30-09-04

Seismic Activity Centres: The Gujarat Sate Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) is investing Rs. 150 million to set up 40 centres all over Gujarat to monitor seismic activity in the state. The project is being handled by Vadodara based Gujarat Engineering & Research Institute (GERI). GERI has already set up 16 seismological observatories in various locations. Besides Bhuj, Bhavnagar, Vadodara and Junagadh, the observatories have also been set up near dam sites like Kevadia Colony and Sipu Dam. Strong Motion Accelerographs (SMAs), which can measure high-intensity earthquakes of above 3 on the Richter scale, will be installed in all these observatories.

Baroda Too Has Millionaires: Mumbai has the most millionaires in India; 18,939 individuals declared an income of over Rs. 1 million to the income tax department. Bangalore has the second highest number (13,130), followed by Delhi (12,450). In all there are 70,217 millionaires in the country. Kolkata has 3,492 millionaires, Pune 4,198, Chennai 2,716, Hyderabad 3,835, Ahmedabad 1,168, Vadodara 665, Rajkot 110 and Surat 587.

Monthly GEB Bills: A pilot monthly billing project of the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) will be launched in Baroda for customers of its Alkapuri subdivision. Under the project, about 25,000 customers in Alkapuri will receive computerised bills for the month of October 2004.

29-09-04

Vidyakunj Reunion, London: I have organised a Vidyakunj reunion and invite anyone from Baroda to join us on October 3, 2004, 6 p.m. onwards at Cyclone Club, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware, London. On that evening we have got music, a few comedy artists from India and dinner. Please come along, join us and make the evening a night to remember! Just to accommodate enough people, please email me or phone or text on 07956 891199. Bhupendra Makwana <bhupendramk@hotmail.com> <BhupendraMk@aol.com>

23-09-04

Post Office To Accept Electricity Bills: From October 2, consumers can pay their electricity bills at post offices also. Though the tie-up will not make much difference in cities and towns as consumers can pay their bills at various places near their locality, it will benefit villagers considerably. The villagers can now pay their bills at any nearby post office within a particular date.

Exhibition Of Beaded Handicrafts: Sahaj – an organisation for women's development – has an exhibition-cum-sale of beaded handicrafts at Trisha art gallery from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. September 20-26.

21-09-04

Jetalpur Underpass Closed For Repairs: The Jetalpur railway underbridge has been closed for traffic till October 20 for repairs. Traffic from Bhimnath Bridge to the underpass will be diverted via Parshuramnagar cross roads, Subhashnagar and Akota underbridge.

20-09-04

Exhibition of Beaded Handicrafts: Sahaj, an organization for women's development, will organise a week-long exhibition cum sale of beaded handicrafts by tribal women from Dahod at Trisha Art Gallery. September 20-26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

18-09-04

Handicrafts & Handloom Festival: Parsi Agyari Ground, Sayajigunj. September 18 to 27. 11 A.M. to 10 P.M.

15-09-04

Mayor To Lead Delegation: Baroda Mayor N.V. Patel  will head a delegation of Indian Mayors to Phillipines to take part in a local body and regional network programme shortly. Sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Mayor will participate in a regional urban environmental policy and management support programme. The Mayors' delegation is scheduled to leave for Manila on September 18. The theme of the programme is decentralisation in local bodies for efficient delivery system.

13-09-04

Exhibiton of Paintings: An exhibition titled 'Fusion' a seminal exhibition of paintings and sculptures by seven artists is on display at the Bayer ABS Gallery. 4 to 8 p.m. Till September 19.

11-09-04

MSU E-Resource Centre: MSU has inaugurated the E-resource centre at Hansa Mehta Library. The centre will facilitate research work for teachers, research scholars and postgraduate students. They will be able to access 6,623 online journals and archives through this centre and will also be able to get extracts and research works of several renowned authors.

09-09-04

US Grant For Champaner: The Chairperson of US-based Global Heritage Fund Jeff Morgan will talk on Global Heritage fund: Saving Asia's Treasures at 6.30 p.m. at Taj Residency on September 11. Jeff Morgan will also present Heritage Trust with a grant for US $ 30,000 towards project related to Champaner-Pavagadh.

07-09-04

Facelift For Vadodara Railway Station: Union Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa on 6th September laid the foundation stone of a project to upgrade facilities at the Vadodara Railway Station. The minister said Rs. 145 million has been allocated for converting the station's loco yard into a platform to facilitate passage of more trains. Among other plans to modernise the station, railway authorities propose to extend platform number four and five to accommodate longer trains having upto 22 coaches. The project should be complete in three years.

Helmets Compulsory On Highways: The Gujarat government decided to make wearing of helmets compulsory for drivers of two-wheelers on state and national highways. Cities have been kept outside the purview of the order.

Table Tennis Academy Set Up: After having set up a cricket academy with state-of-the-art facilities, including a club house for players, the Shreyas Society of Education has now set up a Table Tennis Academy not only for their own but also outside students. The academy, which already has five table, proposes to host the All Baroda Open Ranking Tournament, Scheduled to begin from September 15.

06-09-04

Lehripura Gate To Be Repaired: The Lehripura gate near Nyay Mandir in the city was closed for traffic and pedestrians from Sunday (6th September) morning after portions of its roof continued to fall down on passers-by. Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) authorities plan to begin repair work in a week. The traffic is diverted from two smaller outlets on both side of the gate. The wooden platforms that support the roof structure had corroded and VMC intends to replace them with MS plate and high tension beams.

02-09-04

Indian Music Workshop: The theme for the sixth workshop in this ongoing series is 'Melody & Rhythm – The Relation'. The workshop will be hosted by Achal Mehta, noted musician and singer, and the guest of honour will be Shri Vikram Patil, well-known rhythm maestro and music composer. At Planet M, Old Padra Road, 11 a.m. on 5th September.

Printmaking Workshop: Chhaap has organised three days workshop on the process of dry point for the hearing impaired children from 2 schools. The aim of this workshop is to introduce them to the process and give them hands on experience. Venue: Chhaap, Purshottam Estate, Bahucharaji Road, Karelibaug. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. September 01-03.

18-08-04

IOC Starts LAB Plant At Koyali: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has now commissioned the Rs. 12.5 billion Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant at its Koyali refinery near Baroda. The 120,000 TPA capacity plant is India's largest and has been commissioned in just 24 months. The plant will produce superior quality LAB for making environment-friendly biodegradable detergents. It signals IOC's debut into the petrochemicals sector. Raw materials like kerosene and benzene will be sourced from the refinery itself.

Kashyap Dhaka Killed: Kashyap Dhaka, the person behind the recent chain-snatching incidents and the attempted loot at HDFC Bank on July 22, was shot dead by the police in an encounter on 14th August. The encounter took place at a place along the Narmada canal in Harni Village, about 8 km from Vadodara, where he had been taken by the police in order to recover the firearms that he had hidden there. It seems that Dhaka first opened fire on the police and the police then had to resort to firing.

12-08-04

Bravery Award For Arvind Patel: The Gujarat government has decided to confer the Veer Meghmaya Award on autorickshaw driver Arvind Patel. The driver was shot dead by a chain snatcher as he tried to help an old lady in the Manjalpur area of the city on July 9. The award carries Rs. 100,000, a citation and a certificate. In response to an earlier appeal by Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha, Barodians contributed Rs.1.7 million to assistance Mr. Patel's widow and two minor daughters. The money was deposited in the name of his two daughters in fixed deposit account.

11-08-04

The Abacus At Akshar Chowk: Sculptor Nagji Patel has made a 16-foot high abacus weighing 20 tonnes. This sculpture has been installed at Akshar Chowk on Old Padra Road. The artist took five months to complete the project, with the help of four assistants from Rajasthan. Pink sandstone from Bansi Pahadpur, white, green and yellow marble from Kelwa, Kesariyaji and Jaisalmer form various parts of the abacus. The sculpture has been sponsored by Transpek-Silox Industry Ltd.

Harry Potter Ane Parasmani: The Gujarati version of J.K. Rowling's book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' – Harry Potter Ane Parasmani – was released in Baroda recently at the Crossword bookstore. Manjul Publication House of Bhopal has the rights to translate the bestseller into four regional languages and it entrusted the Gujarati translation to Baroda's Jagruti Trivedi. Ahmedabad based children's book writer Harish Nayak edited the book.

07-08-04

Expressway Opens At Last: The National Highway Authority of India has finally opened to traffic the entire 93-km stretch of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway. The expressway has been built at a cost of Rs. 1,900 million. The Ahmedabad-Nadiad portion has been in operation for quite some time. The proposed toll is Rs. 58 for cars, Rs. 101 for light goods vehicles and Rs. 202 for buses and trucks.

HIV Tests For MSU Students: A project has been started to test students of MS University for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The testing began with the Polytechnic Campus on Friday. The project, being carried out by Indu Blood Bank, will be conducted at various faculties of the university. About 10,000 students are expected to be screened in one year. The project has been launched with the help of US based NRI Dr. Kiran Patel who was donate kits for the tests. The university has granted permission to allow its student to participate voluntarily in this campaign.

03-08-04

High-Speed Train: Indian Railways is studying the feasibility of the country's first high-speed rail corridor between Ahmedabad and Virar, 90 minutes of travelling time at 300 kmph. The estimated project cost is Rs. 20 billion. The new track will be some distance away from the existing ones and halts will be few, may be just Vadodara and Surat. The train may start from Sabarmati, and a satellite station may be needed close to Baroda. German technology may be used for the train's coaches and special traction tracks. Each kilometre of track may cost about Rs. 35 million. The route will need to be fenced, there should be no level crossings and bridges will need to be designed for high speeds.

31-07-04

SSG Department Needs Funds: The dental department at Baroda's SSG Hospital lacks some essential equipment. A single dental chair at this large hospital caters to over 8,300 patients per year. The department gets about 130 patients daily, mostly from rural and tribal areas. It has only three full-time consultants and four interns who come from Ahmedabad and Jamnagar. The department's immediate requirements are two dental chairs with modern accessories.

Thai Handicrafts: Exhibition of orchids, ceramics, feng shui aromatic candles and spa products. Also Shringar Laxmi sarees and dress material from Kolkata. August 2-3. At Trisha Gallery.

30-07-04

New BoB Building: Bank of Baroda plans to shift a part of its back office and IT operations to Baroda, the city where the bank took birth. Many of these operations are presently conducted from its corporate office at Mumbai. Overheads are higher – compared to Baroda – in Mumbai, and a shift of locale makes sense. The bank may set up a new eight-storey building near its Alkapuri office at a cost of Rs. 210 million. The foundation stone of the new building may be laid in January 2005. The bank's registered office at Mandvi may subsequently be moved to the Alkapuri address.

Sadhna Talkies Sealed: Vadodara District Collectorate officials sealed the property of the now defunct Sadhna talkies near Nyay Mandir for non-payment of entertainment tax dues. August 5 has been set as the deadline to pay up the dues. If the owner fails to do so, the officials may auction the property.

Navrachana Wins Cleanliness Award: Navrachana School has bagged the Dakshinamurthy Trophy for topping the inter-school cleanliness and aesthetic competition organised by SOCLEEN – an NGO working on greenery promotion.

28-07-04

Kashyap Dhaka Arrested: Twenty-two-year old Kashyap Dhaka, the prime accused in the firing incident near HDFC Bank in Alkapuri on 21st July was arrested in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 26th July. In the meantime he is alleged to have committed three more – relieving two old women of their gold necklaces and a failed bid to loot a car driver. He was arrested while trying to get the number plate changed of a motorcycle he had stolen from Baroda. See earlier story. It seems that Dhaka had escaped from the Tihar Jail in Delhi in December 2003, where he was allegedly lodged in connection with a murder case.

New Nursing Academy: To meet the national and international demand for trained hospital, the All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG) at Baroda will start a nursing academy. Launched in 1926, AIILSG is active in research and training in the field of municipal administration. The organisation already runs the Nehru Bhavan and the Fire Academy in the city. The nursing academy, affiliated to the Jamnabai General Hospital, will start its academic year from September 2004, after approval by the Indian Nursing Council (INC). The 42-month course will have a capacity of 60 students, double that of the SSG Nurses Training College.

For Experimental School Alumni In New Jersey: Kumar Majmudar writes from New Jersey, "I studied in Experimental School, was in 1971 SSC Batch. I used to play the accordion and used to perform for musical programmes and garbas, and I still do it all over the USA. I am presently in New Jersey and I would like to have a reunion with Experimental School students. If you are interested, please contact me at 732-617-7000 or send me an email. Kumar Majmudar <kumar@cpakumar.com>"

Children's Park At Prayagpura: Mr. Gordhan Patel writes from USA, "A modern children's park has been set up at Prayagpura Primary School by Kirit Patel of Bhayali in memory of his mother through GCA Bay Area, Fremont, California, USA, and Dr. Usha Smarak Trust of Vadodara. The school is 40 km from Vadodara and 7 km from Dabhoi. For more information call Nagindas Patel (ph: 2663-257271). Gordhan Patel <gordhan@hotmail.com>"

24-07-04

Spate Of Robberies In City: This has been an eventful week for the police in Baroda. On Wednesday (21st July) two youngsters were spotted hanging about suspiciously near the HDFC Bank at Alkapuri. When the police were alerted, the two tried to escape. One was caught, but the other pulled out a gun, shot at and injured a passerby who tried to help the police, and escaped on a stolen motorcycle. The nabbed person is Ritesh, alias Vicky Gawli, and he has been remanded to seven days' police custody by a local court. The one who got away is Kashyap Dhaka. Dhaka had stayed for a while at Hotel Natraj in Sampatrao Colony and he seems to be a resident of Ghaziabad. He came to the city about two months ago, took up a job in a garage near Fatehgunj Circle and stayed as a paying guest at Gawli's house. At 5.30 a.m. on Friday, someone who fitted Dhaka's description stopped 44-year-old Mukesh Shah at gunpoint in Kashi Vishveshwar Society on Jetalpur Road. Mr. Shah, on his way to work at IPCL, was robbed of his gold chain, Rs. 500 and his Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle. Just forty minutes later, at 6.10 a.m., a couple – 58-year-old Ramnik Shah and his wife – enjoying a morning walk was forced to part with a gold chain. The robber, brandishing a gun, matched Dhaka's description.

Labour Of Love: A group of 14 ladies at Baroda's Jhankar Kala Kendra have been quietly running a public library for children and book lovers at Ellora Park for over 15 years. They are now putting the final touches to an ambitious expansion project and will inaugurate the large library in August. The enterprising ladies, between 50 and 70 years, have managed to get contributions of Rs. 250,000 for their project. The expanded library will have over 8000 books. It offers books at a monthly fee of Rs. 5 and its current membership numbers 300. Ordinary people, senior citizens and the Rotary Club of Jawaharnagar have helped immensely in this venture.

MSU Develops 'Interobactors': Researchers at MS University have developed an effective, organic and more natural alternative for fertilisers. Their work opens up the possibility that in some cases farmers may be able to use bacteria and microorganisms instead of fertilisers. The scientists at the university's Biotechnology Department claim that certain kind of bacteria, 'interobactors', effectively perform the function of fertilizers by releasing the phosphate content in soil in a soluble form which can be absorbed by plants. This may turn out to be a significant development because chemical fertilisers are expensive and not environmentally friendly. The Gujarat Agricultural Centre is presently conducting field trials with the bacteria at its model farm by testing it on different soil conditions and different plants. Commercial applications may take another five years.

Indian Music Workshop: The theme for the fifth workshop in this ongoing series is 'Harmony and Mood Music'. The workshop will be hosted by Achal Mehta, noted musician and singer, and the guest of honour will be Kaushik Mistry, well-known music director and mood music composer. At Planet M, Old Padra Road, 11 a.m. on 25th July.

23-07-04

Police Appeal Helps Family: Thanks to an unprecedented appeal by the city police to help the family of Arvind Patel, the autorickshaw driver who was shot dead by a chain-snatcher in Manjalpur on 9th July, Barodians have donated Rs. 1.7 million for his widow Hemlata Patel and daughters Dakshita and Esha. The money was handed over to Hemlataben on 19th July by Vadodara Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha. If you wish to help the family, please refer to the earlier story.

21-07-04

Baroda's Transportnagar: In order to reduce some of the heavy traffic on Baroda's roads, the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA), plans to set up an area with modern facilities exclusively for stationing heavy commercial vehicles. This 'Transportnagar' will be outside the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits. VUDA has acquired almost 90 per cent of the required 56 hectares at a cost of Rs. 5 million. The site is on the junction between the Vadodara-Godhra state highway and the Vadodara- Mumbai by-pass on National Highway 8. VUDA plans to construct special godowns for specific needs, petrol pumps, shops, auto ancillary outlets, a post office, octroi counter, banks, restaurants and hotels and dhabas. The main reason behind this project is to move a major chunk of the heavy traffic jamming the inner city roads towards the periphery of the city.

MSU Develops Magnetic Semi-Conductor: The Physics Department of MS University says that it has developed a magnetic semi-conductor device which is a major breakthrough in the direction of spin-transistors. This research will help in the field of high-speed computing. The department has been invited by the Centre for European Research in Nuclear Science (CERN), Geneva, to test the feasibility of the material under different experimental conditions. Research had been started at MSU five years ago under a project of the University Grants Commission. Magnetic semi-conductors have been around for decades, but they were operative only at extremely low temperatures. For spintronics they should work at room temperatures.

Eco-Adventure Expedition: IPCL's Sandip Vaidya (37) a mountaineer from Baroda's Alpine Lovers' Club, is the only person selected from Gujarat for India's longest eco-exploration and adventure expedition. He is part of a 14-member core team that will participate in an expedition that will cover 15 villages, seven major pilgrimage centres, two wildlife sanctuaries, a national biosphere reserve, a winter sport destination, six historical places, eight high-altitude lakes and six towns in the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas region which will be assessed for their tourism potential.

16-07-04

Serigraphs At Sarjan Gallery: The Sarjan Art Gallery has organised a big exhibition, featuring more than 175 serigraphs made by 75 renowned contemporary Indian artists, from July 22 to August 14.

'Rhythm' Photographs Exhibition: Hari Om Gurjar's 19th solo show of photographs will open on July 18 at the Vithi Gallery in Karelibaug. The focus will be on 'Rhythm'; Gurjar explores the different aspects of rhythm inherent in nature as well as in the creation of music. The show will continue till July 23.

Arvind Patel's Family Needs Your Support: Autorickshaw driver Arvind Patel was shot dead in Manjalpur last week while trying to help an elderly lady. A motorcycle borne thief tried to snatch a chain from Vimlaben Parikh who was walking on the road. Responding to her cry for help Arvind Patel and another person intervened. The thief pulled out a gun, shot Avindbhai dead and fled the scene. The residents of Manjalpur have now decided to raise Rs. 51,000 to extend some monetary assistance to Arvindbhai's wife Hemlata and two daughters aged nine and six years. The Vadodara police commissioner Sudhir Sinha has appealed to voluntary organisations and citizens to contribute to the family in any way they can. You can contribute by sending an account payee cheque (in favour of Hemlataben Arvind Patel) to: Hemlataben Arvind Patel, Soni Pole No. 2, Wadi, Vadodara 390 017. Contributions can also be sent to the Police Commissioner's office at Narmada Bhavan, Rajmahal Road, Vadodara.

13-07-04

City Children's Limca Records: Baroda's Jugal Pithadiya, a student of IPCL's Vidya Vihar School has entered the Limca Book of Records - 2004 under the 'Young Mountaineers' category. He had scaled a height of 17,000 ft in 2001 at the age of six years, five months and 15 days. Jugal had also bagged the Gujarat State Award for Sahas in May 2003. Jugal is now 10 years old and his father Ambrish Pithadia is an IPCL employee. Jugal honed his climbing skills in the Pavagadh Hills near Baroda. Another Barodian kid, Prarthana Vaidya of the Alpine Lovers Club, scaled the 20,079-feet Mt. Kalindi and also figures in the Limca book for being the youngest (11 years) to climb to this height.

12-07-04

Fly Ash For Check Dams: Fly ash, an industrial waste, may be used to build check dams on the Vishwamitri in a city project to revive the river and recharge aquifers. The idea of check dams is being pushed by Engineering Sewa Trust, a Baroda based NGO which has already built one such dam near the Sama area for Rs. 168,000. The Sama dam was made using bags of sand and cement. The NGO plans to use fly ash to build two check dams near the Kalyan Nagar slums and Buddhdev Colony in Karelibaug. Several Check dams have been planned on the river's 12-km leg through Baroda. The Sama check dam had filled to the brim this monsoon and is claimed to be serving its purpose. Residents report a considerable increase in aquatic life, and crocodiles too were sighted near the dam. The plan is to build a check dam every 2.5 kms on the river's stretch through the city. The check dams should help to refill the presently dry Vishwamitri channel which flows across Sayajibaug. This channel can hold up to 500 million litres of water that can be used for the garden's upkeep and also for recreation.

06-07-04

Honour For Former MSU VC: Noted political philosopher and former MS University Vice-Chancellor Lord Bhikhu Parekh, is among the four Indians to figure in the British journal Prospect's list of Top 100 British Public Intellectuals. The only political theorist included in the list, he has been nominated for his writing on multiculturalism, inter-cultural dialogue and global justice. The other Asians in the list include Amartya Sen, Salman Rushdie, Tariq Ali and Ziauddin Sardar. Noble Laureate V.S. Naipaul also figures in the list. Lord Parekh was recently awarded the Sir Isaiah Berlin Prize for Lifetime Contribution to Political Philosophy.

Vidya Kunj Reunion in USA: The graduating class of 1979 of Vidya Kunj Higher Secondary School has planned a reunion on July 30 and August 1, 2004, in Maryland, USA. Please pass on this message to all that you may know. We have some folks from Canada and UK joining in. For details please write to me. Abhilash Barot <abhilashbarot@hotmail.com>

Baroda High Reunion Cruise: Hello fellow Tabelians. If you are not already part of our group, please contact me at your earliest convenience. From batch of 1976 'A' Division class of 44, we are already connected with 22 classmates, and further 20 from 'B' Division, and new discoveries are being made weekly. We are also scheduled for a reunion cruise in August 2004 from Florida to Bahamas, with 50 persons now confirmed. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Baroda's special charm and attachment is still pulling us together. Kishor Patel <Kishor_b_patel@yahoo.com>

02-07-04

VMC Centenary Year: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is into its 100th year as a local governing body. It was in 1904, during the reign of Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III, that the city was made a borough with a specially built administration office in the building that today is known as Khanderao Market. The fact that this is the centenary year seems to have been missed by the city's authorities until a veteran Barodian recently pointed it out to them. With almost six months left of the year, we may still see some belated celebrations.

Ten-Rupee Baroda Tour: You can now travel all over Baroda city in a bus by paying just Rs. 10 per day. Travel as often as you want, on any city route. The ticket will be valid for 24 hours. Baroda presently has 80 buses, operated by Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC). The minimum fare is Rs. 2 and the maximum is Rs. 9. The city bus service is a loss-making proposition, partly due to autorickshaws which offer cutthroat rates on a passenger-sharing basis. GSRTC will be hoping that this new scheme will attract more customers.

Seed Technology Course: The Faculty of Science at MS University has started admissions to the vocational course in Seed Technology. Funded by the University Grants Commission, the course has 30 seats and admission is provided on the basis of merit in the Class XII Science Stream examination. It will have Seed Technology as the principal subject and Botany and Zoology will be the subsidiary subjects. MSU is one of the few universities in India to offer this course.