The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 03/09/2016

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PUNE, SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

The exodus of the migrants

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TGS LIFE

Kawasaki dealer wound up, superbike customers in limbo

Following our report on Aug 12, the SNK Palm Beach Kawasaki dealer has officially been closed, leaving a dozen owners in the lurch See p02

The fruitful rains this year have been the proverbial blessing for all. But it has created a strange situation, where the migrants from drought-hit areas of Maharashtra have returned home to their villages, causing an acute shortage of labour in Pune See p08-09

City activist alleges marijuana grown inside juvenile home Gross misconduct, including prevalence of drugs alleged at juvenile home in Pune

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma All is not well at the Juvenile Home in Pune. While there have been multiple instances of children running away from the home in the last fortnight, the security is not the only thing that’s lacking. In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Women and Child Development, child activist and volunteer at the juvenile home, Yamini Adbe, has brought forth vital information of gross misconduct going on inside the juvenile home, which is in direct violation of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015.

According to the letter dated August 25, the children are provided with tobacco, marijuana and other addictive substance by the juvenile home staff. The letter states, “Almost all children get gutkha, marijuana and other drugs very easily through staff only. They blame the parents but then this again shows a serious lapse of security at the time of entrance. Kids kill wall lizards and burn them to get the addiction habit fulfilled. Has your counsellor once informed about the de-addiction help required?” This is not the first instance where such an accusation has been made, as a parent of one of the inmates had written a similar letter to the Juvenile Justice Board. The letter adds that there is marijuana planted inside the juvenile home, and it is being nurtured by the inmates and the staff is involved as well.

Continued Yamini Adbe on p05

HIGHLIGHTS OF YAMINI ADBE’S LETTER • Kids kill wall lizards and burn to get a high • Almost all children get gutakha, marijuana and other drugs from staff • Nobody bothered to investigate availability of condoms in children’s home.

It indicates sexual exploitation of the small kids by the elder ones • Violating all the norms of Juvenile Justice Act the kids were transferred in uniformed police vehicle like hard core criminals • Children ran away from the home after beating the caretaker, not only once but repeatedly • No qualified caretaker available inside the home even after recent episode

MUMBAI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

‘‘Oil spills like these will harm non-moving organisms and filter feeders like barnacles, shell fish, corals, sponges and marine algae on the rocky patch off Marine Drive.’’

- Pradip Patade, Marine Conservationist

Modi tattoo costs youth Army job P 12

Kawasaki dealer wound up, superbike customers in limbo

Following our report on Aug 12, the SNK Palm Beach Kawasaki dealer has officially been closed, leaving a dozen owners in the lurch

BY TUSHAR BURMAN @tburman

In a drama that’s been brewing for a couple of months, the SNK Palm Beach Kawasaki dealership has been revoked, according to a public notice dated Sep 1 issued by India Kawasaki Motors.

“It has come to our knowledge that SNK Palm Beach has grossly failed to serve its customers, and has also failed to deliver to the customers the Kawasaki motorcycles booked by them. Further, SNK Palm Beach has committed material breaches of the terms and conditions of the dealership,” states the notice.

TGS previously reported that the SNK Palm Beach Kawasaki dealer in Navi Mumbai was not delivering motorcycles to customers who had booked them, sometimes months in advance. We spoke to several potential

MUMBAI

W ON SATURDAY THE GOLDEN SPARRO AUGUST 13-19, 2016

PUNE

driving. to indiscipline and rash is long nts have increased due length of the Expressway ‘‘Incidents of road accide over rash driving as the ’’ We do not have control police staff for surveillance. and there is insufficient ter of State for Home (Urban) - Deepak Kesarkar, Minis

FinMin conservative in USOF allocation P 14

Bt Cotton is promising for India P 13

these superbikers

for Life’s no Palm Beach

on decisive action by closing Kawasaki customers sakis in India Fully imported Kawa the dealership. The notice — some of whom warns parties that SNK were already on their no longer represents India third loan EMIs — Kawasaki Motors and to and they had the deal with them at their own same tale to tell: risk. The company states in repeated promises of the notice that they are in delivery or refund. process of appointing a Some customers new dealer, and that they received their refund remain committed to cheques, only to have customers. While light them bounce. India on specifics, a ray of hope Kawasaki Motors, remains for aggrieved in response to the rs’ n to reduce farme Pla ed customers, though they growing backlash, nis uti scr rains ay bridges to be dependence on are not specifically mentioned. issued a press release Mumbai railw TGS tried reaching out to an on Aug 10 indicating that SNK continued accepting bookings. spokesperson, but received no remained their dealer and that they Satyen Karandikar, the proprietorProjectIKM to be lemented 0 response.

At the time of going to press, were reaching out to customers to of SNK Palm Beach assured customersimpin 4,00 drought-hit of notice is also available on the IKM icts the resolve their issues. In the period of a resolution either by delivery of the distrrbha and Vida da website. between the fi rst complaints and vehicle or a full refund, by the end of Marathwa tushar@goldensparrow.com TGS’ previous report, the dealership August. IKM appears to have decided customers ial Kawasaki superbike Almost a dozen potent

delivery of their have been waiting for

no vehicles for months. With

g legal action ming, they’re contemplatin bikes or refunds forthco

have sufficient the cheque did not , Mumbai did not deposit Prices ex-showroom funds, and so Qureshi Rs 8,13,380 received a similar it. Neil Shah also N Kawasaki Z800 of a cheque dated

BY TUSHAR BURMA refund in the form Rs 12,87,000 @tburman to deposit once 21 July, which he was Kawasaki Z1000 Those Beach.

Palm Rs 12,87,000 instructed by SNK ki Ninja 1000 came. HDFC Kawasa never too, ons give instructi Rs 13,28,000 is sure to an EMI 1000 In an ongoing saga that Bank has started claiming Kawasaki Versys pause, over Rs 16,40,000 potentia l superbike owners from him as well. who booked and other Kawasaki ZX-10R contacted a dozen customers has TGS Rs 17,90,000 motorcycles have refund paid for Kawasak i ZX-14R rs, who have had their ki SNK custome Kawasa dealer, their who hold postRs 29,10,000 been left hanging by cheques bounce, or . The Mumbai not H2 ki Navi have in they Kawasa Shah Neil Palm Beach dated cheques that upwards of Rs 8 Mandheer Singh dishonoured. bikes in question cost Amin Qureshi deposited for fear of being as early as customers who out to to Satyen lac and some were booked on When TGS reached Sukhad We also spoke insisted have Amin r, r of SNK Motors, April 2016.

Yet another custome India Kawasak i to had Karandikar, the proprieto edged and this. As for the ng, tion and for a bike that EMI Marketi construc r, Bank civil, a Customers TGS spoke Manage acknowl HDFC 58, , third it Qureshi Sangamnerkar, Palm Beach. He dealersh ip, tell. They made owner, booked customers are delays. “We are a repetitive tale to was never delivered. development business had this to say: “Our apologised for the continues to be in full or financed of waiting for toward the end of from India priority. Several payments -- whether “After over 60 days a Z800 for his son always our first and we have were expecting a final decision and open there out to the SNK Palm that cheque the -ed by in reached lac bank a discover have between through my delivery, I May, paying Rs 3.7 customers and banks Kawasak i Motors ip and were an LOI with me. I connected to HDFC bank. issue. IKM also all customers Beach Kawasak i dealersh more customers like financing 5 lac from to us regarding this coming week, and I assure India Kawasak i usually within a that by k and eventual ly July delivery, promised deliveries, claims on the dealer a few through Faceboo was promised a 5th bikes will be delivered till He certain rs their valid has Neil that custome Motors says lucky Qureshi rs,” place.

Our MD, Yutaka they may opt for month. While a few ar found 11 such custome which did not take remain unresolved. the end of August, or s or refunds 31 March 2017. Satyen Karandik of parts and a post-dated in Japan and g interest. We have received deliverie Shah, a manufacturer requested and received Yamashita is currently a full refund, includin We have had 11 customers ive industry. did HDFC Bank week, but we are additional taxes due to delays, about fixtures for the automot i Z800 in refund cheque, as will be back next will also absorb any three months some challenges However, he le for those day to resolve the he said. have been waiting upto Shah booked his Kawasak for their loan amount. working night and that have become applicab but we will bounce back,” research ing More recently, delivery before bank that the for their motorcycles.

May, and was promised was informed by the situation.”

Shortly after we began rs have selfto wait for a the dealer issued dated which release began. He continues the aggrieved custome WhatsApp from news June a account a this story, in website, India organised and created resolution. themselves.

10 August on their maintains that group to coordinate among works for Kawasak i Motors s to be an Mandheer Singh, who SNK Palm Beach continueresponsible his Ninja 650 in is Future Group sold authorised dealer and g to a Z800. He of Kawasak i the hopes of upgradin 27 April sales and delivery on for cle motorcy booked the customers. They of Rs 4 lac motorcycles to its out to with an initial payment some time reaching are add that they and transferred the balancece from his instructing SNK customers and are and resolve later, including a remittan 22 June, On Palm Beach to “satisfy . financier, HDFC Bank. wait, Satyen these issues at the earliest” d that he after a considerable confirme also kar Palm Karandi r of SNK to stop taking Karandikar, proprieto was instructed by IKM that they were 16 June 2016.

Beach informed him bookings in a letter dated arrow.com bike and would unable to deliver the tushar@goldensp recounted his process a refund. Singh social media on poor experience on refund cheque a received and 29 June d it, and the dated 7 July. He deposite his currently on cheque bounced. He’s

GRP chief calls for review

of all railway bridges

in Mumbai in wake of

MISHRA

BY SANTOSHEE @santosheemishra

of the British era After the collapse river near bridge over the Savitri Additional Mahad in Raigad district, atnam of Kanakar Director General D Police (GRP), Government Railway all the railway of review a for has asked The review is bridges across the city. some miscreants also called for since at the all damaged railway bridges Mumbai on the entry and exit points including long Suburban Railway, route trains.

Railway with meeting a “We held and GRP. I Protection Force (RPF) inspect each and have asked them to especially the every railway bridge, We are doing bridges. exit and entry ently. We an internal audit independs, as earlier are not leaving any loophole sitting on the miscreants have been

drive by GRP, railway bridges. In the vigil. I have asked we have kept a tight wake of the two for the review in the falling into the state transpor t buses collapsed bridge. river Savitri off the

y

the Mahad bridge traged

project will be end to all this, this gave nod to said.

Maharashtra cabinet undertaken,” the official atnam. pported ‘climate report (DPR) Express,” said Kanakar a World Bank-su A detailed project s in the the project’ which and manuals for Citing the two tragedie asked resilient agriculture over, he will now be farmers’ project reduce to meeting he presided aims to inspect each on prepared. The cabinet both GRP and RPF dependence has sanctioned creation and every railway bridge. unpredictable weather submitted in for the posts 23 of “The report will be cycles. authorities project. eight days to the railway inspection An official from n. The ’s The cabinet also of Mumbai Suburba the Chief Minister gratuity the possibility of sanctioned will be based on Office said the project damage to the nted and pension benefits miscreants causing will be impleme said. hit for teaching and nonrailway bridges,” he in 4,000 droughthave trains a teaching staff of private “The long distance districts of Vidarbh d onboard and ent-aide rs and governm ada passenge and 4000 and Marathw very important. the Ayurveda and Unani protecting them is some 900 villages on would on the crossings It colleges.

We are also checking banks of river Purna. of opinions from benefit the employees and have asked for “Changes in climatic patrolling on to lead a total of 20 colleges. fishermen. There is tight conditions In another decision, the bridges,” he said. situations like drought railways will that tation rebate’ Based on the report, and hailstorms it increased ‘transpor heavy rains and build the bridges production in a owners.

On August 7, 2015 be asked to repair and affect agricultural given to ration shop away the PTI also leads be provided by waterlogging had washed as a result and assistance will big way... Erratic climate To put an tracks, l. material holding the GRP and RPF personne to stress among farmers. of two .com place sparrow took nt @golden of which derailme santoshee.mishra ni and Janata long route trains, Kamaya

ensate man

Eight firms blacklisted by state prison

BY TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly The prison authorities have blacklisted eight companies for providing substandard products to jails across the state, to be used by inmates. The jail administration, for the fi rst time, has even debarred some fi rms from participating in any deal for 20 years.

The blacklisted companies are Nashik-based M/s Umang Furnishing, M/s Sindh Rexine House, M/s

that he had booked. he paid for the first ticket wrong with he purchased unhappy However, general a

by IRCTC about has directed the IRCTC information being provided the A consumer court by ticket for Rs also sought refund of of Rs 7,000 along with are not supporte d train schedule, Bajaj to pay a compensation his to implement the rules 180. He then second ticket and also to a Thane resident for said the Mahara shtra which hampers effective money he spent on the ticket and RTI costs ation for elled political bosses, v a deficient r The Bombay High Court t compens ion’s noise the nt beides corporat rail to impleme the RTI charges, sufferings due to the entire implementation, it noted. have been enacted government has failed of the . train schedule to him.

The rules the state and violation sufferings and legal expenses fact that IRCTC service in giving wrong pollution rules in distance religion and Tourism the during The forum relied on for the people of every a Indian Railway Catering was the extreme or there of y s norms is more rampant with means demand ), is a subsidiar and no religion refunded Rs 300, which Corporation (IRCTC religious festivals . diff iculty train, and also the RTI loudspea kers handles the catering, ent did advocate s use of delay in running of the Indian Railways that general Further, the governm in , said the ticketing operations. spirit the during the festivals reply kept before it. tourism and its online not follow in letter and (unrese r ved) t Sneha Mhatre, Bankatla lji Bajaj, high court Thus, Forum presiden court.

Complainant Gopal ment and N D upe booked orders passed by the compart hearing, had , Vishwar i last Mumbai the said the At and members Madhur from Kamothe in Navi another in this regard earlier, of Pleader the IRCTC to pay the the IRCTC portal for Government Kadam recently ordered 150 his train ticket through had judges.

180, and also the Rs Vagyani stated before the Thane Mumbai Express for as the Abhinandan new ticket cost of Rs train, the complainant from a reserved seat in Nagpur- Mumbai on May The observat ions came l Forum. government 12 per cent interest i to

by Justice informe d that the RTI cost along with District consumer Redressa forum that the with travelling from Amravat division bench headed noise meters the complainant, along dictatin g had ordered 1,843 He also informed May 5, 2013, to the 5, 2013. and Rs to an Rs 300, Abhay Oka started mental his sufferings implementation of on online payment of informed him in reply towards an PILs effective had 5,000 for on made Rs nt He IRCTC his the judgeme tion and . was on time. with PNR number on n rules Noise Pollution (Regula 2,000 for his legal expenses that in falsely e-mail that the train and he got the ticket sought they ant violation of noise pollutio and complain 2000, IRCTC. by pandals The forum observed Control) Rules, - HIGH COURT However, later the per mobile via an SMS from i and encroach ment

by Augustvide an RTI query train was running as arrived at Amravat religious would be available informing that the However, when he the train running status on roads during the has given deficient rters in New Delhi, time to board the train, end. schedule, the IRCTC from the IRCTC headqua train was running station at the specified he festivals . ant. that the the HC had cited to depart at 1940 hrs, been services to the complain which informed him PTI which was scheduled During the hearing, -aThe petition s have that that day. was late by four-and Mahesh Bedekar, judgement to state behind its schedule on was informed that it which a Supreme Court filed by Thane resident others. The court does not extend to also refunded Rs 300 religion IRCTC and The practise ion hours. to half freedom Awaz Foundat nt office the next day, dictation of judgeme As he had to reach his “any and every place”.

PTI would continue the d tomorro w. which are suppose The civic authorit ies

“No religion demands use of loudspeakers during the festivals.”

Sindh Trading Corporation and M/s KGN Sales; M/s Vardhman Paper Centre and M/s Choice from Pune; Kolhapur’s M/s R T Mug and Tirupati Textiles based in Madurai. The action was initiated after a panel carried out a detailed study of the quality of the products supplied by these fi rms.

The prison authorities regularly take review of the quality of items supplied by the companies across the jails in the state. The process to supply any product for the jail is to follow the bid, and the eight companies were always the selected suppliers. The products were screened and checked before being allotted to prisons across the state.

“However, in the recent past, the

HC unsatisfied with CBI report on Adarsh flats

The Bombay High Court said it is not satisfied with a report fi led by CBI in response to a public interest litigation alleging allotment of ‘benami’ flats to government officials and politicians in the controversial Adarsh housing society in south Mumbai.

“We are not satisfied with the report...It seems there is nonapplication of mind by the agency in respect of issues raised in the petition,” said a bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka after reading the report, submitted in a sealed cover.

The judges directed the agency to fi le an additional report by September 28, and asked the Joint Director of CBI, Western Zone to remain present on the next occasion.

The PIL, fi led by the activist Praveen Wategaonkar, alleged that some top government officials and politicians held ‘benami’ (by proxy) flats in Adarsh building, which was a quid-pro-quo for clearing the fi les related to the building which violated several norms.

Wategaonkar has sought disclosure of names of two top officers of the Maharashtra government who had dealt with Adarsh fi les and allegedly obtained benami flats.

He has claimed that CBI, when it arrested one of the promoters of Adarsh society, Kanhaiyalal Gidwani in 2011, it “claimed in the remand papers that they needed Gidwani’s custody because he held benami flats for political leaders”.

Gidwani, a Congress leader, and

Indian Embassy clerk ditches woman

Victim forced abortion by accused seeks help from External Minister Sushma Swaraj

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @santosheemishra

comp nt IRCTC asked to Govt failed to impleme for wrong train schedule information noise pollution rules

Report state firms supplied sub-standard products to inmates

Direct selling guidelines to be defined P 14

jail inmates made several complaints regarding the quality of these products. Usually their grievances were ignored but this time it was brought to the notice of senior officials and it was found that these companies were supplying inferior products to prisoners,” a source said.

“An internal report of review from all the jails on the quality of items like rexine, furnishings and papers was submitted in the recent past. It was revealed in the report that the quality of items supplied to jails were of poor quality. Immediately the eight companies based in Pune, Kolhapur, Nashik and Madurai were blacklisted by the senior jail authorities,” said an official from the prison department.

FIRMS & BAN • M/s Umang Furnishing, M/s Sindh Rexine House, and M/s Sindh Trading Corporation barred for 20 years • M/s KGN Sales barred for 10 years • M/s Vardhman Paper Centre barred for 5 years • M/s R T Mug barred for 5 years • M/s Choice barred for 3 years • Tirupati Textiles barred for 3 years tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Zabillah Saad Khan

on April 14, 2016. “We came very close and I was pregnant with his child.

However, he started refusing marriage and asked me to abort the child. I wanted the child but had to undergo abortion for his sake. The foetus is kept as an evidence for DNA test if he returns,” she said.

After an FIR was lodged on June 26, Khan’s younger brothers Faizullah and Rizwan residing in Balarampur district of Uttar Pradesh started calling the victim, the complainant alleged.

“The two brothers threatened to throw acid on my face. The Kandivali Police have registered non-cognisable offences against Khan’s two brothers but have not provided me with any police protection despite knowing the threat to my life. My only mistake was that I trusted the man but now I am suffering because of it. The police have told me that they have hacked the website where Khan is posting the videos. I am shocked and living in trauma on how he made the videos and is making it public. The cops are yet to arrest him or initiate any action as he is based in Saudi Arabia,” Thakur said.

Kandivali Police Station Senior Inspector Mukund Pawar said, “We have registered an FIR and are investigating the case. Our team visited the native village of the accused in UP and also interrogated his Goregaon-based relative whom Thakur had transferred the money. Since the accused is staying in Saudi Arabia, we have asked his family to return so that we can take any action. We have hacked the website and are trying to stop the accused from posting any more objectionable videos.

We can presently do this much only.” santoshee.mishra@goldensparrow.com

Shivaji memorial plan hits rough seas Pune NGT bench issued notices to nine bodies including the Government of Maharashtra opposing the plan to set up a Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial off the Mumbai coast

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

his family members owned a total of 10 flats in Adarsh. His sons owned three flats while in respect of other flats, the source of money and real ownership was not clear, the PIL has said.

It has alleged that two of these flats were meant for high-profi le members of the government who helped clear the Adarsh fi les, and two others for prominent politicians.

Gidwani passed away in 2012.

The 31-storey building was originally meant for Kargil war widows, but many of the flats were allotted illegally to bureaucrats and politicians. The building also allegedly violated coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms and civic rules.

On April 29, the high court had ordered demolition of the building and sought criminal proceedings against the politicians and bureaucrats for “misuse” of power, holding that the high-rise was illegally constructed.

The Supreme Court had subsequently stayed the demolition order and asked the Centre to secure the building and take its possession.

PTI

According to a jail official, the tender is issued every year. The selected fi rms supply food items needed to convicts and undertrial prisoners, besides other products like furnishings and rexine.

A woman has lodged a complaint against a man deputed at the Indian Embassy of Saudi Arabia for posting her objectionable videos. With the police failing to act, the complainant has written to the Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj seeking help.

The complainant Bharti Thakur (name changed on request) lodged a complaint with Kandivali Police on August 30 regarding the objectionable videos posted on a website by the accused. The case was registered under Section 67(a) of the Information Technology Act against one Zabillah Saad Khan (28), a clerk deputed at the Indian Embassy of Saudi Arabia.

The complainant claims that if no action is initiated against the alleged accused either by the Mumbai Police or Ministry of External Affairs, she along with her parents will have to end their lives. “My FIR is already registered with the Kandivali Police against Khan under Section 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 312 (causing miscarriage) and 506 (ii) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The police also added a new section under IPC regarding posting objectionable videos of me online against Khan. Tired of the failure of the police to act, I have written to Minister Sushma Swaraj asking her to intervene and extradite Khan from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to India and arrest him,” said Thakur, the complainant who is a private tutor and stays in Kandivali with her parents.

Thakur states in her complaint that she came in contact with Khan via social networking site Facebook.

Later, the alleged accused asked her to marry him. “During the period of our relationship, he told me that he needs to rent a house as he was residing illegally on the University campus of Riyadh. I paid Rs10 lakh via his relative’s bank account for the accommodation as he wanted to marry me and I was to settle with him in the Gulf,” the complainant said.

Meanwhile, Khan flew to Mumbai

The proposal to build a Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, seems to have run into rough waters. The Pune bench of National Green Tribunal, on August 31, issued notices to the Government of Maharashtra, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, Mumbai Port Trust, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and three other government bodies to stay present and reply in a case filed against the proposed statue and memorial.

The NGT Pune bench was approached by Damodar Tandel and Pradip Patade through their representative advocate Asim Sarode.

The petitioner filed an Environment Interest Litigation, stating that the statue would lead to disastrous consequences not only for the environment but the entire eco-system in question.

The petitioner Tandel is the head of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti, and along with oceanic expert Patade, has raised many points in the petition surrounding the lives and livelihood of the fishermen along with the impact of the statue on the marine life as well as migratory animals.

The petition states, “It will destroy 110 km of coastal area of Arabian Sea near

Mumbai. It will destroy natural aquatic marine life, marine eco-system and affect the livelihood of fishermen.”

They claim that the multiple NOCs and licences for the project were obtained without ‘observing provisions of various existing Laws, Rules/ Notifications and Laws made for preservation of coastal environment such as Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and others’. It states, “The Environmental Impact Assessment, prepared by the Goa based National Institute of Oceanography with National Environmental Research Institute (NEERI) is for the Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra. It is pertinent to note the passing reference that in Maharashtra and Goa states, the BJP-led government is in power as well as at the centre. This co-incidence has given birth to various manipulations at the government level.”

The petition states that there are several discrepancies in the reports filed by the various bodies involved while giving the NOCs. “While the police department raises a lot of security concerns, given the spot’s proximity to the Gateway, Nariman Point and the Raj Bhavan, the NOC was still given without a second thought. Similarly, the coastal authorities have refuted permissions for dredging but the plan to supply water through pipelines has been cleared. How can pipelines be made

without dredging? Clearly, it is all not fitting,” explained Sarode.

The focus point the petition raises is the environmental damage that will follow once the construction work begins. “During the high tide, the rocky outcrop is completely submerged.

Once the project is executed, an area of 1,59,600 square metres will be exposed even during the high tide. This will block the flow of water during high tide, and hence can change the waves, currents, and shoreline,” the petition explains.

The memorial, being built as a tourist attraction, is expected to double the number of tourists visiting the city.

However, the petitioners allege that more tourists mean more pollution and silting. The petition clarifies, “Overall Index of Pollution (OIP) is 3.17, currently, suggesting slightly polluted water. It is assumed that the future

construction activity will enormously increase the pollution.”

Sarode comments, “There are multiple statues for Shivaji in the city.

This memorial puts in jeopardy the layman’s needs and resources.” The petition explains, “There will be added stress on existing facilities of toilets, food courts and transportation. It is estimated that an additional 10,26,000 litres per day of water will be required for sanitation and drinking for tourists.”

The petitioners have demanded stay on the ongoing work on the statue and the planned bhoomipujan by Narendra Modi as ‘it involves substantial questions relating to environment, human and environmental rights of fishermen, their livelihood and also involves prayer for restitution of the environment’. The court has given four weeks’ time to the bodies to respond to the notice. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

‘‘We want to have an alliance with Shiv Sena during the upcoming municipal elections.

Some mistakes related to wooing Sena workers have happened. We do not want to repeat these mistakes.’

— Laxman Jagtap, BJP’s Pimpri Chinchwad Unit Chief

Bangladesh SC upholds Jamaat stalwart’s death sentence P13

Hospital sans thermometer, dustbins, oxygen...

Once regarded as the best, the Dehu Road Cantonment Board Hospital has been allowed to deteriorate into a dilapidated state, whereby the flow of patients has fallen drastically

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma Hospitals are an integral part of any community.

In special provisions, the Government of India puts more stress on making hospitals in defence establishments as advanced as possible. However, in the Dehu Road Cantonment Board, the truth is the exact opposite. The Dehu Road Cantonment Board Hospital, which was once considered to be the best in the area, has been deteriorating and has been in a deplorable condition for the past of couple of years. With lakhs of rupees being spent on repairs which have not been done, the hospital is currently at its sorriest state. The doctors and nursing staff admit that the number of patients coming to the hospital has decreased radically, as the hospital has no facilities and offers zero benefits.

Strangely, even though it is a central government run organisation, it doesn’t follow all the rules. The hospital has been running without a license from the Pollution Control Board. Even the X-ray machines they use are unlicensed, and no procedure has been followed to get them tested and authorised, if not licensed.

Multiple complaints have been filed in the past, most on the basis of RTI reports that point out that huge expenses were made for the hospital, but which haven’t materialised. In fact, this even led to a CBI inquiry over the spending pattern of the cantonment board almost a year ago. However, not much has changed, even after a year.

Team TGS decided to visit the hospital to gauge its shortcomings. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

No dustbin in sight at the hospital

In a hospital, there is a heightened sense of cleanliness and hygiene.

The dustbins are also segregated so as to keep bio-medical and contaminated waste away from direct reach by way of air or water.

However, the cantonment hospital in Dehu doesn’t have a single dustbin for bio-medical waste. There are no black or yellow bins, as per the norms. In such a situation, the workers at the hospital throw the waste where they deem fit. Right across the labour room in the hospital, is the fallow rear of the hospital, where a PMC garbage cart is stationed permanently. The placenta, waste and sometimes a foetus even find their way to that open to air garbage cart, and end up being a feast for crows and other scavenging birds.

Since there are few dustbins and that too not segregated, the sanitation workers care little about cleanliness. While sanitary napkins line the windowsills of the female ward washrooms, the

men’s washroom in the general ward is a nauseating sight. Even the wards are caked in dust and the doctors’ and nurses’ duty rooms are completely ignored by the cleaning staff, with moss and fungi growing over the walls.

The DehuRoad Cantonment Hospital occupies a big stretch of land. Right behind the hospital, is a slum. Since the wall between the hospital and the slum has fallen, the hospital premises have become the backyard of the slum-dwellers.

They use the walls and even the trees inside the hospital premises to hang their laundry.

Their livestock, like chickens, goats and even pigs roam around in the hospital premises. The slum dwellers take a shortcut to the highway, through the hospital. The slum dwellers use it as a dumping ground as well.

Crows feasting on bio-medical waste dumped in the open

A hospital with no thermometers

Rs 55 lakh spent on invisible repair

Officer speak

The hospital has a centre sanctioned budget every year, but the situation regarding supplies is woeful.

While there’s a room full of usable medicines, they often go missing. According to an inside source, the hospital staff is involved in thievery and illegal sanctioning of the medicines, leaving very meagre supplies for the patients who actually need them. The male and female wards have more than a dozen beds each.

However, more than half of those beds don’t have mattresses. Even the occupied beds that have a mattress are devoid of any linen.The patients’ families are asked to arrange for bedsheets and covers.

The hospital doesn’t even have a proper thermometer and a rectal one is used by the doctors to gauge temperature. The syringes are few and patients’ kin are asked to get supplies from outside.

As necessary a commodity as an oxygen cylinder is also unavailable at the hospital, and it has led to serious medical hazards. Even in the emergency ward, there is no direct supply of oxygen. An expensive oscillating oxygen dispenser machine was bought, which provides oxygen haltingly. Life-saving drugs are all locked up in a room, in the name of ‘security’ and are unavailable to the patients.

The Dehu Road Cantonment Hospital was built in the late 80’s and thus has old architecture. Being old and open to agents of nature, the building is in a dilapidated state. However, last year, the Cantonment Board spent a hefty sum of money to restore some parts of the building. According to information extracted through Right to Information Act, the board spent Rs 40 lakh on repair works at the building along with an additional Rs 25 lakh on “sturdy rain sheds”, which are heavy metallic shed-like contraptions fitted above the already dilapidated building.

However, instead of providing support to the building, this is just increasing the weight on the base plinth. The building is so weighed down now that the window grills in the out-patient buildings have buckled and bulged outwards due to the heavy pressure.

No repairs have happened where they are needed. The main hospital building has a broken base, the stones exposed and disintegrating further,

The hospital’s plight is not a surprise for the general public. While the disintegration of the hospital is visible to the common man, many RTI activists have also unearthed information regarding money being designated and spent on the commodities on paper but not in reality. While the Resident Medical Officer Trambak Waghchaure declined comment citing the ongoing CBI probe, the CEO of Dehu Road Cantonment Board, Abhijeet Sanap, was unavailable for comment. However, sources in the board confirmed that the CEO has taken cognizance of the situation and is suspending the corrupt agents.

The CBI probe that happened last year is still in process as the investigation is on-going. “It’s not just the hospital, there are multiple scams.

We are investigating all of them and thus it’s taking its time,” said a CBI official anonymously. Meanwhile, patients suffer as the hospital functions without basic amenities.

Makki and the wondrous art of whistling Pune whistling maestro Makki has been diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, but he is determined to recover his prowess with care and physiotherapy

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BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Mujahid Makki of Pune has built his reputation out of whistling, which can hardly be regarded as a worthwhile pastime. But Makki has defied the odds and honed his skills to such a degree, that this 64-year-old is rated among the great whistlers of the world. Makki was the first Indian to participate in the 2002 World Whistling Convention, North Carolina. His specialty is the rare and exclusive double whistle.

Makki performed his last concert in 2008. He was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy in 2015, a paralysis which has caused weakness of the muscle on the left side of his face.

“The journey had been great and I wanted to continue with my hobby which later became my passion, but this condition does not allow me to do that,” said Makki. The Bell’s Palsy condition allows him to take air inside his mouth, but releasing the air has now become impossible.

But he was determined to do all he can to be able to continue whistling. With good care and physiotherapy, Makki has recovered his faculties to almost 90 per cent.

“Being diagnosed with this condition was a great setback.

Whistling is still very dear to me. I had to recover somehow to continue my passion,” said Makki. Still a long to go for recovery, Makki hasn’t given up hope of being able to whistle again.

Makki believes that whistling is an art which is God’s gift. Originally from Talegaon, Makki has been living in Pune for over 50 years now. His journey began at an early age. “I have been whistling since I was 12. My family and friends were quite supportive of my hobby. In fact they asked me to work on it and start taking up shows. Earlier, people found it strange that someone could whistle a melodious tune, but later they started appreciating the art,” said Makki, who completed his graduation from Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune.

Talking about his most memorable moment, he said, “In 2002, during the World Whistling Convention in North Carolina, the audience started clapping and dancing to my tune. That shows how Indian songs are appreciated worldwide. That moment still gives me goosebumps.”

He has mastered more than 100 melodies and has participated in several national and international shows, the last one being at the Japan Whistling Convention, 2008. He loves fast tunes and Dil Tadap Tadap Ke from

putting the building at risk. There are plants growing through cracks in the roofs and walls. The boundary wall around the hospital has broken down.

There are broken window panes and a slippery and broken floor. There are damaged water pipelines around the labour room too.

For the last two years, The Golden Sparrow has covered Pune like no one else

JOIN OUR 50,000 WEEKLY READERS, AND LAKHS ONLINE! Madhumati is his favourite tune. Makki loves songs by Kishore Kumar and Mukesh and also knows several Marathi and English ones.

Makki is also a stone collector and geologist. He owns a stone mine in Moshi village. In 1974, he had the opportunity to meet the person who inspired him, American geologist Harrison Schmitt. “That was the most memorable day of my life. While NASA was sending Apollo 17 to the moon, I had sent them some of my stone collection to check their reactions on the moon. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take it. But meeting Schmitt was a great moment,” he said.

His wife Shamin, 55, adores Makki’s whistling prowess. “Give him any song and he converts it into an even more melodious tune,” she said. “It’s get easy for him to persuade me if I am angry. All he has to do is whistle a tune and I will be back to normal,” she said.

Even with his misfortune, Makki has not lost hope, and wants to start a group which will give whistlers a platform. “I wish to start a music company. If whistling becomes difficult for me, I will love to guide other whistlers.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Makki is the first Indian to feature in a world whistling meet in 2002

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

‘‘Rural parts of Pune continue to get light showers which has led to accumulation of water -- a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

We have initiated a multi-pronged strategy to contain the spread and prevent of outbreaks.’

- Bhagwan Pawar, District Health Officer

Ex-Infosys techies craft e-healthcare app P10

This is how substandard goods are supplied to PMC Mumbai lab accused of manipulating figures of test reports of rainwear for ragpickers, to make them comply with the required specifications

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar

PMC is yet to provide rainwear to its ragpickers.

PMC floated the tender for the purchase of rainwear to its garbage pickers in July. N Z Seasonal Wear, Rekha Engineering Works, Super Polymers, National Co-op Consumer, Lucky Plastic and Varun Textiles are the private companies that took part in the tender process. The products of all these suppliers were tested at Paralab Private Ltd, Mumbai. The strength of these raincoats must be 40 kgf according to the set norms, but the material of these companies did not meet the set norms. But everyone later modified the reports in collaboration with Paralab.

Giving more details about how these raincoat suppliers provide low quality material raincoats to the PMC,

leader of opposition Arvind Shinde said, “This is tender number 26/ ganvesh of PMC to purchase raincoats and rain suits for garbage pickers. As per the set norms, breaking strength of the material used for these raincoats should be 40 kgf. All six tender applicants’ raincoat material breaking strength did not comply with respect to 40 kgf norm in its first test report, but in the next test report, the samples complied with the norms. How can this happen in one day? How can the same material’s breaking strength increase from 20 kgf to 40 kgf in one day? It shows test reports are managed at PMC nominated Paralab lab to favour these raincoat suppliers. It is a serious matter that these suppliers provide low quality raincoats to the PMC. They cheat the PMC and plan

24x7 search and rescue helpline for trekkers

to supply raincoats made from low quality material. This tender cost is Rs 85 lakh. This is taxpayers’ money.

Considering the serious malpractice, the commissioner should cancel this tender process and invite fresh tenders.

He must conduct a thorough inquiry into matter and file police complaints against the guilty officials. How can these companies get in touch with the laboratory which PMC nominates for testing and modify the test reports?

Action should be taken against Paralab as well.”

PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar said, “We have received the letter from Arvind Shinde, regarding the issue. I have ordered officials to check the facts of the matter which Shinde has raised.

On the basis of the facts we will take further action on the issue. The process of providing raincoats to the garbage pickers is already delayed. We will verify the facts, and take decisions on the issue in the coming days.”

Paralab laboratory Director Keval Mehta said, “We have not modified any report of raincoats that came to us for testing from the PMC. It was just a printing mistake which happened while filling in the figures of the test report of samples of these raincoats.

We informed the PMC about this mistake in writing, stating that it was just a printing mistake that happened during filling in the figures of the test report.” tushar.rupanavar@ goldensparrow.com

P12

No more foodgrains for bogus beneficiaries

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2 The district supply office (DSO), Pune, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, will stop the supply of foodgrains to families who fail to collect the foodgrains constantly for three months. This step is aimed to ensure that the foodgrains reach the genuine beneficiaries of the Food Security Act, and curb unnecessary expenditure on the extra amounts of quota of foodgrains purchased for the Public Distribution System (PDS), every month.

The DSO will be the apex body at the district level to monitor the system, and it has decided to implement the stringent rule with immediate effect. The DSO had requested the beneficiaries of the Food Security Act who failed to collect the foodgrains on a regular basis, repeatedly. Most them have stopped taking the grains for years. This clearly shows that the numbers of families who are in genuine need of the facility are fewer than the official number.

The process of seeding of Aadhar with ration card is underway, and its completion will make the scenario clearer.

There are 45.64 lakh beneficiaries in Pune district under the Food Security Act, to whom foodgrains are supplied through FPS, under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

In Pune city alone, there are 17.49 lakh beneficiaries under the Food Security Act and 11,636 beneficiaries (card holders) under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). Under AAY,

21 kg of wheat and 14 kg of rice is distributed per card, and under the Food Security Act, three kg of wheat and two kg of rice per beneficiary is distributed.

There are 1,821 fair price shops in the rural parts of the district (excluding municipal limits) like Haveli, Junnar, Maval, Velhe etc. In the 13 districts of Pune alone, there are 28.15 lakh beneficiaries under the Food Security Act, and 56,249 beneficiaries (card holders) under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). In the municipal limits (Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation), under the Food Security Act and AAY, 5,420 metric tonnes of wheat and 3,615 metric tonnes of rice is distributed at a fair price of Rs 2 per kg and Rs 3 per kg respectively.

Conforming the development, district supply officer Jyoti Kadam said, “In spite of the multiple number of reminders from us, people are least bothered about it. If a family doesn’t come to the shop and demand the foodgrains through PDS, it is clear that they are not in need of it. There are many beneficiary families who are already not eligible for the benefit, but they still have their record in the list which will be removed. The department has to bear the burden of expenses on unnecessary amounts of foodgrains. These foodgrains are kept in the godown, and at the next time of purchase, the available stock is deducted from the demanded stock.

Many times stocks are left and there is a risk that they may get spoilt and lead to a financial loss.” vicky.pathare@goldensparrow.com

GOLI MAAR BHEJE MEIN

RAHUL RAUT

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has floated a tender for raincoats and waterproofs for its Swachh garbage collectors. Six raincoat manufacturers participated in the tender process. These companies do their product testing at Mumbai’s Paralab Private Ltd laboratory. Their samples did not comply with the specification of WEFT limit of 40 kgf but they modified their reports in the next test. This is how companies supply defective rainwear to the PMC. The Golden Sparrow has evidence of how these suppliers modified their reports in collaboration with Paralab. Leader of the opposition in PMC, Arvind Shinde has demanded that PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar cancel the tender process and take action against the culprits.

PMC provides raincoats and waterproofs to its ragpickers during the monsoons. They have faced criticism for delays in providing rainwear to the ragpickers. It’s September and the

Temple restrains entry of girls wearing jeans

Trained volunteers will provide services across Maharashtra

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak The Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering, Pune has started Maharashtra Mountaineers Rescue Coordination Centre (MMRCC), a 24 x 7 helpline for search and rescue of mountaineers and trekkers all over rural Maharashtra.

Talking to The Golden Sparrow, project director Umesh Zirpe Umesh Zirpe said, “The seeds of starting this project were sown two years ago. The number of mishaps during trekking was alarming which is why I took this step,” said Zirpe, 52, who is an avid mountaineer. “The motive behind setting the helpline is to create a well-organised body which can quickly locate the casualty, connect with the local mountaineers and rescue volunteers, police station and ambulance, offer first aid treatment and rescue the victim to a nearest medical aid speedily.”

There are around 350 registered volunteers who will deliver quick service during mishaps.

All these volunteers are trained but they will also be put through a rigorous training program.

“The volunteers are passionate about trekking.

They have all the knowledge about mountains and their location. The training programme will throw light on the medical knowhow and how to deal with the parents of the victims,” said Zirpe. A database will be created which will share inputs from experienced rescuers.

Maharashtra is a popular trekking destination. Last year there were 450 mishaps and approximately 20 deaths. This project intends to reduce the number of mishaps.

To make mountaineering and trekking hassle free, mountaineer and Everest climber Ashish Mane has introduced an app ‘TrekMate’, which will be extremely helpful to all rescue volunteers and adventure enthusiasts.

The ‘send current location’ service will be very helpful for rescuers to reach accident spots. The helpline number 7620 230 231 is available 24 x 7 and Aniket Kulkarni, Priyanka Chinchorkar, Ashish Mane and Yugank Kadam will be available as MMRCC coordinators. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

SMOKING KILLS: This old man was spotted smoking a beedi on Fergusson College Road. His ‘Pistol’ matchbox pointed at him truly completes the picture

5.63L kids underweight in state

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 In a startling discovery, as many as 5.63 lakh children between the ages of 0-6 years were found to be underweight by the Integrated Child Development Scheme in Maharashtra.

This includes 83,068 acutely underweight children. There has also been an increase in child deaths, with 4913 child deaths in 2015-16 (April to March), 812 more than in 2014-15, with 4101 deaths.

Experts in this field say that the discontinuation of funds to Village Child Development Centre (VCDC) and Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC) have resulted in the alarming increase in underweight children.

“The government stopped providing funds to VCDC and CTS in August last year. That is why there is such an increase in the number of malnourished children,” said Advocate Bandu Sane, of Jan Arogya Abhiyan, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) working in the health sector. Sane had filed a Right To

Information (RTI) to ICDS. The reply stated that there were lakhs of underweight children in the state. Sane found that most of these children were from tribal, rural and slum areas in the state.

There has been an increase in the number of severely underweight children in 2015-16 over 2014-15. There were 14 districts where the number had risen. Nashik had the most number of underweight children, rising from 5755 in 2014-15 to 6404 in the following year.

Jalgaon had the second highest number of 2804 underweight children rising to 4468 in the following year. Chandrapur had the third highest number of 2771, rising to 3874. Sangli district recorded the lowest numbers, of just 469 to 503.

The National Health Mission (NHM) stopped providing funds to the CTC and VCDC centres in August 2015,which led to the stoppage of these services. NHM was providing Rs 1500 for every underweight child every month. The closure of these centres has led to an increase in the number of underweight and malnourished children. The

age group of 0-6 years is crucial in terms of children’s physical and mental growth, where the children need adequate nutrition.

There were 78,467 severely malnourished children in 2014-15, which number has risen to 83,068.

Child deaths in the age group of 0 to five rose from 4101 to 4913.

“The government transferred the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) from tehsil places to district civil hospitals which are not easily accessible to the common man, as the centres may be more than 25 km away,” said Dr Abhijit More, of Jan Arogya Abhiyan.

ICDS Deputy Commissioner D J Munde said that there are around ten lakh underweight children in the state.” This includes severe and moderately underweight children. The government is not responsible for their condition and we are taking care to provide them with all the facilities. The ICDS provides nutritious food to all the children in the state through NRC,” he said. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

‘‘Most wards in Yerawada and around areas have NCP corporators. The residents of these areas are not getting water with proper pressure. Steps should be taken to solve the issue and water should be provided with high pressure.’

- Bapu Karne, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator

Continued from p1 Her letter alleges that the authorities at the home have been hushing up major incidents from not only the public eye but also from counsellors. The lack of qualified staff after hours, the activist believes, is a major loophole. The letter then questions the daily routine of the children and even points fingers at the staff whose absence is allegedly encouraging sexual offences inside the home. It reads, “The quarters are there and the resident workers too but please take out the CCTV footage to see that the kids are left at the mercy of bigger (sic elder) offender kids in the night with very dimly lit premises.

In the recent past kids had put water filled condoms on the table of the resident nurse. Nobody bothered to investigate that in a children’s home availability of condom indicates sexual exploitation of the small kids by the bigger (sic) ones.”

The juvenile home saw a violent spat on August 18, which resulted in damage of property and some inmates

were seriously injured. However, Adbe claims that the situation was instigated by the Probation Officer as he was lodging false complaints against some of the elder inmates and used to hit them with canes and boots. She further claims that even after the incident, instead of following the procedure, the authorities were busy covering up. “Even though the children were hurt, no medical was done as they were worried the marijuana levels in the blood might get exposed,” she said.

Her letter also states that some

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have to pay crores of rupees as stamp duty to the Inspector General of Registration and Stamps (IGRS) from now on.

The Department of Registration and Stamps has issued a notice to the president of BCCI for evading stamp duty worth crores of rupees. IGRS will now control all agreements between cricketers and the cricket control board, as per Maharashtra Stamp (Amendment) Act, 2015, under which they are legally obliged to pay stamp duty, which they previously evaded. After the amendment in the act, the revenue department has made it mandatory for all agreements as well as the payment of registration and stamp duty including optional documents to be registered.

Confirming the development, State Inspector General of Registration (IGR) and Controller of Stamps Dr N Ramaswami said, “The notice has been issued as per the Maharashtra Stamp (Amendment) Act, 2015 to the president of the board Anurag Singh Thakur. BCCI in reply had asked for

a time limit for responding to the Revenue and Stamp department can notice after consulting with their legal inspect registers, books, records, adviser. We are in communication papers, documents, instruments or with them since last two months proceedings, which may help uncover informing them to pay for various fraud or omission in relation to any agreements the board duty. The Inspector of has undergone with Stamps can enter any the sportsmen. Every premises and inspect the year cricketers undergo same in the custody of agreements with BCCI any person, office, firm or amounting to crores of any other organisations rupees. People come and conduct raids. to know about such “Stamp duty is a agreements through legal tax and BCCI the media during the is supposed to pay it. leagues and other They cannot cheat the matches. Even earlier government.

Many we had issued notices times the board gave to BCCI but the board the reason that the came up with excuses president was abroad,” rather than pay the he said. BCCI, in its stamp duty for the reply, stated that, “the agreements.” board needs time to look A nominal amount into the matter and will of up to Rs ten lakh, respond to it soon. The - Dr N Ramaswami or 0.1 per cent of the legal department of the agreement amount, and board will scrutinise above Rs ten lakh, or 0.2 per cent of the legal aspects of the notice and the agreement amount has to be paid decide whether we are liable to pay to the registration department. As the stamp duty or not,” informed Dr per section 68 of the Maharashtra N Ramaswami.

Stamp (Amendment) Act, 2015, the vicky.pathare@goldensparrow. com

“The notice has been issued to the president of the board Anurag Singh Thakur.”

P13

P11

This child prodigy needs attention and support

BY GUNWANTI PARASTE @gunwantiparaste

false FIRs were registered against boys that were not even present at the scene.

Talking about the various violations of Juvenile Justice Act, she complained in her letter, “The kids were taken into a big police van with many uniformed police persons carrying them right in the premises of Juvenile Justice Board.” She has also accused the authorities of trying to send the children to other homes, questioning if this home thus is ineffective in the rehabilitation process of the juvenile criminals. “I want the corrupt practices inside the home to change and for the higher authorities to take cognizance. The juveniles are anyway fighting a lonely battle. We as child friendly persons need to make life normal for them, if not better,” she said.

When TGS contacted Sharad Kurhade, superintendent of the home, he refused to comment. Meanwhile, the Department of Women and Child Development has taken cognizance of the letter. According to the Deputy Commissioner Ravindra Patil, “We have received the letter and forwarded it to the District Women and Child Development committee for further action.” gargi.verma@ goldensparrow.com

BCCI pulled up for not paying stamp duty

We are unfairly targeted: Gupta

Milky Way core blazed 6 mn yrs ago

He is no doubt a wonder kid. He can read language text very well and recite without flaw. He can identify numbers. He is able to pronounce even the most complex words with ease. Meet four-yearold Yash, a doting son of Rajendra and Chhaya Daundkar. The family hails from the rural area of Karenjenagar in Shikrapur (Shirur tehsil).

The boy reels out names, dates and places of past events in a jiffy. Just ask him names of countries, capitals, prominent personalities, important places, and he responds within seconds. This child prodigy, studying in junior kindergarten, is already making waves in his neighbourhood.

“At this tender age, Yash can tell names of the countries, capitals, presidents, prime ministers, governors, chief ministers, gods, goddesses, rivers, national parks, oceans and local politicians confidently,” said his parents.

Speaking to TGS, Chhaya said, “We found that Yash was able to answer what we taught him when he was just two years old. Amazed by his memory power, we gradually taught him important days in calendar. Much to our surprise, he replied the important days and events instantaneously. He also remembers names of the states, flag symbols, rivers and seas. He is good at numbers also and has also won the accolades of his teachers.”

The four-year-old plays cricket and loves to dance. “I want to know everything. I love to act and dance and want to become like Salman Khan, my favourite actor,” said Yash, who studies at Ajinkya English Medium School. Apart from bagging a lead role in Marathi movie ‘Khopa’ that will hit the screen after two months, Yash is also getting movie offers.

His parents, with father having cleared HSC and mother being an undergraduate (SYBA), want him to be admitted to a higher class, but age could become a hurdle. Parents are seeking help from the government so that children like him can reach

VISHAL KALE

City activist alleges marijuana grown inside juvenile home

PUNE

their full potential.

“I am proud of my son. We belong to a middle class family and reside in a rural area that does not have the required facility for kids like Yash to grow and succeed. We teach him general knowledge at home. The authorities should take note of his extraordinary ability and support us by providing a tutor. Local politicians have shown interest in helping us,” Chhaya said.

For Rajendra, Yash is God’s special child.

“Our son shows interest in every field. He is very inquisitive and keeps asking questions. Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night and poses a question. If he is not satisfied, he refuses to sleep unless he gets the answer.”

Village Sarpanch Uttam Namdev Gaikwad said, “Yash is a very brilliant boy. His memory is very sharp. He even knows to use WhatsApp, SHAREit and YouTube besides solving difficult games.”

Yash’s class teacher Vaishali Shinde said, “The kid’s IQ is very high. I appreciate his parents for identifying his ability and developing it by tutoring him at home. Many parents of children in rural areas fail to understand the talent of kids because of their poor education. Efforts should be made to help Yash reach his potential.” gunwanti.paraste@goldensparrow.com

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

Humans altered 97 per cent of species-rich places

‘‘There is no proper passenger information and ticketing system in place at Sangamwadi-Vishrantwadi BRTS corridor. PMPML buses are being plied on BRTS corridor as well as other lanes, which leads to confusion.’’

- Jugal Rathi, Convenor, PMP Pravasi Manch

P 11

Disabled made to run around for Rs 600 pension

They are to receive the sum under the Sanjay Gandhi Yojana

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2 Disabled and destitute persons in Pune district have been facing an ordeal regarding getting their pension under the Sanjay Gandhi Yojana from the tehsildar office, and over the years, the situation has gotten worse.

These disabled people blame the government policy and the lax attitude of the officials, who make them run from pillar to post for their pension. The acute lack of disabledfriendly amenities at the offices has only intensified their ordeal.

The income certificate of Rs 21,000 was started after a long struggle by some disabled foundations.

As per the official data at the Sanjay Gandhi Yojana, Pune district office, there are just 132 beneficiaries in the 14 tehsils of Pune district who get monthly pensions. The yearwise statistics are as follows: 2013 - 124, 2014 -126, 2015 -128 and 2016 -132. In Ambegaon tehsil, there is not a single disabled person who is eligible for the pension scheme.

The Maharashtra Government, through the Sanjay Gandhi Yojana, provides financial assistance to destitute persons, blind, disabled, widows, orphan children, and persons suffering from major illnesses. The scheme is implemented by both state and central governments, for which Rs 400 is paid by the central government and Rs 200

Sarika Rajput

by the state government. Each beneficiary get Rs 600 per month, and families with more than one beneficiary get Rs 900 per month as pension.

Benefits are given to the beneficiary till his/her children become 25 years old, or he/ she gets employed, whichever occurs first. If

a beneficiary has only daughters, the benefit will be continued even when they become 25 years old or get married. The beneficiary should be below 65 years of age.

He should have annual family income of upto Rs 21,000. Documents required include Application Form, Certificate of Residence, Certificate of Age, Certificate of Income/Proof of Below Poverty Line family, Certificate of Incapacity/ Disease issued by the Civil Surgeon and Medical Superintendent of Government Hospital, having disability above 40 per cent.

Sarika Rajput, 32, resident of Pimpri, who is 85 per cent disabled in both legs, said, “I have been visiting the office forthe last couple of months. The office is not disabled-friendly and we are forced to make repeated visits. They don’t even keep forms at the office and people are forced to purchase them from the Xerox shop in the tehsildar office campus, or get Xerox copy from other applicants. Applicants never get pension after submission of documents in a single visit and in the given time period. They keep saying that the meeting of the committee has been not held, so the proposal of the applicant is pending.”

Supriya Gaikwad, 35, resident of Nigdi, who suffers from 73 per cent disability, said, “There is a need to change the system as we are made to suffer tocollect the documents from various government offices. Then after submitting the documents, we have to wait for months for the pension to be finalised. Even the amount of pension is less in comparison to other states. The eligibility criteria should be amended.”

Sachin More, 25, a disabled person from

Morwadi, said, “I have applied for the pension scheme more than three months ago, but they haven’t finalised my application. The officials are not concerned about us and we are forced to run from pillar to post. I have spent more than Rs 600 just to visit the offices. The tehsildar said that the meeting of the committee will take place and the beneficiary will be finalised. The office didn’t even provide me the form, so I bought it from the Xerox shop for Rs 15.” Sources in the department say that the committee doesn’t hold meetings for months.

Dashrat Pimple, also disabled, said that his application for pension was approved in June 2015 but he has not got a single penny.

“Only in June 2016 I have started receiving the pension.The officials don’t have any valid reason for the delay. If the application was sanctioned last year, where is my one year’s pension?” he said.

Pune Nayab Tehsildar Vilas Bhanavse said, “Every month, more than 40 people visit the office to avail of the pension scheme, but most of them fail the eligibility criteria of Rs 21,000 annual income of the family. If the amount is increased, there will be lakh of beneficiaries eligible for the pension scheme. Only a handful of people are eligible for the pension, as even housemaids earn more than this.”

About the time duration for finalising a beneficiary, he said that they give time of three months to the applicant but they completed the process within a couple of months. “We don’t charge a single penny for the procedure. Even the forms are provided free of cost to them,” the tehsildar said. vicky.pathare@goldensparrow. com

TEJAS GAIKWAD

YOUNG MINDS

LBT windfall of Rs 30 crore for PMC

All liquor shops will now have to pay LBT to the PMC, which will boost the civic body’s revenue by Rs 25-30 crore

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar The state government had partially scrapped the Local Body Tax (LBT) on August 1, 2015. Now, traders who with yearly turnovers of Rs 50 crore or more will come under the LBT purview, while traders with yearly turnovers below Rs 50 crore will be exempted from LBT. Local bodies are now heavily dependent on state government funds in place of the revenue they are losing out with the partial scrapping of LBT. On August 15, the urban development department of the state government has made it permissible for urban bodies to impose LBT on liquor shops, to compensate for the partial abolition of LBT. This decision will benefit the PMC in the form of an increase in revenue by Rs 25-30 crore, officials of PMC from the LBT department said.

Joint commissioner of PMC and head of LBT department, Dnyaneshwar Molak, said, “Two days ago our office received a letter from the state government’s urban development department stating that now the local body can impose LBT on wine, beer and liquor shops. Now the LBT department has decided to conduct a fresh review of wine, beer and liquor shops in the city. We have all the records of the wine, beer and liquor shops in the city, but as this new law is applicable to all liquor shops, we will take a fresh review to assess if all are operational or not. Now these liquor shops will have to pay LBT as they were paying it earlier. It will increase PMC income by almost Rs 25-30 crore. Here the government has abolished the condition of Rs 50 crore and more annual turnover as well. So LBT is applicable for each and every liquor shop, though it may have annual turnover of less than Rs 50 crore. They will have to pay LBT to PMC. This is a welcome move by the government, and it will ultimately fortify the financial condition of the local urban body.” tushar.rupanavar@ goldensparrow.com

Errant Maha E-Seva centres face closure

Maha e-Seva Kendras accused of overcharging citizens for services

Unconcerned about the fact that they are sitting on the roadside, two school children enjoy reading from a textbook as a passer-by watches them

No vacancies for dengue patients at top city hospitals No room for dengue patients at premier city hospitals. Families of patients are forced to get them admitted to smaller or government hospitals

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 Rohan Kashale, 13, from Ambegaon Budruk was diagnosed with dengue via a rapid test done at a private laboratory. His parents first took him to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Erandwane, but there were no vacancies there. It was the same at Sahyadri Hospital, Deccan Gymkhana, and a private hospital in Dattawadi.Eventually he was admitted to Mankar Hospital on Sinhagad Road. Finding a hospital bed took an entire day, which is the situation with the spurt in the number of dengue patients.

Dengue is a viral fever which can prove to be fatal unless treated in time. The

unexpected increase in positive and suspected dengue patients, has left city hospitals filled to capacity. The families of dengue patients are hard pressed to find a hospital bed for them. Besides dengue, there are also people infected with chikungunya and viral fever.

There are only 10 to 15 per cent beds in a ward meant for patients infected with communicable diseases.

TGS visited five premier private city hospitals on Wednesday evening, where not a single bed was available. Some hospitals hada waiting list of 25 to 30 patients. Others had only allowances to treat emergency patients, who after stabilisation, were made to leave, owing to the lack of vacancies.

Dr Nikhil Patel of Jehangir Hospital’s emergency ward, said that their general ward was full and no new admissions of dengue patients (normal) was possible. “All the beds are full for the last one week. If you have emergency patient who needed Intensive Care Unit, you can bring him here, and after stabilising him, you have to search for a bed at another hospital, as now we can’t admit new patients,” he said.

Nikhil Lohokare, of Sahyadri Hospital, Deccan Gymkhana, who looks for admissions, said that the general beds were full and no new admissionswere possible. Sanjeevani Hospital, Erandwane was also full.

Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital operator Sachin Shirke said, “We have 40 beds reserved for the patients of communicable diseases but all of them are full now. We have a waiting list for 25 patients already.” Dr Sujata of Poona Hospital said that patients would be admitted only if there wasa bed available.

As many as 1114 suspected positive patients were found in the city limits till date this year. The statistics available with the health department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) show that 194 positive patients were found this year in city limits.

Though this is the official number of patients, the number could be higher as not every patient being treated in private hospitalsis reported to the health department. In rural areas, there were 143 positive patients, with 12 outbreaks in Uttamnagar, Dhayari, Sangrun from Haveli and other areas. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldnesparrow.com

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Coming down heavily on the rampant extortion of money from the Maha e-Seva Kendras, the district administration has cancelled the registration of Maha e-Seva Kendras in Junnar run by Spanco Telesystems and Solutions. A high level meeting was held on Tuesday between the district collectorate officials and the Kendra office-bearers to discuss the rising number of complaints against them by citizens. Stringent action will be taken against Kendras found overcharging citizens, officials said. Henceforth any Maha e-Seva Kendra found extorting money from citizens, or violating norms, will face cancellation of the Kendra.

The Government of Maharashtra had launched a CSC (common service centre) scheme called Maha e-Seva Kendra, to bring transparency into the system and establish citizen-centric governance. The basic idea behind the Maha e-Seva Kendras is to set up a link between the district administration and citizens for a smoother electronic delivery of services. The Kendra provides government services, such as getting Income Certificates, or Domicile Certificates, Ration card, Pan card etc to citizens at their doorstep and at an affordable cost.

The government signed service agreements with Spanco Telesystems and Solutions for the Pune division to set up CSCs through public private partnership. There are 386 Maha e-Seva Kendras functional in Pune district.

“While the government had issued rates to be charged consumers, the CSCs are charging more

than what they are authorised to. The maximum number of complaints which we received were about overcharging,” said Rajendra Muthe, deputy Resident collector, Pune district. “During the meeting it was discussed that there will be a zero tolerance of Kendras violating norms, and surprise inspections will be conducted to check the functioning of the Maha e-Seva Kendras.

Though the CSC is operated by a private body, the goodwill of the government is tarnished due to their lackadaisical approach. During the visit, if any of the CSC is found guilty the centre will be shut down with immediate effect. Even for other complaints like misbehaviour of the officials, closure during working hours, more time for completion of work etc, investigations will be done and action will be taken as per the report,” said Muthe.

“The aim to start the centres was to reduce the hardships faced by the villagers who are forced to visit the tehsildar office. Reduction of the work load at the Tehsildar office was also expected. The district administration thought that CSCs would also provide an opportunity for inclusive growth by bringing the rural poor into the mainstream,” he said.

Balaji Somwanshi, head of the administration cell of Maha e-Seva Kendras in the district, said, “We had received five complaints about the CSCs, of which we ordered the Kendra at Junnar to shut down. Citizens most of the times call directly on the helpline number to complain about the centres, and very few of them personally visit the collectorate office to complain. All complaints are important for us to map the performance of this kendras.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

“Pramukh Swami’s deep sense of devotion led him to spend his life revitalizing communities in nee. His example helped his followers fi find nd more harmony – both with others and within themselves.”

— Hillary Clinton, Former Secretary of US

“Our children should be educated and healthy. India can reap the demographic dividend only if we succeed in educating and skilling our youth, especially our children.”

— Pranab Mukherjee, President

Secure city life for village students Marathwada Samanwayak Samiti to provide meal to youth studying in city colleges from September 17

Freedom Day Marathwada Mukt Sangram D n s ce ebrated on September 7 to mark berat on o Marathwada reg on rom the c utches o N zam o Hyderabad n 948 Many peop e sacr ficed the r ves n the strugg e or reedom and many eaders rom Marathwada were n the ore ront o the strugg e The day s observed to pay tr bute to a the martyrs who a d down the r ves n the Mukt Sangram

BY SHAILESH JOSHI @TGSWeekly For the students from poor, rural areas who move to the city to attend colleges and struggle to make ends meet, they have a friend in need who also belong to a remote village in Marathwada and worked hard to become a successful businessman. After starting many initiatives that help students from impoverished rural communities survive in a city, Rajkumar Bhanudas Dhurgude Patil, 50, will launch a food van for college students belonging to rural areas from September 17, observed as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din. “Under the banner of ‘Marathwada Samanwayak Samiti’ that we formed in Pune along with 25 like-minded people, we will give one meal a day to students who come from villages for Rs 10. The service will start from September 17,” Rajkumar said. The founders of ‘Marathwada Samanwayak Samiti’ hail from Marathwada region. The Samiti has distributed 500 forms to city’s various colleges, including Fergusson College, Sir Parshurambhau College, Abasaheb Garware College and Modern College Garaware college, inviting students to avail of the service.

“I come from a remote village and know the hardships that people from rural areas face. We will give bhaji poli packets that will have three polis Ra kuma and one vegetable.

The ood vans w

service for humanity. Belonging to a farmer’s family living in a backward and remote village in Mangrul in Marathwada, Rajkumar spent his childhood knowing the value and importance of basic needs of life. It was his young days at the village that made him responsible and caring towards others.

Coming from farming background, he foresaw the potential for agriculture to play an important role in bio-technology and environment, besides providing jobs to the unemployed rural youth. He started agro inputs manufacturing factories in 1994 at his village and soon his firm ‘Sun & Ocean Group of Companies’ expanded into agro, crop science, biotech, agro chemicals and bio-care, manufacturing more than 150 agro input products like insecticides, weedicides, fungicides, bio pesticides, plant tonics, micronutrients, water soluble fertilizers and bio and organic fertilizer.

“All my business interests focus on helping the farmers. I give my quality products to farmers at low cost and my extensive distribution network ensures that products and services reach farmers who stay in remote areas. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

be s a oned da y a s x co eges n he c y

Initially, we will put up food vans outside six colleges in the city but cover more educational institutes in the future. Our volunteers will be standing outside college gates to provide food from 10 am to noon every day. Two volunteers will stand before each college and give the packets. Our food van will wait outside colleges till students consume the meal and give us the empty food packets. In order to ensure that the whole process runs smoothly, we have written to the principals of these colleges in advance and received their approval,” he said.

For those students who are unable to pay Rs 10, Marathwada Samanwayak Samiti will be distributing food packets for free but the benef iciaries Bhanudas Dhu gude Pa will have to

PUNE

volunteer in the organisation various social campaigns.

“When I started my firm’s marketing office in Pune, many of my accountant’s friends used to come from his village in Marathwada to meet him. Unable to afford a place to stay in the city, these visitors stayed on company premises. These villagers told me that finding a place to temporarily stay in the city was beyond their means. I built a hostel ‘Margadnya’ for boys in Sukhsagar area in Katraj. The monthly rent of this hostel for students is only Rs 400. Later, I also constructed a girls’ hostel ‘Swavalambi’ in Dhankawdi. The name of this hostel that means to be independent is based on the principle followed by my mother Vimalbai Bhanudas Dhurgude.

Being the son of freedom fighter Late Bhanudasrao J Dhurgude, living a life of service and sacrifice came naturally to Rajkumar. He was inspired by his father’s simple style of living and devotion towards

Pune walls get colourful voice Bharati Vidyapeeths College paints its walls under Speaking Walls of Pune initiative TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeek y The wa s o Bhara V dyapee h Co ege o Arch ec ure Pune on Augus 29 became par o he amb ous m ss on o Pune Mun c pa Corpora on PMC o beau y he c y under he smar c y m ss on And one o he nfluence beh nd h s n a ve s he co ege s Pr nc pa and Pune B enna e Founda on Manag ng D rec or K ran A Sh nde Sh nde sa d “W h Pune be ng se ec ed or he flagsh p Smar C es M ss on aunched by Pr me M n s er Narendra Mod he adm n s ra on has aunched many pro ec s nc ud ng Speak ng Wa s o Pune The ob ec ve s o conver around 50 km eng h o wa sur aces n he c y n o crea ve works under pub c-pr va e par nersh p We are par ner ng w h he c v c adm n s ra on n h s n a ve We are happy o k ck-s ar h s m ss on w h pa n ng our co ege wa s ” Pune B enna e s a grassroo s movemen ha a ms o promo e and showcase crea ve a en rom v sua ar s arch ec ure and pho ography Launched by Bhara V dyapee h s Co ege o Arch ec ure n 2013 and a er suppor ed by Pune Mun c pa Corpora on PMC he n a ve s an effor o make ar access b e o he common man Pune B enna e Founda on organ ses even s ha prov de a p a orm o br ng oge her ar s s and ar overs bes des popu ar s ng Pune on g oba ar wor d by promo ng oca a en Accord ng o Sh nde he Speak ng Wa s o Pune pro ec under he gu dance o he Pune Comm ss oner Kuna Kumar and Mayor Prashan ag ap w be unded hrough sponsorsh ps corpora e soc a respons b y unds and pr va e con r bu ons The p an s o pa n wa sur aces a 40 oca ons hrough crowd sourc ng ar eachers and s uden s you h rom co eges schoo ch dren sen or c zens and hose n he v c n y o se ec ed oca ons The c v c adm n s ra on w prov de perm ss ons reques or perm ss ons rom o her governmen agenc es g eedba k@go den parrow om

The dictionary drive

Pallavi Nahar has started the dictionary drive to make learning simple for the underprivileged students of St Andrews Girls School

Ta ent ga ore Wh e each ng he s uden s she was as on shed by he r nc na on owards he Eng sh anguage The on y h ng hey acked was a d c onary wh ch s a bas c necess y “To be er he anguage he s uden s ough o have a d c onary They were rea y keen on earn ng he anguage As hey had on y a s ng e d c onary w h hem I hough o s ar ng he dr ve ” sa d Nahar as she n ormed he mo ve beh nd he n a ve The dr ve was s ar ed a mon h ago and so ar she has rece ved a grea response Nahar made he mos o he on ne med a o reach o he masses “I a so used Wha sApp So ar I have co ec ed around 20 d c onar es Peop e read abou he dr ve and dropped off he d c onary w h o her books wh ch wou d he p he s uden s ” she added She ee s ha anguage shou dn be a barr er or he s uden s And earn ng he anguage n r gh earnes w sure y

CARS, BIKES, TRIPS, GEAR HONEST, FUN REVIEWS

make hem reach he sky “The g r s are h gh y a en ed Some mes hey ee e ou as hey canno speak Eng sh I h nk ha shou dn come n he way The dr ve w sure y he p hem ” she sa d The dr ve made her rea se how or una e we are W h h s she vows o come up more deas ha wou d benefi he s uden s She sa d “The who e vo un eer ng h ng and he dr ve has made a huge mpac on me I makes us va ue he sma es h ngs n e ”

Regardless of what bike you ride, your knees and thighs are typically going to come into contact with the fuel tank/airbox cover, which is usually made of painted metal or plastic. The problem is that metal and plastic don’t stick very well to textile, nylon or any material that you’d typically wear as pants on a motorcycle ride. Anchoring to your bike with your knees and thighs is critical for safety and confidence.

Most sport riders are familiar with grippy stickers that you can put in place on the sides of your tank to alleviate this.

Techspec is one such brand, which makes a unique ‘snakeskin’ pattern rubber material that can be applied to your tank with adhesive.

Unlike some other brands of grip pads that look like organic globs or some sort of acupressure surface, the Techspec item is a fairly basic,

AUGUST 6, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

TGS LIFE JULY 9, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

By Tushar Burman

Road-tripping in Thailand

till buzzing from what must have been thousands of curves across just over a hundred kilometres of road, it occurred to us that perhaps we should take a break and refuel our bodies, since the Honda CB500X we were riding showed no signs of using any significant quantity of gasoline. We were at Pai canyon, a small lookout point for tourists along the highway with four food and one coffee stall.

My spouse enjoys the occasional coffee, so she requested one. The beans were promptly ground in front of us, mixed with condensed milk, ice and water, and served in a convenient plastic container. All this while, I bit down on a prepackaged Tuna sandwich knowing full well that the nearest fresh tuna was at least 1200km away.

Both the sandwich and coffee were fresh and delicious. If this was roughing it on a road trip, it’s exactly my style.

JULY 16, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

T

here are many legends surrounding the birth of the Ford Mustang, one of America’s most well-known performance cars. I will avoid the word “iconic” because it’s so overused in this context that I challenge you to find a launch or drive report without it. One such legend has its name inspired by the legendary P51 Mustang fighter aircraft used by the USAF, which makes sense seeing its “aviation inspired” interior on this 2015 model we drove. Other stories tell of how the entire allocation of the original run of the Ford Mustang sold out in just a few months. It has been an immensely popular vehicle since its birth in 1964-65, and this is its 52nd year in continuous production, despite the challenges of the ‘70s oil crisis, various downturns and such. Other muscle cars have come, gone and been resurrected, but the Mustang has been a constant.

The model Ford has launched in India is the Mustang GT and it wears all-new bodywork compared to the outgoing model. The previous generation started the “retro-futuristic” craze back in 2005 and has served the company well, spawning innumerable special editions and variations on performance and body style. This new model bears the same basic shape, but has a much more stylish, swoopy visage. The front is more aggressive with a wider grille and three slashes in each headlamp, while the rear looks more old-school with the same three-segment design following through.

The classic long bonnet and short boot with a fastback roofline remains, covering a 2+2 cabin and a surprisingly roomy boot! It’s all very well executed, betraying no irony or cheesy nostalgia. This truly does look like many decades of progress have been made to get to this handsome shape.

The Mustang is only available in the V8 engine option for India, which makes

Perfect roads as far as the eye can see

TGS LIFE

are present and are best used in sport mode or one of the sharper driving modes. There are four of those, including a “Track” mode that turns off the traction control, unleashing all 515Nm upon the rear wheels. Some of our colleagues were caught unawares as their cars did unintended 180-degree turns.

The Mustang isn’t for the hardcore trackjunkie, despite what the driving modes may say. The tendency is to safely understeer as opposed to snap-oversteer. Of course, you can get it to do the latter but it’s a deliberate effort. The upside is that it’s very easy to get used to and just, well, drive. Suspension is pliant and comfortable, ground clearance is generous, which should make it good to use in our road and traffic conditions. The interior is a bit bland — all black and grey surfaces, but with a surfeit of buttons. The steering wheel has no less than four separate clusters of buttons for various controls. Everything is generally where you expect it, save for the bonnet release, which is inexplicably in the passenger footwell. We had to get off the car for motorcycle to open the hood! Comfort is good, however, with supportive leather seats, usable rear seats (but not for adults), cup holders, armrest with storage, two west of Chiang Mai which is considered oneUSB of slots, an SD card reader and an 8” information/navigation screen. the best riding roads in Asia. Among the first All this at Rs 65 lac, ex-showroom Delhi, stopovers on this route is a popular, butshould still tiny which translate to about Rs 77 lac onroad.If Maharashtra town called Pai, which we visited.

Chiang buyers will be disappointed however, as the recent revision in RTO taxes Mai were Pune, think of Pai asmeans Wai,thatexcept the imported Mustang GT will 140km away. probably cost north of Rs 80 lac. Still, in this price waterfalls segment, one’s options are cars like the Nestled in a valley replete with Audi TT and the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG. and lush greenery, Pai is a small with all-wheel drive and much Bothtown are smaller, a growing tourist population, sharper pioneered aroundby a track, but also less practical in terms of ground clearance, comfort and backpackers. It’s close enough to the border space. With the Mustang, you have the with Myanmar to have cultural heritage, influences of and enough space in the machismo for a verybut grand tour, as long as you leave the hill tribes in terms of food andboot clothing, Our Honda CB500X proved an able, fun and comfortable ride for our trip that giant spare tyre at home. significant enough to have all the infrastructural tushar@goldensparrow.com

TANKED-UP TGS LIFE

JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE

JUNE 11, 2016

By Tushar Burman @tburman

W

that Himachal Pradesh is likely to make more of a dent in your bank balance. Food, boarding and infrastructure are organised and consistent, typical of a nation that takes tourism seriously, and with pride. You never pass a street stall without a sing-song “Sawatdi-khaaaa” (Thai for namaste, quite literally), friendly smiles and a disarming lack of guile. Thailand also has strong cultural connects to India, having a Hindu and Buddhist history. It occasionally surprises the uninformed when encountering names and iconography from the Ramayan and other Hindu mythology. There is, in fact, a Thai version of the Ramayan on TV, with Ram played

perfect sense. There’s an intimate connect Mustang, but the saving grace was that those in most minds between muscle cars and big, were around the lauded Buddh International brawny engines. That’s not to say that the Circuit, India’s only F1 track. As you’d Mustang has always had a V8. There have expect, the Mustang is pretty fast in a straight been many inline-four options over the years line. This time round, it isn’t too bad around as well, but we suspect the international the corners either, having an independent EcoBoost version would not be accepted in rear suspension instead of an ancient liveour market. The motor makes 395bhp and axle type found in most generations of the 515Nm of torque, which is down somewhat car. This is clearly a grand-tourer sort of car. from the international model. This is The suspension feels quite plush, there’s to accommodate the varying fuel perceptible body roll when you’re quality available hustling around the corners and Verdict things are generally smooth at + Comfort, speed. I suppose we should be price, heritage pleased as consumers that we’ve - Middling auto come to a point where we can gearbox actually buy much harder-core performance cars in this price TGS rating bracket. ;;;;2 The V8 sounds nice inside the cabin, but isn’t particularly evocative insideChiang or out. It’s butjump-off muted burble Maia isdeep your point that comes to the ear; no snap crackle and adventures pop drama of European tyre-burners. The India edition only comes with the 6-speed

THRILL OF DRIVING

The TUV300 urban SUV gets more punch with a 100hp motor

MOTO GEAR

MOTORS IN THAILAND Riding or driving in the country is bound to feel familiar to an Indian tourist. For one thing, they drive on the left side of the road — a colonial vestige similar to ours. They accept International Driving Permits issued in India.

Being part of the ASEAN region with a large contract manufacturing industry also means Shima a recently-released Polish brand of that vehicles tend to be similaris to what you’ll see on Indian roads. Toyota Innovas and Corollas,far less known than the typical motorcycle apparel, Suzuki Swifts, Nissans and familiar European gear you’ll see on your mates on a Sunday ride. luxury cars in urban areas. What you’re likely to they aren’t be unprepared for However, is the automotive culture of scrimping on their debut. customisation that If seems the is country. theto pervade catalog anything to go by, the lineup is It’s ridiculous! On my first day in Bangkok, I was thorough and top-notch betraying no cost-cutting. passed by a courier delivery truck with massive tested the D-Tour WP (waterproof) gloves oversize rims and We’ve tyres. Even cabs — whether licensed or Uber —and are seldom seen without an have come away impressed. To begin with, obligatory level of customisation. the price isis right: Rs 4800 for a pair of this kind Automotive enthusiasm even more is a good the dealThai indeed. evident in the two-wheelers ride. There are several things to Unlike in India, where culturally, we’re about Key is the fused liner, which like about the gloves. “bigger is better”, the Thai have a different take Shima calls NextFit/NextDry. What this means on their commuter vehicles.

Step-thrus and

SHIMA D-TOUR WP GLOVES

THOROUGHBRED @tburman

MONSOON

PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

hen we last drove the TUV300 shortly after its launch, it was a pleasant surprise in its package, refinement and general ability around the city. At the time, we didn’t really take it on an extended highway jaunt and probably just as well; you see, in it’s previous guise, the TUV300 came with a modest 75hp output motor, which was fine in urban environs, but didn’t really have punch anywhere in the rev range.

That has now changed with Mahindra calling this iteration the mHawk100 motor -- essentially the same thing but now putting out considerably more power and torque, up to 100hp and 240Nm. If you’ve read our previous assessment of the TUV300, not much has changed, save for our experience with other, more recent SUVs in and around the same segment. The TUV300 crossover/hatchback which was globally unveiled in is surprising in its nice interior accoutrements. A great AC, Out back are the jump seats that make this he SUV,urban technically, a very decent infotainment system with Bluetooth and iPod a 7-seater. It’s doable, but not comfortable for long journeys.

Then April, Datsun’s Redi-GO finally makes its way to Indian roads. connectivity that works flawlessly, a nice two-tone Dash that again, have you seen how many passengers tourist cabs can pack The Redi-GO runs on a three-cylinder i-SAT engine mated looks contemporary and a quiet cabin that belies the intrinsic into a Scorpio these days? The jump seats fold 799 up andccrear seats nature of a three-cylinder Diesel engine. It should sound and feel fold down to liberate a lot of extra cargo room, you need it.manual transmission. It produces 53 hp, 72Nm of to ashould five-speed rough, but it doesn’t. Nothing in the SUV does.

Call us picky but this author is not a fan of the TUV’s torque and delivers a fuel efficiency of 25.17 kmpl. The top speed Of particular interest to us in this new 100hp guise of the aesthetic. I’d prefer the front of the NuvoSport with a squat stance is 140 Kmph and the ground clearance is 185mm. The vehicle on TUV, was the suspension. You see, the Mahindra NuvoSport, instead of sharp corners and the face of Bane, Batman’s formidable which we also recently tested, uses the same engine, but has a foe. That said, with a top-end model, you do get at a nice display thefinish, press launch looked solid, with most details standing up problem with considerable body roll. Not so much with the TUV, decent looking alloys and wheels that fill their wells properly. to scrutiny. While it may be built to a cost, it looks good in the flesh which is controlled and feels more secure at highway speeds. It There are even some nice extras like a start-stop system (well, not andextends doesn’t also feels a bit firmer, but that’s a trade-off we’re willing to make: really nice in our traffic), an eco mode that rangebetray while it’s budget category. some more jerks to the spine in exchange of careening off a cliff sacrificing power, and static cornering lamps, Safety which are aisboon courtesy “Datsun PRO-SAFE7” which includes on a sharp bend. Engine performance is also on par with the when turning the wide vehicle in darkness. In fact, we’re confused braking NuvoSport, but after using the TUV’s manual transmission, we about why these features don’t make it toshortest the NuvoSport, whichdistance, high strength body shell to absorb impacts, ended up missing the AMT of the NuvoSport, which somehow gets cruise control as consolation. But thegood TUV doesn’t.

Strange. visibility and wider view of the road, high bolster support while managed to keep things feeling sprightly.

Still, it’s evident from the quality of thecornering, interior that the TUV absorbing steering and a driver airbag. energy With the benefit of hindsight and experience, we can also is meant to be a bit more upmarket. But it costs between 10 and Five personalized kit options are available: Urban, Style, Kool, say that the current TUV300 feels a bit heavy to steer compared 16,000 rupees LESS than the NuvoSport. Confused?

So are we. to peers like the Vitara Brezza and NuvoSport, but retains the On our extended time with the TUV300, urban and Easy Kit - Premium. Colour options available Easywe’ve Kit done - Sporty surprisingly, far better than the NuvoSport practical turning radius we enjoyed previously. It’s squared-off commuting, Mumbai-Pune highway runs, multi-passenger are: White, Silver, Interior Grey,is,Ruby and Lime. The Datsun Redi-GO design (tank-like, according to Mahindra) has the benefit of outings and cargo runs, and we were unable to run the comes with warranty of 2 years/unlimited km andandthe car allowing excellent visibility while squeezing into tight tank dry, so anecdotally, the mHawk100 engine ais also with follow-me-home lamps, parking sensor other bellscan and be spaces, which the TUV can do despite its width. The quite efficient. Highway runs were usually whistles one expects in a India modern App’. vehicle. Mahindra is churning Verdict booked via cruising mobile app called ‘Datsun breadth manifests in internal space as well, with the between 100 and 120, which is where the vehicle out vehicles rapidly based on what are fast turning out to be + Refinement, front passenger having plenty of shoulder space. feels most comfortable. We’re sure the 240Nm is proven platforms. Perhaps at some point they will also consolidate performance, The rear seat is wide enough for three passengers capable of more sprightly performance, but the vehicles to be less confusing. As a parting googly: you can still buy price as well, though we did hear the odd complaint TUV300 weights 2.2 tonnes, so there’s only so the old, less powerful engine with the TUV300, but the new one - Heavy steering much it can do. The rest of it is up-to-date. Dual costs just Rs 8,000 more, so why would you? about jerks being transmitted up into the spine from rear passengers. airbags and ABS are present, as are keyless entry tushar@goldensparrow.com TGS rating ;;;`2

Datsun Redi-GO launched, starting at Rs 2.38 lac

VW launches Ameo compact sedan Sub-4m three-box starts at Rs 5.14 lac

the palm area and a reinforced, soft pad on the knuckle. There’s a rubber screen wiper on each thumb, which worked very well on our rainy rides.

Waterproofing is good, with light showers being repelled entirely. The D Tour WP do seem to run a bit large, so you might need to order one size smaller than your typical glove. Recommended.

Shima D-Tour WP gloves PRICE: Rs 4800 BUY AT: Kombustion Imports & Exports Pvt Ltd (+91 87938 84215)

is that there’s no inner lining flapping about behind the exterior shell. Those can be infuriating to put on and take off.

Shima’s solution is to fuse the waterproof liner with the exterior shell. This makes for a slightly stiff feel, but far more comfortable in the long run.

Fasteners are good, with a velcro cinch at the wrist and a larger velcro pad to secure the cuff, which is extra roomy to accommodate your sleeve, should you choose to wear the gloves over them. The velcro Hondapads themselves are CB500X not the typical sort, with the + Refinement, base (hooked) part being Fueling, practicality a - much Bland flatter, smoother material that catches less on TGS rating dri-fit material. Protection ;;;;2 is adequate for this sort of glove, with some leather in

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THRILL OF DRIVING

MIDDLE CHILD Hardcore performance is great for track days. Audi has a more everyday option @tburman

Minimal badging on the sides and at either end

W has finally put a price tag on its sub-4m sedan — the Ameo, and it’s very competitive. Evidently, the company has taken steps to address its reputation in making cars that are costlier to own than the competition.

In this case, the Ameo ends up being cheaper than their own Polo hatchback, Currently, the Ameo is availabel only with a petrol engine — the same 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor we’ve seen before in the Skoda Fabia and VW Polo.

A diesel is promised soon. Volkswagen is touting several segment-firsts: rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lamps, cruise control and a centre armrest up front, but the kicker for us is that two airbags and ABS are standard on all variants, which is a big step forward at this price point.

Visually, the Ameo looks very similar to its Polo and Vento cousins, with a slightly stubby-looking front and

back. The rear boot is expectedly short, but allows a bit more cargo volume than the Polo hatchback. It’s not the Large plenty prettiest integration of a boot thatboot we’vestores seen, but VW and is easy to access have been understated in their styling of the rear. In a front three-quarter view, the boot does not draw attention to itself, which is probably a good thing.

Watch for a detailed review of the made-in-India Ameo next week. Prices:

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udi’s S line of cars don’t get the recognition they deserve. Sitting in between the standard models and the totally performance-oriented RS cars, they sit as the middle child, often overlooked. We have, on occasion, driven the RS5, RS7, even the R8 and come away impressed by the raw power they pack into seemingly standard body styles. But let’s face it: a wolf in sheep’s clothing isn’t likely to make you a nice wool coat. It’d rather eat the coat with you in it. Not so much the car on this page: the S5, which is what Audi calls a “sportback”, basically a sedan with a hatchback rear and more rakish roofline. In terms of size, it sits somewhere between an A4 and an A6 but ends up feeling surprisingly compact.

Even in terms of performance potential, you could consider the S5 the middle child. There are sportscars in the lineup that make less power.

Why then did Audi feel the need to paint the media car in this lurid yellow, we have no idea. It’s a unique shade for sure, akin to pure printer’s ink

R is equipped with Brembo monobloc callipers, Showa big piston forks, Öhlins rear suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa Tyres.

The Thruxton R is priced at Rs 10.90 lac ex-showroom, Delhi. That’s a lot of bike for the money, and should appeal to a wide swath of motorcyclists with it’s “modern classic” vibe. This rounds out the new Bonneville platform with the Speed Twin, Bonneville T120 and Thruxton R coming in at attractive prices and all immediately available. Triumph continues to push aggressively forward in terms of models and marketing.

There are more than a few lessons for some other manufacturers to learn.

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MERCEDES-BENZ GLC LAUNCHED AT RS 50.7 LAC JUNE 18, 2016 PUNE

JUNE 4, 2016 PUNE

expanse of nice, flat luggage area and very easy to access thanks to the hatch opening. It’s a bit like THRILL the Skoda Octavias of old -- looking like sedansOF DRIVING with hatches hiding huge boots.

On the go, the S5 is a refined experience. The 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is quick and smooth, and shifts gears with digital efficiency.

Press the throttle with aggression and the gearbox quickly shifts down, releasing a nice V6 roar from the quad pipes out back. It’s a chatty car in that it likes to make nice growly noises when provoked, but never overpowers. The sound is enough for feedback and kicks, but does not cause discomfort.

High-rev gearshifts release a nice crackle from the exhaust. Paddle shifters are present for those times when you think you know better than the car’s electronics. Driving modes can be chosen Dash is usual Audi fare. Dark two-tone upholstery between comfort, dynamic, efficiency or tailored and carbon trim look sporty to your individual tastes. Ride quality is where the generally luxurious experience breaks, with than anything else and it drew attention wherever the large wheels and relatively low profile tyres it went. Though, we suspect, it would pass under transmitting road imperfections to the passenger. the radar in a more sedate paint job. Few, if any Setting the car in ‘Comfort’ mode didn’t do much external features stand out. You have a typical in this regard.

Audi front grille, headlamps and design language On our favourite, winding hill road, the S5 tweaked slightly to accommodate the curvaceous shone with its Quattro permanent all-wheel rear hatch. The red ‘S’ badges are also discreet on drive system. There’s always more grip than you the front and the back. need, and it works well with the performance of Step inside and the treatment is typical Audi. the motor. The specifications will surprise you if “Butat mom! my friends have SUVs with lower and the GL-class). Mercedes provides two If you’ve been in a recent A-type sedan, everything you drive the car before looking theAllbrochure: coefficients!”. IsV6! this a common refrain in engine options: the diesel GLC 220 d outputs is familiar. There’s the MMI screen, central console 329hp and 440Nm from thedrag supercharged your household? Tired of doing the school run 170hp and 400Nm of torque while the petrol and ergonomics as expected, but with a small, We’ve driven much angrier-feeling carsright angles? Mercedes GLC 300 outputs 245hp and 370Nm of torque. in an SUV that has only beendelivers listening tothis you and your burgeoning Officially, Mercedes has launched the fiddly jog dial. The steering wheel also with less power. Thhas e S5 ilk and is readyDespite to address this sticky problem.

GLC ‘Edition 1’, which is their traditional was doesn’t have explicitly labelled phone capability with little drama.

Verdict One is no longer stuck with the BMW X6 as of saying ‘first batch’. As they’ve done before, controls, which is something that being 4.7 metresthelong, the that S5 slices feelsthrough the air rather the Edition 1 cars come into the country as only SUV + Refinement, bashes itfootprint into submission.

CBUs (fully imported). This is Mercedes’ sixth will confuse those coming from a small compact with than performance, The Mercedes-Benz other car brands. Upholstery is in is good andGLC class of vehicles luxury SUV in the country, making their lineup width-wise. Visibility was launched on 2 June, conveniently slotting the most comprehensive among the luxury car unique black and dark brown and there the flat-bottomed feels into thesteering sliver of space left between the GLEpurveyors.

- It’s just “nice” class and GLS-class (previously, the ML-class Expectedly, equipment levels are high. is much leather on display. There nice to till around good surfaces. are some lacquered carbon fibre The ORVMs could have done a TGS rating trim pieces along the door and other better job showing the sides and rear ;;;`2 surfaces as well, though we’re not sure if of the vehicle, but that could be down it’s the real thing. The seats are comfortable to personal preference. and supportive one-piece units for the front, lending The Audi S5 has plenty ofIn performance a surprise move, Mahindra launched vehicle from 0-80% charge in 1 hour and an all-electric feeling version of its Verito sedan, 45 minutes, is reserved only for the top (D6) a sporty look without being uncompromisingly potential, but keeps everything the eVerito, on 2 June. Mahindra variant. Fast charging needs to be done an odd, middle hardcore like the near-race seats you’d find in a comfortable and luxurious. It isdubbed claims that the sedan can go 110km on a at one of Mahindra’s designated charging child and we imagine it will have takers than sports car. fullless charge.

The manufacturer is claiming stations, while a standard full charge takes costsbecause as low as Rs 1.15/km.

8 hours and 45 minutes using a 15-amp sedans Rear legroom is good for a person of my size more overt sportscars or luxuryrunning e eVerito also phones home home plug. Other features include opportunity (5’9”) but then, few grown men are actually my of the niche it occupies. That’sThan with a variety of information regenerative braking and a Claims a diff erent. size, so we’d suggest a seating capacity of four for for the buyer who wants something (Telematics).

Fleet sales seem feature called REVIVE, which range of to becomes a likely target, especially is basically an 8km power in this maximum comfort. At least one passenger we rode Certainly no other car we’ve seen considering the aging Verito/ reserve for emergencies. You 110km on a ex-showroom, with commented on how his i20 felt more spacious shade. At just north of Rs 69 lac Logan platform. The eVerito don’t get airbags in any variant. full charge can buy more in key in the back. Again, apart from the “sport” theatre, the price will give you pause. You is available immediately Performance is about New Delhi, adequate for city use, which is more overt sports Mumbai, there is little else to talk about. Open the hatch spacious luxury cars for less, or cities: Bangalore, Kolkata, where Mahindra is pitching the again. Pune, and it’s another world. Literally! Audi claims 480 cars for as much. Stuck in the middle Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and eVerito. Top speed is claimed at 86kmph tushar@goldensparrow.com litres of cargo space, and we believe them. It’s a vast Nagpur. and the 110km range is dependent on load.

THRILL OF DRIVING

Marks the sixth luxury SUV that Mercedes sells in India

AMEO=POLO PLUS

By Tushar Burman

bottomed steering wheel which feels nice to manipulate.

If we were to nitpick, we’d say that the touchack in 2009, when Volkswagen introduced screen infotainment system is a bit smaller than the Polo in India, it was a breath of fresh on the hatch, but it serves the purpose perfectly air. At the time, the go-to car for the well and doesn’t end-up looking aftermarket like segment was the Maruti-Suzuki Swift, and some recent cars we’ve driven. You get steeringwhile the Fabia did exist to represent a European mounted controls, cruise control and a cooled contender, it was deemed too odd and expensive glove box for beverages on hot days. A centre for what it offered. Volkswagen was reeling from armrest is available for the driver which is a slim problems with the Skoda brand’s service and unit much like in the Vento. You don’t get rear cost complaints and didn’t want to repeat the AC vents behind it, however. same mistakes with VW. Fast-forward to 2016 Rear seat accommodations are quite and anecdotally, VW cars are still considered comfortable, and the extra knee room over the expensive to run (they’re not; this author owns a Polo hatch is apparent. Headroom at the rear is petrol Polo). VW has taken specific note of this at a premium, much like the Polo hatch, so those sentiment with the Ameo compact sedan, and with long torsos (or generous behinds) may hit has launched it for a very competitive price, even their heads on the roof. slightly undercutting the Polo hatchback!

If you’ve read so far and are wondering where How they’ve achieved this was not the masala begins, well, it doesn’t. The Ameo immediately apparent to us on our long-ish test is striking in its anonymity. Even viewed from drive. The car is fundamentally the same inside the front 3/4 angle, one can barely discern the and out, save for the added boot. We drove the boot sticking slightly out of the rear. It’s a tiny Eighteen-inch alloys areHighline standard.

Mercedes sunroof, lighting switchable petrol variant (the diesel motor will ambient extension of the body, to bewith sure, since the idea during Diwali) and fit, finish and quality and is to fit a sedan within fourbehind metres tothe qualify will provide an optionalcome off-road engineering colours levels, cargo bars rear to be on par with the hatch. Plastics for lower taxes. We’ve always liked the practical package that raises the appeared ride height by 20mm seat that liberate another 30 litres of luggage are just as pleasing to the touch, with no hollow, depth of the Polo boot, and this remains useful in and offers three additional ride modes: - find.space what an up EASYplasticky-feeling spots we off could The two-and the Ameo. Mercedes Only now, the calls volume goes from dashdrive and beige interior remain,PACK and make tailgate.

294 litres inDO the hatch to 330 in the sedan.

It’s a road, incline and slippery.tone Five modes are WE HAVE YOUR the cabin feel airy. Bonus points for the flatminor bump, but it’s there. @tburman

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standard in the GLC: Comfort, Eco, Sport, ATTENTION YET? Sport+ and Individual. Hill descent control Safety is typical Mercedes fare: ABS, ESP, is standard as well. We also see the use of Crosswind-assist, PRE-SAFE, Attention Verdict Mercedes’ new 9G-TRONIC nine-speed + Safety,auto price Assist, Active Parking Assist, 7 airbags, LED transmission. headlamps and adaptive tail lamps.

- Marginal enginethe Slotting in below their range-topper, All this could be yours at Rs 50.7 lac for the rating diesel GLC 220 d, and Rs 50.9 lac for the GLC GLC understandably gets plentyTGS of comfort ;;;22 and convenience features. There’s a panoramic 300 petrol, ex-showroom, Pune.

It’s finally here: the Polo with a boot

The exterior of the boot itself is reasonably well integrated, and not as much of a tack-on like you’d find on the Swift Dzire. Not as good as the Ford Figo Aspire, but not bad. The tail lamps are simple and don’t draw attention to themselves.

Styling seems to be borrowed from the Skoda design language, with a crease running across the otherwise slab-like boot lid. Everything seems to be designed to be anonymous. VW have had to adjust the front and rear overhangs accordingly, and the car ends up looking a bit stubbier than the hatch.

The Ameo at present is only available in a petrol variant, utilising the venerable 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor that does duty in the hatch.

It generates 75PS and 110Nm of torque, which felt inadequate six years ago, and continues to be. It’s a flexible engine, to be sure, with useful low-end grunt that allows you to have a load of passengers and navigate inclines with grace rather than amateurish slipping of the clutch. However, there’s no getting around the rough sound of the three-cylinder and this author continues to field the same questions he’s had to with his own car: “is this a diesel?”. Once at highway speeds, it’s okay, but overtakes take effort. You do get cruise control, however, so that sort of balances things out a bit. The stiff suspension makes the car fun

Engine and interior mimic the Polo hatch

to drive, but is hard on all passengers. We really wish VW would do something about this.

Perhaps the most important thing about the VW Ameo is the fact that it comes in at such a competitive price, and that it does so with two airbags and ABS as standard across variants.

There are some segment-firsts such as rainsensing wipers, cruise control and auto up/down power windows with anti-pinch all-round, but that’s about it. The Ameo is a competent car at a competitive price about in the middle of the pack. You can get more features for more money with a Hyundai, but you get the secure, Teutonic feel of a well-built car with the VW. The petrol engine is a mixed bag, and we suspect many will wait for the diesel this Diwali. tushar@goldensparrow.com Watch a video overview here:

Mahindra launches all-electric eVerito

Triumph Bonneville Thruxton R launched for Rs 10.90 lac

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while remaining lightweight.

Features are basic but thoughtful.

There’s a water-resistant pocket within the shell at chest level for your phone, and a felt pocket above the waist for your glasses.

Unfortunately, this pocket is unusable when the rain liner is in place. Zippers are of high quality as is the neck fastener, which uses velcro and has a soft pad where your neck meets the textile.

The jacket comes with CEapproved armour in the shoulders, elbows, and along the back. Fit appears to be European, which will work well for slimmer riders.

There are button fasteners on the sleeves to get a more snug fit, and velcro on the cuffs and waist. The RST mesh jacket will be available in this black/red combo, or the inverse: red/black.

RST mesh jacket Price: Rs 9500 Buy at: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)

TGS LIFE

JULY 30, 2016

By Tushar Burman

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RST MESH JACKET

RST is a British manufacturer of motorcycle apparel that has recently become available in India. The distributor pegs them as a mid-tier brand, but we were impressed with the thought behind this jacket and its features.

This is a basic textile/mesh jacket with a supplied, removable rain liner. Some background: it’s very hard to stay entirely dry in motorcycle gear unless you use an impermeable rain jacket over your kit or invest in much more expensive stuff. Rain liners are nice to have, but rarely foolproof.

Thankfully, this RST jacket comes with a liner that zips into the shell using a long U-shaped zipper. Sleeves are held in place with small elasticated loops holding onto buttons on the liner.

It’s a snug fit and doesn’t move around much. This design allows the jacket to be quite resistant to rain in light to medium rain,

TGS LIFE

TGS LIFE

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wo months after the release of the Bonneville T120, Triumph has rolled out Thruxton R in the Indian market.

The 1200cc Thrurxton R runs on a high power, 8-valve, parallel twin engine generating just over 95hp and 112Nm of torque. This is a higher output version of the mill that powers the T120.

The Thruxton R carries feature like ABS, ride-by-wire, traction control, torque assist clutch, LED DRL, LED rear light, an engine immobilizer and a USB charging socket. The bike also has riding modes to choose from: road, rain and sport.

The equipment list continues; the Thruxton

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Riding your motorcycle in the monsoon is a necessity for many, but it also brings out the adventurers. You’ve almost certainly got that Facebook friend who takes his bike to impossibly wet and dirty locations just because she can. If you’d like to follow suit but prefer to stay a bit drier, we have some kit you might want to consider

MOTORCYCLING THROUGH THAILAND niceties of the rest of Thailand. Think perfect 4G If you’re a motorcycling enthusiast, or have connectivity, AirBNB and the most incredible become one in the recent past, you’ve probably gourmet burger I’ve ever eaten on the street. The known or heard of someone who’s ridden a bike Pai river itself is popular for white water rafting around our ASEAN neighbour. In fact, there at various skill levels, and you can even take a is now a land route from North-East India slow boat to Laos, which takes two days and through Myanmar into Thailand. Heck, you costs just 1750 baht, or about 3500 rupees. In can go all the way to Singapore before you hit fact, our overnight stay and jaunt in the night the inevitable shore. There are many reasons to market ended up costing less than Rs 2000 for this, not least of which is the incredible road the two ofconverter us. Try getting that deal in Panchgani automatic. It’s a traditional torque you won’t be banging and down network. You’re very unlikely toso see a badly anyupnight of thetheyear. gearbox like a dual-clutch unit, but it’s okay. In potholed section of tar. In termsterms of distances, And that, in essence, is a microcosm of the of speed, it’s somewhere in the middle the country is about 1600km longofand 1000km experience you’re likely to have on any a economy automatictype and aofperformancedual-clutch. It can be sluggish, we across, so there’s plenty to explore.tuned Of particular road trip in but Thailand — it’s cheap to the point think it matches the character of the engine. note car” is the Mae Hong a long circuit sure, we’ve driven slower. Paddle shifters What else do you call a vehicle that the term “pony was coined for?Son loop --For

By Tushar Burman

black rubber piece. We think it goes rather well on our “modern classic” Ducati Scrambler. Grip is excellent, whether seated or standing, and it doesn’t rip up your pants or cause discomfort. Also useful is the fact that the adhesive allows you to remove and reposition the pads a number of times before losing efficacy. It also comes off without leaving residue.

Grippy tank pads are one of the cheapest mods you can do to you bike to allow you to ride safer and more confidently. It certainly helps in the rains to make sure you stay on the bike. The Techspec pads are available for most popular bikes, or you can buy them in self-adhesive panels and cut them to suit your vehicle.

Techspec ‘snakeskin’ tank pads PRICE: Rs 4000 - Rs 7500 depending on application BUY AT: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)

So close yet so far. Perfect reasons to take off for a motorcycle trip

by a Gujarati. He has a huge fan following!

Having been (and motorcycled across) the country twice, I almost tend to take it personally when people refer to the country and its sex trade, as if the nation is one giant red light district. It isn’t, and you should definitely avoid visiting it with someone who holds that belief.

This author travelled the length of the country with his spouse, feeling perfectly secure despite being a nervous traveller. It truly is a place where you can hit the road without any specific plan and come off the bike feeling like you’ve explored and seen something new.

@tburman

S TGS LIFE

For the betterment The S Andrew s G r s Schoo was s ar ed around 120 years ago w h a hope o prov de a v ng or he underpr v eged s uden s The schoo s home or around 250 s uden s rom s andard V-X Apprec a ng he n a ve s ar ed by Nahar Pr nc pa Nee a Borde 67 sa d “The n a ve w sure y he p he s uden s They are w ng o earn new h ngs and o become a be er person ” Borde has been w h he schoo or 30 years and became he pr nc pa o he schoo s x years ago In he com ng days he schoo has he r Spor s Day or wh ch hey are ook ng or dona ons n he orm o c o hes shoes spor s gears or s uden s g eedba k@go den parrow om

TECHSPEC TANK PADS

TGS LIFE

VISHAL KALE

She s ar ed vo un eer ng w h an n en on o prov d ng a be er educa on and v ng o he underpr v eged s uden s o he S Andrew s G r s Schoo near La Deva And one year down he ne he s uden s have cer a n y Pa av Naha benefi ed rom her Mee Pa av Nahar 42 who has been each ng s ress re ease and memory echn ques and se -s udy o he s andard X s uden s The who e vo un eer ng h ng s ar ed by fluke or Nahar In he ear y 2015 Nahar accompan ed Dr Pr ya Lunava her s s er- n- aw who had se up her ree den a check-up programme or he s uden s o S Andrew s Schoo “Wha s ruck me he mos was how he s uden s were happy even hough hey had so e ac es n e Tha was when I dec ded ha I wou d do any h ng o ake he s uden s ahead n e ” sa d Nahar who runs The Ca bre C ub n Mukundnagar where she eaches k ds he same echn ques

W h n a coup e o sess ons he s uden s go accus omed o her each ng and ns s ng ha she shou d con nue “The s uden s here oved he concep I cou dn be any happ er o con nue my programme w h hem ” sa d Nahar She eaches hem every Thursday or an hour

VISHAL KALE

BY EKTA KATTI @Ek aak

Legroom is decent at the back. Headroom is a bit tight for taller passengers.

The eVerito will be available in three variants with marginal differences between them. Unusually, fast-charging ability, which Mahindra claims can charge the

Prices start at Rs 9.5 lac ex-showroom, Delhi, for the D2 variant after state and FAME subsidies. The D4 and D6 variants cost Rs 9.75 and 10 lac respectively.

VISHAL KALE

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A large, comfortable V8 grand tourer at an attractive price. We drive the Ford Mustang GT at the BIC

Pa av Naha co ec ed 20 d c ona es o

he s uden s o S And ew s G s Schoo w h n one mon h

The Mahindra NuvoSport is a friendly, practical compact SUV at a good price. The automatic is a bonus

Royal Enfield finally gives us a bike puspose-built for the Himalayas, a traditional pilgrimage for Bulleteers

Don't be fooled by the bland spec sheet. The Kawasaki Versys is a great all-round bike at a good price

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

Houses with locks on the doors are a common sight in the slums the migrants lived in

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he migrants from the drought-hit regions of Maharashtra mostly used to live in Ramnagar and Khan slums in Warje, Dhankawadi, Janata Vasahat and Dandekar bridge slum. But now a majority of them have returned home to their villages to work on their farms, or they have found some other jobs there. As a result, the houses they occupied in the slums are locked. At Ramnagar and Khan slums in Warje, one sees a lot of houses that have locks on the doors.

“These houses were occupied by the people who had migrated here from their villages, in search of work, owing to the drought-like situation back home. But since the arrival of the monsoons, there has been a reverse migration, and these people have now gone back to their villages, to either work on their own farms, or on some other people’s farms,” said Kayyum Khan, resident of Khan slum.

The situation is the same in Dhankawadi, Janata Vasahat and Dandekar bridge slums, where there are scores of houses that have locks on the doors, since the occupants have returned home to their villages, as they do not need to be looking for jobs and a means of livelihood here any more, now that the monsoons have turned the situation around.

The closed doors and boarded-up windows tell the story of the occupants returning to their homes

‘There has been sufficient rain, so we don’t have need to go anywhere this year’

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ppa Bhagwan Gavade, 24, resident of Bangali Pimpla village in Georai taluka of Beed district, is overjoyed to see the cotton crop come up on his five-acre farm. He also cultivates bajra and pigeon pea (toor dal). He sprays his crops with pesticides regularly to protect them from insects and fungicides.

After three years of working as a construction labourer, he is now more than happy to revert to his occupation as farmer.

Appa used to work as construction labourer at a site in Pimpri Chinchwad. He had come to Pune in 2013 in search of work, and ended up at a construction site, as there were few options to earn a livelihood. Appa has passed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam, and owns five acres of land in his village, but the drought-like situation had turned the prospect of farming impossible. He therefore, was forced to migrate to Pune to earn some money for the upkeep of his eight-member family, including parents, wife Rekha, son Banti, and younger brothers Dipak and Jija. He came to Pune with his wife and son and started working as construction labourer.

He worked till May, and then he decided to quit the job, and return home to his own farm.

- APPA GAVADE “I am happy today working on my own farm. Despite owning the farm, I had to work as a labourer in Pune, because of the drought-like conditions in the last five years.

Thanks to the rainfall this year, my cotton crop is flourishing and I hope to make a decent profit from it,” said Appa. He was also a seasonal sugar cane labourer for two years before coming to Pune.

His father Bhagwan is happy with the monsoons this year. “The scanty rainfall in the last five years had made farming an impossible prospect. We were unable to cultivate our crops, and we were forced to migrate to the city to earn some money. But now that there has been sufficient rain, we don’t have need to go anywhere this year,” he said.

Savita Ghongade from Goalegaon village in Shevgaon taluka of Ahmednagar district has been working in Pune’s Hinjawadi area as a housekeeper for a company, for one and a half years. But now she is back home in her village, working on her own farm,thanks to the bountiful rain.

“I am happy today working on my own farm.”

Appa Gavade is thrilled to be back home, tending to his flourishing cotton crop

‘There are no maids available, and it is too much of a bother to recruit them’

E

Chhaya Shewale is one of the few women available for housemaid duty

mployment agencies in the city and suburban areas are facing an acute shortage of manpower, for jobs like housemaids, office boys, housekeeping staff, care takers and security guards. So acute is the shortage that some of them have had to shut shop.

Pradeep Rane of Sai Manforce Solution Pvt Limited, which employs housekeepers, said that they have never had such a shortage of manpower. Their office is in Hadapsar, and they have been looking to recruit workers for quite some time.

Maruti Ghogare of Chaudhari Maid Services, from Yerwada, said that they too have had a shortage of housemaids these days.

“Currently we have 15 maids working for our agency, but we need more. We normally see this slack during every Ganesh festival, as the women are busy with their household work and normally join after the festival. But these days, no maids are available for the work,” said Ghogare.

Sumanta Vetal of Rutuja Maid Services started her service from Bhosari, but has had to shut shop due to shortage of women workers and related hassles. “I have closed down the business as there are no maids available, and it is too much of a bother to recruit them. I have changed my line of work and have started a milk business,” said Vetal.

The e of the m

The fruitful rains this year have been the proverbial blessing for all. But it has created a strange situation, where the migrants from drought-hit areas of Maharashtra have returned home to their villages, causing an acute shortage of labour in Pune

BY TUSHAR RUPANAWAR AN DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @TGSWeekly

T

he scanty rainfall ove last four or five years r in a drought-like situat Maharashtra. One of the f of this was the mass migra people from the rural parts of the sta as Marathwada and Vidarbha, to the in search of a means of earning a live A countless number of such migrants beeline for Pune city. They were forced t behind their farms and their homes, a were no jobs available as farm labourers regions reeling under a dry spell. And cities, they were willing to take up any jo came their way, which would be mostly manual and physical type, as these m lacked the education or skills that enable them to land jobs in professio demanded specialised skills. So the k jobs that were available to them were res to construction sites, the manual kind in industries, or jobs that did not dema special skills, such as housekeeping, s guards, waiters, housemaids etc. There s

‘We are facing an acute shortage of manpower and I hope that his doe

A

Vidy in th have work they a to mac and Con etc. hom we a of w said

und thei the But mon to ta gods facin hop due purs have 8-9 Mar hom

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

PICS: RAHUL RAUT

‘Since there is a shortage of manpower, my wife and my brother’s son are also helping out’

T

he hospitality and catering industry in Pune is currently facing a big shortage of manpower, as the migrants from drought-hit areas formed a large section of their workforce. But with the advent of the monsoons this year, a large number of these migrants have returned home to their villages to work on their own farms. This shortage of manpower has hit the hotel industry hard, as they are now finding it difficult to find enough workers for the smooth operation of their eateries and hotels.

Some of the owners have had no option but to get their own family members to work at their hotels.

Hotel Tukai in the vicinity of the Sinhagad Institute in Narhe area, had placed an advertisement in a local Marathi newspaper, to recruit waiters and cooks, seven days in a row. But they did not receive even a single response to their advertisement. The owner even put up advertisements on the walls in nearby areas, but even this has failed to bring in the workers they need.

Tukai owner Pandurang Shinde said, “The hotel industry needs adequate manpower for a smooth operation. We need waiters, cooks, sweepers and women to make rotis in our hotel. At Hotel Tukai, we pay these workers wages of Rs 6,000 to Rs 14,000, and also provide them with their meals. We also give them a place

to stay. At times we have to pay the cooks more than this. At times, we pay our workers money in advance for them to send it to their families, or to pay back loans they have taken from private money lenders. But now the situation has become so bad that our hotel has been unable to hire workers, in spite of placing advertisements in the Marathi daily ‘Pudhari’, for waiters, cooks and sweepers, for seven days in a row. We are still waiting to recruit workers.

We get workers mostly from Solapur, Osmanabad, Latur and states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The workers we used to have, have now gone back to their homes, as there has been a good rainfall this year, and now they are able to work on their farms. The drought situation was bad as they did not have water for drinking, which is the reason why they had migrated to Pune city, to find a job for their livelihood. But now the situation is different with the good rainfall. After all, they were working in Pune as a temporary resort, and what they earn here is really not enough to fulfil all their needs. It was just a source of livelihood for them. Right now there are only five workers in our hotel, of which one is cook, one makes tea, one is a sweeper and the other two are waiters. But since there is a shortage of manpower, my wife Rohini and my brother’s son Pankaj are also helping out at the hotel.”

exodus migrants

ND E

er the resulted tion in fallouts ation of ate such e cities, elihood. made a to leave as there s in the d in the obs that y of the migrants would ons that kind of stricted of jobs and and security seemed

no limit to the number of such people that a city like Pune cold accommodate, as there is a constant demand for people willing to do such jobs at reasonable wages.

The situation, however, has changed this year and the monsoons this time around have been favourable almost all over the country.

Maharashtra is no exception, and with the adequate rains, the once acute scarcity of water has now been resolved for the most part. The water levels in the dams are at a reassuring height and most of the fears regarding the production of foodgrains have now been allayed. Of course, now that the rains have been plentiful, the once arid regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha too have had their share, and the farming activities that have in recent years been non-existent, have now been revived. As a result, the legion of migrants who had come to the cities in search of jobs and livelihood, have now turned their sights homeward, and have decided to bid adieu to their migrant status and return home to take up the tilling of their own fields and farmlands.

This reverse migration has now given rise to the kind of situation where, now there is an acute shortage of manpower for the jobs these migrants had been doing for the last four or

five years, whether it be at construction sites, or as security staff or labourers and the other makeshift occupations. The employment agencies, labour contractors, industries, and hospitality industry that employed the migrants are now facing the shortage of cheap and affordable labour. There is now a big vacuum that the migrants have left behind and now it has become hard to find housemaids, housekeepers or waiters.

The places that the migrant workers would haunt on a daily basis as they looked for jobs, are now beginning to wear a deserted look. These populations who had once made Pune their temporary home have now gone back to their villages. The addas which these labourers once flocked to are now not seeing the kind of activity that they once did. The manpower crunch has hit industrial sector, the construction sites, and the hospitality industry quite hard.

TGS undertook a survey of the places where these migrant workers were once working and living, to gauge the fallout of the reversal of the drought situation, and how it has affected the situation in Pune, as far as the labour scenario is concerned. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

es not mean a big loss’

A

mit Ishwar Phale, 25, and his cousin Ajinkya Suresh Phale own Sagar Engineering and Industrial Workshop in the Bharati yapeeth area of Katraj. They are facing a downturn heir business for the simple reason that they don’t e enough workers to operate the machines in their kshop. What they require are 25 operators, but y are making do with only 16 operators. “We have otal of 21 machines, including seven metal lathe chines, nine drilling machines, a milling machine, other small machines like Computer Numeric ntrol (CNC), Virtual Network Computing (VNC) But since the migrants workers have gone back me, we are suffering a slowdown of our business as are finding it difficult to recruit an adequate number workers to operate the machines in our workshop,” d Ajinkya.

The Phales’ Sagar Engineering Workshop dertakes metal goods jobs which are fabricated on ir machines. They used to have eight workers from Marathwada and rural regions of Maharashtra. all the eight workers quit their jobs as soon the nsoons arrived, and returned home to their villages ake up their farming occupation now that the rain s have been favourable. As a consequence, we are ng an acute shortage of skilled labourers, and I pe that his does not translate into a big loss for us, to shortage of manpower,” said Ajinkya, who is suing a course in mechanical engineering. “We e been facing this shortage of manpower for the last months, as the people we had working for us from rathwada and the rural regions, decided to return me to their villages to work on their farms,” he said.

Ajinkya Phale in his workshop

Subhash Koditkar, resident of Velha, has been working as a turner at Sagar Engineering for the last 12 years. “Four of my colleagues who had been working with me have now returned to Velha to work on their farms. There are many other migrants in Pune who have also returned to their homes, and this has resulted in an acute shortage of workers in the city,” he said.

Hotel Tukai owner Pandurang Shinde deals with the shortage of workers by getting family members to lend a hand

There is a shortage of labourers in Pune since they have gone back to their villages

The once buzzing Majoor adda wears a forlorn look, with just a handful of people waiting for daily work assignments

T

he Dandekar bridge Majur adda used to be a beehive of activity before the onset of the monsoons this year. There were no less than 500 labourers, both men and women, would congregate in this place, in their search for work as daily wage labourers. With the rains being plentiful this year, most of this workforce has now returned to the villages they migrated to Pune from. The numbers have dwindled drastically, and where once there were hundreds, now there are hardly 70 to 80 workers. Most of these migrants are from Solapur, Latur, Osmanabad, Beed, Nanded and Yavatmal districts, which were once drought-prone areas.

Mahadeo Sable, 60, from Barshi tehsil in Solapur district, is waiting patiently for his co-workers to arrive at the Dandekar bridge Majur adda on Shastri Road. With the highlight of the city calendar, the ten-day Ganeshostsav around the corner, he has been working for the Pune city Ganesh mandals, digging pits to erect bamboo supports for the pandals. Sable has a lot of experience with this job of digging the pits and erecting the Ganesh pandals. He has been coming to Pune from Barshi for the Ganesh festival for a long time, and has done the job numerous times, so that he is especially adept at all the tasks that go into the setting up of Ganesh pandals. Sable has been doing this for no less than 25 years, and then he lives in Pune city for three months, up to Diwali. This time around though he has been abandoned by most of his co-workers, who have gone back to their home towns or villages, now that the rain gods have been kind this time around. “There are just a handful of co-workers here in Pune this year, whereas for the last five years or so, there were literally hundreds. Most of these colleagues of mine have now returned to their villages to continue with their occupation of farming, since

there have been adequate rainfall this year in the once arid regions of Maharashtra. The situation is such that there is a scarcity of manpower available for such jobs now in Pune,” said Sable.

Sable is able to earn anything between Rs 500 and Rs 700 a day, when he puts in about 12 hours of work. Though it isn’t a lavish income, it is enough for him to be able to look after his three daughters and wife. He has a son who works as a labourer in Kolhapur.

Sambhaji Nagnath Kalwe, 50, of Latur has been working at construction sites, which fetches him about Rs 500 a day. He lives in Janata Vasahat slum in Pune. He too is aware of the paucity of workers who gather at the adda these days. “Most of my friends, colleagues and co-workers have gone back home to their villages, and their farms, now that we have had a fair monsoon. They have all done with their sowing, and are now waiting for the harvest. Since so many of them have gone back home, there is a visible shortage of labourers here in Pune, and people are finding it difficult to find workers for the routine labour jobs,” he said.

Kalwe owns four acres of farmland, which his sons Janardan, 22, and Nana, 18, are working on. Kalwe’s wife Laxmi expired four years ago.

Sunanda Shankar Phanse, 45, has been working as a housemaid and construction site worker for 20 years. She hails from Velha tehsil of Pune. Sujata is well aware of how the situation has changed this year, now that the monsoons have been adequate. “This Majur adda used to be so crowded and there were literally hundreds of women like me, who used to gather here every morning for the daily jobs. There are just a handful of women here now, since most of them have returned to their villages, where they are now working on their own farms, or have found work on other people’s farms,” she said.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

TECH/START-UP

PUNE

‘‘While it took the radio 38 years, and the television a short 13 years, it took the World Wide Web only 4 years to reach 50 million users.” http://www.wtfdiary.com/

Child marriage taking place in India: MHA to HC P 12

‘Life’s good’ at LG’s Pune plant The Korean electronics giant’s Ranjangaon unit, has become its best production centre worldwide

Making for India, at LG Pune The Pune plant of LG Electronics is currently churning out television sets in three of the company’s leadingedge product categories—Smart TV with WebOS, Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) TV in sizes up to 77 inches. WebOS is LG’s inhouse operating system for smart TVs, a web-hosted software that claims better speed and access compared to on-the-set Android. These products are for India as well as for SAARC and Middle East /Africa.

However there is another product category that caters exclusively to the Indian customer and this has been largely developed by LG’s India development team in Bangalore.

They are an interesting reflection of what Indians look for, when they buy a TV set:  “Mosquito Away” is a model which doubles as electronic mosquito repeller.  FM TV, includes access to local FM radio channels  Built-in games in some models cater to buyers who look on the TV as a one-stop time-pass device  Dolby 20 Watt sets are an answer to Indians who want their TVs loud. This is about twice the audio output of LG’s international sets  And Gold TV comes in a colour which appeals to Indians who want their TV to reflect opulence.

As the desi saying goes, ‘we are like that only!” and LG has understood what that means.

BY ANAND PARTHASARATHY A fleet of luxury buses leaves various points in Pune six days in the week and travels some 60 kms to Ranjangaon on the road to Ahmednagar. The buses transport over 1700 staff to the second Indian manufacturing facility of Korean electronics giant, LG. Plants spread across the 50 acre campus has grown to encompass the production of digital TV sets and monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and microwave ovens.

Since operations began here in 2004, the Pune plant has slowly excelled at what it does and by a canny mix of cutting -edge production processes and sensitive human relations, has emerged as one of the company’s most efficient units: In 2015, it was adjudged as the most productive among 30 subsidiary LG plants worldwide.

The plant achieved this level of proficiency, even while rolling out the latest flagship products of the company. When I visited the plant three days ago as part of the first ever media tour organized here, the TV line was assembling LG’s E6 series based on the latest Organic Light Emitting Diode or OLED sets, the first TVs anywhere to also offer the Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology which was unveiled only a few months ago.

The refrigerator line was running multiple lines, where the product was being localized on the belt, to meet the regulatory regimes of some 67 countries. Human intervention both here and in the TV assembly, was minimal, mostly to pull out units for additional random quality checks over and above the cent-per-cent mandatory checks.

The mantra of quality and perfection was a tangible presence – and one left with the feeling that it was as much to do with humans as with the massively automated processes.

Every Tuesday was a clean up day—a sort of LG Swachch Divas, and everyone including top management descends to the production floor to restore it to ship shape condition.

Every Thursday is a quality inspection day – of incoming, outgoing and line items.

Clockwise from top left : The Central control desk monitors production in real time; Only a very small fraction of operations in the TV line require manual intervention; External view of TV Plant; Boxed TVs roll out after packing

BEST IN CLASS: The Pune plant of LG was adjudged the best performer among all 30 manufacturing units of the company, worldwide in 2015. The plaque is proudly displayed in the lobby

Every six months management meets with dozens of ancillary suppliers – LG calls them partners—so that everyone is on the same page about the plants targets and plans for the next half year. In a decade, the ecosystem of suppliers to the plant has grown to include almost everything that goes into its product—

Better than Mother Nature!

UK-based Anthropics Technology makers of the popular retouching software PortraitPro have launched PortraitPro Body, the graphics arts industry’s first dedicated full body retouching software. It simplifies and speeds up body photo editing. Users will find that PortraitPro Body works in a completely different way to ordinary airbrushing and warping software. It has a unique intuitive slider interface which gives users as much manual control as they like. It eliminates the need to learn complex techniques or to set aside a lot of time and money associated with old-school retouching. It makes professional full body portrait editing accessible to all.

PortraitPro Body retouching software is available in two editions - Standard (standalone) and Studiowith plugin for Adobe Photoshop. Launch prices range from $40 to $60. A free trial version can be found here: http://www.portraitprobody.com/.

even the populated printed circuit boards that fuel most of the items made here.

This has enabled the Pune plant to achieve something rare in this business – an implementation of Just In Time technology which reduces the inventory to only what is needed over the next 4 hours of productio.

You stockpile less, you pay less.

I noticed a huddle of staff in corners of the admin floor… these are monthly meetings of an entire team to exchange ideas and take suggestions – from any one – on how to improve efficiency. At day’s end the group with end their introspection with a joint dinner I was told.

LG’s India Managing Director Kim Ki Wan whose responsibility extends to one more India plant in Noida, visits once a month to review the Pune plant’s work with Manufacturing Director Vipin Gupta and inspect the production lines. When any innovative suggestions or actions of workers are pointed out, rewards are instantaneous and on the spot I was told.

The visiting card of every LG official I met in Pune is superscribed with a motto “Life’s Good”.

In the common canteen at lunch time, as one joined the queues at three counters offering a choice of three menus – high, low and medium calorie—one saw why life was indeed good at LG Ranjangaon.

IndiaTechOnline

Selfie rules–on phones these days Yet another made-for-selfie phone, but the Gionee S6s doesn’t compromise on other phone specifications

BY V SUDHAKSHINA The small ‘s’ in the Gionee S6s smart phone stands for selfie. That’s how unsubtle handsets have become when it comes to naming. Th is one is a ‘selfie with flash’ device with an 8 megapixels front camera backed by a High CRI (color rendering index) front flash and an additional screen flash, which lights up the screen for low lit photography.

Adding to the selfie-friendly features are a few editing tools: realtime fi lters and the Face Beauty 2.0 technology. The rear camera is no slouch—13 megapixels with SONY IMX258 sensor, f2.0 aperture, HDR mode and LED flash.

The fingerprint scanner, also lets you click pictures with just one tap on it. Built as a unibody with curved metal, the 5.5 inch device comes with Full HD display with a 1920x1080 resolution and 2.5D Corning Gorilla

glass for screen protection. The S6s packs a decent battery of 3150 mAh. Also ported, is Gionee’s proprietary operating system, Amigo 3.2 that is based on Android Marshmallow 6.0. The device runs a MediaTek 1.3 GHz, Octa Core processor and offers 3 GB RAM and a 32 GB internal storage, expandable up to 128 GB. It has twin SIM slots— micro or nano and supports both 4G and VoLTE. The asking price is Rs. 17,999 – fair for what it offers.

IndiaTechOnline

Ex-Infosys techies craft e-healthcare app City-based Thingsmeet creates patient - doctor tool

A one-stop solution for Punekars, allows them to search and avail health services in an easy and affordable way through a mobile app, Prescribez. All the user needs to do, is download the app and search for labs, doctors and even book their appointments through the App, at the click of a key.

Prescribez also sends out alerts and health tips. The User Interface of the app is simple and easy to use for both the end consumer and doctors and clinics. Today, the app has over 700 doctors on the platform in Pune alone.

In the pipeline are extensions that will provide intelligent insights into one’s futuristic health risks and offer the facility to capture health information easily at home from smart health devices and share it using smart phones.

“We are trying to create a borderless health collaboration ecosystem”, says Neeraj

Thingsmeet co-founders (l to r from third left, standing) Jayant Kaduksar, Cherag Mehta, Manish Bandil & Neeraj Joshi with their creative team

Joshi, Co-Founder & CEO, ThingsMeet Solutions, Baner, Pune, “ With more than two decades of experience in healthcare and technology, we understand that there has been a lot of advancement in technology in

healthcare but the area of health information technology continues to remain underexplored. This is where Prescribez comes in.”

Neeraj , a former head of Infosys Pune, started ThingsMeet, with three other fellow

Infosys executives, Cherag Mehta, Manish Bandil and Jayant Kaduskar. They felt that technology could play a much larger role in addressing healthcare challenges -- and the Prescribez app for Pune public was the first fruit of their collaboration. It can be downloaded for free, from the Google Play resource for Android devices.

In July this year, they added Prescribez Doc, their second product, which provides doctors with easy access to patients details and their health records anytime, anywhere making remote support a reality. The founders say it will help doctors leverage benefits of digital technology in managing their practice without any additional spend on computers or tablets.

While Pune has been its first beneficiary, ThingsMeet has plans to expand to three other cities in 2017, starting with Mumbai by year end. The company’s ability to grow, has been enabled by a US$145,000 seed funding from angel investor Ankush Mehta. All we can say is Carry on Doctor!

IndiaTechOnline

TAG IT, FIND IT! Yoky tag doubles as health tracker

Every one forgets—not just the geriatric. We misplace phones, keys, spectacles. Now a simple solution is at hand —the Bluetooth tag. The Yoky Tag is a finder—and much more. In its primary role, it will beep loudly when interrogated from your mobile phone, revealing the item to which you have attached it. It will even warn you when you stray away from the tagged item. It works in reverse: you can find your phone by shaking the tag thrice. Yoky has an added function as a fitness tracker.

Using the Yoky Tag app, you can measure your steps taken, the distance travelled and the calories burnt. The tracking works up to Bluetooth 4.0 range—which is around 15 metres. It harnesses Bluetooth Low Energy which is very power efficient, resulting in less than 1 % battery usage over 24 hours. Yoky is designed and manufactured in India and costs Rs 99 from www.yoky.io

Portronics Tring clicks your selfie camera Portronics, has launched Tring, a multi-purpose tag that serves as a two-way anti-loss device but also doubles as a remote-camera shutter. It can be use with Apple or Android phones using the “Tring Track” app available on Playstore and Appstore. Tring supports Supported Apple Devices using iOS 7 or higher and Android 4.4 or higher.

After pairing with smartphone, you can attach Tring to any of your valuables like wallet, keychain, or handbags. If you misplace any of these articles, you need to press a button in “Tring Track” app of your paired smartphone. As you start moving with your phone in suspected area of lost item, Tring will start beeping when it comes within 18-20 metres of the phone. if you have misplaced your phone, you need to press the single button on Tring Tracker, and the phone will start ringing even if the phone is in silent mode.

If your Tring and your smartphone are separated by more than 10 meters, they both will start buzzing, until they are brought in this range. However, you can stop these alerts in user defined “safe zones”—like your home or office and “quiet” times of the day. This will prevent unnecessary buzzing if the distance increases within the safe zone.

You can also use Tring for taking pictures or selfies by just pressing the button on Tring Tracker and the paired smartphone will start taking the pictures. It acts as a 10 meter long virtual selfie stick.

The phone stores the “last location” record on the map after it is disconnected from the Tring Tracker. It can reconnect with the phone automatically, even if the app has been terminated or swiped off from screen. Tring takes the CR2016 battery which lasts for about a year. It costs Rs 999.

IndiaTechOnline

IT is like that...

ENVIRONMENT ‘‘Festival is the time of self evaluation and they need to change with time. Environment is damaged due to immersion of POP idols.

Let’s go back to old traditions and adopt idols made of pond clay.’’

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

‘Yes, Minister!

Dolphins got blind because of pollution’

Humans altered 97% of species-rich places Scientists say humans are the most voracious consumers planet Earth has ever seen

Peninsular Malaysia, where rampant logging is degrading and opening up forests to further exploitation

As many as 97 per cent of the most species-rich places on the Earth have been seriously altered by humans, according to a new map of the ecological footprint of humankind.

Researchers, including Professor Bill Laurance from James Cook University in Australia, mapped the ecological effect of people on our planet.

“The most species-rich parts of the planet - especially including the tropical rainforests - have been hit hardest. In total, around 97 per cent of Earth’s biologically richest real estate has been seriously altered by humans,” Laurance said.

The scientists found environmental pressures are widespread, with only a few very remote areas escaping damage.

“Humans are the most voracious

‘Human sacrifice’ act riles India!

BY PALLAVA BAGLA Human sacrifice, Lord Shiva’s statue, nuclear institute, God Particle, European laboratory in a cavern, mini black holes all makes for a heady mysterious mix.

When a creepy grainy video emerges from inside a haloed scientific institution showing a so-called ‘human sacrifice’ being committed at that global temple of learning where more than 100 nations are co-operating in Geneva called the European Organization for Nuclear Research or CERN, it spooked many.

CERN has launched an internal investigation to get to the truth of the matter while confirming the veracity of the video as having been shot within its highly secure premises, but called it a ‘fictional’ depiction. This act has riled many scientists especially in India since the ‘human sacrifice’ is shown being conducted with the backdrop of giant statue of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja pose performing the ‘tandava’ (cosmic dance).

The over 5-m-tall statue was gifted by the Indian government to the Geneva-based atomic research centre about a decade ago. The top brass of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) visit in their ‘private time’ the temple of Lord Balaji in Tirupati to seek his blessings before a rocket launch and made a habit of placing mini models of the rocket and satellite to the gods. The fear of the unknown drives many of these irrational behaviours by otherwise highly scientifically oriented people.

But, what happened at CERN is most bizarre.

Against the backdrop of a statue

consumers planet Earth has ever seen. With our land-use, hunting and other exploitative activities, we are now directly impacting three-quarters of the Earth’s land surface,” said Laurance.

Researchers combined data garnered from unprecedented advances in remote sensing with information collected via surveys on the ground.

They compared data from the fi rst survey in 1993 to the last available information set from 2009.

Laurance said that 71 per cent of global ecoregions saw a marked increase in their human footprints. But he said the news was not all bad.

“While the global human footprint expanded by nine per cent from 1993 to 2009, it did not increase as fast as the human population - which rose by a quarter - or economic growth -

Tsunami might have destroyed Guj’s Dholavira port town

Scientists film fake human sacrifice at CERN

showing the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva a video possibly shot on a mobile phone shows about 6-7 people wearing black satanic cloaks gather in the dead of the night, then another person possibly a lady is seen lying down on a sacrificial bench in front of the Shiva statue, one of the cloaked figures draws a glistening dagger and is shown stabbing the woman.

The video is shot as if the eavesdropper was taken by surprise by the happenings they chanced upon and the clip ends with expletives. Whether the video is fictional or real is still a matter of investigation but undoubtedly it was meticulously planned and possibly rehearsed. Clarifying the position, the spokesperson for CERN said, “This video is a work of fiction showing a contrived scene. Persons that are authorised to access the CERN site sometimes let their sense of humour go too far, and that is what has happened on this occasion. The video was filmed from an office building; strict safety systems are in place to prevent any unauthorised access to technical and experimental facilities. CERN does not condone this kind of spoof, which breaches CERN’s professional guidelines, and is currently carrying out an internal investigation.”

Even though CERN asserts “that it exists to understand the mystery of nature for the benefit of humankind.”

That India did not erupt on what could be termed as a ‘desecration’ of venerated iconic Indian god gifted with love by Indian people and placed on an alien soil, only showed that rationality prevailed among the vast Indian masses so prone to being swayed by emotions of religion.

PTI

‘Human sacrifice’ ceremony at Geneva’s CERN laboratory

SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

‘‘Understanding how people are moving around within countries is vital in combating infectious diseases like malaria. The parasite which causes the disease can be quickly reintroduced to a malaria-free area by highly mobile populations.”

— Andy Tatem, Professor WorldPop project, University of Southampton

BILL LAURANCE

In a curious U-turn, Ministry of Water Resources said its Minister Uma Bharti’s Lok Sabha statement that gangetic dolphins were getting blind because of pollution is “factually correct”.

It said it has launched an inquiry to ascertain as to how this “factual information” was not included in the Ministry’s response to an RTI query.

Bharti’s claim in the Lok Sabha that gangetic dolphins were losing vision because of pollution came under question after her Ministry in response to an RTI application said there was no scientific study to back it. The view of the Ministry was seconded by a number of experts who said there was no scientific study to show that gangetic dolphins were losing eyesight because of pollution.

The EDGE of Existence programme launched by Zoological Society of London, which focuses on endangered species, says,” Like most river dolphins, this species has little need for vision in the muddy waters it inhabits, and as a result has tiny, non-functional eyes that lack lenses. Individuals use echolocation (find the location of objects by reflected sound), to detect food and navigate and, to a very small extent, for communication.”

The Ministry in an attempt to defend Bharti’s claim, said: “It is clarified that different activities related to Ganga are reviewed by the Cabinet Minister at regular intervals. During one such review the aqua life of Ganga was also reviewed. In this review, a presentation was made by an expert on aqua life in which the Minister was informed that dolphins in Ganga are getting blind due to pollution in the river.”

PTI

H EALTH

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

Port town of Dholavira in Gujarat, the fifth largest Harappan site, might have been destroyed by a massive tsunami, a study by CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has revealed.

Dholavira is a site of an ancient metropolitan town of the Harappan period and was their largest port-town.

“The results clearly indicate that massive tsunamis are not uncommon in the region. The thick wall in Dholavira shows that Harappans were not only aware of the potential threats from tsunamis, but they were also pioneers in coastal disaster management.

“Most importantly, results of this study opens that possibly Dholavira, at least in part, could have been destroyed by such a tsunami,” NIO Director Dr SWA Naqvi said. He was sharing findings of the detailed study conducted by scientists of the Goa-based institute.

The team of scientists, led by Rajiv Nigam, had embarked on the study on the port town at a time when the real purpose of the Dholavira wall has been a topic of considerable debate.

The study has proposed that the thick wall was built to protect the town from extreme oceanic events such as storm surges and tsunamis, Naqvi said.

“This well-planned urban settlement flourished for about 1,500 years from about 5,000 to 3,450 years before present archaeological excavations show that the township comprised three parts — castle, the middle town and the lower town,” he said.

A unique feature of Dholavira is the presence of a 14-18 metres thick wall, apparently built as a protective measure.

Naqvi said CSIR-NIO has carried out additional work at this site with a team of palaeoclimatologists, archaeologists and geophysicists from the institute surveyed a hitherto unexcavated area using Ground Penetrating Radar and systematically collected soil samples. The director said tsunamis are known to have hit the region during the historical period.

For example, the Makran Earthquake of November 28, 1945 generated a huge tsunami, over 10 meters in height that devastated large areas along the northern shores of the Arabian sea. Naqvi said the exact timing of the sediments deposited in Dholavira is yet to be established.

PTI

which exploded by over 150 per cent - during the same period,” said Laurance.

He said that wealthy nations and those with strong control Bill Laurance of corruption showed some signs of improvement.

“In broad terms, industrial nations and those with lower corruption appear to be doing a better job of slowing the expansion of their human footprint than poorer countries with weak governance.

“But the wealthy countries have a much higher per-capita footprint, so each person there is consuming a lot more than those in poorer nations,” Laurance said.

Laurance said the suitability of lands for agriculture appears to be a major determinant in where ecological pressures appeared around the globe.

“The bottom line is that we need to slow rampant population growth, especially in Africa and parts of Asia, and demand that people in wealthy nations consume less,” he said.

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications and Nature Scientific Data.

PTI

Psychopaths poor in detecting threats Psychopathic people can feel fear, but have trouble in the automatic detection and response to threat, a new study has found.

For many decades, lack of fear has been put forth as a hallmark feature of psychopathy, the impairments which would lead to bold risk-taking behaviour.

Researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands reviewed brain and behavioural data pertaining to fear and psychopathy and found that psychopathic individuals have trouble detecting threats.

There was, however, little evidence that the conscious experience of fear was affected, indicating that it may not be completely impaired in psychopathy.

It is the first study to provide empirical evidence that the automatic and conscious processes can be independently affected within one psychiatric disorder.

Researchers reviewed the available evidence for the potential existence of the relationship between fear and psychopathy in adult individuals.

They generated a model that separates brain mechanisms involved in automatic detection and responding to threats from those involved in the conscious experience of fear as an emotion. Using this model as reference, they performed a conceptual analysis of the work of earlier theorists, going back to as early as 1806.

They found that only one theorist incorporated the construct of fear into an etiological model of psychopathy.

The evidence for impairments in brain areas involved in the experience

Milky Way core blazed 6 mn yrs ago

The core of our Milky Way blazed furiously about six million years ago, when the fi rst human ancestors known as hominins walked the Earth, a new study has found.

The evidence for this active phase came from a search for the galaxy’s missing mass, researchers said.

The centre of the Milky Way galaxy is currently a quiet place where a supermassive black hole slumbers, only occasionally slurping small sips of hydrogen gas.

Measurements show that the Milky Way galaxy weighs about 1-2 trillion times as much as our Sun. About fivesixths of that is in the form of invisible and mysterious dark matter.

The remaining one-sixth of our galaxy’s heft, or 150-300 billion solar masses, is normal matter.

However, if you count up all the stars, gas and dust we can see, you only find about 65 billion solar masses.

The rest of the normal matter stuff made of neutrons, protons, and electrons - seems to be missing.

“We analysed archival X-ray observations from the XMM-Newton spacecraft and found that the missing mass is in the form of a million-degree gaseous fog permeating our galaxy,” said lead author Fabrizio Nicastro, a research associate at the HarvardSmithsonian Centre for Astrophysics (CfA) in the US. “That fog absorbs X-rays from more distant background sources,” said Nicastro, who is also an astrophysicist at the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF).

The astronomers used the amount of absorption to calculate how much

normal matter was there, and how it was distributed.

They applied computer models but learned that they couldn’t match the observations with a smooth, uniform distribution of gas.

Instead, they found that there is a “bubble” in the centre of our galaxy that extends two-thirds of the way to Earth.

Clearing out that bubble required a tremendous amount of energy. That energy came from the feeding black hole, researchers said.

While some infalling gas was swallowed by the black hole, other gas was pumped out at speeds of 1,000 km per second.

Six million years later, the shock wave created by that phase of activity has crossed 20,000 light-years of space.

Meanwhile, the black hole has run out of nearby food and gone into hibernation.

Th is timeline is corroborated by the presence of 6-million-year-old stars near the galactic centre. Those stars formed from some of the same material that once flowed toward the black hole.

“The different lines of evidence all tie together very well. Th is active phase lasted for 4 to 8 million years, which is reasonable for a quasar,” said Martin Elvis from CfA. The observations and associated computer models also show that the hot, million-degree gas can account for up to 130 billion solar masses of material. Th is might explain where all of the galaxy’s missing matter was hiding: it was too hot to be seen.

PTI

of fear was less consistent than is often assumed, indicating that the experience of fear may not be completely impaired in psychopathy.

The researchers then conclusively showed that psychopathic individuals have trouble in the automatic detection and responsivity to threat but may in fact feel fear, providing direct empirical support for the claim that the conscious experience of fear may not be impaired in these individuals. An additional meta-analysis examining the five other basic emotions found that there may also be impairments in the experience of happiness and anger, but the lack of consistency in the current literature precluded the generation of strong claims.

“While psychopathic individuals may suffer from a dysfunctional threat system, people with posttraumatic stress disorder may have a hyperactive threat system, which later leads to them feeling fearful,” said Inti Brazil from Radboud University.

The results are published in Psychological Bulletin.

PTI

High alcohol consumption reduces female fertility: study Drinking 14 or more servings of alcohol a week may reduce fertility in women by 18 per cent, a new study has warned.

Researchers from University College London carried out a large study to examine the association between preconception alcohol consumption and time to pregnancy.

In total, 6,120 female Danish residents, aged 21-45 years, were included in the study. They were all in a stable relationship with a male partner, trying to conceive and not receiving fertility treatment, between 2007-2016.

Each female participant completed bimonthly questionnaires for 12 months, or until conception occurred, on alcohol use, pregnancy status, menstrual cycles, frequency of intercourse and smoking.

Alcohol consumption was self reported as beer (330 mL bottles), red or white wine (120 mL glasses), dessert wine (50 mL glasses) and spirits (20 mL), and was categorised in standard servings per week.

In women who drank 14 or more servings of alcohol a week, there were 37 pregnancies in 307 cycles, compared with 1,381 pregnancies in 8,054 cycles in women who did not drink. Women who drank more than 14 servings a week had an 18 per cent lower chance of getting pregnant, according to the ‘BBC’.

This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be made about cause and effect, they said. The study did not distinguish between regular and binge drinking, which is important because alcohol can affect the menstrual cycle.

The researchers recommend couples to abstain from alcohol during fertile window until a pregnancy is ruled out, because the foetus may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol during the first few weeks after conception.

Although the study suggests that low to moderate intake of alcohol, defined as one to seven servings a week, seemed to have no effect on women’s fertility, nor did the type of alcohol beverage consumed. In developed countries, up to 24 per cent of couples experience infertility, defined as time to pregnancy of 12 months or more. Annie Britton from University College London, said the results “offer some reassurances” to couples trying to get pregnant.

The study appears in The BMJ Journal.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

‘‘I am a Dalit and I am paying for it. There is some conspiracy against me. Charging and proving Diesel vehicles ban: anything on people like me with the money power is not a big deal. I have got a statue of Baba Saheb Auto industry lost Rs Bhim Rao Ambedkar at my house and I talk about Dalits and that is why I am being targeted.’’

4,000 cr in 8 mths — Sandeep Kumar, Former Delhi Social Development Minister

Child marriage taking place in India: MHA to HC

Ministry of Home Affairs says ‘marital rape’ of girls under 18 is not criminalised due to social realities NEW DELHI: Centre admitted before Delhi High Court that child marriages were taking place in India and the decision to retain a girl’s minimum age as 15 years to marry was taken under the amended rape law to protect a couple against criminalisation of their sexual activity.

The submission was made by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, who were hearing a PIL which claimed that an “inconsistency” has crept in through the amended rape law which protected a husband from prosecution for the offence of unnatural sex with his wife.

Referring to the amended section 375(2) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), dealing with age of girl to marry, the ministry said, “the social, economic and educational development in the country is still uneven and child marriages are taking place”.

“It has been decided to retain the age of 15 years under exception 2 of section 375 (rape) of the IPC so as to give protection to husband and wife against criminalising the sexual activity between them,” it said.

The MHA also said that husbands have been protected from prosecution for any sexual acts with their wives who are above 15 years of age in view of the

School children forming a pyramid to break Dahi Handi on the occasion Krishna Janamashtami in Chikmagalur (Picture is used for representation purpose only)

“social reality” of child marriages in India.

“Although the age of consent is 18 years and child marriage is discouraged, marriage below the permissible age is avoidable but not void in law on account of social realities,” it said.

The court is hearing a plea which has alleged that the amendment made in 2013 in section 375 (rape) of the IPC was “incorrect” and “inconsistent” with section 377 (unnatural sex) of IPC. MHA’s response came on the plea which raised the legal issue that there

Modi tattoo costs youth Army job

was “uncertainty” in the two penal provisions of section 375 and 377 of IPC as section 375 has an exception that “sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape”.

Section 377 criminalises unnatural sexual activity between any two individuals, irrespective of their age, gender or marital status.

The petition, filed through advocates Amit Kumar and Anand Ranjan, claimed that existing penal law was not certain as the act of sexual offence

which was punishable under section 377 of IPC was non-penal under section 375, if committed by the husband. The petition has said, “the legal issue raised by the petitioner deserves to be settled/ determined by this court in the interest of public at large, as the said uncertain/ unsettled position of law has been infringing the respective rights of the husband and wife.”

The plea has claimed that the alleged act of husband being penal at one place and non-penal at another in the IPC, has made the penal law inconsistent. The petitioner, who is facing trial for alleged offence of unnatural sex on the complaint by his wife, has said that his prosecution under section 377 IPC was contrary to the existing law as his purported act was protected under section 375 of IPC and the unsettled position of law infringes his rights.

In 2013, the man had married the 20-year-old girl who later lodged an FIR against him for alleged offences of rape and unnatural offence.

The trial court had discharged him for the alleged offence of rape but he was put on trial on the charge of committing unnatural sex with his wife.

The man was granted bail by high court in January 2015.

PTI

P 14

Delhi Judge dials 100, gets no reply’

Ministry, Delhi Police express ‘regret’ over the matter NEW DELHI: Four months after Delhi High Court judge Vipin Sanghi’s call to the emergency helpline number 100 went unanswered, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police expressed “regret” over the matter.

A High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the police regarding the action taken by them to prevent such situations when calls made to the emergency number go unanswered.

“What action you are taking, we would like to know that. How do you propose to get over this problem,” the bench asked the police which expressed regret before the court.

Responding to the query, the counsel representing police told the bench that heavy traffic on telecom service provider leads to congestion in their systems and they have sought a dedicated bandwidth for calls to the emergency number.

The counsel said several aspects, including the response time of police and steps to tackle the law and order situation here, were pending before an another division bench of the HC which is monitoring these issues after the sensational December 16, 2012 gangrape case. The bench, after hearing the submissions, reserved its order in the matter for September 24.

The court on its own had converted Justice Sanghi’s letter, which was sent to the Police Commissioner as well as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, into a public interest litigation and had sought the response of the Centre and Delhi Police regarding what Justice

IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA

Tattoo on his chest reads ‘Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Shivraj Mama aur Narendra Modi ka naam rahega’

TIKAMGARH (MP): Overenthusiasm by a youth to show his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, dashed his hopes of joining the Army.

The class X pass youth, Sourabh Bilgaiyan (22), of Jeron village in the district, wanted to serve as a soldier in the armed forces.

However, a tattoo on his chest reading: “Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Shivraj Mama aur Narendra Modi ka naam rahega” (Chouhan and Modi’s name will remain till sun and moon are visible), has now shattered his dream of getting into the military service.

“Though I have no interest in politics, I am a fan of Chouhan and Modi and got this slogan imprinted on my chest as a mark of respect for the two leaders during the 2013 polls,” Sourabh said.

“However, when I went to Maharashtra’s Vimannagar in 2014 to appear in a recruitment rally for Army and after appearing in the written examination when I removed my shirt for physical and medical examination, the recruiters declared me unfit for the force because of this slogan,” he claimed.

The youth also claimed that he was treated in a similar manner in the Army recruitment rallies held in Guna, Anooppur and Shivpuri.

This has led the youth in a piquant situation as he neither wants to remove the tattoo that he got done on his chest in the honour of Modi and Chouhan, nor does he want to give up his dream of serving the military.

Retired Colonel VK Saini, who also earlier served as recruitment director, said, “We do not permit any tattoo on the person, on the ground that it will disclose the person’s identity and religion to enemy in the battlefield. We are not supposed to reveal it at any cost in operational areas.

When a man wears a uniform then all should look alike, especially when they go to fight an enemy.”

A senior retired Army officer AS Tomar also said, “There is a rule in the Army that any person applying for any post should not sport any slogan about any particular person, specially about political persons.”

PTI

Vol-III* lssue No.: 12 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.

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Passengers risk their lives as they travel by an overcrowded bus after auto drivers went on strike in Gurgaon

Judge Vipin Sanghi

Sanghi had experienced.

Justice Sanghi, in his letter addressed to Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma, had narrated his “poor personal experience” of calling up the helpline on April 29 this year when he was on his way to Vasant Kunj to attend a wedding reception.

The ministry and the police had earlier told the court that “inconvenience” caused to Justice Vipin Sanghi was inadvertent and due to reasons beyond their control, including congestion in the systems of telephone service providers.

Giving details of steps taken to handle the problem, the ministry had said that manpower resources deployed for managing the emergency response system has been further harmonised to keep in tune with the overall workload and changing call patterns.

Regretting the inconvenience caused to Justice Sanghi, the police had said that there was a heavy rush of calls at that time due to which the call made by the judge could not be attended to.

PTI

Temple restrains entry of girls wearing jeans UJJAIN: A Jain temple in Ujjain city restrained girls aged eight years and above from entering the temple in jeans, skirts and other western outfits.

The decision was taken by Shwetambar Jain Samaj’s Rishabhdev Temple, Chhagniram Pedi Trust members that girls aged eight years and above should be asked not to wear western outfits like jeans, T-shirts, skirts and tops among others and should wear Indian dresses only, Trust President Mahendra Sirolia told PTI. They were also provided with a ‘Chunri’ to cover their heads once they enter inside the temple, he said.

“The decision was taken as western outfits lower the prestige of the Jain temple. But there is no ban on anyone visiting the temple in proper dress,” he said, adding a notice was also displayed in the religious place on the issue requesting devotees to follow it.

State Women’s Commission chairperson Lata Vankhere has taken personal cognisance of dress code for girls prescribed by the temple trust.

PTI

The art of queue jumping and Indians!

V Raghunathan’s book finds jumping queues an utter disregard for fairness and civility towards others

NEW DELHI: What’s in a queue, most Indians ask as they invent innovative ways of queue-jumping, says a new book on the most striking characteristic that literally binds the diverse nation.

“People of every caste, creed, language, state, religion, province and street differ on virtually every other issue, but we all converge on this one ethos: the ethos of queue-jumping,” says V Raghunathan in his book ‘The Good Indian’s Guide To Queue Jumping’, published by HarperCollins.

According to him, Westerners and Indians are as different as chalk and cheese when it comes to queuing with Western queues mostly a “lifeless, boring and linear assortment of people standing somberly as if struck by life s most extreme tragedy”.

But not so with Indians.

“Our average queues are full of verve and vitality, each brain in overdrive, actively evaluating all strategies to jump the queue,” he writes.

“What is more, in our queues we stand really tight, unlike the Westerners, who stand apart as if the V Raghunathan next person may be suffering from some unmentionable contagion. That is why our queues, when they exist at all, contact with a human,” the are a solid, albeit uneven, line of people book says. with all senses on alert, rather than the Raghunathan says that no wonder relaxed and limp lines seen in the West,” the disregard for queues has also found he goes on to add. its way into the very folklore of the “In a nation of a billion people, there nation via Bollywood when “Amitabh is no escaping queues. We find ourselves Bachchan growled in his bass voice in in one every day - whether to board ‘Kaalia’ (1981), ‘Hum jahan khade ho the flight or if we are less fortunate to jaate hain, line wahin se shuru hoti hai’, fetch water from a municipal tap. We saying in effect I will always jump to the no longer wait for years for a Fiat car head of the queue: stop me if you dare”. or a rotary-dial phone but there are still The objective of his book, he says, queues that may last days, like those for is to enhance the wisdom evolved by school admissions. And then, there are Indians about queue-jumping. He also the virtual ones at call centres in which touches on another important aspect there’s no knowing when we will make related to queues professional queuers.

“The basic idea of paying someone to stand as your proxy in a queue is neither terribly original nor new. Many of us have, at one time or the other, paid someone to line up on our behalf at a railway reservation counter or at the American embassy.

“But these efforts can at best be described as jugaad an ad hoc way to address the queuing problem. They never evolved into a full-time entrepreneurial venture, leave alone a full-fledged corporate business, even if not listed on the stock exchange as is the case in some places,” the book says.

“First and foremost we need to recognise that queue-jumping, especially in a country where queues are an important social reality, is a problem worthy of being tackled,” Raghunathan writes.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

Abhimanyu aims for GM title this year P 16

PUNE

‘‘China is experiencing its worst human rights crackdown since the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. Especially since Xi came to power, many human rights lawyers and activists were detained and disappeared; NGOs were shut down; Churches, other religious groups were also targeted.’’

— Teng Biao, Chinese Human Rights Lawyer

US ready to up engagement with India NEC Director says proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty needs to be of ‘sufficiently high standard’

BY LALIT K JHA WASHINGTON: Confident of greater bilateral trade and enhanced cooperation at global economic platforms, the US said it is ready to increase engagement with India to find new common ground at WTO and asserted that the future looks “bright” for this global trade body.

The comments assume significance as during the WTO’s Nairobi Ministerial conference, differences had surfaced between developing countries including India and developed economies including the US on issues related to the Doha Round, public stockholding for food security purposes and new issues being pushed by the rich nations.

“In our view, the future looks bright for the WTO and we remain ready to increase our engagement with India to find new common ground after years of impasse in the Doha round,” Jeff Zients, Director of the National Economic Council (NEC), told PTI in an interview.

He said that the proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty between India and the US needs to be of “sufficiently high standard” and discussions would continue to achieve this outcome.

Zients, who will be in India this week for the second US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, further said: “We are already working with India and other WTO members to find new ways forward to take up pending Doha Round

NEC Director Jeff Zients said US-India bilateral trade has grown 80 per cent since 2009

issues and to ensure that the WTO’s agenda remains relevant, particularly with respect to issues such as the digital economy and interests of small and medium enterprises.

“The last two WTO Ministerial Conferences in Bali and Nairobi were significant successes, including outcomes on the Trade Facilitation Agreement, agricultural export subsidies, and public stockholding for food security purposes.”

He added: “We recently built on these successes at the G-20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Shanghai where we made commitments on lowering the costs of trade, coordinating efforts to reinforce trade and investment, and supporting sound agriculture policies.”

Zients also serves as Assistant to the US President for Economic Policy.

Previously, he was appointed by the President to a newly created position of

United States Chief Performance Officer.

Prior to joining the Administration, Zients spent 20 years in the private sector as a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur. During his India visit, he would co-chair the second US-India CEO Forum alonside the US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

On concerns over slowing global trade and the role India and the US can play, being the two major trading partners of the world, Zients said: “USIndia bilateral trade has grown 80 per cent since 2009. Since that time, India has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the US has continued to strengthen following the recovery from a significant economic recession, with policies that encourage innovation, trade, and investment.

“We have each had our own challenging domestic conversations on

trade, but trade has provided huge benefits to both the US and Indian economies”.

He said both the economies are well positioned to continue contributing to global trade growth. He added that the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and US-India CEO Forum this week, as well as the Trade Policy Forum that will be held in October, are focused on ways to strengthen bilateral trade partnership and business environments.

Zients said: “We are working together both bilaterally and multilaterally to increase trade, remove constraints, and create jobs. Regional efforts to open economies and increase connectivity across countries are also important. The US and India also have an important opportunity next week at the G-20 Leaders Summit hosted in Guangzhou, China, where counties will continue our efforts to achieve sustainable growth and spur job creation.”

Asked about the long-running discussions on a new Bilateral Investment Treaty between the two countries and whether any positive closure was expected during the Dialogue, he said over 500 US companies are active in India and the US foreign direct investment (FDI) in India stands at over USD 28 billion.

At the same time, Indian FDI in the United States has nearly doubled since 2010, he added. Zients said: “Investment treaty discussions are not on the agenda for this week s Strategic and Commercial dialogue, but the prospect of a US-India bilateral investment treaty (BIT) is something we continue to support.

“Discussions on such important agreements between two large economies can take time.”

PTI

‘War pact’ could irk China, Pak

BY KJM VARMA BEIJING: Attempts by India to join US alliance could “irritate” China, Pakistan or even Russia and bring “strategic troubles” to New Delhi while making it a centre of geopolitical rivalries in Asia, China’s state-run media commented.

In an editorial written ahead of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter signing a logistics agreement, staterun Global Times said India may loose strategic independence if it leans towards the US. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) allows India and US militaries to access each other’s military facilities for refuelling and replenishment.

“This is undoubtedly a leap forward in US-India military cooperation. US media highly applauded this deal, with Forbes hailing it as a ‘war pact’ and believing that India is shifting away from Russia, its Cold War ally, toward a new

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar being welcomed by the US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in Pentagon

alliance with the US,” the editorial said.

“If India hastily joins the US alliance system, it may irritate China, Pakistan or even Russia. It may not make India feel safer, but will bring strategic troubles to itself and make itself a centre of geopolitical rivalries in Asia,” it said.

“India holds dear its independence and sovereignty after squeezing out of the UK’s colonialism. It views itself as a major power and is developing on the

wave of the emerging countries,” the editorial said.

While India has adopted a prudent attitude so far refraining from joining US alliance, some defence analysts expressed worries that India may lose strategic independence and warned that the pact may render New Delhi a “follower” of Washington, it said.

Observing that India attaches high importance to national security, the editorial said, “It feels it is an urgent task because its defence levels are a necessary condition of being a major power, rather than out of a sense of crisis that requires an intimacy to the US.” Due to its non-alignment policy, India has been given attention from all the major powers such as the US, Japan, China and Russia in recent years, it noted. “However, in recent years, Washington has deliberately wooed New Delhi to become its quasi ally so as to impose geopolitical pressure on China,” the editorial said.

PTI

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence it handed down to senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader and key financier Mir Quasem Ali for committing war crimes during the country’s 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.

The five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced a single-word judgement in the court room. “Rejected,” said top judge, who is the first Hindu to occupy the post in the Muslim-majority country, about 64-year-old Ali’s appeal.

Ali is considered as the key-financier of Jamaat, which was opposed to Bangladesh’s 1971 independence from Pakistan.

In his brief comments after the verdict, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters that Ali could now seek presidential clemency as his last resort to save himself from the gallows.

“He now could be (sent) to (the)

gallows anytime if he does not seek clemency or his mercy petition is rejected,” Alam said.

Ali’s lawyers were not immediately available for comments.

The decision paves the way for Ali’s execution unless he is pardoned by the president. Ali, also a media doyen, filed the review petition after the apex court published its full verdict and the International Crimes Tribunal issued the death warrant against him on June 6.

He owns several business houses and media outlets including a now suspended TV channel and is a central executive council member of Jamaat-e-Islami.

He was convicted of running a militia torture cell, Al Badr, that carried out killings of several people. Three million people were said to have been massacred in the war by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators.

Prosecution lawyers had earlier said Ali had exhausted all efforts to influence Prosecutor Turin Afroz, centre, talks to the media outside the Supreme Court after a review petition against the death sentence of Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Mir Quasem Ali’s was dismissed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s SC rejected a final appeal by the top Islamist party leader convicted of war crimes in the country’s independence war against Pakistan, confirming a death sentence handed down earlier by a special tribunal

Confident of further advancement global action to support clean of partnership between India and energy solutions and combat climate the US, a top official of the Obama change, including the historic Paris administration said every future Agreement.

US government should continue Asked about his assessment of with the joint strategic vision of the the progress made by India and the two countries being “indispensable US in trade and commerce in the partners in promoting peace, seven-and-half years of the Obama prosperity and stability in the region”. administration and the message for NEC Director Jeff Zients said his successor, Zients said the twothe US-India partnership has never way trade between the two countries been stronger but the two countries has reached USD 109 billion and still need to do much investment is better given the size generating new of their economies. jobs and healthier “With President economies.

(Barack) Obama’s “ O u r visit to India during conversations this India’s Republic week will include Day celebration governmentand Prime Minister to-government (Narendra) Modi’s discussions, as well as visit to the White opportunities to hear - JEFF ZIENTS House last June and from business people historic address in and entrepreneurs Congress, its easy to who rely on good see the strong friendship between our government policies. two countries.

“It is undoubtedly in both of “Over the past seven-and-aour interests to find solutions to half years, our cooperation has economic challenges together, strengthened in every field from remove impediments to growing developing life-saving solutions for our economies, and contribute to a infectious diseases to strengthening sustainable, balanced global economy. humanitarian and disaster relief,” “We are extremely proud of all of Zients said. our economic achievements, but at the He said the leadership from both same time we know there is a lot more the countries has helped galvanise we can do together.

“We are extremely proud of all of our economic achievements.”

ROCKY MELODY

Alphorn musicians perform in Nesselwang, Southern Germany. The alphorn is a 12-foot-long wooden folk instrument played by Swiss shepherds to communicate across mountain valleys

Bangladesh SC upholds Jamaat stalwart’s death sentence

BY ANISUR RAHMAN

Indispensable partners in promoting peace in region

his trial on charges of committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. They had said that Ali made a USD 25 million deal with US lobby firm Cassidy and Associates for engaging with the governments of the United States and Bangladesh to protect “his interest”.

During the appeal hearing against his death sentence the state-side submitted to the court a receipt issued by the US lobby firm for what it said “professional service”.

The evidence suggested that in March, 2014, another deal worth of USD 50,000 was struck with the same lobby firm on Ali’s behalf for “condemning” the actions of the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh.

Four people, including three Jamaat leaders and one BNP stalwart have been hanged so far since the war crimes trial process began six years ago while two others died in prison of old age.

PTI

We are unfairly targeted: Gupta

BY FAKIR HASSEN JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s Gupta family, subjected to a wide range of allegations of irregular business dealings because of their ties to President Jacob Zuma, said they are being unfairly targeted by people wanting to score political points.

The brothers, Ajay, Atul and Rajesh, who arrived from India at the advent of democracy under Nelson Mandela in the 1990’s, announced that they would relinquish all their shareholdings in South African businesses by year-end.

They have set up IT firm Sahara Computers, before branching into mining, media, manufacturing and real estate with over 7,500 employees under their roll.

“The Gupta family is caught in a crossfire. Because of the latest changes in political scenario, the media is targeting the family to score political points,” their family spokesman Gary Naidoo said.

He was referring to the pressure that African National Congress and

President Zuma are currently under following the party’s losses in the recent local government poll. There is also tension between Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

“The Gupta family businesses are significantly smaller in comparison to the top businesses in the country and the disproportionate media focus tells you there is a hidden agenda behind targeting the family businesses,” Naidoo said, but did not elaborate on who was behind the “hidden agenda”.

In recent years, the family has been the subject of many controversies, most of them linked to their allegedly close relationship with Zuma and other top ANC leaders, but no charges had been brought against them.

Earlier, there had been claims that because of the success of Gupta-owned daily newspaper ‘The New Age’ and TV channel ‘ANN7’, both with support from Indian partners, South African competitors consistently reported negatively on the family.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“No Jio customer will ever have to pay for voice calls again. Jio will have a base rate which is more than 90 per cent discount over the industry.”

— Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries

Signposts

“Snapdeal was born in the cloud, but public clouds stopped being cost efficient after a scale, which became the case for us last year. In 10 months, we’ve succeeded in building an extremely resilient, scalable and secure solution.”

— Rajiv Mangla, Chief Technology Officer, Snapdeal

Direct selling guidelines to be defined Centre finalise guidelines for the Rs 72,000-crore direct selling industry and the same is expected to be notified soon

‘Consumer is king, can’t say discounts should not be given’ “Consumer is the king”, the Delhi High Court said while observing that it cannot say lower charges should not be levied and discounts not given to customers by app-based cab providers like Ola and Uber. Justice Manmohan said if a company gave discounts, then the customers benefited and the appbased cab service providers were more interested in the number of hits by the consumers. The observation came during the hearing of an application by a taxi association which alleged that app-based cab service providers like Ola and Uber were not complying with the court’s August 11 directions and not following the rates prescribed by the government.

To protect public from fraudulent ponzi schemes being peddled as direct selling, a new set of guidelines is likely to be put in place soon to regulate this sector.

The Department of Consumer Affairs Ministry has finalised the guidelines for the Rs 72,000-crore direct selling industry and the same is expected to be notified. The guidelines will define direct selling and how it is different from the other money circulating scheme. The direct selling should always be linked with products and there should be a buyer-seller agreement, sources said.

In a meeting with industry stakeholders held last month, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had discussed the draft guidelines prepared by the inter-ministerial panel and took their final views. The guidelines are being framed as direct selling industry is facing problems in the absence of clear legislation that defines the regulatory framework.

Industry players had suggested to give legal sanctity by notifying the guidelines on direct selling as part of rules under the new Consumer Protection Bill. The bill has provisions to protect the interest of consumers buying on e-commerce and direct selling platforms.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Finance Minister P Chidamabram, in connection with its money laundering probe in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

Officials said Nalini has been asked

China’s firms report revenue decline

China’s top 500 enterprises reported their first annual decline in combined revenues in 15 years, with a 0.07 per cent drop last year, as the economy continued to slow down amid falling oil prices and overcapacity issues.

Among the top 500 firms, 155 reported declines in revenues in 2015, 61 more than a year ago, with many of them representing the overcapacityplagued coal, steel, oil and chemicals industries.

Meanwhile, 72 firms reported losses, 15 more than a year ago.

The data was contained in 2016 edition of the top 500 Chinese Enterprises released China Enterprise Confederation and China Enterprise Directors Association.

The list is based on revenues from

2015, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The State Grid grabbed the top spot with 2.07 trillion yuan (USD 310 billion) in revenue, with oil giants China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec ranking second and third.

Haitong Securities, GF Securities and China Galaxy Securities entered the list for the first time as a bull stock market boosted their revenues.

Revenues of the top 500 totaled 59.46 trillion yuan (USD 8.9 trillion) last year. The service sector contributed 40.5 per cent of the revenues, outperforming the manufacturing sector, at 39.2 per cent, for the first time.

Of the 500 firms, 157 are from the service sector, six more than a year ago, and 261 are manufacturers, five less than a year ago.

The 500 companies invested 1.48 per cent of their revenues in research and development (R&D) on average, with leading search engine Baidu and telecom equipment supplier Huawei spending 15.9 per cent and 15.1 per cent on R&D respectively.

China’s economy had declined to 6.9 per cent last year.

PTI

to appear before the Investigating Officer of the case in Kolkata in the first week of next month where her statement is expected to be recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The matter pertains to the legal fee paid to Nalini, a Supreme Court lawyer, by the Saradha group, official sources said. The amount in question is Rs 1.26 crore, they said, noting the ED wants to understand the exact flow of funds to her from Saradha company accounts and the contract made therein.

Saradha chairman Sudipta Sen, at present in jail, had mentioned about hiring Nalini as a lawyer at the request of Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of Congress leader Mantang Sinh.

Nalini represented Manoranjana and hence was asked to offer her professional advice in her negotiations with Sen in connection with plans by the group to acquire a TV channel in the northeast.

The lawyer is believed to have advised her client against the Rs 42-crore investment by the group to acquire the TV channel. ED had filed a charge sheet in this case in a special PMLA court in Kolkata earlier this year and it is working towards a supplementary charge sheet.

The agency has issued four orders for attaching properties worth about Rs 600 crore in this case. It registered a case under PMLA in 2013 taking cognisance of police FIRs of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. ED has pegged the amount of the scam at Rs 2,500 crore.

PTI

Shun unrealistic use of stressed asset schemes Outgoing RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has warned banks against “unrealistic application” of stressed asset resolution schemes to postpone recognition of NPAs. Rajan said RBI has a variety of schemes by which a more sensible capital structure can be crafted for the project which are standard but struggling.

“Some of the current difficulties come from an unrealistic application by banks of a scheme so as to postpone recognition of a loan turning NPA rather than because of a carefully analysed move to effect management or capital structure change,” Rajan said in the foreword to annual report 2015-16 released. “RBI will continue its monitoring to ensure that schemes are used as warranted,” he said.

Rajan said that an area of short-term focus with macroeconomic relevance is stressed asset resolution. The Asset Quality Review initiated in early 201516 has improved recognition of NPAs and provisioning in banks enormously.

Some banks have taken significant steps in recognising incipient stress early.

The Governor said should move to improving operational efficiency of stressed assets and creating the right capital structure to benefit stakeholders.

PTI

Celebs can face five-year jail, fine for misleading ads Celebrities endorsing misleading advertisements can be jailed for up to five years and face a fine of Rs 50 lakh under a new draft law, which will be taken up by a group of ministers soon.

The Centre in August last year had introduced the Consumer Protection Bill 2015, in Lok Sabha, to repeal the 30 -year-old Consumer Protection Act. A Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted its recommendations in April.

After studying the panel’s report, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has accepted some key recommendations such as provisions for fi xing liability on celebrities and stringent punishment for adulteration, among others.

According to sources, the Department of Consumer Affairs has received comments from other ministries on the draft law.

Almost all the ministries are in agreement on the proposed provision to impose hefty penalty and imprisonment to celebrities endorsing misleading advertisements as well as those involved in adulteration, they added. A group of ministers, headed

by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the changes proposed by the Consumer Affairs Ministry in the draft law before placing it for the Cabinet approval.

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Heath Minister JP Nadda, Power Minister Piyush Goyal, Transport Minister Nitin Gakari

Bollywood Actor Sonam Kapoor during unveiling by IMC Ladies wing the Women Entrepreneur Exhibition (Picture is used for representation purpose only)

and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are also part of the informal GoM. According to sources, the ministry has proposed stringent provisions to tackle misleading advertisements as well as to fi x liability on endorsers/ celebrities. “For the first time offence, a fine of Rs 10 lakh and jail term of up to two years, while for second and subsequent offenses, a fine of Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of five years has been proposed for brand ambassadors,” a source said.

The ministry has proposed similar penalty and jail term for adulteration, besides licence suspension and

cancellation. The ministry has also accepted the panel’s recommendation to include ‘deficiency in services’ in product liability.

It has agreed to provide an enabling provision to make rules to regulate e-commerce and direct selling. It also seeks to remove overlap of powers of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and the Consumer Fora. An investigating wing will be set up at CCPA, while limiting the role of a district collector to support CCPA in investigation.

It has also removed a provision for penalty on consumers for frivolous complaints.

CPEC not targeted at any third country, but for development

BY KJM VARMA Asserting that its ambitious USD 46 billion economic corridor is not targeted at any third country, China said it will work with Pakistan to ensure “smooth running” of the strategic project.

“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a new cooperation framework set up by the two countries for the future development of bilateral cooperation across the board. Not targeted at any third country,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

Skirting the question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Balochistan’s troubled human rights situation, Hua declined to comment on one of China’s prominent official think tanks warning that China and Pakistan will initiate “joint steps” if any “Indian factor” is found to disrupt the CPEC. “I don’t want to comment on remarks of some scholars,” she said.

She also skirted response to the questions about India and the US expressing concerns over the human rights violations in Balochistan, the troubled Pakistani province through which the economic corridor would pass connecting China’s Muslim-majority Xinjiang province to Gwadar port.

But at the same time she said China will work with Pakistan for smooth running of the CPEC. “The corridor is conducive to promoting regional connectivity as well as peace, stability and development.

China is willing to work alongside Pakistan to ensure the smooth running of the corridor,” she said.

While China is maintaining official silence on Modi s

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying

remarks on Balochistan during the Independence Day speech, it however riled the official Chinese strategic think tanks who were vocal in asserting that China will resort joint action with Pakistan against India for any disruption to the CPEC. “My personal view is that if India is adamant and if Indian factor is found by China or Pakistan in disrupting the process of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), if that becomes a reality, it will really become a disturbance to China-India relations, India-Pakistan relations,” South Asia expert Hu Shisheng said.

Besides a host of energy-related projects, the CPEC consists of rail, road and pipelines to ferry oil and gas from Gwadar port to Kashghar in Xinjiang through Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK).

PTI

Diesel vehicles ban: Auto industry lost Rs 4,000 cr in 8 mths Automobile manufacturers body says it was ‘improper information’ supplied to the courts which led to the ban The auto industry suffered a loss of Rs 4,000 crore in eight months following the ban on sale of diesel vehicles in engine capacity of 2,000cc and above in Delhi/NCR, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Vinod Dasari said.

The Supreme Court, however, had earlier this month lifted the ban on the registration of such diesel vehicles with one per cent environment cess.

Speaking at the 58th Annual Session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Dasari said it was “improper information” supplied to the courts which led to the ban on diesel vehicles.

“Led by media hype, provided with improper information, the courts

decided to ban those vehicles which actually meet the standards set by the government. It is for the first time that when you meet the law you actually get penalised. The auto industry has lost Rs 4,000 crore in the last eight months,” the SIAM president said.

He said that everyone wanted to regulate the auto industry without looking at the real cause of pollution.

The Supreme Court had on December 16, 2015 banned the registration of diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of 2000cc and above in Delhi/NCR, citing concerns with regard to increasing air pollution in the national capital. “It’s a matter of great pride that the auto sector provides 30 million jobs and accounts for 50 per cent

of the manufacturing GDP and yet it is rather sad when there is congestion, then auto industry is blamed; when there is pollution, auto industry is blamed and when there is an accident auto industry is blamed,” Dasari said.

Dasari, MD of Ashok Leyland, added: “I feel everyone wants to regulate the auto industry. Let’s take the Delhi example. Every winters when there is fog, there is a lot of media hype, lots of NGOs get involved and they blame one industry; everyone wants to blame auto industry.”

He said that less than 20 per cent pollution comes from the auto industry.

He added that the auto industry has several times asked the government to ban old vehicles if it wants to reduce

pollution. “Ban vehicles that cause pollution,” Dasari said. He further said the move to ban would not help in reducing pollution in the capital.

“After all of this what happened.

There is environmental cess, for vehicles that are larger than 2,000 cc, of 1 per cent. People who buy such vehicles... are they going to stop buying these due to this one per cent cess? Is that going to have an impact on Delhi pollution?”

Dasari noted. He said the auto industry needs to work on its rebuilding it’s image.

“I see it as a challenge, this is where the auto industry and components industry will have to work together to rebuild our image to provide right kind of feedback,” Dasari said.

PTI

According to SIAM, less than 20 per cent pollution comes from the auto industry

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

WATCH OUT Lakme ash on week Des gners ke Roh t Ba Nupur Kano V vek Kumar Surbh Shekhar Soup by Sougat Pau Harsh Harsh Munkee See Munkee Doo Wh ms ca by Sh ca and many more exc us ve des gners rom across the country showcas ng th er atests co ect ons n appare ewe ery accessor es and more When T September 4 Where Hyatt Regency Nagar Road

ECO-FR ENDLY GANESHA DOL MAK NG WORKSHOP D scover the rea beauty o Ganesha Fest va by ce ebrat ng t n an eco- r end y way As a prev ew to the upcom ng est va Phoen x Marketc ty Pune n assoc at on w th Everyth ng Expats s putt ng together Ganesha do mak ng workshop on Saturday September 3rd or the c ty expats Come and exper ence the true flavours o nd an est v t es sweets and more wh e tak ng home your very own handcra ted eco- r end y Lord When September 3 Where Phoen x Marketc ty Nagar Road

FOREST WOMB Forest Womb an art exh b t on o orest scener es n so t paste s by Mur e Kakan For the naugurat on there w have a c rc e ac tated by art st Mur e Kakan and storyte er Do a Dasgupta The c rc e w revo ve around the orest womb archetype and the power o the sacred em n ne Mur e Kakan s a andscape paste art st She ac tates Reconnect on Art C rc es When T September 0 Where Pagdand Baner

WEEK THAT WAS

EDITOR

AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

V

isitation is the basic right of every prisoner, and they should make the most out of it, believes UT Pawar, Superintendent, Yerwada Jail. Pawar says that jail is like an ashram, and visitations by their family members has a positive effect on the jail inmates.

Managing 300 visitors each day is routine for him. But every day there are visitors who have come to meet the convicts or under-trials for the first time. Watching over them is an emotional experience for Pawar.

“Visitation makes a person strong, gives them a reason to live,” said the

T

@TGSWeekly

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 PUNE

PUNE

Each day is an emotional roller-coaster Superintendent. “Time stops when we witness an emotional meeting between the visitor and convicts or under-trails.

I have been serving in this field for more than 18 years, but to see them for the first time bring tears,” he said.

Pawar and his team make sure that harmony is maintained during visitation. When high on emotions, things could take a turn for the worse.

But as Pawar puts it, since he has taken over as superintendent of Yerwada Jail last year, everything has been smooth.

“Sometimes, a prisoner doesn’t wish to see his relative. We do not know then what to tell their relatives. The jail is spread over 40 acres. It’s quite a task to find the prisoner and get him to the visitation hall. Fortunately, there hasn’t been any untoward incident since I was appointed Superintendent. If things get a little out of control, all we do is warn them,” said Pawar.

He understands the state of the mind of the visitors when they come to visit their relatives for the first

time. All the visitors have to do is establish their blood relation with the prison and wait for their number to be called. “Each day, there are people coming in from Kolhapur, Mumbai, Satara, Khed and various cities across the state. We give them the benefit of doubt and have made the process of visitation quite simple for them,” he said.

Over 18 years, as a jail officer, Pawar has been through many events that have made him stronger. But

‘I’m certain of my son’s innocence, and I will fight till the end’

lodged a false complaint against him. I have sold all my jewellery and now I do not even have money to feed my children, or pay the lawyer,” said a woman waiting to meet her husband. She has come from Khandala, and spent the night under a tree outside the jail.

But beyond the seemingly endless ordeal of waiting and hardship, the place also has somewhat of a carnival atmosphere. It is a special occasion, to be able to meet one’s estranged family member. The women are turned out in their brightest and newest outfits, and they are also reminding their children to be on their best behaviour, as they wait to see their dads. The grown-ups have to keep up a happy façade, hard though it may be, as there is no time now to indulge in grief. And as the moment they have waited for draws near, their excitement and anticipation is tangible, making the moment a special one, even in these most difficult of circumstances.

TGS spoke to some of these people, whose anxiety and longing to meet their incarcerated kin is almost palpable, to gauge the extent of their ordeal, and what they do to cope with the situation. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

She can’t fathom how she was unaware about her son’s imprisonment for five months

U T Pawar, Superintendent, Yerwada Prison

M Ashwini’s father and brother have still not come to terms with her imprisonment

some peace of mind,” she said.

“I am certain that my son is innocent, and I am sure that he will be set free and cleared of all the charges. I will fight till the end to prove that he’s innocent,” she said with a smile.

one incident during his tenure at the Thane Central Jail remains etched in his heart. Talking about it, he said, “As the person wasn’t able to provide maintenance to his wife after separation, he was arrested on several occasions. During his second arrest he was in jail for more than three months. He had lost all hope and faith in humanity. His parents were old and could not travel from Jalgaon to visit him. He was all alone. It was us officials who provided him the muchneeded mental strength. Watching him evolve over the months was tenuous,” he recounted.

‘The children have questions but I have not told them the truth’

A

sha Bhosale, 40, did not have a clue that her son, Pradeep, 19, had been in prison for more than five months. She has arrived at Yerwada jail after a bus ride from Mumbai this morning, to meet him, accompanied by her 80-year-old mother, Lakshmi Pawar. “I have no idea how my grandson is. I just want to see him and then I will be at ease. He is a nice kid and he always took care of me. I was sceptical about letting him go to Pune. But it was his wish to come here, so we let him go,” Lakshmi said.

Pradeep left Mumbai to settle down in Pune in 2015. He did odd jobs and even sent money to his mother.

“He occasionally called from Pune, and assured me that he was fine. He never said what job he was doing, but I was sure he wouldn’t do anything wrong. I am clueless of what he has been accused of. All I heard was that he was under arrest for killing someone.

Why would he kill someone?” said Asha, as she wiped her tears.

She has been looking after the family upkeep as her husband has refused to support them. She works as a housemaid. “My husband does not have a job. So I have taken up another job to support the family.”

Asha is not educated and does not understand the law or what to do to help her son. “I don’t understand how to go about it. I don’t know where to find a lawyer,” she said, wondering when if ever her son will be set free.

Asha has to handle the situation, and also manage to make ends meet.

She also has to look after her mother, who has health issues, a n d makes a great fuss about food, ever since Pradeep has been in jail. “I hope that she feels better after seeing Pradeep today, and it will give her

PICS: TEJAS GAIKWAD

LETTERS TO THE

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

When a person convicted of a crime is put behind bars, it puts his family members through an intense ordeal and trauma. Besides the societal stigma, financial hardships and other fallouts of the incarceration, the inordinately extended waits that the prisoners’ families have to endure outside the prison gates, for the brief 15-minute visitations, seem like an added burden for the already intensely anguished folks

‘My wife hasn’t left the house since Ashwini was jailed’

A

shwini Botre, 19, has had her life turned upside down in just three months. A native of Rajgurunagar, Khed, Ashwini dreamt of things just like any other girl, a decent house, and a happily married life. Ashwini was married to Ajit, 25, of a neighbouring village, last year.

Little did she know that she would land in jail, accused of killing her own one-and-a-half month old son.

Ashwini’s father Dattatreya Mahadukar, 40, has driven 45 km from Rajgurunagar, to visit his daughter at Yerwada jail for the second time in a month, and there is a visible sparkle in his eyes, as he waits to see her.

“Why would my daughter kill her own son?” asks Mahadukar. “Her inlaws have plotted this against her. Ajit is a decent person. He has been quite supportive. The in-laws had some land dispute going on. My grandson died of jaundice, my daughter did not kill him.

She is innocent,” he said.

He says that Ashwini was falsely accused of killing her own son in the month June 2016. Since then the Mahadukar family has been through a nightmare. Mahadukar owns 20 acres of land in Khed, but since his daughter has been in jail, he hasn’t had the will or inclination to work on his farmland.

“Money now means nothing to me. I

have no motive to go to our farm and work,” he said.

Ashwini’s mother is yet to come to terms with her daughter’s incarceration.

“My wife hasn’t left our house ever since Ashwini has been imprisoned. She is mortally scared of what people might say. She just sits quietly in one corner of the house. We are warkaris, we hadn’t even set foot in a police station before this, let alone the jail. It has a big shock for all of us, and it has disrupted our family life,” Mahadukar said.

The Mahadukar family are, of course, living each day in the hope that Ashwini will be set free. They are clueless as to how the law works, and are desperately searching for a good lawyer. “We still haven’t appointed a lawyer, because we have no idea how to go about it. All we can do is pray for her as her condition is very bad. Ashwini had a Caesarian and the stitches hadn’t healed. We have no clue how she is surviving inside,” said Eknath, Ashwini’s uncle.

They all miss Ashwini’s presence, they remember the kind of food she used to cook. “She was a good student and completed her standard X. She is also an amazing cook. Just talking about her masodi, a dish made from split chickpeas, makes my mouth water.

It’s her specialty,” Mahadukar said.

egha Dhankale, 20, has travelled to Pune from Alegaon, hoping to see her imprisoned husband. She has been waiting for a long time for her number to be called out. And when a woman tells her that her number has been called out, she rushes to the gates of the prison, to be let inside.

She says that her husband, Amol, 30, was falsely accused of killing an elderly woman in Alegaon, 31 km south of Shirur, in March. “The police arrested my husband five months ago, and he has been in jail since then. I haven’t seen him since the incident. My mother-in-law visited him a couple of days ago, and she told me that he was miserable inside the jail. Today, they are letting me meet him, but it will be for just 15 minutes. But I am glad that I will be finally able to see him,” smiled Megha.

Megha has been married to Amol for nine years, and now that he is in jail, she is having a difficult time carrying on living without him by her side. “I am sure that he is innocent. He was able to provide for us though we are poor and lived on the streets,” she said.

They do have a broken down hut in Alegaon to live in. The couple have two children, Pratyusha, 4, and Vishal, 2, who have no idea where their father has been for months. Megha keeps dodging their questions, and at times she has to resort to telling lies, and say that he has gone away for work. “I don’t what else to tell them. I still haven’t told them the truth. They keep asking me about their father, but at times, the best I can do is tell them blatant lies,” she said.

“I have gone beyond the stage of missing my husband. I have no idea when, if ever he will be released from jail. My first priority as a mother is now to look after my young children. I want to work to earn some money to feed them, but I have not been able to find a job all this while. All that is left for me to do is beg for food or money, for my children and for myself. But these conditions have made me stronger and I am determined to not lose hope, and do all I can for our children while I wait for my husband’s release. Hopefully he will he out soon,” said Megha.

Megha has to be strong to look her young ones, even as she worries for her husband

‘This visit is precious as these are the few minutes I get to see him’

R

enuka, 19, is sitting on the floor in the courtyard at Yerwada jail, and she is carrying her one-and-a-half-year old son Ranveer in a sling. Renuka has come to Yerwada with her mother and son, to meet her uncles and husband, who have been behind bars for the past two years. This is her second visit in two years. “They are all inside and I don’t think they will ever come out,” she says.

Renuka and her mother Shanti have spent more than half a day travelling her from Baramati.

“My in-laws attacked my family and my husband stood up against them. In the ensuing fight, two men died. Since my in-laws were more in number, they lodged a police complaint against their own son, and two of my uncles. The police arrested

them for murder, and they were sent to Yerwada prison two years ago,” she says, with tears in her eyes. She was just 17 then, married and pregnant.

Her husband Raju was the only earning member in her family, selling balloons, and she used to beg on the streets. After his imprisonment, she moved back to her maternal home, where her mother and sisters were all beggars. “To get my husband out of jail, we need lawyers, the policemen told us. We have nothing to eat. Where will I get money to pay for a lawyer?” she asks. She has no hope that her husband will ever be free. “This visit is precious as these are the few minutes I get to see him. This is the first time he will be seeing his son,” she says with a smile. Ranveer was too young

to travel last year to meet his dad.

As precious as the 15-minute visit is for Renuka, for her mother, it is a tiresome affair. She refuses to talk to us. She keeps bickering with the guards to let them stay longer. She is here to meet not only her son-in-law, but also her brothers.

Renuka and Shanti are waiting for their number to be called out, when they will be able to meet their men behind bars. Then it will be another year before they meet again. “He will be sad if he sees me crying, so I do my crying outside.

I can’t say that life would be different if he was out of jail. We would still be living on the streets with no money, but I would have been happier,” she says, as the guard calls out her number.

For these children living inside the jail, Anganwadi is their entire world

Their world is within the walls of the prison

R

ight next to the women’s ward at Yerwada Prison, there is a small one room hutment that remains locked most of the time, except for three hours on weekdays from 09:00 am to noon. This small place serves as the window to the world for the ten children who are living with their mothers inside the jail. While four of them were born inside the jail, the other six were brought in when they were hardly a year old, in many cases, even less. These children, the oldest of whom is not even five yet, live in the jail and know nothing about the outside world.

“They don’t even understand the difference between inside and outside,” explains their teacher, who handles the Anganwadi where these kids are brought daily for three hours to learn language, math and basic general knowledge. However, in order to provide them a happy growing environment, the teacher spends a lot of her time in teaching them songs, poems and rhymes along with games, drawing and colouring. Their eyes light up at the sight of visitors and they trip over themselves to show us their latest skill, which is to recite an English poem without any prompting.

“They grow up in such a depressing environment inside the jail; it really makes us feel that we need to provide for them the basic things that most children get by default,” said one of the teachers at the Anganwadi. For most of these children, their world is within the prison walls.

“Once, when one of our inmates was getting released, her threeyear-old son walked up to me and said, “Madam, we are going home tomorrow.” His stress on the ‘we’ made me think that just by association with his mother, the

system has made him a criminal too,” said the officer on duty at the female prison.

For some of these children, both their parents are inside the prison, so they don’t even have relatives visiting them.

“Generally, we send the wives and children of the male inmates once a month to the men’s ward. That day, generally, is almost like a celebration for the entire family,” the officer explained. For the kids with their fathers outside it is no better. “Mostly, the fathers have given up on them and they never show up. Many come only once a year. So, the children don’t recognise them,” she said.

Since their world view is limited by the prison walls, their aims and ambitions are limited too. One of the kids, Sneha, wants to become Aashatai when she grows up. “Aasha is our matron, she takes care of the children inside, when their mothers go for hearing or are not around,” explained the teacher.

Another child, Ayaan, who has recently learnt to pronounce his entire name, wants to become ‘Madam’ when he grows up.

He means a teacher, but has never seen a male teacher and thus believes ‘madam’ to be the only teacher. Many others don’t understand the context of growing up and moving out of the prison.

“Inside, all their needs are taken care of. They are fed properly, given new clothes and are taken care of. However, many of these children when they leave along with their mothers can’t fare well outside as their mothers don’t earn enough to look after them. Thus, watching them walk out these gates is a bittersweet feeling,” said the officer incharge. Their lives, however, will always be tainted, simply because they spent their childhood in an area where most adults never want to set foot.

Gyaan Adab and the Jazz and B ues C ub Pune present an a ternoon o F amenco mus c per ormed by K ran S rsat o Nagpur who w ntroduce

: 226 : 4,500 : Two days/week (15-20 minutes) Visitation for under-trials : Monday-Saturday (15-20 minutes) Visitation time : 8 am – 6 pm Visitors per day : Approximately 300 Officers present during visitation : One officer, six constables and two havaldars Calling privileges : Only for convicts, twice a month for five minutes

killing someone. It must be so difficult for her as she not only has to fight for her son’s innocence but also manage the household finances all by her own.

-Prajakta Kumthe Bridging the gap between

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016

creativity and business

PUNE

FEATURES

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

A

beautiful warli painting on the wall or a soft silk sari that you own, each has a story to tell. If you listen carefully, you’d hear of rural artisans

Renuka’s mother looks for a spare scarf as their number is announced

CHAPPERS From helping out his father in their transport business to reading entrepreneurship books, this young boy did all he could to find his true calling. Harshwardhan Patwardhan was absolutely in love with Kolhapuri chappals since his college days and wore them to parties and even to his lectures when he was in the UK. It was when he was reading the books that he realised of his inclination towards a business that was deeply rooted in the Indian culture and started exploring the idea of making Kolhapuris. He wanted

STATISTICS Number of female prisoners Number of male prisoners Visitation for convicts

Patience is necessary for these families as they wait outside the Yerwada prison gates, as the jail authorities announce the prisoners’ numbers for visitations

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FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ

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Waiting hours for 15 minutes of togetherness

PARAD GM SH FT

OSTRACISED BY CASTE PANCHAYAT FOR ATTENDING INTER-CASTE MARRIAGE MAN ENDS LIFE

BJP MLA S WIFE RAMS BIRTHDAY GIFT LAMBORGHINI INTO AUTO

he street outside the Yerwada Central Jail is congested with the vehicles of people commuting to their offices, early morning.

Adding to the congestion and chaos are the crowds of people lined up on the side of the street, some of whom also stray on to the street, amidst the passing vehicles.

These are the people, who are the families and relatives of the prisoners lodged in Yerwada prison. They are waiting patiently outside the gates of the prison, waiting for them to open, so that they can meet their fathers, husbands, brothers, uncles or other kin. All they get is 15 minutes to spend with their incarcerated kin, twice a week. They have to wait just a couple of hours before their number comes up, if they are lucky. Most of them have a far more harrowing ordeal, as their waits begin the night before, as they queue up at the registrations office, where permits are granted for their visits with their imprisoned family members.

They come from all over. There’s an elderly

Recently the Pune traffic police has been asked by the High Court to create a WhatsApp number where traffic related problems can be reported.

We ask Punekars if they think this is a good idea and if it will help solve the traffic woes Nancy Katya Image Con u an The hough o hav ng a Wha sApp number s a good dea however he mp emen a on needs o be mon ored proper y I am sure ha here w many respons b e Punekars who w Wa sapp mages o raffic re a ed prob ems and w ex as we on Wha sApp Wha we defin e y need s a good eam o reach he spo s n me and so ve he prob em as we

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The Anganwadi has decorations made by the authorities; a small effort to lighten the children’s environment

When things fall apart

The story last week on the convicts’ families and what they go through was an eye opener for many like me, who doesn’t care to know what their family goes through. It brought forth the story of those who are dear to them and go through an intense ordeal and trauma for something that is beyond their control. Besides the stigma, they have to bare financial hardships and other fallouts of the imprisonment.

They have to wait for hours for the brief 15-minute visitations. The story of Asha Bhosle, who had no clue about her son being in prison for five months, was very touching. She is clueless of what his son has been accused of. All she knows is that he is arrested for

to change the roadside image that they had and trade them around the world with a brand name.

When he visited Kolhapur, he saw that all the shops showcased the exact same chappals and this is the first thing he wanted to change. “I remember waking up at 4.30 am and catching the first state transport bus to Kolhapur to meet the manufactures there and bring back samples. I then found a way to make them more comfortable and colourful, and honestly my research is still not complete,” he tells us.

He currently has seven artisans from Kolhapur and their well-being is his priority. He pays them double of what they would make otherwise and thereby ensures a safe and secure future for their family.

One of the most challenging aspects of started Chappers was to convince people around him that just because he came from a reasonably well-off family and was selling chappals did not mean that he was conning them. He also had zero background in the footwear industry and so failed numerous times before he could figure out even basic things.

“At Chappers, we are improving the life of our craftsmen, earning respect for Indian products in the international market and building an Indian fashion brand that promotes the local art of shoe-making all at the same time. It’s an India-centric business and it will always work towards changing the perception of people around the world regarding Indian products,” tells us the young boy.

TRULY TRIBAL She left her IT job when her passion of painting murals started calling out to her. Growing up along the tribal belt in Madhya Pradhesh, Shweta Menon knew of a lot of rural artisans but she did not value them much. She has grown up seeing them work endless hours to create beautiful handicrafts and later also saw them being exploited when it came to selling their products. This somehow stuck with her and so when she was thinking of an alternate venture, it was not too difficult.

“My agenda with Truly Tribal was twofold. Not only did I want to create a space where all art forms would be available under one roof but I also wanted to protect the rural artisans.

They deserve much more than what they actually get and its affordable to us too since most of us don’t mind paying for it when it has a

sweating it out in their houses to produce some of the best possible work. Haggling with a shopkeeper to make him give you a heavy discount is something that we all do, not realising that the only one getting affected by it is the poor artisan bent over his work desk for hours.

Attempting to get rid of the innumerable middle men

that are a part of the chain, entrepreneurs from the city took it upon themselves to build a business that ensured that what you pay for the products directly reaches artisans. TGS talks to some of them to find out what challenges they face along the way and what inspired their ventures.

ART ETC She was a nutrition graduate who later began working as an ad-maker and he a theatre personality from Chandigarh.

It was their work that inspired Maya Rao and her husband Narendra to think about the various art forms that exist in the country. While working on a documentary that showcased artisans from across India they realised the kind of labour that went into creating the handicrafts and this pushed them to start Art Etc. “We realised that a lot of us take the artisans, who create the artefacts, for granted. We wanted to do something to preserve the dying art forms in our own small way and give the artisans a place in the contemporary market,” tells us Maya. Part of their research came from the making of the documentary and the rest was done during their travels. They met a lot of people during their travels from

different regions and talking to them, understanding the history behind their art was what most of their work was all about before starting the venture, she added. They currently have more than 20 artisans on board from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa and West Bengal.

Since they were setting up a business for the first time and were not too well versed with the modalities of running it, the challenges were humungous. “It was a huge risk to shift out of our comfort zone and set up a venture in a new city. We did have some hurdles along the way, but our passion for the art forms kept us going," says Narendra. Meeting with talented artisans who have exquisite skills, spending days with them to evolve a product and then the joy of showcasing them in the store is what they consider as the best part of their job.

Start-ups today are going beyond just finding a way to make money.

TGS features five such ventures from the city that have stretched past the money game to help rural artisans reach urban markets

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

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PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

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couple from Pimple Saudagar, waiting to meet their son, who is serving a sentence after committing a murder in a drunken stupour.

They know that he is guilty of the crime, but they have not abandoned him, and visit him every month. “I can’t just abandon my son, so what if he has committed such a heinous crime,” said the woman. Her husband does not feel as kindly towards his offspring. “I don’t care about him any more, but I care for my wife and accompany her here on every visit,” he said. Another senior citizen type from Kolhapur, is here to meet his imprisoned grandson. “Even when I know that he has done wrong, we are still obliged to stand by him as his family.”

It is not easy to accept the guilt and criminal status of a family member. One of the women waiting at the gates of the prison has come to meet her younger brother, without letting her mother know that she is doing so.

“I am not as strong as my mother. I still care for my brother, and worry about him. After all he is my younger brother,” she says, her eyes brimming with tears.

For some, it means hard times, when the bread-winner of the family has been locked up. “My husband’s friend duped him and then

VOX POPULI

NUCLEYA L VE

SH VOGUEE S BACK

BY EKTA KATTI AND GARGI VERMA

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who left her IT job when her passion of painting murals. Not only has she created a space where all art forms would be available under one roof but has also strived to protect the rural artisans of Madhya Pradesh against exploitation.

-Manjiri Kamat THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 PUNE

BEAUTITUDE Running her venture for just about three months now, Akanksha Shukla loves every moment of doing what she does. It took her quite some time to actually implement her plan, but now that she has, she could not be happier about how smoothly everything is working out. She worked non-stop for days as she did everything from setting up the website, to finding artisans and collaborating with designers, among other things. Through Beautitude, she believes she has found a way to do something that satisfies her creative and business side, along with being able to help the artisans.

“There is a lot of talent in the interiors of the country that is waiting to be explored. Someone needs to bring it all to the masses, without exploiting the artisans and I am more than happy to do so,” she tells us. Her main motive behind this venture was not to make money out of it but to find a way to help the craftsmen. She currently has

about five of them on board and they come from all over India. She is also in talks with several others to increase the number of art forms that she can present.

Her biggest challenge running Beatitude is raising enough capital to continue to get more artisans on board. Currently, she does everything from sourcing the material to packing and delivering it. Hiring help would mean either raising the end-cost to the consumer or lowering the cut that goes to the artisans. Teaching Mathematics to international students online she finds a way to manage her expenses and so her share from the venture is almost negligible at the moment. “I have grown up in tough situations, where we had one earning member, my grandfather Gopal Singh Kanwal, who fed 12 mouths. I relate to the artisans and their struggle which is why this is so much more closer to my heart,” she explains. This, to a large extent, keeps her motivated and pushes her to deliver her very best.

‘‘Mandals must install eco-friendly Ganesh idols for maintaining environmental balance.

They must also take precaution that the vehicular traffic is not obstructed, and erect a minimum number of banners and posters with permission.’’

- Dinesh Waghmare, Municipal Commissioner

“There is a lot of talent in the interiors of the country that is waiting to be explored. ”

big brand name on it,” says Shweta. Truly Tribal currently collaborates with about 45 artisans from all over the country and promotes about nine art forms.

Just like every other venture of this nature, the problems were a part of the journey right from the beginning. Apart from reaching out to artisans who live in the interiors of the villages, even reaching out to the urban crowd and making them aware of her brand and what they did was quite the task for her. “I had to unlearn everything from my time in the corporate world to work with artisans. It has been a great journey so far and has helped me grow too,” she says. All her artisans have complete freedom in the kind of handicrafts that they wish to create.

Increasing awareness about lesser known art forms and giving artisans the right platform is all Truly Tribal aims at, she adds.

FABRICS OF INDIA Coming from a completely different background that had nothing to do with fabrics or textiles, it was a challenging task for Shipra Alam to identify authentic producers.

Fabrics have always been something that caught her attention and travelling to explore for her start-up kept her motivated through all the hurdles she faced along the way.

Before starting the venture, she looked through a lot of different NGOs and SHGs who work with these weavers to give them a sustainable livelihood. She also interacted with weavers and artisans themselves to understand more about their craft and the challenges they face. “The biggest challenge I faced was to make people understand that handlooms are expensive because they are made by hand.

Also, people have to look beyond the discount culture when they are buying these products,” she shares. The handloom industry is still very unorganized and operates through traders and middlemen. Identifying and segregating weavers from traders was another daunting task. To get

in touch with weavers and artisans was difficult, especially while she was in Pune, she tells us.

Shipra currently has about 50 weavers working with her.

All of them are primarily from Bhuj, Mundhra, Ajrakhpur in Gujarat and from Udaipur, Barmer, Sanganer, Akola and Jaipur in Rajasthan, Kalamkari painters from Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, Telia Rumaal weavers from Puttapaka in Chitoor district, weavers from Sambalpur and Naupatna in Odisha, Kantha work embroiderers from Burdwan and Bolpur in Kolkata, Linen, Muslin Khadi and Khadi weavers from Murshidabad in Bengal.

“Ours is not just a store. It is a concept to promote handlooms and handicraft that originate from different states of India. It is an experiential store where the aim is to make people aware of the rich heritage that we have through a display of select fabrics,” she says. Prior to this venture, Shipra has worked as a corporate communication professional for nearly 16 years. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Creativity and business

The story on the startups who are helping out the rural artisans to market their products was indeed a good read. It is good to know that these entrepreneurs from the city have initiated a business idea that will not only benefit them but also financially stabilize the craftsmen who are otherwise exploited by the middlemen. They are also ensuring that the money coming from the customers is directly reaching them. Hats off these intellectuals for coming up with these innovative ventures. I was really inspired by the work of Shweta Menon

PUNE

Kaziranga animals and flood fury P 11

PICS: RAHUL RAUT

Here are our

FUTURE OLYMPIC BOXERS

Continued from p1 Their fitness expert PVK Raman told us about the nutritional requirements of playing the sport and what must be done to ensure that these children get it in adequate amounts.

‘My dream is to earn a medal for India’ It was on his way to school that he would often stand outside a boxing academy admiring the agility and stamina with which the boxers moved inside the ring. Soon enough he found his way inside and without his parents learning of what he was up to, he managed to attend practice every single day. It was only when he had won a competition and his name had appeared in the newspaper did they know that their son was a boxer. His father owned a newspaper stall and his mother was a housewife. Even then when they found out about his passion they whole-heartedly supported him.

“My dream is to earn a medal for India. I remember every single detail of the match when I lost. It affects me even today that I could not win it at that t ime.

The only thing I have on my m i nd every single waking moment is to be able to train the kids that have the talent in the hope that I can live my dream through them,” he said. He currently

Kuldeep Kushwah The son of a railway employee, Kuldeep Kushwah has been an admirer of boxing for the last five years. Currently pursuing his graduation in commerce from Ness Wadia College, he hopes to someday represent India in a boxing match and take up the sport professionally. His uncle was a boxer and since he grew up seeing him play, he doesn’t even know when he fell in love with the sport. “There is nothing about boxing that I do not like. While I am a little weak when it comes to stamina, I will give it my all to ensure that it doesn’t hinder my achievements in the sport,” the 17-year-old said.

Kushwah has till date played three state matches and has won one gold, silver, and bronze at these competitions. He also featured in the nationals in 2014 where he got a silver medal. In addition to this, he has played innumerable matches representing his school and college. The young boy knows that tomorrow even if he wishes to take up a job he will choose not to completely give up on boxing ever.

has about 60 under-privileged children who train under him.

Pingale represented India at the Olympics in 1988 and had even played at the Asian Games earlier where he had won a gold medal. He had also won ten state championships in a row and was only 18 years old when he made it to the Indian Senior boxing team. On the international level he has five gold medals and one bronze medal too.

The biggest challenge that he faces while training these children is the lack of facilities.

There is no support from the federation either and so currently all the equipment that is being used is funded by Pingale himself or private sponsors.

“There is a need to start building these players from the grassroots level. The kids that come to me are already struggling to make ends meet and so we do not take any fees from them. Their passion and dedication towards me and the sport is all that matters to me and pushes me to try my best every single minute,” he said. Pingale is also on the selection committee for the Indian Boxing Team.

He was also conferred the Arjuna Award given to a sportsman for outstanding achievements at the national level, in 1993. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow. com

Pawan Gaikwad It takes him about an hour to get to the ground to practice every single day. Living with his parents in Loni, Pawan Gaikwad who is 16 years old, was hooked to the sport after he saw a few matches on the television. Studying commerce at NGS Boys High School, he has been a boxer since he was in the fourth grade. His father is a farmer and sometimes accompanies him to the ground to see his son play. “I don’t think I want to do anything other than be a boxer in the future. Pingale sir thinks I have the potential to go for it and I will not leave any stone unturned to get there. Playing for the Indian team is my dream,” he said. Gaikwad has several times represented his school in boxing matches and was even selected at for the India camp of that age group.

HE WANTS TO WIN

THE FITNESS EXPERT A retired army athlete, PVK Raman, currently looks after the health and fitness of the kids boxing at Manoj Pingale’s academy. He served for 24 years in the army and was even helping the Indian hockey team with their fitness. One of the problems that these boxers face is that of not getting enough nutrition to develop and combat the amount of training that they do. Endurance, stamina and agility training must begin right from when a kid is three years old, believes Raman. Coupled with the correct amount of nutrition a child’s body then LENDING A HELPING HAND A hub that breathes creativity when it comes to fitness, Multifit Gym located in Koregaon Park is the place to be for all your health goals.

Started by Samir Kapoor, the gym not only provides you with equipment and facilities but also offers you other sports like boxing and martial arts. Born and brought up in an army background, Kapoor loved the adrenaline rush and this is what actually pushed him to start MultiFit. Focusing on functional training the philosophy of the gym is to create a community of fitness enthusiasts making it a long-term goal and integrating it in one’s lifestyle. What Kapoor noticed was that most of the people that went to a gym decided to go to get physically fit rather than for muscle. But all these people also believed that machines were the way to get to their goal.

This is what he hoped to change. Taking this very thought forward, when Kapoor found out that Pingale who teaches boxing at Multifit, runs an academy to help build world-class

develops well and their physical needs can be met with such an aggressive sport, he explained.

“To set records or even reach and compete on the international level, the basics must be very strong. Currently our kids don’t even qualify for the local tournaments since they do not fit the weight criteria for their age. If at the grassroots level itself care isn’t taken, then it only becomes tougher as they grow up,” he said. Raman feels that there is a lot that the kids can do and achieve if they get the right kind of opportunity.

He helps out Pingale by training them too, focusing majorly on increasing their strength, which is something that a boxer can’t do without. boxers, he wanted to do something to help.

“I remember Pingale telling me that he spent 12 years training to fight nine minutes in the ring. For some reason this stuck with me and on talking to him further I found out about all the problems that they were facing at the academy. I asked him to come up with a plan and promised to financially and logistically help out as much as I could,” he said.

Pingale has the permission to take his students to the boxing ring in Multifit any time of the day to train them. Since his dream is to send his players to the Olympics, he will now begin to finalise a few who he believes can make the cut and Kapoor will sponsor everything that they need till the 2020 Olympics and maybe even after.

This is something that the two of them hope will change the way the sport is seen in this cricket crazy country and also motivate many more to take it up. You encourage the lot that is already training, Kapoor has also declared cash prizes worth Rs 50,000 for the gold medal winner, Rs 40,000 for the one that gets silver and Rs 30,000 for the one with the bronze at the national level matches.

RAHUL RAUT

AT THE AGE OF 90 AMEDALS much needed initiative Shambhurao Deshpande is an athlete who has not let age dim the determination to keep physically fit, and his daily regimen is perfect testimony

BY SHAILESH JOSHI @TGSWeekly

Shambhurao Deshpandeis 88 years old.

Atthis age,most people would be taking it a little easy, but not Shambhurao. He still strives to remain as active as he can be, and this indomitable spirit makes him a source of inspiration for the younger generation.

Shambhurao lives in 10 x 10 room in Bibwewadi with his wife. His home is full of trophies and mementoes from his heyday, when he claimed scores of medals,thanks to his feats on the athletics field. He was born in Nasrapur in Bhor taluka in Pune district.

He put in a lifetime of service before retiringfromthe railway mail service.

Shambhurao was a natural and was endowed with natural abilities, which were evident even at the age of five,when he

won his first race.He has not looked back since then. The disciplines Shambhurao was involved in include 100 and 200 metre sprints, long jump, high jump, pole vault, as well as gymnastics. He represented Maharashtra at the AllIndia Posts & Telegraphs meet at Bhivani, Haryana in 1989. He has participated in 11 Asian meets and bagged 26 medals, including eight golds, 11 silver and seven bronze.

He has kept the tri-colour flying high with his medal-winning performances in seven countries, such as Seoul, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. These are senior category events Shambhurao has won these medals in, the events having taken place between the years 1996 and 2012. Besides, the international arena, Shambhurao has won no less than 74 medals in events staged in the country,

at Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Balewadi etc.

These 74 medals and the 26 international ones, add up to a round 100 medals.

“I want to win a medal in an international athletics event in the 90 age group,” he said. “Hard work is the key to the success, and my message to youngsters isto keep practicing,and do your best to win,”he said.

Shambhurao is still determined to keep up his fitness regimen, and he climbs Taljai hill everyday. He gets a meagre pension, with which he and his wife get by. But times are hard and it’s a struggle for him to make ends meet. He has a son from a previous marriage, who really does not play a big role in his life. But his desire to win is still undimmed. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Just recently we saw the wonderful performance that so many Olympians from India showcased

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at Rio. The story about Manoj Pingale and what he hopes to do with the 50 odd children that he is teaching boxing to is inspiration and something we all must learn from.

While one hand reading about what he had to go through brought tears to my eyes, I was also very proud of how he has found a way to get what he wants any which ways. The Multifit owner also deserves a pat on his back for actually stepping up and helping out whether the amount is huge for him or not. It is this kind of spirit from the coaches and teammembers that will allow our country to win more laurels at the Olympics and all international games.

-Ved Joshi

Another step towards women empowerment The story about Rinku who is the first woman from Pune to get the pink autorickshaw was a good read. It instantly put on a smile on my face and made me think of how nice it would be to see many more Rinkus riding their own pink rickshaws around the city.

Even though she got the rickshaw

‘‘UK has an expertise in urban master planning and urban transport planning.

They are two major sectors which need transformation in the city. During the survey , citizens have listed transport as the biggest problem.’’

- Kunal Kumar, PMC Commissioner

Come, ride in Rinku’s pink autorickshaw

PIC: RAHUL RAUT

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar

Rinku Vasant Maske, 26, has cleared her Master of Commerce from Rajmata College with first class marks. But she has taken to an occupation which seems like a detour from her commerce education. Rinku is the first woman to get an autorickshaw driving license from the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) in February 2012. But she had to wait till 2015 to get her autorickshaw driver badge, which she got under the five per cent reservation for women autorickshaw drivers, declared by the state government in the same year.

As per RTO norms, pink coloured autorickshaws are for women, and Rinku recently got the first pink coloured autorickshaw, thus becoming the first woman autorickshaw driver in Pune city officially. She has broken new ground by entering a male-dominated occupation.

But Rinku has had a hard time getting here, as society is still not willing to accept a woman autorickshaw driver, especially in slum areas like Vitthalnagar in Bhosari. She has had to face criticism, rude comments and jokes, but she stood firm and overcame all these hurdles. Things have changed now and the same people who earlier passed comments, are now lauding her achievement.

Rinku lives in a 10 x 15 feet room in Vitthalnagar slum in Bhosari with

Rinku Vasant Maske is the first woman autorickshaw driver from Pune to get her badge and the pink autorickshaw allotted to women autorickshaw drivers

her family. Her father Vasant used to drive a truck, but now runs a shop.

Her brother Siddharth is also an autorickshaw driver. He is the one who taught her to drive.

She hails from Latur district in Marathwada region of Maharashtra and her grandfather shifted to Pune in 1972 owing to the drought back home. Her father Vasant started driving a truck to earn a living.

“Driving is in our blood, and it helps us earn our livelihood. My father and brother both encouraged me to take up autorickshaw driving. There is no gender discrimination in our family. My parents never treated me like a girl but always encouraged us to do what we like,” she said. Since her family has been through many ups and downs she believed that driving an autorickshaw could be a

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

Sarkozy bid for French presidency

Sponge creates steam using ambient sunlight

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Bhosari woman who is a commerce graduate, gets an autorickshaw driving license as well as the first pink autorickshaw meant for women drivers

PUNE

Ch kungunya g ps Pune d s c

great source of livelihood for her and her family. She was still studying when she started learning to drive.

“Today women work alongside men in every field. Initially people were sceptical when I started driving an autorickshaw but I ignored them. My family stood by me so I never looked back,” she told us. With her family backing her she applied for a license at RTO, passed the exam and driving test. She is the first woman in Pune to get the license. Maske had to wait for her badge till 2015. It was through the governments five per cent reservation quota for women autorickshaw drivers, that she was able to get her badge. The RTO has made it a norm that women autorickshaw drivers must use a pink colour autorickshaw.

She is the first woman to get the rickshaw and has recieved it just two days back. Currently her autorickshaw is undergoing the RTO registration process, and very soon it will be on the road. “I will give priority to the safety and comfort of my passengers.

I will not refuse any fares and take passengers where they want to go.

Women passengers will feel safe in my autorickshaw, and I hope I get a great response from passengers. When a woman does something never done before, society tends to criticise and oppose us. But women should focus on what we want to do, and over time society will automatically realises the worth of what we do,” she said. tushar.rupanavar@ goldensparrow.com

aFeeerha keong der ng ha he compmea cons n s r se cense ssues aga ns was educa onao her ns aumos es wo years be ore s s a s ep n heTHE FESTIVE r gh d rec on I am g ad ha weSEASON have s ar ed somewhere IS HERE! -Va bhav Pur PUBLISHING

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2

Most private unaided schools and junior colleges are yet to form executive committees to regulate the fee hike at the institution level. The deputy director of education office is flooded with complaints regarding fees hikes regardless of the implementation of the mandatory ‘Maharashtra Educational Institutions Act, 2011’. Irked parents visit the education director’s office to file complaints about the fee hikes. The registrations of educational institutes not following the act can be cancelled, said officials.

State education minister Vinod Tawde had publically announced last year about the strict implementation of the fee regulation act to restrict the commercialisation of education, from the academic year 2015-2016 itself. But the act is still not followed by educational institutes.

As per the Maharashtra Educational Institutions Act, 2011, educational institutes across Maharashtra, regardless of being government or private, aided or unaided, have to follow the norms.

The government and aided educational institutions have to fix the fee while an executive committee regulates fees in

private educational institutions. The executive committee should comprise of the principal and members of the Parents Teachers Association. “Private school management has to submit a detailed proposal of fee hike for approval by the committee, eight months before the commencement of the academic year. If the difference in the fee decided by the panel and the management is less than 15 per cent, then the amount agreed by the former will be applicable,” the act states.

The act allows schools to hike fees by a maximum of 15 per cent over the fees of the previous academic year unless approved by the executive committee of the school or the divisional fee regulatory committee. The act further clarifies the fee to be charged has to be based on the location of the school, infrastructure available, qualification status, qualified teachers and non-teaching staff, expense on maintenance and administration and the yearly amount of salary increment.

Features like tuition fee, library fee and deposit, term fee, laboratory fee, caution money, gymkhana fee, hostel fee and mess charges, examination fee and admission fee, have to be also considered by the committee.

In Pune city alone, the education department for the current academic year 2016-2017, has received as many as 125 complaints from parents unwilling to pay wrongly hiked fees, against 32 educational institutes.

Most of the complaints are against Shri Shri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, Bhugaon, Potdar International School, Ambegaon, The Lexicon International School, Wagholi, Hutchings High School, Camp, Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT), Euro Kids, Wakad,

Vibgyor High School, Kondhwa & Hadapsar, Indian Education Society, Wadgaon Sheri, and D Y Patil International School, Pimpri.

The anxious father of a girl studying standard IX in Indian Education Society, Wadgaon Sheri said, “There is no executive committee at the school to monitor the fee hike so I had to complain at the Deputy Directors office. The school from the last three years is siphoning money in the name of activation fees, computer fees etc.

There is not a single computer provided to the students for learning, even after this. There are no facilities like parking, sports ground and water, still they charge a heavy amount every year and keep on hiking it. If parents complain about the immoral fee hike, the management starts harassing the pupil for it, due to which most of the parents hesitate to raise their voice against it.”

The exhausted mother of a standard III student of Vibgyor High School, Kondhwa, said, “Vibgyor School is following its own set of rules for fee hike and there is no one to curb it. Hundreds of parents face the brunt of fee hike every year. The educational department is a toothless body which has no control over the private schools. Even the fee regulation act is no

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2016

PUNE

SPORTS

“He (Schweinsteiger)shaped the national team over the past 12 years, and without him all the success we had during that time would not have been possible. ” — Joachim Low, German Football team coach

Signposts Sinhagad College wins title Sinhagad College of Engineering, Wadgaon defeated AISSMS polytechnic college 4-3 via tiebreaker in the final of Shahu Trophy inter-college football tournament recently. Both teams failed to score in the regular time. During tiebreaker Kaushik Bilyani, Suyash Ahir, Vishal Sharma and Yugank Chotri scored for the winning team.

Sarthak shines for JN Petit School Sarthak Walke scored an unbeaten half century to help JN Petit School win under-14 district inter-school cricket tournament. In the final played at BMCC groud, they defeated Dastur Boys School by 42 runs.

Four players in Indian team Maharashtra’s Shravan Shedge, Shubhangi Raut, Snehal Khaware and Rucha Dhopeshwar have been selected to represent India in the Cadet and Junior Asian Judo Championship to be held in Kochi from September 7.

FC Pune sign Argentine Oberman Indian Super League club FC Pune City made an Argentine signing with Gustavo Oberman for the 2016 edition of the league.

“ I chose this place to announce my decision because 10 years ago Michael announced his retirement and the only way for me to continue at Ferrari was for him to stop.”

— Felipe Massa, Williams driver

‘Olympics was a dream come true’

Uday Sane of Pune was the only Indian badminton chair umpire at the Rio Olympics. He talks to TGS about his experiences at the Games, plans and more…

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Uday Sane of Pune has been a badminton chair umpire for more than 30 years. The 55-year-old announced his retirement at the Rio Olympics a fortnight ago, where he was only Indian badminton chair umpire. “I was both honoured and disheartened to announce my retirement at the Rio Olympics. It was a dream come true to officiate the matches at the most prestigious games in the world,” said a proud Sane. There are 24 chair umpires from all around the world at every Olympics. One chair umpire is selected from each country, and at the Rio Games, it was Sane’s turn to represent India.

There were countless moments at the Rio Olympics which were unforgettable. Sane officiated at the mixed doubles badminton fi nal, but P V Sindhu’s silver medal was the icing on the cake. “Nothing can beat the fi nal moments of Sindhu’s match. I was on the edge of my seat. She not won the silver medal but everyone’s heart too,” he said. Sane was all praise for Sindhu. “Although she lost the gold by a whisker, I am completely stunned by her sportsmanship spirit. She helped her opponent get up, congratulated her and kept her racquet in the box. She is indeed the most humble player I have ever seen,” he said.

HIS ROOTS Sane studied at SP College, Pune.

He was an avid table tennis player but

turned his attention towards badminton as there weren’t enough table tennis courts. “I was fond of table tennis, but since there weren’t enough tables available in the college, an idle badminton court caught my eye,” smiled Sane. That’s how the story began.

Sane did not get enough scope to flourish as a badminton player, as he shifted to Mumbai for his job. But when he returned to Pune in 1984, he started a badminton group. “As there was a dearth of chair umpires, we were asked to give exams to take this up as a profession. By then, my passion for the game has grown. There was a part of me that always wanted to be a great badminton player. I fi nally became a national umpire in year 1990,” reminisced Sane. In 2011, Sane became a certified Badminton World Federation umpire. Sane has officiated at several elite tournaments including the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, Asian Badminton Championship, All England Open etc.

The game means the world to him as it has given him the opportunity to travel around the world, meet new people and, most of all, stay connected

to the game. “The experience has been life changing. The sport teaches you values which are quite important in your day-to-day life. I got to travel a lot which changed my perspective too,” he said.

Sane hopes to become a badminton referee.

SHUTTLERS’ PAR ADISE Pune is the birthplace of badminton and having pursed his dream here, Sane is amazed by the number of upcoming badminton players in the city. However, he thinks it will take a couple more Olympics before a Pune player wins a medal at the Games.

Explaining the situation, Sane said, “Players here focus both on the games and studies. For a player to win a medal at the Games, they need to dedicate at least 7-8 hours for practicing every day. It becomes difficult for them to take up the game as profession. If the player’s base is strong, they will certainly perform well. To get their basics to be right, the players needs to work hard,” he explained.

Purva Barve, 15, has caught Sane’s eye. Her agility and ability are superlative and she will defi nitely raise the badminton standards, feels Sane. “Purva has the ability to shine in the higher age group too. That’s a rare quality,” he said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

FACT FILE

• Name: Uday Sane • Age: 55 • Profession: Chair Umpire and Businessman • Grade II umpire: 1994 • First International umpire: 1997 SAARC tournament held in Hyderabad • First love: Table Tennis • Played badminton: College level • Last official game as a chair umpire: Rio Olympics 2016

Abhimanyu aims for ‘I want the players to play fearlessly’ GM title this year DSK Shivajians manager Dave Rogers is elated with the players’ performance at the Durand Cup

Having won the IM title in 2015, Pune’s Abhimanyu Puranik hopes to achieve the GM title this year

BY TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Abhimanyu Puranik, 16, is aiming to attain the Grandmaster (GM) title.

With one GM norm in his kitty and a current rating of 2469, Abhimanyu needs two more GM norms and a rating of 2500 to attain the GM title.

“That’s my ultimate dream. I want to achieve it by the end of this year,” said the confident teen.

A student of Symbiosis College, Abhimanyu was featured in the recent Open Chess tournament in Poland.

“For the fi rst six months, I was tied up due to my board exams. Now that I am in college, I can focus on chess again.

The year was pretty good for me. The Open Chess tournament in Poland was good. With that I am one step closer to achieving my dream,” he said. He looks up to Indian chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.

The GM title means the world to him and he isn’t leaving a single stone unturned to attain it. With 6-7 hours of daily practice, Abhimanyu is also focusing on his mental and physical fitness. “Physical fitness is of the

utmost importance for me. Sometimes the game goes on for more than five hours. To focus on the game, you need to be physically and mentally fit. I have started going to the gym and doing routines that make me physically fit.

For my mental fitness, yoga is the best option. Both in the right balance make a person healthy and fit which is necessary for games that go on for long,” he said.

The chess prodigy achieved the International Master (IM) title last year. He owes his success to his parents Sameer and Sneha and his coach Jayant Gokhale. “My parents have always been supportive of my passion. My coach has been with me through my ups and downs,” said Abhimanyu, who won a bronze medal in World Youth Chess Championship (U-10) in 2010 in Greece.

About his favourite opening game, he said, “I am more inclined towards the Grandfield opening game, because you give your opponent the time to attack. Once you get the chance, the game is sealed. It’s the best counterattack,” he said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak

After a sloppy performance last season, I-League team DSK Shivajians’ players have upped their performance, as they won their second constitutive match at the Durand Cup on Wednesday night. Rohit Kumar’s brace helped DSK Shivajians overcome Gangtok Himalayan SC 2-1 at the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi.

The team is high on confidence and fi rst manager Dave Rogers was beaming after the win. Rogers took over as manager in June this year, after Derrick Pereira was relieved of his duties as manger. About his stint with team, the 41-year-old manager said, “I am loving it here. I have assembled a great team, players and staff. They are full of experience and enthusiasm.

The players have been fantastic since the fi rst day and they are buying into the vision and ideas we are trying to implement on a daily basis.”

Sabyasachi makes waves at interschool aquatic meet

Born in Liverpool, Rogers comes with tonnes of European football experience and isn’t afraid to try new things with the team. As a player and manager, Rogers has learnt to play fearlessly and wants his players to do the same. He has tried to give the team a new look, and it seems as if it is working perfectly. “I am trying to instil belief and want my players to express themselves and play with freedom and passion. When I played myself, I always embraced playing against senior players and established players. The experience of big and hostile crowds would drive me on as a player and I want my players to show the same mentality and character,” explained Rogers, who has played for several clubs in 21 years as a footballer.

His perception about the game and life is clear, which simply reflects what he expects from his players. For him, nothing has changed since his shift from managing LFC-DSK Academy to coaching DSK Shivajians. “Football

is a simple game that is sometimes made complicated by certain people.

I try to make my training sessions enjoyable, but at the same time with a lot of tempo and energy which will express how I want my teams to play.

Younger players that I have developed for the last two years have now become flamboyant and fearless, which is what I will now coach into our senior players,” he said.

Managing a team is no less than a thrilling experience for Rogers. Asked to pick up which responsibility drives

him, he said, “For me, being a manager is more exciting and challenging and I am honoured to be in this position. As a player, there is no better feeling than playing a game in front of a crowd and being able to showcase your skills. But, as a manager, all responsibility lies with you from the fi rst day of training to the last match of the season.”

Winning the Scottish First Division Championship with Dundee and gaining promotion to the Scottish Premier League was an excellent occasion for him. And playing in Holland against some of the top Dutch sides was the experience of a lifetime for him.

Pune is crazy when it comes to football and Rogers is certainly aware of it. “Our fans can expect a team that will try to win every game, a team that will play with passion from the fi rst minute to the last and a team that will play quick attacking football and with a never say die attitude,” he said.. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOTBALL

BY TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Sabyasachi Panigrahi, a student of Grade VII from Vibgyor High School, Balewadi, achieved remarkable success at the 13th Mumbai Inter ISC/ ICSE Schools Aquatic Championship 2016, held at The Ozone Club Swimming Pool, Siddharth Nagar, Goregaon (West), Mumbai on August 29-30, 2016.

Sabyasachi displayed excellent form in the backstroke event to secure the first position in both 50- and 100-metre sprints, clocking 37.86 seconds and 1:24:60 minutes respectively. His school mate, Adwika Ramesh, secured third place in the 100 m backstroke, while Atharva Pai won third place in 50and100-metre free style.

Army personnel soak the turf after heavy rainfall before the Durand Cup match bettwen DSK Shivajians and Gangtok Himalayan SC at the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi on Wednesday evening.