The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 31/10/2015

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, OCTOBER 31, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

When the streets were alive with

THE SOUND OF MUSIC ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Accusations mount as sibling rivalry grips Kalyani family

Another Kalyani daughter has a bone to pick

Brass bands, with their wide array of instruments, regal uniforms and signature sound, have fallen considerably since their glory days See Spotlight, p08 & 09

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Phase II Launching on 8th November 2015 Sunita Kalyani

Baba Kalyani

Neelakanth Kalyani

Gaurishankar Kalyani

Rohini Kalyani

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Amit Kalyani

Sugandha Hiremath

BY YOGESH SADHWANI @yogeshsadhwani Yet another battle is raging in the Kalyani family. Padma Shri Dr Neelkanth Kalyani’s daughter Sugandha Hiremath has fi led a case against her siblings and parents seeking her share in the family wealth. In her suit fi led in Pune Civil Court, Senior Division, Hiremath has accused her younger brother Gaurishankar Kalyani and his wife Rohini of ill treating her parents and usurping family wealth.

Filed in November 2012, the suit – fi led against Dr Neelkanth Kalyani, his wife Sulochana, son Babasaheb (Baba Kalyani), Gaurishankar, Rohini (Gaurishankar’s wife) and Kalyani Consultants Pvt Ltd - has come up for hearing on several occasions in the past three years and is again due for hearing on November 27.

At the heart of the raging legal battle is a prime plot in upscale Kalyani Nagar, Pune, which is owned by the Neelkanth Annappa Kalyani Hindu Undivided Family (NAK HUF). While her brothers Gaurishankar and Baba Kalyani – chairman of Bharat Forge and 41st on the Forbes list of wealthiest persons in India – have received their share of the plot, Hiremath was left empty-handed.

The plot in question is spread over 6,924.74 sq metres (1.71 acres) and was fi rst divided within the members of Kalyani family in 1976. In her suit, Hiremath has explained that during partial partition carried out in January 1976, Dr Neelkanth received 952.41 sq metres, Baba Kalyani got 816.08 sq metres, and Gaurishankar Kalyani received 816.82 sq metres. The remaining portion of the plot – 4,339.43 sq metres – was left intact with NAK HUF.

Viraj Kalyani

Sheetal Kalyani

SUIT FILED AFTER BROTHER TRIED USURPING PROPERTIES Hiremath filed the suit after her younger brother Gaurishnkar sought transfer of land parcels that were earlier owned by their father and the HUF. In her suit, Hiremath has stated that in May 2011 her brother sought transfer of two land parcels to his name - 952.41 sq metres earlier in the name of their father Dr Neelkanth, and 1,746.6 sq metres that belonged to the NAK HUF. Within days of Gaurishankar seeking the transfer from the City Survey Office, Hiremath and Baba Kalyani raised objections.

The transfer, according to the suit, was sought on the basis of documents showing that Dr Neelkanth and his wife Sulochana had gifted their share of land to Gaurishankar. Hiremath’s suit, however, terms these documents ‘misleading’, ‘bogus’, ‘sham and fabricated’ and ‘executed with the intention to wrongfully exclude’ her.

Contd on p2

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MUMBAI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

‘Pak backed terror groups like LeT to fan militancy’ P 13

“When Fadnavis assumed offce, the debt burden stood at Rs 2.9 lakh crore while in the past 11 months, it has increased to Rs 3.5 lakh crore. If the trend continues, it will be a worst-ever situation for the state.”

—Dhananjay Munde, opposition leader in the legislative council

Sugandha J Hiremath

Accusations mount as sibling rivalry grips Kalyani family Telly soaps could seek inspiration from this saga

Contd from p 01

GAURISHANKAR GIFTED LAND BY PARENTS The suit challenges gift deeds executed by her parents in favour of Gaurishankar Kalyani in May 2009. The fi rst gift deed is for 1,746.60 sq metres of land owned by NAK HUF. The gift deed states that Baba Kalyani and his family “have got themselves separated from the family of NAK by getting property to their share separately and released and relinquished their share, right, title and interest in the said property and since then ceased to be members of NAK HUF”. It states that Dr Neelkanth and his wife Sulochana own 2/3rd share and their younger son Gaurishankar owns the remaining 1/3rd share in assets of the HUF. In the gift deed, Dr Neelkanth

Hiremath filed the suit while her father was alive. Dr Neelknath passed away in August 2013. In her suit, Hiremath has alleged that from August 2009 “the attitude and behaviour of Gaurishankar Kalyani, and his branch consisting of Rohini Kalyani (wife), Sheetal Kalyani (daughter) and Viraj Kalyani (son), not only towards Dr Neelknath Kalyani and Sulochana Kalyani but also towards Baba Kalyani and members of his family as well as the plaintiff (Hiremath) and members of her family has steadily deteriorated”.

Hiremath claims that Gaurishankar and his wife “have been misbehaving with Dr Neelknath Kalyani and Sulochana Kalyani”. It also alleges that senior Kalyani and his wife “under duress and undue influence” executed various deeds, documents and writings “solely with a view to enable Gaurishankar and his wife to usurp and misappropriate all the assets, properties, monies and estate standing in the name of Dr Neelkanth Kalyani and his wife”.

She also alleged that the treatment meted out by Gaurishankar and his family members towards Dr Neelkanth

Who is Sugandha Hiremath?

Hiremath, Dr Neelkanth’s only daughter, is married to Jai Hiremath and lives in the plush Cuffe Parade area of Mumbai. The Hiremath family runs the multicrore Hikal Limited, which is engaged in R&D, manufacturing and marketing of fine chemicals for the Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical industries. and Sulochana gave away their share of the land parcel out of “natural love and affection” to Gaurishankar.

In another gift executed the same day, Dr Neelkanth gave away another plot, spread over 952.41 sq metres, to Gaurishankar. Th is too was out of “natural love and affection” for the younger son. Both gift deeds specifically state that since Hiremath has been married prior to 1993 she has ceased to be a member of the family.

I AM A RIGHTFUL OWNER TOO Hiremath has staked her claim on the land. “By the virtue of Central Amendment Act 2005 to the Hindu Succession Act, the plaintiff (Hiremath) has acquired the status of coparcener.. The plaintiff therefore states and submits that the deed of gift which ignored the lawful share of the plaintiff in the properties is void and illegal, and needs to be set aside, cancelled and annulled,” the suit states.

WHY SIDELINE MY ELDER BROTHER? Hiremath also seeks to know why her elder brother Baba Kalyani has been sidelined from the family wealth. The suit points out that the current chairman of Bharat Forge did give away his entire share in the land parcels owned by the HUF to other family members, but retained some portion. “By purported gift deed for sub plot an attempt was made which tantamount to fraud to exclude two coparceners of NAK HUF,

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS

has been “atrocious”. “No aged parents deserve to be treated in such manner. All the members of the Gaurishankar branch of the family have been and continue to be rude and abrasive in their tone and tenor of voice whilst addressing not only Dr Neelkanth Kalyani and Sulochana Kalyani, but also Baba Kalyani and his family members, as well as the plaintiff (Hiremath) and her family members,” the suit alleges.

ROHINI BRAIN BEHIND IT The suit states that Rohini Kalyani has had a major role Rohini Kalyani to play behind all the doings in the family. “Rohini Kalyani is the main person behind it and she is exercising and having full control over her husband and for various reasons he is accustomed to act as per his wife’s instructions,” the suit states.

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goldens R 24, 2015 | www.the

PUNE, OCTOBE

The Golden Sparrow broke the story on trouble in the Kalyani family Sugandha J Hiremath NAK’S DAUGHTER 1952

MARRIED 1972

Sunita Kalyani

plays out in the K alyani family homeless 70 families rendereded e, found it stolen blaz by Amit Kalyani

Deeksha Kalyani

of the has sought her share Sheetal Kalyani, 27, filed a case against the family assets and has parents including her own g entire Kalyani clan, amon one Baba Kalyani, as well as her uncle said to be hiest businessman the country’s wealt n worth USD 2.3 Billio & 09 p08 ght, Spotli See

ABK’S WIFE

1973

Viraj G Kalyani Sheetal Kalyani Viraj Kalyani

BNK’s Son

MARRIED 2001

1975

started by s, assets, and trusts pertaining to companie Rohini Kalyani. Send those “All the documents to possession of your mother g them, will I be able my husband, are in tely. Only after examinin documents to me immedia to siblings —Sulochana Kalyani respond to your notice.”

Rohini G Kalyani

unharm belongings were(Hiremath) viz and Baba Kalyani,” the suit states. whose plaintiff Thosethe He was worried locate his spouse. was also unable to if staying in a with the crowd gets fits of coughs rushed in, jostling about her as she burnt down their houses, she Sayyed’s house has she could. sooty place. Salma for her two

BY GARGI VERMA to salvage whatever the fi re, was s that she had saved destroyed her belongings in and all ornament Madhu, who lost & EKTA KATTI my house ble age have been “I know nothing of daughters of marriagea of marriageable are @TGSWeekly seen consoling others. about it soon, till then I can daughters to grief in the fi re. Her two with grief, she is unable remains. I will feel their houses Th ackeray Salma is so struck I am sure, some of and Meenatai age walks around, of children. just the the at she console pointing in her eyes, For the slum dwellers it was a dark Dussehra have seen,” she says speak. With tears one of the elderly area, are fine, the boys the fi re fighters. Shiv tailing her. Finally, with Vasar in Gultekdi Thursday. A up on on p 06 daughters ns her climbed Contd celebratio boys that had is frantically destroyed and Durga Pooja to find his children, out around 4 pm an old man Rao, who managed residents huge fi re that broke wife. Hidayat Sayyed, in the slum, sending cause of searching for his around 70 houses The lives, officials said. d aggravate running for their to be a short circuit the fi re is believed eight to ten Residents claim that by cylinder blast. number is yet , although the fi nal cylinders blew off to be confi rmed.

PARENTS HAD NO RIGHT TO GIFT The suit raises doubts about Dr Neelkanth and his wife’s authority to give away what was not theirs. The suit states that her mother Sulochana has no stake in the property unless there is a partition between the father and sons. “In the given case, no partition took place between Dr Neelkanth Kalyani, Baba Kalyani and Gaurishankar Kalyani with respect to the said property and hence legally the gift made and executed by Sulochana of her so called 1/3rd share in the purported gift

GNK’s Wife 1964

Sunita B Kalyani BNK’s Wife 1951

Baba N Kalyani (BNK) NAK’s Son 1949 MARRIED 1972

Gaurishankar N Kalyani (GNK) NAK’s Son 1954 MARRIED 1987

Neelkanth A Kalyani ( NAK)

RAHUL RAUT

GROUN D ZERO took around two and three tankers 3:30 pm Twelve fi re trucks blaze that started around Senior hours to contain the one shanty to another. on a and leapt swiftly from stationed Shinde, who was injured his fi refighter Kailash of the huts, fell and slab placed atop one caught fi re. He is undergoing slab left knee when the in Bibwewadi.

Hospital Rao at they treatment heard the initial blasts, As soon as residents with them homes dragging along cylinders rushed out of their their Some of them left their gas cylinders.

Sayyed Hamid nearby mosque of back to see and children in the Kadri, as they rushed Others Shah urf Ganibaba huts. their save from around what else they could on pavements or running were found sitting members. for missing family teary eyed, looking rows of cramped houses each Narrow lanes in between people. They pushed to done were fi lled with panicking to assess the damage the fi re, other in an attempt fi refighters were battling Mane, their houses. As on from far. Renu looked completely. residents helplessly as her home is razed -law 23, is devastated mother-in her with along She was in the house fi re broke out. Renu and her the sources and children when money from multiple husband had borrowed the family is While the rest of to build the house.

Sakina Saeed, find her husband. ble as she safe, Renu still can’t slum, was inconsola the of t her All an inhabitan spot. turn into a black watched her house re. She and her s were lost in the fi family’s belonging saved up Rs a hand cart, had had just husband, who owns of their son who 10,000 for the marriage may seem like a measly sum What family finished his B.Ed. Pinky’s savings. life to others was Sakina’s of the houses in the slum. in one and now was staying on rent belongings and savings They have lost their the damages. te their landlord for hold in her have to compensa she was unable to ng is lost Clad in a black burqa saying, “Everythi tears and was repeatedlyfi re fighters let in people to the now.” As soon as

GNK’s Son 1990

Amit B Kalyani (ABK)

a grandmother Sulochan and conspiracy with d to take “Baba Kalyani in collusion Amit and his wife Deeksha purporte cousin Kalyani, aunt Sunita, business.”

Kalyani the family assets and —Suit filed by Sheetal wrongful control of

Sulochana N Kalyani NAK’s Wife

ANK’s Son 1926 - 2013 MARRIED 1947

1933

Parvati N Kalyani ANK’s Wife 1890 - 1962

Akutai N Kalyani ANK’s Wife 1900 - 1991

Parvati Nivas built on the land that Hiremath is fighting for

LAND GIVEN ON LEASE FOR 999 YEARS Further the suit goes on to reveal that the land parcel, which is the bone of contention in the legal battle, had been given on a 40-year lease by NAK HUF to Kalyani Consultants Pvt Ltd, one of the group companies now controlled by Gaurishankar’s family. Kalyani Consultants, after taking the plot on lease in 1973 had constructed a bungalow spread over 1,300 sq metres. The bungalow, named Parvati Nivas, is now occupied

by Gaurishankar and his family.The suit states that as per the agreement, the lease to Kalyani Consultants would have got over in 2013 and NAK HUF would have got the land parcel back. However, in 2002, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Kalyani Consultants and NAK HUF extending the lease from 40 years to 999 years.

Hiremath’s suit alleges that the lease was extended only to deprive the HUF of a large land parcel. “The entire building and structure constructed by Kalyani Consultants was to vest in the HUF in 2013 on expiry of the lease...It is thus clear that such arrangements as purported to be done or made in any event is not for the benefit for the estate of NAK HUF and also without authority...The plaintiff (Hiremath) says and submits that she will be deprived of her contingent right and share in Parvati Nivas,” the suit states.

BUNGALOW BUILT ON HUF LAND The suit adds that apart from receiving gifts from his parents and getting the lease of the plot extended from 40 years to 999 years, Gaurishankar also bought a bungalow constructed by Kalyani Consultants on the leased plot. In June 2011, the younger sibling executed a Deed of Sale with Kalyani Consultants and acquired Parwati Nivas for Rs 1.23 crore. The suit alleges that the sale deed was done to deprive her of the bungalow, which would have been part of the HUF after the expiry of lease.

GNK’s Daughter 1988

Deeksha A Kalyani

David Vs Goliath Neelakanth Kalyani

Baba Kalyani

deed is void and illegal...,” the suit claims. It also adds that since their father Dr Neelkanth suppressed his elder son’s share in the property, as head of the HUF he “had no power to make the gift of the said property”.

Sheetal G Kalyani

Sugandha Hiremath Rohini Kalyani

Gaurishankar Kalyani

Gaurishankar N Kalyani

Annappa N Kalyani (ANK) 1884 - 1954

Another battle raging in the family While on one hand Sugandha Hiremath’s has fi led a suit, Sheetal Kalyani, 27-year-old daughter of Gaurishankar Kalyani has also fi led a case in Pune Civil court. She has accused her uncle Baba Kalyani of usurping family wealth and has sought partition of the family assets.

Sheetal is demanding 1/9th share in the family assets.

Her suit is also pending in court and will come up for hearing next on November 5.

CANCEL ‘FRAUDULENT’ DOCUMENTS Hiremath has sought that the court cancel gift deeds, documents pertaining to extension of lease from 40 years to 999 years and the sale deed by which Gaurishankar bought Parvati Nivas from Kalyani Consultants. The suit states that once the documents are cancelled by the court, Gaurishankar will be able to live in Parvati Nivas not as the owner of the property, but “only as a trustee” of the HUF. yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

The man who sold Ferraris, in financial mess SoBo flats owned by high-flyer Ashish Chordia put up on auction by Punjab National Bank

BY YOGESH SADHWANI @yogeshsadhwani A nationalised bank has put up flats owned by Ashish Chordia and his companies up for auction. Chordia, who brought expensive brands such as Porsche, Ducati, Maserati and Ferrari to India, has been in trouble for a while now. Apart from several cases of cheating registered against him by car buyers registered in Delhi and Mumbai, Chordia has defaulted on loans taken from multiple banks. Now one of them has put up his house in Malabar Hill, South Mumbai, on auction.

Punjab National Bank recently issued a notice, putting his three flats in Chancellor Court on Carmichael Road on the block. The notice dated October 12 stated that Chordia and two of his companies – Shreyans Motors Pvt Ltd and Fiorano Motors LLP – owe the bank Rs 44.97 crore. The three flats, each admeasuring 700-odd square feet and with a basement of 680 square feet, will go under the hammer on November 16 this year. The bank has fi xed minimum reserve price of the flats at Rs 17 crore.

According to the notice, those interested in buying the flats in auction can inspect them on November 4. By November 7, bidders will have to deposit the earnest money of Rs 1.7 crore, to be able to participate in the online auction scheduled for November 16.

Ashish Chordia in his better days

Till a few years ago, Ashish Chordia was a name to reckon with. A Bachelor of Science degree holder from Marshall School of Business (University of Southern California), Chordia worked with Deloitte, USA. While working there he realised the potential of luxury retail in India and started luxury retail brand Shreyans. Over the years, he was able to tie up with foreign manufacturers of cars, yachts, super bikes, fashion articles, jewelry, etc. His companies sold brands like Porsche, Ducati, Ferrari, Maserati, Van Cleef & Arpels, Dolce & Gabbana, NetJets, among others.

In 2013, some of his customers accused him of cheating.

They claimed to have been duped by Chordia, who allegedly

had not delivered high-end cars despite being paid. Some of them fi led police complaints and Chordia was arrested in one such case in 2013. Subsequently many buyers came forward to fi le complaints.

In April 2013, Jaipur ba sed Savitri Leasing and Finance Ltd sought winding up of Shreyans Motors, in which Chordia was a director. Savitri Leasing had given their property in Jaipur spread over 3,107 square feet on lease to Shreyans to set up a Porsche showroom.

For several months Shreyans defaulted on the rent and owed Rs 1.5 crore to Savitri Leasing. Justice SJ Kathawalla of the Bombay High Court ordered winding up of Shreyans Motors in July 2014. The court allowed sale of all the assets owned by the company to recover dues.

Following the winding up order of Shreyans, several banks came forward and issued notices to recover their dues.

The notices were issued in the name of Ashish Chordia, his mother Ujjwal Chordia and their companies. While State Bank of India issued a notice to recover Rs 32.7 crore, an IDBI notice stated that he owed Rs 15.6 crore. Around the same time, industrialist Gautam Singhania too alleged that Chordia’s company Precision Motors had failed to provide after sales service for the cars sold to him. Singhania extensively tweeted about Chordia.

Early this year, Juhu police in Mumbai registered a case against him for not delivering cars worth Rs 20 crore to several businessmen and celebrities despite being paid. He is yet to be nabbed in the case. yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

Chordia owns three flats in Chancellor Court in Malabar Hill

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

India seeks Australia’s help P12

“The picture created was that all of Pune will become a Smart City. But now, it looks like an area development project. The civic administration should have given clear information in the first phase itself.”

— Arvind Shinde, Leader of the Congress

37-year-old Puneite goes missing from a school reunion at Mount Abu

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

Laveena and Shuel Braganza in happier times

meet us but left soon after. He used to come whenever he could. Living in Pune, we did see a lot of each other,” she said.

But this time around something was different. “Shuel never picked fights. In fact, he was cordial and loving towards his friends. But this time there was a fight at night between him and few of his friends,” said his cousin sister Snehal Modale who also lives in Mumbai. “He called up his wife Laveena in the morning to

tell her that he was not feeling alright.

Things have gotten weird over here, was what he told her,” she said.

Dolly said, “His friends told us that he left early in the morning, saying that he was going jogging. He was a fitness freak so no one thought it amiss. Some went with him till the base of the peak Plummy. They said that he went on alone thereafter as he wanted to go further. That was the last they saw of Shuel.”

Braganza is untraceable ever since.

What ails Kamla Nehru ICU The intensive care unit (ICU) at Kamla Nehru Hospital is held up for the lack of post graduate staff and physician VISHAL KALE

An empty corridor at Kamla Nehru Hospital tells its own story

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had spent 15 core rupees to set up its first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at its Kamla Nehru Hospital, to ensure specialised medical treatment for Puneites. But the well-equipped 10-bed ICU at the hospital is non-functional since last year owing to a lack of specialised post doctorate medical practitioners.

Puneites have to rely on the state run Sassoon General Hospital for specialised modern medical treatment.

But the hospital is already overcrowded with patients from across the state.

Therefore they have no option but to go to private hospitals where treatments are inordinately expensive.

PMC has three hospitals, 17 maternity homes, 45 OPDs and three mobile clinics to provide medical facilities to the people of the city. The PMC has allocated Rs 197.89 crore for health in its 2014-15 budget. But without ICUs, PMC-run hospitals are unable to provide specialty medical treatment, which is why an ICU was set up at Kamla Nehru Hospital. It was decided, under the guidelines of PMC Chief Medical Officer Dr S T Pardeshi, that they would recruit 124 post graduate medical doctors specialising in cardio, gynaecology, neurology, orthopaedic, anaesthesia,

ENT, dental, paediatrics, pathology etc for this ICU, on bond basis, and they would be paid Rs 52,000 a month as salary. The state government’s approval was sought for the ICU. Then standing committee allocated the budget to set up the ICU, machinery including a central oxygen system which is required for ICU was procured and installed at Kamla Nehru Hospital, and the ICU was to start functioning from August 1, 2015. But well past the date, the ICU is still to start operations, the lack of specialised doctors being the reason.

About the non-functioning ICU, Dr Pardeshi said, “We anticipated that we would get post doctorate medical intern students for our ICU

through the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

But specialised medical doctors who had done their post graduate, are opting for reputed and established hospitals for their internship. Even the students are opting for established hospitals, and say that our ICU is new, that they would not get many patients, and that we do not have experienced staff. Even the Rs 52,000 salary is very low compared to other hospitals. But we hope to recruit doctors. The ICU is all set to start functioning so there’s no question of misuse of funds. It’s the first ICU at a PMC-run hospital so we are committed to get it started soon.”

The poor citizens are most badly hit owing to not having an ICU at PMC-run hospitals. Regular medical treatment is available at PMC’s hospitals and clinics. But for speciality medical treatment, they have to go to Sassoon Hospital which is already overcrowded.

Mayor Dattatraya Dhankawade says that an ICU is an urgent need and that the administration must provide medical facilities for the growing population of the city.

About taxpayers’ money used to set up the ICU which is not functioning, Dhankawade said, “. Taxpayers’ money has been used to set up the ICU and citizens must benefit from it.”

Kamla Nehru Hospital in-charge of ICU and RCH nodal officer of PMC health department Dr Sanjeev Wavare said, “The ICU at Kamla Nehru Hospital is ready. We approached DMER for doctors, but we got only 24 doctors instead of the 124 for required for the ICU. But we did not get a single MD, MS Physician and without physicians we cannot run the ICU. We got doctors from gynaecology, neurology, orthopaedic, anaesthesia, ENT, dental, paediatrics, pathology streams. Once we get a physician, we will start our ICU and after it starts functioning, we will definitely get doctors, as doctors will give us preference.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

The ICU was supposed to open on August 1

His wife couldn’t get in touch with him and neither could his friends trace him.

They went to the authorities. Dolly said, “The local police took the help of the CRPF, tour guides, and even forest guides to track him. A massive search and rescue operation was launched and even his friends and locals joined in.”

The entire area around peak Plummy and Sergeant Plummy was combed tor three days, but they didn’t find Shuel.

His family was assured by the local police that they would take all the necessary action. His family has since returned home.

A school professor on the condition of anonymity, said that students want to scale peak Plummy which is very dangerous. “Most don’t realise that the forests and landscape keep changing. It is possible that he may have lost his way and then something untoward might have happened.”

The family has not given up hope.

“We will do everything we can to get Shuel back,” said Snehal who has placed countless posts on Facebook and other social sites. “We have alerted our colleagues, friends and family over whatsapp. We are going to continue till we find Shuel or figure out what happened to him,” said Snehal. “It’s a bad time for the family. We haven’t yet told his mother, who suffers from paranoia and heart disease. His wife, who’s also an IT employee, is back at work,” she said. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

No construction at public gardens

SC diktat applies to all gardens under PMC jurisdiction RAHUL RAUT

Mystery surrounds man missing from Mt Abu What can happen at a school students’ reunion? A lot. Shuel Braganza, 37 went missing from his 20th school reunion on October 20, from Mount Abu in Rajasthan. His last call to his wife on the morning of the fateful day, which was the last connection from his phone, was rather cryptic. He said to her, “Things have gotten weird over here.”

Braganza was an employee of an IT firm called Loft Quality Process Delivery Centre. Shuel lived at Kalewadi with his wife and six-year-old son. He had done his schooling from Mount Abu, Rajasthan. On October 19, a group of around ten friends met up in Bandra, Mumbai, from where they took a flight to Mount Abu. They are schoolmates from the 1995 batch who were returning to their alma mater, St Mary’s Higher Secondary School for boys for their 20th year reunion. Shuel was amongst them.

Shuel’s sister Dolly Braganza lives in Mumbai with their paralysed mother and retired father. “My brother had gone a few years ago as well. Most of his friends live in Mumbai, so they all went together from Mumbai. It was party time for them, letting off steam,” she said. “He came here to

PUNE

The garden will be established by PMC in the empty space at Sambhaji Garden

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka The Pune Municipal Corporation will not be able to undertake construction work on the public garden premises in the city. The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed PMC’s appeal for a stay on the National Green Tribunal order asking the civic administration to stop construction at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden, Jangli Maharaj Road, on August 27. The SC also ordered the civic administration to use the empty space in the garden for plantation forthwith.

PMC Garden Department Junior Engineer Surendra Karpe said, “Though the SC ruling pertains to Sambhaji Garden, it will apply to all public gardens under PMC jurisdiction.” Karpe has been involved with this matter for a couple of months. The PMC had appealed for a stay against the NGT order regarding constructions in the SC in August.

“The 154 public gardens in the city run by PMC have all come under the ambit of the SC ruling. Any construction work undertaken at the gardens can be

dealt with by referring to the SC verdict,” Karpe said.

The SC has also directed the PMC to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation to the appellant Ravindra Gore, who approached the NGT in February 2015 after PMC launched the construction of a recreation hall at Sambhaji Garden.

“The SC gave us a four-week period to demolish the construction and we accordingly demolished the one-storey building on October 17,” said Karpe.

The civic body was adhering to its 1999 circular while undertaking the said construction at Sambhaji Garden, which allows 15 per cent construction at public parks. Dismissing the circular, the SC ruled, “In open spaces in residential areas, only construction of buildings such as a gymnasium or pavilion for recreational activities is allowed. Sambhaji Garden is not in a residential area and it is a park reserved as a garden for the city and not within the ambit of a residential area.”

The Garden Department has now started plantation at Sambhaji Garden.

They also want to build a water tank. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

“Awareness about the third gender is low and even the Supreme Court has instructed all educational institutes to integrate them into the educational system.We will appoint a champion for the third gender.”

— W N Gade, vice-chancellor Savitribai Phule Pune University

Showing the way for budding entrepreneurs P10

PMC hospitals to be run as specialty centres

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

PMC to hand over non-functioning hospitals that will be run as cardiac, cancer, eye diseases specialty hospitals

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to hand over four non-functioning hospitals for commercial purposes through a joint venture.

PMC Chief Medical Officer (Health) S T Pardeshi said, “The four non-functioning hospitals belonging to us will be handed over for commercial use through a joint venture.”

These four hospitals were shut down owing to a shortage of staff. “We did not have the permission from the State Government to recruit the required staff. Now we have decided to

hand these over in the interests of the public,” Pardeshi said.

“Of the five hospitals under our ownership, one has already been given out for commercial use through a joint venture. The other four hospitals will be run as specialty hospitals,” he said.

Apart from these four hospitals, PMC has already given away a hospital building at Kharadi to be run as a general hospital. “The hospital building was handed over in March and it is under renovation to make it into a general hospital. We will receive Rs 35 lakh a year as rent from it,” he said.

SOCIAL ANGLE The hospitals will be specialty centres for treatment of cardiac ailments, cancer and eye diseases. The hospital at Bopodi will be for the treatment of eye disorders.

“The tender process is underway and it will be completed by the end

of October. The Bopodi hospital will be a specialty centre for eye diseases,” Pardeshi said.

The other hospitals at Kalyaninagar, Wanowrie and Kothrud will be cardiac and cancer specialty centres. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Huge stocks of oil seized in one of the biggest raids by the Food Distribution Office

In one of its biggest ever raids, the district administration seized 82,000 litres of vegetable, soyabean and palm oil worth Rs 71.11 lakh. This timely action against illegal hoarding of oil, with the festive season around the corner, has averted a situation similar to the one caused by hoarding of tur dal. Prices of tur dal had shot up to Rs 200/a kilogramme in Maharashtra.

The state government has ordered the district administration to crack

down on illegal hoarding of essential commodities by wholesalers in the district. The Food Distribution Office (FDO) has been conducting raids since October 20.

District Food Distribution Officer Nilima Dhaygude said, “We have seized 68,000 litres of vegetable oil worth Rs 61.11 lakh from wholesalers Tulsidas and Company in Pimpri, who was licensed to sell wheat and rice, but was selling vegetable oil illegally. Even his license had expired in 2010.”

In a raid at Kondhwa on October 27, 14,000 litrres vegetable oil and 250 litres

of palm oil was seized from Rajaram Solve Company. “A tanker with five barrels of soyabean and palm oil was seized from a garage in Gokul Nagal in Kondhwa. The oil was to be unloaded at a wholesale shop at Market Yard, but was being unloaded illegally at the garage by one Kishor Gudhgude,” said Dhaygude. Criminal cases were filed in both incidents under the Essential Commodities Act. Since October 20, FDO has surveyed 145 wholesale shops registered with the FDO. “We have not found stocks of tur dal with any wholesaler. Maharashtra

‘Pune can host international MTB events from next year’

Says Pinaki Bysack, chief commissaire of Cycling Federation of India; the track in Pune qualifies for the Class-3 category; likely to get approved by Union Cycliste Internationale

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish Along with road and track events, Mountain Biking (MTB) is also gaining popularity in India. But there is still long way to go for Indian cyclists and hardly any race in India qualifies for international standards. But with the infrastructure and support in Pune for MTB cycling, it can host an Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised events from next years, said Pinaki Bysack, chief commissaire of the Cycling Federation of India.

On the sidelines of the Giant Starkenn 12th annual MTB National Championship at the Oxford Golf Resort, Bysack outlined the future for Indian MTB cyclists.

“Currently Indian cyclists participate in national events and it gives them a chance to participate in international events abroad. For the Asian MTB Championship, it’s the federation that selects the cyclists. However, for World Championship, the riders have to collect points from various

tournaments. Unfortunately, not a single race in India is recognised by UCI and thus the winners in Indian events do not earn any points,” said Bysack, who is also the UCI International Commissaire.

“The track at Oxford Golf Resort has been constructed well and it certainly fulfi ls the parameters for Class 3 course set by UCI. After the event, I will submit my report to the governing body in UCI and then there is a chance that this course might get approval to host the MTB

international ranking tournament.

Though, the winners will receive only medals this time, I am sure from next year onwards they will earn some international points also. And it will attract foreign cyclists too,” he said.

Th is four-day event kicked off on Friday, where elite riders from various states along with Services and Railways riders, tested their skills on a rugged track. The event is categorised in three parts - juniors (under-18), senior (1939 years) and masters (above 40 years). ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

State Warehousing Corporation officials confirmed that there were no illegal stocks of tur dal in the district,” Dhaygude said. Wholesalers in Pune do not have storehouses to stock pulses. The raids are set to continue. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dbhonde1 The fatalities owing to swine flu have risen an alarming 13-fold in 2015 compared to last year in Pune district and rural areas.

There have been 142 deaths until October 30 this year, compared to just 11 last year in Pune district. Of the total, 49 were from Pune city and the remaining were from Pimpri-Chinchwad and rural areas.

Do not invite dengue-bearing mosquitoes home

The commode in your bathroom can be a breeding place for the deadly dengue carrying mosquito

The month-wise break-up is as follows: January – 7, February - 21, March - 48, April - 10, May - 3, June - 0, July - 2, August - 9, September 29 and October - 13.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Health Department has cited the reason for this steep rise in deaths on the citizens for not availing of the necessary treatment in time.

PMC Assistant Health Officer Dr Narendra Thakur said, ”The weather is to blame for the spectacular rise in swine flu deaths in September.” About the increase in swine flu deaths in 2015, he said, “It is necessary for those infected with the virus

The common commode can be a breeding ground for the ‘Aedes Aegypti’ mosquito which carries the dengue virus. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department has issued this warning to citizens after surveying housing societies and construction sites in the city.

PMC health department chief Dr Somnath Pardeshi said, “We have found Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes breeding in domestic commodes. This happens more when people lock their homes and go on long vacations. We have discovered nine such cases at housing societies and construction sites.”

The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is small, dark with white, lyre-shaped markings and banded legs.

When it bites a person it transmits the virus that causes dengue fever which can be fatal if not treated in time. The mosquito’s habitats are natural locations and where water is accumulated in tyres, drums, coconut shells etc. The mosquito lays eggs in dirty and fresh water also.

Dengue cases are on the rise in the city and 840 suspected dengue patients have been found since January. In July, 75 suspected cases were found, 156 in August, which nearly doubled to 290 in September. PMC Assistant Health Officer Dr Narendra Thakur said,

“There are more dengue cases during the monsoons. Rains were scanty from June to August but the heavy rains in September and October brought in more dengue cases. The numbers will go down after November when winter sets in.”

“When flats remain vacant for long periods during the sale transactions, the dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes find such places an ideal breeding ground.

We have issued notices to thousands of builders in this regard,” he said.

The PMC health department is surveying housing societies and construction sites. When mosquito breeding spots are found on the premises, the concerned parties are issued notices. For recurring offences, fine of Rs 3000-5000 are levied.

“We have initiated an awareness drive regarding mosquito breeding spots.

We have fined 151 people and Rs 2.38 lakh was collected in fines. Nearly 3112 notices were issued to construction sites and 7602 notices to housing society residents,” said Dr Pardeshi.

Water supply to unused commode should be shut off. People leaving their homes vacant for long periods of time should shut off the water supply to the commodes. With the alternate day water supply, people store water which is hazardous as it provides a breeding space for mosquitoes. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

Extension for permit renewal

VISHAL KALE

1500 autorickshaws running without permits, 1200 scrapped vehicles till on the road

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan When you flag down an autorickshaw you may not be aware that the vehicle may be one of the thousands plying on Pune streets without the necessary permits and documents. There are currently nearly 1500 autorickshaws whose permits have not been renewed, and another 1,200 that have been scrapped but are still running on city streets.

The Regional Transport Office (RTO), Pune has extended the date for renewal of permits till November, 15, 2015. A special drive was undertaken by the state motor vehicle department for renewal of lapsed autorickshaw permits, and licenses of around 1,500 autorickshaws have been renewed till date. RTO will scrutinise all applications and the process for renewal after November 15. A permit is valid for five years but many owners have not renewed heir permits within the stipulated time.

More than 1,200 autorickshaws have been marked for scrapping but are still running on Pune roads. But while focusing on the permit renewal, the

Swine flu toll rises exponentially Deaths see alarming 13-fold rise in Pune in 2015

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BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dbhonde1

After pulses, oil hoarders come under scanner

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

Old-timers rue loss of heritage in Patna

to avail of treatment at the earliest. It is much harder to treat and cure swine flu patients in a critical stage, and that is the reason for the rising toll.”

Swine Influenza (H1N1) is a respiratory disease in pigs caused by type A influenza virus. It is commonly known as Swine Flu and Pig Flu. It can be directly transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected pigs.

The disease is extremely contagious and can be transmitted through an infected person’s sneezing, coughing or direct contact.

Preventive measures include annual vaccination for immunity from the disease.

Washing hands with soap or sanitiser

Thousands of autorickshaws are plying on city streets without valid permits and licenses

RTP is not taking any action against them.

Rickshaw Panchayat President Nitin Pawar said, “We are conducting awareness programmes for autorickshaw drivers and meeting them. But autoickshaws supposed to be scrapped by the RTO are still running on the streets illegally.”

The city has over 45,000 autorickshaws and they have to clear fitness tests every year. Not all autorickshaws are fit and errant drivers face on-the-spot inspections. The vehicles are seized if found with major faults and unfit to ply.

Regional Transport Officer Jitendra Patil said, “We are keeping a watch on these autorickshaws. Those running illegally will face action.

prevents germs from invading the body.

Masks over the mouth and nose prevent intake of the virus. Infected persons must be quarantined and prevented from coming into contact with healthy persons.

Swine flu does not spread through food, but raw ingredients must be washed thoroughly before cooking.

Swine flu had claimed Rida Shaikh’s life in Pune in August 2009, which happened to be the first ever swine flu fatality in India. And as the outbreak continued, it was made a notifiable disease by the state health department. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

But we don’t have actual data of autorickshaws that are supposed to be scrapped.”

“If someone hires these autos and an accident happens, there is no compensation in the law. But RTO only wants to make money.” Pawar said.

Recently, an autorickshaw driver who had not returned valuables left in his vehicle by a woman passenger, was nabbed by the Chatushrungi police.

According to the police that RTO officer confi rm that auto with RTO registration number 521 was scrapped.

In 2013-14, the Pune RTO had carried out a special drive for renewal of permits, where more than 4,500 permits were renewed. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

Unreserved rail seat? No problem!

Residents of Tulapur and Vadhu up in arms over PMC plan to dump garbage on their lands

RAHUL RAUT

The Pune Municipal Corporation is getting mired deeper into the garbage disposal imbroglio. While Uruli Devachi citizens are dealing with the dumping of garbage themselves by holding up the garbage trucks, residents of proposed Tulapur and Vadhu villages are gearing up for a big fight.

The Green Tribunal, in the hearings on October 27-28, raised several questions regarding the Uruli Devachi landfi ll site. “The tribunal asked the PMC why the usual methods were not employed for Uruli Devachi. They were also asked why the worsening conditions were not noticed earlier. The PMC had no answers,” said Asim Sarode, the prosecution lawyer for the case. The tribunal also asked if the PMC had thought of other options, after which PMC produced an affidavit stating that 25 hectares of land each were finalised by the government at Tulapur, Vadhu and Shindewadi and the fee pertaining to the same was paid by the PMC, and that garbage dumping will start at the three villages any time. “The residents of two of the three villages oppose the PMC decision,” Sarode said.

Residents of Tulapur and Vadhu are ready for a face-off with the government. “Th is is the land of Shivaji’s son Shambhaji Maharaj, and how can the government dump garbage here,” said Ranganath Shankar Shewale, 74, head of the Tulapur Gawkari Samiti, or the regular

The villagers plan to turn aggressive if PMC continues with the garbage disposal plan

management committee. “I thought that they would at least discuss it with the gram sabha or representative. But they don’t care,” he said.

The quaint Tulapur is 30.2 km from Pune, its lush green fields matched by the green cover on the government land. But this picturesque scene will soon turn into an eyesore if the PMC has its way. The lands earmarked for landfi ll at Tulapur and Vadhu are in close proximity, the Tulapur landfi ll site being in front of the Khandoba temple, and the Vadhu landfi ll behind the industrial corridor.

The Gram Panchayat is in a twostorey building near a road corner and tree covered zone. The Sarpanch has gone to the city for official work and Gramsevak Jyotsana Bagate is the one to speak to. “I haven’t received any official

communication from the corporation but the issue is in the pipeline. We will ask them to reconsider when we get an official letter,” she says. Village elder Ranganath Shewale, interjects, saying, “I manage regular activities. I had no idea the government was considering the idea again. The politicians and panchayat say that they won’t let this place be used as dumping ground.”

Former sarpanches gather around the tree next to the Panchayat building.

Dnyanoba Tukaram Hule, 40, said, “The place they want to make a landfi ll is close to the confluence of the Bhima, Bhama and Indrayani rivers.

The dumping ground will pollute not just that area, but groundwater will lead to pollution of the three river waters. Th is water is the only source of potable water,” he said. Baban Baburao

P14

P11

Garbage issue raises stink

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

Tyre makers bemoan Chinese imports

Heartburn drugs may harm kidneys

Shewale, 63, said, “The government doesn’t care for village folks like us.”

The villagers have staged several protests at Tulapur and Pune, in front of the PMC building. Ranganath says, “Why does the city want to dump garbage on our land? The government talks about Swachch Bharat and they want our houses to become dustbins.”

Why should villages be polluted to keep the city clean. Ramesh Shewale, 67. said, “I am sure they can do something with the garbage than dump it on our land. We won’t let the naturally clean area of Tulapur-Vadhu become a dumping yard.”

“Peaceful protests haven’t yielded much. So now we have to force our elected representatives to convince officials in Pune that it is a bad idea to use our land as a landfi ll site,” says Dnyanoba. Ranganath said, “If even one garbage truck or PMC officials come here, we would take strong steps.” Ramesh said, “I don’t care if even if they put us behind bars. We will not let garbage be dumped here.”

Deputy Commissioner of Solid Waste Management Kishori Gadre said, “The protest is valid, but we have surveyed 20 other sites before deciding on these. We haven’t finalised the plan, though we fi led an affidavit, but we will think again.”

The PMC declared in January that the garbage dumping in Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages would stop after October 7. But the other proposed landfi ll sites are not yet operational. So garbage is dumped at Uruli Devachi even after the October 7 deadline. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Ticket checkers, railway personnel make hay as trains are overcrowded for the festive season VISHAL KALE

“The NMT cell will focus on pedestrian safety and all issues concerning nonmotorised transport like walking and cycling. The plan will be submitted to municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar next week.”

— Omprakash Bakoria, PMC additional commissioner

PUNE

The railway station is abuzz for the festive season

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan The festive season, with Diwali around the corner, means that people are travelling to their home places. Every seat on the trains from Pune to places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is booked.

Taking advantage of the situation, ticket examiners, and Reserve Police Force and Railway Police are fleecing passengers. Ticket checkers supposed to accost ticketless passengers are allowing passengers with unreserved tickets into reserved compartments in exchange for monetary considerations.

Ticket checkers approach passengers with unreserved tickets and persuade them to travel by reserved coaches, by paying the difference between the fares, in addition to the Rs 250 penalty.

It’s 3.30 pm, and the Darbhangabound Gyan Ganga Express will depart at 4.15 pm. The general compartment

is full and ticket checkers are peddling reserved bogey seats. A Muzaffarpurbound passenger pays Rs 590 surcharge for a reserved seat.

Jitender Rai, 35, paid Rs 410 for a general ticket for Muzaffarpur, but had to pay Rs 1000 to a ticket checker for his wife to travel in a reserved coach.

Railway Pravasi Manch President Harsha Shah said, “The special squads are supposed to patrol trains and fine and evict those travelling in reserved compartments without a valid ticket. If a passenger is caught between Pune and Daund, the difference of fare should be calculated between the two stations.”

Pune Rail Division Public Relation Officer (PRO) Manoj Kumar Jhawar said, “Charging the fare difference for the entire journey is illegal.”

The reserved ticketholders have no option but to suffer in silence, for the doings of the ticket checkers. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

Pune to be ODF by 2019

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Working towards the Clean Pune mission, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner promises that Pune will be Open Defecating Free (ODF) by 2019.

As per the plan, 28,582 personal and public toilets will be built in three phases. The plan involves providing 90 per cent of personal toilets, and the project is expected to cost Rs 17.5 crore.

Hadapsar ward corporator Chetan Tupe said, “When personal toilets will be built, people will have to keep them clean. This will reduce the OD rate and keep our city clean,”.

The first phase to begin this year will require five crore rupees. Nine crore rupees will be needed for the second phase. The third phase to end by 2019 will need Rs 2.5 crore.

PMC officials had done a survey of every ward in Pune in July. Personal and public toilets will be constructed depending on requirements.

VISHAL KALE

As per the survey done by the PMC in July, 28,582 personal and public toilets will be constructed as per the requirement MODULAR TOILETS Models should be designed flawlessly for a project of this magnitude. “The officials must scrutinise the models before approval,” Tupe said.

The toilets constructed with European Union (EU) budget, saw faulty toilet models, as only Rs 5000 was spent on it. This project calls for Rs 22,000 per toilet, and they would be durable, Tupe said.

Fifteen per cent of the Pune population still defecates in the open.

The public toilets will be constructed on government, semi-government or PWD property. Forty-three per cent of Pune’s population lives in slums. Coporator Vanita Wagaskar said, “The PMC should survey the drainage system, which if outdated and inadequate, must be replaced.”

PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar said, “Our aim is to make Pune ODF by 2019.” The PMC has built 2977 toilets in the last four years, of which 1,380 were built last year. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

RAHUL RAUT

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

“All roads should be constructed as per the Indian Roads Congress norms.There are a number of spots on the expressway where accident prevention measures need to be taken.

— Baba Shinde, former member of the Regional Transport Authority

No way to treat a lady P 15

‘We don’t need food, give us a roof over our heads’ The State Government has released Rs 2,92,000 as compensation for the victims of the fire at Thackeray Vasahat

VISHAL KALE

BY EKTA KATTI @EktaaK A week after 70 hutments were gutted at Meenatai Thackeray Vasahat at Gultekdi, the occupants of the ruined homes are picking up the pieces of their hugely disrupted lives.

Santosh Mahadev Sonawane, 32, an autorickshaw driver, set his hutment on fire after a tiff with his wife Sheela, 30, on Thursday, October 2. The fire spread to 70 other hutments and property worth one crore rupees was destroyed. Sonawane’s neighbour Chandramma Malesh, 58, registered an FIR in this regard with the Swargate police.

Neighbours say that Sonawane’s wife Kavita had eloped to Mumbai with another man. His mistress Sheela

Dattatraya Raval, 47, and wife Maya wait desparately for help from the Pune Municipal Corporation

Central schemes beat state ones

State government social schemes are losing out to central government ones

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

There are few takers for state government social schemes as citizens find central government schemes more attractive, user-friendly and they are better publicised.

Ten schemes of 36 come under the district social welfare department and are funded separately by both the state and central governments. Schemes funded by state government are losing out to central government ones, and unutilised budgets of state government schemes have to be surrendered.

District Social Welfare officer Sanjay Kadam said, “The scheme to promote inter-caste marriage is now also funded by the central government and the amount is Rs 2.50 lakh per couple. The state government gives just Rs 50,000, which is far less than what the central government is offering. Obviously people will opt for the central government scheme over the state government one,” The central government scheme for intercaste marriage also offers an online registration facility. “Why make rounds of our office for the state government’s fund when they get a bigger amount with just a click,” Kadam said. He said that the state government should update all its schemes to keep pace with the central government.

The state government scheme for old age homes also overlaps with the central government one. “We get Rs 900 a month per person in old age homes of the district. The central government also provides funds for medical staff who take care of the inmates of old age homes besides the infrastructure,” Kadam said.

Officials say that many state government schemes should change according to the changing need of the beneficiaries. But the state government has ignores their suggestions. “We don’t get budget allotments to provide money for artificial limbs. There is just one centre at Virar that caters to disabled people who need artificial limbs. The central government provides full or 50 per cent of the aid according to the income of the disabled person,” Kadam said.

Instead of providing separate funds

and her two children were living with him and his three children from Kavita. But Sheela and Sonawane used to be fighting all the time.

Sonawane has been booked under Section 436 of the IPC, involving mischief by fire or explosive substance with an intention to destroy a house, and has been shifted to Yerawada jail.

He faces a ten-year jail term. The fire that started at 4:07 pm which was brought under control after two hours, with 12 fire tenders and three tankers involved in the operation.

Nitin Gaikwad, 30, is awaiting government help. “We don’t need food, give us a roof over our heads. Only one wall of my house is still standing,” Gaikwad said.

Maya Dattatraya Raval, 45, is a devotee of Ramdas Swami. “We have lost everything but we trust in Swami.

He will show us a way,” she says.

Shankaramma Gangi, 20, has been married recently. She hails from Bijapur, Karnataka, and never thought that the beginning of married life would be so catastrophic. A piece of cloth to a bamboo serves as a wall for her house. “We have is no roof but lots

of food.” She lost gold jewelry worth Rs 65,000 in the fire.

Reshma Gaikwad, 26, has no place to take a bath. “We need a slab over our house. We will be grateful if the government provides that.”

HELP ON ITS WAY The government does not provide compensation when the mishap is not a natural calamity. But tehsildar Vrushrali Rajmane says that this catastrophe was an exception, and that the State Government is giving Rs 1000 per person and Rs 5000 per family as compensation.

“The fire was started by one person.

The State Government has sanctioned Rs 2,92,000 which we have received.

Forty-eight residents have registered their account numbers with us and the money will be transferred to their accounts immediately,” Rajmane said.

Ward Officer Vijay Landge said, “The PMC will provide some money to construct their houses and the work will start immediately.”

People from the neighbourhood are also heling victims of the fire. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Women in danger at 50 locations in Pune Three-month WSC study covers Pune, PCMC and two cantonment board areas covered by various police stations

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

LIST OF VULNERABLE SPOTS

The Women Safety Committee (WSC) headed by Pune Police Commissioner K K Pathak has identified 50 ‘vulnerable spots’ for the women, where incidents of sexual abuse can happen in the day or at night. The study was carried out over the last three months in the areas of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and the two cantonment board areas.

Pathak said that a team comprising of authorities from State Public Works Department (PWD), MSEDCL, and the civic bodies conducted a detailed study and identified all the spots where women are vulnerable to sexual abuse.

“The committee will recommend and implement corrective measures at these spots,” he said.

Police Inspector Pratibha Joshi of the Women Assistance Cell of the city Crime Branch said that the situation has changed in the last few years.

“There are many women who go out for work and return late in the night. It is necessary to avert incidents of sexual abuse on the streets,” Joshi said.

There are issues of public toilets for women, street lights (poor illumination), improper footpaths etc.

“All the agencies will have to work together to implement corrective measures,” Joshi said.

The survey lists spots such as bus stops, road junctions near prominent colleges, entry points of schools and colleges, crowded places, market places, roads which are deserted at

has identified bus stops located near schools and colleges as vulnerable spots because boys tend to offer lifts to girls waiting for buses.

The police team has conducted counseling sessions on sexual abuse and how to avert it at colleges and schools. “This is done as preventive measure,” she said.

At the same time, MSEDCL, PMC and PCMC authorities have been asked to improve illumination at overbridges, subways and deserted roads. “The authorities are working on the illumination issues. We are working to make these spots as nonvulnerable,” Joshi said.

“We have requested PMC authorities to construct public toilets for women to avert sexual abuse of women on the streets,” she said. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

• Area near K P Mall • Area near Symbiosis College, Hinjewadi IT Park • Shivar Garden, Rahatni • Area near Narsinha College, Sangvi • Krishna Bazaar Chowk, Navi Sangvi • Savitribai Phule Pune University • Area near DAV School, Aundh • Sus Khind Hill • Area near DY Patil College, Sant Tukaramnagar • Shagun Chowk, Pimpri

Deserted spots like these are where women are most vulnerable to attacks

night, public parks, spots located near temples and other religious places, road space near theatres, State Transport (ST) bus stands, hilly tracks, and some junctions and popular street food joints.

The local police stations identified these spots primarily and submitted a report to the Police Commissioner’s office. After this, a team comprising of officers and Police Inspector Pratibha Joshi visited all these spots for verification.

Joshi said that some police stations identified only three spots, while police

stations like Chandannagar, Deccan, Kondhwa, Wanowrie and others identified more than eight such spots.

Deserted roads include BanerPashan link road, internal roads of Bhusari Colony, Ideal Colony, Road joining Shriram Society to Shanu Patel chowk, internal roads of Savitribai Phule Pune University, internal roads of Sant Tukaramnagar in Pimpri, etc.

The committee has also identified areas near the Pune and Shivajinagar railway stations as vulnerable spots.

Joshi said that the committee

PMC demolishes German Bakery’s illegal extensions Within hours of the action, it was business as usual.

Cleared open space was encroached yet again

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma On Tuesday, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) came down hard on German Bakery Wunderbar, a popular eatery on Law College Road, Pune. Or at least it pretended to do so. The civic officials razed illegal extensions of the restaurant. This included pulling down a shed the restaurant had erected for monsoons and prohibiting them from carrying on business in the open area outside.

Hours later, it was business as usual.

Minus the shed, the restaurant set up seating in the open area and the place was bustling with patrons.

The demolition that activists are terming as nothing short of a farce

VISHAL KALE

started on Tuesday afternoon. A team of around dozen odd civic officials accompanied by cops arrived at German Bakery Wunderbar equipped with iron cutters. Over the next couple of hours, the team had managed to pull down the shed on three sides of the open area around the restaurant. They also set aside all the chairs and tables, and warned the management to not use the open area for serving customers.

The action was taken by PMC on the basis of a notice issued to the restaurant on June 4 this year. The civic body had asked the restaurant to get rid of illegal extensions in the open area.

This included a shed the restaurant had erected in the open area and used it for seating patrons. “We had put the shed due to the rains. Our customers like the outdoor seating and to avoid any inconvenience to them, we had put up a temporary arrangement. We were asked by the PMC to take off the shed and free the area. However, we decided to keep it till the monsoon is over,” said Rajan Udange, owner of the German

deputy engineer of encroachment removal department in PMC. This was echoed by Bhange’s boss, Amar Shinde, executive engineer, “The team required for demolition could be arranged only today. There’s an acute manpower shortage. We sometimes also give time to the restaurants as they assure us that they will take down the illegal constructions themselves.”

On Tuesday after the exercise was over, the civic staff warned the owner from using the open area. “All the vehicles are parked on the road or in the nearby building most of the time, whereas in the original plans, this open area used by the restaurant is denoted for parking. It is illegal for the restaurant owners to deviate from the original plans,” explained Bhange.

Initially, the restaurant owner promised

that the area will be refurbished and used only as a parking space.

After the demolition team had left, Udange was quick to retract his words. He said that only a part of the open area would be converted into parking and the rest would be used for outdoor seating.

By evening it was business as usual. The restaurant occupied every inch of the open space and placed tables all over, violating the law yet again. The PMC action has been termed as a farce by activists. “Civic officials take up these demolitions which are nothing but a sham. It is illegal to put up tables in open spaces. If the PMC is serious about initiating action, they have the powers to prosecute the owners,” said Vijay Kumbhar, RTI activist from Pune. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Only part of the open area will be used as parking space

The PMC anti-encroachment personnel at German Bakery on Law College Road

Bakery Wunderbar.

For almost five months, the civic body sat quiet and did not act on the notice. With the monsoon finally over, PMC decided to act. Civic officials

were quick to justify that due to excessive workload they were unable to take the demolition earlier. “We have a severe shortage of staff . Thus it took so long,” explained Prasad Bhange,

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

“Every year we need at least one lakh eyes. But we manage to do only 25,000 transplants. Those who die in road accidents, their organs can be donated.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

“ The way traced out by the Vatican II text is: ‘Yes’ to the rediscovery of the Jewish roots of Christianity; and ‘No’ to all forms of anti-Semitism, and a condemnation of all insults, that stem from it.” — Pope Francis

Dance therapy for Parkinson’s disease

Classical dancer Hrishikesh Pawar’s dance programme has been helping people with ailment for six years

BY JAMES MATHEW @mathewthejames

Parkinson’s is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system and its obvious symptoms are m o v e m e n t-r e l a t e d .

Various studies have found that dance and live music provides an outlet for people affl icted with the disease. Clinical Hrishikesh Pawar psychologists say that dancing plays a vital role in treatment. The ailment usually affects elderly people. Apart from poor movement, in some cases it also leads to dementia.

Dance is used as a therapy for the progressive movement disorder the world over.

Contemporary and classical dancer and choreographer Hrishikesh Pawar 31, started the initiative Dance for Parkinson’s Disease as a community project in Pune to treat persons with the ailment in 2009. Apart from learning Kathak since the age of nine, Hrishikesh studied contemporary dance at the Palucca School for Dance in Germany. The artistic director of Centre of Contemporary Dance, in Pune, Pawar started his dance journey with Kathak, training with Manisha Abhay, Rohini Bhate, Sharadhini Gole and Amala Shekhar.

“Parkinson’s affects people’s ability to express physically, vocally and facially. The dance therapy is not a cure but helps in facing the ailment bravely. I heard about the Mark Morris Dance Center (MMDG) in Brooklyn (New York) in 2007 and decided to start

Hrishikesh Pawar (left) holding a session for people with Parkinson’s

Pawar and Maithily run the community project in collaboration with Sancheti Institute for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. The dance programme is managed in affiliation with New York’s Mark Morris Dance Group. It is a structured module inspired by the rhythmic nature of Kathak.

Pawar became the first Indian to be invited as a guest student in the ‘Dance Teacher Training Program’ for a year at the Palucca Schule Dresden - Hochschule für Tanz, Germany in 2005. Gret Palucca’s dance forms helped him understand Kathak and Contemporary dance forms. He established the Centre of Contemporary Dance in 2007 and launched the Hrishikesh Dance Company (HDC) in 2009. james.mathew@goldensparrow.com

Go banana product shopping Monalisa Kalagram organises an exhibition of banana fibre products presented by Uramma Crafts

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @ZainabKantawala Ever thought of using hats, baskets and table mats made from bananas? Uramma Craft, a project by Kishkinda Trust, has announced an exhibition of banana fibre products. It is an initiative by Shama Pawar to convert banana leaves into textiles and other products in order to preserve Shama Pawar rural tradition and boost local employment.

The trust is based in Anegundi, a small village situated on the northern bank of Tungabhadra River and near Hampi in Karnataka. The place is believed to be ‘Kishkinda’, the legendary monkey kingdom of the epic Ramayana.

Hampi made a strong impression on Kishkinda Trust founder Shama, niece of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, after she first visited the site in 1991 and moved full time to Anegundi in 1994.

Being a painter, her love for architectural conservation, people and environment

Novel scheme for financial empowerment of women

120 NGOs and SHGs will be showcasing their handmade products under one roof till Monday at the eight annual Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry While many people prefer to talk about women empowerment and need to support Self Help Groups (SHGs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), very few actually walk the talk. Working in Pune and nearby villages around Taloja in Raigad district, Ishanya Foundation will hold the eight annual Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair (YRNF) in the city. A one-of-its-kind initiative, the idea is to not only make youth and women self-reliant and selfsufficient but also show them on how to improve their living conditions.

something similar in Pune. Bharatnatyam dancer, industrial psychologist and my student Maithily Bhupatkar joined me and trained in Brooklyn for a month before we started the programme. We conduct regular classes and the happy faces of middle-aged men and women say it all,” Pawar said, who also visited Brooklyn to know more about this dance therapy. Pawar said that the programme’s initial days were difficult as citizens were not willing to accept the dance therapy idea even as hospitals and Parkinson’s groups extended support.

“My extensive study in Kathak and other forms in India and abroad helped me develop a new dance form. I have been independently using this unique performing art in all my classes and sessions,” Pawar said.

Kishkinda Trust has provided employment to over 600 women; (below) attractive products made with organic, eco-friendly banana fibre ropes

compelled her to do something to retain Anegundi’s natural beauty. She dedicated her life to the socio economic well-being of the locales. Shama pursued two year foundation course at Abhinav Kala Mandir after completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts (painting) from SNDT University in Pune.

“It is our responsibility to conserve this place’s culture and crafts. The main project is the banana leaf craft workshop that employs local women and also acts as a way to recycle and work on the conservation side of the trust’s aims. The products made by women are sold and profit goes back to the trust,” she said.

The banana fibre cottage industry was set up under Kishkinda Trust to

help women find gainful employment.

“Uramma Craft was set up in collaboration with Kishkinda Trust. It creates opportunities for people to grow and develop skills while helping them manage their own cultural industries. I look forward to the day when I can hand over the business to these women and watch them flourish,” Shama said.

The cottage industry uses organic, eco-friendly banana fibre ropes woven into beautiful personal and home accessories by skilled women artisans.

Over the years since its inception, the Trust has run programmes integrating heritage conservation with crafts, rural tourism, organic farming and other locally developed skills.

The trust provides employment to over 600 women who oversee production and artwork at the workshop, and weave banana fibres into colourful clothing, baskets and woven matting. “Everything we make is handcrafted with a range of subtle dyes and design styles are used. We give importance on minimising waste.

Everything is made using sustainable methods, so we use banana-leaf fibres and cottons, although some of the dyes are chemical dyes,” she said.

The Diwali special exhibition will display handbags, home décor accessories, baskets, mats and other handmade products.

When: Till Novemebr 1 Where: Monalisa Kalagram, Pingale Farms in Koregaon Park zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

PUNE

THE EIGHT EDITION Started in 2007, the YRNF initiative by Ishanya Foundation has grown slowly and steadily. From 3040 NGOs and SHGs taking part in the first year, the figure has tripled in eight years. Ishanya Foundation founder trustee Parul Mehta said, “YRNF is a unique platform that brings the collective work of several NGOs, artisans and SHGs across India under one roof. It is an opportunity for them to reach out to their stakeholders, interact and grow in the process. They learn from each other and build networks for their future endeavours.”

While YRNF is an annual event, Ishanya Foundation supports these NGOs throughout the year. The foundation’s main purpose is to develop marketing skills of these traditional artisans.

According to Parul, self-confidence, innovation according to market requirements and better communication skills are by-products.

TALENT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY There is more than enough talent in the country and yet people prefer to use products that are internationally manufactured and produced. Aiming to change this trend and take ahead Prime Minister

Film star Bhagyashree (third from left) and Parul Mehta (fourth from left) at YRNF in 2013

Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, Ishanya is actively promoting products made by NGOs and SHGs from across India. These products range from gift bags, greeting cards, organic jaggery, dry fruits to diyas and candles. Anything one buys from the fair would be an act of supporting the NGOs that work for women empowerment, cancer patients, physically challenged and environment protection.

Most of these products are handmade.

GETTING EVERYONE TOGETHER While initially the biggest task was sourcing and getting together NGOs for the fair, now the process is more organised. “In the beginning, there was a lot of back and forth when it came to NGOs that would be attending the fair. The experience of seven years has helped us plan the event in a much more professional manner. Many NGOs and SHGs now approach us to take part in the fair,” Parul said. According to the organisers, the event is funded by Ishanya Foundation and a few sponsors.

NABARD also extends support as the initiative is to provide employment opportunities for women and underprivileged. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

‘Music is God’s gift to mankind’

F

to the client’s requirements, A 15-20 member unit is average for a marriage function.

Iqbal also takes equal care of the musicians he employs. “I have a couple of rooms for my band musicians where they can rehearse and focus on the music. Ten musicians currently live here with their families,” Iqbal said.

Darbar band has always been the first to introduce new instruments. Iqbal’s father was the first to make use of patti tarang in 1945. Darbar introduced the sousaphone in 1962 and keyboards in 1978.

“I started using an octapad for marriage functions in 1991, and our audiences loved it,” Iqbal said, who also plays the clarinet.

Iqbal is genuinely concerned about the future of the brass band tradition. “The younger generation is not interested in blowing instruments. I am not bothered by the deejay trend but it’s a fact that brass bands are facing an uncertain future. The times are changing, but no matter what comes to pass, musicians possess a gift that comes from God,” he said.

CASE STUDIES Dilip Kamble Dilip Kamble, 40, lives in a 10 x 7 room in Raviwar Peth. He plays clarinet for Darbar Brass Band but he obviously is having a hard time to make ends meet. He has been in Pune for 20 years. His family lives in Umargao, a small town near Gujarat.

“Music is all I have. I’m proud to belong in the Darbar Brass Band which is the oldest and most famous in the country,” he said.

P

Prabhat Band has featured in a number of Marathi fi lms, performed at cricket matches, and even during India’s freedom struggle. But this band which was once in great demand at the most prestigious of functions, has now fallen on hard times.

“The brass band tradition and its music is an art, which has seen a constant downslide

Kamble’s father also used to play for the Darbar brand. Playing alongside his father in the band was a golden era for him.

“Those were the days. Baba and I used to have the time of our lives playing for Darbar. My father taught me how to play the clarinet,” he said. His father passed away recently at the age of 70.

Kamble is not thrilled with the current musical trends and the music he has to play at marriage functions and such.

“I frankly don’t like the new songs, but one has to change according to the fads,” he said.

Jeevan Dhavare Jeevan Dhavare, 40, is able to pay for his elder daughter’s education at a municipal

school. “I don’t earn a lot but as we have been provided a room and I can manage to send my child to school,” said Dhavare, who has been with the Darbar band for 17 years.

The room provided by his employers means the world to him and he confesses that his life would have been desperate without Iqbal Darbar’s support.

Dhavare used to play for the Kalasagar Band, and now plays side drum for Darbar band. “Kalasagar was a good band but Darbar band feels like home,” he said.

He is not all that impressed with the deejay trend, as the brass band is unique and has its own charm. “Even brass bands now use deejays. But we are preserving the brass band traditions and detest using a deejay,” he said.

in its demand and value. Besides the advent of modern electronic instruments, the stringent laws regarding noise pollution set by the state government are also responsible for the falling demand and popularity of brass bands,” said Amod Solapurkar, who is the grandson of the founders, and current owner of Prabhat Band.

Apart from the ban on live music after 10 pm, the state government has also banned the ‘Toran’ ceremony performed during Navratri. “We lost almost 80 per cent of our business during Navratri due to this. Wedding halls have their own sets of rules and almost all wedding halls in the city have restrictions on bands on their premises. That is why very few hire brass bands for marriage functions,” Solapurkar said.

Shrihari Salve Shrihari Salve came to Pune in 1989 in search of a band he could join, to fend for his family of five. “I am not educated and playing in a band was my only option,” he said. He used to play the euphonium back home in Hivra Govardhan village in Beed district and the instrument has served him well, enabling him to earn a living.

“My maternal uncle taught me to play the euphonium when I was 16. But nowadays I do not get as work as I used to get earlier,” Salve said. He has to have an alternate profession. “I work as a security

guard in a housing society at Shaniwar Peth during the lean period, and my wife works as a housemaid,” Salve said. “I have schoolgoing kids and I must work to give them a better opportunities in life,” he said.

Dilip Jawale Dilip Jawale, 56, has been working with the Prabhat Band for seven years, but he has been playing in brass bands since he was 17. “I play trumpet, which is not an easy instrument to master. As I get older, blowing a trumpet for a long time is becoming more and more difficult. But I have no other option and I have to earn money for the sake of my family,” said Jawale. He came to Pune from Ahmednagar district 17 years ago in search of a job.

“It’s sad that the state government has turned a blind eye towards brass bands. We do not get any facilities like other artistes.

Even tamasha artists get pensions now. I don’t know how long we must wait before the state government think about our welfare,” Jawale said. In the lean

‘People would line up on the streets to see and hear us’ octapad to keep up with the competition.

But modern instruments do not compare with the melodic nature of an authentic brass band,” Adhav said.

The New Gandharva Band has 35 musical instruments, but only ten musicians. “Our musicians are well aware of the declining demand and popularity of brass bands. They are therefore, switching to other professions, or find jobs in other bands to earn a little extra,” Adhav said.

T

and hope for the best.

The stringent laws against noise pollution proved to be another setback for the brass bands which further reduced their demand and popularity. The carpet ban on live music after 10 pm affected the brass bands quite drastically and stopped people from hiring them for marriages and religious functions.

Over time, more brass bands sprung up in the city employing more musicians, and even the sound of the traditional sound went through a sea change.

Pune Band Kala Vikas Pratishthan head, Feroz Khan, said, “Currently there are very few bands in the city that can be regarded as traditional brass bands. Traditional brass bands used to play patriotic songs, Ganpati aarti, Marathi bhavgeet and traditional wedding songs. The newer bands that play Bollywood fi lm songs and remixes can hardly be regarded as brass bands, as their music is just like the crowd-pleasing deejays.”

The brass bands have had to tailor their sound to suit the demand from their clients and the westernisation and the departure from traditional norms is hugely worrying for brass band stalwarts.

They see an urgent need to preserve the tradition and avoid any disruption of age-old customs. The young generation has a crucial role to play in this regard and they must take up the traditional art of brass band m u s i c a n d

ensure the continuity of the existing brass bands, and thus protect their rich heritage, they feel.

Brass bands are hired on a contract basis but what the musicians are paid amounts to just peanuts considering that besides playing their instruments, they have to trudge for miles with the processions, which is quite a physical ordeal. “We walk for miles with a Dussehra or Ganapati procession and for the older musicians this is quite difficult and sometimes even impossible. But this is what I have done all my life. I do not know anything else and I still love it as much as I have ever done. So the thought of giving up never enters my mind,” said Ganpat Bharaskar, who at 73 years of age still blows his clarinet with verve and passion.

M

ahapati Bagade is 73, but belies any signs of age. He is understandably proud of his achievements, and owns a house, car and a small shop. “I have earned all these luxuries through work that I worship,” says Bagade.

The work he means is, of course, a brass band.

He came to Pune from the famine-hit Barshi, in Solapur, in 1972. He had no clue about what direction his life would take but fate had a bright future in store for him.

“I started playing clarinet in a brass band in Pune in 1975. I used to earn around Rs 300 a month which wasn’t enough to feed a family of six. But my wife has always supported my passion for music,” he said.

She worked as housemaid to lend a helping hand and even his young son Vikram

worked as a clerk.

Bagade eventually established the Kalasagar Brass Band in Bibwewadi, in 1989. The band is now run by Vikram. He thinks that current trends have made people forget about the brass band tradition.

“People want deejays and speaker walls at marriage ceremonies,” Vikram said.

But he knows the importance of keeping up with the times and he has managed to follow the changing trends.

The band has 40 musicians who are adept at playing brass instruments. No matter the obstacles they face with the changing times, the Bagades and their band are fortified by their love for the music.

Marriage contracts are the most common engagements for a brass band.

Kalasagar band is hired for 20-25 marriages in a year on average. In keeping with modern trends, the band has introduced instruments like a synthesizer.

“We are paid according to our standard.

A band can earn from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,50,000 for a two-hour performance,” Vikram said.

The band has eight instruments including clarinet, side drum, trumpet, cornet, Bb cornet, horns, French horn and euphonium, two jeeps and a pushcart. They are not idle but keep rehearsing during the off season. “We practise for 2-3 hours daily to arrange the new and trendy songs that people want,” he said.

CASE STUDIES Baburao Jadhav Baburao Jadhav, 60, is perplexed and deeply saddened that today’s generation prefers

Bollywood music to the traditional brass band sound. “The Bollywood kind of music makes no sense to me. It’s just noise,” says Jadhav.

He has been part of the Kalasagar band for 12 years. “I don’t earn enough as we work on a contract basis. How can I run my household on Rs 8000?” he says.

He therefore, has to take up odd jobs like selling vegetables or working as security guard to supplement his income.

Vikram Korvi Vikram Korvi, 30, has come a long way with brass bands. Once he was the kid in

bands we had in Pune. It is another matter that today brass bands are not in great demand or as popular,” Bharaskar said. He gets a monthly salary unlike the other band members who are on contracts.

Anil Gawali Anil Gawali, 55, lives in Keshav Nagar in Mundhwa. He has had no formal training in playing trumpet but picked it up by watching others at his native village in Tuljapur. “They said that I could earn more money playing in a band in the city. I came

to Pune which has always had a brass band tradition,” said Gawali.

He works on a contract basis and also has to moonlight as a labourer to tend to his family of six. “Events are few and far between the last few years and my monthly earnings are less and less. I am forced to take up labour jobs,” Gawali said. Before joining New Gandharva Band, he played in bands in Keshav Nagar.

“I have taught my son who now plays trumpet in the same band with me for three years,” Gawali said.

the band’s everyone doted on and now he is the leader. “I was just eight when I joined the band. Now I lead the group which is a big responsibility,” says Korvi, who plays all the instruments. “I don’t like playing the synthesizer though,” he says.

Korvi moonlights as a tempo driver. He said, “My salary does not even pay for my basic needs. My wife has to do odd jobs to help out.”

But music runs in his veins and it is a passion and a matter of pride. “I have never thought of quitting music because I love my art,” he said. “I am thinking of starting my own band,” he said.

Govinda Band, Dhankawadi

Busy the whole year round

S

unil Ovhal started the Govinda Brass Band in 1996, though he was not musically inclined. “I was never drawn to music. But my father’s dedication and love for brass bands was extraordinary. He had played for lots of bands but always wanted to start his own band. That’s why I thought of starting a brass band,” he said.

Sunil’s father, Dagadu, came from famine-struck Osmanabad to Pune, in 1972, in search of work.

“He played for numerous bands after landing in Pune. I started a band for my father’s sake with an investment of just Rs 40,000 in 1996, and now we have instruments worth Rs 65 lakh,” Ovhal said.

It was a struggle and he

used to handle the business on the roadside.

Now, 19 years later, he has his shop in Dhankawadi, with 20 full time members and 20 contract artists. The band plays for 300 marriages a year on average.

Ovhal realises what the current generation of customers want and has transformed his band accordingly. “I have had to change the functioning of the band as per the needs of the clients and the trends. Clients these days want a DJ and loud music,” he said. To cater to such customers, he has invested in a digital car equipped with the modern instruments.

“Clients who want a digital car are charged Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000,” he says.

The band has eight types of instruments including brass instruments like the trumpet, as the euphonium and sousaphone.

“We also have rhythm instruments like

kacchi, dhol and tasha,” he said. The digital age is responsible for the fading away of the brass bands, he thinks.

The band gets paid between Rs 12,00015,000 for a marriage function.

CASE STUDIES Modak Thorat Modak Thorat, 32, a trumpet player with the Govinda Brass Band, says that education was never his priority. “Music has always been my passion,” said Modak, who has been with the band for ten years.

“I have no other talent, but my love for music has enabled to continue with this art,” he said.

Modak is paid Rs 6000 a month on a contract basis. He lives in Padmavati and also doubles as construction worker to earn extra.

Modak’s visually handicapped father

Pune Band Kala Vikas Pratishthan head, Feroz Khan

‘Brass band tradition will soon vanish’

CASE STUDIES Ganpat Bharaskar, at 73, is the oldest member of New Gandharva Band. He has been playing clarinet for 50 years and has been part of the New Gandharva Band for 21 years. “I came from Majal village in Beed district to Pune 50 years ago. I wanted to learn to play the clarinet but I also worked as a tailor initially. Now my playing days are almost over as I cannot handle the physical stress,” Bharaskar said.

“I am the only breadwinner in the family. But I play clarinet not just to earn a living but because it is still my passion.

I cannot sit idle as long as I can play my clarinet,” said Bharaskar.

Bharaskar remembers the good times well. “No other city had the kind of brass

BY EKTA KATTI PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @TGSWeekly Once upon a time, brass bands were indispensable for celebrations, ceremonies and other public functions in Pune, and in the bygone era when there was no television, computer and mobile phone, watching a brass band parade was the pinnacle of live entertainment on the city streets. Kids, their parents and grandparents came out on to the streets to partake of the sounds of the blaring horns and throbbing drum beats, and the musicians were always decked up in the most colourful of uniforms, replete with headgear, boots, epaulettes and gold fi ligree.

They were a sight to behold and their versions of the popular music of the day, mostly fi lm songs, were as or even more infectious and dance-able than the most popular deejays of this age.

There were six traditional brass bands in the city in the 40s. namely Prabhat, Darbar, Rajkamal, Suprabhat, Sardar and Sangam.

But the times changed after Independence, and the brass band traditions too underwent significant changes as well as a dip in demand and popularity. Technology also had a role to play and the boom and inventions in electronics brought along instruments like the synthesizer and octapad in the 80s, which consequently, saw the decline and sidelining of brass instruments like the trumpet, saxophone and clarinet, as well as the euphonium and dhol-tasha. The rise of the DJs and remixes in the 90s was a further setback for the brass band industry and musicians.

Th is downslide in business affected owners of brass bands and the musicians they employed, to the point where their very means of earning a living seemed to vanish into thin air. Having spent most of their lives devoted to playing a bras instrument, they were suddenly faced with searching for another source of livelihood. The period between June and October was the most difficult, as the brass bands were unable to get a ‘supari’, a contract to play at a religious event, marriage ceremony etc. A majority of the brass musicians belonged to villages of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and they were then impelled to work as labourers, security guards if they were lucky, or twiddle their thumbs

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Brass shines as brightly as gold

Brass bands, with their wide array of instruments, regal uniforms and signature sound, have fallen considerably since their glory days

New Gandharva Band, Kasba Peth

he New Gandharva Band is relatively new, and was established

by Tukaram Adhav in 1975. His son Balasaheb has been managing the band since 1980. “Those days we were hired for naming ceremonies or domestic religious rituals. Brass bands then were such an attraction that when we were passing by people would line the streets to see and hear us. Th ings are completely different now and now brass bands are no the crowd-pullers that they used to be. People are now more fond of the loud electronic instruments,” Adhav said.

Adhav has however, kept up with the changing trends and he included an octapad in his band line-up since 1990.

“I have had to invest in a synthesizer and

Kalasagar Brass Band, Bibwewadi

sound of music

CASE STUDIES

rabhat Band was launched by Bhalchandra, Vinayak, Ramchandra and Moreshwar Solapurkar in 1935 on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, completing 80 years of existence.

Bhalchandra was a disciple of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, and he had the thought of starting his own brass band.

PUNE

were alive with the

Prabhat Band, Appa Balwant Chowk

‘The brass band tradition has seen a constant downslide’

OCTOBER 31, 2015

When the streets

Darbar Brass Band, Ravivar Peth

ounded in 1905 by Shaikh Rahim, it was originally called Universal Brass Band. Rahim’s grandson, Iqbal Darbar is now in charge of the band, which is called Darbar Brass Band. “No marriage in India was complete without the Darbar Brass Band,” he said.

It is firmly established in the pantheon of the greatest brass bands of India, and the band has featured in innumerable landmark ceremonies and functions. But there was one event, the memory of which thrills Iqbal even now.

The year was 1989, when Darbar Brass Band played the soundtrack of the movie ‘Ram Lakhan’, in the presence of a Bollywood audience.

“The film crowd loved our version of ‘One Two Ka Four’. Subhash (Ghai) had invited us to play the song for the cast, crew and other film industry invitees as a surprise. First we played our usual repertoire. But the moment we started playing the ‘Ram Lakhan’ hit at Subhash’s signal, the audience went berserk,” Iqbal said.

Iqbal was reduced to tears when maestros Lakshmikant-Pyarelal clicked a picture with the Darbar Brass Band.

Iqbal has ensured that they have maintained cordial relation with and never forfeited the goodwill of their clients.

“Thanks to our loyal clients, I am never concerned about the competition. It’s such a thrill to hear a client say that Darbar band had played for their grandfather,” says the 66-year-old.

Darbar currently employs 25 musicians and the number of musicians varies according

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

PUNE

W

ith the ever growing demand for Disc Jockeys (DJs), Feroz Khan, head of the Pune Band Kala Vikas Pratishthan, feels that the brass band tradition is set to fade away in the near future.

“People have forgotten age old customs. The DJ tradition has taken over, which will be difficult to change,” he said.

The association formed in 1985, represents and looks after the brass bands’ welfare.

He feels most distressed that people are not giving the brass bands the credit they are due.

“They will regret this in the coming days as this tradition will soon vanish,” he said.

Feroz, 52, is an accomplished saxophone and clarinet player, who formed his own brass band called Shriraj Kumar, in 1996.

One of the other factors is that the young generation is not taking up brass instruments, Feroz says. “Youngsters do not want to learn brass instruments and they have completely ignored the tradition,” he said.

There are 200 brass bands in the city, but they use just three brass instruments, namely the trumpet, clarinet and euphonium.

Khan is one the most accomplished clarinet players of the city, remembers the good old days.

“People were very crazy about brass bands once upon a time. They used to follow us and dance to our music. We used to be like rock stars then.” he said. These days it’s a different story and people show us no regard, he says. The overwhelming demand for deejays should end and youngsters should take up brass instruments for the revival of

also plays in the same band. “It is an honour to play alongside my father,” he says.

Laxmi Bhalerao Laxmi Bhalerao, 70, is not about to give up on his music. “I am a grandfather now, but I am going to keep playing in this band for as long as I can,” he says.

He gets paid just Rs 300 for a marriage function, but is undeterred. “My love for music keeps me going even at this age,” says Laxmi, who plays the trumpet.

He feels helpless about the changing trends and the demand for deejays. “If we don’t give clients what they want, they will not hire us. We have to change according to the trends,” he says.

He is also appreciative of the kindness of the band owner. “He is the reason why I am here. I will never leave this band,” he said.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

TECH/START-UP

Google rents out goats from a company called California Grazing to help cut down the amount of weeds and brush at Google HQ!

‘Pak backed terror groups like LeT to fan militancy’ P 13

Finding right skillset a major challenge for start-ups: Survey

The country is witnessing a boom in the startup industry, and the present talent pool available is excited to join the startup bandwagon The startups boom in the country is now faced with the challenge of finding the right skilled manpower as most entrepreneurs find mismatch in the talent with the required skill set, according to a survey.

“To succeed, it is imperative to attract the best talent at an early stage, as the selection of each member adds in organisation’s growth,” executive search and consulting fi rm Athena’s Managing Director Bhavishya Sharma said.

He said the country is witnessing a boom in the startup industry, and the present talent pool available is excited to join the startup bandwagon.

However, still 61 per cent of startups feel that embracing the startup culture is the biggest issue even after finding the right hire.

Th is challenge is followed by ensuring whether the

right talent has the right skills. Around 44.4 per cent of startups face this problem, along with stability concerns and budget constraints constituting 38.9 per cent and 27.8 per cent, respectively.

The findings further stated, that people cost takes precedence and eats up to 66.7 per cent of the cost incurred by any startup.

“People are the assets of any company.

For a startup they act as directors, leaders, employees, managers, strategic thinkers, basically everything that a startup needs. No wonder, the cost incurred on getting the right people on aboard is so high,” Sharma added.

Once the human resources is taken care of, the company focuses on strategic initiatives and technology infrastructure, which account for nearly 16.7 per cent and 14.7 per cent of the expenses incurred, the survey added.

Another challenge which keeps startups on their toes is finding the talent with the desired skills for the middle and senior level management.

“It is comparatively much easier to find managers at the junior level, but it is very time consuming and crucial when the hunt is on for the middle and senior level management.

“Startups literally crave for quality mid-level and senior-level employees because most of them are lured by multinationals, who offers them better salary standards, the tag of bigger brand and job security,” Sharma said. (More) PTI SM NRB ADI MKJ However, the survey revealed that almost 55 per cent organisations witnessed candidates changing jobs to work with startups.

The findings showcased that 38.9 per cent and 27.8 per cent startups feel hiring at middle level and senior level, respectively, is a critical and time consuming task.

Further, the survey also revealed that funding, competition and poor business planning are the other threats that are involved in scaling up new ventures.

PTI

IT companies to benefit Indo-Global from H-1B filing fee drop Educational Summit 2015 Leading IT companies, including Infosys, TCS and Wipro, apply for a large numbers of H-1B visas for their skilled workers to work in the US

Rami Fakhoury

The sharp drop of USD 2,000 fi ling fees for H-1B visa seekers to US may benefit the top Indian IT companies, an American immigration law fi rm said today.

“The additional fi ling fees of USD 4,325 for H-1B visa was reduced by USD 2,000 by the US Government earlier this month. Th is is a good news for the local IT

industry.

“It will be now less costly for companies to petition for individual workers as there is a saving of USD 2,000 per case,” Fakhoury Law Group Managing Attorney Rami D Fakhoury told reporters here.

Fakhoury Law Group’s affi liated company Fakhoury Global Immigration supports corporate clients in deputing their employees across the world under various visa categories available in the US. Leading IT companies, including Infosys, TCS and Wipro, among others, apply for a large numbers of H-1B visas for their skilled workers to work in the US every year.

India’s USD 146 billion IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the temporary visas that are required by skilled foreigners to work in the US. India-based IT companies invested more

than USD 2 billion in 2011-2013, paid USD 22.5 billion in taxes to the US Treasury in those years, and today support more than 411,000 direct and indirect jobs, including 300,000 held by US citizens and permanent residents, Nasscom said in a study last month.

“We see a strong demand for H-1B visas this year from Indian IT, ITES, engineering services and healthcare fi rms.

India is poised to be a leader with human resources because of its ability to deliver,” Fakhoury said. Many changes have been made in the immigration laws across the world today. Almost all countries are protecting their local labour force and desire to generate revenues as taxes from the foreign employees, he said.

PTI

The eighth Indo-Global Educational Summit-2015 will be held here for two days from November 15.

Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry and The Indus Foundation today said that the summit will see participation of 35 foreign universities, besides Indian institutions.

It will explore opportunities for collaborations between foreign universities and Indian institutions.

Especially designed for educational entrepreneurs, vicechancellors, provosts, deans, faculty, enrolment officers and their colleagues, the summit will have sessions on collaborative research programmes, joint/dual degree programmes, twinning and transfer programmes, distance education and vocational education programmes, faculty and students exchanges, study abroad in India

programmes, and other academic partnerships, C D Arha, chairman of the Indus Foundation, told reporters here.

The major fields covered would be Engineering and Applied Sciences, Information and Technology, Business and Management, Clinical and Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Sciences, Environment and Natural Resources, Education and Teacher Training, Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences, he said. There will be one-on-one meetings between representatives of Indian institutions/organisations and those of foreign universities for forging academic collaborations, he said.

“Recent trends indicate that US and other countries are keen to establish connections with the new powerhouse economy of India, not only in downstream industries but also in upstream Science.”

PTI

35 foreign varsities, besides Indian ones to take part

Showing the way for budding entrepreneurs Start-up jam gave participants an ideal platform to discuss ideas and collaborate

BY ABHA PANDIT @abha_pandit A start-up idea originates from a strong itch to do something different. And it could come from just anywhere — a problem that an entrepreneur faces in daily routine, a gap in a specific market, a growing need to facilitate a service or a passion to serve society in a unique way. The success of a start-up mainly depends on the idea being practical, worth putting efforts and attracting investors. And the common platform that addresses these concerns is a start-up jam.

The start-up jam at The Flour Works in Kalyani Nagar on October 28 provided an informal setting for 20 start-up founders to share ideas and make new connections under the guidance of a chief experience officer (CXO) and an angel investor. Entrepreneur, angel investor and a partner at Shadoka

Tarak Rindani and Anil Gupte interacting with entrepreneurs

Ventures (New York) Tarak Rindani, MotorScribes.com (automotive content and syndication) co-founder Manu Gour and Flour Works owner Meeta Makhecha organised the interactive session.

Shamik Vora is CXO and founder of HR4India (HR dept in a box). Anaggh Desai works with companies as advisor and mentor. Anil Gupte is a part of the Pune Angel Network and entrepreneur.

Over a beer, the participants discussed the start-up’s value with respect to industry

and related sector, the balance (or imbalance) between demand and supply of funds, investors’ expectations, groundwork and blueprint. The mentors cited cases on how to ideate, research, develop and grow a start-up.

OUT-OF-THE-BOX START-UPS Vaibhav Singh capitalised on the absence of late-night home-delivered food options in the city and started NiteFoodie in 2013.

“We operated from two kitchens but prices were on the steep side. Hence, we tied up

with restaurants that remained open late at night and offer free home delivery,” Vaibhav said. Customers can order food and other essential commodities from 8 pm to 4 am through the Android app.

TidySpidey is the online laundry service founded by three youngsters Jithin John, Vivek Makan and Anurag. They operate in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pimple Saudagar, Hinjewadi and Wakad. Co-founded by Raviraj Mahajan and Shahina Lalani, Zipprr aims at promoting running as a fitness activity. The app, to be soon launched, will give details right from correct shoes, to doctors and nutritionists. Anil Shinkar came up with the concept of Fit N Charm after watching his sisters and mother fret over finding new beauty parlours.

The online platform gives details on stylists, trainers, tattoo parlours and therapists depending on your location.

Anshul Motwani’s WittyPen is a businessto-consumer (B2C) platform that enables businesses to get customised content from writers from their industry. abhapandit25@gmail.com

APP WORLD

Women safety on fingertips Women Safety

IOS/Android: Free Women Safety app is the best app to inform and update your close ones if you are in an unsafe place. The app is the fastest and easiest way to update your close ones about your location and other details. With just a tap of a button, the app sends an SMS to a preconfigured number along with your location and a link to Google Map. The app also captures 2 pics, one with front camera and the other with back camera, and a video or audio clip and uploads it to our server. A link to the pic, audio or video is emailed to a preconfigured email Ids. There are 3 coloured buttons in the app with different configurations. Just open the app and tap on the colour based on the seriousness of the situation. If you just want to update your status to your dear ones, tap on Green button.

If you want to stay cautious, press on Orange button. If you want to report that you are in danger, press the Red button.

bSafe

IOS/Android: Free The bSafe is a personal safety app designed to keep you and your friends safer 24/7. It’s packed with features for both everyday safety and real emergencies, making it the ultimate safety tool for you and everyone you love. bSafe puts safety in YOUR hand - for FREE! Set up your own personal social safety network today. Have you ever felt unsafe when walking alone at night, or jogging on a running trail? Have you ever needed an excuse to get out of a bad date or long meeting, or simply been looking for an easier way to hook up with your closest friends? Have you ever worried about how you actually would get help in case of an emergency? bSafe can help in all situations.

Raksha

IOS/Android: Free Raksha - Women Safety Alert App is the most effective safety app. Just at the press of a button your near and dear ones know your location. Your selected contacts can see your location and you can even ask them to show theirs. A distress signal just by pressing a single key sends out a loud buzzer to your near and dear ones. Your parents need not worry all the time now. You as a woman need not worry about security. Even if the Raksha App is switched off and isn’t running, pressing the volume key for just three seconds alerts the specific contacts you have chosen beforehand. Your location is sent to them on a map which sends them your exact whereabouts.

SafetiPin Track

IOS/Android: Free The SafetiPin Track is a GPS app designed to give you control over your own safety. It allows you to set rules to alert your family and friends if something unusual happens, even if you do not initiate it.

There are four kinds of rules, each of which can be used multiple times. The ‘I am late’ options is for routes you use very often, for example between work and home.

If it takes you longer to reach, an alert will be sent to your selected family and friends. The ‘I am in transit’ option is complementary to the ‘I am late’ rule. An alert will be sent each time you leave your set location and another when your reach. The ‘I am in an unsafe place’ option is for the times when you need to frequent some not-so-safe areas, set this alert to let friends know when you get there and when you leave.

Locate

IOS/Android: Free It is a GPS-based family locator ensuring you are always in touch with your loves one’s. Locate is your GPS enabled personal social network, where you connect, chat and engage in real time, with only few important people who are close to your heart. Locate makes navigating your world faster, smarter and easier. Even in rains or storms, earthquakes or similar SOS situation, locate is your vigilante as long as you possess GPS on your cellphone.

ENVIRONMENT

Parabens - common chemicals found in personal care products such as shampoos, body lotions and sunscreens - may increase breast cancer risk even at low doses, according to a new study.

Parabens are a class of preservatives widely used in consumer products. They are considered estrogenic because they activate the same estrogen receptor as the natural hormone estradiol.

Studies have linked exposure to estradiol and related estrogens with an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as reproductive problems.

“Although parabens are known to mimic the growth effects of estrogens on breast cancer cells, some consider their effect too weak to cause harm,” said lead investigator Dale Leitman, from University California, Berkeley in US. “But this might not be true when parabens are combined with other agents that regulate cell growth,” said Leitman.

Existing chemical safety tests, which measure the effects of chemicals on human cells, look only at parabens in isolation and fail to take into account that parabens could interact with other types of signalling molecules in the cells to increase breast cancer risk.

In the study, researchers looked at breast cancer cells expressing two types of receptors - estrogen receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).

Approximately 25 per cent of breast cancers produce an abundance of HER2. HER2-positive tumours tend to grow and spread more aggressively than other types of breast cancer.

PTI

Indian urges better climate change plan

more likely to develop CKD than nonPPI users, even after accounting for baseline differences between users and non-users.

Th is discovery was replicated in a second study, in which over 240,000 patients were followed from 1997 to 2014.

“In both studies, people who used a different class of medications to suppress stomach acid, known as H2blockers, did not have a higher risk of developing kidney disease,” said Lazarus.

“If we know the potential adverse effects of PPI medications we can design better interventions to reduce overuse,” he said.

In another study, Pradeep Arora of State University of New York and his team found that among 24,149 patients who developed CKD between

NATION

CITY

Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

No damaged goods please P3

GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

Dr Vijaypat Singhania’s grandchildren from his estranged son Madhupati have moved Bombay High Court seeking their share in ancestral property. They have filed a suit against their grandfather, father, mother and Raymond Limited. Detailed story on p7 TGS LIFE

When hunger strikes past midnight

NATION

CITY

Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12

Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days?

P3

DITCH THE

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

or long distances (depending on their mood), overcharge or ask for obnoxious fares, often refuse to ply by meter – the list is endless.

TGS Team members decided to give the ‘victimised’ autorickshaw drivers a chance.

Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances ranging between 1.5 and 20 kms. All the members came back irked and disgruntled. The autorickshaw community let us down badly, as they do with

Intentions of Dr Singhania were ‘malafide and illegal’ with a motive to grab the share of Madhupati and Anuradha as well as grandchildren and to achieve the same he directed that his son and daughter-inlaw move to another country ‘instead of Collectively Pune Municipal continuing to stay in India with the family.

DEHU

6

Corporation, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited have spent `1,816 crores on constructing dedicated corridors and flyovers along major routes, erecting bus shelters, and buying buses.

Despite this not a single route is operational or has succeeded in years. Citizens residing in twin cities continue to cry foul over pathetic public transport system. And from the looks of it nothing is going to change in near future.

See Spotlight on p8&9

Spotlight Pg 8 and 9

CHINCHWAD BHOSARI

4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE

KALEWADI FATA

WAKAD

DIGHI

NASHIK PHATA

5

LOHEGAON

DAPODI 50

PIMPLE GURAV

WAGHOLI

3 4 BANER

VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA

AUNDH

2

SANGAMWADI PASHAN

AH47

WADGAON SHERI

MUNDHWA

SHIVAJI NAGAR

GHORPADI

9

BAVDHAN

CAMP

HADAPSAR

KOTHRUD

SWARGATE PARVATI

WANOWRIE

1

NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK

KONDHWA

UNDRI

KATRAJ

4

Had it not been for a Pune-based activist everybody had forgotten about a film on Lokmanya Tilak commissioned in 2001 by Central Government at the cost of 2.5 crores. Three years after Vishnu Kamalapurkar raised questions about the film,

said director of the school, who

fi led the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling the investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com yet to get a copy of the order. prosecution The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students and the system. studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that It is upsetting their creative writing sir had touched because we do them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and not how to face management.

School authorities spoke to several other students and the parents and found that 22 girls in all had levelled similar allegations. Director of the students who school approached Chaturshrungi came forward police station and lodged an FIR under the Protection of Children from to give their Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA).

The investigation was carried out by statements.”

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL

ALANDI

AKURDI

RAVET

Sab golmal hai...

The creative writing teacher from a reputed school in Baner was booked and arrested in February 2013. A special court acquitted him on the grounds that police bungled up in collecting evidence

RITU GOYAL HARISH

CHIKHALI

KIWALENIGDI

~ Suit filed by the siblings

Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because Then we tried our luck with private cabforgot operators, to whomake were planners more entry and exit points. Over a decade more than were willing to oblige after saying is true. But what they andHinjewadi take us wherever we was wanted planned to house country’s best IT firms and are not telling us or willing to to go, for a price of course. talent, planners concede is that their enemy lies In some cases, the have cab fare finally woken up to the plight of citizens. within. Their enemy number one worked out cheaper than what They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members the auto drivers were asking us of their own ilk – many of whom are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9 are rude, refuse to ply short

The case created ripples across the city. A teacher was accused of sexually abusing 22 students all from fi fth standard of a reputed school in Baner.

In February 2013, Chaturshrungi police registered a case of sexual abuse against the creative writing teacher and arrested him immediately. Two years after the cops went all out to claim that they had a watertight case, the teacher has been acquitted by a Special Court. The court ruled that the prosecution made out a weak case. The management of the school and parents of students are not only disappointed but also irked with the outcome.

“We are feeling let down by the prosecution and the system. It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements.

We believe we were on the right,”

Parents teach them more than exams do P 10

`1,816 1,816 crores spent on BRTS,

~ Suit filed by the siblings

What a mess!

Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

Truly, a tree lady P4

And yet no respite for commuters

DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA

Madhupati Singhania (57) and his wife Anuradha (54) with their children Ananya (29), Rasaalika (26), Tarini (20) and Raivathari (18)

Rickshaw unions across the city want us to believe that private cab service providers or radio cab operators, as they are popularly known as, are villains.

Around 12,000 radio cabs have made their lives miserable for 50,000-odd autorickshaw drivers in twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The auto drivers want us to believe that corporate houses with deep pockets behind the cab services are eating into their share. Essentially poor rickshaw drivers are getting poorer because of stiff competition from private cab operators.

While Gautam Singhania ‘in a span of 14 years as CMD of Raymond Limited has built a personal net worth of `1.4 billion, Madhupati belonging to the same family was struggling to settle down in a new country, educate his children and make a new life.’ Gautam and his family led a luxurious life ‘with fancy cars, private jets, yachts and expensive holidays.’

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

also reduce dependence on insulin,” Rawat said.

A combination of natural extracts, the drug has been jointly developed by two CSIR laboratories -- NBRI and the Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (CIMAP) -- both in Lucknow.

NBRI has given permission to a Delhi-based pharmaceutical fi rm for commercial manufacturing and marketing of the medicine.

“The drug has extracts from four plants mentioned in Ayurveda and that makes it safe,” Rawat said.

He said tests carried on animals

and related scientific study found it to be safe and effective with clinical trials showing 67 per cent success. .

Rawat said the drug improves immune system and works as an antioxidant.

“Normally persistent use of antibiotics affect kidney, liver and heart, but this is not the case with this herbal drug,” he said.

Though there are other antidiabetic herbal drugs in the market, BGR-34 has been validated scientifically.

The drug will help maintain normal blood glucose levels, reduce chances of complications due to persistent high blood glucose levels and impart a good quality life to patients with high blood sugar levels.

Rawat said diabetes mellitus was a complex metabolic disorder resulting from either insulin insufficiency or insulin dysfunction.

Type-II diabetes is the more common form of diabetes accounting for 90 per cent of the diabetic population.

PTI

TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

RAHUL RAUT

Generally antigens affect body organs on the long run. But this drug contains antioxidants, which help in rebuilding process

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

New herbal hope for diabetics!

He said this during an online discussion “MyGov Talk” on in collaboration with Google that focussed on climate change in the run-up to the Conference of Parties (CoP21) in Paris from November 30 to December 11 this year.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought this debate on the table that discussions are made about lifestyle issues, sustainable development path of consumption and also climate justice as poor countries are suffering which is why Paris summit “must” deliver “climate justice”.

Javadekar said that the five-day session in Bonn recently was a “classic” example where the G-77 plus China and African grouping countries dominated and “marshalled” out “old, inequitable and very lopsided” draft agreement. “Th is was a classic example that G-77 plus China and African country groupings have dominated and marshalled out the old, inequitable and very lopsided draft,” he said.

PTI

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

they saw the buildings “swinging” in a scary reminder of the devastating quake of 2005.

Meanwhile, immediately following the earthquake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has asked for an urgent assessment of the situation and also offered assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Heard about strong earthquake in Afghanistan-Pakistan region whose tremors have been felt in parts of India. I pray for everyone’s safety,” the PM said on Twitter. “I have asked for an urgent assessment and we stand ready for assistance where required, including Afghanistan & Pakistan,” he added.

PTI

India has said that developed nations should come out with more ambitious climate action plans and hoped the coming climate change summit in Paris does not end up in “failure.”

“We want equitable and just climate agreement in Paris. We do not want Paris to fail. We will try hard till the end that collective wisdom prevails.

The recent third party review by NGOs alliance has brought out a clear picture that India and developing countries have done more than its capacity in their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) and developed countries have done less.

“We expect more ambitious action plans from the developed world so that we maintain the temperature rise below 2 degrees. India is walking a sustainable path but we are on a growth trajectory. So we want more carbon space and that must be provided by those who have occupied that space for the last 150 years,” Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

2001 and 2008 (out of a total of 71,516 patients), 25.7 per cent were treated with PPIs. Among the total group of patients, those who took PPIs were less likely to have vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but PPI use was linked with a 10 per cent increased risk of CKD and a 76 per cent increased risk of dying prematurely.

“As a large number of patients are being treated with PPIs, health care providers need to be better educated about the potential side effects of these drugs, such as CKD,” said Arora.

“PPIs are often prescribed outside of their approved uses, and it has been estimated that up to two-thirds of all people on PPIs do not have a verified indication for the drug,” he said.

PTI

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

7.5 on the Richter scale occurred at 14.39 IST in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan. Panic-stricken people rushed out of houses and buildings in north India as the tremors unleashed by the quake lasted for almost a minute.

The earthquake, with its epicentre in the Hindukush mountain range, sent ripples across several states like Jammu and Kashmir, National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

In J-K capital Srinagar, residents said

The quake sent ripples across J&K, NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan

For those having high blood sugar levels and are on antibiotics for long, stateowned National Botanical Garden Institute (NBRI) here has come up with a herbal and CS Nautiyal healthy option.

“We have developed a medicine for TypeII diabetes patients on Ayurvedic method, which does not have any side effect,” Senior Principal Scientist A K S Rawat told PTI. Generally antigens affect body organs on the long run. But this drug contains anti-oxidants, which help in rebuilding process, he said.

Rawat said the initiative was taken

by NBRI Director C S Nautiyal.

He said the drug has been introduced in tablet form. The Ayurvedic drug has been named ‘BGR-34’ and may cost Rs 500 for 100 tablets.

“If taken for a longer period, it may

India hopes the coming climate change summit in Paris does not end up in failure

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise, with more than 20 million Americans burdened by the disease, researchers say

Earthquake: No tsunami threat to India, says INCOIS There is no tsunami threat to the country in the wake of the powerful quake that shook Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) here said.

“Th is earthquake happened on land part of Hindukush region in Afghanistan. Based on historical earthquake and tsunami data, tsunami threat does not exist for India,” INCOIS said in a bulletin on its website.

A massive earthquake measuring

PUNE

“At present, Clean Development Mechanism is facing one of the most severe crises since its inception. Therefore, the world must discuss the new ways to make it a success with newer concepts like green credit.”

— Prakash Javadekar, Environment Minister

Heartburn drugs may harm kidneys Certain common medications used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, researchers including one of Ind ian-or ig in Pradeep Arora have found.

The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the US. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise, with more than 20 million Americans burdened by the disease, researchers said.

Diabetes and hypertension are common risk factors for CKD; however, certain medications can also play a role.

Two new studies show that increased use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), medications that treat reflux and stomach ulcers, may be contributing to the CKD epidemic.

In one study, Benjamin Lazarus of Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues followed 10,482 adults with normal kidney function from 1996 to 2011.

They found that PPI users were between 20 per cent and 50 per cent

OCTOBER 31, 2015

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

advance, and second instalment was to be released after completion of certain formalities. The very next year second instalment was also disbursed.

Cut to October 2012 – Kamalapurkar fi led an RTI with chief public information officer (CPIO) of Ministry of Culture seeking information about the fi lm on Tilak.

The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Can shampoos up breast cancer risk?

H EALTH

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

“Saving the endangered tiger was the responsibility of all citizens of the country. I shall give my best to help the forest department conserve and save the tigers in this state’s forests and reserves.”

— Amitabh Bachchan, Actor

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

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Hum

Fourteen years later, there is no sign of the fi lm. Vishnu Kamalapurkar, Pune-based activist, sought details of the project in 2012 from the Central Government only to be told that they had no records left, the concerned ministry had been wound up, and that fi lm-maker could not be traced.

Essentially, the government acceded that it had been duped of `2.5 crores, the sum that was transferred to the fi lm-maker.

It has taken Kamalapurkar three years since he sought details about the fi lm under Right to Information Act to get the government to launch a fullfledged investigation. Dhumale has

receiving his RTI finally been traced by the government with the help of police and claims that the fi lm will be released in “next two to four months”. He still hasn’t answered several questions raised by the government about the script and the star cast.

It all started in December 2001, when Commemoration Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture commissioned a fi lm on Lokmanya Tilak. A sum of Rs 1.25 crores was paid to Dhumale immediately as an

Saath Saath

When

HUNGER STRIKES past midnight

A family that prays together stays together. Pune’s joint families on why they agree to disagree

TGS takes a night trail around the city to look for places that will silence a grumbling tummy in the dark of night

The Kamdars

Run for…

yourself

Puneites are running to fight depression, lethargy, even physical disadvantage. Marathoners are taking over the street and making the city fitter than it has ever been

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

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“Who can even think of tinkering with the Constitution? I am amazed that we have as our PM a man who doesn’t know even the fundamentals of the Constitution and resorts to blatant falsehoods for political purposes.”

— Lalu Prasad Yadav, RJD Chief

India seeks Australia’s help

Mumbai youth Areeb Ejaj Majeed, who was arrested on his return from Iraq and Syria after fighting alongside ISIS terrorists, used to communicate with his recruiters and associates through various electronic and social media platforms

Motorcyclists pass by Denpasar’s police station where Mohan Kumar, a former Indian primary schoolteacher, is detained, in Bali, Indonesia. Kumar facing death penalty in India was arrested at Bali’s airport from Sydney based on a red notice from Interpol and following a tip from Australian authorities

used in the rarest of rare case. The existing Indo-Australia Mutual Legal Assistance treaty contains provision which gives powers to the Attorney General of Australia to take a decision even if the offence attracts death penalty. The meeting came two days after Chhota Rajan, one of India’s most wanted gangsters, was arrested in Indonesia. The arrest was made on a tip-off from Australian police that Rajan, the powerful aide-turned-rival of terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, has flown from Sydney to Bali.

The Home Minister and the Australian Attorney General reviewed the existing cooperation between the two countries in the field of security, terrorism, narcotics, forensic technology and immigration.

The Home Minister emphasised the need for establishment of new channels

No money for bus pass, girl ends life MUMBAI: A 16-year-old daughter of a farmer in drought-hit Latur district of Marathwada allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide as her debt-pressed parents could not buy her a monthly state transport ‘bus pass’ to commute to college.

In her suicide note, the girl purportedly said she could no longer suffer the plight of her father and did not want to cast on him the additional burden of her marriage.

Through her note, she also urged bank officials and money lenders not to harrass her father as he would return the dues after her sister’s marriage.

The girl, Swati Vitthal Pitale, took the extreme step on October 14 when her father had gone to neighbouring Karnataka in search of work. She was a student of Class XI Mahatma Phule Junior College, Kingaon and resident of Jadhala village in Chakur tehsil.

Police said they found a suicide note saying: “Please do not bother my father.

He is honest and will return your money after my sister’s marriage.”

The suicide note said that she could not attend college for a week as her

monthly bus pass had expired and her parents did not have money to renew it.

After a week, her mother borrowed money from a neighbour to renew her pass which cost Rs 260. She went to college, but was disturbed as she had missed many classes and her exams were approaching, the note said.

Assistant Police Inspector Satyawan Hakke said, “On October 14, the girl went to her farm with two of her friends.

She engaged her friends in another corner of the farm and went into the hut where her father had kept leftover pesticides and consumed it.”

“She was rushed to the local hospital and then transferred to Latur hospital.

But she died during treatment the next day,” he said.

Shiv Sena, ruling partner of the BJP in the state, seized on the incident to take some potshots at the Devendra Fadnavis Government. Taking a dim view of money sanctioned from CM’s Relief Fund for a dance troupe’s foreign tour at a time when a poor girl from Latur district committed suicide, the Sena said it depicts “unhealthy mindset of the government”.

PTI

Victim’s suicide note also mentions bank officials and money lenders to not harrass her father

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of interaction, networks and strategic alliances between the two countries which are strong, secular and multicultural democracies.He said that these relations have been strengthened by regular exchange of visits at ministerial level and India attaches great importance to relations with Australia.

Singh mentioned that bilateral strategic partnership has evolved considerably in recent years and India appreciates strong commitment of Australia to India-Australian strategic partnership. The two countries have close co-operation on security matters and are committed in particular to closely fight organised crime and terrorism, an official statement said.

Singh said the agreement on transfer of sentenced persons and MoU on combating narcotics trafficking and developing police cooperation

Man gets Rs 11.5L for death of wife THANE: A 36-year-old widower and his two minor children have been awarded a compensation of Rs 11.49 lakh by Thane’s Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) for the death of his wife in a road accident in 2010.

The widower, Vikas Shreedhar Patil, informed the tribunal that on September 19, 2010, he along with his wife Kavita (32) was travelling on a Scooty on Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai when a car coming from behind knocked down their two-wheeler. Vikas and his wife, who was pillion riding, fell down. While Vikas received injuries, his wife died on the spot, he said, adding that the deceased worked as collection agent with Vaibhav Co-operative Credit society at Ghansoli and earned Rs 6,000 per month.

In his plaint, he stated that the mishap was result of rash and negligent driving of car driver and claimed a compensation of Rs seven lakhs.

PTI

between the two countries has further strengthened the mutual partnership.

He said security cooperation and collaboration between the security agencies of the two countries can be further enhanced.

He said a closer interaction between the nodal drug law enforcement agencies, exchange of information on various aspects of drug trafficking and learning from each other’s experience will deepen the cooperation in the field of combating illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs. (more) PTI ACB Singh said India and Australia can develop fruitful cooperation in forensic science and surveillance equipments.

The Home Minister said capacitybuilding programmes in forensic science is an area of interest for the two countries. The Attorney General of Australia said the two countries enjoy very good and close relationship and the government, private sector and civil society of Australia holds the Indian leadership in high esteem, the statement said. He also mentioned that former Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott and present Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull are admirers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and negotiations between the two countries are expected to bring our relationship further closer.

Brandis also highlighted issues relating to strategic cooperation and mentioned that the 21st century belongs to the Indo-Pacific strategic cooperation.

PTI

First global meet on gender equality The summit titled ‘International Conference on Gender Equality’ at Kovalam is country’s first THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In partnership with UN Women, Kerala government will host India’s first-ever global conference on gender equality here from November 12 to 14.

T h e summit titled ‘ Internationa l Conference on Gender Equality’ (ICGE -1), will be held at Kovalam and will witness participation of distinguished thought leaders, Dr Rebecca activists, Reichmann Tavares social research scholars and policymakers from the country and around the world, an official release said today.

President Pranab Mukerjee is likely to attend the three-day event, organised by The Gender Park, an institution under the state’s Department of Social Justice known for the highly successful all-women cab service ‘She Taxi’, the release said. The taxi service initiative is now being adopted by other states as a powerful model for women’s entrepreneurship and a means to ensure their social and financial security.

The conference is billed as the country’s first such large-scale exercise in creating an environment to share global knowledge and experiences in reducing gender inequalities.

NOBLE ACT

Gayatri Pariwar Shantikunj cleaning the bank of river Ganga in Haridwar. Worried at the increasing pollution in the Ganga, the religious group with followers in different cities initiated a programme for the cleaning and conservation of the holy river

Old-timers rue loss of heritage in Patna

Patna still holds that special place in his heart for former Vice Chief of Army Staff, but it pains him to see the history of the historical city disappearing brick by brick

BY KUNAL DUTT PATNA: Several elections in Bihar have come and gone, both Assembly and Parliamentary, but old-timers in the capital city feel a sense of tragic loss of inheritance, amid all the real estate boom that Patna has experienced in the last few years.

For 90-year-old Lt Gen (retd) SK Sinha, the former Vice Chief of Army Staff, Patna still holds that special place in his heart but it pains him to see the history of the historical city disappearing, “brick by brick”.

“I can tell you the city was so beautiful, especially the New Capital that the British had built after Bihar was carved out as a separate province in 1911. The beauty was unmatched in its architectural grandeur and the civility that people exhibited in public.

The whole city was neat and clean and in order,” General Sinha told PTI.

“Gender, Governance and Inclusion” is the core theme of the conference that will discuss issues ranging from citizenship, globalisation, work, governance, health, education, disability and the role of media.

Dr Rebecca Reichmann Tavares, Representative, UN Women’s Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka said, “We are at a critical time in history. The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by UN Member States in September 2015 place gender equality and women’s empowerment at the centre of the global development agenda.

“I am certain that the International Conference on Gender Equality being organised by the Gender Park, Government of Kerala, in partnership with UN Women, will spur renewed political commitment and re-energise action on gender equality,” Tavares said.

PTM Sunish, CEO, The Gender Park said, it was “an honour and privilege” for the state of Kerala to host a conference of such caliber.

The conference aims to entail an informative and interactive program that will include plenary sessions, thematic paper presentations and panel discussions by gender experts from around the world and poster presentations by young scholars. Kerala’s draft policy on transgender rights will also be discussed during the event.

PTI

PTI

NEW DELHI: Days after Canberra helped nab underworld don Chhota Rajan, India sought Australia’s help to unravel the conspiracy behind ISIS luring Indian youths into its fold following the arrest of a Mumbai man who fought alongside the Middle-East terror group.

The request was made when Australia’s Attorney General George Brandis met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here.

During the meeting, the Indian side conveyed that Mumbai youth Areeb Ejaj Majeed, who was arrested on his return from Iraq and Syria after fighting alongside ISIS terrorists, used to communicate with his recruiters and associates through various electronic and social media platforms.

Areeb used Yahoo email id for substantial part of his communication in Syria, Iraq and back in India and the server of Yahoo is located in Australia.

Hence, assistance was sought from Australian authorities regarding subscriber information, login history, IP attachments.

“The information would assist in unearthing the entire conspiracy and details of the terrorist acts committed in Iraq and Syria and would also pinpoint the identities of ISIS recruiters and facilitators,” a Home Ministry official said.

The Australian Attorney General raised the issue of death penalty provision in Indian law and sought clarification on it to which the Indian side explained that the provision is

Pune is a city of many diverse dimensions P 15

The former Jammu and Kashmir Governor, now based in Delhi, laments the tremendous “loss of history” the city suffered, both in terms of tangible and intangible heritage the old buildings and folk songs and dances, now reduced to just occasional performances in cultural programmes.

Noted archaeologist KK Muhammed, who served as Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Patna Circle chief from 1997-2001 says, the ancient sites like Buldanibagh could not be preserved because after Independence, there “never were any concerted efforts either from the government or the civil society in that direction”.

Post-independence, a haphazard housing colony had replaced the

1890s-era Bulandibagh excavation, which was the first such unearthing exercise to offer evidence to archaeologists that this modern city indeed was the ancient capital of Pataliputra.

After Bulandibagh, the site of Kumrahar was dug up by DB Spooner in 1912-1915, about the same time the ‘New Capital Area’ was coming up in western Patna.

Bulandibagh was re-excavated in 1926-27. While the 1890s excavation revealed double rows of wooden beams and wooden drain showing the urban planning of the ancient city, the 20th century digging threw up wooden palisades, said to have been seen by Greek ambassador Megasthenes.

PTI

Buldandibagh was seen by famed Chinese traveller Fa Hien

Man flees before marriage; bride seeks action TIRUVALLUR: Hours before tying the knot, a 22-year-old man fled from the marriage hall, prompting the distressed bride to rush to the Collectorate here and submit a petition to the Collector, seeking action.

The 20-year-old woman from Puthu Gumiddipoondi was in love with Vivek of Sullurpetta in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The duo had fallen in love when they met in an educational institution here. The wedding was scheduled in a temple in Sullurpetta. However, the groom disappeared from the hall soon after he turned up and the bride’s family was told by his kin that he was not interested in the wedding.

The shocked bride and her family members rushed to the Collectorate, where she submitted a petition to Collector Veera Raghava Rao, seeking action. “The woman has sought appropriate action. She wants the groom to see reason, she is seeking reconciliation so that the wedding can take place,” a District official said.

District social defence officials are looking into the matter.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

“Flights by all Russian airlines to Ukraine have been banned on the Ukrainian government’s initiative. This is another example of the struggle of the Ukrainian authorities against their own people.

— Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Prime Minister

Home sweet home for FCPC P 16

‘Pak backed terror groups like LeT to fan militancy’

The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed strong discontent over a US warship patrol near Zhubi Reef US had recently warned that it will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows

Concern over religious freedom

BY M ZULQERNAIN

BY LALIT K JHA

Later on the religious militancy turned into terrorism. Now they (referring to militants in Pakistan) are killing their own people here and this should be controlled and stopped,” he said.

Asked whether Saeed and Lakhvi should also be “controlled and stopped”, Musharraf said, “No comments.”

Musharraf said that “religious militancy” was started by Pakistan which brought militants

In 1979 Pakistan was in favour of religious militancy

Buddha halls in monastery restored

Founded in 1709 in the province of Gansu, the monastery was showing signs of age when restoration project began BEIJING: Seven Buddha halls have been restored in Labrang Monastery, a prominent 18th century Tibetan Buddhist monastery in northwestern China, famed as a prestigious centre of learning in Tibetology.

Founded in 1709 in the province of Gansu, the monastery was showing signs of age by 2012 when the restoration project began.

Its mud and wood structures were suffering from erosion, cracks, leaks and subsidence.

The central government has promised 305 million yuan (about USD 48 million) to support the extensive renovation project, with more than half of this amount channeled to heritage renovation work.

Labrang Monastery has six Buddhist schools, 48 Buddha halls and over 500 residences for lamas.

The renovation work focused on reinforcing structural elements,

China protests over SCS infringment

US NAVY PHOTO

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that his country supported and trained terror groups like the LeT in 1990s for fanning militancy in Kashmir LAHORE: In deeply embarrassing remarks for Pakistan, former president Pervez Musharraf has acknowledged that his country supported and trained terror groups like the LeT in 1990s for fanning militancy in Kashmir.

The 72-year-old former military ruler also asserted that terror leaders like Osama bin Laden and Ayman alZawahiri were Pakistan’s “heroes” but later became “villains”.

“In 1990s the freedom struggle began in Kashmir...At that time Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and 11 or 12 other organisations were formed. We supported them and trained them as they were fighting in Kashmir at the cost of their lives,” Musharraf said in a recent interview to Dunya News.

The former army chief ’s remarks came while responding to a question about demand for action against LeT’s Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

He said Saeed and Lakhvi-type people enjoyed the status of heroes at that time.

“The Kashmiri freedom fighters including Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi were our heroes at that time.

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repairing paintings and frescos, as well as improving security and fire protection.

The work began with Shabten Lhakhang, Labrang, in 2012, explained Sonam Je, who is in charge of relic protection at the monastery.

As it is a small temple, the renovation work will serve as a great model for projects in similar circumstances, he said.

Since this is the first renovation of this scale, eight specialists were available to provide advice and guidance.

Labrang Monastery is one of six prestigious institutes of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is praised as a world leader in Tibetology.

Sprawling over an area of more than 800,000 square meters, Labrang Monastery is famed for its architecture and was listed as a national cultural relics protection site in 1982.

PTI

Devotees from China offering prayers under sacred Bodhi tree at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya on the occasion of Chiver Dana ceremony

from all over the world to fight against Soviet forces.

He said in 1979 Pakistan was in favour of religious militancy.

“We trained Taliban and sent them to fight against Russia. Taliban, Haqqani, Osama Bin Laden and Zawahiri were our heroes then. Later they became villains,” he said, adding that people need to understand the whole environment at that time.

Musharraf ’s admissions come as India has been repeatedly stating that Pakistan has a hand in fanning militancy in India and harbouring terrorists for anti-India activities.

PTI

Fake Indian notes in the UAE: Report DUBAI: With the perfect-looking fake Indian notes found widely in circulation, the UAE has cautioned its people, especially money exchange companies and their customers, about counterfeit currencies.

According to a local media report, the technology used in printing counterfeit Indian notes is so sophisticated that ordinary people or even exchange employees cannot distinguish them from the original notes.

The call for caution has come from a teller with a foreign exchange company in Sharjah, who was recently acquitted by the UAE Supreme Court in a fake currency case, and his advocates, the Khaleej Times reported recently.

A 35-year-old Indian named only as MS was arrested by the Sharjah CID Police in June after receiving information that some Indian rupee notes that he had disbursed to a customer in exchange to dirhams were found fake.

The police received the information after a woman was arrested in Kerala for handing some fake Indian currency notes to a bank.

“Her husband had apparently exchanged dirhams with Indian rupees from our client. She paid Rs 6,000 to a bank in Kerala as payment for her daughter’s educational loan. Of that five Rs 1,000 notes were found to be fake,” said Advocate Mahmood Alavi.

Following investigation, the police gave a report stating that fake currencies could not be detected without using special machines.

“I’ve found many such cases in the past few years. My request is that exchange companies should have the facilities to check counterfeit currencies and people should also be cautious about them,” lawyer and legal consultant Abdullah Mohamed Salman, who appeared for MS in the UAE courts, said. He said many exchange companies in the UAE, including that of MS, did not have the software used to detect fake Indian currency notes. Many cases of fake Indian currency have been reported in the UAE in recent years and people who travelled from the UAE have been reportedly involved.

PTI

WASHINGTON: Expressing concern over sharp deterioration of religious freedom in Pakistan, influential US lawmakers joined the call to designate it as a “country of particular concern” on international religious freedom.

“Pakistan has serious problem (on religious freedom),” said Congressman H Smith, Chairman of the Global Human Rights Subcommittee of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, during a Congressional hearing.

He was joined by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on expressing concern over deteriorating religious freedom situation in Pakistan during the Congressional hearing on ‘The Global Crisis of Religious Freedom’.

Alleging that blasphemy laws are being used in Pakistan to justify religious persecution, Smith said he raised issue of religious freedom of minorities in particular blasphemy law in Pakistan with its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when he came to the Capitol Hill for meeting lawmakers last week.

BY KJM VARMA BEIJING: Chinese navy had its first major face-off with a US warship after it ignored Beijing’s warning and sailed close to artificial islands China is building in the disputed South China Sea, prompting China to denounce the incident as a “threat” to its sovereignty.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed “strong discontent” and “resolute opposition” over a US warship patrol near “Zhubi (Subi) Reef ”, which is part of “Nansha” Islands in the South China Sea also known as Spratly Islands, claimed by China.

China’s angry reaction came after Pentagon said USS Lassen, a guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island Beijing is building in the Spratly Islands without Chinese government’s permission.

“This action by the US threatens China’s sovereignty and security interests, endangers the safety of

personnel and facilities in the reef, and harms regional peace and stability,” ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a media briefing here.

The US warship was monitored, tracked and issued with warning, Lu said declining to provide details of how many Chinese vessels were involved in the face off with the US destroyer, the first after US asserted that its naval ships and planes will sail and fly through the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation.

“Make no mistake, the US will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do around the world, and the South China Sea will not be an exception,” US Defence Secretary Ash Carter had warned recently. China claims sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, which transit some of the busiest sea lanes in the world and is believed to sit atop a vast amount of oil wealth.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“This is the country’s first such initiative by a telecom player, utilising the Twitter platform, to enable customers to make informed choices.”

— Gurdeep Singh, Reliance Communications

Signposts

“IT services, which includes consulting, implementation, IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing, will be the largest spending category within the health care providers sector.”

— Anurag Gupta, Research Vice President, Gartner

India’s WB ranking on ‘ease of biz’ will improve further: FM A World Bank report on Tuesday ranked India at 130 out of 189 country on the ease of doing business, up 12 places from 142nd rank last year

‘US wants faster pace of reforms in India’ The US is appreciative of the series of reforms unleashed by the NDA government but feels that it is not happening at the pace it wants, according to Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “Reform is happening but it is happening much slower than they would want it to happen,” she said after concluding the 9th round of US-India Trade Policy Forum meeting which she co-chaired along with US Trade Representative Mike Froman. “They (Americans) wanted it (reforms) to be much speedier, quicker,” she said.

With India jumping 12 positions to rank 130th in the world on ease of doing business, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the improvement in ranking does not fully reflect the reforms initiated and the position will improve further next year.

“I am grateful that the World Bank has recognised that India is now becoming an easier place to do business... I believe that this 12-point movement does not reflect the full pace of reforms that we have done,” he said.

“A large number of steps which we have already taken are going to be reflected in the rankings next year.

These rankings are only up to June 1 and some of those steps, whose impact is not seen on the ground, as yet have not been factored into this. But I am sure in the years our ranking will certainly improve.”

A World Bank report on Tuesday ranked India at 130 out of 189 country on the ease of doing business, up 12 places from 142nd rank last year.

“A forward movement of 12 spots in the ease of doing business by an economy of the size of India is a ‘remarkable achievement,” World Bank’s Chief Economist and Senior

It takes 29 days to start a new business in India: WB report

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during the launch of e-Sahyog and Pan camps, an initiative of Income Tax Department to improve services in New Delhi

Vice President Kaushik Basu said.

Reacting to the ranking, Jaitley said he believed that India still has a long way to go and it is “work in progress” on improving environment for doing business in the country.

“Our ranking really has to move up substantially,” he told ET Now business news channel. Jaitley said that in recent days the government has taken a number of steps to further improve the ranking. “I am trying

to make the Income Tax Act much simpler. Yesterday I have announced a Committee which will recast some of these provisions.” Similarly, there is a committee working on removing complications in the Companies Act. “There is still an area on enforcement of contracts, easier adjudication of disputes... so have brought out an ordinance for a fast-track arbitration procedure,” Jaitley said.

PTI

India might have become a better place for starting a business but it still takes 29 days and over 12 procedures to begin a venture.

Marking a significant improvement, India has been ranked at the 130th position among 189 economies in the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business 2016’ report. The country’s ranking has jumped from 142nd spot last year, which was later revised to 134 after data corrections.

“India made starting a business easier by eliminating the minimum capital requirement and the need to obtain a certificate to commence business operations. Th is reform applies to both Delhi and Mumbai,” the report said.

India’s overall ranking is based on ten factors -- starting a business (155th rank), dealing with construction permits (183), getting electricity (70), registering property (138), getting credit (42), protecting minority investors (8), paying taxes (157), trading across borders (133), enforcing contracts (178) and resolving insolvency (136).

In terms of starting a business, India’s position has improved to 155 from 164 last year. Besides, the country’s has seen improvement in dealing with construction permits as well as in getting electricity.

“Starting a business there requires 12.90 procedures, takes 29 days, costs 13.50 per cent of income per capita and requires paid-in minimum capital of 0 per cent of income per capita,” as per data collected for the report.

With respect to dealing with construction permits, the country’s position has marginally improved to 183 from 184 while the ranking jumped to 70 from 99 in terms of getting electricity.

However, India’s rank has dropped on two fronts -- getting credit and paying taxes.

BRs mandatory for Tyre makers bemoan Chinese imports top 500 companies?

To ensure better compliance with corporate governance norms, Sebi may expand list of companies required to submit annual ‘business responsibility report’ to the market regulator, to the country’s top 500 corporates.

Presently, the business responsibility reports (BRs) are mandatory for top 100-listed entities based on market capitalisation at BSE and NSE. “As part of corporate governance efforts we are now looking at expanding this universe say from top 100 to top 500 companies to submit business responsibility reports,” Sebi chairman U K Sinha said here.

“We hope to take a decision in this regard very soon,” he said at a Ficci conference on Indian capital markets.

The BRs are submitted by the companies along with annual reports

and indicate, among others, the number of complaints related to child labour, forced labour, involuntary labour and sexual harassment during a financial year. On start-up listing norms, the Sebi chairman told reporters that in the two rounds of meeting with various start-ups, the companies have said they have no issues with regard to Sebi norms. However, some of them have said they may face problems since they have PE investors based overseas and were therefore under pressure to list outside India, Sinha said.

“It is a dialogue process which has to start, but they have shown no problem as far as our regulations are concerned,” he said. On the issue of REITS (Real Estate Investment Trust), Sinha said that the government has received a few proposals.

PTI

The import volume of tyres in truck and bus and twowheeler segments rose 25.3 per cent and 120.5 per cent, respectively

The continuing massive jump in cheap imports of tyres, especially those of bus and truck radials, from China, which rose 138 per cent in the first quarter, may lead to a revenue decline for domestic tyre-manufacturers, says a report.

These are priced 25 per cent lower than the domestically produced ones, it said.

The import volume of tyres in truck and bus (T&B) and two-wheeler segments rose 25.3 per cent and 120.5 per cent, respectively, in the first quarter of this year on an annul basis.

Out of the above, of the particular concern is the rise in imports in the

Domestic T&B production declined 5.5 per cent y-o-y in FY15 to 11.5 million tyres

T&B segment which accounts for around 60 per cent of domestic tyre industry’s revenue, India Ratings said in a report today.

It, however, did not mention how much could be the possible revenue loss.

Chinese imports in the T&B segment rose 138 per cent y-o-y in the first quarter of this fiscal year to Rs 230 crore now accounting for around 80 per

cent of the total segment imports.

“Our analysis indicates that growth in the T&B radial imports was 80 per cent in the first quarter, with import volumes reaching 0.3 million tyres which is around 22 per cent of the domestic production on an annualised basis. This could be attributed to higher imports from China.

“The rise Chinese imports is likely to continue, driven by reduced demand in China as well as imposition of high countervailing and anti-dumping duties by the US on Chinese tyres,” the report said.

Imported T& B radial tyres are priced 25 per cent lower than domestically produced ones. This trend has accelerated radialisation in the T&B segment to around 33 per cent in FY15, which was only 26 per cent in FY14.

Major domestic players have announced capacity expansion in the T&B radial tyre segment to capture the increasing radialisation. But, a

majority of these capacities are likely to come online over FY16-FY17. Rising imports could hit the replacement T&B segment, which is a significant market for domestic companies.

Currently, Chinese T&B radial tyres are not cost effective on per km usage basis in relation to domestic tyres and have minimal acceptability among large fleet operators and OEMs. Rising acceptability of cheap Chinese tyres come even though the domestic players score over Chinese on branding, warranty, after sales service and distribution network.

Domestic T&B production declined 5.5 per cent y-o-y in FY15 to 11.5 million tyres.

According to India Ratings, 20-30 per cent of the revenue of the top players in the industry is being contributed by T&B segment. Domestic T&B radial tyre production rose 31 per cent in FY15, the highest among the major segments in the domestic industry.

PTI

Will try to table new bankruptcy law Fiscal deficit no cause in winter session: Joshi for concern: Centre The Bankruptcy Law Reform Committee, headed by former Law Secretary TK Vishwanathan, is working on it The Finance Ministry is making all efforts to table the new bankruptcy law in the winter session of Parliament, Department of Economic Affairs Joint Secretary Manoj Joshi said recently.

“Our attempt is to go into the winter session of Manoj Joshi Parliament, which is a bit tight because consultation would take time, but still the target is winter session perhaps.

“Otherwise, the Budget session certainly would be going to be the target,” Joshi said at a Ficci event.

He said the Bankruptcy Law Reform Committee (BLRC), headed by former Law Secretary T K Vishwanathan, is working on it and immediately after that the ministry will be able to go to Parliament for the enactment of the law and putting in place the system for it

to work.

For the fi rst time, a comprehensive law has been planned as earlier attempts were all bankled in terms of bankruptcy, but this time it is very comprehensive, focused on creditors and company’s resolution, he said.

“We are putting a lot of focus on administrative mechanism by which bankruptcy enforcement could take place because in our context, if it gets delayed then bankruptcy does not take place. Th is is the highest priority for us because without which we would not be able to move much,” he said.

Beyond AAA rated bonds and quasi sovereigns if the corporate bond market has

to grow, then the bankruptcy system has to be there, he said.

Joshi said the government is also looking at increasing pools of funds which could invest in the bond market.

“We have very few players like banks, LIC and other insurance companies, EPFO and other provident funds, National Pension Scheme (NPS, MF and FIIs).

“The investment horizon of mutual funds and FIIs is very short-term. They need liquidity so for them going beyond corporate sovereign is very difficult,” he said.

Joshi, however, said LIC and banks have demonstrated very good ability of going beyond the short-term horizon and both are lending and making investments in equity or corporate bonds with much longer horizon and much better evaluation of projects.

Players like PF, EPFO and NPS have focused mainly on something that is tested and is really working.

There is a need to make pension plan much more tax efficient compared to just a plan investment, he said.

“We need to work on ease with which people can put money in pension plan, which is not happening and a large number of youngsters earning well are not putting money in pension plans,” Joshi said.

PTI

There is no cause for concern on fiscal deficit and the government will meet its target for the current fiscal despite certain challenges on the disinvestment front, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

He also said that all efforts would be made to persuade opposition to allow the government to pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

Jaitley, speaking at an event here, said the government is working on further easing of FDI norms by removing conditionals which may not be necessary in today’s context.

On fiscal deficit, he said: “I don’t think there are any concerns... I had consciously kept a very modest fiscal deficit target that is the movement from 4.1 per cent which eventually became 4 per cent to 3.9 per cent (in 2015-16). The manner in which tax revenues and expenditure are moving, I don’t see there’s going to be any difficulty”.

Admitting that disinvestment is a challenge mainly on account of global problem, Jaitley said the “metal stocks are not doing particularly well, and metal was

a large part of kitty that we had planned for this year. I don’t think it makes sense divesting at a time when prices are low”.

Government had budgeted to raise Rs 69,500 crore through disinvestment in current fiscal. Of this, Rs 41,000 crore was to come from minority stake sale in PSUs and another Rs 28,500 crore from strategic stake sale. .

On GST, Jaitley said the government will try and persuade the opposition to allow Parliament to function so that the Bill on the indirect taxes regime can be passed.

The government does not have the requisite numbers in the Rajya Sabha, he said, adding that “we don’t have to wait for 5 years. The numbers change every two years and this April, they are going to change further for the better”.

The government had planned to roll out GST, touted as the most comprehensive indirect tax reform since Independence, from April 1, 2016, it seems difficult as the Constitution Amendment Bill is stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA does not have a majority.

PTI

Further easing of FDI norms on the cards

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

“ The civic administration had an opportunity to redevelop the congested Peth areas under the Mission. These old areas are the identity of Pune and need redevelopment.”

— Kamal Vyavahare, Former Mayor and Congress corporator

No way to treat a lady Men occupying seats reserved for women are a common sight in PMPML buses

I commute by PMPML buses regularly and I must say that I face scores of problems on a daily basis.

The PMPML bus services do not function according to a timetable and Nuzhat Khan commuters just have to wait for their bus to arrive. Most of the times, the bus when it arrives is already full, and therefore it does not stop. There is no option then but to wait for the next one. How am I supposed to reach my office in time?

When I do get an entry to my bus, I see that the seats reserved for women are occupied by men, who do not have the courtesy to vacate the seats and let the women occupy them. Recently I boarded a bus at Food Bazar, Baner and inside there was a middle-aged man occupying a seat reserved for women.

He was the only man in the women’s

section. I asked him to vacate the seat, whereupon he pointed at a signboard with two arrows indicating ‘women’s seats’, insisting that he was not in the women’s seats. He refused to budge when I persisted. A few days later I saw him again in the women’s seat and again he refused to vacate the seat. He is a regular on buses from PMC to Balewadi and gets off at Ubics.

The amazing thing is that the bus conductor did nothing to make the man vacate the women’s seat though there were other women, some with children standing in the aisle. It is because of this attitude by the PMPML staff that such men take advantage. What kind of a city is this where men do not show common courtesy towards women, and instead are uncouth and boorish enough to deprive the fair sex of the seats reserved for them? I think Indian men in general lack a sense of chivalry and decency, which is also the reason for the scourge of rape and violence towards women all across the land. The more educated and civilised that we become in the city, the more brutish is the attitude of men in the city.

The PMPML staff should be trained to handle such incidents with a fi rm approach, which will then dissuade other men from doing the same. But probably the men who work for PMPML also have a similar, discourteous attitude towards women.

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

PUNE

“The civic body connected individual toilets under this project to the drainage pipeline. People who do not have toilets at home must apply under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and construct individual toilets.”

— Dilip Gawde, Joint Commissioner, PCMC

SHAILESH JOSHI

Pune is paying the price for progress

Twelve years after arriving here, all I see is the deteriorating quality of life in Pune I came to Pune 12 years ago and in this time the city has undergone huge and rapid changes. Once upon a time, it was known for its peace and quiet, defined by the label of pensioners’ paradise. Those days Charleize Thom are long gone and now it is a buzzing centre for industry and education, and the original residents are far outnumbered by the outsiders. The gentle pace of life and the nature of the city has also changed, much for the worse, and the courtesy and kindness are hard to find in the new Pune, which is polluted, congested and overcrowded, everywhere you go. If that is the price to pay for progress, I think that I would prefer to live with no progress at all, since there is no quality of life left here any more.

Everyone I see is rushing about, and stress is a fact of life that has given to rise to road rage and violence that were unknown in the old days. The city has become anonymous and the streets are fi lled with

strangers rather than the familiar faces one used to see. The clean air and greenery are also vanishing fast and Pune is probably one of the more polluted cities in India, if not the world. The results are clear to see as the doctors’ clinics and drug stores are doing a whale of a business at the cost of the citizens’ lives.

The civic body and the law enforcers are either incapable or unwilling to do much or anything and the situation keeps getting worse by the day, as regards traffic, roads congestion and the road-users. And the lack of efficient public transport is an issue that makes me wonder if all that the corporation staff do is sleep in their chairs all the time.

Of course the growth has brought in shopping complexes, malls and restaurants and hotels galore. Th is is certainly welcome as we now have access to world class goods right here and the eateries offer cuisines from all around the world. The entertainment and events also offer a wide and diverse range, and Pune has always been a major cultural destination, especially for all things Maharashtrian and Indian, be it theatre, music or festivals. I hope it is not too late to turn things around.

FROM FOREIGN

SHORES

City of many diverse dimensions, and chaos on roads The traffic scenario is what is pulling back the city from its great prospects and potential

Pune is turning out to be a highgrowth location that caters to the service sector as well as the manufacturing sector. Not many locations can boast of this dual specialisation.

Th is is my immediate thought when asked to defi ne or talk about the city

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

that has been home to me for the past ten months. While I am extremely proud to be associated with a city of such caliber, the traffic in the city is a Harish Raju big drawback.

Even if I pen down a hundred things that the city does right, the one major problem

of traffic will over-ride them all.

The traffic in the city is as dense as in any of the new-age metros like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai or Delhi. But the traffic sense is quite poor. There appears to be no regard to traffic rules by private and commercial vehicles alike. Breaking signals, going the wrong way and arguing after being in the wrong is a talent so many Punekars have.

The only way to bring back Pune’s charm and make all its wonderful things count is by improving the

public transport system in the city.

Only if this happens will the number of private cars reduce and hopefully the traffic as a result of it. Another road of improvement that should be travelled is that of laying down strict guidelines for autorickshaws.

Most of them are driven extremely rashly and following the guidelines laid down by the RTO is a matter of choice for the drivers. Th is

NON-NATIVE

PAROLE

accept people from outside and not alienate them because they do not know Marathi. If all these things are taken care of, the city is a pretty good space to spend a few years in or maybe even a lifetime.

Pune is a great city in terms of accessibility to so many quick getaways. Eating in the city is sometimes expensive and I miss the climate the most from back home.

Pune’s weather for the past few months has been having a mood of its own.

The name of the game is passing the buck would be sued for millions of dollars.

Here in Pune, nothing is ever done, be it bad roads, potholes etc, that may be claiming the lives of many and leaving others maimed and injured. No one wants to take the responsibility. The principal of Wadia College says it’s not on the college premises so they can’t do anything. It is a sad state of affairs.

—Omkar Bhargav

does not detract from the awfulness and irresponsible behaviour of the companies themselves.

—Raghav Shende

Criminal dumping of toxic waste

The report about the visually impaired student who fell into a drainage chamber shows up the careless and negligent attitude of the Pune corporation department workers. It is high time that the Pune Municipal Corporation administration instill some discipline and civic sense into their employees. The general

must change at the earliest if the conditions on the roads are to improve in any way.

While all of this is said and done and the authorities have been blamed time and again for the imper fections of the city, the citizens are to be equally blamed. A sense of ownership on their part is a must.

The people must be more willing to

perception of government and civic staff is that they earn their salaries by doing the minimum. But shirking work at the expense of the citizens’ safety really amounts to criminal negligence.

Keeping drainage chambers and potholes open fall unsuspecting citizens to fall into is shameful. In western countries the corporation

The toxic waste being in the Khadakwasla dam shows how callous and mercenary the big companies and fi rms really are. Such culprits should be brought to book and stringent action should be taken against them to discourage further wrongdoing.

The companies only think about profit margins and the cheapest way to do things, whether it is toxic waste or something else. We citizens also have the responsibility of raising our voices against such brazen acts and force the authorities to take action that will curb such incidents. But that

considered ladylike and people are quick to judge a woman body builder as masculine. The support they have received from their families is great and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours. I hope that young girls of today take inspiration from these women and follow their passion without worrying about what people think of them.

—Chiraag Mehta

Age really does not matter

Breaking the mould

The feature about women in largely male-dominated sport like weightlifting is inspirational. They have braved stereotypes and achieved something society maintained they could not. Deepika Chowdhury’s story is encouraging. Body building isn’t

Ishita Katyal has achieved so much at the age of ten, proving age doesn’t matter. Speaking in front of hundreds of people, especially at a platform as well known as TED, takes immense courage and confidence. Managing her studies along with everything else is also a super feat. My daughter has read her book and it is great. Kudos to Ishita’s parents for providing her with an environment she can thrive in. Truly, no one has any excuse not to follow their dreams anymore.

—Ishita Agarwal

Giving others the gift of life The youth of today are considered to be self-absorbed and indifferent to others. Shardul Bapat has clearly proved everyone wrong. Many people visit orphanages and do some sort of community work. Shardul Bapat is not only donating blood himself, but also encouraging his friends and family to partake. Even if he manages to collect 40 bottles on an average per year, think of how many lives he will have saved. We need more people like him who care and go out and do something about it.

—Sushmita Joshi

Write to Us

Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow. com or mail it to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 31, 2015

PUNE

SPORTS

“Sachin was a much better cricketer but somewhere along the line he just knew how to score hundreds. He didn’t know how to make it a double hundred, or a triple or even 400s.”

— Kapil Dev, Former India Captain

Signposts Gold for Aarti Ghorpade Pune’s swimmer Aarti Ghorpade was part of Maharashtra’s relay team that won gold medal in the national swimming competition at Rajkot. In the freestyle 4X100m event, Maharashtra team consisting Aarti, Monique Gandhi, Avantika Chavan and Rutuja Bhat, finished first with a timing of 4:52.04s. Meanwhile, in the boys’ category, Maharashtra team consisting Viraj Dhokle of Pune, Veerdhawal Khade, Nimish Mule and Viraj Prabhu finished third for bronze.

Pune Marathon on Dec 6 Pune International Marathon Trust and Pune Municipal Corporation will jointly organise the 30th edition of the Pune International Marathon on December 6.

PIMT has decided to include Pune’s iconic venues in the new route. For the first time, a 5K run for Pune residents only will be held in the men’s and women’s categories with attractive cash awards. This year’s charity run will be organised in aid of India’s sportspersons preparing for the Rio Olympics 2016.

FCPC rope in Lee Taylor The Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Hrithik Roshan co-owned Indian Super League team FC Pune City (FCPC) have announced that high performance manager Lee Taylor has joined the support staff roster. Taylor started his physiotherapy career at Scarborough in the old Division Three, (League 2), becoming the youngest ever physiotherapist in the English Professional Football League. He has also worked with the Liverpool FC Academy, Wimbledon FC, Notts County, Wellington Phoenix amongst others.

“We senior players respect Dhoni, and when he first took over as captain, all seniors played under him, gave him guidance and suggestions, which he implemented during his captaincy.”

— Virender Sehwag, Former Indian Cricketer

Home sweet home for FCPC The team wins four out of five home matches to stay at top in ISL so far

ISL MEDIA

TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Home advantage in sport is a factor that has been discussed endlessly down the years at great length. Be it familiar surroundings, support of a home crowd, or avoidance of the rigours of travelling to the rival venue, the benefits of hosting a football match are undisputed.

FC Pune City is also reaping the benefits of playing at home. The team which fared poorly last season, was blessed with five home matches in the first 22 days of the second edition of the football league. And the home team has benefited hugely, winning four of the five matches to stay at the top. In the process they have defeated giants like defending champions Atletico De Kolkata and strong title contenders Kerala Blasters. Only the Delhi Dynamos FC spoiled the party with a 2-1 win at Balewadi.

SWEET SUCCESS The home team tasted the first success of the season in their first match against Mumbai FC, with a 3-2 verdict. Tuncay Sanli, the versatile Turkish forward, had a wonderful debut in India as he scored a brilliant brace. Both his goals were headers from delightful crosses from right winger Israil Gurung. So effective was Gurung’s wing play on the right flank throughout the game, that all three goals that Pune scored had the winger’s involvement.

In the second home match, FC Pune City couldn’t maintain their fine form, but were lucky to gain three points, as Zohmingliana Ralte of NorthEast United FC scored an own goal in the 73rd minute. This win propelled the Pune side to the top of the table. Pune marquee player Adrian Mutu, demonstrated technical ability but lacked sharpness and pace. Meanwhile, custodian

FC Pune City players (in orange) celebrate their win over Kerala Blasters at Balewadi

Roger Johnson’s performance was instrumental in the hosts keeping a clean sheet.

A DEBACLE Goals from Robin Singh and Richard Gadze were enough for Delhi Dynamos FC to hand FC Pune City their first loss in their third home match. Though City upped the tempo in search of an equaliser, the Delhi boys stood firm against Pune’s attacking strengths. Finally, Pune got one back when Eugeneson Lyngdoh ran past his man and dinked a perfectly weighted cross for Kalu Uche to make it 2-1.

BACK ON TRACK Within three days of their defeat, FC Pune City took defending champions Atletico De Kolkata at home and surprised everyone with a narrow 1-0 win. Jackichand Singh’s strike, straight after the kick-off, was enough for home team to snap

Kolkata’s unbeaten streak and again take them to the top of the table. Singh finished first time on his left foot past ATK keeper Juan Calatayud to put his side up 1-0.

After four home matches, FC Pune City played their first away match against Chennaiyin FC in Chennai and suffered a 1-2 defeat.

However, they bounced back and regained their position at the top of the table with a brilliant win over Kerala Blasters. The home team came from a goal down in the first minute to record a 3-2 victory. The highlight of the game was Mohammed Rafi’s goal for the visitors in the first minute, the fastest goal ever in the history of the league. Rafi also scored in the 30th minute whereas Kalu Uche came up with a brace for the hosts (goals in the 16th and 23rd minutes), followed by Tuncay Sanli’s winner in the 72nd minute. FC Pune City coach David Platt however, is not much of a believer in the home

advantage theory.

“The teams anyway stay at hotels, both at home and away, meaning that the environment remains much the same. So it is not a particular disadvantage to be playing away from home,” he said during their first away match.

FAN SUPPORT However, the fans, famously known as Orange Army, have played their part in providing support to the players. The Orange Army members and season ticket holders occupy a stand at Balewadi and it has been named as the singing stand, as the supporters keep chanting, singing and dancing throughout the 90 minutes.

They even have folks who lead the stand with the help of a megaphone. The Orange Army has engaged over 2000 fans from Pune and several others through social media platforms. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com