Saurashtra backs Team Anna

RAJKOT: Large number of people observed fast and staged dharna in Saurashtra region in support of social activist Anna Hazare. Various city based organizations held programs in the city expressed their support to Anna's demand of a strong Lokpal Bill.

60-year-old Iqbal Suthar, decided to go on indefinite hunger strike and staged the dharna at Trikon Baug in the city. "If Anna is fighting for the cause which touches to everyone then we should join him in anyway we can do,'' Suthar said.

"I will also sit on dharna and will fast to support crusade against corruption in the country. We will protest at Trikon Baun on Wednesday,'' said Pankaj Trivedi, a resident of university. Interestingly, Premjibhai Patel, founding members of Vruksh Prem Seva Trust an old friend of Anna decided to go on a five day fast at his residence in Upleta town in the district to support Anna's cause.

Patel, 83, who has done exceptional work in watershed development in Rajkot district, had visited Anna's village and derived inspiration. "Anna calls me 'Prembhai' and we know each other since long. He even visited us and saw our work in water conservation,'' said Patel. "At the age of 83, I cannot join him in New Delhi but I can support his cause by fasting at home and I will do for it five days now,'' Patel said.

Patel was recently awarded by union ministry of water resources for his water conservation activity in Rajkot district. Various city based origination charted protests plan on Wednesday in support of strong Lokpal Bill.

Despite Centre’s flip-flop, Saurashtra plods on with cotton farming

Rajkot:

Acreage increases by a lakh hectares, delayed monsoon favours cotton over groundnut, say farmers



The cotton acreage in Saurashtra has increased in some parts this year despite the uncertainties plaguing the cotton export policy.



Both markets and a delayed monsoon have played a role in this. Cotton has been sown over 18 lakh hectares in Gujarat and the total acreage in Saurashtra-Kutch alone has touched the 13 lakh hectares mark. Saurashtra accounts for more than 60 per cent of total cotton production and 40 per cent of the total cotton export from India.



The Centre’s cotton export policy saw a major swing last year, which included a total ban on export beyond 55 lakh bales and introduction of new taxes, leaving farmers and traders in the lurch when prices in the international market had touched a record high of Rs 38,000 to Rs 45,000 per candy.

 This week, the government announced its decision to lift the ban and farmers are now hoping the Centre provides subsidy on incurred export expense.

Sowing figures available from regional agriculture office indicate that the total cotton acreage in Saurashtra-Kutch has increased by a lakh hectares.



Agriculture Department officials have said the sowing activity is still on in Kutch (where the monsoon arrived very late) and Porbandar (where some agriculture land is still submerged following heavy rains). According to them, the final acreage figure might see some changes.



Sowing is almost complete in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Surendranagar districts, said officials.

Mother Dairy eyes Saurashtra-Kutch region

RAJKOT: Mother Dairy, with a collection of around six lakh litres a day from Saurashtra, is emerging as a competitor to Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which has a collection of 10 lakh litres a day from the region.

The Mother Dairy, run by Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Limited, a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has been making its presence felt in Saurashtra and Kutch region and now it aims to procure milk from the entire Saurashtra and Kutch regions within the next two to three years.

According to M M Bhatt, General Manger, NDDB, Dairy Services (Gujarat Operation), Mother Dairy procures milk from 2100 villages and they will cover 500 more villages this year and it targets to cover about 4,400 villages in Saurashtra and Kutch region within the next three years from milk procurement.

"This year we plan to increase 25 % more milk procurement from the region and would expect to reach 6.5 lakh litres per day. We have installed bulk milk coolers at total 63 locations in Saurashtra and Kutch area and we are going to add 13 more Bulk Milk Coolers within the next few months to facilitate our milk procurement activity,'' Bhatt said.

"Initial milk procurement was 8,500 litres per day from 128 villages in the end of 2005. We have reached the peak of 6.8 lakh litres milk collection from 2100 villages in 2011,'' he added.

In year 2005, NDDB took over the dairy plants and cattle feed factory from Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation Ltd, which was established in 1973 and owned by state government with the objective to promote dairy development on co-operative lines in the underdeveloped areas of Saurashtra and Kutch.

NDDB refurbished and restarted the Junagadh dairy having capacity of 1 lakh ltr/day with a view to develop milk procurement and animal husbandry activities in Junagadh region. Thereafter, NDDB has restarted three chilling centres-Talala, Kutiyana, and Chalala.

According to Mother Dairy officials, at present, Mother Dairy's Junagadh and Madhapar dairy plants processes liquid milk in pouch packing for consumers of Saurashtra and Kutch and manufactures white butter, skimmed milk powder and ghee. Daily 3 lakh ltr of liquid milk and butter milk under "Mother Dairy" brand are supplied to cities of Saurashtar and Kutch.

"The Dairy activity is going to benefit to villagers as milk procurement price which was Rs 205 per kg fat rate has risen to present price of Rs 450 per kg fat rate. This year, we will be paying Rs 13.5 crores as price incentive to their milk producers. Mother Dairy has expanded the milk processing capacity of Junagadh Dairy and set up new milk powder plant having capacity of 30 MT per day in 2010,'' said officials.

Saurashtra Kutch Districts - Pass percentage in Gujarat State Average

The pass percentage of the Saurashtra Kutch region was slightly less than the overall state result.

While the average pass percentage of the state was 69.16, the same for the region comprising eight districts was 66.16.

District-wise, Surendranagar registered the second best pass rate in the state at 80.12 per cent while Rajkot stood fourth with 76.03 per cent.

Students from the desert district of Kutch fared well, as a result of which the district registered pass percentage of 70.32.
Amreli recorded the lowest pass percentage in the region with little over 56, followed by Porbandar (58.86 per cent), Jamnagar (60 per cent), Junagadh (61 per cent) and Bhavnagar (67 per cent). Centre wise, Mahuva in Bhavnagar recorded the highest pass rate at 88.12 per cent, followed by Dhoraji in Rajkot, which registered 83.84 per cent result.

Pass percentage in urban centers, including Rajkot City, Jamnagar City, Bhavnagar City, Surendranagar City, Junagadh City, Porbandar City and Kutch, remained between 71 and 58. Rajkot District saw the maximum number of students (35) securing A grade (91 to 100 per cent) in the region, followed by Bhavnagar (25), Surendranagar (16), Kutch (11), Junagadh (9), and Jamnagar (7).

In Amreli and Porbandar Districts, no student could get the highest grade.

Most of the students from across the eight districts got Grade C1 (51 to 60 per cent).

Wankaner prince joins BJP

RAJKOT, Date :- 20/06/2011 : Kesridevsinh Zala, 28, yuvraj of erstwhile princely state of Wankaner in Rajkot district, on Sunday joined BJP in the presence of chief minister Narendra Modi at the royal palace. On Sunday, over 18 royal families of Saurashtra region felicitated Modi for the development work he has carried out.

Kesridevsinh Zala's father Digvijaysinh Zala has been a Congress leader and was a Union environment minister. However, he is not active in politics since the past few years. The felicitation memento describes various schemes and works carried out by the Modi government and praises him for Vibrant Gujarat summits. It says that "people want you (Modi) to be a prime minister and we wish you to achieve this as you are a 'rajpurush'".

While welcoming Modi, Shivbhadrasinhji Gohil of erstwhile princely state of Bhavnagar, described the definition of 'kshatriya' and said, "I would say that in my opinion, there are two kshatriyas by their karma. One was Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel and the other is Narendra Modi." Gohil said, "Royal families have been pro-people in their rule and have provided best examples of development."

"This is the first time that the chief minister and royals from the princely states from across the region got together. Modi's work has been inspirational for many and is model one," said Digvijaysinh Zala. "Modi has been doing a good job and under his able leadership the state has achieved new heights of progress," said Kesridevsinh Zala.

Modi welcomed Zala to BJP and said times are changing and the youth has a major role to play. "In 1947, all the princely states handed over their 'raj' to the nation and their contribution is unmatched," Modi said. "To give away the rule is difficult,'' he said, hinting at the emergency. Members of erstwhile princely states of Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Sinhori (Rajasthan), Lunavada, Limbadi, Devgadh Baria, Lakhtar, Lathi, Muli, Chuda, Virpur, Balashinor, Patdi, Jetpur, Mansa, Poshina and Sanand were present on this occasion.

Now, water connection for 600 Rajkot factories

Mon Aug 08 2011, 02:19 hrs Rajkot:

 More than 600 factories across Rajkot city, which are functioning without building use permission, will now get water connection. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) Standing Committee has passed a resolution in this regard, despite protests from the Opposition Congress.

Local body sanctions water connection only if the building has a completion certificate of building use permission sanctioned by the civic body. This permission is denied where any rules related to town planning has been violated during the construction.



But following strong representation from the industries, the Standing Committee has now given a nod to sanction them a water connection.


As per the resolution passed by the Standing Committee on Saturday, a sum of Rs 2,000 will be charged as deposit fee, and Rs 5,000 as administrative fee for each connection. The tariff will be on industrial rates.


“This is for the development of the industries,” said Standing Committee Chairman Narendra Solanki.



The Congress has, however, put a strong objection against the resolution. Opposition leader Atul Rajani said, “These factories violate the town planning rules and the RMC is rewarding them with water connections.”



The ruling BJP has, however, said that the issue concerns more than 600 factories, most of them functioning on a small-scale basis. Besides, RMC is not giving them any relaxation in rates and taxes while approving the water connections.