Udaipur, 24 May 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grave concern at the country’s present rulers’ ignoring the nation’s glorious history and heritage full of valour of great men at its own peril.

Speaking as the chief guest at Maharana Pratap’s 472nd birth anniversary function at Udaipur, he said that those who ignore their history cannot make history.

He said that Maharana Pratap lives in our heart even after so many years because he had showed us the way to protect the motherland. Even though he belonged to the princely family he didn’t ever take any rest and rather devoted every moment of his life in the service of the motherland. He offered floral tributes at Maharan’s statue at Moti Magri.

However, Mr. Modi regretted there might be still some so-called secular elements which would not cringe to malign Rana Pratap had he been alive today because he was the saviour of cow progeny, womanhood, temples and culture. As if there is only one family in the country today which has seen sacrifice and idolized.

He described it as India’s misfortune that people tend to forget its glorious past and revolutionaries like Shaymaji Krishna Verma, Veer Bhagat Singh and Rajguru and Veer Savarkar.

Talking about long historical and cultural relation between Gujarat and Rajasthan, he recalled that the mother of Mewad’s founder was the queen of Valabhi-Gujarat. Maharana Pratap’s obedient horse ‘Chetak’ belonged to Kathiawar breed of Gujarat. They were the Bhils of Guajart living in the Vijaynagar forests of Sabarkantha in the ravines of Aravalli who had lent support to the Maharana during his exile. Gujarat is trying to repay by providing the Narmada waters to the remote areas of Rajasthan.

While the Gujarat Government has enacted effective laws to save the cow progeny, Mr. Modi said, the Central Government’s offered subsidy on beef under its ‘pink revolution’.

Ahmedabad, 24 May 2012

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is helping India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association, SEWA, provide energy-efficient cook stoves and solar lanterns to more than 200,000 of its members in the state of Gujarat, pioneering sustainable clean energy solutions for the poor.

IFC will provide a partial credit guarantee for a $5 million loan that an Indian private sector bank is providing to SEWA-sponsored Grassroots Trading Network for Women. The loan will be further utilized for on-lending to SEWA members to purchase the clean energy lanterns and cook stoves. IFC is also advising Grassroots Trading Network on building a loan product line, setting up information systems and processes for managing loans, and on training staff to serve the low-income customer better. The project is expected to generate carbon credits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to one million tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the project.

SEWA Director Reema Nanavaty said, “This project is called Hariyali, meaning green, because it will provide green livelihoods to poor rural women members of SEWA.” The project aims to create a replicable business model for application in South Asia and other parts of Asia and Africa.

The project will deliver several development benefits, such as reducing the expenses on firewood, kerosene and electricity, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases from smoke inhalation, and improving ambient lighting for children to study.

“Our partnership with SEWA is a unique clean energy project that will address the health, environmental and energy challenges faced by people at the base of the pyramid,” said Karin Finkelston, IFC Vice President for Asia Pacific. “The project will launch a new financial product for the purchase of clean energy products by women in rural India.”

India is facing a surging energy demand. Rural areas in particular are becoming large consumers of energy for lighting and cooking. A growing number of Indian companies are providing access to alternative cooking and electricity solutions for rural base-of-the-pyramid households. The annual market for solar lanterns and energy-efficient cook stoves is estimated at $500 million and $400 million, respectively.

About SEWA

SEWA was founded in 1972 to organize women workers for full employment and self reliance. It has a membership of 1.3 million women from across nine states of India. For more information, visit www.sewa.org

About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets. In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, we helped our clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities—all while driving our investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

Ahmedabad, 24 May 2012

In a dramatic development just before the beginning of BJP’s national executive meeting in Mumbai, party man Sanjay Joshi has resigned from the national executive, said PTI quoting sources. Joshi has reportedly submitted his resignation to party president Nitin Gadkari.

Sanjay Joshi, once an organizational in-charge of BJP in Gujarat was later promoted to Delhi and later expelled from the party after a sex CD featuring him came to limelight.

However in recent past he was inducted back to the party by party president Nitin Gadkari ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

Reportedly unhappy with Joshi’s induction, Narendra Modi skipped BJP’s national executive meeting in New Delhi last year. Then Modi also didn’t campaign for party in state assembly polls in north India and Goa. On the other hand, Sanjay Joshi who was made election in-charge in Uttar Pradesh, couldn’t bring expected result. Amid reports that Modi would possibly avoid BJP’s national executive meeting in Mumbai over Sanjay Joshi issue, Joshi has resigned from the national executive ahead of the meeting.

It seems the party finally weighed Modi against Sanjay Joshi and found Sanjay Joshi too light weight against heavyweight Modi who is all set to become party’s Prime ministerial candidate for Lok Sabha poll 2014. Shri Joshi will continue to become a party man. It seems he will have to work in a corner till the time Modi’s sun is high in the Indian political sky.

Modi in Mumbai

Chief Minister Narendra Modi today reached Mumbai and participated in BJP national executive. The national executive meeting of BJP started at 11.00 am in Mumbai, but as Chief Minister Modi had allotted morning time to Udaipur based organization for celebration of Rana Pratap’s birth anniversary two months back, he was in Udaipur in the morning. Modi reached Mumbai by air from Udaipur and participated in party’s national executive meet after 4.00 pm.

Ahmedabad, 23 May 2012

Presented above are the photographs of few petrol pumps in Ahmedabad on Wednesday evening. As soon as the price hike of Rs 7.50 per liter was announced in media, and people came to know that the new price will be effective from midnight, they rushed to petrol pumps to fill the tank at old lower rate. All along the Wednesday evening there were long queues seen on various petrol pumps. Some private petrol pumps declared that stock was over, some petrol pump decided to give only limited quantity of fuel to each vehicle. At some placed there was traffic jam outside the petrol pump due to long queues ending at the main road.

Long queues at petrol pumps were seen on Wednesday evening

Ahmedabad, 23 May 2012

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today hit hard on his twitter at the Congress-ruled Centre’s utter failure to control inflation, as demonstrated by its inflicting an unprecedented hike in the price of an essential commodity like petrol.

Mr. Modi described the failure as all the more unpardonable as the hike was announced within 24 hours of the adjournment of the Parliamentary session. It is a great insult to Parliamentary system of democracy. People would not forgive the Congress-ruled government at the Centre, he said.

Long queues were seen on Wednesday evening after petrol price hike was declared. The price hike was to come to effect from midnight. People rushed to fill the tanks before that time.

Ahmedabad, 23 May 2012

As elections in states including Uttar Pradesh are over, and parliament session has ended, the Congress led UPA government has hiked the prices of petrol by Rs 7.50 a liter with effect from midnight tonight.

Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy had said yesterday that there was an immediate need to raise fuel prices.

“It (price increase) is very essential but (before hiking rates) we have to talk to political parties,” he had told reporters.

Petrol prices were last increased on November 4 last year while price of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas were raised in June last year.

Meanwhile Rupee dipped (to an all-time low of) Rs 56 (to a US dollar) on Wednesday. Last year it was Rs 46.

Junagadh, 23 May 2012

If you thought the story of Shravan can happen only in past era, you need to look at this real story of 21st century’s Shravan.

Here is Giri Brahmachari, a Sadhu who is on countrywide pilgrim tour with his mother.

After visiting Kedarnath, Jagannath puri, Tirputari, Shrinathji, Varanasi, Banaras, Pushkar, Dwarka and Somnath he was in Junagadh today with his mother.

This modern-day Shravankumar started his pilgrim tour with his mother and father both, but his father died on the way, therefore he then started putting a big stone and other necessary things inside one basket to balance with the other basket in which his mother sits.

Kailash Giri is on pilgrim toure of India for last 16 years, five months and 17 days. He believes that everyone should serve their parents.

Kailash Giri took his mother Kirtidevi(Jabalpu, Madhya Pradesh) to 3100 ft height of mount Girnar for darshan of Ambaji mandir.

Bhuj, 23 May 2012

While cities organizing half marathon and marathon event is normal trend, here is a news about a village that is going to organize half-marathon event.

It is Kutch’s Madhapar village that will host ‘Akhil Kutch Half Marathon Run’ event on 24th of May morning. According to village sarpanch Arjanbhai Bhudiya, the half marathon run event has been organized to bring awareness about the need of water conservation and tree plantation.

He said the village has planned plantation of 1000 trees. He said development works are completed before monsoon at Karimori and Yaksh water bodies with cooperation of villagers.

The village has also organized Bhagvat saptah, enviornment based play, cultural event and other programmes in this summer to create awareness and to collect fund for tree plantation and water conservation activities before mosoon.

Ahmedabad, 22 May 2012

Justice P. B. Majumdar (Pradeep Bhadrayulal Majumdar) today took the oath to become Gujarat High Court Judge.

B.Com., LL.B. : Born on 9.9.1950. Passed B.Com., LL.B. examinations from M. S. University, Bardoa. Enrolled as an Advocate on 7.8.1974. Started practice in 1974 at Baroda. Shifted to Ahmedabad and started practice with his brother Mr. S. B. Majmudar who later on became a Judge of the High Court of Gujarat and thereafter Chief Justice of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh High Courts and subsequently appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Conducted various civil, criminal, constitutional and company matters in the High Court of Gujarat and was having lucrative practice in all the branches of law.

Was unanimously elected as President of the High Court Bar Association in the year 1995-96 and also appointed as Sr. Central Government Standing Counsel in October, 1996 and was holding the said post till he was elevated as Judge of High Court of Gujarat.

Belongs to a family of lawyers and Judges. His father was a leading lawyer in Baroda Bar, where he practised upto the age of 82. His another brother is also a senior lawyer of Baroda Bar.

His elder brother Shri S. B. Majmudar is a Retired Judge of the Supreme Court and his another brother Shri N. G. Nandi was a Sitting Judge of Gujarat High Court.

Elevated to the Bench of Gujarat High Court as Additional Judge on 17.9.1999 and confirmed as Permanent Judge on 25.8.2000. Due to retire on 9.9.2012.

Jamnagar, 22 May 2012

21 Somali pirates in Gujarat’s Dwarka jail couldn’t be deported from India due to airline’s refusal to board them apprehending hijack.

The Gujarat Police had arrested 21 Somalians on 26 June at Dwarka coast. After prolong investigation and interrogation the central government decided to deport them.

Following this, on 24 April Dwarka Police took them to Mumbai’s Sahar airport to deport them by air via Dubai. However the security and immigration agencies refused to board them apprehending hijack.

A group of Somalians is thus back to Dwarka jail again.

Ahmedabad, 22 May 2012

A story published in Economic Times by Bharti Jain throws more light on Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal’s alleged land grab scam:

Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal allegedly exerted political pressure to save the society from dissolution due to irregularities.

According to the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Jaipur, Beniwal influenced the Ashok Gehlot government to drop the proceedings for dissolution of the Kisan Samuhik Krishi Sahkari Samiti Limited in 2010.

The samiti has claimed that Beniwal was putting in 14-16 hours of physical labour every day to develop the land allotted to it in Jhotwara.

Congress is believed to have asked the state government to hold an inquiry into the allegations against Beniwal.

In his order dated May 2 – a copy of which is with Economic Times – the registrar quoted the inquiry report submitted by its officer in 2005, pointing to a long list of irregularities on part of the samiti.

These include diversion from the samiti’s main objectives, surrender of 384 bigha land to the Jaipur Development Authority without the consent of the registrar, not holding the annual general meeting for over 20 years and failure to audit the society’s accounts between 1981 and 2009.

Though the registrar, based on these irregularities, recommended dissolution proceedings against the samiti in 2009, the recommendation was overturned by Rajasthan cooperative minister Parsadi Lal Meena, allegedly under Beniwal’s influence.

Meena, in an order dated September 9, 2010, set aside the inquiry report, besides dismissing the registrar’s recommendation under Section 55(5)(6) of the Cooperative Act to dissolve the samiti.

The samiti had claimed that Beniwal and its other members had been putting in 14-16 hours of extreme physical labour since 1958 to develop the 384 bigha land allotted to the society in Jhotwara. The registrar’s order, however, dismisses these claims as false. “From the status of each member, it cannot be expected that they will ever do any physical labour, what to say of 14-16 hours per day,” the registrar has pointed out.

The samiti’s members also include former revenue minister of Rajastan, Kumabram Arya, and his son Vijaypal Arya, besides the established Jaipur builder Surjaram Meer.

The members had sought to be compensated for their physical work over the past 58 years, with plots of 1,516 sq yards each in Jaipur city, where the market value of each plot is nearly Rs 3.49 crore. The samiti has, however, valued each of these plots at an extremely modest Rs 12,12,800.

The registrar has also faulted the samiti for giving consent to acquisition of its land by the Jaipur Development Authority without permission of the government or the registrar, as required by the rules. The samiti demanded developed residential and commercial plots from the JDA in lieu of compensation, “which shows the malafide intentions of the samiti members”.

Beniwal has been linked to several specific allegations. To begin with, she accepted executive membership of the samiti on May 25, 2011, when she was the governor of Gujarat. The samiti did not approach the registrar’s office or the state cooperative department for endorsement of her name in the executive body, as was legally required.

Secondly, during a meeting of the samiti’s executive body on January 1, 2012, she helped pass several illegal resolutions. The registrar, in its order, slammed the resolutions, saying that the samiti did not have the power to receive compensation from the JDA in the form of residential and commercial plots, or to engage in sale and purchase of plots received by it towards compensation.

The registrar further noted that, apart from the KSKSSL, none of the nearly 60 group and joint agricultural cooperative societies engaged in joint farming in Jaipur had surrendered their land to the JDA.

Finally, the registrar raised the question as to whether Beniwal had declared the Rs 20 lakh loaned by her to the samiti in her income-tax returns.