3rd January, 2016 - Sunday
Year :02 Issue : 09 Pages:4 Price :Rs.1/Annual Subscription : Rs. 300 /Edition : Ahmedabad. M.:9687612324
RNI NO.: GUJENG/2014/59629
ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Deputy Editor : Chirag Rudani
“Pathankot terror attack” f e i r B s w Ne Cold wave intensifies across Kashmir Valley
January 03, 2016, Sunday
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Pak. terrorists killed in gunbattle at Air Force base in Pathankot
5 terrorists, 3 jawans killed in Punjab The fifth terrorist involved in the attack on Pathankot air force base has been neutralised even as combing operations continue. The BSF and Punjab Police have thrown a cordon around the air base
Agency | Srinagar
Cold wave intensified across Kashmir Valley as the mercury dropped at most places after a day of respite even as prolonged dry spell resulted in increase in common ailments like cough and cold among the people here. In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the minimum temperature decreased by over three degrees as the mercury settled at minus 3.8 degrees Celsius against yesterday’s minus 0.7 degrees Celsius, an official of the MeT department said here.
Ashok Singh reelected RJD UP chief Agency | Lucknow
Ashok Singh was today re-elected president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) unopposed. Besides Singh, 80 members of the national council of the party were also elected here, a party release said. Singh who will be the state unit president for the third consecutive term asked partymen to get ready for all the coming elections in UP.
Its a direct attack by Pak on Indian soil: Sukhbir
Agency | Pathankot Suspected Pakistani terrorists on Saturday attacked an Air Force Base here in Punjab, triggering an encounter in which four attackers and two IAF personnel were killed and 6 security men were injured. At least four to five militants, believed to be from the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group, in army uniform launched the attack in the wee hours with an aim of destroying the air base, a top security official said.
A group of militants attacked Air Force base at 3:30am this morning, a defence spokesman said. The attack was launched soon after a combing operation was carried out by the army yesterday in the area between Air base installation and Chakki river, police said. The attackers were met with strong resistance from the security personnel who were already alert to the
possibility of an attack, top sources said in Delhi, adding that the terrorists therefore could not enter the air base and managed to reach only to the langer area on the outside. SSP R K Bakshi said that four suspected militants were killed in the battle. Two jawans were also martyred and six sustained injuries. Security establishment was already on alert and anticipating an
After Modi-Sharif bonhomie, Pathankot poses challenge to Pak policy Agency | New Delhi
Even before the gunfire had died down at the Pathankot airbase, people across India had begun asking the inevitable question: Would this brazen terror attack neutralise the bonhomie and gains generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore? The question was not surprising, given the cycle that has accompanied almost every recent effort by Indian and Pakistani leaders to engage and move ahead with the fraught peace process – a grand gesture or a visit or some forward movement, and an outrageous terror attack meant to inflame and incite public opinion. Several events
that preceded the attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot are definitely a cause for concern – the July 2015 attack on a bus and a police station in Gurdaspur district by terrorists disguised as soldiers, the ambush of a BSF convoy in Udhampur that resulted in the capture of a Pakistani member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and evidence gathered by Indian in-
telligence agencies from the GPS devices used in both attacks. With these previous attacks pointing to the involvement of Pakistan’s shadowy intelligence set-up and numerous reports about intelligence agencies from across the western border trying to foment unrest in India’s Punjab state, the questions about Pakistani involvement in Saturday’s attack were inevitable.
attack after an SP of Punjab police was abducted by a group of armed men in army uniform on Thursday night. The attackers thrashed the officer before dumping him from vehicle. After the incident, the combing operation was launched in the border areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur district. The attackers are confined to non-operational area, police said. Helicopters, NSG commandos and SWAT teams have been engaged to kill the militants, po-
lice said. The encounter started at 3.30 am, police said. The strike is believed to be launched by Jaish-e-Mohammad, officials said, adding that the target was to destroy military installations. Efforts are to keep one remaining terrorist confined to a limited area so that no collateral damage is done, police said. The terrorists, with huge quantity of RDX in their possession, made their way to air force base from back side where there is a jungle, they said.
Here are a few reactions • The country is proud of our security forces and our jawans— Rajnath Singh. • Terror attack on Air Force base in Pathankot is highly condemnable. Kudos to brave soldiers for dispelling the attack & salute to martyrs—Arun Jaitley. • Operations continuing, immediate focus on resolving situation premature to say anything more at this point—Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Govt raises excise on petrol by 37 paise, diesel by Rs 2 per litre Agency | New Delhi
Seeking to maximize the gains from the ongoing slump in crude oil prices, the government today raised excise duty on petrol by 37 paise per liter and the duty on diesel by Rs 2 per liter. The third duty hike in less than two months will help the centre mop up an additional Rs 4,300 crore in the remainder of the current financial year ending March 2016. Through the latest revision, basic excise duty on every liter of unbranded petrol has been raised from Rs 7.36 to Rs 7.73 while the duty on unbranded diesel has been increased from Rs 5.83 per liter to Rs 7.83 per liter. “This additional resource mobilization is likely to yield Rs 4,300
crore in the remaining part of the year,” revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said in a tweet. He added the increase in excise duty on petrol and diesel will not result in any increase
in the current retail price. Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) had Thursday slashed prices of petrol by 63 paise per liter along with a Rs 1.06 per liter cut in diesel prices but did not
pass on the full benefit of the reduction in global oil prices to consumers. After including additional and special excise duty, the total levy on unbranded petrol will be Rs 19.73 per litre as against Rs 19.36 currently. Also, total excise duty on unbranded diesel will be Rs 13.83 per litre compared to Rs 11.83 currently. The government had last revised excise duty on 16 December when the duty on petrol was raised by Rs 0.30 per liter and by Rs 1.17 a litre on diesel.
Drivers talking on the phone will lose their licence in Maharashtra Agency | Mumbai
Make abiding by traffic rules your resolution for 2016. For, jumping Agency | Pathankot a traffic light, talking on Punjab Deputy Chief the phone while drivMinister Sukhbir Singh ing, speeding or driving Badal today said the atdrunk, violations considtack at an Air Force base ered “minor” by most, here in which four miliAgency | Dubai the kingdom. But it may could lead to suspension tants along with three also raise tensions with of your driver’s licence state government on Fri- road transport offices and A prominent cleric with security personnel were Iran over the execution for three months. More- day and will come into ef- traffic police to ensure close links to Iran’s ruling killed, is a “direct attack establishment denounced of prominent Shi’ite cler- over, pillion riders on fect immediately. Those strict implementation of by Pakistan on our soil.” the execution on Saturic Nimr al-Nimr. Tehran two-wheelers too will driving drunk, ferrying traffic rules from January “It’s a direct attack by day of a Saudi Shi’ite warned in 2015 that exe- have to wear helmets, passengers in goods ve- 1 and submit an action Pakistan on our soil,” cleric and predicted the cuting Nimr would “cost failing which they will hicles and exceeding load taken report every three Sukhbir, who also holds repercussions Saudi Arabia dearly”. have to undergo a man- limits will also have their months. While welcomwould home portfolio, said, bring down the Saudi Most of those executed datory two-hour counsel- licences suspended on the ing the new rules safety, adding that “our re- ruling family. “I have were convicted of leading ling session, in addition spot. “The counselling activists and officials causponse will be forceful no doubt that this pure prayer leader, was quot- out and denounce this in- or carrying out a series of to a penalty. The rules, session will also be man- tioned that implementing and unremitting.” Exud- blood will stain the col- ed as saying by the Mehr famous regime as much al Qaeda attacks in Sau- aimed at improving road datory for those driving them will not be easy. ing confidence that the lar of the House of Saud news agency. “The crime as it can,” he added. The di Arabia after 2003, but safety in Maharashtra, without wearing a seat- “The plan sounds good, Indian forces will deliv- and wipe them from the of executing Sheikh Nimr deaths come amid a grow- they also included some which tops the list for belt,” said state transport but unless the implemener a strong message, he pages of history,” Aya- is part of a criminal pat- ing war of words between members of the Shi’ite road accident casualties minister Diwakar Raote. tation is chalked out, it said “You can not mess tollah Ahmad Khatami, a tern by this treacherous Saudi Arabia and the mil- minority convicted of at- in the country with more The government resolu- may not have the desired with India and get away member of the Assembly family ... the Islamic itant group Islamic State, tacks on police during than 12,500 deaths a year, tion (GR), dated Decem- effect,” said Ashutosh Atof Experts and a Friday world is expected to cry which called for attacks in protests from 2011-13. were announced by the ber 31, 2015, orders the ray, a road safety expert. with it.” Corpo. Office: A/41, Madhav Chamber’s, Shaktidhara Colony, Opp-Sayona Arcade, L.B.S. Road, Toll Naka, Bapunagar, Ahmedababad - 380024 Email: ssdaily2013@gmail.com Mo : 98250 98053
Iranian cleric predicts fall of Saudi government over Nimr al-Nimr execution
2 / Dt. 03-01-2016, Sunday Editors’ Picks sunday, JANUARY 03, 2016
The Delhi Govt’s strategy is a good one for deal with pollution
Delhi has become the most air polluted city in the world. Urgent and effective actions are needed to bring the pollution level down. The cost to the health of Delhi citizens far exceeds any cost that some may have to bear to reduce it. Cleaning up Delhi’s air will require technical, managerial and organisational efforts and will take time. still, steps should be taken to provide some immediate relief. The odd-even policy is a good beginning. While the reduction in total emissions may be small, the marginal impact on health would not be negligible as the impact on health increases non-linearly with the level of pollution. This needs to be followed up with a comprehensive strategy. The sources of air pollution in Delhi are many: About three million trucks and cars, particularly diesel-driven, and five million two-wheelers, tens of thousands of trucks many of which just go through for want of a bypass, road dust, burning of biomass, industry and power plants, construction dust and in October-November, burning of paddy stubbles in Haryana and Punjab. The relative contribution of these vary from season to season and for pollutant to pollutant. For example, the contribution of transport to PM 2.5 (particulate matter of size less than 2.5 microns) is estimated to vary from 25 to 60 per cent. How do we deal with all the sources of pollution and clean up Delhi’s air in reasonable time? The measures are well-known, but we indicate how to implement them effectively. Car-use on alternate days is a measure that can be immediately implemented. How much impact it will make is difficult to estimate as a number of exemptions have been given. But surely, it will have some immediate impact. Over time, people may buy another cheaper, and more polluting, car. But that will take time. Meanwhile, if public transport is improved, more people might get accustomed to using it or get into the habit of sharing cars. Questions are raised about the implementation of the odd-even policy. This is not difficult to implement. Install cameras at major junctions and fine those who violate it based on the visuals. The fines may increase steeply with repeated violations. Alternatively, select a few locations every day on a random basis and impose very large fines on violators. For example, in Vienna, tickets on public transport are not checked. But once in a blue moon, there is checking and the fine imposed is equal to more than one year’s free rides. How much impact on air quality can the odd-even policy have? In 2001, when Delhi buses and taxis moved to CNG, we saw significant improvement in air quality. The odd-even numbered car policy should produce a visible impact.
- Kapilkumar M. Hirpara Editor
Shraddha Kapoor roped in for Mohit Suri’s ‘Half Girlfriend’
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QUOTE “My salute to the Garud commando & the 2 Defense Security OF THE Corps jawans, martyred in the Pathankot terror strike defending - Punjab Congress head Captain Amarinder Singh. DAY the air base”
Arjun, Kareena turn on the heat in ‘Ki and Ka’ first look
Just yesterday Shraddha Kapoor who is currently busy with her next venture Rock On 2, posted an image on twitter wishing her fans a magical new year. Well we hear that the actress will in fact be having a magical 2016 herself after being signed on to play the lead in Mohit Suri’s film Half Girlfriend. Half Girlfriend which is based on Chetan Bhagat’s coming-of-age novel is a love story of a Bihari boy and an upper
society girl. Based on the backdrop of how English defines a class system, it also talks about Madhav who wants a relationship with the high society, urban and English speaking Riya, but the girl is not interested in commitment. Hence, she decides to be his half girlfriend. While an official announcement of the same is still awaited, Half Girlfriend is expected to go on floors this year and will be shot in varied locations from Bihar to Delhi to New York.
Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam review: An eminently forgettable affair
Agency | New Delhi
The first look of R Balki’s upcoming romantic comedy-drama ‘Ki and Ka’ starring Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan is a New Year treat to the fans who have been eagerly waiting for the duo to sizzle on screen. Arjun and Kareena, who will be playing husband and wife in the film, turn on the heat striking a romantic pose holding each other close. The duo is looking extremely comfortable with each other promising a sparkling chemis-
try onscreen. Arjun and Kareena will be sharing space for the first time onscreen and are looking great together. The film, which follows the relationship of the mar-
ried couples, also features megastar Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya in special appearance. Directed by R Balki, the film is slated to release on April 1, 2016.
AR Rahman’s music lifts Gautham MenonSimbu’s ‘Achcham Enbathu Madamaiyada’ Agency | Mumbai
Simbu has been off the radar for the last few weeks after the ‘Beep song’ controversy broke out. However, as a New Year gift, Oscar-winner AR Rahman released the trailer of the actor’s film Achcham Enbathu Madamaiyada directed by Gautham Menon. Rahman has done the music for this film. After seeing the trailer, many people have stated that the music and visuals have a very Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya feel - the 2010 love story that also starred Simbu and directed by Gautham Menon. The music from
Agency | Chennai Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, written by Selvaraghavan and helmed by his wife, Gitanjali, reminded me so much of a wonderful film Mani Ratnam made in 1986. There is an uncanny similarity between Gitanjali’s work and Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam (which stars two eminent actors, Revathi and Mohan as leads). However, while
Mouna Ragam was a subtle exercise in exploring a couple’s relationship that grows out of a tragedy, Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam -- also dealing with a similar plot -- is overdone. There is very little novelty in Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam. There is also more anger and bitterness than joy and excitement in the film, whose title roughly translates to a euphoric evening. Em-
ploying an overused cinema technique of a sequence stream, the film highlight’s protagonist Manoja’s story. Essayed by Wamiqa Gabbi, Manoja’s endless affairs fail to help her find love. Her puritanical no-sex-before-marriage sentiment also finds her boyfriends getting fed up. She finally bows to familial pressure and weds Prabhu, played by Balakrishna Kola.
actress is seen celebrating the last day of 2015 wearing a pink bikini on a beautiful beach, and the diva certainly looks hot. Bipasha has shared a number of photos. In one of the collaged pictures, Karan Singh Grover is
seen holding his rumoured lady-love from behind as they clicked a selfie. She has also posted a shirtless picture of Karan, flaunting his back. There is also a video in which the actress is seen playing with water in a pool.
2003, in which Suriya and Jyothi played the pivotal faces. In an interview, the director Abhinay Deo said that the film has almost been filmed (around 80%) and 20% is still remaining and this half is going to take most of their time as they want climax to be extraordinary. The
release date is not yet released but a spokesperson said that they will probably announce the date by the end of January 2016. Speculations also suggest that the film will feature ‘Mardani’ fame Tahir Raj Bhasin in the negative role which later was played by Vidyut Jammwal.
Bipasha Basu holidays with Karan Singh Grover, shares bikini pictures
that film is still an audience favourite, and the songs continue to rule the airwaves. Achcham Enbathu Madamaiyada stars actress Manjima Mohan with Simbu. It is being made in Tamil and Telugu simultaneously. In Telugu it is titled Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo and stars Naga Chaitan-
ya. Manjima is the lead heroine in that as well. In the Tamil trailer, we see a more mature Simbu (with a beard) with his lady love. It is a road movie and we see the two of them on a bike riding across various places. The movie also has action as we see towards the end of the trailer.
Jagga Jasoos: Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif look bewildered in this new still
Agency | New Delhi Bipasha Basu apparently had a fun-filled 31 December, along with her rumoured boyfriend Karan Singh Grover. Bipasha has shared some pictures and videos on Instagram, in which the
Force 2 First Look Released Starring John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha Agency | Mumbai
Shraddha Kapoor will be having a magical 2016 herself after being signed on to play the lead in Mohit Suri’s film ‘Half Girlfriend’ Agency | Mumbai
Ahmedabad
Agency | Mumbai Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif starrer Jagga Jasoos is one of the most anticipated films this year. The film is a comedy drama that narrates the story of a teenage detective in search of his missing father. One of the fan clubs of Ranbir Kapoor shared a new still from Jagga Jasoos on Twitter. In the picture, both Katrina and Ranbir look bewildered. The duo has earlier worked in two films, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rajneeti. In an interview, director Anurag Basu had stated that how casting a real-life couple in a film is often a disadvantage as it is
difficult for them to romance on-screen. “Having a real-life couple is not an advantage but it is rather a disadvantage. The actors know each other so well and you are lovers in real-life, it gets difficult for them to bring their chemistry on the screen. So this is going to be very challenging,” Basu said. Earlier the gossip mills were abuzz with the news that the two are having some serious relationship issue but Ranbir and Katrina put all the rumours to rest after they were seen together celebrating the Christmas eve together. Directed by Anurag Basu, Jagga Jasoos is scheduled to release sometime in June this year.
The first look of the thrilling action sequel to the Force starring John Abraham has been released. Force 2 is directed by Abhinay Deo whereas produced by Vipul Amrita Shah. It will probably hit theaters around in midhalf of 2016. The lead roles are played by John & Sonakshi Sinha. The entire film is shot down in areas of London and Budapest. The prequel was released under the direction of Nishikanth and starred John & Genelia D’Souza in the main roles. The plot was copied from a blockbuster Tamil film Kaakha,
3 / Dt. 03-01-2016, Sunday Now, get subsidy for kerosene in bank account from April 1
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Louis Van Gaal eyeing new strikers to bolster flagging Manchester United
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Agency | London
Agency | New Delhi Government will directly transfer the subsidy for kerosene to bank accounts from April 1. According to The Economic Times report, something like the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for LPG, government will from April 1 roll out a similar programme for kerosene where the users will buy the cooking fuel at market rate but will get financial support directly in their bank accounts. The cash subsidy to be paid to users will be equivalent to the difference between current PDS price of about Rs 12 and market rate of Rs 43 per litre. The move will help curtail subsidy outgo for kerosene, which in 2014-15 was about Rs 24,799 crore. Several state governments have come forward to implement direct benefit transfer (DBT) in kerosene in selected districts,the report said quoting a government official.
Jaitley hopeful of GST Bill in ensuing Budget session
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that he is considering bringing in new strikers in the upcoming transfer window in order to strengthen their goalshy attack. United are struggling to score goals in the Premier League, with the striker duo of Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial hitting just six times so far in the season. “We’re always looking for solutions in the team, but we still have a good team and we can still score goals. I’m convinced of that. But we also need a little bit of luck,” Van Gaal said. Despite the Old Traf-
At Rs 15 cr, Virat Kohli highest paid in IPL, pips MS Dhoni
ford club?s goal-scoring drought, the Dutchman insisted that those already in the team were good enough to succeed. “It can be solved with money, but also on the training pitch. We’re training, but scoring goals is a quality.
We have that quality, but at this moment there’s a lack of confidence at the right time or we need to buy another striker,” Van Gaal added. United have scored just 10 goals in their last 14 games in all competitions.
Novak Djokovic to kick-off 2016 campaign in Qatar Agency | Doha
Agency | New Delhi After hitting the Congress wall in two successive Parliament sessions, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday exuded confidence that landmark GST Bill will be passed in the next session as numbers in the Rajya Sabha will tilt in favour of the new indirect tax regime. “The next session is going to be extremely important. And half way through the next session, the numbers of the Upper House are also going to change. So I am reasonably optimistic, as far as the next session is concerned, that we may be able to push it through,” Jaitley said. Parliament’s Budget session will start in last week of February. Addressing the officer trainees of the Indian Revenue Service, he said there is virtually a consensus for GST among political parties and “everybody supports it”. “...Parliamentary obstructionism has prevented it from happening in the last two sessions”.
Volkswagen India Rolls Out 123,456 Units In 2015
Six weeks after completing one of the greatest seasons in tennis history, Novak Djokovic begins his 2016 campaign and warm-up for his Australian Open defence in Qatar. The Serbian, also current holder of Wimbledon and the US Open, heads a strong field at the Qatar Open starting in Doha on Monday, which also includes Rafael Nadal, Tomas Berdych and defending champion David Ferrer. All eyes though, at least at the start, will be on Djokovic to see if he can maintain the exceptional heights he achieved last year and to gauge his form ahead of
Agency | New Delhi Virat Kohli and not MS Dhoni is the highest paid cricketer in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to figures re-
leased by the Indian cricket board pertaining to players who have been retained by their respective teams. Kohli is among the players who are getting more than the amount his team was deducted from their purse for the upcoming IPL auction. In the case of the Indian Test skipper, Royal Challengers Bangalore purse was lighter by Rs 12.5 crores, but according to ‘actual salary details of retained players’ published on the BCCI website, the team is paying Kohli Rs 15 crore.
Dhoni, who was picked up by the Sanjeev Goenka owned Pune team during the player draft will get Rs 12.5 crore. Mumbai Indians’ Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu are two other players who are getting more than what their teams were docked from the purse. While Mumbai Indians were docked Rs 5.5 crore for retaining Harbhajan and Rs 4 crores for retaining Rayudu, they are being paid Rs 8 crore and Rs 6 crore respectively. West Indian batsman Chris Gayle and South African Faf du Plessis are among international gainers.
Star Sports and the technical committee of the tournament. According to a spokesperson of Star, it will be an input from the broadcaster, and will be given ahead of the start of the tie. “It will be our input and will be given to the technical committee ahead of the tie. It is the technical committee that will then take a call and judge if the order of play can be carried out,” said
the spokesperson. “There is obviously a TV-friendly format. We are trying to ensure that the most popular and best players actually play at the time when the stadiums are full and viewership is high. That is the broadcaster’s input. Finally, it is down to the technical committee. They have specific guidelines on how players play matches and what breaks they need,” he added.
Angelo Mathews won the toss and his bowlers reduced New Zealand to 53-3 in the seventh over with opener Martin Guptill (27 from 14 balls) and Kane Williamson (12) both out, swinging the match in the visitors favour. Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, however, struggled to control his grip on the wet ball and Ross Taylor hit three boundaries as the bowler
conceded 15 runs in his first over. Light rain then drove the players off the field at about 4.20pm, with Taylor on 20 and Henry Nicholls on four. The visitors kept the five-match series alive with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in the third match at the same venue on Dec. 31, after the hosts easily won the first two games at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Innovations galore for second edition of Premier Badminton League Agency | Mumbai
the first Grand Slam of the year, which begins in Melbourne on January 18. The 28-year-old dominated men’s tennis last year, all but sweeping away the competition to take three majors, make 15 consecutive tour finals and win more than $21 million (19 million euros) in prize money. He also became the third man to reach all four Grand Slam
finals in a year, losing out only in the French Open to Stan Wawrinka. Given his achievements last season, Djokovic must be looking to become the first player since Rod Laver, in 1969, to win all four Grand Slams in a single season. There is also the extra prize of a “fifth major” this season, with an Olympics gold medal up for grabs in Rio in August.
Jason Holder backs Kevin Pietersen’s suggestion of having lucrative Test contracts
Franchise-based leagues in India have employed several measures to keep the commercial value at an optimum level. The ‘strategic’ timeout in the Indian Premier League is an example of how the game can be formatted to accommodate more advertisements, hence bringing in more revenue for broadcasters. In line with this thinking, the Premier Badminton League (PBL) that begins on Saturday will see the broadcasters have a say in the order of play. In international badminton team events such as the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, the order of play is decided by the referees. In the PBL, the decision on the order of play will be taken mutually by broadcasters
Rain reigns in Nelson, washes out fourth New Zealand-Sri Lanka ODI Agency | Nelson City
Agency | New Delhi In a statement Volkswagen India Private Ltd. said that it rolled out 123,456 units last year from its Pune plant which is 12,012 units higher or 10 percent more as compared to 2014 numbers. “Volkswagen Pune Plant has increased its production for the third year in a row. This has been possible because of the increased demand from both domestic and export markets,” Andreas Lauermann, president and managing director, Volkswagen India was quoted as saying in the statement. He added further: “Unfortunately, the global emission topic slowed down our development in the second half of the year and held us back from an even better result. With the new compact sedan, we have a new car in the production pipeline which will help us in carrying the pace forward in 2016 too.” The total production of 123,456 cars at Volkswagen Pune Plant included approximately 72,000 Volkswagen Vento cars, 38,800 Volkswagen Polo cars and 12,700 sKODA Rapid cars.
Agency | Melbourne West Indies skipper Jason Holder has backed former England batsman Kevin Pietersen‘s suggestion that the ICC should come up with heftier Test contracts if they want to see star players opting for their national side rather than playing in lucrative Twenty20 leagues. Reflecting on Pietersen’s suggestions, the 24-yearold believes that it was possibly the only way to keep the longest-format of the cricket alive. “Obviously we’re in a situation where the money isn’t
great for us at the moment and we’ve been in numerous battles for that but that’s beyond our control at this present time. We’ve just got to play cricket. At the end of the day hopefully somewhere along the line we can have an increasing pay and be paid a little bit better than at the moment,” Holder said. Holder, who himself was a T20 lover, called on his country to strike a balance between different formats of the cricket. “I think we need to strike a balance,” Holder said. “I’m not knocking T20 cricket be-
cause I love T20 cricket myself, but we just need to find a way where the country comes first and then we are flexible in terms of allowing people to make money outside of international cricket. I don’t think we should be playing hard ball and deny people from going and playing, but there has to be a situation where we make international cricket our first priority.” Despite seeing the continuous slump in the Test format, the skipper also called on his players to continue playing cricket to the best of their ability.
The fourth one-day international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was abandoned after just nine overs of the hosts’ innings after rain intervened for the final time at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Saturday. New Zealand were 75-3 after nine of their 24 overs after the start of the game had been delayed by almost five hours before it began at 3.40pm local (0240 GMT) time. Overnight rain had forced a delay before persistent showers kept players off the ground until umpires Richard Illingworth and Billy Bowden decided a shortened game could begin. Sri Lanka captain
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Sixth edition of Khel Mahakumbh: Govt ropes Three years on, Sarhad Dairy awaits in Postal Dept to distribute Rs 40-cr cash prizes FSSAI approval to market camel milk money, respectively. SimSunvilla News | Gandhinagar
Aiming to promote sports in the state, the Gujarat government will distribute prizes worth Rs 40 crore in the ensuing sixth edition of Khel Mahakumbh. And to deal with the logistics and timely distribution of the prize money, it has for the first time tied up with the Postal Department, Under this agreement, the prize money will be sent to the winners within a week of conclusion of the event. The Khel Mahakumbh is scheduled between January 18 and February 18. In the previous edition of the sports festival, total 21 sports activities
were included. However, six more sporting disciplines have been added to the Khel Mahakumbh, including half marathon and cycling. A senior government official said that till date, the sporting competitions were being held at the district- and state-level. “Though, this time, with the suggestion
of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, the event has been taken to taluka-level also. And so, total 2.5 lakh prizes will be distributed to winners of the 27 sporting disciplines,” the officer added. At taluka-level, the first, second and third prize winners will get Rs 1,000, Rs 700 and Rs 500 as prize
Paresh Rawal visits Somnath Mandir
ilarly, the prize money for district-level for the three winners will be Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000, respectively. At the same time, the prize money for the three winners at state-level will be Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively. The upcoming Khel Mahakumbh will see, for the first time, half marathon competition in open category the prize money for which will be Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for three winners, respectively. The half marathon under Khel Mahakumbh will be held at Vadodara on February 7.
Correspondent | Rajkot
Three years after Sarhad Dairy in 2013 proposed to collect and market camel milk, the plan is still stuck with food-regulator FSSAI. The reason: unlike that for milk of cows and buffaloes, the food regulator is yet to set standards for camel milk and its products. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, during a camel show in Kutch on Thursday, had assured camel breeders and Sarhad Dairy or Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited of all help in marketing camel milk. The dairy in 2013 had set afoot the
NHAI may use GSFC ‘Nylon-6’ products for projects
Correspondent | Vadodara
Correspondent | Somnath
‘Oh My God’ and ‘Dharam Sankat Mein’ fame actor and BJP MP Shri Paresh Rawal visited Shri Somnath Mandir and performed Puja/milk Abhishek. He also participated in aarti. He was joined by his wife and former Miss India Swaroop Sampath. Rawal has also given his voice for the character of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Somnath Mandir’s light and sound show.
Gandhinagar mayor’s office vandalized, police complaint filed
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is likely to use Gujarat State Fertiliser and Chemicals (GSFC) ‘Nylon 6 fibre products’ for its infrastructure projects including construction of roads across the country. “GUJCON – CRF Nylon 6 fibre is being assessed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and they are likely to use it in their forthcoming projects,” GSFC Chairman and Managing Director Sandeep Kumar Nanda said. This follows successful application trials of GUJCON CRF in rigid pave-
ment at Godhra-Dahod Highway and Ahmedabad -Vadodara National Highway in Gujarat. GSFC, promoted by the Gujarat government has recently exported the first consignment of Gujcon CRF and PRF to Myanmar. The MD claimed that countries across the globe like Sri Lanka, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and others have shown interest in these products.
Correspondent | Vadodara
Sunvilla News | Gandhinagar
The unruly behavior of the opposition members during the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) general body meeting has not been taken lightly. On Friday evening, mayor Hansa Modi registered a police complaint against women councillors who vandalized furniture and even heckled her. The ruckus was over the ruling party not inviting opposition members to discuss new recruitment rules in the general body meet.
The rules were passed without seeking opinion. The complaint was lodged against Pinky Patel, Bhavna Vaghela, Jitu Raika, Hasmukh Makwana, Pravin Patel, Chiman Vinjhuda, Harshjeet Pandya and Congress opposition leader Shailendrasinh Bihola. Mayor Modi approached sector 7 police station to lodge a complaint against the above mentioned members claims police inspector Mini Joseph. The mayor in the commotion on Friday also received injuries.
the winter of that year, but it did turn into a reality. A new set of regulations came into force at that time when the central government notified the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011. Based on the new rules and also that of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Centre set up FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India).
The change in regulations mandated registration of every retailer and processor of food items and seek a licence from FSSAI. However, FSSAI had no specified standards for camel milk and therefore, technically, did not recognise camel milk as a food item. Therefore, Sarhad Dairy was not “eligible” to seek licence for marketing camel milk.
by March-end this year”, said Sanjay Hedaoo, director of KVIC Gujarat. Under PMEGP, the government provides 25% subsidy to male beneficiaries and 35% to female beneficiaries. Last week, Giriraj Singh, minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) had visited Udyog Bharti and seen test results of solar charkha. Impressed by their production and cost efficiency, Singh asked
KVIC to supply 100 solar charkhas from Udyog Bharti. Chandrakant Patel, secretary of Udyog Bharti Trust said, “Trial run of solar charkha with eight and 10 spindles are on in our premises. The minister had visited our campus and found that Udyog Bharti made charkhas were producing more khadi at lesser cost than those developed by others. Hence, the minister asked us to supply the same through KVIC.”
22-year-old Mayur Patel who was old was hit by a bullet fired by the police on August 26. He died last week. The Patidars have announced to boycott events organised by top BJP leaders in Mehsana. While the Anandiben Patel government is said to have started backchannel talks with influential Patidar leaders to contain the agitation, the Congress will
organise a rally on January 6 to demand the release of youth arrested during the earlier agitation. As many as 137 youth, including Hardik, have been lodged in jail under charges ranging from rioting to sedition. Since the last week of December, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has organised programmes at various places in the state.
Gujarat-based khadi institutes to supply 200 solar charkhas to artisans
Lukshmi Vilas Palace in Gujarat is a magnificent blend of ideas carved in stone India is no stranger to palaces. Whether in the north – Rajasthan in particular – or in the south, we can never tire of marvelling at the beautiful architectural remnants of the royal past. Even so, the Lukshmi Vilas Palace in this cultural and educational capital of Gujarat stands out. It has the distinction of having the largest number of stained glass paintings, and some of the Gothic-inspired statues leave you wondering if you are in an Indian palace at all! A fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, the 125-year-old Lukshmi Vilas Palace has all the ingredients to make it a must-visit on a visitor’s itinerary. Claimed to be the biggest “private dwelling” of its kind, the Luskhmi Vilas Palace was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad in 1890. Major Charles Mant, who was the chief architect, kept in mind that the palace must have the traditional touch – and so the
plan of marketing camel milk on the state government’s suggestions and it even received a Rs 79 lakh grant from the central government. It invested Rs 46 lakh to set up its own camel milk procuring chain, and processing and packaging plant at Lahond Chowkadi near Bhuj. The plan was to start collecting and marketing camel milk from
Sunvilla News | Ahmedabad
Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two khadi institutes in Gujarat to supply solar-driven charkha under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP). Gondal-based Udyog Bharti Trust and Rajkot-based Khadi Gram Udyog Sangh-Samanvay will provide solar charkhas to khadi institutions and artisans across India. “We have signed an MoU to provide solar driven charkha to various khadi institutions to increase employment in this sector under PMEGP. Both Udyog Bharti and Samanvay will supply 100 solar charkhas each
Patidar agitation in Gujarat stirs again Sunvilla News | Ahmedabad
three distinct quarters for the ruler, the ladies, and the public. But, given the erstwhile royal family’s increasing western lifestyle and large number of European visitors, it also has stately dining rooms, billiard rooms and the like. The entire palace is not open to visitors as parts of it are still occupied by the erstwhile royal family. The entry is from the rear of the palace for visitors, who are bound to be mes-
merised by the well-maintained architectural marvel right from the start. A small courtyard, lush with big plants, leads to front porch from where starts the tour. It is pertinent to mention here is that unlike many other historical sites where one may be pestered by people posing as guides, at Lukshmi Vilas, you are given an audio system to take you through the palace and explain everything in detail.
The Patidar agitation for OBC status is has witnessed a revival in the state only a few days before the Supreme Court hears the bail application, on January 5, of their community leader Hardik Patel. Patel has been in jail since October on charges of sedition. On Friday, finance minister Saurabh Patel skipped the Krishi Mohatsav held at Prantij in Sabakantha district, reportedly afraid of facing angry Patidars. This festival, which spreads awareness on agricultural methods and technology, is being held simultaneously at many places. A day earlier, health minister Nitin Patel was chased away from a Mehsana venue where a condolence meet was held for
Year : 02, Issue : 09 “Sunvilla Samachar” (English) Daily Morning Newspaper Printed at “Sunvilla Samachar(Daily) Printing Press”, Survey No.: 1624-25-26, Final Plot No.F/P/537, Urmila Compound, Opp.Ambica Estate, G.D. School Road, Saijpur Bogha, Ahmedabad -382340 and Published at A-24, Shardha Apartment, Thakkarbapanagar Road, Bapunagar, Ahmedabad-382350. Mo.: 9687612324, by Owner, Printer, Publisher : Aksheshkumar S. Savaliya on date 03-01-2016 (Sunday), Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara* (*Responsible for selection of News under the PRB act). RNI No. : GUJENG/2014/59629