PUNE, NOVEMBER 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5
MUMBAI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
Avendus-KKR deal reopens old trend: i-banks diversification P 11
“Balasaheb played a very stellar role in the social and political life of Maharashtra. We will see to it that adequate funds are made available for the memorial which will be befitting his stature.” —Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister
Sonali Arora drags Sandeep Raheja’s friend to court for repayment of loan granted in good times BY BAPU DEEDWANIA @TGSWeekly
The late Gopal Raheja was like a Bhishmapitamaha of the real estate arena. But the ongoing dispute between his children is taking its toll on the family and friends. The Bombay High Court recently heard a matter where Raheja’s Sonali Arora daughter Sonali Arora dragged her brother Sandeep’s friend to court, regarding the repayment of a money that Sonali’s company had loaned him during happier times. The matter relates to Tresorie Traders Pvt Ltd (TTPL) and Rhodium Trading and Leasing Pvt Ltd (RTLPL) that are caught in the internecine crossfire between Sandeep and Sonali, two of the three children of the late Gopal Raheja. Before relations soured between Sandeep and Sonali, Akshay Jayantilal Doshi, director of RTLPL, who is a close friend of Sandeep, sought his help in November 2006 to finance RTLPL. The request apparently was made for ‘a friendly unsecured loan’. Sandeep forwarded Doshi’s
request to sister Sonali, who was at the time a full time Director of TTPL. Sonali granted an unsecured loan of Rs 12.10 crore to Doshi’s company. RTLPL made payments of its own accord which were accepted, towards either principal or interest from February 2007 till late December 2011. After that RTLPL stopped this payment to TTPL. TTPL then filed a suit against RTLPL this year, saying that RTLPL had an asset, which is 35,675 sq ft carpet area in Interface Complex in Malad West. This property is being rented out commercially by RTLPL on leave and license agreements.
TTPL told HC that there is still a balance of nearly Rs seven crore to be recovered against the loan and that this property is also bought from Sandeep Raheja the loan that was given to RTLPL. Another plea made by TTPL was that the HC should help them in securing their loan which was given to RTLPL on the condition that it would be repaid ‘when demanded’. TTPL sought that if need be this
Sibling rivalry Real estate tycoon Gopal Raheja’s demise on March 18, 2014, immediately set off speculation about a bitter dispute over his estate valued at Rs 11,000 crore His two daughters and an estranged son cited two different wills, one drawn up in 2012 and the other in 2007. Sandeep, his son, filed a testamentary petition in the court to get a will dated May 14, 2007, probated. The document stated that Gopal’s empire and all his assets should go to Sandeep, who currently controls the K Raheja Group. The petition was filed on June 19, 2014. Sandeep’s two sisters, Sonali Arora and Sabita Raheja Narang, challenged his claim by submitting a will dated January 12, 2012, which said that Gopal’s estate should be equally
divided between his two daughters. Though in his 2007 will, Gopal Raheja had bequeathed everything to Sandeep, he approached the High Court in 2012, alleging that his son and daughter-in-law Durga had denied him medical care. Sandeep, in his petition filed through advocate Vivek Vashi of Bharucha & Partners, has claimed the 2007 document is the only genuine will left behind by his father. Sonali through her advocate Nitya Shah of Divya Shah Associates, challenged this claim for both herself and Sabita by submitting a copy of the January 2012 will and codicils in the High Court. (Codicil is an additional document that explains, modifies or revokes a will or part of one.)
property be secured so that it is not sold, leased, or handled in any other manner without their knowledge. TTPL cited its apprehension that RTLPL might do something of this nature and they will be left with no remedy to make good of their balance, if not for this asset of RTLPL. They asked the court to appoint a receiver and also money to be deposited with the receiver of court that is accrued from this property. However, RTLPL told the court that firstly, the loan was payable on ‘when able to’ basis and not ‘on demand’ and that the title deeds of the property are anyway with TTPL since 2006. The HC itself noted: “It seems that on account of the disputes within the Raheja family inter se, or perhaps for some other reasons that are as yet unknown pending trial, RTLPL stopped making payments either of principal or interest after December 2011.” However, while giving interim relief in this matter, the HC said that TTPL must show that not only do they have a prime facie case against RTLPL but also show that RTLPL is attempting to dispose of the assets with the intention of defeating any decree that might be finally passed against them. The court said that while it will hear the suit, RTLPL can give the premises on leave and license and inform the advocates of TTPL of any such new agreement in this regard. The court declined to appoint a receiver or deposit money with the court. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Puree and ketchup demand shoots up ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Bizman caught in crossfire between Raheja siblings
Steep rise in tomato prices have made people turn to ‘quick-fix solutions’ like puree and ketchup to keep the kitchen budget intact, says a survey. The situation has pushed up the demand for alternatives to the kitchen staple, it said. According to the Assocham survey, about 72 per cent of middle income group (MIG) and lower income group (LIG) find difficult to manage their household budget and squeezing families’ finances to the lowest level due to sudden rise in price of vegetables like tomatoes, onion and ginger. The survey was conducted among 1,000 housewives in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. The maximum impact was felt in Delhi-NCR followed Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Around 72 per cent of lower middle class families have been forced to skip using tomatoes or squeeze their budget for vegetables to keep it intact. “The demand for tomato puree and ketchup, ginger-garlic pastes have gone up by 20-25 per cent due to high fluctuations of market prices of vegetables”, Assocham Secretary
General D S Rawat said. Tomato prices have increased to Rs 65 per kg in Delhi from Rs 40 per kg a month ago. The average prices of tomatoes across major cities have risen to Rs 55/kg from Rs 30 a month ago. Similarly, onion prices have increased to Rs 37.52 per kg from Rs 36 a week ago. The survey pointed out that with prices of kitchen staples such as garlic and ginger (Rs 160 to Rs 200) and tomatoes (Rs 40 to Rs 60) increasing, the demand for their ready-to-use version has risen by 20-25 per cent within two weeks. The local grocers have also increased stock of tomato puree/ketchup and ginger-garlic paste. A local grocer said that in the last two weeks there has been a rise in sales of products such as puree, ginger-garlic paste, bhindi masala and chole masala. Prices of tomatoes, onions besides fruits have gone up by 50-55 per cent. Fruits have also become a luxury for the lower middle class; one spends less on buying puree/ ketchup than a kilo of fresh tomatoes. Packed food products appeared to be a better option for middle or lower income group, the survey said. PTI
Nigerians held for duping man Indians 10th on spenders list using fake matrimonial profile The crime branch of Mumbai police has arrested three Nigerian nationals for allegedly duping a city-based man after approaching him through a fake profile on a matrimonial site. The accused were identified as Pascal Okwudili Chukwu alias Pascal Sunday (38), Eimma Nedum Daniel alias Tony (40) and Richard Alex Chinoso alias Soko alias Nanso (41). DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni said
that the accused had created a fake profile of a girl seeking a bridegroom on a matrimonial site. The complainant saw the profile and contacted the ‘girl’, following which the accused gained his trust after frequent online chats and a few telephonic conversations. They subsequently persuaded him to invest money in a ‘business’ which the ‘girl’ wanted to start up. The complainant claimed that he then
Indians need more toilets: Survey As the United Nations observed World Toilet Day, a recent survey has revealed that 99 per cent Indian travellers need more restrooms facilities and 98 per cent women demand washrooms on highways. About 99 per cent travellers in the country said there is a need for more toilets across tourism destinations and spots in the country, a survey conducted by travel community HolidayIQ said. Interestingly, it found that highways were given the highest number of votes on where we need more toilets, topping the list at 92 per cent. While only 85 per cent male travellers voted for highways, 98 per cent women travellers expressed a need for more toilets on highways, it pointed out. They also mention toilets are an essential element in planning holidays, especially in deciding the mode of travel, as per the survey. The survey, conducted over last one week, to understand the current scenario and importance of access to restrooms, while travelling, saw participation of over 32,000 travellers from over 80 Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai,
Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune. “Of the 2.4 billion people in the world who have no toilets, India accounts for nearly 600 million. Those who have travelled the country will understand the fuss about toilets in India too well. “Even at some of the world’s most frequented sightseeing sites in India, access to toilets is considered a luxury,” it said. With festive tourism growing and travellers heading to destinations with religious and spiritual significance, 86 per cent travellers felt there should be more accessibility to toilets in these places. About 76 per cent travellers feel that bus stations and buses are other areas that need to have access to clean toilets. It also revealed that 86 per cent travellers demand cleaner toilets while 71 per cent feel the need for more toilets. Safety and security accounted for 62 per cent, 56 per cent demand disabled friendly toilets and 37 per cent said there should be feeding rooms for women, it added. PTI
deposited more than Rs 43 lakh in several bank accounts, though he had not met the ‘girl’ even once. Later, he realised that he had been duped and approached police whose crime branch sleuths, with the help of their Cyber Cell, tracked down the three and arrested them over the last few days. Further inquiries are on into the case, police added. PTI
Indian travellers feature in the top 10 list of spenders on hotel room booking during the first half of 2015 while on a trip abroad, according to a recent report. As per the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) report by Hotels.com, Indian travellers stood 10th in spending while booking a hotel room at Rs 9,351 per night during International travel in the first half of 2015. Travellers from Argentina took the first place at Rs 10,456 a night followed by travellers from the US in the second place shelling out Rs 10,330 a night and Switzerland in
the third place splurging Rs 10,238 a night. The Hotel Price Index is a regular report on hotel prices in major destinations across the world tracking the movement in prices that people actually paid for their accommodation and providing valuable insight into the reasons behind these changes. The data is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of hotels on the Hotels.com websites worldwide. The latest edition also revealed that Swiss travellers paid the most on hotel rooms at home averaging Rs
12,088 a night. Travellers from Singapore came in second at Rs 9,298 and Norway third at Rs 9,004 a night domestically on hotels. When it came to spending on hotel rooms domestically, Indian travellers ranked 4th in getting the best value accommodation with an average payment of Rs 5,346 a night. Out of the 32 countries analysed, 29 countries paid more abroad for travel than at home with some showing a significant gap between the two amounts, the report pointed out. PTI
Peter Mukerjea arrested by CBI The investigators quizzed Mukerjea’s son Rahul for over 12 hours
Even as former media magnate Peter Mukerjea was arrested in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case, the CBI questioned his son Rahul Mukerjea for over 12 hours. Rahul, who was said to be in a relationship with Sheena, was called to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Sheena Bora (CBI) office in south Mumbai last night, sources said. He was seen coming out of the CBI office at around 10.30 AM on Friday. Rahul was asked whether he and Sheena had revealed to Peter that Sheena was not Indrani’s sister but her daughter, the sources said. He was also asked if he had raised concerns about Sheena’s safety after she disappeared in 2012, they said. Rahul was grilled for over 12 hours, the sources said. His statement was being
corroborated with the statement given by his father Peter Mukerjea to ascertain the facts of the sensational murder case. Peter Mukherjea was arrested on Thursday by CBI, hours after it filed a charge sheet in which his wife Indrani Mukherjee, the mother of the victim
born from her first marriage, and two others were accused of the crime. Sources in the probe agency said he was arrested for allegedly “shielding the accused” and “inconsistencies” in his statements. The CBI had also filed a chargesheet in the case, three months
after Sheena Bora’s remains were found in a forest near Mumbai. Sheena Bora was allegedly murdered by her mother Indrani Mu ker jea , Rahul Mukerjea Indrani’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai in April 2012. The body of the 24-year-old was dumped in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district. The chargesheet names Indrani, Khanna and Rai as accused--who were all arrested in August this year. The agency has charged them with criminal conspiracy to kidnap, murder, cheating, destruction of evidence, forgery and use of forged documents besides violation of provisions of Information Technology Act. The agency has charged them with criminal conspiracy to kidnap, murder, cheating, destruction of evidence, forgery and use of forged documents besides violation of provisions of Information Technology Act.
PUNE, NOVEMBER 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
This is a matter of
life and death
Though palliative care, or tending to the terminally ill, is a policy in Maharashtra, this is an area of medical treatment that needs to be extended exponentially for all such patients to have access to a humane and dignified deliverance See Spotlight, p06 & 07
PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5
Your Shivneri driver has been at the wheel for 16 hrs See on, p3
Special legal aid centre to deal with NE students’ issues
See on, p3
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
“Hyacinth in the three rivers is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and the areas near the rivers face a severe menace. This is the beginning of the growth of hyacinth. It must be curbed before t covers the rivers.” — Atul Shitole, Committee Chairman
Now get 32 lifestyle services at your fingertips P8
The crematorium workers are a troubled lot owing to a manpower crunch
VISHAL KALE
Short-staffed Vaikunth adds to the agony of kin
P10
New software to keep a check on water thefts
It will regulate water released from pumping stations to tanks around the city; will also keep citizens informed about the water levels VISHAL KALE
PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka
TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly Vaikunth crematorium at Navi Peth is facing a shortage of manpower. It happens to be Pune’s main crematorium, and there are 25 funeral ceremonies on an average every day. The crematorium has two electric furnaces, one gas furnace and 12 wood furnaces. Six workers are required, with two workers each employed in three shifts. However, currently there are just four workers available, which means that one worker has to handle six furnaces. This is resulting in long delays for the funeral ceremonies at Vaikunth. The workers said, “Earlier there were six of us workers, but our contractor terminated the services of two colleagues without any reason. So just four of us handle the gas and 12 wood furnaces. Three of us work in three shifts as one takes
US recovers idol stolen from temple
his weekly holiday. It is difficult for a single person to lift a dead body and put it on the furnace stretcher, so we are forced to ask the deceased’s kin to help. They are not always willing to help as they are in mourning. We had informed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) about the shortage of manpower on August 17, 2015 and again on September 4, 2015, but to no avail. The PMC has not provided us gloves for the last year and we are suffering burn injuries while clearing the ash from the furnaces. “The contractor is making
one of us handle six furnace units. We have to carry wood to the furnace and if there is more than a single body to be cremated, there are inevitable delays which the deceased person’s families have to bear up with. They don’t realise that the shortage of staff is the reason for the delays. The contractor just ignores our demand for more workers.” Nikita Boiler company runs the furnace units at Vaikunth crematorium. The proprietor Anand Bhide said, “We have spoken to the PMC officials about the manpower issue and are expecting to
get the required permission and funds. We will hire two workers so that there are two workers for each shift.” Mayor Dattatraya Dhankawade said, “I have received a letter from Vaikunth workers about additional manpower and had told the administration to look into the matter. PMC floats tenders for crematoriums so it is the contractor’s responsibility to recruit adequate manpower. If citizens are facing problems, we will question the contractor.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Water theft and faulty water connections are issues that will be resolved when the new software is brought into use, which will regulate the volume of water released from pumping stations to water tanks around the city. In a tug of war between the water distribution department and the electricity department of the Pune Municipal Corporation, the latter has for the first time come up with software which will not only optimise the use of drinking water, but will also keep citizens informed about the water levels in tanks in their area. Elaborating on the ambitious project, electricity department head Shrinivas Kandul said that citizens who get infrequent water supply can actually confirm the amount of water in the tanks in their locality. “Water thefts or overflowing tanks affect household water distribution in PMC limits. The software will provide the actual volume
of water being released from pumping stations and the volume of water in the tanks which will also avert wastage of water,” said Kandul. There is no mechanism to measure the volume of water released from the five pumping stations in Pune. “There are around 15 water tanks in the city. Many of them do not even require high frequency water release, but owing to the lack of machinery water tanks overflow or even run dry,” said Kandul. The new software will ensure that only the required volume of water is supplied to the tanks.
The data collection work of the pumping stations is already underway. “Our staff visit pumping stations to assess where pumping stations are supplying water. Minor repairs are done and sensors will be installed to set the required water level in the tanks. Electronic energy meter, modem, interface unit will be needed to develop the software” Kandul said. The PMC has a reserve budget for drinking water, and there is adequate budget for the software project. priyankka.deshpande@ goldensparrow.com
Rashtriya Rifles CO Mahadik makes the supreme sacrifice PICS BY VISHAL KALE
BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan
Pune pays tribute to colonel Santosh Mahadik who was martyred while battling terrorists during a counterinfiltration operation in Manigah Forest of Kupwara District, Jammu & Kashmir, on Tuesday
Citizens of Pune and Army personnel paid a heartfelt tribute on Wednesday at National War Memorial, Ghorpadi, to the 38-year-old late Colonel Santosh Mahadik who laid down his life in service of the nation. Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, Mahadik attained martyrdom during a counter-infiltration operation in Manigah Forest of Kupwara District, Jammu & Kashmir, on Tuesday. Lt. Gen Ashok Singh, Generalofficer-Commanding in Command, Southern Command, paid a tribute to Mahadik saying that the officer of the elite Para Commando force volunteered to take charge of antiterror operations in Kashmir. Mahadik was awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry for his leadership as a young officer while fighting terrorists in Lolab Valley. Born on January 15, 1977 in Pogarwadi village in Satara, Mahadik is survived by his wife Swati, 11-yearold daughter Kartiki and five-year-old son Swaraj. He was commissioned into the Indian Army on December 12, 1998. He studied at Yashwantrao Chavan Institute of Science, Satara. Mahadik’s father was a tailor and his brother is a milkman. He gravitated towards the army from his early days
at Sainik School, Satara. His friends remember him being “Calm in composure, gentle in demeanour but who carried a storm in his heart.” Sports had a special place in Mahadik’s life He organised cricket, football, volleyball and carom tournaments and was an ace goalkeeper, skilled horse-rider and passionate boxer. His friend regarded him as an all-rounder. He was part of the team which trained Indian Cricket Captain M S Dhoni in paragliding in August 2015. During a School Boxing Championship, one of his friends congratulated him for his victory to which his father responded, “This is not the great fight of my son, his real fight will be on the borders protecting his nation and my son will always be
victorious.” His ‘never say die’ attitude and smile were ever so infectious, always bearing hope for better times to come. On Tuesday, Mahadik was leading a search party pursuing terrorists in the inhospitable terrain when he was brought down by heavy fire from the terrorists. Despite being critically wounded, the Commanding Officer led his troops till he was evacuated. Mahadik did immense work to bring a positive change in the lives of the local populace. He organised guidance for competitive exams, recruitment training for a career in the defence forces and conducted sports and academic competitions for the youth. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
Online pharmacy websites asked to shut shop
RAHUL RAUT
BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1
not force drivers to do an extra run. We never ask them to do overtime as we have sufficient drivers.” But MSRTC sources say that of the total 112, 20 to 25 drivers are absent every day. “Two drivers have been assigned per bus and they run the buses in shifts. When drivers do not turn up for duty, we request the
available drivers to fill in,” the source said. The Shivneri bus service is from Swargate and Pune station to Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nashik and Solapur. Of the total 27 buses, 12 are for the SwargateBorivali route, four for Dadar, eight for Thane, and two for Solapur. Of the 30 buses from Shivajinagar to Dadar, eight go
The Food Drug and Administration (FDA), Pune has swung into action by issuing notices ordering closure to two online pharmacy websites. This comes in the wake of the Chemist Association of Pune District (CAPD) and All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) nationwide strike on October 14, protesting against the online sales of pharmaceuticals. Closure were issued to Medi dart.com and Net meds. com by FDA Pune personnel. Said FDA Pune Assistant Commissioner Suhas Mohite said, “These two websites were delivering medicines to customers without ensuring that they were the ones mentioned in the prescriptions. We uploaded a paediatric doctor’s prescription ordering a Medical Termination Pregnancy (MTP) kit and both the online companies sent us the MTP kits which had neither a valid licence nor batch number.” But the CAPD is not satisfied with the FDA action. CAPD Secretary Vijay Changedia said, “The FDA does nothing beyond issuing notices to online pharmacy websites. Multinationals are
via Chinchwad, 14 via Aundh, six to Aurangabad and two for Nashik (2). Of the 27 buses which leave from Swargate, seven are owned by MSRTC and 20 are run by a contractor. Twentyone buses from Shivajinagar are owned by MSRTC and nine are run by a contractor. sushant.ranjan@ goldensparrow.com
RAHUL RAUT
Nationwide strike by CAPD and AIOCD against online pharmacy websites spurs FDA into action
The bus drivers claim that they do not get enough rest and are being forced to do double duty
Drivers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) premium Shivneri Pune-Mumbai bus service are being forced to do an extra trip owing to a shortage of drivers, which means that they are working double their stipulated eight-hour shift, resulting in a 16-hour daily workload. The to and fro PuneMumbai-Pune trip takes eight hours. A Shivneri bus driver on the Pune-Dadar route, on condition of anonymity, said, “I drive from Swargate to Dadar and back everyday. My duty starts at 7 am and I reach Mumbai at 10.30-11 am. After a half hour halt, I drive back and reach Swargate after 2.30 pm. But on reaching Pune, I am told by the officials to do another round trip.” Even contract drivers are told to do the extra trip. The journey from Swargate to Borivali takes four and half hours. The 12 buses for this route are doing 20 round trips. There are two drivers per bus. MSRTC Pune Division Controller Shailesh Chavan said, “The Shivneri bus service is the pride of the MSRTC. We follow the MSRTC Act and do
P 12
P9
Your Shivneri driver has been at the wheel for 16 hrs BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan
Citizens should focus on ‘beautiful Pune’
Cross-border nuptials face visa hurdle
“There are many vehicles in convoys of dignitaries which drive at a distance of 5-7 feet away from the main vehicle, so we have no option but to close the entire route. At a busy junction even stopping the traffic for five minutes causes a snarl.” — Sarang Awad, Deputy Commissioner of police (traffic)
PUNE
investing huge sums of money in online pharmacy businesses and reaping the benefits. The pharmacy retail business faces a real threat of the market being captured by such companies. The government should ban
“Pharmacy retail business faces a real threat of the market being captured by such cos.”
these websites.” Regarding no action being taken against these websites, Mohite said, “The medicine parcels had come from Chennai and we have urged our Chennai counterparts to take action on these companies’ stores which are in their jurisdiction. We have asked them to shut down their business, failing which we will file criminal cases.” The AIOCD strike was participated in by retailers across the country and it had affected medical services in Pune. Medical stores attached to hospitals remained open but the common man faced difficulties in getting their medicines. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com
Special legal aid centre to deal with NE students’ issues DDHA EKAR
RAJAND
.th | www 21, 2015
w.com
nsparro
egolde
MBER
NOVE PUNE,
I am a
ore s and, m urageou en the ey are co h th w g, p n u stro ive rts from They are y, they did not g brave hea r tale ntl eet five ei importa M th . ll h g te u to to going got o have survived wh the city,
your Listen to ument? No instr m le No prob
F
ING RIV
Better late
p14
p05
your soup for n e k ic h C l pet’s sou
D
body
E UR
S
p07
In the issue ES R U
Meet the youngest IB school teacher
FEA T
Why is it named a legal clinic? It is a new concept devised by NALSA to engage the services of a qualified lawyers and trained paralegal volunteers. The clinic will be mostly manned by paralegal volunteers who can assist the simple needs of the people who face difficulties due to ignorance as to what to do when they come across with government officials or procedural tangles at least in the legal segment. Help of a professional panel lawyer can be sought if the situation requires. The ultimate object of NALSA is that even the persons living in the remotest part of the village will not feel exasperated for want of assistance in securing his rights under the law and those under the various governmental schemes. NALSA also proposes to include the services of psychologists, psychiatrists also in the legal aid clinics as a part of its legal services to the mentally ill persons and for promoting advocacy on the curability of mental illness. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com
With this issue
r o v i v Sur
authorities and police. Now that we have a legal backing, things should get slightly smoother. Otherwise, it was always a big tussle with us on the losing end, be it in a professional or a personal front,” he says. The decision to set up a legal aid centre was put into motion by the writ petition filed by Alana Golmei, who has been fighting for North Eastern people’s rights and for their justice, in Delhi. Her writ petition in the Supreme Court questions the availability of free and dedicated legal aid for people from the North East, forcing NALSA into action. It was a commendably fast move by the district authorities as Maharashtra has recently been witness to violence against the north east students and professionals.
FEA T
Jadhav. But instead of deploying them full time at Sinhagad College, the lawyers are kept on an on-call basis. “Why waste resources and manpower when it can be optimised?” Jadhav said. But then, how would the clinic run and its services availed? “At any given point of time, anyone – be it a student, a professional or simply someone who lives in Pune but hails from one of the seven North Eastern States - can approach the Sinhagad College authorities, who would in turn link them to the lawyers and paralegals starting the process,” explained Jadhav. While the lawyers and the legal authorities think it is a big step forward, the natives from North East living in Pune, are not so sure. Mangi Khumakcham, an IT professional and a resident of Sangvi, says, “I don’t see how setting up a legal aid office is going to help, until we provide a proper platform for cultural integration.” He has been staying in Pune for a fairly long time and has never had any issue with the legal services, something he can’t say about the social circle. “In areas like Khadki and Sangvi, you are treated not only like an outsider but many a time even with disrespect and doubt. They have no idea about the cities and locale of north east and they refer to us as foreigners or Chinese, which is downright disrespectful,” he said. Mangi believes the separate legal service will alienate people even more. On the other hand, Anthony Moirangthem, who works at WNS Pune and was a law student, believes that it is a positive step in the right direction. “For people who are from outside Pune, especially from the North East, it is very difficult to deal with public
THRILL O
A special legal aid centre has been set up to address the legal concerns of the North Eastern students, on November 15 at the Sinhagad Law College, Pune. The centre named Legal Aid Clinic by the National Legal Service Authority, is the first in the state and is set up to provide legal assistance of all kind to the natives of North East India, free of cost and on a fast track basis. While authorities in the legal department think that it is a big step forward, the natives of seven sister states displayed mixed reactions. The centre was inaugurated by Mahesh Jadhav, the legal aid of Pune district. A writ petition was filed by Alana Golmei in the Supreme Court, where she mentioned National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) as one of the respondents regarding availability of free and fair justice to citizens of North East India. NALSA then issued letters to all the District Legal Services Authority on October 20, reminding them to set up special ‘Legal Clinics’ for people from the North East. For the district authorities in Pune, it was just like sealing the deal. “NALSA had already issued a notice dated August 25, 2015 commanding the district legal authorities to start identifying places where the North Eastern people stay and thus spot places that can be turned into ‘legal clinics’. So, when the second letter came, we were ready with all the ground work and thus needed to only finish with the formalities,” said Jadhav. Sinhagad Law College in Vadgaon Budruk was chosen as a high density spot of North Eastern people by the District Legal Authorities and the college was approached. “Not only is their campus huge and thus has ample space for the clinic, but they also are at a convenient position. Plus, they have a huge populace of students from North East,” Jadhav said. Once the college authorities were contacted and their approval obtained, the lawyers were approached. “We have appointed four lawyers and two paralegals. These lawyers are great at what they do and have also a lot of experience. We have given the best options,” said
ANIRU
BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma
RAHUL RAUT
North East students community’s legal concerns given due consideration
Finding solace in wilderness
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
“On one hand, the state government speaks about establishing memorials of Babasaheb Ambedkar and on the other, the education department is trying to abolish the backward community for whom Ambedkar tried to do justice.” — Kishore Darak, Education Researcher
FCPC slides down P 15
British era Shivaji Market needs a makeover
BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan There are no signs of the promised and long-awaited renovation of the historic and heritage structure of Shivaji Market in Camp. The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) president Brigadier CV Ajay had issued orders for the renovation before the Cantonment elections, which have not been implemented. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had surveyed the cantonment area in 2007 and submitted
a detailed proposal to the PCB. The conservation and development of Shivaji Market was estimated to cost Rs 3.25 crore, but it was never passed. PCB Vice President Kiran Mantri said, “The proposal has been pending for a long time. We are planning to
pass it at the end of this year.” PCB Chief Executive Officer Sanjeev Kumar says that conditions at the market are improving. “PCB is implementing the plan drawn up by the members to minimise nuisance at the market.” PCB member Priyanka Shrigiri,
Security staff posted at PMC properties are not paid their monthly salaries on time
elected from ward number 8, said. “The situation at the market is changing and work is in progress. We have drawn up a plan and are working on it. Renovation is necessary but it will take some time.” Bangles shop owner Shoaib Maniyar said, “Shivaji Market used to be the most popular daily shopping place for Camp residents and customers came here from as far off as Hadapsar, Wanowrie, Vimannagar and even the city. But now people have other options.” Shivaji Market was built by the British in 1885. The foundation stone was laid by Lt Gen John Ross. The walls are made of stone, with a high ceiling and large areas occupied by vegetable vendors, grocers and separate fish, meat and beef sections. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com
Radha’s death sparks VCDC revival Funding for district Village Child Development Centres to be resumed to deal with child malnutrition BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 In wake of the recent death of Radha Kadam who was a victim of acute malnourishment, the Women and Child Welfare Department (WCWD) of Pune has decided to start the supply of funds to all the 4,581 Village Child Development Centres (VCDC) in Pune district to enable them to start functioning again. The VCDC and Community based Therapeutic Centres (CTC) working for the welfare and care of malnourished children, had shut down in August 2015 owing to the stoppage of funding by the
Health Department of National Health Mission (NHM),. WCWD Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dattatray Munde said, “The VCDC, which were earlier funded by the central health department, will start functioning in December. We had sent a proposal to the Panchayat Samiti in October and we have received ten per cent of the funds from Gram Panchayats.” The programme will ensure that Rs 1,200 will go towards the care of each malnourished child every month. Khed VCDC officer Goraksh Pingale said, “The NHM provided Rs 1,500 per month for each malnourished
child. The centre stopped functioning in January but it was officially declared closed in August.” Owing to the closure of the centre, acutely malnourished children were sent to the Aundh District Hospital. Jan Arogya Manch head Dr Shekhar Bendre said, “The news about the VCDC restarting functioning is welcome. But
have other districts come up with any plan? Cases of malnourished children are frequent so other centres should also begin operations.” A total of 370 cases of Severely Acute Malnutrition (SAM) came to light during a survey conducted by the WCWD in the 4578 Anganwadi centres in Pune district in June. Daund and Baramati topped the table with 46 and 44 cases respectively, while Indapur had only a single case. There is an urgent need of awareness about the prevailing malnutrition among children in the district if it is to be curbed. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com
BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Security staff hired by local contractors to guard Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) properties are never sure of the date they will be paid their monthly salaries, nor are they given a pay slip. There are 1,600 security personnel posted at PMC properties. Swati Gogade, 29, has been working as a security guard at the Sambhaji Nagar Udyan, Dhankawadi for three years. “We are paid our salaries on any random date instead of a fixed one. My two colleagues and I received our salaries for the months of July and August in September,” she said. Nalini Sundankar, 32, is posted as security guard at Annabhau Sathe Sabhagruha, Padmavati, and lives in a rented house nearby. “I have been working here for two years. There is no fixed date when I receive my salary. Sometimes I am not paid for months. I have house rent and
living expenses and since I don’t get paid on time, I am having a hard time. I have never been given a single pay slip in two years,” Sundankar said. The security guards are paid a minimum wage of Rs 6,500 per month, but they have no idea of how much is deducted for Provident Fund (PF). “We don’t know much of our salary is cut for PF. The contractor never tells us about the PF though we keep asking. In the two years I have worked here, I have never been paid my salary on time, nor have I been given a pay slip,” said Gautam Nimme, 34. Corporators feel that the PMC authorities should look into this matter. Corporator Mukta Tilak said, “These security guards are hired by contractors. PMC pays the contractor and expects them to pay the guards on time. But the contractors are not abiding by the rules. The PMC should take strict action against such contractors.” ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com
RAHUL RAUT
VISHAL KALE
The 130-year-old Shivaji Market in Camp is still awaiting the renovation promised long ago
PMC security staff left in the lurch
The PMC security staff have no clue about when they will be paid their salaries
PMPML yet to devise a business plan Is your water tap illegal? The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has not come up with a business plan even after being allotted a two crore rupees budget by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) two years ago. The aim was to improve the state of the PMPML buses as a business plan would have detailed and long-term goals and strategies to achieve them. City NGOs have voiced ire against the PMPML for not devising a business plan. Pune Pravasi Manch President Jugal Rathi said that the PMPML should come up an agenda to provide commuters with better service. “No concrete steps have been taken. The PMPML functioning is haphazard and there is no systematic planning and therefore there is no development. To provide better service to the commuters, the PMPML should come up
The PMPML sob story has been going on for years with mounting losses
with a better plan,” he said. The NGOs had sent a letter to the PMPML on November 6, asking for updates about the plan, but no response was forthcoming. The PMPML has not even appointed an agency to prepare such a plan, claimed the NGOs. Sanjay Jadhav, 29, a resident of Nigdi, is a dissatisfied commuter. “I travel everyday from Nigdi to
Shivajinagar. The condition of the buses is pathetic, especially the seats. At night, the buses don’t stop for a single commuter at the stop. The PMPML should come up with a better plan. Buses break down frequently, and the journeys become time consuming,” he said. PMPML Joint Managing Director Pravin Astike said that
a committee has been formed and the business plan has been put before the Board of Directors (BoD) comprising of three IAS officers, CMD (Chairman and Managing Director), Mayor, chairman of the Standing Committee, RTO and Director of Central Institute of Road Transport. “Two months ago, we have filed the tender and all the documents have been sent to the BoD for the final approval. We had a meeting at the end of October. Our work is done, and we are waiting for the approval,” he said. “If the plan is ready and if the PMPML has allocated the budget, why isn’t the organisation acting on it?” said Rajendra Sidhaye, Board of Director of Save Pune Traffic Movement. “The budget was sanctioned two years ago. They should start acting on it soon. The management should implement a proper plan,” he said. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com
BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka While citizens of Nagpur are reaping the benefits accruing from the effective implementation of the state government’s Abhay scheme, the Pune Municipal Corporation is yet to devise the means to deal with illegal water connections in the city. The state government had launched the Abhay scheme in 2010 to curb illegal water connections which are the primary cause of unequal water distribution. The PMC has dithered over its implementation, citing flimsy excuses. PMC’s water department head V G Kulkarni said, “We wanted to legalise water connections in June 2015, after the state government decided to legalise certain water connections and take action against illegal connections. But
Almost 90 per cent of water taps in the city are said to be illegal
we shelved the plan to avert the citizens ire and have postponed action against illegal water to September 2016.” He said that that almost 90 per cent of water taps in the city are illegal. It is the lack of political will responsible for the delay in the implementation of the Abhay scheme. The file regarding the scheme was sent to various PMC departments since 2010. The scheme was tabled before the General Body immediately after its launch in 2010. It was opposed by the corporators who made sure that
The long arm of the law takes its own sweet time Road contractor yet to be booked for negligence resulting in the deaths of two students BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke Despite repeated requests by the city traffic police to register an offense against the road contractor for his alleged negligence which caused the deaths of two students in an accident in March 2015, the Hinjewadi police station is yet to register an offense against the contractor. Two engineering college students Riddhi Patel (21) and Harshada Gite (20) were killed and student Himadri Patel was injured seriously when a speeding car knocked them down
on March 16. The police had arrested the car driver Santosh Devkar of Yerawada. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sarang Awad said that he has sent letters to the Hinjewadi police to book the road contractor for improper maintenance of the road and indirectly causing the accident. “The subway was blocked with garbage and sewage. If not, the students would have used it to cross the road. The traffic police had urged the local police station to book the road contractor in regard to the accident,” he said. The traffic police have written six letters to the police station, but the offense is not yet registered. Awad said that the subway or other arrangement for pedestrians is mandatory but negligence in terms of ill-maintenance has cost the students their lives. “Therefore the contractor can be booked,” he said. The deceased and injured were students of D Y Patil
Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute. They were living in a private hostel at Bhumkar chowk and used to walk down to the college. At around 9 am on the ill-fated day, the speeding car knocked them down when they were crossing the road. Students are still forced to cross the high speed Katraj-Dehu road bypass which is part of National Highway Number 4. The subway is still blocked with garbage and water is pumped out every day. A senior officer of Hinjewadi police station said that they are scrutinising the details of the case, and if possible, a case of negligence would be registered against the contractor. The Katraj-Dehu Road bypass is known to be the most accident prone road around the city. Earlier this week three motorcycle riders were killed when a mini bus hit them head-on after crossing the divider. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
RAHUL RAUT
BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak
PMC drags heels on implementing state government’s Abhay scheme and illegal water taps abound in the city RAHUL RAUT
Two crore rupees was allotted to the public bus transport organisation to upgrade its services
it would not come up before the GB. In June 2015, the scheme came up for discussion and was passed unanimously in the GB. But now the civic administration’s apathy has delayed its implementation. “Only one tap should be installed between five houses in any residential apartment, wada or basti. However, local corporators install as many taps as citizens ask for by private plumbers, which are illegal,” said Kulkarni. priyankka.deshpande@ goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
“Ashok Singhalji was the force behind several noble deeds and social work, which benefited the poor. He is an inspiration for generations.” — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
Mission to redefine firm’s face P8
Ride to spread & share joy A group of 25 bikers hit city outskirts to share laughter and spend memorable days with children
PUNE
SC pats on stray dogs’ right to live P9
Auto drivers manhandle Uber passenger
BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry There is no bigger happiness than making someone else happy and that is exactly what a group of 25 plus bikers did last weekend. Following the example of her father, who holds the record for being the oldest man to reach world’s highest motorable road Khardungla, Trisha Roy joined the riding fraternity, and a step further. Along with biker friend Savio Tavadia, Trisha organised ride to an NGO for a fun-fi lled day with the inmates. Aiming to celebrate Diwali and Children’s Day, the bikers hit the streets early Sunday morning and rode to Shikshangram to spend time with around 40 children. Located in Malavali, 75 kms from Pune, the NGO is a shelter home for orphans. The event was organised by Motolethe, a website launched for riders and The Lycans, a motorcycling club that traces its origins to Mysore and has chapters across the country. Avid bikers Trisha and Savio are a part of Motolethe and were happy and contend to hold this event for their riding gear friends. CHANGING PERCEPTIONS “It often happens that riders go out for various rides to seek adventure and fun. The society feels that riders are rough and tough people. ‘Chai with Children’ was an initiative to let people know that we also have a heart and stand up for what we believe in,” said Trisha. Apart from changing the general perception about bikers, the event also aimed at making the children at NGO have a fun-fi lled day and share their joys. Apart from this, the event also helped the group that rode there spend their
Woman on crutches offloaded from cab and left stranded BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma
Happy kids
It was a learning experience and memorable day for bikers and children of Shikshangram
“We are thankful to the organisers who brought their friends along to spend a day with our children. Our children have been brought from places that wouldn’t have made them see the next daylight. Today their happiness is all that matters to us and we were touched to see them playing around and smiling. With more support from people we will soon be able to cater to a lot many other requirements.”
when Savio and I decided to organise this event. After entering the gate, we were overwhelmed by the response we got from children and the entire experience was nothing short of bliss. It was good to be the reason for the smile of these face of those little children,” said Trisha. The bikers conducted group activities, played music and games with them and distributed gifts. Many of the riders even formed emotional bonds with these children.
money for something that might actually help someone else. Instead of spending money on the fuel that the bike would consume had they gone for a longer ride, they diverted the money to see smiles on the faces of children. “We didn’t expect to receive such an overwhelming response from all riders
FUNDING THE FUN TRIP With the intention of treating children with Diwali faral and breakfast, the bikers funded the entire trip and programmes with kids. A few riders gave Rs 350 each and some formed groups and donated larger amounts. “We tried to make this day memorable for these children, but found ourselves more responsible towards the society,” Trisha said. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Satish Moon (co-founder & caretaker, Shikshangram)
Combining art, photography for animal welfare Pune photographers and artists get a platform to showcase their work as city-based animal lover organises a fund raiser for ResQ TGS NEWS SERVICE @TSGWeekly Having a soft corner for animals from childhood days, Akshata Shetty has always done whatever she could to help them. Be it helping an injured stray on the road or organising charity events to raise funds for shelters and organisations that look after animal The first edition of ‘Livin’ Every Beat’ saw 20 photographers and 127 photographs welfare. The 32-year-old is an admirer of art and an avid photographer as well. Combining all these interests artist has been limited to only two. This isn’t any money that she has to shell and passions, beginning last year, she will not only ensure quality out of her own pocket, planning the decided to create a platform which work but will be easier for event is quite a task. Finalising a venue, would not only be an opportunity audience to pick and buy,” deciding on an organisation to partner for photographers and painters Akshata said. with and deciding the way things will to showcase their work but also While last year the be displayed at the venue are just a few a way to raise funds for animal event was held at Arc Asia of the responsibilities. welfare. at Koregaon Park, this “My love for animals allows me to After eight years of being year the venue is the big take out time and plan this whole event. a journalist, she switched amphitheatre at Classic I have a few friends who help me. Some career to being an artist Rock Coffee Co. The are helping spread awareness and get manager but never gave venue is sponsored photographers and painters who could up her passion for art by the restaurant showcase their work while others like and photography. itself. All the my mother help out by managing the In an event titled photographers and incoming cash on the main day. I am ‘Livin’ Every painters are merely thankful to each one of them,” she adds. Beat’ which expected to frame The event will be held from 11 am holds multiple their work and bring to 7 pm. Representatives from ResQ meanings for along. Displaying shall also be present at the event to their work is for free. Akshata, the interact with the audience. Akshata Ten per cent of each sale second edition believes it necessary as it helps those shall be diverted to ResQ promises to be better. who are donating money either through aiding the organisation For her the title resembles direct donations or by buying the art Akshata Shetty financially and helping the fact that her heart beats for work a chance to understand and interthem take care of more animals and is also a metaphor act with the people who shall be using animals. There will also for her previous profession. their money. “In the first edition there be a donation box at the Akshata hopes the event is better venue where people who do were 20 photographers and 127 than its previous edition and helps raise not wish to particularly buy photographs. This was a lot for enough money for the organisation and any art work can donate. the audience to take in. This year generate awareness. even though there is no restriction This year the event already When: November 22, 11 am to 7 pm has about 15 photographers and on the number of participants since Where: Classic Rock Coffee Co., two painters who have registered it is for a good cause, the number Koregaon Park their participation. Although there of photographs or paintings per tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
A 26-year-old woman on crutches was threatened by auto drivers and forced to get off an Uber cab on Tuesday. The incident occurred near Dandekar Bridge, Pune. Deepika Salwankar of Kolhapur had called for an Uber to get to Magarpatta when auto drivers ganged up and threatened her and the cab driver. The cab driver offloaded all her bags and fled with traffic cops preferring to be mute spectators. Deepika, a student of Communication and Marketing at MICA, Ahmedabad, had taken a bus from Kolhapur to Pune. She reached Pune before noon and decided to spend some time with a friend in Magarpatta before catching evening flight from Pune airport for Ahmedabad. “I pleaded with them to let me go as I was on crutches. They ignored my pleas and started threatening the driver that they would damage his vehicle if he took me,” she said. Deepika underwent a knee surgery a few days ago and was on crutches. She booked a cab while she was on the bus from Kolhapur to Pune. She asked to be picked up from Dandekar Bridge, where she was to get off from the bus. After five minutes of wait, the cab arrived and she loaded her bags into it. She was about to get in when auto drivers standing in the vicinity created a ruckus. One of the auto drivers blocked her, whereas another picked up stones to hit her and the Uber driver.
“They ignored my pleas,” recounts Deepika. The Uber driver did as told. “He offloaded all my bags and fled. I tried pleading with him to take me but in vain. The auto drivers too refused to help me as I had made the mistake of calling an Uber,” said Deepika. The 26-year-old woman had to drag her luggage a few hundred metres before she got an auto. “Traffic cops witnessed the incident but did not care to help me or stop the auto drivers. When I approached them, they pretended as if nothing had happened and asked me to file a complaint with local police station,” she said. The Kolhapur resident narrated the incident on a social networking site and tagged Uber hoping that they would file a police complaint and initiate action against their own driver. Uber did neither of it. When The Golden Sparrow contacted Salil Bhatia, general manager, Uber Pune, he responded over email. “We have reached out to the aggrieved rider (Deepika) and will provide her all assistance if she wants to file a formal complaint with the police. These violent protests are not only inconveniencing the riders but are also impacting the livelihood of thousands of driver partners who are thriving on our platform as a new breed of entrepreneurs. We will continue to work with the authorities to put the interest and safety of riders and drivers first.” Autorickshaw Panchayat president Nitin Pawar said, “We condemn the incident, if it did happen. But shouldn’t we stop something illegal from happening? These cabs are illegal. It is only for tourists. They have hijacked the transport system. The auto drivers should have done it in a respectable manner, especially since a girl was involved,” he said. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
This is a matter of
life and death
Though palliative care, or tending to the terminally ill, is a policy in Maharashtra, this is an area of medical treatment that needs to be extended exponentially for all such patients to have access to a humane and dignified deliverance BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma India is one of the 15 worst countries to die in, according to a survey conducted by the Economist’s intelligence wing. Only China, Myanmar and Bangladesh in Asia, along with a few sub-Saharan countries rate lower than India in the 2015 quality of death index. While it is imperative for a government to work towards improving the lives of its citizens, it is also important to include policies to benefit the dying, and thus, palliative care centres are the need of the hour. However, Kerala and Maharashtra are the only two states in India which have policies to support and help the dying. While Kerala has done commendable work in this regard, the Maharashtra government seems to have forgotten that it has such a policy. In its second biggest city, Pune, there are only two centres to help, support and take care of the dying, and both of them are privately owned. There are no government centres for palliative care in Pune. Government hospitals don’t even have a specific doctor who specialises in palliative care. They therefore, rely on the privately owned centres for the sick and dying. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has no idea regarding the palliative care policies and the concerned personnel refused to make any comment regarding the same. We tracked down both the palliative care centres in Pune and spoke to six patients to figure out how palliative care works and what it involves. CIPLA Care beyond Cure Started in 1997 by the owners of Cipla, the centre came into existence after they realised that there was a crying need for such a place. “Cipla was supplying
morphine in big quantities to a cancer care centre in Mumbai. When the top bosses realised this, they wanted to know why a cancer care centre needed so much morphine. When they realised that it was to relieve terminally ill patients of excruciating pain, they decided that Cipla would do something about it,” said the communication
manager of the Care beyond Cure centre. “We work in the Corporate Social Responsibility and thus we are asked by our seniors to not disclose names,” she explained. “When Care beyond Cure was started, we really had no base. Cancer wasn’t as widely known a disease as it is today and it took a lot of effort and counselling to explain its nature and consequences to patients.” And things really haven’t changed all that much. “People still don’t know what we do or what palliative care means,” she says. A palliative care centre is a sort of home for the dying, people believe. “Palliative care is not care for the dying only; it encompasses much more than that. Palliative care is basically pain management and treatment. But the hospitals across the city only refer the patients who are on the death bed, and we have even received patients who have died on their way here. The death toll is high,” she said. While on the day that we were there, a man referred from a city hospital had died on the way to the Cipla centre. Palliative care for children is obviously more heart wrenching for both the doctors and the parents. However, children were easier to manage than their parents, the doctor said. “We generally put children down stating that they don’t understand. However, in most cases, they generally understand better and faster than the parents who have a hope of miracle till the last minute and refuse to understand otherwise,” he said. Elaborating on the care provided at the centre, she and the medical head briefed us about their approach and actions taken to help the patients. “When someone is sick, there are four parameters that need to be brought into focus, namely physical, emotional, spiritual and mental. All must be considered and addressed. We try to engage our patients on all four parameters. Our doctors help alleviate any medical and physical problem, we encourage positive activities and maintain a positive environment through counselling
for both patient and the family. For mental and spiritual balance, we engage them in individual or group activities,” she explained. While it is mandatory for one family member to accompany the patient at all times, they do take in cases where the person declares that she is a destitute or doesn’t wish anyone from his family to be involved. “We obviously encourage
“Palliative care is basically pain management and treatment. But the hospitals across the city only refer the patients who are on the death bed, and we have even received patients who have died on their way here. The death toll is high” — NS NYAYPATHI
family members being with the patient, but we do take in rare cases where a person is actually destitute,” she said. While any and every family member is welcome, the centre has also been witness to many a family drama. “We have had so many mothers and daughters-in-law or sisters-in-law duos who couldn’t see eye to eye initially, but were actually brought closer owing to the affliction,” the medical head explained. Among the many services they provide, there’s a home care service. “We send out a team of doctors and nurses every morning to a radius of 20km from the city. They visit the patients, get updates and do medical check-ups,” he said. While most of their patients are terminally ill, some of them live much longer thanks to the elaborate care. The medical head explains the care centre’s approach: “Unlike hospitals where doctors decide what is good for someone, here we let the patients decide. It’s their call in most things and that gives them a semblance of being in control, which is also good for them in the long run.” We need more state-run initiatives. “While the world is moving towards a situation where both the oncologist and palliative specialist break the news of cancer to patients, most hospitals in India don’t even have a palliative doctor. This must change, as it is terribly difficult for the family of a patient to accept the inevitable when they have expended all their resources and energies towards saving him,” they said. Care India Medical Society Started in 1998 by founding member, retired Army man NS Nyaypathi, Care India Medical Society is a privately funded palliative and cancer care centre. While Cipla doesn’t provide any cancer cure and focuses only on pain management, Care India does both pain management and offers chemo or radiation therapies to cure cancer patients to whatever extent they can. Nyaypathi was moved to start the centre after losing his mother to cancer. “There was nothing I could do for her, but I could change other patients’ lives,
so I invested and started out with a small team,” he said. Since they didn’t have money for a building, they initially went door to door, spreading awareness about cancer and helping those in need. “We travelled by bus. Then one day, someone donated an autorickshaw. Slowly, help started trickling in and we were able to build the Vishranti Hospital,” he said. They still go from door to door. “However, now we have beds to offer critically ill patients who have no one to take care of them,” he said. “No one deserves to suffer such prolonged pain and agony, and we do all we can to contain their suffering. The treatments for cancer are never cheap and therefore, patients who are not well off have a harder time. And as disease progresses, it takes its monetary toll, which weighs heavily on the patient and can demoralise him. We are aware of all these consequences, so we provide for them, take care of them and at times even pay their funeral expenses,” Nyaypathi said. Care India manages their expenses with the help of donors and families of their patients donate money or goods. “The government doesn’t help at all. No one in the government office even understands what we do and why we do it,” says Nyaypathi. The first two floors of the Vishranti hospitals are only for palliative patients. They are sedated with morphine and provided distractions by means of TV and cultural programmes, and some are also given chemo and radiation therapies free of cost, with their consent. “The therapies help in curing the spread if they are in a condition to withstand it, and it increases their life expectancy. Sometimes it just reduces the pain. What we strive for is facilitating a dignified and pain free way out,” he said. Nyaypathi find its heart-wrenching when the patients happen to be children. “They don’t understand what is happening to them. “Their parents, especially the mothers, come here hoping for a miracle. But we are not magicians. All we can do is treat the symptoms and help control the pain. Even after all that we have been through, we find a mother’s grief over a cancer-stricken child difficult to cope with,” he said. Care India also runs other projects, including free cancer detection camps and treatment for lactating and pregnant mothers. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com
What is palliative care? Palliative care is a medical approach focusing on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of a serious, generally terminal illness. The goal of such therapy is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. While it can be started at any age and stage, generally doctors denote is as a last option and don’t mention it until everything else has failed. While one of the approaches of palliative care is to manage pain, it can also be paired with highly curative and aggressive techniques. Even though it is an important practice all over the world, in India, only two states have it as a health policy. But things are changing. While Cipla is training villagers around Pune to handle local, house-based palliative care as part of its CSR initiative, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai started the first MD course in palliative medicine in the country in 2012.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
CIPLA Mangal Joshi, 64
S
hrikant Joshi, an impeccably dressed man in his sixties, smiles encouragingly whenever you approach the bed occupied by his wife, Mangal Joshi. They hail from a small village on the outskirts of Pune, but the Cipla palliative care centre has been home to them and their son for the past two months. Mangal is afflicted with end stage skin cancer (Melanoma). Shrikant said, “My son and I stay here in shifts. He goes to his IT firm office in the morning and stays with his mother at night. I stay here during the day.” The son came to know of the Cipla centre while Mangal was undergoing treatment and chemotherapy at Command Hospital. Shrikant is a retired
English and Geography teacher. The centre of their world, Mangal is in an obviously frail condition but she does manage a little smile for us. “Mangal is not in a very good condition, but her family is ever willing to help which really is a very big plus point,” says the nurse in charge of the ward. The support is obvious, as while most of our questions are addressed to the husband, the nurse urges us to talk to Mangal as well, so that she does feels left out. He later said, “We try to keep her morale high and make her feel as wanted and normal as we can. It definitely makes a difference and helps her feel happy and hopeful.”
Sumati Pawar, 48
S
umati Pawar’s bed is opposite the entrance to the ward, so she sees everyone who comes and goes, which has become a sort of pastime. She hails from a small village on Pune Satara Road. She is suffering from end stage cervical cancer, and has been in and out of the care centre twice or thrice in the past year. “There’s nothing that I don’t get here. I go home when I feel okay and come back
when my condition worsens. Both my sons and my daughter live in Pune. My daughter and my grandchildren come and see me sometimes, but my sons don’t bother,” she says. She feels better cared for by the nurses and doctors here than at home, where being in a joint family and away from proper medical care, she was in a lot of pain. “One of our villagers had been to here and she had come home for a short
visit when her relatives asked mine to take me to the city,” she recounts. The only issue that arose then was who would accompany her. “My sister was kind enough to step forward when even my own children had given up on me,” she says. Her elder sister Shantabai Phule stays at the centre with Mandakini. Shantabai lives in a neighbouring village and her children are old enough to manage without her, she thinks. “I have my family, but they can manage without me. My sister needs me here,” Shantabai says.
Mandakini Deshpande, 60
M
andakini Deshpande has stomach cancer. She hails from a small village near Pune but she can’t recall the name of her village. Her husband is with her, and her sons live with their kin in the village. “There’s no point in bringing them here as it disrupts their lives,” she says with a hint of tears in her eyes. She was only detected with cancer a few months ago but by then it was already too late. “The pain was so bad
CARE INDIA MEDICAL SOCIETY
Raibai Dalwi, 65
R
aibai Dalwi hails from a small village near Shivapur, on the Khed-Satara Road. Her husband Ramchand has just brought her here after being treated at home for three months. She has been diagnosed with buckle mucosa, or cancer of the buckle cavity five months ago. “Our neighbours’ grandchildren told us about Care India,” she said. “After being diagnosed with cancer, I was okay for a few months but then my face started to swell and the pain became unbearable,” she said. Social worker Sunita Rane serves as a link to the outside world for the patients. “People in villages are not so aware and thus the onset of a disease goes unnoticed. Cancers are therefore detected at the end stage mostly,” Rane said. Raibai is terminally ill. “All we can do is manage her pain and slow the cancer with chemo and radiation therapies. It may give her a few more years to live,” Rane said. Raibai could not have been looked after in her village the way she is at the centre. “We get free food and medicines here which is impossible in our village,” Raibai says with a smile. She was wary of coming to the city for treatment. “Why spend my last day among strangers?” she said. But she has been treated with great care and affection by the nurses here. “There’s only so much our home outreach doctors can do. They can’t give 24 x 7 care. It was the right move to shift her here,” said Rane.
Johrabi Palla, 62
J
ohrabi Palla lives close to the hospital at Market Yard. She suffers from a virulent mouth cancer. Her nurse Seema takes us aside and confides in us: “When she came in three months ago, there were maggots in her mouth which required five sessions to remove.” Even now Johrabi’s mouth and face are bandaged, so she can’t speak. Thin and frail, Johrabi has a resigned look. Her grandson Kadar is with her. “My mother, Naseem usually stays here with her. She has gone home so I am filling in,” Kadar says. A standard XII student, Kadar said that this is his grandmother’s second encounter with cancer. “Seven years ago she had
the same type of cancer on the other side of the mouth. That time it was detected earlier and my father took her to KEM Hospital where she underwent surgery,” he said. But the expense of the hospitalisation and surgery proved too much for Kadar’s father who is an autorickshaw driver. “This time around the cancer was so advanced that KEM Hospital refused to treat her. She was treated at home before we found out about this place,” he said. “Johrabi’s cancer has spread extensively and radiation and chemo therapies will only weaken her. Now all we can do is manage her pain and symptoms as they surface,” said Rane.
that I couldn’t move or sit still which is when I was brought here. We came to know of the Cipla centre from our neighbours,” she said. “When she was brought in, she was in too much pain. She couldn’t eat for days and even walking or sitting would cause her to wreathe with pain,” recounts the nurse who handles Mandakini’s ward. Her pain hasn’t completely vanished but she has started solid food and can move around easily.
Mandakini’s husband has been the picture of patience and devotion through Sumati’s ordeal. “He is always here and we have never had to counsel them. He is so understanding and patient,” said the nurse. Mandakini’s husband had gone out for some work and thus we didn’t speak to him. Mandakini put it in a nutshell: “If something had happened to him, I would never leave his side. Now that I am ill, he is taking care of me.”
Azam Bangi, 56
A
zam Bangi suffers from buckle mucosa that has spread to his neck. His elder daughter-in-law Khatun is with him. “I was detected with cancer a year ago. It has been a painful journey since then,” he said haltingly, due to the bandage around his neck. His daughter-in-law takes over. “We admitted him here a few months ago. He is sent back home
when he feels alright, but we have to return when it gets worse,” she said. He lives in Bibwewadi, and has two sons. “There are six adults and five children at home. So it is difficult to look after him 24 x 7, especially when his condition worsens. Unlike home, here the nurses are available 24 x 7. They take excellent care of him and give him his medications on time,” Khatun said. Generally,
his wife comes with him whenever he gets admitted, but the daughtersin-law take turns to relieve her. Almost all the adults in the family had the tobacco addiction earlier but everyone has tried to take a step back now. “My husband and my mother-in-law both have stopped buying tobacco. Though they sometime succumb to the paan masalas, the sheer pain experienced by our father-in-law is good enough to scare them to quit,” says Khatun. Clearly, the family has learnt the lesson the hard way.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
TECH/START-UP
PUNE
Moody’s to Modi: Rein in members
“The television took 13 years to reach a market audience of 50 million.” —http://www.thefactsite.com/
P 13
Now get 32 lifestyle services at your fingertips
Budding start-up UrbanClap’s Pune launch promises to provide one-stop solution to urban lifestyle needs TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Pune’s diverse populace and vibrant economy makes it the melting pot for launches and trial runs for many firms, offline and online. And the latest entry is UrbanClap, the mobile marketplace for services. Pune is the next city to serve — co-founder Abhiraj Bhal’s opening line at the launch of the online facility in the city on Thursday was a statement of confidence. And the success of the start-up, founded in October 2014, rightly boasts on Rs 240 crore (USD 37 million) investment, including the latest Series B funding of Rs 165 crore. Started by Bhal, Varun Khaitan and Raghav Chandra, the one-and-a-halfyear-old app provides 75 services ranging from beauty services at home to wedding photographers and is currently present in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai. UrbanClap aims to tap the $100 billion-highly fragmented market in India. It claims to serve 5,000 plus customer requests per day and active seller base of more than 20,000 professionals. UrbanClap will initially offer 32 services in Pune. “We have a 300-member core team of techies, engineers on rolls and partner with professionals. These skill
providers are ‘micro entrepreneurs’ who offer their services for our clients but are free to work anywhere,” Abhiraj said, who gave details about the firm along with PR, communication and brand building representative Suhail Vadgaokar and content manager Kriti Omprakash. “As our firm is hugely tech-driven, the investment for Pune launch is a few lakh rupees. We believe in organic growth and frugal spending. The monthly salary of founders is Rs 75,000. Our firm’s top priorities are trust, availability and convenience. Huge investment in upgrading technology may not bring desired result if we fail to build trust with clients as it also boosts retention rate,” he said. Services provided by UrbanClap includes home services (interior designing and packers and movers), personal services (party makeup artist, event photography), events and weddings, health and wellness, academic and non-academic lessons and business solutions. Their professionals range from handymen such as electricians, plumbers, pest controllers to caterers, beauticians, tutors, wedding photographers, yoga instructors and business consultants. UrbanClap helps users directly connect with professionals on request. The company has a matchmaking algorithm that shortlists
UrbanClap co-founder Abhiraj Bhal (left) and brand building representative Suhail Vadgaokar
professionals as per demand and sends it to them. The professionals review the lead on partner app and send their quotation and response. Clients are connected to about five professionals in real time. “Our app keeps the client and professional on loop. Any delay or deny by the promised professional is immediately addressed and attended to,” Abhiraj said, adding that the firm had spent Rs one lakh to successfully organise a wedding photography assignment after the professional backed out at the last moment. Citing examples of market leaders Google, Facebook, Twitter and Just Dial, Abhiraj said that thorough planning and hard work are the vital criteria for success. “We had over 150 competitors when we started in 2014 and the figure has reduced considerably now. As our facility is technology driven, we only keep 10-20 per
Pune’s Ideosphere banks on concept and cynosure of ideas to deliver solutions in communication industry BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry
Ideosphere founders Minal D’Rozario and Aniruddha Bhagwat
Aniruddha. With a team of 40 members, the start-up is dedicated to finding creative solutions for communication problems faced by companies. As ensuring top class service to clients takes priority, the founders have put in place a strict recruitment procedure. “We prefer people with extensive exposure to communication and social marketing. We hire those who have varied perspectives so that maximum ideas are presented in brainstorming sessions,” Minal said. The work that the start-up did for Worldoo.com and Kimaya was shortlisted for the Goa Fest Abby’s 2015, India awards and they took home the bronze
medal for Kimaya. They were also nominated for ‘Best Use of PR in the Financial Sector’ for Retaillending.com. Their Baskin-Robbins case study is included in the curriculum of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) 2013-14. They have covered around 50 brands, including Mustang Socks, AirAsia and Baskin-Robbins. Armed with the vision to make a difference in the field of communication, Aniruddha and Minal believe in accomplishing smaller and realistic goals. With the industry refining and redefining itself to suit market demands, the focus of the duo is to provide longlasting solutions. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
cent profit with us and provide the benefit to clients and professionals,” he said. Other venture capital funded players in this space include GoodService, Housejoy, LocalOye, Zimmber, Taskbob, UrbanPro, Timesaverz, Doormint and FindYahan. Headquartered in Gurgaon, UrbanClap claims to break even by the end of 2016. The firm plans to use the latest investment to double workforce, refine technology and expand to other cities. Its expansion plans include extending its offering to 25 cities and 100 categories over the next one year. UrbanClap’s goal is to grow its categories to 150, increase its providers to 200,000, and service over 100,000 customer requests a day. “We aim to have over 100,000 professionals on the platform by the end of 2016.We plan to be the one stop for all urban lifestyle services,” he said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Intel India ‘Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur’ to boost rural digitisation Intel India has announced the launch of ‘Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur’, an initiative aimed at working with the government to create the blueprint for the digitisation of rural India. The first such Digital India ‘Unnati’ Kendra has been set up at a Common Services Center (CSC) in Nadimpalle village of Mahabubnagar district of Telangana and will be used to create the framework for the Telangana Model Digital Village. Under the programme, Intel will work with Central and state governments to create a blueprint to drive technology enabled transformation at the grassroots in 10 states in India. Debjani Ghosh, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Group (Managing Director, South Asia, Intel) at the launch of the Kendra stated that “We are very pleased to start this journey in Telangana in collaboration with Telangana government in their journey to create Digital Telangana.” “The first centre is already up and running in Mahabubnagar. So far the response has been fantastic. Over 800 villagers have been using it and we hope to scale this model and ensure that when Digital India happens it happens the right way,” she said. “We are in discussion with different states, to create more centres and we are working with 10 states to finalise on how many centres we will have...it will depend on the need of the states,” she said. Connecting rural India needs a 360 approach with hardware, broadband connectivity, digital learning skills and locally relevant solutions, she said, adding “effective digitisation of rural India will be key for the success of Digital India.” Intel will work closely with entities like Common Services Centers (CSCs) that provide last mile citizen services across the country. Digital India Unnati Kendras will provide devices, relevant local content and training for citizens thereby creating opportunities for development and empowerment. Telangana Information Technology (IT) Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said, “We have always aspired to bring to our state the power of technology to help citizens improve their lives. Our efforts are progressing well with the creation of Digital Villages.” PTI
Facebook can legally block content: US Court
Facebook page, which advocated Sikh separatism, was blocked by the social media giant BY LALIT K JHA
In a major victory for Facebook, a US court has ruled that it can block content without any explanation after a Sikh group filed a lawsuit challenging the blocking of its social media page. The ruling by the US Court in San Francisco came in response to the lawsuit filed against the Silicon Valley-
headquartered company by Sikh for Justice, which alleged that its Facebook page, which advocated Sikh separatism, was blocked by the social media giant. US District Judge Lucy Koh in her November 13 ruling stated that the Sikh group’s claims of religious discrimination are precluded under the Communications
Dream homes are a click away Housing-Real Estate & Property
Mission to redefine firm’s face
With cut-throat competition being the common element in all sectors of businesses, presenting a firm in the most attractive manner is crucial in gaining visibility and achieving success. Pune-based Ideosphere started by Aniruddha Bhagwat (29) and Minal D’Rozario (34) aims to give brand identity and product popularity. While Aniruddha has won ‘The Young PR Professional’ by Indian PR & Corporate Communications Awards 2014, Minal has worked with Cadbury and Bharti Axa Life Insurance among others. They teamed up to launch the start-up in 2011. Ideosphere now operates in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. “We try to work on ideas and content to promote a business unlike traditional tools of publicity,” Aniruddha said. Calling themselves storytellers, the duo believes that running campaigns like stories not only surpass all boundaries but also last for a long time. Winning the ‘Small Agency of the Year’ award at the Indian PR and Corporate Communication Awards, 2014, shows the firm’s growth in the brand identity sector. “When we started the company four years back, the idea that we were trying to promote was relatively new. It took as three months to get our first client. We plan to expand to other cities,” said
APP WORLD
Decency Act, which protects providers of “interactive computer services” by barring courts from treating service providers like Facebook as the publishers or speakers of speech created by others. “We will appeal and challenge the decision of Judge Koh which is just an extension of Facebook action of blocking SFJ’s page at the behest of the Indian government,” alleged attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal adviser to SFJ. “Facebook is an American Corporation and owes allegiance to US Constitution which promotes and protects free speech content and not accede to threats of foreign governments but Judge Koh’s ruling failed to cover any of the allegations of SFJ,” he
said. “If Facebook is a public company making billions of dollars in public money and they don’t want to give any explanation for why they blocked the content of a human rights group, then what is the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship?” he asked. In a statement, Pannun said that Judge Koh should have at least ordered that the social media giant give SFJ an explanation as to who ordered the take down. “Facebook owes an explanation to its users after or before blocking and removing the content which is guaranteed under freedom of speech,” he said. PTI
IOS/Android: Free Housing’s real estate and property search app makes finding a home to buy or rent easier than ever! You can find an apartment to rent, select a PG/hostel, get that perfect flatmate or roommate, buy a new property, post a flat for sale, find the right tenant and look up new localities. Now even more easy to use, this real estate app lets you see homes across India with multiple full-colour photographs! Go beyond just a basic property search - explore the neighbourhood showing you unique lifestyle ratings, schools, amenities and more. You can rest assured everything is posted and photographed by them.
99acres Real Estate
Android: Free The new 99acres Android app is here to take your property search experience mobile. Now you can search and discover properties even on the go. 99acres mobile app makes it extremely easy to search buy, sell or rent property in India. Users can visually explore apartment, farm house , flat, house ,builder floor, plot, villa, commercial office, shops, factory through rich photos, attractive videos, interactive maps and many other details. The app also enables users to view photos and videos of society or locality of a property. This free real estate app for Android has everything you have loved on 99acres.com. The app has detailed property listings, latest information about new projects and local real estate information. This is surely one of the best property apps for all your property needs.
MagicBricks Property Search
IOS/Android: Free MagicBricks, one of the best property apps in India, puts all complex parameters of property search in a simple and intuitive interface. Whether you are looking to buy property or rent it out, MagicBricks can help you save both time and money. MagicBricks can use GPS, find out the exact location, and browse amongst the finest properties in India. There are a multiple view options where you can explore the shortlisted apartments with numerous photos and videos, or get a sneak peak with Google map view. Instead of messy drop down menus, they have a screen of options dedicated to intelligent filters that helps you get the most relevant properties. Whether you want to find flats, houses or any other real estate their app gives you detailed descriptions of the property and the amenities. The app also tells you about key facilities located close to the real estate.
CommonFloor Real Estate
IOS/Android: Free CommonFloor Real Estate app eases your property search and all housing needs by helping you look for a better home and lifestyle, anywhere in India. Buying a new house, property selling, posting property ads or requirement, renting a flat or finding an apartment in your favorite locality is easy with the CommonFloor Real Estate App. Our free housing app has features to shortlist and filter preferred houses, view details, contact owners and agents, and post requirements. It also has various other unique interfaces such as letting you post ads for sale, map search and 360 degree Live-in tours.
India Property Real Estate App
IOS/Android: Free Search for Properties on-the-go with the Innovative IndiaProperty. com Mobile App. The IndiaProperty free real estate app makes it simple and convenient to buy, sell and rent properties online. Download the app and get access to more than seven lakh properties across India .Search, Shortlist , Explore your future home in rich detail with immersive Virtual tour and detailed 3D Floor plans , Plan a site visit and Contact the seller quickly with the IndiaProperty app.List your Property and showcase them in rich detail with videos and pictures.
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
“India is a country where people of all faiths live and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government is trying to undermine the secular character of the country by trying to impose its repressive thoughts on others.” — Manmohan Singh, Former Prime Minister
Getting visas, both in India and Pakistan, is arduous as people have to apply six months in advance and the formalities are tough
Security personnel keeping vigilance in Srinagar
said. The families have written to governments several times in the past for flexibility in visa procedures and extension in visa period, he said. Abdul Azij (52), uncle of the bridegroom Danish, said that he could not obtain visa to India two years ago for the marriages of his two sons in Bundi. “I still bear the pain of missing the wedding of my two sons as my name was dropped from visa list at the last moment,” Abdul said. For Danish’s wedding too, 15 members applied for the visas, but it
Law students seek fees harmonisation
THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5
PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
Run for... yourself
NATION
CITY
Get your voice heard on NetaG P6
No damaged goods please P3
GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN
PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5
PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5
PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
Dr Vijaypat Singhania’s grandchildren from his estranged son Madhupati have moved Bombay High Court seeking their share in ancestral property. They have filed a suit against their grandfather, father, mother and Raymond Limited. Detailed story on p7 TGS LIFE
When hunger strikes past midnight
NATION
CITY
Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12
Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days? P3
DITCH THE
AUTO,
HAIL A
CAB
GAUTAM SINGHANIA
Truly, a tree lady P4
or long distances (depending on their mood), overcharge or ask for obnoxious fares, often refuse to ply by meter – the list is endless. TGS Team members decided to give the ‘victimised’ autorickshaw drivers a chance. Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances ranging between 1.5 and 20 kms. All the members came
Intentions of Dr Singhania were ‘malafide and illegal’ with a motive to grab the share of Madhupati and Anuradha as well as grandchildren and to achieve the same he directed that his son and daughter-inlaw move to another country ‘instead of Collectively Pune Municipal continuing to stay in India with the family.
DEHU
6
Corporation, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited have spent `1,816 crores on constructing dedicated corridors and flyovers along major routes, erecting bus shelters, and buying buses. Despite this not a single route is operational or has succeeded in years. Citizens residing in twin cities continue to cry foul over pathetic public transport system. And from the looks of it nothing is going to change in near future. See Spotlight on p8&9
said director of the school, who
Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station. Contd on p4
CHINCHWAD BHOSARI
4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE
KALEWADI FATA
WAKAD
DIGHI
NASHIK PHATA
5
LOHEGAON
DAPODI 50
PIMPLE GURAV
WAGHOLI
3 4 BANER
VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA
AUNDH
2
SANGAMWADI PASHAN
AH47
WADGAON SHERI
MUNDHWA
SHIVAJI NAGAR
GHORPADI
9
BAVDHAN
CAMP
HADAPSAR
KOTHRUD
SWARGATE PARVATI
WANOWRIE
1
NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK
KONDHWA
UNDRI
KATRAJ
4
Had it not been for a Pune-based activist everybody had forgotten about a film on Lokmanya Tilak commissioned in 2001 by Central Government at the cost of 2.5 crores. Three years after Vishnu Kamalapurkar raised questions about the film,
fi led the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling the investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com yet to get a copy of the order. prosecution The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students and the system. studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that It is upsetting their creative writing sir had touched because we do them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and not how to face management. School authorities spoke to several other students and the parents and found that 22 girls in all had levelled similar allegations. Director of the students who school approached Chaturshrungi came forward police station and lodged an FIR under the Protection of Children from to give their Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA). The investigation was carried out by statements.” DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL
ALANDI
AKURDI
RAVET
Sab golmal hai...
The creative writing teacher from a reputed school in Baner was booked and arrested in February 2013. A special court acquitted him on the grounds that police bungled up in collecting evidence
RITU GOYAL HARISH
CHIKHALI
KIWALENIGDI
~ Suit filed by the siblings
Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens. They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9
The case created ripples across the city. A teacher was accused of sexually abusing 22 students all from fi fth standard of a reputed school in Baner. In February 2013, Chaturshrungi police registered a case of sexual abuse against the creative writing teacher and arrested him immediately. Two years after the cops went all out to claim that they had a watertight case, the teacher has been acquitted by a Special Court. The court ruled that the prosecution made out a weak case. The management of the school and parents of students are not only disappointed but also irked with the outcome. “We are feeling let down by the prosecution and the system. It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements. We believe we were on the right,”
Parents teach them more than exams do P 10
`1,816 1,816 crores spent on BRTS,
~ Suit filed by the siblings
What a mess!
Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
CITY
TGS LIFE
Hum Saath Saath Hain
And yet no respite for commuters
DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA
Madhupati Singhania (57) and his wife Anuradha (54) with their children Ananya (29), Rasaalika (26), Tarini (20) and Raivathari (18)
Rickshaw unions across the city want us to believe that private cab service providers or radio cab operators, as they are popularly known as, are villains. Around 12,000 radio cabs have made their lives miserable for 50,000-odd autorickshaw drivers in twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The auto drivers want us to believe that corporate houses with deep pockets behind the cab services are eating into their share. Essentially poor rickshaw drivers are getting poorer because of stiff competition from private cab operators. All that the auto drivers are saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are rude, refuse to ply short
While Gautam Singhania ‘in a span of 14 years as CMD of Raymond Limited has built a personal net worth of `1.4 billion, Madhupati belonging to the same family was struggling to settle down in a new country, educate his children and make a new life.’ Gautam and his family led a luxurious life ‘with fancy cars, private jets, yachts and expensive holidays.’
PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Vol-II* lssue No.: 23 Editor: Yogesh Sadhwani (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867) Printed and Published by: Shrikant Honnavarkar on behalf of Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 and printed at PRI – Media Services Private Limited CIN: U22222MH2012PTC232006 at Plot No. EL-201, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411 030, Tel: 020-41220010.
HOOGHLY (WB): A forty-year-old man died after he was allegedly pushed off from a local train by a lady RPF constable in between Uttarpara and Hind Motor stations in the district, triggering massive protests and rail blockades along the Howrah-Bandel main line section. Dipak Sharma (40), a resident of Dwarik Jungle Road in Bhadrakali, was travelling in the UP HowrahBandel Matribhumi Ladies’ Special suburban local train this evening, when he was allegedly pushed off by an on-duty lady Railway Protection Force constable near the Amtala area, said Railway police officers. Passengers of the train assaulted the lady constable once the train reached Hind Motor station at around 7.55 pm. As news of Dipak’s death spread in the area, angry residents joined the protests and blocked tracks. They also targeted two other trains and pelted stones, smashing window panes and damaging the coaches. Senior officers of the Government Railway Police said a huge police force reached the area, but protesters also pelted stones at the personnel. The blockade was lifted after police resorted to cane charge. However, a large number of people led by chairman of Uttarpara-Kotrang Municipality, Dilip Yadav reached Hind Motor station and again started agitating by blocking the tracks. Yadav’s supporters also blocked tracks and Uttarpara station. A section of passengers simultaneously blocked tracks at Belur station, leading to a total disruption of train services. “Dipak was an employee of a private fi rm in Kolkata and was travelling along with his wife. They have a son. If he had done anything wrong or was travelling unauthorised in a ladies’ coach, the RPF constable could have arrested him. Why did she push him off from a running train?” asked Dilip Yadav. Chief Public Relations Officer of Eastern Railway R N Mahapatra said the Railways have identified the lady constable involved in the incident and she has been withdrawn from duty pending inquiry. Commuters were stranded due to the disruption of services. PTI
pleas including Animal Welfare Board of India’s petition to decide on the issue of primacy of laws framed by Centre and state governments in this regard. One of the pleas has been filed against Kerala High Court decision approving culling of stray dogs by the Thiruvananthapuram civic body on a PIL by advocate Anupam Tripathi. The apex court has refused to stay the HC decision saying that the killing of dangerous dogs and those inflicted with rabies should be guided by rules. Anjali Sharma, appearing for the Animal Welfare Board of India, said there “cannot and should not be indiscriminate” killing of stray dogs. The court referred to various provisions of the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rule and asked civic authorities to act as per them. The Rules provide that stray dogs can only be sterilised and immunised and then returned to the very location from where they were picked up from, once they recover after the animal birth control surgery. “Only with respect to irretrievably ill or mortally wounded dogs, humane euthanasia, ie, mercy killing in the manner prescribed in Rule 9 is to be resorted to by vets (and none else),” Sharma said. PTI
RAHUL RAUT
RTI’s rules be harmonised with the umbrella RTI Rules. The law students have also submitted that there was “no express provision” under the high court’s RTI rules “for providing access to information to citizens falling under the below poverty line (BPL) category free of cost” and have sought that such a provision should also be incorporated in the Rules. They said they had moved the plea after they received no reply from the Registry to an October 4 letter sent in connection with the issue. PTI
Man dies as lady constable pushes him off train
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has allowed the elimination of only “irretrievably ill or mortally wounded” stray dogs in a “humane manner” and asked all states and union territories to go by the central rules on the issue. Maintaining that a “balance between compassion for animals and human lives” has to be struck, a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh said the “life of a dog is not more important than the life of a human being. Life is the glorious gift of nature and the compassion for animals and human lives should harmoniously co-exist.” The bench made it clear that “removal/destruction” of a particular kind of stray bovines has to be done under the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. For the time being, it was not dealing with the relevant provisions of municipal laws of Maharashtra and Kerala but rather ordering the authorities to act as per the 2001 Rules framed under the central legislation the PCA Act. When pointed out by counsel that some High Courts may come up with a contrary orders by taking note of such issues under the respective municipal laws, the apex court made it clear that it was asking all states and union territories to follow the central rules which will override. The court has asked Chief Secretaries of states and UTs to provide data on cases of dog bites and “removal/ destruction” of stray dogs as prescribed under the Rules. The bench is hearing a bunch of
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Delhi High Court
NEW DELHI: A PIL by four law students seeking harmonisation of fees charged under high court’s RTI rules and the parent Right to Information rules was taken up by the Delhi High Court. “Th is is an issue we need to deal with,” a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said and issued notice to the high court Registry seeking its response by January 20, the next date of hearing. The plea by the law students has sought quashing of Rule 3 of Delhi High Court RTI Rules 2006, under which separate applications have to be made to access unrelated information. It said this provision was “inconsistent with the object and provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Rules”. The petitioners, including law student Aastha Sharma, have submitted that under Rule 10 of high court’s RTI Rules, Rs 50 is the application fee and Rs fi ve per page was the fees for photocopies of the information sought and have alleged that these amounts are “arbitrary, unreasonable and exorbitant” for the public at large. The application fee under the parent RTI Act is Rs 10 and the fee for photocopies is Rs two. The plea has said the RTI Act mandates that the fees should be reasonable and sought that the HC’s RTI’s rules be harmonised with the umbrella RTI Rules. The law students have also submitted that there was “no express provision” under the high court’s RTI rules “for providing access to information to citizens falling under the below poverty line (BPL) category free of cost”. PTI
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
NEW DELHI: A PIL by four law students seeking harmonisation of fees charged under high court’s RTI rules and the parent Right to Information rules was taken up by the Delhi High Court. “Th is is an issue we need to deal with,” a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said and issued notice to the high court Registry seeking its response by January 20, the next date of hearing. The plea by the law students has sought quashing of Rule 3 of Delhi High Court RTI Rules 2006, under which separate applications have to be made to access unrelated information. It said this provision was “inconsistent with the object and provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Rules”. The petitioners, including law student Aastha Sharma, have submitted that under Rule 10 of high court’s RTI Rules, Rs 50 is the application fee and Rs five per page was the fees for photocopies of the information sought and have alleged that these amounts are “arbitrary, unreasonable and exorbitant” for the public at large. The application fee under the parent RTI Act is Rs 10 and the fee for photocopies is Rs two. The plea has said the RTI Act mandates that the fees should be reasonable and sought that the HC’s
was granted to only 11 of them, he said. Abdul too want flexibility in visa procedure and an extension of visa period from 30 to 60 days. Hazi Sayeed Mehmood, bridegroom’s father deals with hotel business in Karachi. The relationship between the two nations has no bearings in the two families, Danish said, adding he “never had any misunderstanding or confusion about India”. The 11 members from the groom’s side are scheduled to leave for Pakistan on December 11 and 12. PTI
SC pats on stray dogs’ right to live
advance, and second instalment was to be released after completion of certain formalities. The very next year second instalment was also disbursed. Cut to October 2012 – Kamalapurkar fi led an RTI with chief public information officer (CPIO) of Ministry of Culture seeking information about the fi lm on Tilak. The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from his colleagues in other department in the same ministry. But none of
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Cross-border nuptials face visa hurdle
Law students raise fees issue
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Manthan set for big league P 13
BUNDI: In one of the cross-border marriages, 21-year-old Salma from Rajasthan’s Bundi district is all set to tie knot with her fiancee from Pakistan. But one of the major hurdle in the social harmony between the two families is “obtaining visas”. Even as Salma’s family welcomed the 23-year-old Karachi-based groom Danish Mehmood and his family, both the families ‘pray’ for relaxation in visa norms. Th is is not the fi rst cross-border marriage between the two families. According to the head of Salma’s family, Hazi Nuruddin, the wedding relations between the families of the late Hazi Mohammed Baksh and Hazi Iqubal Hussain of Karachi began in 1963. Nuruddin’s sister Rehmat Begam was fi rst from his family to be wedded in Iqubal Hussain’s family. It was followed by another in 1979 and 1983 and the tradition has continued since then. Getting visas, both in India and Pakistan, is a great problem. We have to apply six months in advance and the formalities are tough, Nuruddin
PUNE
PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
Hum
of the fi lm. Vishnu Kamalapurkar, Pune-based activist, sought details of the project in 2012 from the Central Government only to be told that they had no records left, the concerned ministry had been wound up, and that fi lm-maker could not be traced. Essentially, the government acceded that it had been duped of `2.5 crores, the sum that was transferred to the fi lm-maker. It has taken Kamalapurkar three years since he sought details about the fi lm under Right to Information Act to get the government to launch a fullfledged investigation. Dhumale has
receiving his RTI finally been traced by the government with the help of police and claims that the fi lm will be released in “next two to four months”. He still hasn’t answered several questions raised by the government about the script and the star cast. It all started in December 2001, when Commemoration Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture commissioned a fi lm on Lokmanya Tilak. A sum of Rs 1.25 crores was paid to Dhumale immediately as an
Saath Saath
When
HUNGER STRIKES past midnight
A family that prays together stays together. Pune’s joint families on why they agree to disagree
TGS takes a night trail around the city to look for places that will silence a grumbling tummy in the dark of night
The Kamdars
Run for…
yourself
Puneites are running to fight depression, lethargy, even physical disadvantage. Marathoners are taking over the street and making the city fitter than it has ever been
PUNE’S FIRST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY Invitation Price
`5
Annual Subscription
`199
TO SUBSCRIBE
Contact : 02024450705 (during office hours only) tgs@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
“We’re streamlining the process by which we share intelligence and operational military information with France. This will allow our personnel to pass threat information because we need to be doing everything we can to protect against more attacks.” — Barack Obama, US President
Commuting tops the list of woes of living in Pune P 12
Mumbai was the blueprint for Paris attack BY HS RAO LONDON: After the Paris terror attacks, “we know what Mumbai-style attack looks like”, a leading British daily said, underlining that this is war in which everyone is equally at risk. In an editorial titled ‘Paris attacks: It’s war, but not as we know it’, The Independent said: “The course of inaction is no longer possible. The danger of a Mumbai-style marauding terror attack in Britain has been understood by the security services ever since those dark days in India in 2008. “Now, after Paris, we know what such an attack looks like. That’s the sort of war we are in. We won’t get out of it without a concerted effort.” Random but closely co-ordinated, the attacks were precisely an act of war, the closest that terrorists can approximate to the carpet bombing of enemy cities carried out in the Second World War, it said. “The difference this time is that there are no sirens, no air raid shelters, instead there is only the naked dread that comes from knowing that the attacks can come at any time, from any direction, and that unlike, say, the IRA’s (Irish Republican Army) bombers these killers want and expect to die in the process, to become “martyrs”. “With the possible exception of
Indian-American professor is UCLA dean BY SEEMA HAKHU KACHRU HOUSTON: An Indian-American professor has been appointed as the dean of engineering and applied science department at University of California. Jayathi Murthy, Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, who also holds the Ernest Cockrell Jr Memorial Chair in Engineering, has been named dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of California. Her appointment becomes effective January 1, 2016. She will be succeeding current dean Vijay Dhir. Murthy joined the Cockrell School in 2012, becoming the first woman to head the mechanical engineering department at The University of Texas at Austin. Murthy has launched initiatives to expand hands-on and project-based learning opportunities and to increase female enrollment, the University of California said in a statement. PTI
Victims of a shooting attack lay on the pavement outside La Bell Equipe restaurant in Paris. Over 100 people were killed in Paris in a series of shooting, explosions
chemical or biological attacks, it is hard to conceive of anything more frightening,” it said. Meanwhile, Bruce Riedel, Director of The Intelligence Project at American think-tank Brookings, said in an article that the horrific terrorist attack in Paris was likely modelled on the 2008 Mumbai attack. He said Mumbai has been studied
by both terrorists and counter-terrorists because it “set a gold standard for how a small group of suicidal fanatics can paralyse a major city, attract global attention, and terrorise a continent”. “The Paris and Mumbai attacks both used small, well-armed bands of terrorists striking simultaneously and sequentially against multiple soft targets in an urban area. The
US recovers idol stolen from temple BY YOSHITA SINGH
NEW YORK: A museum in Indiana has surrendered to authorities a 1,000-year-old bronze idol looted from a temple in Southern India and smuggled to the US by America-based disgraced Indian art dealer Subhash Kapoor. The David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University transferred the bronze sculpture of Shiva and Parvati to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The idol had been looted from a temple in Southern India and brought to the US illegally. The bronze sculpture, from the Chola Period (860 -1279 CE)
was sourced illegally from Tamil Nadu under Kapoor’s direction and smuggled into the US. Around 2004, the stolen idol was delivered to Kapoor’s former New York City gallery ‘Art of the Past’. Kapoor had displayed the Shiva and Parvati sculpture for sale and misrepresented the idol’s true origin, the HSI said in a statement. It is anticipated the item will be forfeited and repatriated to India along with at least six other sacred Chola bronzes recovered by HSI. Previously several other major collecting institutions cooperated fully with the US and Indian governments in the investigation of works sold by Kapoor. PTI
Paris attackers added suicide vests to increase the carnage. In Mumbai, all but one fought to the death as ordered by the plot’s masterminds. “The Mumbai attackers used cell phones to communicate with their bosses in Pakistan, who gave them instructions as they carried out their gruesome operation. So far, that level of sophistication and command and control seems missing in Paris,” he said. The Mumbai attack was the “work of Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT), Riedel - a former CIA official - said, adding that it was supported by the Pakistani intelligence service ISI and al-Qaeda. “It became a role model for other terrorists. Al-Qaeda planned a miniMumbai for Copenhagen in late 2009, but the FBI’s arrest of the main plotter, a Pakistani-American, in July, 2009 thwarted that attack. Somali terrorists used the Mumbai tactics in Nairobi at the Westgate Mall in September, 2013. “The Islamic State group, which claimed credit for Paris, has used Mumbai-style multiple attacks in Iraq. They probably hoped that the siege would last longer. Spanish authorities arrested IS operatives earlier this month who may have been planning a mini-Mumbai in Madrid. “The French security services, like many other services have also closely studied Mumbai and learned key lessons. Their first responders were much better prepared than the Indian police in 2008 and better armed. Elite military teams were rapidly deployed to the targets, in India they had to be flown in from New Delhi hours after the attacks began, he said. PTI
UK foiled 7 terror attacks in 6 months BY ADITI KHANNA
LONDON/ANATALYA: British intelligence services have foiled seven terror attacks in the past six months in the UK while earlier response to such warning had originated from al-Qaeda and the area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Prime Minister David Cameron said. Cameron’s remarks came as the UK government planned to recruit 1,900 new spies for the country, in the biggest increase in British security spending since the July 7/7 bombings in London in 2005 as radicalised Britons returned home from Syria with potential to carry out terror attacks. “Our security and intelligence services have stopped something like seven attacks in the last six months, albeit attacks planned on a smaller scale... “It was the sort of thing we were warned about but the warning that we were previously planning and responding to very much came out of al-Qaeda and that area between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Cameron told British media from the ongoing
G20 summit in Turkey. He said the plots were on a smaller scale to Paris but added the attacks in the French capital could happen anywhere. “But whenever anything like this happens you have to go right back to the drawing board and look at what happened and how many people were involved and how many locations were involved and what more steps you need to take to try to keep yourself safe. “We have been aware of these cells operating in Syria that are radicalising people in our own countries, potentially sending people back to carry out attacks,” Cameron said. The UK government’s new funding will be invested in security and intelligence agencies to provide 1,900 new officers, an increase of 15 per cent, at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. The increase in staffing for the three intelligence agencies was made public ahead of the publication of the UK government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, which is expected next week. PTI
UK govt planning to recruit 1,900 new spies in wake of Paris terror
VOLCANO RISING PTI
The horrific terrorist attack in Paris was likely modelled on the 2008 Mumbai attack, believes an Intelligence expert
Idol from Chola Period was looted from a temple in Southern India
The Cotopaxi volcano spewing ash and vapor, is seen from Quito, Ecuador. The Cotopaxi began showing renewed activity in April and its last major eruption was in 1877
India cannot ignore the political instability in the Maldives Island country is experiencing events that are unprecedented BY SUBHASHIS MITTRA Imposition of emergency in the Maldives is a major political upheaval that India can hardly overlook in its immediate neighbourhood. The crisis could complicate New Delhi’s efforts to normalise relationship with the Indian Ocean island nation. Though India did not immediately offer any official statement on the development, the South Block was “monitoring the situation closely”. Under the state of emergency, the military and police are able to enter and search homes without warrants and can make arrests virtually at will. The action by the Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom came after a series of incidents, starting with an explosion in his boat which injured his wife. This was followed by the arrest of the defence minister, the police chief being
shunted out and the vice-president also being put behind the bars. The declaration of the 30-day emergency, under which key provisions of the Constitution have been suspended, came barely ahead of a planned protest by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), whose leader Mohamed Nasheed is in jail after a widely criticized conviction under anti-terror laws. The development has come against the backdrop of a bitter power struggle with Yameen bent on impeaching his deputy, Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb, who has been accused of conspiracy, treason and an attempt to murder the president. Adeeb was arrested on charges of attempting to assassinate the President. “The reason for the state of Emergency,” Foreign Minister Dunya Gayoom said in a statement, “is because the Maldives National
The string of tropical islands, home to 4,00,000 people and a favourite of tourists, has been in turmoil since the blast on board Yameen’s launch near capital, Male
Defence Force and the Maldives Police have discovered a large cache of arms in two different locations in the Maldives.” “The security forces have information that some individuals are planning to use these weapons and ammunition”. Security forces have information that some individuals are planning to
use these weapons and ammunition, which poses a serious threat to the people and to national security, she said. The Maldives foreign minister said, “As a government we have a responsibility to our citizens to ensure they can go about their daily lives in peace and security. We are determined to root out a small minority who seem
intent on causing damage to people and property.” President Gayoom had survived an assassination bid on September 28, when a bomb went off on his yatch. The explosion injured several people onboard, including the President’s wife. Evidence on the explosion remains disputed, with Saudi and Sri Lanka forensics experts saying it was caused by an improvised explosive device. The timing of the imposition of emergency was quite significant. It was imposed for the first time under a constitution passed in 2008 just two days before a demonstration planned by the main opposition party. The string of tropical islands, home to 4,00,000 people and a favourite of tourists, has been in turmoil since the blast on board Yameen’s launch as it was about to dock at the capital, Male. India has not made its report public, the United States said it found no evidence of an explosion. The FBI has found “no conclusive
evidence” of a bomb blast on the boat of Maldivian President, the US State Department said. The Emergency has allowed for the impeachment vote to be brought forward by a week, and is expected to help the President force dissidents into line. Adeeb denies any involvement in the blast, which has ratcheted up tension that was already running high after the trial and imprisonment of Nasheed. Nasheed lost a 2013 presidential election to Yameen. The United States and human rights groups say Yameen’s government failed to follow due process and that the case against Nasheed was politically motivated. Amnesty International said Yameen’s declaration of emergency ahead of planned antigovernment protests raises the prospect of further attacks on dissent and human rights in the country. PTI Feature
MONEY MATT ER S City needs better MTB tracks P 13
Signposts Govt eyes Rs 20K cr in Coal India sale Government approved 10 per cent stake sale in state-owned Coal India Ltd, a move that could fetch around Rs 20,000 crore to the exchequer. Announcing the Cabinet decision, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said that government is expecting to mop up around Rs 20,000 crore from the sale of 10 per cent stake CIL. At current market capitalisation, based on CIL stock price, 10 per cent stake sale could fetch about Rs 21,137.71 crore. The government had earlier said that it may sell the stake in CIL in the current fiscal through a public offer. It holds 79.65 per cent in the company.
NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
“It is unjustifiable to hike the fuel prices citing the exchange rate between Indian rupee and the US dollar and also the international prices of petrol and diesel when there is no change in the crude oil prices in the international market.” —J Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Moody’s to Modi: Rein in members Centre criticises ratings agency’s research report on India over intolerance issue as ‘‘personal opinion’’ of a junior analyst BY JOYEETA DEY A research report on India of Moody’s Analytics criticising Modi Government over intolerance issue evoked a sharp reaction from the Centre which dismissed it saying it was the “personal opinion” of a junior analyst. Referring to the “ethnic tensions” in the wake of controversies over beef and other issues, Moody’s Analytics had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must keep BJP members in check or risk “losing domestic and global credibility”. Reacting to the report four days after it was published in media, Government in a strongly worded statement dismissed it saying it was the personal opinion of a junior analyst which was passed off as a commentary on India by a rating agency “by the media to buttress the narrative it wants to portray”. “It is with regret the Government of India notes the irresponsible and distorted reporting by certain sections of the Indian media on what was the personal opinion of a Junior Associate Economist employed with Moody’s Analytics,” an official release said. The report titled ‘Dismal Scientist India outlook: Searching for Potential’ by its analyst Faraz Syed stated that BJP does not have a majority in Rajya Sabha to pass crucial reforms and the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Barack Obama during the G-20 group photo at the G20 Turkey 2015, in Antalya, Turkey. The slowdown in global growth will prove a major headwind for Indian exporters, Moody’s said, adding that the fall in exports from 2015 is expected to continue in 2016
Opposition was being ‘obstructionist’. Moody’s Analytics said the government has also not helped itself in recent times with controversial comments from various BJP members. “While Modi has largely distanced himself from the nationalist jibes, the belligerent provocation of various Indian minorities has raised ethnic tensions. “Along with a possible increase in violence, the government will face stiffer opposition in the upper house as debate turns away from economic policy. “Modi must keep his members in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility,” the report said. The comments from Moody’s Analytics, the economic research and analysis division of Moody’s Corporation, are the first by any major global institution over the recent political controversies in India.
Domestic FMCGs outpace MNCs in growth: Report BY SHRUTI VERMA KHARE Homegrown firms in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector have outpaced many multinational companies in growth and market cap because of better consumer connect, inorganic growth and entry into global markets, says a report. “Our study of FMCG companies in India over 10 years shows that domestic firms have outstripped many MNCs in growth and market cap. Domestic FMCG companies have, over the years, grown from single-product companies to multi-product, multi-category firms,” said the AnandRathi Institutional Research report. “Their margins and return ratios have improved. They have used steady cash-flows to invest in products and distribution to drive growth,” it said. Domestic FMCG companies’ revenues have registered a 21 per cent CAGR over 10 year from fiscal 200506 to 2014-15, while their profits have come at a 24 per cent CAGR. The listed FMCG MNCs have, during that period, registered a lower
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY
13 per cent CAGR in revenue, while their profits have come at a 14 per cent CAGR, it added. It further said: “Domestic FMCG players have grown their product portfolios, from niche offerings such as chyawanprash to more mainstream offerings such as skincare products and beverages. Domestic players have utilised cash flows from these niche products to expand into new product categories.”
Identifying reasons for better growth reported by domestic FMCG companies, the report said four ‘I’s driving growth for domestic companies. “Better India-consumer connect, innovation, inorganic growth and international forays have been the prime growth drivers for domestic firms. Barring innovation, most domestic firms have been able to leverage the other three ‘I’s far better than MNCs,” it added. Domestic firms (Dabur, Emami, Bajaj Corp, Marico) largely attribute their rise to traditional categories such as hair oils, chyawanprash, natural/ ayurvedic healthcare, etc. In fact, many domestic players understand traditional Indian preferences better and have offerings to address these preferences. Report said that in the past 5-10 years domestic FMCG firms’ margins have grown faster than those of MNCs. For most domestic FMCG companies, their international business started as exports, which gathered pace with a distributor model and later through setting up manufacturing capacities. PTI
Moody’s while disseminating the report to media has said: “If sourcing or referencing any contents from this publication please quote “Moody’s Analytics”. Moody’s Analytics said “its commentary is independent and does not reflect the opinions of Moody’s Investors Service Inc, the credit ratings agency which is also a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation”. The Government release said, “It is surprising that sections of the Indian media failed to make a distinction between Moody’s Analytics which is merely a data and analytics firm and Moody’s Investor Services, which provides ratings services. “It is also surprising that no due diligence was done and the readers were not informed about the difference between Moody’s Analytics and Moody’s Investor Services.
Sun Pharma recalls 10L boxes of drug in US BY MUNISH SHEKHAVAT In a major setback, drug major Sun Pharma is recalling over ten lakh boxes of its anti-allergic Loratadine drug from the US market as the lot was found to be ‘super potent’ and ‘out of specification’. As per the information available on the USFDA website, Ohm Laboratories Inc, a unit of Ranbaxy Laboratories, which the company acquired last year, is recalling 10,85,095 boxes for being “Superpotent Drug: Out Of Specification”. Sun Pharma had acquired Ranbaxy in a USD 4 billion deal last year making it the largest Indian pharma company by sales. The recall was initiated on July 28 this year and has been put under ClassIII which FDA defined as “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences”. Loratadine is an antihistamine and is used to treat the symptoms of allergies, such as sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. Various other drugmakers including Swiss major Novartis and Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories have come under the USFDA scanner. PTI
“Opinion of a Junior Associate Economist employed with Moody’s Analytics has been splashed all across implying it as the opinion of Moody’s Analytics,” the government said. The release said, “Government notes with distress that the personal opinion of a junior analyst was passed off as a commentary on India by a rating agency by the media to buttress the narrative it wants to portray.” A day after government issued the statement berating the report, Moody’s Analytics in a statement stood by its report that had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep BJP members in check or risk losing global credibility and said it was part of its ‘economic outlook series’. “The report was published by and is the view of Moody’s Analytics as part of its economic outlook series,” a Moody’s Analytics spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said “a young analyst” in one of the Analytical organisations may have said something. “According to me... the commentary is incorrect. India is the most tolerant society in the world. India is a tolerant society and I will reject any contention which says that a stray incident happening in any part of India makes it intolerant. India is tolerant, Some unfortunate incidents take place, that doesn’t make India an intolerant society. India is a liberal society, it will continue to remain one,” he said. The Moody’s report titled ‘India Outlook: Searching for Potential’ further said it is unclear whether India can deliver the promised reforms and hit its growth potential. “Undoubtedly,
numerous political outcomes will dictate the extent of success,” it added. Moody’s projected India’s GDP growth for September quarter at 7.3 per cent, while for the full fiscal it would be 7.6 per cent. It, however, cautioned that Indian equities have also suffered from a loss in domestic sentiments and the failure to deliver on key reforms has faded the optimism. “The Sensex has fallen around 11 per cent since the euphoria behind the new government propelled the stock market. But consistent failure to deliver key economic reforms has faded the optimism,” the report said. The slowdown in global growth will prove a major headwind for Indian exporters, Moody’s said, adding that the fall in exports from 2015 is expected to continue in 2016. PTI ECONOMIC SERVICE
Govt on ‘tax’ mode to meet deficit target To meet clean India initiative, Centre has decided to impose 0.5 per cent ‘Swachh Bharat’ cess from Nov 15 Government is likely to step up efforts to mop up additional resources by hiking duties and seeking higher dividends from PSUs to make up for the anticipated shortfall in disinvestment and direct tax proceeds in its bid to meet the fiscal deficit target. The Finance Ministry has earlier this month raised excise duty on petrol by Rs 1.60 per litre and the same on diesel by 40 paise, which is expected to fetch the exchequer an additional revenue of about Rs 3,200 crore during the rest of the fiscal. Also last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met CMDs of 32 PSUs, including NTPC, IOC and Coal India, to review their pipeline of projects and investment plans. As per government estimates, the total tax revenues are likely to fall short by Rs 50,000 crore from the budget estimates in the current fiscal. Tax revenues collected in the current fiscal could be around Rs 14 lakh crore as against the budgeted Rs 14.50 lakh crore. Further to garner resources
to meet its clean India initiative, the Government has decided to impose a 0.5 per cent ‘Swachh Bharat’ cess on all taxable services with effect from November 15. Jaitley had in Budget speech announced levying up to 2 per cent Swachh Bharat cess of up to 2 per cent “on all or certain services, if need arises”. “Swachh Bharat cess is not another tax but a step towards involving each and every citizen in making contribution to Swachh Bharat. The proceeds from this cess will be exclusively used for Swachh Bharat initiatives,” a finance ministry statement said. PTI
Avendus-KKR deal reopens old trend: i-banks diversification
Many firms have added many a new business with focus on credit business following the global meltdown Just sealed Avendus-KKR deal reopens an old trend in the pure play investment banking sector, which was dominated by deal-makers, Nimesh Kampani, Vallabh Bansali, Hemendra Kothari and Uday Kotak till late 90s, who either exited the business or turned full-service financial players. While some of these pioneering biggies, Kothari and Bansali, quit the space after selling DSP Merrill Lynch to Merril Lynch in 2005 and Enam Securities to Axis Bank in 2010, respectively, Kotak and Kampani became full-service financial players with focus on credit business. Kotak has even entered into the banking sector. What was notable about them, however, was that these maverick i-bankers cut deals for cash-rich large
business houses riding on their long relationship with the promoters. But even after the economic boom post-liberalisation, there was no boom in the pure play i-banking space in the country, instead the entrenched players who entered as brokerages-cumi-bankers such as Centrum Group, Edelweiss Group, IIFL Group, Motilal Oswal, Kotak Mahindra, IndiaBulls etc, soon chose to expand their balance sheets and turned diversified financial services operators. However, as market leaders diversified, there was also a trend of new pure play i-bankers entering the scene with the economic boom that started in the early 2000. These string of boutique i-banks primarily focused on niche areas and scripted success stories.
Avendus-KKR deal will widen Avendus’ credit business and help KKR increase its fledgling NBFC business
They include Avendus Capital, Mape Advisory, Equirus Capital, Singhi Advisors, O3 Capital and Kriscore Financial Advisory, and became a force to reckon with in the growing investment banking industry by focusing on mid-market deals. Since the late 1990s and early 2000, many brokerages began to diversify and became financial services firms
to minimise risks. And JM Financial, Centrum Capital, Edelweiss, IIFL and Motilal Oswal, among others are of the latter lot. It can be recalled that global private equity major KKR and Avendus Capital had said the latter would raise its stake in the homegrown financial adviser to 70 per cent from existing 10 per cent for an undisclosed sum. The deal, which is a first of its kind
in the domestic i-banking where a PE player has taken over an i-banker, is a win-win for both as the KKR money will widen Avendus’ credit business, while the deal will also help KKR increase its fledgling NBFC business here. According to Mahesh Singhi, Founder and Managing Director of Singhi Advisors, which is a crossboarder investment bank focused on
M&As, divestiture and corporate advisory services, the deal reopens the trend of the past. “For Avendus, it is a good deal as the money that comes into its coffers will allow all its existing investors exiting in favour of KKR in a bilateral transaction. The deal is all the more good for Avendus as it looks to grow on asset business with its NBFC,” Singhi told PTI. The deal will help Avendus scale up its NBFC arm. “And the deal per se is a first in the sense that a PE fund, which does not have any investment in an i-bank, has taken over an i-bank,” he said. It can be recalled that Hemendra Kothari had sold his 50 per cent stake in DSP Merrill Lynch to Merril Lynch way back in 2005 for USD 500 million. Centrum Capital, promoted by Chandir Gidwani, has beefed up its lending activities and recently capitalised and started an NBFC. PTI
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2015
PUNE
“We need to promote Make for India, not Make in India. We should push every state towards early stage funding since 90% ideas shut down before the startup phase.” — Anil Gupta, Executive Vice Chairman, NIF
“The number of six seaters we take off the roads are replaced by non-polluting three wheelers. We regularly take action against those operating illegally.” — Jitendra Patil, Regional Transport Officer
Commuting tops the list of woes of living in Pune Commuting in Pune is hazardous. Besides facing up to the chaotic and unruly traffic, there are traffic signals which are not working, and then the already hazardous situation becomes even more so. I travel long distances, from Talegaon to my office at Shaniwar Peth, and therefore I cannot avoid the nerve-wracking ordeal of Kedar Thuse making my way through the traffic and congested roads. Even when I travel by train, I have to get on to the roads and fi nd my way from Shivajinagar to Shaniwar Peth, and owing to the crowds and congestion, it takes longer than it used to just a short time ago. The traffic signals and the traffic police go a long way in regulating the flow of traffic, and when the traffic lights are not working chaos is bound to ensue. The traffic lights at Kothrud Depot, Paud Phata, near Dias plot and E Square are not working. Even when the signals are functioning, the absence of traffic cops means that road users run red lights, ride or drive the wrong side or way which is potentially hazardous both to the lawbreakers and others. Th is situation is common in all areas of the city. It is time that the Pune Traffic Police do something about this problem. The traffic signals should have regular maintenance. The police should also be far more stringent in their attitude towards those who flout the rules and should levy substantial monetary penalties or even confiscate the licenses of habitual offenders. The situation
VISHAL KALE
Traffic signals at intersections and strict policing are necessary to ensure law and order on the city streets
Citizens should focus on ‘beautiful Pune’
Pune is a far cry from arid Sudan and there are a lot of positive aspects here aside from the not so pleasant ones I belong to Sudan which has 19 universities and the medium is Arabic. I wanted to join my father’s business after school but my father wanted me to get a college education. Th is was not possible in Sudan so I applied to many universities but I finally chose Pune after I received an education scholarship. Vincent Omolo My homeland is hot and humid and therefore I found Pune to be an amazingly pleasant place. The presence of a lot of trees make the air around you fresh. In winter the city is at its best. I was nervous about how I would get on at college and my fi rst day was a mixture of emotions of excitement and trepidation. I didn’t know anyone and felt like a stranger but as the day progressed, I felt more and more at ease. My knowledge of English was basic at best and initially I had a bit of a hard time and had to ask my professors and classmates for help. But as I made the effort to improve my knowledge of the English language, things became a lot easier. Four years have passed since I arrived here and now that I have had the time to absorb a bit of Maharashtrian culture and the way if life here, I can appreciate its finer points. I have also come to know Pune fi rst-
hand and I am fascinated by the diversity here, as the city holds on to age-old tradition even as it welcomes a global outlook. It is an important city in the Indian context and has many claims to fame, especially as it is e hub of education and industry. It seems to be growing in huge leaps and bounds and this is also a probable cause of some of its ills. The infrastructure has not kept pace with the growth and the congestion on the roads is because the civic body has not had the vision to make provisions. Besides the congestion and the lack of reliable public transport, pollution is another burning issue which is not being given the required attention. There is also no thought given to beautification and making the city easy on the eye. Instead there are ugly posters and hoardings at every intersection and the garbage strewn around without a care is something that does not belong in a place aspiring to be a smart city. Open garbage dumps, sewers all add to making the surrounding an unhealthy place. Th is problem will be solved only when the citizens actively aim at trying to make their immediate surroundings better. The authorities must tackle these smaller problems fi rst. There is a wealth of art and culture here and the average Puneite seems to hold these dear. There is a lot to do here in terms of events and happenings and the festive season is worth waiting for. In fact, Pune has all the potential to be a city that is as enchanting as any other across the planet.
FROM FOREIGN
SHORES
in Pune has already reached a point where almost every one does not give a second though about running a red light, or driving the wrong side or wrong way. The state of the roads is another issue of crucial importance and the potholes or bad surfaces are a big hazard especially for two-wheeler riders. As the city’s population continues to grow and more
and more people buy cars, the roads are bound to get more crowded by the day, so there is no alternative but for every road-user to observe all the laws and not pose a hazard to others. But since the road-users of Pune are such an unruly lot, it is now the responsibility of the law enforcers to do their duty scrupulously and make sure that there is order on every street in the city.
CITIZEN JOURNALIST
A smart city needs smart public transport system
Pune needs an efficient and reliable public transport system which will also reduce congestion on the roads I am a native of Kolkata, and I shifted to Pune five years ago because of my husband’s career and as it happens, I have quite a few relatives here. In this time that I have been here, I have been fortunate to find myself a circle of friends, which has changed my perspective towards the city. I Amrita Prasad no longer feel like an outsider and this allows me to appreciate the benefits of living in a place like Pune, which is an interesting mix of the
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
Being from Pune myself, I have watched numerous shows of Marathi musical theatre. I was of the opinion that the form was dying out very fast, but the feature in The Golden Sparrow introduced me to new groups I was unaware of. I have watched performances of Kirti Shiledar and Chittaranjan Kolhatkar, but none of Rahul Deshpande. Being one of the few art forms combining music and theatre, along with elaborate costumes and sets, it is important that the younger
traditional and the modern. Where there are multiple storeyed buildings and high end shopping places, the city also offers you the old world charm of wadas and street shopping as well. It is a city that offers a world of opportunity to my husband and I and we are making the most of all this. We also think of Pune as home and from a long-term point of view, it offers the best in terms of education and career. Thanks to the influx of people from all over the world, Pune has acquired a cosmopolitan air, with influences of different cultures and traditions. Along with the Maharashtrian cuisine, the
restaurants here offer a wide variety of cuisines from across the planet, and it is a constant source of delight for anyone who enjoys food. I an especially fond of Vaishali at FC Road for the best in South Indian fare, be it the dosas, idlis, vadas or sambar. Pune is a very happening place with events all around the city that cater to different tastes in music, art, theatre or culture and one can get to see the best of national and international artists. Pune also has its share of problems regarding the congested roads, unruly traffic that are a result of the rapid and unplanned growth. The lack of reliable public transport is at the root of this issue. We need better roads and better regulation of traffic.
NON-NATIVE
PAROLE
Rich tradition of Marathi Sangeet Natak
generation be familiar with this form. With the new movie releasing, the appreciation level for Sangeet Nataks is going up. My children have never seen this glorious art, and I hope I can take them to performances from some of the younger groups like Raahen. —Sunanda Khedekar
Death of malnourished toddler It is disheartening to read about the
death of two-and-a-half year old Radha. I have been following the story since last week and I was one of the many praying for her to survive. Her parents were so sceptical of the treatment received in cities that it became of the causes leading to her death. The government was of course the main culprit in this case, since they closed down the Village Child Development Centres (VDCC) and Community based Therapeutic Care centres in Pune district. Severe malnourishment is a problem largely faced in rural areas, particularly for girl children. While the VDCC was doing some good work, they were asked to shut shop. How many more children will have to suffer this way before some action is taken? — Priya Rao
PMPML buses break down Broken down buses at the side of the road are a common sight in the city. When commuters are trying to get to work, especially, it is a huge
nuisance. No one is sure whom to hold responsible, since the drivers point fingers at officials and vice versa. Some of the buses are also quite old now, so it is natural for them to break down more often. While the workers and officials are playing their own blame game, the commuters are the ones who are suffering. As it is, the public transport of Pune is not considered up to the mark, so at least this issue must be taken care of. — Ashwini Deshmukh
Classical music in the city Pune has always been a city known for its appreciation of art and culture. There are festivals which take place each year like Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav and Vasant Utsav. I have attended many of these festivals dedicated to classical music, and as a student I can vouch for their popularity among the newer generations. A lot of my friends also listen to various types of classical music, and I know some people who have come to Pune
especially to learn classical music from renowned teachers. The notion that many have of youngsters having no appreciation for classical music is baseless. — Rahul Patil
Inspirational weight loss stories Obesity
is
a
growing
problem
considering today’s sedentary lifestyle. There are many people who gain a tremendous amount of weight, and then resign themselves to perpetually living that kind of life. The feature on fighting fit role models is truly inspirational to anyone who wants to lose weight and become a fit individual. Pinky Walia’s story was the one that struck a chord with me. Despite her husband laughing and telling her she could not lose weight, she managed to get into shape. Having taken it up as a challenge, she ultimately proved everyone wrong. What may seem impossible right now is achievable through dedication and hard work. — Ruhi Hardikar
Write to Us
Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow. com or mail it to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.
SPORTS “Neymar has reached a point of maturity. He’s in superlative form, nearly at the level of the two footballers who top them all. Since the start of the season he has been electric” — Gerardo Martino, Argentina Football Coach
PUNE
“I think in a Test match, if you lose four days, it will not be any good to have an extra reserve day. Maybe if we had lost one or two days, you can bring in a change which makes sense.” — Virat Kohli, India Captain
City needs better MTB tracks
Puneri Paltan ropes in star players
National downhill rider Ajay Padval says cumulative effort is required to promote this adventure sport
Pune franchisee of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Puneri Paltan has signed up significant players from the previous season and built up a strong team. They have added new players with a mix of top raiders and defendants. Manjeet Chillar, who was awarded the most valuable player title last season, has moved to Puneri Paltan, while Ajay Thakur, one of the steadfast raiders of the league will also play for Pune. Other eminent players like Deepak Hooda from Telugu Titans and Prashant Chavan from Jaipur Pink Panthers will also represent Pune. The team has also retained its key players.
BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish Cycling has become a hot trend in Pune in recent years. The number of commuters and endurance riders is increasing rapidly. However, the adventurous disciplines of cycling – mountain biking, downhill riding and cross-country are not flourishing as they should. Ajay Padval, the city’s national rider, feels that cumulative efforts are required to promote the sport. The rider, who has podium finishes across India in downhill racing and is associated with a Freerider Mountain Bike Magazine, spoke to TGS about the problems riders in city are facing. “First of all, we need a proper practice track. Currently we train in several off-road tracks at Vetal Tekdi, but the citizens who also use these tracks for jogging and walking are bothered by our practice sessions. We try to avoid disrupting their routines but they also have to try and understand our situation. They can ignore kids playing cricket or youths consuming alcohol, but they don’t allow a cycle rider, who is actually doing no harm to the environment or the tranquility of the area,” said Padval.
Pari, Mallika win double crowns in Pune Open Pari Singh and Mallika Marathe claimed memorable double crowns at the Telenor Trophy Pune Open Tennis Tournament, organised by NS Sports Academy recently at Deccan Gymkhana. Pari stunned top seeded Kushi Sharma to claim the girls’ U-10 title. Then she tied up with Aryanka Kadhe to score a close win over Pawani Pathak and Riya Bhosale in the girls’ U-12 doubles final. Mallika scored a win over Ovi Shah in U-12 singles’ and then she paired with Richa Chaugule to beat Aishwarya Aandalkar and Pooja Ingale in the girls under-14 doubles .
Parshuramians, Bopodi FC score wins Parshuramians B team scored a close 1-0 win over New India Soccer Team in the DSK Toyota Pune Football League, organised by Poona District Football Association (PDFA) at Dobarwadi ground last week. Bopodi FC defeated CMS Falcon FC 2-1, but a goal scored by Falcon FC’s keeper Pratik Gurung was the highlight of the match.
NOT SO INTERNATIONAL Oxford Golf Resort recently
FCPC slides down
David Platt boys fail to break the away match jinx; goes down to Delhi Dynamos 1-3 to slip to fourth position
FC Pune City failed once again to perform in away match and they went down to Delhi Dynamos in the Hero Indian Super League 1-3 in Delhi on Thursday. FC Pune City never got going and are now yet to win a single game away from home. They have slipped down to fourth place. David Platt’s side had shown good potential in previous matches but were nowhere close to their best in this crucial clash where Platt made four changes introducing Gouramangi Singh, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Wesley Verhoek and Kalu Uche. Delhi Dynamos had won all their previous four matches with a narrow solitary goal margin but on Thursday Roberto Carlos’s men finally got going infront of goal to stun Pune City. Adil Nabi gave Delhi Dynamos the lead in the 35th minute and Anas Edathodika made it 2-0 four minutes later. John Arne Riise completed the rout in the second half with a late penalty. Adrian Mutu helped reduce the margin for Pune with a goal from free-kick in the final minute of play. The win helped Delhi Dynamos jump to the second spot with 18 points from 10 matches, the same as FC Goa but Goa sit on top with a better goal difference of plus eight compared to Delhi’s plus two.
NOVEMBER 21, 2015
VISHAL KALE
Signposts
TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY
The defence was shaky right from the start and found themselves under pressure from the hosts. Delhi could have taken the lead in the 31st minute but Vinicius’s floater saw S Doungel chest it down and prepare to shoot but Pune defenders, Govin Singh and Gouramangi Singh, combined to clear the danger. Delhi, however, took the lead in the 35th minute through a corner kick. Florent Malouda’s corner was fl icked at the fi rst post by Robin Singh and Adil Nabi did well to fight off pressure from a couple of defenders to push the ball into the net. Delhi’s second goal five minutes later was also from a corner-kick. Another corner-kick from Malouda saw Anas head the ball home after Pune defence appeared to be frozen. Pune had little to show in the fi rst session except for a long ranger from marquee player Adrian Mutu which was parried away for an abortive corner by Delhi goalkeeper Toni Doblas. There were not too many chances for Pune in the second session as well and all their comeback routes were sealed after they conceded a penalty which John Arne Riise scored. Worse for Pune, Govin Singh who had brought down Ralte Adinga inside the box which resulted in the penalty was sent off after picking his second booking of the match. Adrian Mutu helped pull a goal back for the visitors with a free kick in the fi fth minute of added time. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
the National MTB Championship at their premises and Pinaki Bysack, chief commissaire of the Cycling Federation of India, claimed that the Oxford track fulfi ls the parameters of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) class-3 course. He assured that he would submit his report to UCI about the track and it will probably get the approval to host an international ranking tournament. It was claimed that city riders could train at the track for international events. However, Padval begs to differ. He says that the track developed at Oxford is more of an endurance track than for skill testing. “Any international standard track involves steep technical downhills, steep uphills, rock gardens, fast flowing sections, which are missing at this track. Even the difficulty bar is set too low and Indian riders training at such a track is sure to face lot of difficulties on international tracks,” said Padval. DEVELOPING THE TRACK To deal with the track issue, Padval has been developing an international quality Bike Park and Rolling Academy at the base of Sinhagad fort. An area spread over ten acres will be used as a training ground for the riders. “Th is will be a fi rst-of-its kind bike park in India. We are following the norms set by UCI to a ‘T’ and won’t compromise on anything. Th is will be used for downhill racing, crosscountry, dirt jumping and it also involves
hosted
About Ajay Padval Ajay Padval, 20, is a downhill rider. He is currently studying BBA at BMCC and is associated with Freerider Mountain Bike magazine. He has claimed podium finishes at races in Gujarat, Bangalore, Manali and Pune. He has also been a body double for actor Salman Khan in the movie ‘Kick’. Those interested in testing their skills at the bike park can contact Ajay on ajay.padval30@gmail.com
MTB track in Oxford Golf Club
Pune FC colts regain top position TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly
Pune FC Under-15 built on their impressive start to the campaign, hammering Steadfast Academy 6-0 to log their second consecutive win in the Under-15 Youth League at the All Saints Ground in Bhiwandi. The big win in this Maharashtra Zone, Round 2 encounter was powered by a hat-trick from striker Ishan Dey (3rd, 13th penalty and 62nd minutes) along with goals from Mozaffar Ali (71st and 76th) and Cladeo Nongpluh (83rd). A fi rst-ever away win meant Pune
FC (6 points) regained their top position in the Maharashtra Zone ahead of Mumbai FC (6 points) on better goal difference. Going into their fi rst away game of the season, Pune FC Coach Mohan Dass made three changes to the squad handing Ishan Dey fi rst starts to goalkeeper Deepak Saravanan, defender Gulab Madavi and striker Aakash Banerjee. It didn’t take long for Pune FC
to break the deadlock as they scored almost instantly in the third minute itself. In-form striker Ishan Dey controlled Shreepad Dorge’s cut back from the left flank to slot home from close. The youngster then doubled his and Pune FC’s tally ten minutes later converting a penalty kick after Mozaffar Ali was fouled in the box. Pune FC continued to dominate proceedings and had a host of chances, but poor finishing in the final third meant the fi rst half ended 2-0. The opening quarter of the second half saw Pune FC push up in numbers. Their dominance finally culminated into a big win. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Manthan set for big league
Pune paddler to lead Indian team in ISF tournament in Australia TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
Robin Singh (in white) of Delhi Dynamos FC in action
Enduro racing, which is a concept picking up in India,” said Paval. The park is dotted with skill testing areas, rock gardens, corners, dirt jumps, descents and areas where rider can learn the overall control of bike. Padval is also planning to conduct MTB workshops and summer camps for kids. “The park is nearing completion, but enthusiast riders can come here for testing. By January, it will be fully operational and we are also planning team building activities for corporate groups. But our main motto is to promote the sport in city and offer them best possible infrastructure to train,” said Padval. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com
Five years ago, Manthan Shah was a table tennis player with an average ranking in Ahmednagar district. He decided to shift to Pune and train with former international paddler Bhushan Thakur’s academy to improve his performance. The move has paid off for this youngster whose game has flourished and he has scaled new heights in his career. After a glorious performance in the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) tournament last year, he
has been named captain of the Indian team, which will feature in the International School Federation table tennis tournament to be held in Australia next week. “Th is is like a dream come true. I will be playing my fi rst-ever international tournament and I have been named as the captain of the team. Th is is very special feeling and I will put in my best efforts to showcase the talents of Indian paddlers. Our aim is to win a medal,” said Shah, before his departure to New Delhi. Shah was handed the responsibility on the basis of his performance in the SGFI tournament, where he won two gold medals, one team and one individual. Shah was also skipper of the Maharashtra team which defeated Delhi 3-0 in the fi nal, without losing a single game. In the individual matches, Shah produced his
best game in beating India number 6 Akash Choudhari of West Bengal and later prevailed over his state-mate Jash Dalvi in the semis. In the summit clash, Shah defeated Santosh Kumar to lay his hands on the yellow metal. His performance earned him top spot. “A national tournament is way different from an international. Th is being my fi rst event, I am leaving no stone unturned. I have trained rigorously over the last few months, with daily practice sessions lasting 7-8 hours. I have consulted international players like Aniket Koparkar and Divya Deshpande. My coach Bhushan Thakur is also a former international. They have given me tips on international tournaments which will come handy. I am also availing of mental training from sports psychologist Debashree Marathe,” said Shah. Th is preparation was necessary for the paddler as his performance took a downturn this season due to exams and illness. “Th is year I cleared my SSC exam. I had just a month and half to prepare for the exams preparations but I managed to score 88 per cent. But I contracted dengue and typhoid in the mid-season and I had to withdraw from a few tournaments. I started training after being released from hospital but the weakness lingered and affected my performance. It was hard to remain positive and focused. But titles in district ranking meets put me back on track and now I am all set for the big league,” said Shah. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
1, 2 & 3BHK Flats at SUS, Baner Annexe
Sus, Baner Annexe
CALL NOW ON +91 86572 23377 Tennis court | Library | Children’s play area | Swimming pool | Gym | Performance art centre | ATM facilities | Hospital | Temple
Site Address - Survey no 21, Next to Vibgyor School, Baner Annexe, Sus, Pune Office Address - Pinnacle House, 884/9, Nal Stop, Erandwane, Pune - 411004 | www.pinnaclegroup.in