu here that revenue generation under the head ‘publicity earnings’ had witnessed a steady increase and the trend was likely to continue. Earnings in this category reached Rs. 1.16 crore till September-end, as against Rs. 85.9 lakh during the corresponding period last year. According to Mr. Sadhu, the authorities plan to introduce “infotainment on wheels” on all passenger trains on the Mysore–Bangalore, Mysore–Arsikere and Mysore–Chamarajanagar sections. At present, the service is available on board the Chamundi Express — the first mail/express train to have this feature—, three intercity trains and the Mysore–Talaguppa passenger. The earnings from these five trains is around Rs. 40 lakh a year. In response to public criticism that the music on board the trains was so jarring that passengers could neither enjoy the journey nor the music, the authorities have taken steps to enhance the audio quality while reducing its volume to the minimum. Hence, it would be more of “visual” entertainment, Mr. Sadhu said. Vinyl wrapping The thrust on ‘publicity earnings’ has led authorities to extend vinyl wrapping of the train exteriors, carrying advertisements, for another year. The initiative was introduced last year. The State-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd. advertised the famous Mysore Sandal Soap and its other products on the Chamundi Express, Mr. Sadhu pointed out. He said bidders had been selected for vinyl wrapping the Mysore–Hazrath Nizamuddin Swarna Jayanti Express and the Mysore–Ajmer Express in the days ahead. In addition, 63 coaches constituting the rakes of Tipu Express and Dharwad Intercity Express would be vinyl wrapped. This was expected to bring in Rs. 60 lakh. The Tourism and Health departments had indicated their interest in advertising, he added. Announcements Besides, railway announcements at the Mysore station would be followed by commercials.
rail traffic remained hit for hours on the busy delhi-agra rail route due to derailment of a goods train near palwal in haryana in the wee hours on wednesday.while the services of more than a dozen trains were affected due to the derailment, nobody was injured in the incident, railway officials said.|"a wagon and engine of a goods train derailed near palwal following which some trains were cancelled, while few were diverted," northern railway spokesperson neeraj sharma said. rail traffic was restored by 11 am, he added.five trains — ferozpur-mumbai express, amritsar-bilaspur chatisgarh express, amritsar-mumbai golden temple express, sriganganagar-howrah udhya abha express and hazrat nizamuddin-vishakhapattnam swaran jayanti express — were diverted towards ghaziabad-tundla-agra section.similalry, six trains, including agra-palwal passenger and mathura-ghaziabad passenger, were cancelled. timings of six trains, including niazamuddin-coimbator express and nizamuddin-yashwantpur karnataka express, were also rescheduled.changed* six trains cancelled* five trains diverted* six train rescheduled
wednesday's rain left bangalore with much more than a dull cover of cloud and a sharp chill in the air. major commercial and residential areas in the city had a harrowing time with rainwater obstructing transport and creating serious problems of sanitation.there was an eight-degree dip in temperature in the city, which received 6.1 mm of rainfall as a result of cyclone nilam. there were heavy showers towards evening and night.the rain brought down several trees at bel market near jalahalli, 12th main, indiranagar and 17 'h' cross, koramangala 5th block. at netajinagar in pulakeshinagar, a tree came crashing down on a car, said bbmp sources.bangalore is already reeling under a host of health and sanitary concerns, including a garbage crisis, a dengue epidemic with already 900 positive cases in recent months and the outbreak of avian flu. nearly 3,500 tonnes of garbage is generated daily, out of which only 35 per cent is scientifically disposed of. prabhakar, owner of a chicken stall at russell market in shivajinagar, said, "most of the stalls dump the leftover meat and carcasses at street corners. rain has resulted in the waste spreading all over," he adds.vidisha m d'souza, a resident of teachers colony in koramangala, said, "it has been almost three months since they started work on the gutters near my place. they have taken out the stinking mud from the gutters and put it on the road. the rainwater gets collected in these gutters and they get blocked as the work is still unfinished". commuting affected"the stretch from hebbal flyover to boopasandra has a lot of potholes, making it hard for two-wheeler riders. traffic jams have become a major problem, especially at mekhri circle," says aditya menon, a student of christ university residing at hebbal.the ongoing namma metro work has worsened the situation with rainwater flooding the potholes caused due to the work. "there are several potholes and a repulsive stench from the garbage dumped in and around the nayandahalli underpass," said nihaal ramesh, a student of rvce residing in jayanagar. diseases"garbage, along with rain, leads to the outbreak of vector-borne diseases. eating unhygienic food and drinking contaminated water can lead to typhoid and gastroenteritis. people with allergies, especially children, become more susceptible to respiratory infections in the cold and wet weather condition," said dr paramesh, medical director, lakeside medical centre and hospital.he said it was very important to maintain personal hygiene, including frequent washing of the hands and protecting oneself from dust and smoke. doctors caution against storing water for a long time in open containers that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that cause diseases.yeshwantpur market has seen a rapid increase in the number of mosquitoes and rats, said a shopkeeper at the market.commerce hitk r market has not just mud, but also garbage and rotten vegetables strewn all over. "sometimes, we do not even come to sell our vegetables here, because of all the garbage lying around and the unbearable stink," said a vegetable vendor at the market.dank weather for one more daycold and damp weather will prevail at least for another day in the districts adjoining andhra pradesh and tamil nadu apart from some districts in south karnataka.according to the meteorological department, temperatures have fallen by at least six to seven degrees in districts including bangalore urban and rural, mysore, mandya, chamarajanagar, kolar, tumkur and chitradurga. the 50-year average temperature for wednesday is 28 degree celsius, but it was 19.9 degree celsius, said b puttanna, director, indian meteorological department, bangalore. he said cloudy weather and rainfall will prevail over south karnataka districts. the coastal and north karnataka districts will experience rainfall and cooler temperatures by friday as the cyclonic system moves in the north-westernly direction.
Trains to be run at 80 kmph against 135 kmph they were designed for. The structural defect-hit Airport Metro Express might soon resume operation, but at a reduced speed of 80 kmph rather than the 135 kmph it was designed to achieve. The 22.7-km corridor was designed to operate at high speeds, and in the 16 months of operation it has managed a peak speed of 105 kmph. The decision to slow the trains was taken as the cause behind for a fault — breakage of rail-fastening clips — could not be identified, sources said. Services on this line has been suspended since July 8. “A peculiar pattern was found during inspection of the broken clips, where one track has more damaged clips than the other. The difference in anomaly is in the 9:1 ratio. Since the reason behind the breakage of fastening clips has not been identified, the Airport Metro service will resume at a lower speed,” a senior official said. The Airport Metro used to take around 18 minutes to reach IGI Airport from Central Secretariat Metro station. “Reduced speed means travelling to the airport will take more time, at least two to three minutes extra,” an official said. At a recent review meeting on the repair work, Union Urban Development Ministry Secretary asked officials if the problem with the clips could be resolved to avoid further delay in restarting the service. Sumit Banerjee, CEO of the Reliance Infra-backed operator, at the meeting said the “trains can be operated at 80 kmph until the final outcome of the test were known”. He said data on the clips would be tested soon. ... contd.
New Delhi: Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has prepared a blueprint of his action plan for rejuvenating the country's largest public transporter to be presented at Thursday's meeting of the Union Council of Ministers. The blueprint consists of some big ticket rail projects and reforms to be taken up in the coming days to boost the finances of the Railways. The Prime Minister has called a crucial meeting of the entire Council of Ministers tomorrow to set the agenda for his new team for the less than two-year period that remains before the next general elections slated for mid-2014. Cash-strapped Railways is passing through a critical phase with many of its ongoing projects facing fund curtailment. Bansal was briefed about the status of the proposed projects like locomotive factories at Madhepura and Marhora in Bihar and other important rail projects, Railway sources said. There are many challenges ahead given the Railways' financial condition. Bansal has to concretise the action plan for the coming years. With the change of guard in Rail Bhawan, it is expected that Railways will pursue reforms with great zeal. Tomorrow's meeting is crucial for Railways as the Prime Minister would set the agenda to sustain the reforms in the national transporter. Railways is also keen to push high speed rail projects in public-private partnership (PPP) model. There are seven corridors being identified across the country for undertaking a feasibility study. Besides there are several ongoing rail expansion projects, steps to meet freight target, preventing accidents, improving passenger amenities among others are also being shortlisted in the action plan. Besides the Prime Minister, Finance Minister P Chidambaram will address the meeting.
a delhi court wednesday sent a suspected indian mujahideen (im) operative, allegedly involved in the aug 1 pune blast case, to 14 days' judicial custody.sayed firoz alias hamza, 38, was arrested oct 1 from the nizamuddin railway station here. additional sessions judge kaveri baweja sent him to judicial custody till nov 13. he was produced in the court after the expiry of police custody.the court, meanwhile, fixed nov 8 for hearing mumbai police's plea seeking custody of four other suspected im operatives allegedly involved in the same case.the court had earlier sent other three accused in the case to judicial custody.asad khan, 33, and imran khan, 31, were arrested from new delhi sep 26 after they arrived here from pakistan.landge irfan mustafa, 30, was arrested in jaipur oct 10.according to police, asad khan, a computer expert, was the recruiter, motivator and ideologue of this im module, which received rs.3 lakh from mentors abroad.asad and imran are in judicial custody till nov 9 while feroze is in police custody till oct 31.
a 20-year old nri girl who was abducted from delhi nearly a fortnight ago, was rescued from talheri village of saharanpur district, police said today.acting on a tip off, a team of officials raided a house in talheri village where the girl was kept, they said, adding that two persons were also arrested in this connection.the arrested accused are being interrogated further probe into the matter is on, ssp saharanpur d c mishra said.gauri bhonsle, daughter of diamond trader david bhonsle, was abducted from a railway station in delhi on october 15, he said.she had arrived in india from england on a two-month visa and was on her way to west bengal to meet her grandfather when she was kidnapped by miscreants.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that the government would apply political pressure to ensure participation of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in execution of the Kochi Metro Rail Project. Talking to the media after talks with former Managing Director of DMRC E. Sreedharan on the Metro project, the Chief Minister said that he would go to Delhi on November 7 to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and seek a political decision on the issue. He would be accompanied by Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed and Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited Elias George. Mr. Sreedharan too would be in Delhi on November 7 and 8. If necessary, they would meet the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also. Mr. Chandy recalled that the issue could not be resolved during his earlier meeting with Ms. Dikshit and Union Minister for Urban Development Kamal Nath in Dehi. It had, however, been decided that officials would work on how to overcome the difficulties of DMRC in taking up the Kochi Metro project. Kerala would put forward proposals to address the problems. Any practical difficulties could be overcome. He said that Kerala was firm that DMRC should take up the work under leadership of E. Sreedharan as advisor. The government proposed to apply strong pressure on the Centre and the Delhi government for that. The support of Members of the Parliament from the State would also be enlisted to achieve this objective. Kochi Metro was Kerala’s dream project which it wanted to execute efficiently and using modern technology.
prime minister manmohan singh, leader of the lok sabha and union home minister sushilkumar shinde, deputy speaker kariya munda and senior bjp leader l.k. advani paid floral tributes to sardar vallabhbhai patel in parliament house on his 137th birth anniversary wednesday.the portrait of sardar patel, a stalwart of the freedom movement and the first home minister and deputy prime minister of independent india, was unveiled by the then president rajendra prasad, in the central hall of parliament house april 23, 1958.among others who paid tributes to sardar patel were railway minister pawan kumar bansal, minister of state (independent charge) for development of north eastern region and minister of state for parliamentary affairs paban singh ghatowar, minister of state for labour and employment kodikunnil suresh, and minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions and the prime minister's office v. narayanasamy.rajya sabha secretary-general shumsher k. sheriff and senior officials of the lok sabha secretariat also paid tributes to the leader.
in a unique citizen driven initiative to combat the traffic mess, over two million puneites will thursday thumb their noses at self-owned private vehicles and opt for public buses.the 'pune bus day' initiative has been supported by all political parties, the civic body, corporate houses, police, professionals and homemakers in this maharashtra boom town, said an excited abhijit pawar, managing director, sakal media group.as 'pune bus day' dawns thursday, over 15,000 citizen volunteers shall help police and traffic authorities smoothly manage the traffic flow as around two million puneites forsake their own vehicles to board 3,000 buses to commute for the day."judges, political leaders, celebrities and ordinary citizens, all have committed to travel by bus tomorrow and light the first flame of hope for taming the traffic tiger in the city," pawar told ians.nov 1 promises to be different.pune deputy police commissioner (traffic) vishwas pandhre explained the gravity of the problem in stark figures."currently, there are 33 lakh vehicles in pune; daily 730 new vehicles, or 22,000 per month, pour on to the limited 2,000 km long road network. there are 23 lakh two-wheelers, around eight lakh four-wheelers, and the rest includes 70,000 autorickshaws and other types of vehicles," pandhre told ians.as pawar put it, commuting anywhere has become hell. "recently, i spent 40 minutes to commute just four kilometres, stuck in the middle of traffic and utterly helpless," pawar told ians.this incident planted the first seed in his mind to "do something about the traffic problems" rather than merely fume or write about it.he contacted corporate houses, the pune municipal corporation and other strata of society to find a solution to the burning issue."surprisingly, i found entire pune on a single platform as far as the traffic issue was concerned," pawar said.as word spread, ideas, support and financial resources started pouring in - even local paanwalahs passed the hat around and collected rs.11,000.interestingly, the 70,000 cabbies of the city - the first to be hit in such initiatives - have come forward to support by way of offering discounted, rs.5 per head rides to commuters from their home to the nearest bus station.the already overburdened pune mahanagar parivahan mahamandal ltd (pmpml), which plies around 1,250 public buses, has joined the initiative as it would help 'improve' its image and acceptability."another 1,500 buses, including 300 private and 1,200 from maharashtra state road transport corp, hired at a cost of over rs.25 million, will join the pmpml fleet tomorrow to show that we can do it," pawar said.pmpml has an elaborate plan to attend to any kind of breakdown of buses in the quickest possible time with 14 breakdown vans fitted with wireless positioned at strategic locations whole day, and one stand-by at each of its 10 bus depots.according to pune mayor vaishali bankar, despite a dozen flyovers in and around the city, traffic has been growing exponentially. "the proposed pune metro is awaiting clearance from the centre and will take at least another three years before it is implemented," bankar told ians.however, until the metro starts chugging, the possibility of pune collapsing is high.
The earnings of Vijayawada Railway Division was Rs.10.12 crore during the Dasara festival season as against Rs.7.43 crore during last season, showing an increase of 36.14 per cent according to a release. During this period Vijayawada station booking window earnings registered an increase of 48.19 per cent over the previous year. This could be achieved due to constant monitoring of the traffic trends at stations, operation of additional booking counters at Vijayawada, Tenali, Kakinada Town, Kakinada Port, Samalkot, Rajahmundry and Tuni Railway stations and augmenting additional coaches and running special trains. The Ticket Checking earnings were Rs.2.22 lakh during this period and 682 cases were detected in 18 Special Checks conducted by the officers and staff. Divisional Railway Manager Pradeep Kumar appreciated the efforts made by the Commercial Officers, Commercial Staff, RPF Personnel, Scouts and Guides for smooth functioning of Booking Counters and clearing rush during the festival season. Change in timings Train No.17211/17212 Machilipatnam-Yeswantpur-Machilipatnam Express trains will halt at Narasaraopet in Guntur district with effect from November 2 on an experimental basis for a period of six months. Train No.17211 Machilipatnam-Yeswantpur Express will arrive/depart Guntur at 6.00 p.m./6.05 p.m., Narasaraopet at 6.53 p.m./6.54 p.m. and Donakonda at 7.50 p.m./7.51 p.m. In the return direction, Train No.17212 Yeswantpur-Machilipatnam Express will arrive/depart Donakonda at 1.05 a.m./1.06 a.m., Narasaraopet at 2.30 a.m./2.31 a.m. and Guntur at 3.35 a.m./3.40 a.m. Train No.17643/17644 Chennai Egmore-Kakinada-Chennai Egmore Circar Express will halt at Mangalagiri with effect from November 1 on an experimental basis for a period of six months. Accordingly, Train No. 17643 Chennai Egmore Circar Express will arrive/depart at New Guntur at 1.40 a.m./1.42 a.m., Mangalagiri at 2.02 a.m./2.03 a.m. and Vijayawada at 3.00 a.m./3.25 a.m. In the return direction, Train No.17644 Kakinada-Chennai Egmore Express will arrive/depart Vijayawada at 8.45 p.m./9.05 p.m. Mangalagiri at 9.27 p.m./9.28 p.m. and New Guntur at 9.40 p.m./9.42 p.m.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has released data about achievement of Digitization in the 4 metro cities as on 30th October 2012.The data shows that in Delhi the Cable TV digitization has touched 92% and with DTH the percentage of digitization has gone upto 95%. For Mumbai the percentage of digitization is 100% whereas for Kolkata Cable TV digitization alone has crossed 82%, along with DTH the percentage of digitization goes upto 85%. In Chennai the Cable TV digitization has reached 62% and with DTH it goes upto 86%. The overall percentage of achievement in 4 metro cities, therefore, is 89% as far as the Cable TV is concerned and with DTH, the percentage goes upto 93%. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent teams comprising of Technical Experts to visit various Headends of National level Multi System Operators (MSOs) as well as independent MSOs in the four metro cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The Technical teams will collect on site data regarding preparedness of MSOs for analogue switch over to DAS i.e., Digital Addressable System. The teams would also look at details of Subscriber Management System and Call Centre facility etc. The teams would also look at the system available with the MSOs to ensure that no analogue signals are fed in the Cable networks after the 31st October 2012 deadline. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had launched an aggressive public awareness campaign for creating awareness among the masses about the need for Set Top Box for their Cable TV system. In addition to video and audio spots on several television channels, Ministry had also embarked on a very aggressive SMS campaign. Six round of SMS Campaign have already been undertaken reaching out to millions of subscribers in the 4 metro cities. As a further step towards digitization, Ministry has also been exhibiting slides in cinema theaters. Hoardings have also been placed at bus shelters and toilet blocks in the city of Delhi. A review of the daily installation of STBs shows that the rate of installation has touched an all time high. On 29th October, 2012 about 88,000 set top boxes were installed out of which more than 61000 boxes were installed in Delhi alone. The Control Room set up by the Ministry has been receiving on a average around 400 calls per day since 15th October, 2012. Ministry has positioned MSO representatives also to sit in the Control Room to reply to the queries of people from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm every day. This has provided a platform for common people to address their concerns/queries on the digitization process. Digitization would usher in a regime of addressability and transparency, bringing a host of exciting benefits to the consumers. Digitization of the Cable TV Network would open up several opportunities for the consumers to get access to Movies and Games on Demand as well as internet. CP/ST
The observance of Vigilance Awareness Week 2012 commenced all over Indian Railways with a pledge taking ceremony by officers and staff. A special function was organized at the Railway Board where Shri Vinay Mittal, Chairman, Railway Board, administered the Pledge to a gathering of Railway staff and officers. Similar pledge has been taken at various Zonal Railway Headquarters and other important offices of Indian Railways. The pledge is aimed to sensitize and educate the public servants about the dangers of corruption, as corruption is anti-national, anti-poor and anti-economic development. Banners and multi-coloured posters with catchy slogans have been displayed for creating vigilance awareness amongst railway men. During this Vigilance Awareness Week, various seminars, debates/lectures, essay competition, plays etc. on anti-corruption topics had been organised by the field units of the Railways. AKS/HK/LK/TR
eight persons have been arrested for involvement in two cases of drug trafficking.seven persons — prem kumar, sonu sehgal, dayanand, sanjay dubey, manoj verma, bimal kishore and amit maggu — were held for alleged involvement in manufacturing and supplying of pseudoephedrine tablets, police said.thirty kilograms of pseudoephedrine tablets worth rs 12 lakh were recovered from them, police added. "they were held during separate raids conducted at different parts of the country in the past 15 days," said s b s tyagi, deputy commissioner of police (crime and railways).during investigation, it came to light that prem used to work with a registered medical practitioner for about nine years and then opened a clinic of his own."he also started supplying medicines and used to get loose medicines manufactured through dayanand and sanjay," tyagi added.held with opiuma man was held with two kilograms of opium worth rs 2 lakh. jagdish bishnoi, 32, of badhmer in rajasthan, was apprehended on monday over tip-off that he was supplying opium in delhi, haryana and punjab."the information was further developed and jagdish was held near kohat metro station," tyagi said.
the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) on tuesday promised to rebuild a temple on the namma metro route in majestic, once the work is over. the bmrcl has marked the ayyappa swamy temple (said to be on south western railway-swr land), located along the gubbi thotadappa road for demolition, to carry out its work on east-west underground line between cricket stadium and magadi road. however, the demolition was pending as the temple authorities demanded that bmrcl and swr enter into an agreement with them, to rebuild the temple once the cut and cover works of namma metro get over.the swrclaimed that the temple was an illegal structure and issued eviction orders around six months ago. the temple authorities approached the high court in june 2012, claiming they had documents to prove that the 250-year-old temple was legal and they were in possession of related records dating back to 50 years. the court ordered status quo on bmrclworks at the temple site till december 5, 2012. the dispute took a new turn on tuesday when the temple authorities had a verbal duel with bmrcl officials, alleging that metro workers demolished a compound wall attached to the temple monday night."the bmrclhas not just violated court orders, but also human rights by trying to demolish a temple when devotees were sleeping inside. we lodged a complaint with the cottonpet police station on tuesday,"said mallesh, a member of the temple committee. tension prevailed in the area and dinesh gundu rao, gandhinagar mla, came to the spot. the legislator took the members of the temple committee to bmrclmdn sivasailam for a meeting.the bmrclofficials said in the evening that the corporation had agreed to rebuild the temple once the metro work gets over at the site. till then, a temporary shelter would be constructed. "the issue has been resolved and the temple authorities have agreed to shift their belongings from the temple within 21 days. the swr officials said they were confident that the temple was illegal. however, we don't want any legal hassles and delay in the project work," the officials said. mallesh confirmed the version of the corporation officials and said he had agreed to sign an agreement in this regard.
Getting into the groove, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday got a detailed presentation of the functioning and various aspects of the national transporter including its financial health. “It was the first Railway Board meeting after the new Minister took charge. So a detailed presentation was made to him about the functioning of various directorates by the respective Members,” said a senior Railway Ministry official. Mr. Bansal, who took charge on Monday, was briefed on areas including traffic projection, financial position, future requirement of coaches and locomotives and electrification of identified routes. The Minister took a keen interest in the proposed plan to improve passenger amenities, punctuality, safety and security in train operations, the official said. The railways, which has not revised passenger fares in general class for nine years, is passing through a severe financial crisis with many of its ongoing projects facing curtailment of funds. Mr. Bansal hinted about a possible passenger fare hike on Monday. Mounting losses in passenger services are also adding to the woes of the public transporter. Railways registered losses of about Rs. 24,000 crore in 2011-12 in the passenger segment. “The Minister was made aware of the fund constraints and the reasons for the downslide in revenue generation,” the official said. The railways freight target was reduced by 23 million tonnes (MT) to 970 MT due to fall in loading in 2011-12. The loading target is 1025 MT in the current fiscal. Mr. Bansal wanted to know about the steps being taken to fill up vacancies in the railways. Currently there are about 2.1 lakh vacancies including 80,000 in safety-related posts.
GA_googleFillSlot('DC_AllPages_BesideArticle_SquareAD_300x250'); Hinting that he may consider hiking passenger fare, an issue which was a major bone of contention between congress and its former ally Trinamul Congress, new railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said reform measures would be taken to improve facilities services. As he took over the charge of the railway portfolio, Mr Bansal said, “Fare will not be increased for the sake of increasing fare. If fare is increased, then it will be for providing better services to passengers.” He said so while responding to a question whether passenger fares would be hiked in the near future. Though former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi had proposed fare hike across the board in the 2012-13 Rail Budget. But because of stiff opposition from Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banrejee, the government had to roll back the proposed hike, barring the upper class and also to replace Mr Trivedi with Mukul Roy. Giving ample hint of possible fare hike, Mr Bansal said, “The improvement in services will have to be commensurate with the increase in fare.” Currently, the railways are facing financial crunch and funds earmarked for many of the ongoing projects are being curtailed. Justifying the need for such a step, the railway minister said, “We have to ensure that the vast infrastructure of the railways does not collapse and stop functioning... So, we have to increase fares and assure the public that if there will be any hike, the public will also appreciate it because we are going to improve the services.” The new minister of state for railways Adheer Ranjan Chowdhury, who also assumed charge, echoed the sentiment expressed by his senior colleague in the ministry.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was awarded the prestigious Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President's Award 2012 here yesterday. The award was presented to DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh for Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project (I) - (VI) in the presence of JICA Chief Representative Shinya Ejima. The JICA President Award is given either to an individual or an organization that is associated with JICA and whose contribution in the field of development is recognized to be of immense significance in a development society. In the past, the award has mostly been given to Japanese organizations like research institutions, NGOs and medical organizations. A commendation certificate along with a tribute to this effect duly signed by Akihiko Tanaka, President of JICA, was presented to the DMRC Managing Director while receiving the ninth (9th) JICA award in today's function. On the occasion, Singh said that this honour will go a long way in strengthening the bilateral ties between India and Japan and will encourage us to cooperate with each other in many such projects in the days to come. The fact that the Japan International Cooperation Agency has chosen only four projects from different parts of the globe for this award makes it even more memorable for Delhi Metro. JICA and DMRC have shared a very special relationship right since the beginning of the Metro construction in 1998 in the National Capital Region of Delhi and this award will definitely deepen this bond.
Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan has urged the Chairman of Railway Board to take expeditious steps to re-route the nine pairs of trains via Coimbatore at least in two phases. Mr. Natarajan, in a memorandum, pointed out that Coimbatore had been a highest revenue generator next to Chennai in the Southern Railway. Thanking the Railways for having diverted five pairs of trains via Coimbatore Junction, Mr.Natarajan said that despite having a double line facility between Podanur – Coimbatore – Irugur, the nine pairs of trains were being run on the single line Podanur – Irugur section, ignoring the travel needs of passengers in Coimbatore. Responding to the reply of Southern Railway that the trains skipping Coimbatore Junction were superfast ones running with very tight schedule and their diversion via Coimbatore would result in they losing the superfast status, Mr. Natarajan said that these trains were earlier running via Coimbatore. Having declared Coimbatore as an Aadharsh Station, allowing trains to skip such an important junction was not certainly a prudent decision. If one were to go by the argument of superfast status, then Railways should operate only Duranto (non-stop point to point trains) for commercial interests brushing aside the interests of people. Two phases Railways could consider re-routing the trains in two-phases, i.e., in the first phase Yeswantpur – Kannur (16527/28), Chennai - Thiruvananthapuram (12623/24), Chennai – Mangalore (12685/86), Chennai Mangalore (12601/02) trains could diverted via Coimbatore. In the second phase, 12653/54 Tiruchi – Mangalore, 12777/78 Hubli – Kochuveli, 12697/98 (Chennai – Thiruvananthapuram), Ernakulam – Bangalore (12683/84) and Ernakulam – Bangalore (22607/08) trains could be diverted.
Chances of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) appears to have receded somewhat with Union Urban Affairs Minister Kamal Nath pointing out that the DMRC had ‘limitations’ in taking up the State’s prestigious infrastructure project. Although Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met both Mr. Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday and pleaded with them to allow the DMRC to take up the Kochi Metro project, the indications from at least Mr. Kamal Nath was clearly not positive. He gave sufficient hints that the DMRC, which is all set to take up around 400-kilometre third and fourth stages of the Delhi Metro project, cannot take up additional work all that easily. However, Mr. Chandy appeared optimistic about a last-minute salvage operation and told reporters at New Delhi that DMRC adviser E. Sreedharan, on whom the State was pinning all its hopes, would be in the State on Wednesday for discussions on the best course forward. He rejected suggestions that the Urban Affairs Minister had rejected Kerala’s plea for DMRC’s participation in the Kochi Metro project. “The response is not negative. It is just that they have pointed out some practical difficulties,” he said. Mr. Chandy said that Mr. Sreedharan would be in the State capital on Wednesday for discussions with him and State Minister in charge of Railways Aryadan Mohammed, currently abroad, to find ways to resolve the present impasse. If necessary, he would return to Delhi for further discussions. From the time the project was conceived by the 2001-’06 United Democratic Front (UDF) government in 2004, the State had set its mind on having the project as also the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode mono rail projects implemented by the DMRC. The present difficulty was on account of the last DMRC director board deciding that it should take a formal decision before any work outside Delhi was taken up. He had apprised both Mr. Kamal Nath and Ms. Dikshit about the importance of the project and told them that the work could be taken up without diverting DMRC personnel from their work in Delhi. Kochi Metro had completed recruitment of 19 engineers and they were waiting to be posted, he pointed out. Replying to questions, Mr. Chandy said the government was keen that Kochi Metro should have the latest technology and equipment. The State government had already accorded in principle approval for DMRC’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kozhikode mono rail project. The DPR for the Thiruvananthapuram project should be available in another few days. .
instead of giving a new image to the government, the sunday reshuffle in the union council of ministers is turning out to be embarrassing to the government as the opposition bharatiya janata party targeted the upa-ruled centre for promoting the corrupt.new external affairs minister salman khurshid, minority affairs minister k rahman khan and mos for railways adhir ranjan chowdhary were the focus on monday because of alleged corruption/criminal charges against them.continuing their attack on the cabinet expansion, the bjp charged that corrupt ministers have been rewarded with "promotions" in the reshuffle. the opposition party also questioned why young leaders were not given cabinet berths.last-ditch attempt"some new ministers have been inducted into the manmohan singh cabinet in his last ditch but unsuccessful attempt to save his sinking ship. people had expected that he will try to wash away some of the taint but the tainted ministers enjoy his support while the clean ones have been ignored," bjp spokesperson shahnawaz hussain told reporters.hussain also said that shalman khurshid, who was elevated from being union law minister to external affairs minister, is facing allegations that his ngo was involved in financial bungling. the tainted ministers have got a new life. the manmohan singh government is more tainted now than it was before the cabinet reshuffle, he added."though the bjp has never had any expectations from the upa government, it has given promotions to those ministers who were facing allegations. it seems levelling of charges against a minister is not considered a negative point but actually a plus," the spokesperson said. asked about the allegations, adhir chowdhary challenged that he would quit if charges were proved against him. murder chargescurrently out on bail in a case of murder of a gram panchayat leader in burdwan, chowdhary was the accused in a twin murder case in 2005. in 2007, he was cleared of all charges.as for khan, he is alleged to have been involved in the karnataka wakf board scam. there were also allegations against him and others that they siphoned off money from the amanath co-operative bank ltd of bangalore which they administered. however, khan was given a clean chit.
students passing out from government schools will get free education at the indraparastha institute of information technology.inaugurating the permanent campus of the iiitd at okhla on monday, chief minister sheila dikshit said delhi government will support all the research programmes of the institute. "the city government has been helping iiitd as a catalyst and will continue to do so to make it the best institute to offer the latest knowledge in the field of it. we will support its research programmes and in return the students passing out from delhi government schools will get free education here," dikshit said. the institute, a state university established in 2008, has been functioning from dwarka till now. inaugurating the new energy efficient building dikshit said the government is keen to develop the institute into the world's best in it and allied fields by offering highly innovative courses. metro connectivitydikshit also announced construction of a foot overbridge to connect the iiitd campus with okhla metro station. the okhla metro station is the closest to the campus. but due to the existing green cover between that station and the campus, students have to use the govindpuri metro station which is about 1.5 km away. the work on the second phase of the institute at a cost of rs 250 crore will start soon. dikshit said the first batch of students passed out in 2012 and more than 98 per cent have got placement in reputed companies with an average annual salaray package of rs 10 lakh.
the efforts of the kerala government to entrust the execution of rs 5000-crore kochi metro rail project to delhi metro rail corporation (dmrc) has suffered a severe setback with union urban development minister kamal nath rejecting the proposal.the minister said on monday that the corporation is not in a position to take up the project since it is preoccupied with activities of delhi metro's second and third phases.kamal nath indicated this at a discussion which kerala chief minister oommen chandy, said sources.chandy will meet delhi chief minister sheela dixit to pressure her to direct the dmrc to take up the work.against the backdrop, e sreedharan, former managing director of the dmrc, who is the chief adviser to the state on the project, will be called here on october 31 to find a solution to the stalemate.
delhi metro, which was built with assistance from the japanese government, has been awarded this year's president award by japan international cooperation agency for its contributions to indo-japan ties. this new-age transport system was chosen in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the development of human resources, society and the economy in india along with enhancement of friendly relations and mutual understanding between india and japan, it was stated. mangu singh, managing director of delhi metro rail corporation received the award at a function at metro bhavan in the presence of shinya ejima, chief representative, jica, hiroshi suzuki, senior representative, jica and m p singh, additional chief development specialist.a commendation certificate along with a tribute to excellent contribution to the society, signed by akihiko tanaka, president of jica, was presented to singh."this honour will go a long way in strengthening the bilateral ties between india and japan and will encourage us to cooperate with each other in many such projects in the days to come," said singh. the award is given to an individual or organisation that has an association with jica and whose contribution in the field of development is recognised. this award has mostly been bagged by japanese organisations who are involved in research, social work and medical service earlier.
the supreme court on monday stopped short of passing an order on a plea made by dedicated freight corridor corporation of india (dfcci) to allow felling of 4,313 trees on the 76-km taj trapezium zone stretch as it pondered over the forest department's definition of trees and sought more clarity.the dfccisought clearance for the tree felling for executing the first phase of the eastern dedicated freight corridor for railways.a bench of justices d k jain and madan b lokur pondered over the definition of trees and then asked how the forest department enumerated plants "having one to two inch diameter" as trees."you count saplings as a tree. would you tell us whether saplings can be included under the definition of trees under the forest act," the bench asked.the query was significant as the dfcciproposed to pay uttar pradesh forest department rs 100 for cutting one tree and rs 200 for planting two trees.the court came across the peculiar manner of counting trees while dictating order on the application. it deferred the matter to friday seeking more clarity on the definition of trees.the apex court-appointed central empowered committee (cec), meanwhile, came in support of the proposal to fell trees saying that the project was in public interest and the dfcci had offered to undertake plantation of 25,000 trees.it, however, imposed the condition that statutory clearance for diversion of forest land would be undertaken under the forest (conservation) act, while the net present value and compensatory charges payable for such land would be deposited with ad-hoc compensatory afforestation fund management and planning authority (campa)."the 76-km alignment of the taj trapezium does not involve any wildlife sanctuary or national park. however, the project involved 4.039 ha of reserve forest in villages sokhipur and datuaji in firozabad district and 1.252 ha of protected forest in agra and hathras districts. the proposal for diversion of 5.291 ha of forest land is being processed by the up forest department for which forest clearance under section 2 of the forest (conservation) act, 1980 will be obtained from the union ministry of environment and forests," the cec report said.the report was filed following a direction by the apex court on september 7.the dfcci coming under the railway ministry is constructing the eastern freight corridor from dankuni in west bengal to ludhiana in punjab."once completed, the dedicated freight corridors will enable indian railways to meet customer and market need better. it will also decongest the existing rail network, ensure better management of passenger traffic and help in improving maintenance of tracks and safety aspects," the cec said.
in yet another brazen act of violence against policemen, an uttar pradesh constable was shot dead late on sunday in lakhimpur kheri, police said. the incident took place at a local hotel where the policeman, along with a colleague, arrived to conduct checks after receiving information that criminals were present there. police said they had received specific information about wanted criminals at a hotel in sankadadevi area. when the two policemen reached the hotel, they proceeded towards three persons sitting there.sudden firingthey opened fire all of a sudden, hitting constable umesh kumar in the stomach. umesh kumar was rushed to a trauma centre in lucknow, where he was declared dead. police relayed the information on wireless, and the entire area was sealed off.cornered one of the three assailants was spotted near the railway station and cornered. in the exchange of fire, the assailant was killed. the other two men who had earlier opened fire at the policemen in the hotel have not been traced yet. the man killed in the exchange is sumit, a resident of kushinagar. police said sumit was a known extortionist. he is wanted for cases in bahraich, barabanki and gorakhpur.in the last one month, two police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed in crimes committed in broad daylight.
the ambitious 'rent a cycle' facility that was launched as part of the first anniversary of namma metro operations on the 6.7-km long reach -1 — baiyappanahalli to mg road — will finally take off on tuesday.the facility is expected to complement the bangalore metro rail corporation limited (bmrcl) - bangalore metropolitan transport corporation (bmtc) feeder service, which sees several buses from the bmtc being operated as feeders from the six metro stations on reach - 1.while the feeder helps people reach the respective metro stations and get back to a preferred bus station from the metro stations, the cycle service is expected to help those who do not need the feeder service, but an alternative facility to commute short distances to and from the stations."i use the metro from ulsoor to mg road, where my office is located. once i reach office, i commute only in the radius of two to three kilometre before heading home by the metro. this facility allows me to say no to the auto rickshaws," said vinyashree a.syed arafath, co-founder and chairperson of kerberon automations, which has installed this system claimed: "this is the country's first ever automated (cycle renting) system." he said that the registration process for availing a bicycle is simple. it will require a proof of identity and a deposit of rs 1,000. while the first hour of renting a cycle would be free, charges would be rs 10 per hour after that.however, there are many who raise concerns such as the cost of renting, theft and safety. m n sreehari, advisor to government of karnataka on traffic, transport and infrastructure, said: "traffic and cycling cannot mix". he said he would rather see practical and constructive measures like better connectivity of bus routes with the metro and its further extension. "such a scheme would work on the outskirts with big spaces, like whitefield and yelahanka" he said.in line with sreehari's argument abantar das, a daily commuter said: "of what use are these bikes for people who cannot return them immediately…like those who would like to use it to go to their office?"for such persons, the company is said to have launched a special scheme which is on the lines of a monthly bus pass. "for such groups, the cost will be reduced by nearly 50 per cent," arafath said. each cycle has also been embedded with a special chip that has a unique identification and registers information such as the location of the cycle. "this virtually cuts out the possibility of theft," he added.presently, the facility is available at the mg road, trinity and the ulsoor metro stations and the same would be extended to the other three stations—indiranagar, vivekanandaroad and baiyappanahalli—in the next two weeks.a similar system of renting cycles was set up by the company in association with the bbmp at anil kumble circle.
CHANDIGARH: Railways chugs up north after almost 28 years as Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was handed over the ministry in the UPA reshuffle that came into effect on Sunday. Along with the railways, the north also got the law ministry with Rajya Sabha MP Ashwani Kumar, who hails from Gurdaspur in Punjab, being elevated from a minister of state to Union minister of law and justice in the revamp. The information and broadcasting ministry also stayed with the northern region as Ludhiana MP Manish Tewari replaced Ambika Soni, also a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, as minister of state for information and broadcasting. Tewari has been given the portfolio with an independent charge. But it was Bansal who brought the most cheers as it's for the first in almost three decades that the crucial ministry has been freed from the eastern dominance and come to the north. The much-sough-after ministry has mostly been ruled by politicians from the eastern parts of the country and leaders, including ABA Ghani Khan Chaudhary, Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee. Swaran Singh from Punjab was the first politician from the north to get the railways in 1964 and then in 1984 former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal was given the coveted portfolio. Bansal, 64, represents Chandigarh parliamentary constituency. "It's a more challenging portfolio. I'll focus on many issues, including cleanliness, hygienic food and punctuality of trains which were not taken care of in the past," said Bansal. "My priorities would be to create a hassle-free, safe and secure system of railways and to keep trains the preferred mode of network," added Bansal. The news of the elevation of Rajya Sabha MP Ashwani Kumar, 60, from the minister of state for parliamentary affairs to law minister was also well-received in the region. For the 47-year-old AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari, his long association of 31 years with the party finally paid off on Sunday as he replaced Ambika Soni. Tewari, who has also served as the president of the Youth Congress, had lost the 2004 LS elections but made his successful debut in the 2009 parliamentary elections from Ludhiana. "I'll try to consolidate the projects launched by my predecessor and initiate fresh ones," said Tewari over phone from Delhi. The portfolio of Kumari Selja, Congress leader from Haryana, was changed from housing, urban poverty alleviation and culture to social justice and empowerment.
With just three days to go for introduction of complete digital access for television in four Metro cities, the plan for switchover from analog is mired in doubt and a sense of under-preparedness. Most of the stakeholders — including the multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) — seem to be waiting for their competition to make the first move, or seem ill-prepared to meet the November 1 deadline set by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make the switch. While CAS had warranted that only pay channels are encrypted, under Digital Addressable Systems (DAS), all channels can only be telecast in digital format and will require a set-top box. The State government-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation, which recently announced the rollout of its services, is not in the list of MSOs to be granted licence to operate DAS for the Chennai metropolitan area, as indicated in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s notice dated October 26. Attempts to reach Arasu Cable officials to ascertain if the company had applied for MSO licence for Chennai were in vain. Five MSOs have so far been granted licences to operate in the Chennai Metropolitan area — Kal Cables Pvt Ltd (Sumangali Cable Vision), Aadhar Digital Vision Pvt Ltd, Shreeas Vision, JAK Communication Private Limited, Crystal Transmission Private Limited and Thalainagar Digital Cables Pvt Ltd. Jothishankar Annamalai of Shreeas Vision said he was still waiting before investing in digital set top boxes. “It won’t be prudent on my part to rush to invest in a technology that will require substantial money without knowing what my competition has to offer,” he said. A cable TV association representative, who requested not to be named, said the entire cable TV fraternity was right now just waiting to see how the rollout would happen on November 1 and whether they could buy some more time, as had been the case during the roll-out of the Conditional Access System (CAS). A section of local cable TV operators, or last mile operators, have already started asking their customers for an advance of Rs. 500 or Rs. 1000 for the digital set-top boxes depending on the MSO they take the feed from. While Arasu Cable is asking for an advance of Rs. 500, other private MSOs are charging between Rs. 5 00 and Rs. 1,000. The precise number of cable TV users who are going to be affected is not known. This is due to a large discrepancy between the statistics on television homes as put out by Census 2011 and industry estimates. Last Friday, a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting made an announcement that sounded optimistic. “In Chennai, the cable homes are showing 61% digitization and together with DTH, the percentage of digitization goes up to 85%,” the statement available at Press Information Bureau’s website (pib.nic.in) read. The Ministry’s methodology for determining this number and its assessment of cable TV homes has come in for strong criticism. Lt. Col. K.K. Sharma, editor of Cable Quest, an industry magazine that has closely followed the cable industry and has reported on the meetings of the Ministry’s task force for digitisation of cable, says the numbers of the cable TV homes in the city have been considerably downsized in recent months. “The total number of cable TV homes in four Metros that were estimated by the Ministry itself in its meetings in August at 133 lakhs. But in the figures quoted since September, that number has been brought down,” he points out. The Ministry has pointed out that the number of TV households in four Metros, according to Census 2011, is 83 lakhs approximately. The Ministry also rationalised its numbers on cable TV homes after taking into account DTH homes. According to last week’s statement, Chennai has close to 7.05 DTH homes. Based on that, the Ministry estimates the number of cable TV homes in Chennai to be only 4.28 lakhs. Cable TV associations refute the Ministry’s assessment. Most associations had estimated the number of homes receiving either DTH or Cable TV at close to 40 lakhs. “To say that DTH homes won’t have cable TV connections and draw statistics based on that assumption is a joke,” a cable TV association representative said.
a 35-year-old man has been arrested for killing a 10-year-old girl after she resisted his attempt to rape her at her house in pul prahladpur in south-east delhi, police said on sunday.police said the accused gopal, 35, who hails from bihar's katihar district, was earlier also arrested for rape and molestation.according to ajay chaudhry, additional commissioner of police (south-east), action was taken after the minor girl's body was found by her brother in a dustbin near railway colony in pul prahladpur late on saturday."a case of murder was lodged over a complaint by her brother," chaudhry said. police later found out that the girl's neighbour, gopal, was absconding. "we traced gopal's movement and he was apprehended on sunday morning at tuglakabad railway station while he was trying to escape," chaudhry added. gopal told police that he had killed the girl. he said he went to the girl's house after consuming alcohol on saturday evening. "finding her alone, he tried to misbehave with her. she objected to it and told him that she would inform her brother," chaudhry said.furious over this, gopal attack