Breakfast News from Mumbai

Maharashtra's 50th Foundation Day today

2010-05-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: On Maharashtra's 50th Foundation Day, Governor K Sankaranarayanan and chief minister Ashok Chavan led the state in paying tributes to the 105 martyrs of the movement that led to the creation of the state. The Governor and chief minister paid floral tributes to the martyrs of Samyukta Maharashtra movement at the Hutatma Chowk (martyrs' memorial) in South Mumbai

The Governor later unfurled the tricolour and took salute at a ceremonial parade at the Shivaji Park here. He also inaugurated an exhibition organised by the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations on `Maharashtra's Progress during the last 50 years' at Shivaji Park. A series of functions have been planned to commemorate the golden jubilee of Maharashtra, formed on May 1, 1960. They include a light and sound show followed by fireworks along the Marine Drive this evening. At a function organised by the Shiv Sena in suburban Bandra this evening, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar would render patriotic songs. Sena chief Bal Thackeray would be present at the event.

A cultural programme, `Swarna Maharashtra' (Golden Maharashtra), is being organised at Girgaum Chowpatty and is based on historical, cultural and social heritage of Maharashtra.

Experiment of an assimilative state by Nehru

2010-05-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: he reorganisation of states was always on the minds of leaders. The first sign of this were seen in 1920-21, when Congress leaders asked state units to reorganise on linguistic lines.Thus, we saw the formation of the Bombay, Marathwada and Vidarbha Congress units. The basic principle of having states formed on linguistic lines was to make governance easier, facilitate better information gathering and also better communication. It was a universal assumption that people think best in their mother tongue.

Before independence, there were meetings and discussions in the constituent assembly when leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted the formation of states on linguistic lines to be deferred. It was around the time of independence that they felt that linguistic passions would grow and eventually become a threat to national unity. They believed unity was far more important.The leaders, especially Nehru, believed in the power of Indian plurality, which was assimilative and inclusive. He believed that it would lead to the betterment of culture and enhance the way of life, like in England.

Unable to use MGNREGA effectively: Jayant Patil

2010-05-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: State rural development minister Jayant Patil stunned participants at a national seminar on the agrarian crisis here this week when he admitted that Maharashtra was lagging behind in the implementation of the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) because its "bureaucracy found the transparency clauses in it too much of a bother".

He was speaking at the Kalina campus of the Mumbai University which had organized a two-day national seminar on `MGNREGA and the agrarian crisis' through its Centre for Human Development in the Department of Economics. MGNREGA is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's flagship programme and has been credited with helping it return to power in 2009's general election. The main objective of the scheme is to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing not less than 100 days of wage employment in an year to one adult member of every family.

Fail not, fear not: State to safeguard 'weak' students

2010-05-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: There will hopefully not be another Shams Merchant. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which came into force from April 1, has a clause which makes it clear that no student between the ages of 6-14 can be expelled or held back in any class. Merchant (14), a Class VII student, hanged himself at his Millat Nagar residence on Thursday after learning he failed for the second time in the same class.

Under the provisions of the new landmark legislation on education, no child admitted in a school will be failed in any class or expelled from the school till the completion of elementary education from the ensuing academic session. “We are duty-bound to implement the legislation, and at the same time, we will take adequate care of weak students. From this academic session onwards, no student will fail, at least up to elementary education,’’ school education minister Balasaheb Thorat told TOI on Friday. About Merchant, the minister said, “The case was brought to my notice, it was unfortunate.’’

High life: Flat on Carmichael Rd fetches Rs 33 cr

2010-05-01T05:24:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: In another freak transaction, an apartment in the art deco Kamal Mahal building on Carmichael Road in south Mumbai is believed to have fetched its owner around Rs 33 crore. Barely a few weeks ago a sprawling duplex in Samudra Mahal building at Haji Ali went for about Rs 37 crore—over one lakh rupees a square foot—making it the highest recorded price for an apartment in the country. The Kamal Mahal flat is located on the fourth floor of the seven-storey building and belongs to one Bhagat family. The identity of the buyer, however, is not yet known. The sale papers are expected to be submitted to the building’s society for its no objection certificate in the next one week.
The apartment has a carpet area of 4,171 sq ft and was in the market for the past 15 months. Market sources said the owners had initially set a price of around Rs 40 crore for this flat, but later scaled it down. “Such deals are not representative of the property market today. You can possibly get a flat across the street or on the same road at half the price. But buildings like Kamal Mahal are considered to be iconic and always command a premium when volumes are not available,’’ said developer Niranjan Hiranandani. He confessed that when such large transactions are reported, builders take advantage and jack up rates of their own properties. “Some are willing to pay any price because of the building and its location,’’ he added.

Won’t train recruits: motormen

2010-05-01T05:22:00.001-07:00

In violation of service rules, motormen of Western Railway (WR) suburban trains have shown unwillingness to groom new recruits as train drivers. “Motormen have refused to train the new staff. They have informed the administration that motormen will impart training on the condition that they would not be responsible for any untoward incident,” said a senior official at WR. “Had their seniors taken the same stand, they would never have become motormen,” the official added.

In fact, it was in accordance with their demand to fill motormen vacancies in the suburban section of Mumbai division immediately that the WR filled almost all vacancies in Mumbai division. Filling of vacancies was a major demand of motormen during their agitation in January, when they said they were overworked due to staff shortage.

At present, 70 motormen are under training and of them, 45 have completed a year of training at the institute at Mahalaxmi workshop. Now they have to train under the supervision of seniors.

'Sr RTO official took bribe in superbike scam'

2010-05-01T05:21:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: A deputy regional transport officer and three of his assistants had taken huge bribes for illegal registration of imported superbikes, CID superintendent of police M A Gundewadi has told the Bombay high court.

Following a high court order, the CID had appointed Gundewadi to probe into the multicrore sam of imported bikes. “We recorded the statements of the accused before a magistrate as is the provision under the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused disclosed that they had paid a huge amount money to four senior officials, including the deputy regional transport officer of Pen,’’ Gundewadi said in his affidavit submitted to the court. A few witnesses have also said that an overlook on the part of officers at the RTO offices in Pen and Andheri facilitated the fraud.

CM sets 2012 deadline for city's infra projects

2010-05-01T05:20:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: On the eve of Maharashtra’s golden jubilee celebrations, chief minister Ashok Chavan has promised to make it a global state. For Mumbaikars, the CM’s promises for what they are worth hold out hope of a better quality of life. “We are determined to make it a world-class city. I will ensure that all infrastructure projects are completed by 2012,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the foot soldiers of the original army of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement are a disillusioned lot. “We fought for the cause of the Marathi manoos before it became a political slogan. Little did we know that rich rulers would get richer by turning mills into malls,’’ they rued in Parel, the heartland of the Marathi community.

Milind Deora is dreaming of a world-class Mumbai

2010-05-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Mumbai is definitely on the verge of being one of the best cities in the world. All that we need to do is concentrate on the key issues like governance, transport, infrastructure, housing and water supply. I feel more power should be vested upon the Mayor of the city and BMC to effectively push for growth. Then there are talks whether Mumbai should be a separate state or a Union Territory. Mumbai should always be a part of Maharashtra. The people have gone through a lot and Mumbai’s history is linked directly to that of the state. We can’t divide the two ever because that won’t make Mumbai grow.

The government should quickly act on opening the Navi Mumbai and Mumbai link bridge which will solve the housing problem in Mumbai. The rent or property rates are definitely on the higher side in the city. So Navi Mumbai — that has a lot of land — can be explored to solve the housing problem. When the new bridge becomes operational, a person can travel from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai in about 25 minutes. That would really help the people as they would look to settle there as 25 minutes travelling is not a big deal.

Fire at cloth godown kills 3 in sleep

2010-04-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

Three people died when a fire gutted a cloth godown in Khotwadi, Santacruz, at 3 am on Thursday. They had been sleeping in the godown, a ground-plus-two-storey structure in a narrow bylane in Santacruz West.Pappu Devraj Vaidya, 22, Ramdev Praveen Singh Jhala, 22, and Ramesh Hirjee Kathre, 20, were all workers in the godown, which also served as a cloth-cutting factory.Once the fire was doused, the upper two floors were demolished as the structure could collapse, a BMC official said.

The cause of the fire could not be determined, said Uday Tatkare, chief fire officer. “It proved difficult for us to take the fire truck to the narrow bylane, and we had to use hose pipes to get water to the site,” he said.Usually more people sleep in the godown, but three of them were not there on Wednesday night. Had they been there, they could have also died, said Jaishree Mathur, who lives in the same lane. “We did not realise there had been a fire until we woke up and saw the fire brigade.”

Another onlooker said the godown was not adjacent to other buildings, so other houses did not suffer much damage. These houses, in one of the city’s oldest areas, have been marked for slum rehabilitation.“The upper floors were unauthorised and we will serve a notice to the owner,” said assistant municipal commissioner M M Kshirsagar, H West ward (Bandra West). A survey will assess whether other houses in the area are authorised, he added.

'I-T' men in Rs1.3-cr diamond heist held in Mumbai

2010-04-16T01:21:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: A sensational robbery case involving the theft of diamonds worth Rs 1.30crore by men posing as Income Tax officers was cracked by the Mumbai Crime Branch. Seven persons were arrested on Thursday.The arrested have been identified as kingpin Pravin Parab alias Bala, Govind Mankar, Ramesh Shinde, Harpreet Singh, Amardeep Singh, Gagandeep Chauhan and Rahul Jaiswal.

They were arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by Deepak Lalwani, who works in KGK Diamonds. According to joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy, Lalwani was accosted on March 28 by five persons posing as I-T officers.

A case of dacoity, kidnapping with arms was registered with the Dindoshi police. The number plate of their escape vehicle was traced to someone who had nothing to do with the case.A team of senior inspector Milind Khetle, assistant inspectors Sandeep Vishwasrao and Vijay Kandadgaonkar nabbed the culprits. “We have recovered diamonds worth Rs1.16 crore, charas, a pistol and four live rounds,” Roy said.

New domestic terminal will open on Monday

2010-04-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The much-awaited new domestic terminal at Mumbai airport will be inaugurated on Saturday and thrown open for passengers on Monday. The new terminal — 1C — will function as a link between the existing terminals, 1A and 1B.

Passengers can look forward to boarding their flight from the new terminal more conveniently as six new aerobridges will be opened up for domestic flights. Till now, only terminal 1A (from where Air India and Kingfisher flights operate) had aerobridges. “The entry and exit points for the passengers will remain the same as usual. However, once they have collected their boarding pass and are through with security checks, they will move towards the new terminal for boarding,’’ an airport official said.

The 1C, the official added, will serve till the new integrated terminal for both domestic and international operations is ready. “The current structure will be demolished once the X-shaped integrated terminal in Andheri is ready,’’ an official said.

Heading to sea? Watch out for invisible craters, say experts

2010-04-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The drownings of three children at Aksa beach on Wednesday has once again highlighted the need to plan trips cautiously and watch the water one steps into. Even as summer vacations have started and families have started thronging sea-side resorts, experts warn of the danger that lurks beneath the tempting waters.

The sea, say experts, cradles big holes that is not visible to the eye. The treacherous sands and powerful waves are enough to drag even swimmers into the depths of the sea. “People want to soak in the cool waters as the heat is too much to bear, but the sea can often be treacherous,’’ explains Rajnikant Mhashelkar (54), a lifeguard who has spent 35 years in this profession.

“When a person is in the water, the strong waves slowly drag him in the direction of the holes. While the person himself is unaware of this gradual shift, an onlooker can see it. But before anyone can
realise it, the person gets sucked into the deep sea,’’ said Mhashelkar.

Fire brigade plans to train lifeguards

2010-04-16T01:17:00.002-07:00

MUMBAI: Taking into account the frequent drowning deaths on beaches, the BMC has transferred the entire responsibility of beach safety to the fire brigade. Considering their expertise in tackling eventualities, the fire brigade will appoint and train lifeguards for all beaches. A day after three youngsters died after drowning off Aksa beach, civic and fire brigade officials were busy chalking out a beach safety plan. It has now been decided to double the number of lifeguards on beaches. While currently there are 34 lifeguards on beaches, there will now be 68.

“We have handed over the responsibility of beach safety to the fire brigade as it has the core competence for the exercise. During monsoons, we will double the number of lifeguards. They will be given training by fire officials,’’ said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.

The BMC, last month, issued an order to shift lifeguards from public health department to the fire brigade as it is on duty for 24 hours. This makes them better equipped to manage lifeguards. Chief fire officer Uday Tatkare said, “There are lifeguards at Juhu, Versova, Aksa, Madh, Marve and Gorai. But they are neither properly trained, nor available when there is a crowd. We are in the process of training them.’’

Science made fun for school kids

2010-04-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

Students most often find science a difficult subject to crack in school. But when it comes to practical experiments in the laboratory, the subject become interesting.In an effort to make the subject have a greater connect with students in the city; Bayer’s conducted a school education initiative — Make Science Make Sense (MSMS) — a science challenge.The challenge, launched in India in 2007, had 200 students from 10 city schools participating in it. Conducted for Std V and VI students, the challenge involves initial phase of activity conducted during school hours, where the students participate in various demonstrations and experiments.

Activities include the functioning of hydraulic bridges, finger prints, paper chromatography, water rockets, etc. “Students also had to participate in a hands-on activity and build a small robot that can walk in a straight line from the kit provided to them,” said Kaikobad Mistry, chief financial officer, Bayer, India.

Second sea link will be longer & costlier

2010-04-16T01:11:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Although the length of the Worli-Haji Ali stretch of the sea link is said to be approximately 4 km on paper, if the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials are to be believed, the total length of this second phase is going to be more than the first link. Also, the cost of this stretch will go up by leaps and bound.The cost of the Bandra-Worli stretch increased from Rs400 crore to a whopping Rs1,634 crore. However, the contractor and MSRDC have been defending their case by saying that the escalation was because of the change in alignment and an additional cable stayed bridge. Now, the second stretch will also see a higher cost, even though there are no complicated engineering works such as the cable stayed bridge — an extremely complicated engineering job.

According to senior MSRDC officials, though the actual sea link is 3.6 km into the sea, there are several other aspects which will be responsible for the increased cost. “The connector towards Haji Ali connecting the link with the main road will be of 1.25 km. Besides this, the most complicated part will be the clover leaf flyover at Worli. This will be a similar structure like the one opposite the Bandra fire brigade office. This will ensure smooth traffic flow at Worli junction. Together, this takes the total length to 7 km,” said an MSRDC official.

State's clever move: Smart cards to curb fake degrees

2010-04-16T01:09:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The state government plans to provide smart cards to university graduates to curb the menace of fake degree certificates. It will also introduce a bill to prevent the mushrooming of unauthorised universities in the state.Also, in a step to restrict the ad-hoc mushrooming of unauthorised institutions, the government has drafted the prevention of unauthorised institutions bill.

Higher and technical education minister Rajesh Tope mooted the idea of smart cards in the legislative council on Thursday.He announced the measure given 1,134 cases of fake degree certificates coming to light since February this year — in two months. This was said in response to MLC Bhagwan Salunkhe’s query if the government had any system to verify the degree certificates.

Tope said the government or the universities have no such facility, but if a demand is made by the graduates’ employers, the universities will do the needful.But, for the future, he said a more foolproof plan was in motion.“All universities in the state would be directed about smart cards which will keep a check on bogus certificates and degrees by the graduates,” Tope said.

Your power bills will shoot up from May

2010-04-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Residential electricity consumers across the state, as well as medium and large sugarcane farmers, face increased power billing by at least 25 paise a unit from May onwards with the MERC deciding to continue with the policy of gradually eliminating the cross-subsidy system.

The move is in keeping with the national policy to gradually eliminate the cross-subsidy, which involves using revenue from industrial and commercial users to reduce the burden on suburban and agricultural users. Last year, on these grounds, MERC had approved a hike for residential consumers in the rest of the state, but not in Mumbai. This summer, MERC is planning to continue its implementation of the central policy, which will lead to residential rates across the state, including Mumbai, going up.

“We are serious about implementing a gradual reduction in the cross-subsidy by effecting a minimal increase in the tariff for residential and some agricultural consumers this summer. The action plan for the execution of this idea is being prepared,’’ said an official.

Maharashtra govt starts suspension proceedings against Ravi Gaekwad

2010-04-16T01:06:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has begun suspension proceedings against Deputy Regional Transport Officer Ravi Gaekwad, brother of Rendezvous Sports CEO Shailendra Gaekwad, for his failure to report to duty after being transferred out of Mumbai in the wake of the imported bike scam.

"We have initiated suspension proceedings against Gaekwad who has not reported to duty after he was transferred out of Mumbai following the imported bike scam," Transport Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said.

Ravi Gaekwad was shunted to Beed in Marathwada district after his alleged involvement in a fraud involving registration of imported bikes. However, he did not join his new posting.Ravi, who was deputy RTO in Mumbai, is elder brother of Shailendra Gaekwad and runs The Pushp Cricket Academy in Solapur. His father Kishan Gaekwad is a retired executive engineer in the Irrigation Department.

Preity, Bollywood’s richest girl!

2010-04-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Is Preity Zinta the richest girl in Bollywood today? It would seem so. The pretty co-owner of the Punjab IPL team, rough estimates say, is worth a whole lot of moolah.

Preity’s stake in her cricket team alone is valued at around Rs 350 to Rs 400 crores. Some cricket experts say the figure is higher. Besides which, the actress is also likely to be the legal heir of Shandar Amrohi, who is one of the co-owners of Kamalistan Studios (that originally belonged to Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi).

Asin travels cattle class!

2010-04-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Asin seems to be following in the footsteps of her former co-star Salman Khan, who is known to hop into rickshaws on impulse and even engage in antics like driving one late at night. Recently, when Asin was heading to Madurai airport to catch a flight, she took up an unusual dare by her friends - to travel in a bullock cart.

A source close to Asin reveals, “It is a two-hour drive to Madurai airport from Kairaikudi. Asin was to catch a flight to Mumbai and was accompanied by three friends. On the way, they spotted a bullock cart and one thing led to another. When her friends challenged Asin to ride on it, she immediately agreed.”

Gold Mohur fire was sabotage

2010-04-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

The forensic science laboratory report on the fire at Gold Mohur textile mill, Dadar, on March 20 has established sabotage.The report - a copy of which is with Mumbai Mirror - has been submitted to Bhoiwada Police Station and the BMC. It says kerosene residue was found in the samples.According to the report, forensic scientists collected 11 exhibits (samples) - earth, debris, stone and partly burnt metallic parts - from the Gold Mohur Mill. The report says, “… kerosene residues were positively detected in the sample number 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 11.” Around 22 fire engines and 10 water tankers battled for ten hours to douse the flames. However, no casualties were reported as the mill was shut down. Corporator Niyaz Wanu said, “The forensic report has proved the mill was wilfully set ablaze.

The culprits need to be punished and booked under MCOCA.” Pointing out how densely populated this Dadar neighbourhood is, he said, “We are lucky the fire was restricted within the mill premises and did not spread to adjoining areas.”

Mayor Shraddha Jadhav too had alleged the 120-yr-old textile mill owned by NTC had been set ablaze as the stake holders wanted to construct high-rise residential and commercial complexes. She had demanded a probe.

Salman Khan joins Twitter

2010-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Bollywood star Salman Khan is the latest actor from tinsel town to have joined the micro-blogging site Twitter. "Arbaaz ne kaha ke Tweet karna toh banta hai boss. Chalo now, whoever was being me, party over, baju hatto please (Arbaaz said that I must Tweet. So now whoever was being me, please move aside)," Salman said in his initial posts.

The actor was welcomed on Twitter by jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali who is amongst the most regular celebrities on the website. "Hey guys please welcome the one and only superstar actor Salman Khan on Twitter @BeingSalmanKhan. Big shout to him," Farah posted.

While a lot of Bollywood actors have joined Twitter, stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, et al, are yet to get bitten by the Twitter bug.

In tug-of-war, bid to revive Mantralaya plan, in parts

2010-04-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

The Mantralaya makeover project, the subject of a debate between the Congress and the NCP, will go back to the drawing board, with PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal hoping to have it resurrected as two separate projects.The NCP leader said on Tuesday, “The total project stands cancelled. We will probably prepare two new projects. The project for renovation of the Mantralaya and the new administrative building will be funded through the state’s budgetary provisions.”

Other components might be taken up separately on a build-operate-and-transfer basis, he said. The existing plans include construction of a rest-house for dignitaries, an MLA hostel, political parties’ offices and six 60-storey towers to house ministers, judges and bureaucrats. “We cannot afford Rs 1,500 crore on our own,” Bhujbal said.

As per the PWD’s original plans, the developer was to invest at least Rs 1,100 crore; it would then gain by constructing on a four-acre plot at Nariman Point. The project was cleared by the state infrastructure committee in April 2008.

No takers for INS Vikrant's museum plan

2010-04-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The much-awaited bidding on Tuesday for the proposed Rs 450-crore conversion of the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant into a maritime museum failed, as none of the five industrial players turned up. The government had announced a proposal to convert the carrier into a museum on the very day she was decommissioned — on January 31, 1997.

The project has been delayed by more than 10 years. Manukumar Srivastava, secretary, urban development and special projects said, "Five bidders — HCC Infrastructure, Srei Infrastructure, Kalpataru Power, Dhoot Developers and Zoom Developers — were asked to submit financial bids after they qualified in the technical bids round, but no one turned up. We will have to go for re-bidding again."

Asia's first artificial Sea World to come up in Konkan

2010-04-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Now, here’s a distinction that would see Maharashtra set apart from the other states. The state government on Tuesday announced its plan to set up Asia’s first ever artificial Sea World in Konkan by next year.The Sea World will have an artificial sea that will represent the marine life.

“We have asked for a feasibility report for the Sea World. The report will be out in the next six months, following which the actual project work will start in another six months,” state tourism minister Vijaykumar Gavit said in the legislative council.

Gavit was replying to a calling attention motion raised by Shiv Sena’s Parshuram Uparkar over the proposed Sea World in Konkan.“The project will be set up on a 150-acre land at the cost of Rs150 crore. Once we receive the feasibility report, we will ask for funds from the Centre to implement the project. If the Centre denies funds, we will complete the project through a public-private partnership within two years,” said Gavit. He added that once the project was complete, 10 lakh tourists are expected to visit it. Gavit also announced that they had plans to recruit locals for the project work.

Activist alleges 40 more violations in Wankhede redevelopment work

2010-04-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: While the Bombay high court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), challenging the redevelopment of Wankhede stadium, the petitioners on Tuesday brought to notice 40 more violations in the redevelopment.Social activist Amit Maru has now also sought action against the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Garware Club House for allegedly violating the development plan.Wankhede is presently undergoing a total makeover for World Cup-2011.A division bench of justice FI Rebello and justice Mridula Bhatkar will hear the PIL on April 22.

Maru had moved the high court in 2009, seeking restraint on the redevelopment of the stadium, alleging that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had granted redevelopment permission without proper clearances from the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) and the environment ministry.

His fresh application seeks the demolition of construction of the Garware Club House, BCCI and IPL headquarters and they be converted into a public recreation ground as shown in the development plan.

Tragedy averted as Garib Rath derails near Kalyan

2010-04-13T21:29:00.001-07:00

A major tragedy was averted after an air-conditioned compartment of Jabalpur-bound Garib Rath train derailed around 2.40 pm on Tuesday, seconds before it was supposed to take the railway bridge over the Waldhuni river between Kalyan and Shahad. No casualty or injury to passengers was reported.

This, along with a few other disruptions, affected even the suburban services on the Central Railway till evening. For the hundreds on board the 2188 CST-Jabalpur Garib Rath, it was a providential escape. Had the engine moved another 20 metres onto the bridge and if the bogey had slipped off the tracks, there could have been a large number of casualties as the bridge is about 40 m above the river, which carries toxic effluent released from chemical factories in Kalyan, Dombivli, Shahad. The train, with 18 coaches, left CST at 1.30 pm and reached Kalyan at 5 pm.

100 bicycles for BMC’s foot soldiers

2010-04-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is buying 100 bicycles. Not as a thoughtful giveaway for its staff, but to help the men patrolling the 100-km water pipeline from Tansa move faster.The idea, says the civic body, is to keep an eye on the parts along the Eastern Express Highway where the arterial pipeline is heavily encroached and is vulnerable to pilferers.Rahul Shewale, chairman, Standing Committee, said, “Water is our biggest concern this year and will remain so in the years to come. Incidence of breaking into the main pipelines by slum dwellers is the biggest worry for the civic body.

As we are planning to get rid of all the encroachments along the pipelines, better vigilance is the need of the hour. I have thus asked the security personnel guarding our pipelines to purchase bicycles. This will help them move around faster. After all, the pipeline is more than 100-km long from the Tansa Lake.”

40% less water in stock than at same time last year

2010-04-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

The six lakes that supply water to Mumbai have 40 per cent less in stock than at the same stage last year.Already struggling with frequent pipeline bursts and leaks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has more bad news from its data on Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarna and Bhatsa.

The total usable water in the lakes together is 2,80,494 million litres as on Tuesday. The same day last year, the lakes had 4,67,493 million litres between them.The low levels in the lakes are indicative of the low content: the Bhatsa, which contributes half the total water supply to Mumbai (including large parts of the eastern suburbs and some parts of the western suburbs), is down to a level of 113.35 metres, after 121.50 metres on April 13 last year.

The level in the Upper Vaitarna Lake, which supplies 20 per cent of the city’s water, is 595.75 metres, close to its lowest drawable level of 595.13 metres. The water in Vihar Lake, one of the oldest, has dropped to 73.56 metres, already below its lowest drawable limit of 73.92 metres.

Few takers for extra built-up space at BKC, scheme extended by a year

2010-04-08T01:37:00.000-07:00

The cash-strapped Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has extended for another year — till March 2011 — a scheme that gives additional built-up space to developers of projects in the commercial business district of the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

Last May, the MMRDA increased the global floor space index (FSI) in BKC’s 178-hectare G-block to 4 from 2, meaning that projects over a plot area of, say, 1,000 sq m could have a built-up area of 4,000 sq m.Developers wanting to use the FSI, over and above what they were allowed at the time of buying the plot, were to pay a premium by March 31 2010.

Of the 18 that applied and were granted the additional built up area, however, seven have either not paid the premium yet or have decided not to use the additional built-up area at all. Only ING Vysya Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and IDBI have made a full payment. The rest have opted for installments over five years at 10 per cent interest annually.

Nothing against me, trial will go on, give me bail: Jerome

2010-04-08T01:35:00.001-07:00

Emile Jerome Mathew, accused of conspiring with his actress-fiancée Maria Susairaj in the murder of Synergy Adlabs creative head Neeraj Grover, has sought bail saying that there is no direct evidence of murder against him and that, since the trial will take a long time for completion, he should be released.

The bail application filed through lawyer Wahab Khan states that of the 16 witnesses examined by the prosecution, none has presented any evidence indicating the direct role of Jerome. Khan said his client is a permanent resident and wouldn’t flee if given bail.

It has been over a year since the trial began and many witnesses remain to be examined. Jerome would be present whenever required and should be given bail now, Khan has prayed.

The Crime Branch arrested Susairaj and Mathew on May 21, 2008. According to police, Mathew stabbed Grover to death that May 7 at his fiancée’s house in Malad. The couple allegedly chopped the body into small pieces and disposed of them at an isolated spot in Manor, Thane (Rural).

Reluctant lawyers cheque-mate night court move: no hearing yet

2010-04-08T01:33:00.001-07:00

A week since evening courts to hear bounced-cheque cases had been inaugurated at the Dadar and Kurla magistrate’s courts, only one such case has been transferred, and it hasn’t been heard yet. This is because lawyers believe they are so overworked that they have no time for evening cases.

The courts, with a 6-8 pm schedule, were set up to deal with 20, 000 pending cases on bounced cheques. Advocate Jayesh Kanani, who specialises in such cases, said, “We come to court at 10.30 in the morning. We handle our cases at different courts around Mumbai and now we are expected to argue cases in the evening again. We are left with no time to prepare before arguing in the court.”

A court employee also cited a shortage of resources. “We have no typist for the evening court. Another clerk, meant only to call out a case, doubles up as typist. Having a non-specialist to work as a typist involves a high risk of errors.”

Panel to probe dumping in Aarey

2010-04-08T01:27:00.000-07:00

The government today conceded that debris has been dumped illegally on Aarey Colony land, and around five acres of protected forest area has been cleared. The CEO of Aarey Colony has been suspended and a three-member probe committee set up.

Responding to allegations by MLAs from across parties, Dairy Development Minister Nitin Raut said that since last year, around 8,000 trucks have illegally dumped debris from Hi-Tech Enterprises on Aarey land. “No permission was given by our department.” He said permission had been given to create parking space during the Ganesh immersion but the company cleared huge tracts of land by dumping debris... We told them to stop but lot of debris had already been dumped,” he said.

The three member committee, headed by the animal husbandry commissioner and including the dairy development commissioner and the regional assistant commissioner (animal husbandry), will submit a report in one month. “Following the report action will be taken against offenders,” he said.

Satish Shetty murder case transferred to CBI

2010-04-08T01:26:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that it has decided to transfer the probe of Satish Shetty murder case to CBI. A notification to this effect, requesting CBI to take over the case which was earlier being probed by Pune rural police, was issued yesterday, said government pleader N Deshpande.

Shetty, a Talegaon-based activist, who had unearthed many land-scams in Pune district using Right To Information (RTI) act, was murdered in January this year.
The High Court took a suo motu notice of the newspaper report on Shetty's murder, saying that attacks on social activists was a serious issue.

Shetty's brother, Sandip, had filed an intervention application in the matter, seeking CID or CBI inquiry. The High Court has now issued notice to CBI, seeking its reply as to what steps it has taken regarding the probe by April 21.

'Enough' govt aid for Shivaji temple soon

2010-04-08T01:24:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The state government on Wednesday said it would provide enough funds for the maintenance of the Shivrajeshwar temple at Sindhudurg Fort in Malwan. At present, the government disburses Rs5,029annually for the maintenance of the 345-year-old temple. In June last year, DNA had published a report stating that the only temple in the state dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was on the verge of collapse due to lack of maintenance.

“At present we are paying the electricity bill of the Shivrajeshwar temple. But now we will provide as much fund as is needed for its maintenance,” minister of state for tourism Varsha Gaikwad told the legislative council.

The dilapidated condition of the temple was raised by Shiv Sena’s Parshuram Uparkar through a calling attention motion. “The Sindhudurg Fort has leakages at 12 places and its walls have cracks at four places,” he said.While the Fort is under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India, the temple is managed by a trust under by the state’s public works department. “We will initiate a procedure to take over the Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg Forts from the ASI,” said Gaikwad.

Pollution: second round of inspection at Wankhede Stadium this week

2010-04-08T01:11:00.000-07:00

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will conduct a second round of inspection at the Wankhede Stadium, days after it issued a show cause notice to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for pollution of air and ground water in the area due to the on-going stadium renovation work.

Mahesh Pathak, member secretary of MPCB, said, “The inspection would be conducted this week. Fresh samples of ground water will be collected and air quality reading will be carried out.” The first round of inspection was conducted on November 24, 2009, and found high levels of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and nitrous oxides (NOx) in the air. Based on the report, a notice was served on the MCA. The MPCB has called for pollution controlling measures and treatment of waste water at the site.

Referring to a reply sent by the MCA to the notice last week, G T Deole, senior law officer of the board, said, “The MCA administration has requested us to carry out a second round of inspection along with their representatives. They have claimed that the last inspection was not conducted in their presence and that the officials concerned did not even meet the MCA administratives after the work. They want to know where the samples were collected from.”

Committed to Best of Five scheme: State

2010-04-08T01:06:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The state government is committed to the implementation of the Best of Five scheme as the basis of admission for Std XI, said Balasaheb Thorat, school education minister, on Wednesday. The issue of junior college admissions was raised in the legislative assembly on Wednesday by Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Desai. “The government’s past attempt to introduce a new method for admissions to Std XI have failed and it may face a similar fate this time,’’ said Desai and asked if the government had an alternate plan ready.

To ensure a level playing field during admissions to students from the state SSC Board, the government has decided that only five of the six subjects where the student has scored the highest marks will be considered for admission to Std XI.

“We expect the student to pass in all subjects. In case the student fails to clear a paper, she/he can take admission to Std XI but will need to clear the subject,” Thorat added.

Mumbai to get its very own MiG 27 fighter plane

2010-04-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The MiG-27 may be mired in controversy with the Indian Air Force’s decision to ground its fleet of the Russian fighters earlier this year, but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may have a novel use for the plane. The IAF central command in Delhi donated an airframe of one of its MiGs to the municipal body with a request that it be installed at the Horniman Circle Gardens, Fort.

The glitch, however, is the 12,081 sq yard of park space is a notified Grade Two heritage precinct and any such move would need a nod from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC). The proposal will be tabled before the MHCC on Thursday for approval. But it will not be the first aircraft exhibit in Mumbai: Diamond Gardens, Chembur has a similar installation.

Meanwhile, the BMC has already started looking for alternatives. Several traffic islands in South Mumbai including Vasudev Balwant Phadke Marg and Shyam Prasad Mukherji Chowk are the top contenders.

Runway 2 reopens tomorrow, taxiways not yet ready

2010-04-07T01:10:00.001-07:00

The Mumbai airport’s secondary runway will open on Thursday but the targeted operational gains will not come immediately. This is because construction will continue on the two new taxiways that were supposed to open along with it.

Taxiways Echo 9 and Echo 10, once completed, are expected to halve the runway occupancy time (ROT) of departing aircraft, both domestic and international. “The ROT of departing domestic aircraft will come down to one minute from two, and the ROT for international departures will come down to two-and-a-half minutes from five,” said a senior airport official. “However, under the current situation, there will be no gains on the operational front,” he said.

Echo 9 and Echo 10 are being constructed on the domestic terminal end of the secondary runway, 14/32, and their major function will be to provide quicker access to departing aircraft. Echo 9 is expected to open within two weeks of opening of the secondary runway, while the construction of Echo 10 has been delayed because of a pipeline of the Indian Oil, the spokesperson for the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said.

School bus must, auto on way out

2010-04-07T01:09:00.001-07:00

Over the next three years, autorickshaws ferrying children to school and back will be phased out; schools will be asked to tie up with government transport agencies or arrange for their own buses for transporting their students.

These clauses are part of the government’s state school bus policy that will be in force from next week.

The buses will stop only at specified points near a school and children’s homes; abrupt halts involve the risk of an accident, the government said. Other clauses involve a colour code, fire safety measures and a thorough head count of students being transported in any bus.

The government began plans for a comprehensive policy on school buses after an accident last August, when three schoolchildren died and 20 were injured when their school bus caught fire in Navi Mumbai.

“We will ensure that autorickshaws ferrying students to school are phased out in three years. The policy entails that students should be travelling only in a bus or a large vehicle,” Minister for Transport Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said.

Safety drive on sea link too: more speed arresters, CCTV connectivity

2010-04-07T01:08:00.001-07:00

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link has been given additional speed arresters while the CCTV cameras installed there have been finally networked to the police control room, in twin moves aimed at curbing speeding.

The traffic police have added six speed arresters to the existing five. “The speed arresters include toughened rubber speed arresters and thick thermoplastic paints. The arresters, which are 2.5 feet wide and run along the breadth of the sea link, are reflective and will warn drivers beforehand. Such arresters will hopefully discourage motorists from over-speeding,” DCP (Traffic) Nandkumar Chaugule said.

The traffic police have also acquired the connectivity that will enable them to view the footage from the CCTV cameras installed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. “Earlier, we could not access the feed and as such, we had no way to monitor traffic on the sea link besides relying on the police officers who patrol the sea link on vehicles. Now that we have acquired connectivity, we should be able to monitor the traffic from the traffic police control room,” Chaugule said, adding some technicalities remain to be taken care of.

270 MBA aspirants still to get results, may lose a year

2010-04-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The fate of at least 270 students, who had taken the state common entrance test for admission to management courses (MBA-CET) on February 21, is in limbo. They are still to receive their results, which were declared on Monday.According to the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), the students’ results weren’t declared because, as per their records, they had appeared for the exam as well as taken admission in 2009.

“There are two kinds of cases as far as these students are concerned,” said SK Mahajan, DTE director. “There are students who took admission last year but didn’t report to the colleges. The others are students who failed in their final year (of graduation). They applied for re-evaluation, but still failed to clear. Their admissions stand null and void.”

Several students, however, said they had cancelled their admissions last year. “Many of us had taken only provisional admission in 2009, but we cancelled it. Further, at the time of registering for the exam this year, no one informed us that we were not eligible,” said Dinesh Jagwani, a student awaiting his result.

Online admission booklets are out after 20-day delay

2010-04-06T22:32:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The booklets containing information on how to go about the online admission process for junior colleges have finally reached the city schools, after a 20-day delay. This queers the pitch for lakhs of students who have left on summer vacation after their Std X board exams ended on March 17. The education department has also reneged on its promise of segregating information in the booklet according to streams, which would have made it easier for students to identify details relevant to them.
The delay has forced schools to devise innovative ways to draw students back to school for the training programme, scheduled later this month. “Students were asked to inquire about the booklet with their schools a week after the board exams, but we still had no news on them by then. Hence, many must have left for vacation by now. The training is on April 19, and we don’t know if they will be able to make it,” said the principal of a school in Sion.

BMC lines up leak detection project

2010-04-06T22:31:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: To rein in the increasing incidents of pipe bursts and leaks, the BMC will carry out an extensive leak detection project in three wards of the city. The corporation on Monday opened tender bids for private agencies equipped with modern technologies to carry out the pilot in Goregaon, Malad, Borivili, Dahisar and Grant Road.

As many as 12 companies applied for the bidding process, said officials. Civic officials said the bids will now be scrutinised and shortlisted for giving out work orders. A recent RTI query found that the BMC reported about three cases of burst or leaks a day in 2009. There were as many as 1,031 cases of pipes bursting or leaking in 2009. Officials said until the century-old pipelines are replaced, the wastage would continue. Water lost through leaks accounts for an astonishingly high 20% of the total loss.

“The leak detection pilot would look to detect, curb and arrest increasing number of pipe leaks in our network. The appointed agencies would use modern technologies such as ground-penetration radars, for the purpose,” said a senior civic official.

16 skywalks nixed

2010-04-06T22:30:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The authorities have been quick on the feet to cancel 16 skywalks in the city just a day after chief minister Ashok Chavan said the government would review unfeasible skywalks.The skywalks are being cancelled due to local resistance, though they are techno-economically feasible, said an official at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) — under which 61 skywalks are being constructed.

Among the areas where skywalks have been cancelled are Mahim and Mahalaxmi. “While in Mahim, residents and the MLA had differences regarding the alignment of the skywalk, in Mahalaxmi, it would have posed a problem for the proposed third phase of the metro rail. In the other places, the problems pertained to permission from civic and railway authorities,” said Ashwini Bhide, joint metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. The priority now, he said, is to complete 17 skywalks before May 31.

About the Santacruz (East) skywalk not being useful enough since it does not cross the Western Express Highway, Bhide said the authority was considering to extend it beyond the highway, but “it may take time since several permissions will be needed, including one from the traffic department”. “Our target is to complete the project by May end. But we can continue extending some skywalks as per need.”

Man ended life after failing to repay Rs 2cr

2010-04-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Businessman Jatin Patel, who ended his life by jumping in front of a train at Kandivli last month, was going through a trying time after officials from a public sector bank sealed his pharmaceutical factory, the police said. A resident of Charkop, Patel (50) had taken a Rs-2 crore loan from the bank. In his suicide note, he said he had asked the bank for six months’ time to repay the loan, but the officials refused to do so.

“We summoned the representatives of the bank for inquiries, following Patel’s death. They said that Patel had taken a loan of Rs 1.84 crore in 2006, but wasn’t able to repay the amount. The bank then advised him to rope in a partner who could invest finance in the factory or had land at his disposal. An additional loan of Rs 30 lakh was sanctioned to Patel for expanding his business,’’ senior inspector PM Karyakarte said.

Mangoes with a dash of poison

2010-04-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Love the look of the tempting red-yellow mangoes at your local fruit vendor’s shop? Stop, before you reach for them. Dangerous chemicals could be the secret behind their good looks. These chemicals are not just carcinogenic and cause serious physiological problems, they are also banned by the Indian government.On Tuesday, inspectors of the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), raided two mango vendors at Ghatkopar and seized a huge amount of such artificially ripened mangos. The cost of these mangoes is more than Rs2.5 lakh.

According to joint FDA commissioner, Suhas Chaudhari, food inspectors LJ Rathod and Kranti Bhunje received specific information about certain vendors in Ghatkopar (east) artificially ripening mangoes.

“When officials raided the vendors, they found dozens and dozens of mangoes packed into boxes containing the dangerous calcium carbide powder. The first vendor had 348 dozen Alphonso mangoes costing Rs1.91 lakh. When officials conducted raids at the other vendors’ shops, 130 dozen mangoes costing Rs70,500 were seized,” Chaudhari said.

The vendors - Rajesh Kumar Vijayshankar Patel and Sampat Chandrawalli Patel - were selling mangoes near Satyam Shopping Centre, in Ghatkopar. “While the quantity of calcium carbide with Rajesh Kumar was not known as he had put it in the mango boxes, three kg calcium carbide was recovered from Sampat,” Chaudhari added.

Bandra promenade with a tower, 2 amphitheatres & a slice of history

2010-04-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

At 70 feet, it will be Mumbai’s highest man-made vantage point, providing the best possible view of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the coastline. The Sheesh Minar, a glass tower that will also be called the Tower of Destiny, will come up at Mahim, competing for iconic status with the central tower of the cable-stayed bridge of the sea link.

The Tower of Destiny is part of a project by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) that involves building a brand new seaside promenade stretching from the Mahim Interchange to the approach road leading to the sea link. The Rs-7.8 crore project will be executed by DB Realty over nine months, starting June. The Sheesh Minar at the Mahim end will be a modern incarnation of the lighthouses that once directed seafarers and traders towards the Bombay Harbour.

The entire 40-metre promenade, in fact, will be an ode to Mumbai’s coastal topography and to its evolution from being seven disjointed islands. Along its 1.25 km length will be installations depicting seven periods during which different dynasties ruled the city. Also included in the plan is a “wharf-styled” amphitheatre at the Mahim end, a cycle track and a jogging track.

Farmer tries to set self on fire outside Mantralaya

2010-04-06T01:43:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: A 53-year-old farmer from Ulhasnagar attempted to end his life outside the Mantralaya on Monday afternoon. The man, Shamu Waghe, was arrested by the Marine Drive police and is being questioned. The incident occurred around 1.30 pm on Monday. "Waghe has a plot of land where he grows crops and wanted some facilities under a government scheme. He told the police that he had applied for it but his files were not cleared," said the police.

"He had been doing the rounds of government offices and alleged that in spite of trying a lot, his application was not being cleared. On Monday, he came to Mantralaya to meet some minister. When his job did not get done, he poured kerosene on himself and just as he tried to set himself on fire, the policemen stationed at the main gate stopped him and snatched away the match box and kerosene can from him," said an officer.

Student suicides statewide: highest in city, exams main cause

2010-04-06T01:41:00.001-07:00

Mumbai, followed by Pune, has seen more student suicides than any other region in the state, according to government figures for a period of three months.Across the state, the most common cause for student suicide is examination-related stress; the government has sought to address this by setting up a steering committee to take a fresh look at the education system.

Mumbai saw 22 students, about a fourth of the total, committing suicide in the period ; Pune saw 20 with Kolhapur next at 18.Plans for an education overhaul includes revision of a one-year diploma in counselling at the Vocational Training Centre in Mumbai; this will include psychology, while a three-month certificate course will be started at district level. The Secondary School Certificate board is in the process of making a curriculum framework of how the education system needs to be changed along with the evaluation system, said Minister of State for School Education Fauzia Khan.

Over 400 doctors go on mass leave

2010-04-06T01:39:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Over 400 doctors working at 14 state-run medical colleges and institutions across the state went on a two-day mass casual leave on Monday. Protesting abolition of their post as administrative doctors and for transferring them to rural areas, the doctors said the decision of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) was “arbit and ill thought”.

The DHS proposes to abolish 400 posts, including that of the medical superintendent, casualty medical officer (CMO), resident medical officer (RMO) and blood transfusion officer (BTO), currently serving in medical and allied hospitals. They want to send these doctors to fill up vacancies in district and rural hospitals.

This move, the protesting doctors from the Maharashtra Association of Gazetted Medical Officers (MAGMO) — 90% of whom have already served in rural areas— said, will not serve any purpose. “The move is akin to emptying a pond to fill up an ocean,” said Dr Ashok Kamble, president, federation of health officers.

Now, Helpline 103 will also aid students

2010-04-06T01:38:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Concerned over the spate of suicides by students, home minister RR Patil on Monday announced that the 103 helpline number for women will also provide assistance to students from Tuesday.Presenting a data gathered by the home department on the issue, Patil informed the legislative council that the state registered 446 students’ suicides in 2009. Out of that, 46% were due to education pressure, 8.9% due to pressure from parents, 8.30% due to failed love affairs and 8.52% due to illness.

“The helpline 103 will be available for all students below the age of 21,” Patil said. “It will start in Mumbai from Tuesday and we will try to start it in other cities as soon as possible. Police personnel will help students with emotional or any other problems they may be facing. If needed, help will reach students within 10 minutes.”

Patil said there was need to reduce competition in the education system and henceforth only education experts would be appointed on the syllabus committee. “Nobody will be appointed on the committee because of recommendation by influential people,” he said.Awareness should also be created among students and parents, he said.

Heritage alarm rings: Mumbai's vintage clocks run out of time

2010-04-06T01:36:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Time is running out for the city’s vintage clocks, but no one seems to notice. Such is the apathy towards the clocks that the civic body does not even know about the existence of some.This squandering of the city’s heritage has been highlighted in an RTI query filed by social activist Aziz Amreliwala, who was earlier instrumental in getting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to repair the Crawford Market heritage clock tower.
Amreliwala has sought details from the corporation on repairs carried out on three South Mumbai clocks at Bora Bazaar, Birla Krida Kendra, and Crawford Market.Let alone answer his query, civic departments to whom the query was forwarded could not even find records of the first two clocks.“These clocks have been forgotten despite them being an important part of the city’s history,” said Amreliwala, adding the Bora Bazaar clock stopped ticking in 1988, while the floral clock at Birla Krida Kendra has stood still for three decades.Built by Parsis during the Raj, the Bora Bazaar clock marked time to feed horses. “Beneath the clock was a well, where the horses were fed at fixed times,” Amreliwala said. The Birla clock was among the first structures near Girgaon Chowpatty. “Apart from it being a tourist attraction, beach visitors used it to keep track of time.”

Railways asks BMC to reduce 30% water cut

2010-04-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Not only citizens but even the government authorities are having a tough time dealing with the water cut imposed by the BMC.

In a coordination meeting with civic officials to check on the preparedness for the monsoon, the railway authorities demanded that they should reduce the 30% cut in water supply. The railway officials told the BMC that though on paper it is a 30% cut, actually, they got much less supply. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain our daily operations, including cleaning of bogies, rakes and stations," said a railway official.

Though it did not make any promises, the BMC assured their railway counterparts a thorough reassessment of the situation. "We promised them that their deserved quota, over and above the cut, will be fully supplied," said a senior civic official.

CCTV helps police nab laptop lifter at Mumbai airport

2010-04-06T01:33:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The CISF at Mumbai airport tracked down a passenger in Patna and arrested him for stealing a laptop from the screening area of the domestic terminal on Sunday. After stealing the laptop of Shashank Gang, a CISF officer said, Jayant Chandra Rai, 45, took a flight to Patna.

Gang had a ticket on a Mumbai-Jodhpur flight at 10.30am. “He put his laptop for X-ray screening but forgot to take it when he left the screening section,” the officer said. “He realised about it after boarding the flight. He called his relatives in the city and asked them to collect it from the airport.”

At 12.30pm, one of his relatives enquired about the laptop at the airline’s counter in the domestic terminal. When the airline officials told us about the laptop, we went through the CCTV footage,” he said. “We found Rai loitering near the security area for almost 15 minutes. After sometime he went to the screening area and took the laptop.” Rai boarded a Mumbai-Patna-Ranchi flight at 11.40am.

The CISF mailed a CCTV grab of Rai to Patna airport. “Two CISF officers, along with the airline staff, found Rai inside the flight in Patna,” the officer said. “He told them that he had mistakenly taken the second laptop. Since the CCTV footage showed him stealing the laptop, he was handed over to the airport police.”

Use your cellphone, but lose driver's licence

2010-04-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Despite a seven-month old-circular issued by the state transport department instructing all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to disqualify the licences of motorists caught talking on cellphones while driving, no action has been taken to date, say senior police officials.

In an effort to rectify this, senior traffic officials will be meeting members of the state Law and Judiciary Department on Tuesday to demand stricter implementation of the existing law. Between October 2009 and March 2010, 1,186 licences of motorists pulled up for driving and operating their mobile phones were sent to the RTO, but not a single one was cancelled or suspended.

"We do not have the power to disqualify the driving licences of offenders. After a driver is caught violating the rule, we send his licence to the morning court," said DCP Nandkumar Chaugule. "The court either fines the driver or suspends his/her licence for a period of time. Once the licences are returned to us, we forward a photocopy of to the RTO. But to date, the RTOs haven't disqualified any driver."

Taj Tower to be renamed

2010-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Taj hotel is trying to let go of the dreadful memories of the 26/11 attack. The hotel is likely to change its name back to the original Taj Mahal Palace Hotel from the current Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel this May. This will be the second time the hotel is being renamed. One reason behind the renaming of the hotel again is the fact that the management finds its earlier name lucky and auspicious.A few days ago, the management met the hotel's bigwigs in the Princess Room. "The management made an official presentation to important members and decided to change the name in a few months," said a hotel source.

"Stationery items will soon be changed. They have already placed an order for new stationery," he said.
A Taj spokesperson confirmed the news, but added, "We have not finalised anything yet."

History of Taj 1902: The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is formed.1903: IHCL opens its first hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace, in Mumbai. 2003: IHCL re-launches its flagship property as the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower during their centenary year. 2010: IHCL plans to adopt the old name once again.
After 26/11
December 21, 2008: Taj hotel reopens December 1, 2009: Wasabi and Harbour Bar reopen March 30, 2010: Ballroom reopensMay 23, 2010: Old wing to reopen

Celina Jaitley asks people to boycott Bombay Gymkhana

2010-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Bombay Gymkhana asking transgender activist Laxmi Tripathi to leave (MM April4), actor Celina Jaitley, an activist and friend of Tripathi, has launched a Twitter campaign to boycott it. The message posted at 3 pm on Sunday reads, “Boycott Bombay Gymkhana in name of HUMAN RIGHTS n equality. Preserve democracy.”

Deputy CEO of Bombay Gymkhana Col A K Bhargava said, “Whether or not the club wishes to allow a patron entry is a completely personal choice. How can anyone criticise it?” In an SMS reply, Jaitly said, “Around 80 per cent of the people who logged onto my feed today support my decision to boycott the club.”

She added, “Laxmi’s democratic rights and dignity as a human have been humiliated. They have violated her right to equality and freedom.

Delhi Daredevils T-shirts worth Rs 2 lakh stolen from stadium

2010-04-04T21:33:00.001-07:00

T-shirts worth a total of Rs 2 lakh were stolen from a stall at Navi Mumbai's D Y Patil stadium on March 27, a day before the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers.The owner of the stall Mahadev Surendra Singh Khanna, 29, said that all the stolen T-shirts were of the Delhi Daredevils, to be sold to the team supporters.

Khanna said that on March 27, he had shut his shop around 10 pm and when he opened it the next morning he found the shutter open and the shop ransacked. “Interestingly only T-shirts belonging to the Delhi team had been stolen,” added Khanna who stocks T-shirts of all the other IPL teams as well.

What's astounding is that the theft took place despite the tight security in the stadium since March 26. The official spokesperson of IPL said, “It's surprising that the thief got in despite the heavy security arrangements. Police officers were deployed in and around the stadium since March 26. In fact, on March 27 they even conducted a mock drill there.”

While a case of house breaking has been registered at the Nerul Police Station, police remain red-faced. Shyam More, official spokesperson of the stadium, said, “A group called JOG Sports has been given the responsibility of distributing sports T-shirts and other accessories inside the stadium. We had a discussion with them and it is possible that the T-shirts have been misplaced. However, at the moment nothing can be said for certain as police are investigating the matter.”

Nooriya out of prison

2010-04-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Nooriya Haveliwala stepped out of jail on Sunday, over two months after her arrest on charges of driving drunk and being involved in an accident that left two men dead.She had been granted bail by a metropolitan magistrate’s court on Wednesday, with the police having failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated 60 days. The accident had taken place in January; Haveliwala had driven her vehicle into a team of policemen, killing a policeman and a civilian and injuring several other policemen.

“The bail formalities were completed on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, her family came to receive her and she was released,” said Sudhir Kingre, the superintendent of Byculla jail.

The police had wanted Haveliwala charged under a section of the IPC that deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which could have attracted life imprisonment, but the court prima-facie agreed with the defence argument that the case could be tried only under Section 304 (II) that attracted a maximum punishment of 10 years.

Bridge design not yet cleared, Metro races against time

2010-04-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

Nine months ahead of the scheduled commissioning of the first Metro corridor, a feature that will take an estimated 10 months to build - the 183-metre-long steel bridge over the Andheri railway lines - is still waiting for its design to be cleared.

The initial deadline for the 11.4-km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor was July, but it was pushed back to the year-end; now, even that target looks difficult to meet.The authorities have been seeking clearance for a year for the portion over and across the tracks at Andheri station. The designs had to be altered twice to suit the requirements of the Western Railway authorities.

The nodal agency, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and the concessionaire, Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), are both hoping that Western Railway will now clear the designs “in a few days”.

240 mn litres lost in 3 months

2010-04-04T21:21:00.001-07:00

In a growing nightmare for a city facing the start of a long, parched summer, the water distribution network has seen 33 pipeline bursts and 64 heavy leakages over the past three months, resulting in the wastage of over 240 million litres.

As per data with the four divisional offices of the BMC’s hydraulic engineering department for the period between January 1 and April 1, there have been 30 bursts on the pipeline network within the city on pipes measuring between 12 inches and 86 inches in diameter, and three major bursts along water mains outside the city limits.

Six of these have been the result of work by agencies on various civic infrastructure projects, one such rupture having taken place on an underground water tunnel in Malad on February 12. The Malad damage alone has caused a loss of more than 230 million litres till date, with the tunnel from Bhandup Complex to Liberty Garden leaking as much as 5 million litres everyday since it was damaged due to the illegal digging of a borewell. The civic body has now asked Hindustan Construction Company to repair the tunnel, more than 50 days after the rupture.

Thane monorail runs into municipality wall: civic leaders say alignment wrong

2010-04-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

The proposed Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan monorail corridor, planned as a quick link between the far suburbs and the city, has run into opposition from Thane’s Shiv Sena corporators, and the issue is likely to rock the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) when it comes up for discussion before the elected body this month.Sena corporators are unhappy with the alignment. Also, with civic polls due next year, they do not want any further digging of roads within city limits, especially in areas that are already congested and see regular traffic pile-ups.

The project is being undertaken by the Congress-controlled Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Under the proposed alignment, the monorail will start at Thane (East) near the station and then cross the railway tracks towards the west before heading to Teen Haath Naka, and from there on through the congested Hari Niwas Circle, Meenatai Thackeray Chowk, Golden Dyes and the Kapurbavdi junction, TMC city engineer K D Lala said.

Chain-snatchers speed away on bike after firing in the air

2010-04-04T21:15:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Two chain-snatchers, who were cornered by residents when the duo tried to rob a woman in Borivli (W), fired a round in the air and fled on their motorcycle on Friday. The incident took place at Dharmanagar around 7.45 pm when the two bike-bourne men rode up to 56-year-old Sneha Patil and snatched at her necklace, failing which, they pushed her to the ground.

“A crowd of passersby started pelting the duo with stones. But the pillion rider whipped out a revolver, fired in the air and the two fled,’’ the police said. One of the residents noted down the motorcycle’s registration number and handed it over to the police.

The music never stops in this AR Rahman library in Mumbai

2010-04-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The Mozart of Madras now has a home in Mumbai, and you can visit it whenever you wish. Apart from being a place to delve into the life and works of India’s best-known music composer, AR Rahman, the 3,000 sq-ft space in Vasai also doubles as a resource centre for underprivileged students to mirror the legendary musician’s altruistic side.

The AR Rahman Library and Gallery houses a life-size painting of Rahman in Bollywood-poster style, three albums of the Oscar winning composer’s pictures, a large repository of newspaper and magazine articles, an audio-cassette collection, and about 20 frames capturing Rahman in various moods.

Six months old, the library has been created by Santosh Kumar Pandey, 28, a Vasai resident and an ardent Rahman fan. In fact, such is his adoration for his guru, that Pandey has also embraced Islam, “just like Rahman sir”.

Located in a flat in Rashi Residency housing society in Vasai (East), the space has been donated by Yogesh Bosmiya, who is the director of the society. Bosmiya agreed to Pandey’s request of creating the library after being impressed by the latter’s years-long dedication to the subject.

The Vasai youth’s admiration for Rahman began with the 1994 film Roja’s soundtrack. “I was blown away by the music. It was so divine and soulful, it touched my heart,” said a mesmerised Pandey, dressed in a white kurta, attar-soaked cotton tucked in his ears, and his surma-lined eyes gleaming at the mention of the name of his guru.

In the 16 years since, Pandey has kept track of everything Rahman. “I used to segregate clippings and articles on various topics at night, and would then cut and stock them categorically the next day,” Pandey said.

Metro II could be a sight to behold

2010-04-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: A 1.5km stretch in the city could become one of the most picturesque urban sights in India. Already, the 4.7-km sealink is a cynosure of all eyes; now, a short stretch on the Santa Cruz-Kurla Link Road could give Mumbai another landmark infrastructure sight to behold.The sight could be that of a flyover with motor vehicles, and alongside that a metro train or two plying. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is contemplating changing the realignment of the Charkop-Mankhurd metro line, also known as Metro-II.

The total length of SCLR is approximately 6km. The metro line and the SCLR bridges going parallel will be a stretch of 1.5km from near the SG Barve Marg and the Kurla Terminus area.MMRDA metropolitan commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad told DNA that the changes in alignment are being considered since there are too many structures coming in the way of the present alignment. “Though the 32-km-long second line will pose fewer challenges compared to the first, we will be compelled to make certain changes in alignment,” he said.

Drunk youths arrested for eve-teasing on Carter Road

2010-04-03T00:47:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Two college drop-outs, both residents of Khar (W), were nabbed by the police for eve-teasing morning-walkers on Carter Road on Friday. The duo had partied till early hours on Friday, and were dancing on the road to the loud music from their parked car’s stereo, a Khar police official said.

Investigators conducted a medical test and found them under the influence of alcohol. “We have charged them for drunk driving and for misbehaving with girls,’’ said senior inspector of Khar police station Mangesh Pote. According to a senior Khar police official, the youths were passing lewd comments on some girls, when a few senior citizens approached them and requested them to go home. But the youngsters abused them.

“A group of girls, who too came for walking, joined in to support the senior citizens. They approached the nearby police patrol party after which the youths fled.

Abolition of post: 450 doctors to go on protest leave

2010-04-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Around 450 doctors, under the banner of Maharashtra State Gazetted Medical Officers Organisation (MAGMO), have decided to go on mass casual leave across the state on Monday and Tuesday.The move comes as a mark of protest against abolition of their post as administrative doctors from the 14 state-run medical colleges/ hospitals and the proposal to send them to rural primary health centres and district hospitals.

“Our demand is that DHS should keep these existing posts and fill the vacant posts through direct recruitment,” said Dr Ulhas Vasave from MAGMO. MAGMO doctors have been serving as medical superintendents, medical officers, resident medical officers; conducting post mortems, handling medico-legal cases, which in turn are run by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

“It is not that we are refusing to work in rural areas, but transferring us will not help fill vacant posts. There are about 2,700 vacant posts and transferring 450 doctors will not serve the purpose. Also out of 450, 200 doctors are temporary,” said Dr Vasave.

Sudhir Mungantivar is new Maharashtra BJP president

2010-04-03T00:34:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) elected Sudhir Mungantivar as its president on Friday. General secretary Ramnath Kovid announced Mungantivar’s election after a meeting of the party’s executive committee in Jalgaon.

Mungantivar, 48, is an MLA from Ballarpur in Chandrapur district of Vidarbha. Known for his well-researched speeches and aggressive techniques, Mungantivar was the only consensus candidate for the post. He is the second partyman from the Vidarbha region to hold the state unit president’s post after Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari, national chief of the party, hails from Nagpur.Born on July 30, 1962, Mungantivar has reached the state assembly for the fourth consecutive time. He was the minister for tourism and consumers welfare in 1999 in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

Like Gadkari, Mungantivar also has roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

More than 3 lakh cases pending in Bombay HC: RTI

2010-04-03T00:32:00.001-07:00

Over three lakh cases are pending in the Bombay High Court, according to an information revealed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The details, dated till December 31, 2009 were given after local social worker Omprakash Sharma sought information in this regard.

According to the RTI reply statement, there were as many as 3,38,183 cases were pending in the Bombay High Court and the sanctioned number judges in the court is 75 while the working strength presently is 63. Also, the figures of the division bench vary as per the assignment of judicial work. During the present assignment there are ten division benches at Bombay, three at Nagpur, three at Aurangabad and one at Goa, it said.

Mumbai University convocation today after a 3-month delay

2010-04-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: After a delay of over three months, the annual convocation of Mumbai University is being held on Saturday. However, students will still have to wait longer before they get their degree certificates.For, as opposed to the age-old practice of giving certificates prior to the convocation, acting vice-chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy is of the opinion that certificates should be distributed only after conferment of degrees in the convocation.

“The certificates can be distributed only after degrees are conferred. I cannot comment on what happened earlier, but this is how it should be done. The convocation ceremony is held in the evening; how many students will wait for their degrees?” said Krishnamurthy. “It will be more convenient for students to collect the certificates from their colleges instead of coming all the way to the university campus.”

Octroi collections exceeded estimate by Rs 72 cr

2010-04-03T00:29:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Sugar prices have touched a record high of Rs 42 per kg, and starting Monday, the BMC has announced a 2% octroi waiver on sugar. The civic standing committee that cleared the waiver will now request the state government to provide further relief, officials said. “We provided a waiver on three essential items last year. Sugar has now been taken off the (octroi) list and more could follow if the state accedes to our request. We will discuss in our next meeting some other items that can have the octroi waived off,’’ committee chairman Ravindra Waikar said.

The decision comes at a time when the corporation has mopped up Rs 72 crore more in octroi collections than was estimated. The collection at the end of the 2009-10 fiscal stood at Rs 4,522 crore; the estimate was Rs 4,450 crore. “If the state agrees, we could think of providing other temporary waivers,’’ municipal commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya said.

Woman kills self in police station in Mumbai

2010-04-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: A 28-year old woman, arrested on charges of cheating, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling in a detention room at the Goregaon police station on Friday.The incident gave the police the blushes as they had to admit that no one was guarding the woman when she took the extreme step.Swapna Salvi was allegedly involved in a credit card cheating case. She was arrested by the Gujarat police on Wednesday, and was brought to the Goregaon police station on Thursday.

Ramrao Pawar, additional commissioner of police, North West region, said, “Salvi had been kept in the detention room for questioning. The woman police officials who were with her in the room had stepped out for some work.“When they returned after a short while, they found Salvi hanging from the ceiling fan. She used her dupatta to hang herself.” Salvi was rushed to the Bhagwati Hospital, but was declared dead before admission.

Turbid water: BMC got 600 plaints in 2 months

2010-04-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: That contamination of tap water in Mumbai has jumped two-fold in the last year, as shown by the State Public Health Laboratory in Pune, is not surprising. Even as the parched city is going through the worst crisis in decades, residents of several areas have been complaining to the BMC about the dirty water they are getting.

The city recorded over 1,500 cases of water contamination between June and December last year. In January and February alone, the civic body received more than 600 complaints. The worst-hit areas include Worli, Byculla, Marine Lines, Dockyard Road, Bandra and Dahisar.

Several housing societies are getting turbid, often putrid water in their taps. “For the last four days, we have been getting dirty water. We can’t stand the smell of it. Imagine taking a bath with the same water. We have been purchasing mineral water over the past few days for cooking and drinking,’’ said Samuel Daniel, a resident of Sardar Nagar, Koliwada.

Target 2015: MMRDA entry fast-tracks dams

2010-04-01T22:45:00.000-07:00

The Gargai and Pinjal dams will be built earlier than scheduled and simultaneously, the former by the BMC and the latter by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

The original targets were 2020 for Gargai and 2025 for Pinjal. Amid a water crisis triggered by a weak monsoon, the decision to rope in the MMRDA and fast-track the projects was taken by the government in a meeting with BMC officials recently. “We hope to complete construction by 2015 so that the year’s monsoon water can be tapped,” said municipal commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya.

According to a study by consultant Mott McDonald, the Gargai project would yield 227 million litres a day (mld) and Pinjal 1,475 mld. Gargai being a smaller project, Kshatriya said, the BMC will be in a better position to undertake it on a priority basis after the completion of the Middle Vaitarna project in 2012. “Pinjal will be a multi-utility dam and part of the water will be used for irrigation,” he said, explaining the decision to let MMRDA handle it.

3 years after 1st phase, state takes Chaityabhoomi project forward

2010-04-01T22:43:00.001-07:00

The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has sought Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for phases two and three of the Chaityabhoomi beautification project, the move coming three years after the first phase was carried out.The Chaityabhoomi ground, next to Shivaji Park, is the final resting place of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Every year, on his death anniversary on December 6, over 5 lakh Dalits from all over the country converge at the ground; thousands arrive on Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, too.

The Rs-21-crore project is being executed by the BMC with aid from the state government. Phase one involved repairs to the drainage system and the pathway as well as placing of boulders to protect the retaining wall.Phases two and three will involve the construction of a walkway, projecting into the sea and running parallel to the coast. “The existing half-kilometre pathway leading to the stupa is only 10 metres wide. Under the new proposal, it will extend further into the sea, with a total width of 20 metres, with the help of cantilevers,” said the BMC’s city engineer, SD Vatkar.

Well Done, Boman

2010-04-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

As Armaan Ali aka Abba, the troubled man with the knowing smile, Boman Irani yet again steals the show in his latest release Well Done, Abba. Restrained and real, it is the character of Armaan Ali that stays with you long after you have left the cinema hall. This has been the actor’s biggest strength from the time he debuted in Bollywood nearly a decade ago at a ripe 44. Most of his roles — be it the stern Dr Asthana from Munnabhai MBBS, the uncouth Kishan Khurana from Khosla ka Ghosla, the idiosyncratic Viru Sahastrabudhhe from 3 Idiots or the endearing Oscar Fernandes from Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. have stayed put in the audience mind. “But this was not what I set out to do. I never wanted my characters to stay with people. In fact, I am uncomfortable playing grey characters like Khurana, but then that’s where the challenge lies,” says Irani, when we meet him for a chat.

Govt: No road digging without BMC sanction

2010-04-01T22:36:00.001-07:00

Following a series of pipeline bursts, the government on Thursday said BMC permission will be mandatory before digging any road; violation of this rule would be a criminal offence.Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe had raised the issue in the Legislative Council, holding the BMC responsible for the 1,031 leakages last year.

Minster for State for Urban Development Bhaskar Jadhav said that digging of roads would not be permitted without BMC permission. He held the BMC responsible for the 1,031 leakages last year, said the BMC has been asked to deal with this and added the government would intervene if there are any more leaks.

In a written reply, the Chief Minister said it is a fact that water pipelines burst when agencies dig roads. He said there had been 10 instances of pipelines bursting in the last one year.

Nooria gets bail, cops red-faced

2010-04-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: In what comes as a major embarrassment for the police establishment, a magistrate on Wednesday granted bail to Nooria Haveliwala in the sensational case of drunken driving. Nooria is accused of having killed a traffic policeman and a driver while speeding under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs on a deserted road at Marine Lines in the early hours of January 30.

After spending two months in Byculla jail, the 27-year-old US citizen and Colaba resident who worked as a beautician and drove a Honda CRV, will now be released. However, she is yet to come out of prison.

The magistrate granted bail on technical grounds, a day before the Bombay high court is set to hear her plea for bail on merit. Her lawyer Aabad Ponda convinced the court that the police had on Wednesday exhausted their 60-day deadline to file a chargesheet against her for an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304(II) of the IPC, an offence which attracts ten years in jail.

City to get new desi radar, but don't expect miracles

2010-04-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: The city could have a new Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) in place this monsoon after all. The Met office has received an indigenous version of the radar from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bangalore, and is determined to instal the device by May 31.
The first truckload arrived earlier this week and the rest of the consignment will follow from Ghaziabad and Bangalore.

However, officials are keeping their fingers crossed. “The new radar that we have despatched to Mumbai does not quite fit the Navy Nagar building where it is to be installed. The giant white cover or radome is bigger than the structure but we are hoping to find a replacement soon,’’ said Shailesh Nayak, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences in New Delhi. “But we will resolve the issue and the radar will be functional this monsoon,’’ he added.

It may be recalled that the Chinese Doppler that had been procured last May was sent back to New Delhi in December after the Indian Navy objected for security reasons. The Navy did not wish to allow in Chinese manufacturers to set up the equipment at a skyscraper in Colaba where its headquarters are located. They do not grudge an Indian variety.

Cell records help cops nab killer of Malad man

2010-04-01T22:25:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Hours after a confectionery store owner was found murdered on the terrace of a Malad society on Wednesday, the police arrested one person in the case. Deepak Gupta, the store owner, was bludgeoned with a brick and strangled with a cable. Police officials examined Deepak’s cellphone records and zeroed in on one Vijay Rajput who was the last person to call him. On sustained interrogation, Rajput admitted to the crime.

A police team left the city on Thursday to trace Rajput’s accomplices. Meanwhile, Rajput (20), when produced before a local court at Borivli, complained of torture. But the court did not find any visible injuries on his body. As he appeared to be young, the court ordered that he should be kept in medical custody where a test will be conducted to ascertain his exact age. Rajput’s statement was recorded by a judicial clerk and he will be lodged at Bhagwati Hospital till April 3.

Plane suffers snag, diverted to city airport

2010-04-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: An emergency was declared at the airport in the wee hours of Thursday after an Istanbul-bound Turkish Airlines flight was diverted to the city.The flight, TK 061, suffered a sudden engine failure and had to be diverted to Mumbai. It had 289 passengers on board.
The flight landed in Mumbai at 4.36 am and occupied the runway for almost 20 minutes before it was towed away to a parking bay.

The aircraft, an Airbus A-320, is still parked at Mumbai airport. Of the 289, 140 passengers have been accommodated on other airlines and the rest have been lodged in a hotel.“The stranded passengers will be leaving on Turkish airlines’ Mumbai-Istanbul flight at 4.50 am on Friday,” an official said.

Police puts brakes on JJ flyover bikers

2010-04-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Witnessing a spurt in the number of bike accidents on the JJ flyover, the traffic police have banned two-wheelers on the flyover from Thursday. Of the 31 fatal accidents on the flyover in the past five years, traffic department statistics say, 23 involved two-wheelers. “The ban will be effective till we issue further orders,” Nandkumar Chaugule, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said.Senior officers blame speeding for accidents on the flyover. Most bikers do not follow the 30km per hour speed limit, an officer said. “Apart from speeding, they drive rashly,” he said. “Also, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to catch errant bikers. Often they speed away.” The officer said that most of the bikers do not wear helmets, especially at nights.
The traffic department is certain that speeding is the primary reason because none of the victims has ever tested positive for alcohol.According to a report compiled by the police, between 2004 and 2010, 24 bikers were killed and 158 were injured in accidents at a particular stretch on the flyover. “All the accidents happened at the curved stretch between Noor Hospital and Mandvi Post Office,” an officer said.

Out of a job and in debt, former Navy man clubs wife, kid to death

2010-03-31T01:25:00.000-07:00

A former Navy and Merchant Navy employee, of late unemployed and struggling to repay debts, clubbed his wife and four-year-old daughter to death with an iron spice-grinder at their Thane home on Tuesday, the police said.

They said Rakesh Kumar tried to pass off their injuries as an accident. After the attack, he called in neighbours, woke his elder daughter to say her mother and sister had been injured, and then took the two to separate hospitals. The mother was declared dead on arrival; the child died after admission.

Kumar initially claimed a cupboard had fallen on them but the post-mortem showed suspicious wounds, the police questioned Kumar and he allegedly confessed. Kumar had worked in the Indian Navy as a petty officer and later took up a contractual job in the Merchant Navy. For six months, however, he had had no assignments, the police said.

89 Navi Mumbai seats, 133 withdrawals, 470 left in fray

2010-03-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

Sagar Naik, nephew of NCP strongman Ganesh Naik, will contest unopposed from Kopar Khairne in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls in April 11, all other candidates having withdrawn on Monday, the last date.By the deadline, 133 candidates had withdrawn, leaving 470 candidates for 89 wards. Of those who withdrew, all were Independents barring two of the Congress, one of the Shiv Sena and three of the MNS.

“The number of candidates withdrawing nominations has never been this high,” said deputy municipal commissioner (election) D.S. Chabukswar.He added 3,900 persons will be involved in the poll process. Civic officials from cities like Kalyan-Dombivali, Thane, Mira-Bhayander and Ulhasnagar will be roped in.

The NCP, strong in Navi Mumbai and contesting without an alliance with the Congress, has candidates in 88 seats, with the 89th disqualified. The Congress is contesting 83 seats and the MNS 59, while the Shiv Sena and the BJP, in their first ever alliance for the Navi Mumbai civic elections, are contesting 74 and 14 respectively.

Rs 480 cr unpaid amid dispute over sea link cost

2010-03-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

The agency in charge of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link owes the contractor an estimated Rs 480 crore, the amount being disputed with issues over cost escalation pending.

The Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) completed the sea link on March 24, nearly 10 years after starting construction, and handed it over the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

Jaydutt Kshirsagar, Minister in charge of MSRDC, said cost-escalation issues are yet to be resolved after changes in the original design. “They (HCC) have written to us about a number of issues including cost escalation. Once these issues will be resolved, the payment will be made.”

Child diksha: HC allows Jain groups to intervene

2010-03-31T01:17:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Tuesday allowed intervention applications by a group of Jain sects in the child diksha case involving an eight-year-old girl who was made to take up stringent religious vows as part of an age-old practice in Jainism. The court had earlier observed that the practice is akin to that of sati.

The child welfare committee (CWC), which had interviewed the girl on the court’s orders, had reported that the girl was giving tutored replies, and that she needed care. The parents of the girl, now known as Sadhvi Preetvashashriji, and Shri Jeevatlal chandrabhan Kothari Jain Sangh, Malad, the trust which is training the girl, challenged this report in the high court.

The affidavit, which was filed last year after consulting senior priests, said the committee had exceeded its authority and jurisdiction by giving inferences and observations about the lifestyle of the sadhvi and ‘without understanding Jain religious tenets’.

“Sadhus and sadhvis of Jain religion are highly respected. People professing the religion bow to them,” the affidavit states. Now, six Jain trust have filed intervention applications to support the tradition. A division bench of justice FI Rebello and Amjad Sayed will hear petitions next week.

Four councillors move HC against octroi law change

2010-03-31T01:16:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Municipal councillors of four separate municipal bodies from the state have moved the Bombay high court seeking declaration of an amendment made to the municipal act as unconstitutional. The state in December 2009 had published the amendment, to the Bombay Provisional Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Village Panchayat, which ensures that the state can levy a new tax — local body tax — in the place of octroi.
The four councillors — from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane, Kolhapur and Solapur municipal corporations — filed a petition in the high court contending that the state had caused amendment to the existing laws “only to favour the demand of the traders to do away with octroi.” Octroi duty is a major source of income for municipalities and is important for financial sustenance, the councilors said.

Maharashtra govt housing body grabbed our land: Air Force

2010-03-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Indian Air Force has alleged that Mhada, the state housing board, has grabbed 49,000 sq m defence land here.The Air Force says Mhada manipulated property records to take over nearly 49,000 sq m of defence land at the Rifle Range in Golibar area of suburban Santacruz.Six buildings have also come up on the land under the slum rehabilitation scheme, it said.The land (survey No 13/CTS 387) is located close to an IAF installation.

The Cotton Green-based 411 Air Force station has claimed that the land was part of 2.49 lakh sq m of military land, which had been in its possession since May 8, 1964.An official at the 411 Air Force station, alleged Mhada allowed a private developer to illegally set up multi-storied apartments on the land without procuring a no-objection certificate from the Air Force.When contacted a Mhada official declined to comment on the IAF's allegations.

HC reserves judgment on PIL against state FSI stand

2010-03-31T01:12:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a public interest litigation challenging the Maharashtra governments policy allowing 33% increase in building rights in the form of Floor Space Index (FSI).

A division bench of Justice F I Rebello and Justice Amjad Sayed will deliver the judgment in due course. The state in 2008 had introduced changes to the Development Control regulations and allowed additional construction rights by hiking the FSI in Mumbai suburbs from 1 to 1.33. To avail of the benefit, a premium had to be paid.

According to the petitioners the government’s decision would “change the face of Mumbai’’. The PIL claimed that the additional FSI would put a strain on the environment, of the burden on the city’s infrastructure, traffic and civic amenities. The petition also contended that proper rules were not followed while approving the “largesse’’.

The state has however denied that the extra FSI would put pressure on the infrastructure. The government also alleged that a TDR cartel was behind the opposition to the FSI policy.

Calling customer care? It may not be toll free

2010-03-31T01:10:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Dev Burman (name changed), a Vodafone customer for six years, is furious with the service. The company is charging 50 paisa per three minutes of a call to customer care. “Have you ever thought of paying for talking to a customer care executive?” Burman said, giving vent to his anger.

The story is the same with other mobile service providers. Ketan Ramachandran, a Bharti Airtel subscriber, said: “Customer care is a service a telecom operator should offer free. Airtel’s interactive voice response system is very tardy and you have to talk to a customer care executive to get an issue sorted out. But now we have to pay for that!” The government’s directive to telecom companies while giving out licences explicitly stated customer service calls should be toll free.

The directive hasn’t changed — the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has not yet approved the companies’ request to charge subscribers for customer-care calls.

But the freebies are insidiously, gradually disappearing as hyper-competition is driving down mobile operators’ profits.

Over the last two years, the race to grab subscribers has become so intense that telcos started charging as low as 1 paise per pulse per call.

System error: Don't worry, says I-T chief

2010-03-31T01:09:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Chief commissioner of income tax R K Singh on Tuesday acknowledged that a “mechanical error’’ in its central office in New Delhi was behind the wrong recovery notices that were issued to salaried employees in Mumbai last week. He reiterated that the department was working to identify the “point’’ where the fault had occurred and that the taxpayer would not be unduly penalised.

TOI in its Tuesday’s edition had reported about several people receiving erroneous I-T notices. “There is some problem in the system, something like a bug that infects a computer. We are working to rectify the mistake. I assure the people who have received the notices will not be inconvenienced,’’ Singh said. “This is not a human mistake. It is a computer glitch that occurred sometime last week in our central system in New Delhi.’’

Nooriya drank and drove but didn’t kill intentionally: HC

2010-03-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Bombay High Court said today that Nooriya Haveliwala’s car crash can at the most be an offence under Section 304 (II) of IPC, which would mean the accident was not intentional.The court was hearing a bail application by Haveliwala, charged with drunken driving and killing two persons. The police had charged her under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder with intention) under which the quantum of imprisonment can be between 10 years and life. Under 304 (II), the maximum imprisonment is 10 years.

The court observed this is a case where the vehicle was driven under the influence of alcohol and with knowledge of this, but not with an intention to kill anyone. “It is a very sad and tragic case,” Justice RS Mohite said. Haveliwala may not be allowed to drive, the court said.

“If you can show this is a case for life imprisonment then we will look into it seriously,” the court told the state, directing it to file a reply before the next hearing on Thursday.

Gold futures fraud: three arrested

2010-03-30T06:16:00.001-07:00

The Mumbai police have arrested three persons including a jeweller for trading illegally in gold futures without a valid licence. The matter is being investigated by L T Marg police who have arrested Vikas Mohanlal Mehta (51), a south Mumbai-based jeweller, and his employees Mukesh Mehta (37) and Kantilal Malecha (27). The police suspect that they could be part of a network of illegal traders.

Under trading norms, futures trading in any tradable commodity can only be done by individuals with a valid licence and who are registered with a commodity exchange.

“We have now informed the Forward Markets Commission about the crime and they will be assisting us in the investigation. The trio acted as a parallel trading platform and took investment calls on future gold trading prices,” said sub-inspector Nitin Shinde of L T Marg police station.

Parents pledge won’t marry off bright teenager, HC may see which law governs Muslim minors

2010-03-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

It is unfortunate that an intelligent girl who desires to pursue medicine is forced to get married at a minor age, the Bombay High Court observed today.The court was hearing a petition for the custody of a teenager, filed by her mother Zakia Begum of Aurangabad. The court granted the custody after the parents undertook that they would not marry off the girl till she turns 18.

Zakia’s daughter, 14, was to marry last December, but her uncle filed a complaint with the police against a violation of the Child Marriage Restriction Act (now replaced by Prohibition of Child Marriage Act or PCMA).

A division Bench of Justice D B Bhosale and Justice A R Joshi today interviewed the girl in their chamber where she said she did not wish to get married since she wanted to pursue her education and desired to study medicine.“We found her to be very intelligent and it is very unfortunate that the parents wanted to marry her off,” Justice Bhosale said.

Cops go to colleges with advice against drunken driving

2010-03-30T06:11:00.001-07:00

The traffic police are counselling students against drunken driving, with most of those convicted in such incidents being motorists in their twenties. The police have started seminars and talks in colleges around the city.

Convictions have increased over the years, from 2,623 simple imprisonment sentences in 2007 to 8,448 in 2008 and 10,097 in 2009.

“We have seen that youths in the age group 21-25 form the second largest group, after those in the bracket 31-35. We decided to start holding seminars in postgraduate colleges so that our officers could directly interact with students about the dangers of drunken driving,” an officer said.

DCP (Traffic) Nandkumar Chaugule said, “We have prepared PowerPoint slides explaining the laws relating to drunk driving, the permissible limits of alcohol consumption while driving, and the punishment and fines... We also have slides about punishments for drunken driving in other countries for a comparative analysis... We have included photographs of vehicles in drunken driving accidents so that students realise the consequences and take the issue more seriously.”

1,811 Aarey milk stalls leased for Rs7 each a day

2010-03-30T06:08:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The opposition rocked the state assembly on Monday, alleging that the government had leased out 1,811 Aarey Milk Colony stalls to a private player for a paltry Rs7 a stall per day. The agitation intensified as the dairy development minister faltered in replying to the opposition’s queries. Finally, chief minister Ashok Chavan had to intervene and assure the house that the lease orders would be revoked if anything was found amiss.The opposition alleged that the 1,811 stalls that were to be run by sons of the soil had been leased out to a private player. The dairy development department was accused of having a “mala fide” intention in reviving the deal that had been stayed by former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh two years ago.

Dairy development minister Nitin Raut first denied that his department had handed over the stalls to a private player, but later admitted to it. Members from the opposition benches jeered the minister, calling him a “liar”.

Opposition leader in the assembly Eknath Khadse said, “Vilasrao Deshmukh stayed the order on May 28, 2008, after he found irregularities in it. However, Chavan’s government revoked the stay in July 2009. The contract was awarded to a company which is a subsidiary of a big name in the country. The contract has been given at such a cheap rate that it would lead to a huge loss for the government.”

Raut told the house that the deal, struck for five years, will fetch Rs2.13 crore. “The contract has been given to Sheetal Arch for five years to sale milk and milk-based products.”

Historic hall at Taj is ready for a ball again

2010-03-30T06:07:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: The historic Ballroom of the Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel will reopen for guests on Tuesday. India's first air-conditioned restaurant-cum-ballroom, it was part of the heritage wing of the hotel and had to be completely restored after the terrorist attack of 26/11.

"Around 70-80 people have worked diligently to restore the Ballroom to its original form with elements of contemporary luxury," said general manager Karambir Kang. "We have updated it with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and advanced technology to bring the banquet hall on par with the finest hotels in the world."

Understandably, the hotel does not wish to dwell on the nature of damage caused during the terror attack. "Expert design consultants from around the world were hired for the restoration, and so were acoustic experts, structural restorers as well as a full-sourcing team," said Kang.

"The carpets have been procured from Hong Kong, the lighting is from London, and the artworks that have always been an integral part of our decor, draw on Indian talent. Victorian and period art was specifically commissioned so as to blend with the new look of the Ballroom."

Liquor to ooze from chikoo, jambhul

2010-03-30T06:05:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: After kicking off a controversy over giving permission to produce liquor from food grains, the state government has now announced that it plans to permit production of liquor from fruits such as cashewnut, jambhul (blueberry) and chikoo (sapodilla).

“We have received a proposal seeking permission to make liquor from cashewnut, jambhul and chikoo. The government is thinking over it,” excise minister Ganesh Naik announced in the legislative council on Monday.

Naik was replying to a question by NCP’s Arun Gujrathi on the permission to produce liquor from foodgrains. The minister said no new permits had been given to make liquor from food grains since August 20, 2009.

The government policy to make liquor from food grains attracted criticism from the opposition and social activists like Anna Hazare and Dr Abhay Bang. The opposition argued that as there was shortage of food grains in the state it was not logical to produce liquor from them. Dr Bang appealed to the government not to convert Maharashtra into “Madya Rashtra” (liquor state).