Delay in kidney transplant project Tuesday, October 31, 2006 | AY
Already late by 18 months, the kidney transplant project of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) has hit another block. The reason is that, KGMU does not have any regular nephrologist, the post is lying vacant since last three years. The ambitious kidney transplant project was planned in 2003, when Prof Mahendra Bhandari took over as the vice-chancellor. A state-of-the-art operation theatre complex was constructed in the urology department for the transplant. Costly equipments were also purchased. Teachers were trained in transplant surgery. The total cost of the project was over Rs 3 crore and was to be launched in March 2005. KGMU's kidney transplant project was unique in nature as it had proposed to build up a 'cadaver unit' at a later stage. The proposal was to preserve organs, including kidney, donated by people in the cadaver unit and use them for transplant instead of having a "live donor transplant" as is done at SGPGIMS. The objective was to create a facility in KGMU which could have also supported transplants in SGPGIMS. Teachers in the department say that the appointment of nephrologist is not only important for running dialysis and nephrology units, but also a vital factor for starting kidney transplant unit.
Konkona sen to sing in a Bengali film Monday, October 30, 2006 | AY
Konkona Sen Sharma is all set to sing for Rituparno Ghosh’s forthcoming film Sunglass. This is for the first time she will sing for a film. The lyrics are written by Prasoon Joshi. Konkona will be singing in Hindi as well as Bengali since the film is made as a bilingual in both the languages. Sunglass is her third film with Rituparno Ghosh. Jaya Bachchan plays her mother in the film. Apart from this film Konkona is also doing Pradeep Sarkar’s next film.
Sanchita is the champion Monday, October 30, 2006 | AY
Finally it was 14-year-old Sanchita from Kolkata who walked away victorious at Zee's "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs" contest, beating the other two close contestants due to her selection of some great songs. It made her evening happier when she received the award from superstar Shah Rukh Khan at the function held at the roomy Andheri Sports Complex in suburban Mumbai Saturday night. The trio who judged the little champs were Bollywood musicians - Bappi Lahiri, Alka Yagnik and Abhijeet Bhattacharjee. The final selection was made by the votes of the people delivered through SMS.
W.Bengal creating space for IT sector Saturday, October 28, 2006 | AY
Highlighting the state government's initiatives and pro-active policies for the IT sector, West Bengal IT minister Debesh Das said that world-class infrastructure facilities were being created across the state, especially in Kolkata, for IT and IT-enabled services (ITES). They will be creating an additional built-up space of about 13 million square feet to generate over 130,000 jobs seats in the next three years in Kolkata. The West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (Webel) has already allotted 200 acres at Salt Lake in Kolkata for IT and ITES companies. To ensure uniform growth of the IT industry across the state, the West Bengal government is building land banks at Kharagpur, Haldia, Durgapur and Siliguri in the northern region, where the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) have set up earth stations to provide connectivity on 24x7 basis.
P K Banerjee suffers cerebral haemorrhage Friday, October 27, 2006 | AY
Football stalwart P K Banerjee suffered a minor cerebral haemorrhage on Thursday, but his condition was stated to be "stable". The 70-year-old former national captain, the first Arjuna awardee among footballers, has been kept under observation in the Intensive Care Unit of the Belle Vue Clinic. Pradip Kumar Banerjee, popularly known as 'PK' in football circles, was a member of the gold medal winning Indian team at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962. Banerjee was also a member of the Indian team that finished fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and before leading the side at the 1960 Rome Olympics where India held mighty France to a 1-1 draw with PK scoring the goal.
Employment exchanges in WB still not computerised Friday, October 27, 2006 | AY
After 17 years, and spending about Rs 7 crore, the West Bengal government’s efforts at computerising 41 state employment exchanges have drawn a blank. 17 years back, the state labour department launched the ambitious project of computerising at least 41 of its 71 employment exchanges. The project received central government funding. After investing Rs 6.52 crore, all that there was to show for the effort were some computers, which couldn’t even be used because of password problems and junk software. Subesh Das, principal secretary, state labour department, insisted that with the help of the National Informatics Centre , a web-based application software with a central database server would be in place soon.
Amar Akbar Anthony in a Bengali remix Thursday, October 26, 2006 | AY
Anup Sengupta, well-known director of the mainstream, is preparing to make a Bengali film ‘inspired’ by none other than the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Amar Akbar Anthony. He plans to begin shooting in December and release the film in February 2007. B Chitram will produce it. The tentative casting comprises Chiranjeet, Debasree Roy, Jishu Sdengupta, Piya Sengupta and Raja Chatterjee. Shankar Dasgupta wll write the story and the script.
Home loan mahotsav in Kolkata Thursday, October 26, 2006 | AY
The State Bank of India (SBI) is hoping to disburse Rs 400 crore through its 'home loan mahotsav' in Kolkata. SBI had disbursed Rs 300 crore at the home loan mahotsav last year. This year the event would be held between October 24 and 26. They shall charge 0.50 per cent less in floating rate and 0.25 per cent less in fixed rate at the mahotsav. The facility will be valid for a period of 30 days. For every Rs 100,000 home loan, the customer would pay Rs 40 less every month for a period of 15 years. SBI is planning 3-4 home loan mahotsav at various places in the state following good response last year.
Apollo eyes expansion in Kolkata Thursday, October 26, 2006 | AY
Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals has asked the West Bengal government for 10 acres of land in the new township of Rajarhat near here for setting up a Rs.1.5 billion institute. Apollo Gleneagles Hospital has also initiated expansion work at its existing facility on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The day care surgery units and alternative medicare units would be housed in the new facility spread over a 72,000 sq ft area.
Momentum 2006 launched Sunday, October 22, 2006 | AY
Xerox India Ltd., as part of its initiative to strengthen its relationship with the channel community, has launched "Momentum 2006", a series of reseller meets across 15 cities. Spread over the next two months, "Momentum 2006" will cover Kolkatta, Chennai, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Nasik, Ahmedabad, Trissur, Kottayam, Kochi and Indore. "Momentum 2006" has been designed to serve as a platform to educate channel partners and resellers on the competitive advantage of Xerox Office products and offer them tools to sell more efficiently and ensure profitable returns. It will offer product training, access to Xerox Partner Portal, incentives and certification to sell high-end multi-functional products.
Bidhataar Lekha Sunday, October 22, 2006 | AY
Hrishitaa Bhatt and Priyanshu Chatterjee are slated to make their debut in Bidhataar Lekha, a Bengali film directed by the young Rajaa Mukherji. The film is being shot extensively on location in Darjeeling, including some scenes shot on a toy train. Dia Mirza was originally supposed to do Hrishitaa’s role but Mukherji had to drop her due to date problems. This will be the first independent music venture for Lalit of the now-split Jatin-Lalit duo. Hrishitaa, who is a Gujarati, says that since an uncle of hers is Bengali, the language will not pose a problem for her.
Genpact expands in Kolkata Friday, October 20, 2006 | AY
Genpact achieved another milestone in its expansion with the inauguration of its new facility at Kolkata. The 80,000 square feet facility was inaugurated by the Honorable IT Minister of West Bengal, Dr Debesh Das. The new facility, leased from the DLF Group, is located at the newly constructed DLF IT Park at Rajarhat and has been set up with a total investment of Rs. 15 crore in infrastructure and IT. Genpact was among the first to set up its BPO operations in the State of West Bengal in Kolkata over a year ago and currently employs close to 375 associates in the city and plans to increase its employee strength to 5000 associates in three to four years. Genpact drives process improvements to help global enterprises improve their revenue, margins, speed, and customer relationships.
MiG-27 crashes in Bengal Friday, October 20, 2006 | AY
MiG-27 ground attack fighter crashed within minutes of take-off from the IAF’s Hashimara airbase in West Bengal yesterday morning. The pilot, Wing Commander KD Singh, managed to eject safely. The air force has ordered a probe to pinpoint the reasons for the crash, which takes the number of IAF aircraft lost this year to six, among them four MiG variants.The crash comes at a time when the air force boasts of achieving an all-time low aircraft crash rate of 0.44 accidents per 10,000 hours of flying in 2005-06, compared to 1.84 accidents in 1972-73.
Wipro to buy land at Rs 50 lakh per acre Wednesday, October 18, 2006 | AY
IT major Wipro has agreed to buy land at Rs 50 lakh per acre at Rajarhat township on the outskirts of this metropolis to expand its activities in Kolkata. The IT major operates on 40 acre close to the IT hub at sector V of Salt Lake in Kolkata. Infosys, another IT giant, too would be offered the same price, although the company is yet to get back with its decision. Wipro chairman Azim Premji had met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on September 22 and reportedly discussed the issue.
Govt gets poor marks in paying scholarship funds Wednesday, October 18, 2006 | AY
Five months after state Finance minister Asim Dasgupta announced a Rs 10-crore fund in state budget to help meritorious students from economically poor backgrounds, his intentions remain as it is. The Rs 10-crore fund lies unused, and not one economically backward student has gained in all these months. According to an official from the state higher education department, one of the reasons could be that the government forgot to create a proper channel to identify the poor but meritorious students. When chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee recently gave away Rs 5,000 each to some such students who had had commendable results in Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations, he was spending from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
WB govt honours nobel peace prize winner Tuesday, October 17, 2006 | AY
The West Bengal government will accord a civic reception to honour 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. The 66-year-old Yunus won the coveted award for his Grameen Movement micro-banking system that has helped millions of poor in his homeland. He is to share the 10 million kronor ($1.37 million) award with the non-profit Grameen Bank, which he set up in 1976.
Dengue in West Bengal Reaches 400 Mark Tuesday, October 17, 2006 | AY
Dengue has affected 400 people so far in West Bengal, though apparently the severity of the mosquito-borne viral disease is less than last year. The state government earlier confirmed that of the seven blood samples sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for detection of chikungunya virus, two had tested positive. Official sources feared that more chikungunya cases could be detected in West Bengal.
Research in Ayurveda Sunday, October 15, 2006 | AY
Scientists at Kings College in London and Jadhavpur University in Kolkata are collaborating on researching five plants commonly used in ayurvedic medicines. The researchers report that Alzheimer's patients treated with the plants demonstrated improvements in their memory and concentration levels. The ayurvedic treatment is thought to work similarly to conventional medicines in boosting mental agility and affecting the brain's neurotransmitters. The scientists are now seeking to identify the chemical compounds in the plants responsible for the effect.
Urban renewal study on Kolkata Sunday, October 15, 2006 | AY
US-based Brokings Institution and Observer Research Foundation have joined hands to undertake projects for an urban renewal study on two major cities - Kolkata and Bangalore. The move to conduct such a study on the eastern metropolis and the southern cybercity was taken after the recent conclusion of a similar project by ORF on Mumbai which was described by Brokings Institution as, "path-breaking". The study on Mumbai was recently released by former US Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbot, who is the president of the Brokings Institution.
Differences in Congress factions in Bengal Sunday, October 15, 2006 | AY
Differences have surfaced in the West Bengal Congress between factions led by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi ahead of a party meeting today to discuss a Trinamool Congress proposal of a joint movement against land acquisition. TC chief Mamata Banerjee had written to the State Congress for a joint movement against the acquisition of agricultural land for the industry, including that for the Tata Motors small car plant at Singur. Another senior Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee, owing allegiance to Dasmunshi, said that the TC chief's letter was a follow up of the Union Minister's telephone conversations with her to bring the two parties closer.
IT firms not affected by Bandh Wednesday, October 11, 2006 | AY
The 12-hour bandh called by the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal to oppose the acquisition of land for a private firm’s project did not affect the operations of information technology and IT-enabled service firms in Kolkata. IT companies were prepared for the bandh and the state police had promised assistance to them in case of emergency. However, train services were disrupted due to the bandh. The departure of Saraighat Express, Howrah- New Delhi Special and Howrah-Maldah Intercity Express was re-scheduled. Air passengers at the Kolkata airport were stranded as no public transport was available.
Purnendu Chatterjee loses over west bengal CM Tuesday, October 10, 2006 | AY
Purnendu’s efforts to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) for oil refinery and another one for the IT and ITeS totalling 2,866 acre have been rejected by the Union government’s board for approvals of SEZ. The rejection follows the steadfast refusal by West Bengal’s Left Front government to cooperate and grant any incentive to Chatterjee's proposals, particularly to the 6-miliion tonne refinery SEZ that requires 1,000 hectares. According to SEZ regulations, a formal approval will come about only if the state government agrees to extend all sorts of incentives for the projects and also agrees to allot the land. Before that only an in-principal approval could be given.
Tata Metaliks plans relining of its Kharagpur unit Monday, October 9, 2006 | AY
Tata Metaliks is going for relining of the first blast furnace at its Kharagpur unit which is expected to start on October 9th. The estimated cost for such relining is likely to be Rs 170 million and after completion of the said project, the enhanced production capacity of the furnace shall be about 189,000 tonnes of hot metal per year. Tata Metaliks (TML), is promoted by The Tata Iron and Steel Company, and assisted by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). It was set up with Tata Korf Engineering Services as the technology consultant and KTS, Brazil as the technology supplier.
West Bengal bandh tomorrow Sunday, October 8, 2006 | AY
Security has been tightened in West Bengal for tomorrow's anti-government bandh called by the Opposition Trinamool Congress to protest the acquisition of farm land by the Left Front Government for the Tata Motors' small car project among other issues; Extra forces had been sent to North 24 Parganas district to man Sector 5 in Salt Lake where the offices of the IT companies were located; Officials said that state government offices would remain open as usual tomorrow; The State Transport Minister Subhas Chakravorty said public transport would ply as usual.
Tata Sky aiming high Saturday, October 7, 2006 | AY
Satellite television service provider Tata Sky Ltd is aiming at one million subscribers by August 2007. The company has earmarked Rs.30 billion for capital expenditure over the next four to five years for product offering development and technology upgradation. Within eight weeks of the launch, Tata Sky's offerings include 100 popular TV channels and eight interactive services. Tata Sky, an 80:20 joint venture between the Tata group and the STAR network, has already garnered 200,000 subscribers.
International groups snding onlinepetitions to CM Saturday, October 7, 2006 | AY
International groups, including scientists from different countries, are sending online petitions to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadbeb Bhattacharya and Tata Group head Ratan Tata, urging them to stop acquisition of fertile farmlands in Singur near here for a proposed automobile project. In online petitions, which have crossed 1,300, individuals, academics, universities, youths and funding institutions have urged the reformist West Bengal chief minister as well as Tata Motors chairman Ravi Kant and Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata to shift the project elsewhere. Despite strong protests by the opposition and individual groups, the West Bengal government has vowed to hand over about 1,000 acres of land at Singur in Hooghly district, about 45 km from here, to Tata Motors for the small car project.
Dengue under control Saturday, October 7, 2006 | AY
Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that kolkata was under control of the dengue situation. Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases in Kolkata was less this year with only 29 persons reported to have been affected since July. He said that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had taken all precautions against the disease with intensive fogging operations taken up and para-medical staff being sent to all the 141 wards.
Tata Consultancy to start BPO operations Wednesday, October 4, 2006 | AY
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) plans to shortly start business process outsourcing (BPO) operations from Kolkata too. Currently, it manages BPO operations out of Chennai and Mumbai, and partly from Bangalore. Towards this end, the company is eager to buy land at Rajarhat in Kolkata, the new IT hub. Going by the figures, the company will be inducting between 1,600-2,000 employees annually. TCS’ clients believe that BPO services from Kolkata will help in better integration of business processes for them.
Security tightened at 13 airports Wednesday, October 4, 2006 | AY
Security has been stepped up at 13 airports, including Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna, after intelligence inputs warned that terrorists may attempt to hijack an aircraft. CISF, which is guarding all these airports, stepped up vigil and deployed additional personnel after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security sounded the paramilitary force about the danger. The airports where security has been beefed up include Varanasi, Gaya, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Chandigarh, Shimla, Bhuntar, Delhi, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow.
Somnath Hore becomes a memory Monday, October 2, 2006 | AY
Renowned sculptor Somnath Hore passed away at his Santiniketan home in West Bengal Sunday night. He was 86. Communist Party of India-Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu, Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya mourned the death of the noted sculptor, who started making posters for the Communist party from an early age. Hore began doing bronze sculptures from 1974 onwards. One of his largest sculptures 'Mother with Child', in homage to the spirit of the people's struggle in Vietnam, was stolen from the Kala Bhavan soon after it was finished and disappeared without a trace.
Bengali Wikipedia getting huge success Sunday, October 1, 2006 | AY
The Bengali Wikipedia, a web-based free-content multilingual encyclopaedia project, has crossed the landmark of 10,000 articles. It became the 50th language to do so and only the second from South Asia. Telugu wikipedia is on the top spot with over 15,000 articles. Bengali is spoken by almost 220-250 million people, making it the seventh largest language in terms of total speakers. Bengali Wikipedia also plans an article improvement project, aiming at having at least 1,000 or more good articles (similar to English wikipedia) by May 2007.
