Saron Dutta’s horror flick, Raat Baarota Paanch (Five Past Midnight), has opened extremely strong at the cash counters. Raat Baarota Paanch relates the story of a single night in the life of six characters caught in a deserted and haunted house. Like many of his contemporaries in Bengali cinema, Dutta feels that it is absolutely essential for a filmmaker to be able to communicate with as wide an audience base as possible. Dutta is not the only contemporary Bengali debutant director to have experimented with the horror genre. Celebrated editor Robiranjan Moitra has just debuted as a director with Mantra, “a horror film designed for the entire family”.
State tourism depending on elephants Monday, October 31, 2005 | AY
West bengal govt is taken a new strategy with an initiative to start elephant safari on way to Darjeeling. Tea and timber industries are now in a low profile due to tough competition in the international market, labour disputes, illegal felling, smuggling and fast urbanisation. The State Tourism Department is introducing elephant-safari at Sukna in the foothills on way to Darjeeling and N F Railway is taking measures to revamp the heritage toy train service, the major tourist attraction of Darjeeling hills. Tourists during their safari would have the pleasure to find wildlife like elephants, bisons, deer, leopards, peacocks and birds of different colours and nature. The safari, which is expected to be launched in November, would cost around Rs 150 per head.
PM postpones WB visit Sunday, October 30, 2005 | AY
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is returning to New Delhi on Saturday night cutting short his visit to the metropolis in view of the serial bomb blasts in the national capital that took a heavy toll. West Bengal Chief Secretary AK Deb said that the Prime Minister had cancelled all his engagements in the city and in Salt Lake on Sunday.
Modernisation of India's defence Sunday, October 30, 2005 | AY
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata, are paving way for the construction of the country's first indigenously built anti-submarine warship with stealth technology. It is a 25,000 tonne corvette armed with stealth-mounted guns, the latest electronic warfare suite which, together with other key operational equipment, is shielded using stealth technology incorporated into the design of the bulwarks. Other signature management control features are built in to combat the ship's infrared, radar-cross signature, noise and magnetic outputs. Electricity is supplied via four diesel generators; two independent interconnected switchboards optimise redundancy and reliability. The structure of the ship would be such that it would cut down noise drastically to prevent it from getting detected by enemy submarines. But it will be able to detect an enemy submarine from a distance and destroy it. The cost has not yet been ascertained but GRSE aims to deliver the corvette to Navy by first half of 2009.
Cabinet nods for science institutes on IIT lines Saturday, October 29, 2005 | AY
The Central government, approved Rs 1,000 crore for the ‘‘Indian Institute of Science Education & Research’’ to be built at Kolkata and Pune. The IISERs would extend post graduate, doctorate and post doctorate courses with emphasis on advanced research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, life sciences, computer science, material sciences, environment and earth system sciences. When fully established, the total strength of integrated Masters of Science programme in each institute would be 1,000 and of doctoral and post doctoral programmes about 1,055. The attempt is to encourage pure sciences as distinct from applied sciences. Research in such areas could generate significant intellectual properties that hold the potential to generate sizeable revenue.
City will witness knowledge university soon Saturday, October 29, 2005 | AY
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation tomorrow of what is being described as the country's first 'knowledge university' in Kolkata which will roughly cost about Rs 5 billion. Many believe that the first 'knowledge university' has been awarded to Kolkata because of the crucial role communists MPs are playing in propping up the Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance government in New Delhi. The institute will run programmes in physical and chemical sciences, mathematics, material sciences, environment and earth system sciences, life science and computer science. The institutes are likely to start the courses from the 2006-07 academic session. Bhattacharya is personally negotiating with the Ambani brothers who have reportedly offered to set up an information and communication technology institute, a fully private university and a centre for Chinese studies.
Chain of stores selling health care products opened Saturday, October 29, 2005 | AY
Kolkata's Saraf group launched, alternative health products store 'Health Shoppe' offering a full range of international healthcare products including vitamins, nutrients, food supplements, ayurvedic products, herbal products, aromatherapy, books on health, health acids amongst other. The group would set up 100 outlets within the next three years. Delhi and Mumbai would have 15 stores each with five outlets in Kolkata. The total investment would be Rs 100 crore. The group has entered into exclusive tie-ups with 15 international brands, out oh which around seven are from USA and others from UK and Australia. Currently, though 20 per cent of the product mix is accounted for by Indian products but soon it would be replaced by international products, so that Health Shoppe becomes a single window family shop for alternate health care products with major international brands.
IA combine Delhi flight Friday, October 28, 2005 | AY
India Airlines has combined the following flights from Kolkata on November one and two due to operational reasons. Flight IC 701/702 to Dibrugrah and IC 229/230 to Guwahati have been combined and the flight will operate on Kolkata/Guwahati/Dibrugrah Kolkata sector leaving Kolkata at 0950 hrs. On November one and 2, flight IC 201 and IC 402 to Delhi have been combined and the flight will leave for Delhi at 2000 hrs.
Fame Kolkata all ready to get inaugrated Friday, October 28, 2005 | AY
Shringar Cinemas Limited, the movie exhibition and distribution company, has announced its foray in the Eastern Region with the launch of Fame Kolkata at the Metropolis Mall, Hiland Park. With state-of-the-art technology and the best of infrastructural design, the new multiplex is all set to become the happening movie destination in the 'City of Joy'. With a capacity of 897 ergonomically designed seats across four screens, specially designed lighting, world class projectors, fully digital sound with 3-way surround system, and 100 per cent computerised operations with facilities for internet and tele-bookings; Fame Kolkata brings a world-class movie-viewing experience to cinema goers in Kolkata. Jaya Bachchan will inaugurate the multiplex with a small ceremony followed by a star-studded premiere of Rituparno Ghosh's much-awaited new film Antarmahal, starring Jackie Shroff, Abhishek Bachchan, Rupa Ganguly, Soha Ali Khan and Raima Sen.
IT is getting promoted in the state in a big way Friday, October 28, 2005 | AY
To accelerate IT penetration in the state, Microsoft corporation India private limited today announced a partnership with the government of West Bengal and intel technologies for the state-wide roll-out of PC purchase programmes for the student and government employees. Launching the two IT programmes 'Gyandeep' and 'Gyanbridhi' programmes, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee welcomed both Microsoft and Intel to the state and said the two programmes would benefit the students and common people. The Student PC Purchase Programme branded Gyanbridhi, enables students across government and private schools from classes IX to XII and in higher education to purchase a PC at attractive financing options from Syndicate Bank and Bank of India. The Government Employees PC Purchase Programme branded Gyandeep, enables government employees to buy PC's for home use through flexible and affordable finance schemes spread over 12-48 months. The PC combo comprises four specially configured PC solutions, including both hardware and relevant software.
Alert warning by WB govt Thursday, October 27, 2005 | AY
The West Bengal government warned a fresh alert in the coastal districts following reports of a fresh depression over Bay of Bengal. Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said that the situation in the flood-hit East and West Midnapore districts was gradually improving with waters slowly receding in most of the rivers. Nearly 30 lakh people have been marooned and 1.20 lakh houses partly damaged, Dasgupta said, adding that more houses would be damaged with the waters starting to recede. He said Rs 2,000 would be paid as compensation for fully- damaged houses and Rs 1,000 for party-damaged ones. Those with repayment capacity can avail of HUDCO's low-interest loans upto Rs 50,000.
Kolkata international film festival has 2 Tara films Thursday, October 27, 2005 | AY
A Bangla television network, Tara, has informed that two of its telefilms have been selected for screening at the upcoming Kolkata International Film Festival. Roopkathar Jibon and Maadur, the telefilms will be screened in the 11th Kolkata Film Festival, which are to be held November 10 to November 17, 2005 at Nandan. These two telefilms were chosen by viewer's choice from the telefilms screened at the Kolkata Bangla Telefilm Festival in Nandan. Seven telefilms commissioned by Tara had been selected by the jury this year at the festival. Of these seven, two have made it to the final list.
Rare books damaged due to heavy lashes of rain Tuesday, October 25, 2005 | AY
Nonstop rain over the past six days in Kolkata has damaged over five million rare books. The air-conditioned vaults of the recently constructed Bhasha Bhavan were specially designed to preserve books and keep out moisture. Among others, at risk of being destroyed are original manuscripts of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, their letters and some rare world maps. The rare books stored in the two-storeyed underground vaults became wet after water seeped through the walls and flooded the room. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), responsible for maintenance, claimed the faults are minor.
Antarmahal Tuesday, October 25, 2005 | AY
Jaya Bachchan, producer of Rituparno Ghosh’s 'Antarmahal' set for release on Friday is all excited. 'Antarmahal' is based on 'Protima' by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay. Antarmahal is Abhishek’s second Bengali film after Desh. The way Ritu has dealt with three non-Bengali actors in the film is just wonderful. Abhishek doesn’t have too many Bengali dialogues in the film, but whatever he has Ritu has taken care of it. Soha, Roopa have all done a good job.
Consul passes away Tuesday, October 25, 2005 | AY
Manav Hansda, Consul (Passports) at the Consulate General of India, has died of a massive heart attack in Dubai. He was 55 and is survived by wife and two sons. A native of West Bengal, Hansda joined the Ministry of External Affairs at its foreign office in 1973 and has since served at several stations in India and abroad. The body of Hansda will be flown to Kolkata tomorrow.
Watch news in your car Monday, October 24, 2005 | AY
By March 2006 and you can see television news from the backseat of the car provided you live in one of the four metro cities. The technology that makes it possible is known as digitalised terrestrial transmission. Doordarshan, which has been edged out by the more aggressive private satellite channels in the television news market, is planning a comeback in the urban segment by offering its news bulletins in mobile cars in the metros. The kit to be fitted into your car for catching DD news will have two components, a small set-top-box and an antenna and it will cost about Rs 4,000. Digitalisation of the public broadcaster's terrestrial networks in the four metros, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai has spurred new possibilities.
Sen sisters sizzle in Bong connection from Kolkata to Houston Monday, October 24, 2005 | AY
The movie involves Raima and Riya Sen together on screen. The movie is Bong connection depicting Bengali lives in America and Kolkata. According to Bollywood watchers the Sen sisters are sizzling and are absolutely sexy and exotic in the movie. Raima is playing the traditional Bengali girl in Kolkata whereas Riya’s character is that of a confused girl.
Reports of death among migratory birds Monday, October 24, 2005 | AY
The West Bengal Animal Resources Development department is inquiring into reports of the death of some migratory birds, mainly fledglings, in the State's Kulik Bird Sanctuary in north Bengal to ascertain whether the cause of the deaths can be related to any avian disease including the dreaded bird flu. Thousands of migratory birds flock to sanctuaries like Kulik every winter from China, Siberia and South Asian countries and the State authorities are not taking any chances in view of experts' fears that migratory birds could be carriers of diseases like bird flu and be a potential threat to the health of the local bird population. The sanctuaries have been alerted, now that the first flocks of birds have started arriving from South Asian countries, some of which have reported cases of bird flu in recent times.
Draupadi Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY
Rituparno Ghosh, whose recent film Antarmahal was shown at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, is to begin his new film "Draupadi" shortly, based on the Mahabharata episode. According to the director, he would only want to work with the ‘characters’ of the Mahabharata and not the story. He feels the Indian audiences are so familiar with the subject of the epic but the international audiences will not know about the story. It is gathered he will only explore and deal with the characters such as Draupadi, Krishna and Veda Vyas who characteristically help mould and twist the epic with high human drama. For the director Rituparno Ghosh, it is the women characters like Kunti, Draupadi, Gandhari who symbolise ‘women power’ seem very significant and topically valid even today. Said he, “Women power we talk today dates back to the epic days and it looks very important to explore Draupadi- an extension of Kunti- a pivot that perhaps integrates the whole epic.
Rani misses Durga Puja Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY
Rani Mukherjee, a diehard Bengali with a family background of film production through generations, missed all the fun of the community Durga Puja conducted by her family in Mumbai. She was in New York, shooting for Karan Johar’s film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. But she took part in the Durga Puja organized by the Indian community in New York! And she will hopefully help to promote Shah Rukh Khan’s film Paheli – India’s official entry to the Oscars this year!
Govt in dilemma over teachers’ vacancies Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY
At least 200 teaching vacancies in 44 government schools of the State have prompted demands that the Buddhadeb Government should rethink the teachers’ recruitment procedure. The School Education Department indicated that the Public Service Commission (PSC) should revise its recruitment policy, taking into account the fact that many qualified candidates do not join the teaching service despite clearing the written test and interviews. The routine recruitment procedure is quite cumbersome. Once the schools inform the Directorate of School Education about the vacancy, the Directorate informs the PSC, which then puts out an advertisement. After that, the selection process itself takes at least a year. Sometimes, the whole process of recruitment takes four years. Some of the better candidates, who are often already working in private schools in their neighbourhood, prefer to stay back. In fact, since the salaries in government and private schools are almost the same, these teachers usually don’t take up the PSC offers. To tackle the problem, the Government is considering hiring teachers on contract and also confirming para-teachers who are already serving in government schools.
Qantas plane makes emergency landing Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY
A Sydney-Bound plane had to make an emergency landing at the Dumdum Airport at 12:52 pm today after the crew detected smoke in its tail end. The plane, which took off from London, was on its way to Singapore, its next stop. The Boeing Jumbo 747-400 belonged to the Australian airlines company, Qantas, was carrying 389 passengers on board. All the passengers were reported to be safe. After landing, engineers of British Airways carried out the necessary repairs. The engineers said the smoke was due to technical faults. The ground support was handled by Indian Airlines. The repairs were completed by 4.45 pm, and the Qantas flight took off at 5.01 pm.
'Eco-Tourism' In Bengal Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Eco-tourism is a new phenomenon in West Bengal but it is catching up gradually thanks to the effort of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation Ltd., a Government of West Bengal undertaking under the State's Department of Forests. The primary objective of WBFDC in the field of eco-tourism is to promote and manage the activities in an environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable manner by involvement of the locals in these remote areas and launching various welfare schemes for the locals involved in the process of eco-tourism. At present, WBFDC has 16 Eco-tourism resorts in various locations all over Bengal. All these resorts have one thing in common they are located in the most exquisite locales in the Northern and Southern parts of the State. In order to render better services to the tourists and formulate new policies and steps to increase business, WBFDC has recruited Eco-tourism Consultants. WBFDC also plans to add new features to the existing eco-tourism resorts. An ayurvedic treatment and healing centre will be opened at Garpanchkot, which has a rich history of ayurvedic healing. This place in Purulia district is also famous for its medicinal herbs and plants. WBFDC has netted nearly Rs. 1.30 crore from its eco-tourism initiatives in the last fiscal and is expecting to double it in the current financial year.
Ganguly's big test Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Having his tennis elbow improved, Sourav Ganguly picked up the bat once more on Monday. The deposed Indian skipper had his first stint at the nets after more than three weeks. However, even though Kolkata orthopaedic surgeon Dr Kalyan Mukherjee has declared him fit, Sourav will have to undergo a fitness test conducted by BCCI doctor, Anant Joshi, and physio John Gloster, in Mumbai on Tuesday. After the last examination in Mumbai on October 7, Dr Joshi and Gloster had stated that Sourav's condition would be reassessed after 10 days. Though Ganguly didn't oblige the media with sound bytes on Monday, there were indications that he was ready to lead East Zone against North in a Duleep Trophy match in Rajkot from Thursday. Sports medicine experts are of the opinion that the best way to assess Sourav's progress is to observe him have at nets for 15 minutes, as was done in the case of Ravi Shastri before the 1992 World Cup. Shastri underwent arthroscopy on his knee and was made to run the distance of the Brabourne Stadium in the presence of five national selectors and the media, before he was declared fit by Joshi.
Eye ailments prevail in the city Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
A survey conducted by the Union Health Ministry in West Bengal has revealed a shocking trend of eye ailments, particularly among children in the age group of 5-9 years, that often leads to child blindness. The state has come second, next only to Madhya Pradesh, in the number of such child patients. Malnutrition seems to be the leading cause of different eye disorders. In West Bengal, the victims are mostly from rural areas, and malnutrition is attributed to Vitamin A deficiency. The report has been submitted to the Government and the latter has already incorporated it into the Five Year Plan. No direct cause can be asserted for child blindness, but malnutrition is a predominant factor. The other factors are cataract, amblyopia, corneal scar and refractive errors. Urban children are more prone to refractive errors.
Petroleum alternative comes up Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
The world’s petroleum resources are fast depleting, and people are in search of alternative fuels. The West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA), too, has jumped onto the bio-diesel bandwagon. The WBREDA has already started a pilot project where they are cultivating the Jatropha Curcus plant, commonly known as Arund or Ratanjyoti, to showcase to parties interested in producing bio-diesel from the seeds of this plant. The bio-diesel will be made from vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of this plant, making it cleaner than conventional diesel. But, the most important factor in favour of bio-diesel is that it is completely renewable, unlike conventional petroleum. It will be some time before the phenomenon of bio-diesel hits the streets on a large scale. Right now, there is no question of competing with conventional diesel. We do not have the required amount of cultivation of the plant that will allow us to produce bio-diesel in sufficient quantities. That itself will take a long time. Only after that will come the question of producing bio-diesel on a mass scale. Using bio-diesel instead of conventional fuel in automobiles would require no modifications to vehicles, unlike in the case of CNG or LPG. Meanwhile, the government has agreed to buy bio-diesel from producers at Rs 25 per litre.
KoPT not to take over Kanika sand island Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Amidst strong protest from Orissa government over Kanika Sand issue, the Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) Dr A. K. Chanda said it had no plans to operate in the island located off the Orissa coast, but only wanted to pave way for sandhead-bound ships to undertake handling operations there during inclement weather. The KoPT had recently sought expressions of interest for a project of developing trans-loading facility for dry bulk cargo at Kanika Sand Anchorage which functions as a fishing harbour of upcoming Dhamra Port of Orissa, drawing strong reaction from Orissa government with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik resenting the move to be allegedly aimed at "taking over" the sand island.
Katrina mauled during Kolkata show Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
The security of celebrities is becoming an increasing source of concern in the film industry. Salman Khan’s girlfriend, actress Katrina Kaif was attacked by a Kolkata mob while doing a show there. The incident, says Katrina, still gives her nightmares. She had gone to attend the Saptami Danditya event in Kolkata on October 10. After the event was over and she was leaving the stage, all hell broke loose and the crowd overpowered the security personnel and started grabbing and touching her. When crowds decide to get wild and aggressive, there is nothing 10 or 15 security guards can do. Then the police came, split up the crowd and got things under control. She says, it has happened a couple of times before in other places, it’s quite frightening at times, when the crowd goes berserk, but this was the first time they grabbed and touched her.
Hair loss- A very sensitive issue Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Male baldness is a problem that affects a major section of the population. This form of baldness usually begins in the teenage years and becomes more common as men age. The latest scientific research reveals that the male hormone, testosterone, is converted to another male hormone, 5-DHT, in the hair follicles. In genetically susceptible men, the hair follicles on the front and top of their scalps will become more fine over the years under the influence of 5-DHT. Eventually, the hair completely disappears. In fact, men have been attempting to treat their hair loss for over 5000 years, beginning perhaps with a compendium of medical knowledge dating back to approximately 3500 BC that included prescriptions for hair loss treatment. In Ayurveda, hair is considered to be a byproduct of bone formation. Ayurvedic doctors believe that early hair loss is related to body type and the balance of the mind-body constitution or doshas. Hair loss is treated in Ayurveda with a combination of diet, herbs, oil massage, meditation, aromatherapy, breathing and yoga. The latest buzzword in this hair care scenario is Trichoanalysis, which helps to determine three important technical fundamental parameters of the hair and the condition of the scalp. However, in extreme case of baldness, where the roots of the hair are dead, camouflage or hair transplantation is done.
NRI to promote township with Sarafs Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Kolkata-based Sunsam Properties has entered into an agreement with a non-resident Indian (NRI) investor named Sat Pal Khattar based in Singapore for a Rs 1,500 crore township project in Kolkata. A memoradun of understanding (MoU) was recently been signed to this effect between Sunsam Properties, Phoenix Software, Khattar's Holdings and a real estate fund promoted by Khattar. The arrangement between Khattar and Saraf was that the investment would be borne equally and it would be a 50:50 joint venture. The project would have housing and an information technology (IT) park. Saraf said the township would have smart homes to cater to the demands of the IT sector and NRIs. The MoU was signed in the presence of chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on his recent trip to Singapore.
Flower waste used to prepare biofertilizer Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
The chemical engineering department of Jadavpur University, collected over 200 kilograms of flowers from two ghats along the river ganges for preparing floral dye and biofertilizer. Working on similar lines, the university is transferring the know-how to small entrepreneurs for setting up plants in the districts. The university is roping in entrepreneurs to develop a network of fertilizer and dye plants in the state. Arambagh, Burdwan, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapur and Haldia are among the chosen districts, where the technology will be provided to the businessmen for producing floral products. While the flowers are being collected for making dye and fertilizer, leaves and bamboo left in the river with the immersed idol, are being gathered by the KMC employees and volunteers, present on the ghats. The ghats are being cleaned, in a sustained manner, in accordance with the norms of the Pollution Control Board.
Trinamool Congress chief threatens to lay seige to Kolkata on Oct 20 Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today threatened to lay seige to the metropolis on October 20 during the arrival of Beni Sentosa, the chairman of the Indonesia-based Salim group, which is in the midst of controversy over agricultural land to be given to it for projects in West Bengal. Stating that she herself would also be on the road, the TC supremo appealed to the people not run any risk as the "CPI-M may create trouble to defame us. Asked whether there would be a bandh-like situation on the day, she said that unlike the CPI-M, her party did not want to stall normal life. Charging the CPI-M-led administration with imposing an 'unwritten emergency', she said that from October 19 to 21, the state government had disallowed anyone from going near the airport here.
College autonomy by the end of the year Wednesday, October 12, 2005 | AY
The process of granting autonomous status to undergraduate colleges will start by the end of this year. The university has the most number of affiliated colleges, about 160, in the state. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had asked the education department to complete the process of granting autonomy to undergraduate colleges by the end of March 2006. The UGC had first sent its proposal on college autonomy to the government in 1986. After opposing the proposal for nearly two decades, the Left Front government agreed in principle to allow the independence in 2003. Calcutta University is working overtime to ensure that colleges having the right infrastructure get the status by this December. The government has asked all state-aided universities, which have over 300 colleges affiliated to them, to work out the process. In the original proposal, the universities would have had no control over the academic activities of colleges after they were given the autonomy. Now the UGC has agreed to allow the universities to have authority over the colleges in certain matters relating to academics. The original proposal did not also clarify the government’s role regarding colleges that were entirely state-funded.
Infosys invests in Kolkata Wednesday, October 12, 2005 | AY
Infosys Technologies Limited proposes to invest Rs 500 crore in Kolkata for setting up a software development centre. The amount would include the cost of land and building infrastructure and a campus designed to accommodate a minimum of 5,000 personnel. The mentor of the software giant, Mr Narayan Murthy, who met the West Bengal chief minister, Mr Buddahadeb Bhattacharjee, late last month in Kolkata, had gone on record in favour of the state’s investor-friendliness. At that time, he had also praised the rich talent pool that the state had as well as the strides it had taken in recent months. Infosys thought of Kolkata as an attractive investment destination that could support the company’s expansion plans.
Plane skids off runway Tuesday, October 11, 2005 | AY
The Kolkata-Mumbai airlink was disrupted this morning as the main runway at Mumbai airport came to be closed after a flight of Air Sahara from the eastern Indian metropolis skidded off the runway and its tyres sticking in a soft turf last evening. The Air Sahara flight from Kolkata to Mumbai having landed at 7.25 p.m. yesterday, veered away eventually to find itself immobilised. The aircraft, a VT-SID, suffered extensive damage. According to information reaching Kolkata from Mumbai, all three landing gears of the aircraft were harmed. The plane was said to be resting on its engines, suggesting that these, too, could end up being impaired. The 119 persons on board, including the members of the crew, were safe. Efforts were continuing to lift the aircraft with the aid of balloons supplied by Air India. According to sources, the instrument landing system for the main ruway was rendered unserviceable.
Stem cell banking started in the city Tuesday, October 11, 2005 | AY
With the collection of stem cells from the umbilical cords of three infants born in Kolkata last one week, the cutting edge technique of their preservation for future use has come to this city. Medicos have welcomed Kolkata’s entry into the global map of stem cell research and preservation, a technique that is creating waves worldwide with far reaching implications in the cure of rare and genetic ailments. The cord blood taken from the infants would be processed, the stem cells (master cells that produce all mature cells in the blood and immune system) separated and cryopreserved at minus 190 degrees celsius at the Chennai-based Asia Cryo-Cell Pvt Ltd, the first private stem cell bank of the country. These cells can be used any time during the growing up phase of the individual to cure at least 70 diseases including chronic leukemia, aplastic anaemia, non-hodkin’s lymphoma, thalassaemia and renal cell cancer.
Kolkata tourist enjoy puja holidays in Himachal Pradesh Monday, October 10, 2005 | AY
Amidst the ongoing celebrations of Durga Puja festival in West Bengal some families from the State are having a wonderful time in the Valleys of Himachal Pradesh. These voracious travellers with an eye for discovering beautiful tourists locales, are falling in love with the beauty and climate of Himachal Pradesh. Some of the choiced destinations are places like Sangla, Kalpa and Chitkul in the tribal Kinnaur district of the State. These tourists prefer to travel by toy train to Shimla, and further travel to the countrysides of Himachal in buses and taxis. After the monsoon rains, the weather of Himachal Pradesh is extremely pleasant and, the mountains bear a serene heavenly look. The snow capped mountains and the nature is at it's magical best, enthralling the spirits of thousands.
Kolkata grandmaster settles for a draw Monday, October 10, 2005 | AY
Grand Master aspirant Neelotpal Das of ONGC Kolkata, missed wresting the sole lead when he settled for a draw against China's Ni Hua after reaching a better position in the fourth round game of the Asian Championship in Hyderabad today. Neelotpal played with the white pieces against Ni Hua and obtained a space advantage. The Chinese player tried to create room on the king side but the Indian obtained a clear passed pawn. Just when Neelotpal looked good, the Chinese player lured the Indian with a draw offer, which he accepted. Drawn results at the top allowed four more players to join the leaders platform on 3.5 points from four rounds. Three Chinese players - Wang Hao, Zhou Jianchao and Li Shilong, and Indonesia's Megaranto Susanto joined the overnight leaders with impressive victories.
VVS Laxman attends Durga puja in the city Sunday, October 9, 2005 | AY
Indian batting ace VVS Laxman today paid a whistle-stop visit to the city to inaugurate a community Durga Puja in North Kolkata. Amidst a great rush of cricket enthusiasts, a cheerful looking Laxman spent around 20 minutes at the puja pandal. "I wish all Kolkatans a great Durga Puja. May you be happy,” Laxman said after the inauguration. The cricketer, however, refused to speak to the media, citing the BCCI’s bar on players.
PwC -UK works with PwC team in Kolkata Sunday, October 9, 2005 | AY
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), UK, has chosen to work with its team in Kolkata to deliver innovative offshore services under a mechanism by which highly trained professionals from here would work with their British colleagues. PwC UK has chosen to work with the PwC team in Kolkata in a new project as the city has a cosmopolitan population with highly qualified English speaking professionals which can meet their requirements for an agile workforce, especially during winter. Low cost of operations, excellent infrastructure facilities and ongoing support of the local government to ITeS (IT enabled services) inspired them to choose Kolkata. Managing director of PwC said that they are trying to make accounting electronically feasible and this offshore centre will be a major step in Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). PricewaterhouseCoopers, an $18 billion company, is the world's top professional services firm with offices in 768 cities and 144 countries.
IT sector wont be disturbed in future Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
Chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said that the state administration would ensure that the obstruction faced by the information technology (IT) industry in Kolkata was not repeated in future. Bhattacharjee said, clear cut instructions would be given to the police to take to task any one who obstructed any IT professional/ worker from going to work. One of the representatives mooted that a toll free number should be used for the industry representatives to register complaints, to which Bhattacharjee was agreeable. The meeting was attended by the top officials of companies like Wipro, IBM India, PwC, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Tata Consultancy Services, HSBC, Globsyn Technologies, apart from state IT minister, Manabendra Mukherjee, and secretary, G D Gautama. The meeting was imperative in the wake of the bandh on September 29. For the first time, work at Salt Lake Sector V, the information technology (IT) hub of Kolkata, was disrupted by the Citu-sponsored bandh.
Eastern Kolkata gets it first mall Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
East Kolkata gets its first shopping mall 'Metropolis' complete with a cineplex with four screens, a family department store and a food court, on a sprawling 1,40,000 feet air-conditioned area. The mall, a joint venture between United Credit Belani Group and Kolkata Municipal Development Authority (KMDA), was formally inaugurated at a function here last night. The cineplex, a first in this part of town, would become operational by the end of October. It would accommodate 1,000 people on the third floor of the mall on a 29,000 square feet space and operate under the brand name of Mumbai's Shringar Group. 'Metropolis' is a part of Hiland Park, the signature project of Hiland Group. It is a residential-cum-commercial development located in Eastern Kolkata opposite the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. Their next project, Hiland Woods, would be at the heart of New Town, Rajarhat Township, in keeping with Kolkta's physical growth as a metropolitan.
National institute of science in Kolkata Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said that the Centre would set up a National Institute of Science at Kolkata. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone of the National Institute of Science at Kolkata on October 28. The chief minister told the gathering that the Centre would soon set up a chemical hub in the industrial town of Haldia in East Midnapore district. Bhattacharjee announced that the Jindal group would set up a steel plant in Midnapore district while many other companies have evinced interest to set up steel plants in the steel belt of Durgapur and Asansol.
Ganguly hopeful of playing series against Lanka Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
Hours after being ruled out of the Challengers Series with an elbow injury, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly on Friday expressed hope that he would regain full fitness and be ready for the coming home series against Sri Lanka. Ganguly said that he would follow the regime prescribed by Joshi in the next few days to be fit before the seven-match one-day series against Sri Lanka starting on Oct 25. The Indian captain has been asked to take rest for ten days after which he would have to appear before Joshi and Gloster in Mumbai on October 17 for a reassessment of his fitness. Ganguly also said that he has now set a goal of increasing his fitness level by working hard.
Book air tickets at petrol pumps Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
Air Deccan (AD), India’s first low cost carrier, is offering the city dwellers an unique puja gift this year. Described as the “airline for the masses”, it has now tied up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited so that customers can book AD air tickets at the HPCL outlets. Customers coming in to refuel their vehicles get the option of purchasing AD flight tickets for their preferred destinations. This facility will attract those who find it bothersome to go to either Esplanade or the Airport to book their tickets. The customers can log on to the AD site on the terminal available in the pumps and carry on the necessary procedures. The outlets will be open from early morning till night for seven days a week. This facility is available in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and now in Kolkata.
Non availability of drugs at the public hospitals Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY
The availability of medicines at West Bengal government hospitals is poor, even for drugs that are easily available at private retail counters. The survey by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) revealed that medicines obtained from public hospitals free of cost by poor patients are economical but the overall unavailability in this sector nullifies the advantage of free drugs. The survey found that medicines are readily available from private retail counters but this comes at a price higher than international reference prices, with brand premium for many items. Only amoxicillin 250 mg tablets/capsules showed over 90 percent availability in public hospitals. Isosorbide dinitrate, which is a very emergency medicine for acute anginal attacks, was not available. The treatment of epilepsy would not be possible at public hospitals as neither phenytoin nor carbamazepine (or for that matter other antiepileptics) were available. Urgent steps are needed to assess the functioning of the public procurement system for medicines in West Bengal to rectify the situation.
Air Deccan launches daily flights to Kolkata Wednesday, October 5, 2005 | AY
Air Deccan today announced the launch of daily Airbus A 320 flights to Kolkata from Mumbai and to Bangalore from here from tomorrow. Flight DN 641 would leave Mumbai at 0620 hours and reach Kolkata at 0845 hours daily, while the return flight would leave Kolkata at 1800 hours and reach Mumbai at 2025 hours. Flight DN 635 would leave Kolkata at 1145 hours and reach Bangalore at 1415 hours, while the return flight would leave Bangalore at 1450 hours and reach Kolkata at 1720 hours daily. These flights were launched at this time keeping in mind the Durga Puja celebrations. Air Deccan fares go up to Rs 7995/- and Rs 7005/- for Kolkata-Bangalore and Kolkata-Mumbai sectors respectively.
Water taxis gaining momentum in Kolkata Wednesday, October 5, 2005 | AY
Travellers of Kolkata’s congested roads now have a faster option for visiting places like Budge to the south or the temple town of Belur in the north with the launch of a water taxi service by Vivada Inland Water Transport. Beating the state’s government to its plans of launching public transport on two canals in north and south Kolkata, Vivada has taken on the river Hooghly with small motorboats that can carry 10 passengers. A crude oil transportation company, Vivada has joined hands with the West Bengal Surface Transport Corp (WBSTC) to launch two water taxis in the first phase of a Rs 12.5-crore project. It expects to have ten of these ‘on call’ taxis running by the end of this year. By January 2006, Vivada will also start a five-star floating hotel linking Kolkata with the hot tourist destination of the Sunderbans mangrove forest region. It expects the five-star vessel with 34 double cabins to be a cash cow that will keep the water taxi service afloat till it gains momentum. Vivada, which is charging Rs 1,200 an hour for the entire taxi or Rs 6 per person per km, can cover the distance in 15-20 minutes, as opposed to a few hours by a bus or taxi.
First surrogate in IVF baby of single parent born here Tuesday, October 4, 2005 | AY
India's first surrogate in vitro fertilisation (IVF) baby of a single parent has been born in a city clinic, raising questions about the newborn's legal status and the single father's parenthood rights. Amit Banerjee, whose childless marriage had ended in divorce years ago, is apparently the country's first single father whose son was born through IVF method. The baby was born under the supervision of Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar of GD Institute for Fertility Research. In this unique process involving three people besides the doctor, one oocyte donor woman was counselled and used for the collection of eggs and was given hormone injections to produce multiple eggs. Simultaneously, the second woman, acting as the surrogate, was being prepared for cycle synchronisation with the donor. The retrieved eggs were fertilised by the father's spermatozoa by IVF technology. The embryo was then transferred to the uterus of the surrogate mother.
Solar-lit lodge to greet tourists in Sunderbans Tuesday, October 4, 2005 | AY
The tourist lodge in the core area of Sajnekhali in Sunderbans will be lit on solar power instead of noisy and polluting diesel generators at present. Till date the tourist lodge of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) at Sajnekhali uses diesel to light up the lodge and also for carrying out day to day service. As a result the forest department has raised objections as by burning diesel, the tourist lodge was not only polluting the environment but also frightening the wild animals. The lodge was set up inside the core area of the forest to enable tourists to get a glimpse of wildlife. But diesel generators which were used to light up the lodge creates major noise pollution which keeps away the wild animals from the lodge. WBTDC has already sanctioned Rs 5.5 lakh to WBREDA for installation of solar panels. After installation of solar panel, the 30-room lodge can operate tube lights, fans, colour televisions and refrigerators.
Electrosteel seeks land for expansion Monday, October 3, 2005 | AY
Electrosteel Castings Ltd is planning to invest Rs 25 crore for backward integration of its existing ductile iron pipe plant at the outskirts of Kolkata. The company has invested Rs 50 crore on the finishing plant that would provide complete erosion protection to ductile iron fittings from both inside and outside. Managing director of Electrosteel Castings, Umang Kejriwal informed that it was in talks with Esab India for land for the proposed project. West Bengal's finance minister, Asim Dasgupta, who inaugurated the plant, assured Kejriwal that it would get government help for the proposed project. Commenting on the finishing plant, he aid that this investment complement Electrosteel's existing ductile ion pipe accessories manufacturing facilities and extends the plant capabilities.
W. Bengal's IT sector challenged Monday, October 3, 2005 | AY
The September 29 bandh has dealt a blow to the "progressive outlook" of West Bengal's Marxist chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, who has earned the distinction of being "highly reformist" among Marxist leaders by trying to woo foreign investments in the Left-ruled state. The IT sector earns the state forex of about Rs 1,850 crore from software exports annually. The software export from West Bengal forms 5.2 per cent of the national figure. Although, major sectors of the economy that suffered a jolt with the Left trade unions enforcing nationwide strike on September 29, the worst effect of the shutdown in this was the Information Technology sector. Officials said the strikers' activities in the IT complex had dealt a blow to the CM's idea to showcase Salt Lake's sector 5 as state's model of industrial progress. Notwithstanding the special stickers labelled on the vehicles of the IT companies, the strikers intercepted the willing employees and disallowed them to enter the offices. A day after Infosys Technologies Chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy generated hopes of coming to West Bengal in a big way after his meeting with the CM, the strike did not send the right signal to this sector.
The shrine inside a hotel becomes a hurdle Sunday, October 2, 2005 | AY
West Bengal tourism department may have to cross a fresh hurdle in the way of privatization of the 140-year-old Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata — the presence of a shrine inside it. Eight bidders in the private sector have shown interest in buying the property. The shrine had been functioning inside the hotel premises for a long time. Employees of the hotel used to worship there. People from adjoining areas also visited the shrine regularly, especially on Fridays. Tourism department officials said this issue might have to be sorted out before handing over the property to private parties. The home department in a recent note had indicated that the presence of a place of worship inside the hotel should not be allowed as it related to the security of lodgers. Last Friday, security men of the hotel stopped some people who had come to offer prayer at this shrine. They were told not to come again since the hotel would be closed.
Mohun Bagan are champions Sunday, October 2, 2005 | AY
Mohun Bagan finished champion in the Kolkata premier division football league with a 2-2 draw against Mohammedan Sporting in their concluding engagament here today. Mohammedan Sporting started off brilliantly and went into a surprise 2-0 lead before Bagan fought back with a double strike during the exciting encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium. Sporting went ahead in the 31st minute when Vijayan headed into the net an Amjad Ali corner, much to the dismay of a large number of Bagan supporters at the stadium. The score line became 2-0 only four minutes later when Bose directed into the net a fine pass from man-of-the match Patrick.
Asha Bhosle's - Asha Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
The Orchard, the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, undertook the biggest global digital marketing exercise for a major Indian artist by promoting Asha Bhosle's "Asha". Asha Bhosle, a leading Bollywood diva and one of the most famous and successful recording artists in the history of India, has recorded over 12,000 songs for Bollywood films since launching her career in 1948 at the age of 14. The album 'Asha: A Brand New Album' is based on Western interpretations of a traditional Indian genre of music called the Ghazal. Some of the most popular and historic Ghazals of the past have been recorded for this album, mixed with modern styles like Lounge, Funk, Jazz, Rock and Pop, to make them more accessible to the Western audience. The album is produced by Pandit Somesh Mathur, a well known exponent of the Ghazal who has been performing and recording in India and internationally for over 21 years. The Orchard is the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, representing thousands of labels spanning 73 countries and every music genre. The company is headquartered in New York and London, with operations in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, Toronto, Kolkata, Johannesburg, Moscow and Melbourne.
Dengue awareness among councillors Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
The health department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is taking up a tough job as a part of the “Operation Dengue”, this time it is to create an awareness among the councillors. special training and awareness session is being organised for the civic councillors and the members of the mayor-in-council on 4 October. Those who will deliver speeches on dengue are professor Manish Chakrabarti, virologist and former director of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM), professor Amiyakumar Hati, entomologist, also former director (CSTM). Meanwhile the councillors have expressed mixed reactions at the thought of attending an “awareness” campaign.
Lepers now can walk freely thanks to surgery Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
Leprosy patients of Midnapore West district, especially those with deformed limbs and nerve problems, can hope to get back to normal activities through a plastic surgery at the newly set up OT in the leprosy ward attached to Jhargram subdivisional hospital. The patients belonging to the SC and ST community who are otherwise stout and strong lost their ability to work as their hands were virtually crippled by leprosy. Belonging to the BPL category, they couldn’t afford to pay Rs 2,300 for the surgery in the clinics run by two NGOs, the Purulia Leprosy Mission and ‘D’ Leprosy Mission at Manicktola in Kolkata. A four-member specialists’ team, led by Dr Rup Narayan Bhattacharya, an eminent surgeon from the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, conducted the seven-hour marathon operation from 10 a.m. With a bout of physiotherapy followed by exercises they will be able to do all sorts of work as before and like other normal people. There are around 200 lepers languishing with deformed limbs in the district.
Bengalis invade TV serials Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
After cinema, Bengalis have now taken over the small screen. Traditionally, the TV industry was packed with North Indians - primarily those who could speak fluent Hindi. Considering there's no separate dubbing in TV serials, as is the case with movies, fluency in the language with the right diction, is a prerequisite. But when it comes to Bengalis, conventionally, one doesn't expect a flawless Hindi diction. The Bengali invasion began with Roopa Ganguly and Debashree Roy in Mahabharata years ago and later there was Indrani Haldar, who played Ma Shakti. Now the current bunch of actors are Sangeeta Ghosh, Moulli Ganguly, Jaya Bhattacharya, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Anupam Bhattacharya, Kamalika Guha Thakurta, Sushmita Mukherjee, Maninee De, Mun Mun and Rupali Ganguly. Not to forget, brothers Ronit and Rohit Roy. While for some (like Jaya Bhattacharya) being born and brought up in Lucknow helped, where language was concerned, some others have had to work very hard.
Two more science institutes - in Kolkata &Pune Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
India will have two more institutes to promote science and technology in Pune and Kolkata on the lines of the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore. To rebuild our foundations in basic science, the government is creating two institutes dealing exclusively with science education and research, one to be located in Pune and other to be located in Kolkata. The prime minister said the human resource development ministry had already set up a task force to double the number of Ph.Ds coming out of India in the next five to six years. Manmohan Singh expressed dissatisfaction with teaching of science in schools. He quoted an "India Science Report" prepared by the Indian National Science Academy as saying that the number of enrolled students in science had gone up from 28 percent in 1993 to 34.6 percent in 2004-04. Manmohan Singh said he was very keen on pushing forward many meaningful and productive public-private partnerships. He also recalled his promise last year to create "exciting career opportunities" for scientists to retain Indian talent at home.
New Zealand universities scouting for students in the city Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY
Representatives of New Zealand Universities were in the city on Friday scouting for students to join their institutions. And the package not only includes cheap education, but also a citizenship if they bag a job in the country within six months after completing their course. On offer were various courses like Business studies, Engineering, IT & Computing, Food & Dairy Technology, Nursing, Forestry, Hotel Management and Sports Management. Representatives of all the institutes and the country's immigration department were present at the counselling session to brief the students and their guardians. A Ph.D costs students as less as 4,000 NZ$ per year. Normally foreigners doing PhD in New Zealand have to shell out around 20,000 NZ$ per year, but the residents have to pay only 4000 NZ$. The rest is subsidised by the government. The government has decided to extend this facility to the foreign students in selected projects. Officials attribute the reason for slashing the fee to luring manpower to the country.
