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Today, Sunday, August 15, 2010.  India, the world’s biggest democracy, celebrates its 64th Independence Day reminding the masses of an end to British rule on August 15, 1947. 

61st Republican Day - Indian Flag

Wishing All A

61st Repblican Day

to My Countrymen

We all love you our CM Narendra Modi. GET WELL SOON SIR.

This is surely music to the ears of recession hit businessmen in the city who are yet to pay their property taxes and have their premises sealed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) tax officials. You can now pay off your property taxes in six installments.

This is for the first time in many years that AMC has increased the number of installments from three to six. On paying the first installment, AMC promises to break the seal and allow functioning from the premises the same day.

Under the current scheme, one would have to pay 15-16 per cent of the due amount for each of the six months. This scheme comes with a rider though the compulsory 18 per cent interest would be levied to each of the six installments.

“Earlier, the three installments scheme required that initially 50 per cent of the tax to be paid while the second and third installment involved paying 25 per cent each. There were several requisitions at our civic centers by tax payers to increase the installments as they were unable to pay the 50 per cent lump some amount this year. One can avail off the scheme on a simple request at respective civic centre,” says a senior AMC official. More….

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Counsellor Deepak Shah told TOI that the boy who had scored 80 per cent marks in class X was facing immense psychological pressure, owing to his father’s unrealistic expectations. “The fact that his father is a police inspector and has a bad temper made the boy shake with fear. He confessed he did not want to take exams as he feared severe thrashing if he did not score well.” Aware of his father’s temper, the school authorities advised the counsellors to get the fear out of his mind. “We counselled the student and thankfully, he understood. He tool all the exams. We have counselled him not to be scared about the result as well,” said Shah.

Ref: timesofindia

Till now, animals adopted under Friends of zoo’ programme have raised a total of Rs 10.9 lakh donations for the zoo. At least 12 mammals, 29 birds and 15 reptiles have been adopted. Of 29 birds, seven peacocks were popular among donors. At least 37 donors have come forward for adoptions. Two major ones include Jani and Jani construction company and Sheetal builders, who have adopted a tiger, crocodile and an elephant. Zoo authorities say that children have a lot of interest in the peacock, owing to its National bird’ status. Some popular celebrities in the zoo like Ashok the elephant, Devi the hippo, and Raja the tiger have drawn maximum donations. The cobra, pheasants, lovebirds, badgers, pythons and Nicobar pigeons have also gained curiosity of kids.

Finance department and zoo authorities of Kamla Nehru Zoological Park have drawn up a unique plan to divert the sponsorship money. With adoption money, authorities plan to create infrastructure for animals in the zoo. Coolers during summers, clean drinking water facility, modern cages, food for animals and birds, as well as medical facilities are among things planned. “At least five pythons, cobras and crocodiles have takers under reptiles, while parakettes, love birds and peacocks are famous among children. For some reason, the Macau has not generated much fan following. We are planning on an innovative way to attract more donors,” says a senior AMC official. Zoo also plans to organise seminars and even prepare and distribute information on animals, birds or reptiles who are being adopted. A special club of donors is on the cards, which will meet on scheduled dates to discuss and participate in the upkeep of zoo and educational programmes. More…. 

Latest data complied by State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) shows that all public sector banks operating in Gujarat have so far sanctioned 17,909 applications, amounting to Rs 1,048 crore under this specialised scheme.

“Housing loans under the specialised scheme have gained momentum and this amount has been sanctioned in the last three months alone,” said Mukesh Kumar Jain, general manager, Dena Bank, which is the SLBC convenor.

In order to boost the housing sector, the Central government had asked all public sector banks on December 15 last year to lower interest rates on home loans up to Rs 20 lakh under the specialised scheme.

Under the scheme, loans up to Rs 5 lakh are being offered at 8.5 per cent interest rate while loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 20 lakh are being offered at 9.25 per cent. Interest rates under the package are fixed for five years. Rates are subject to review beyond this period.

There were few takers when the scheme was launched as there was perception that real estate prices in the state may fall further. Besides, there was also the issue of availability of low-cost housing. With many realty developers shifting their focus from high cost housing to low cost units, demand for loan under this package has started moving up.  

TCA Ranganathan, chief general manager, SBI, Gujarat, said demand for housing loan under the package is picking up. Besides, SBI’s special housing loan scheme at the rate of 8 per cent is also getting huge response.  More….

In the first phase, the government will spend Rs.17.5 billion (Rs.1,750 crore) from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to construct Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Ahmedabad and houses for slum dwellers. “We are constructing BRTS for an investment Rs.500 crore (Rs.5 billion) stretching 58 km. This is only the first phase,” R. P. Mahida, city engineer (BRTS) of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, told reporters. JNNURM is a city modernisation scheme launched by the central government in 2005.

The first phase will be completed by September 2009 and tenders for the second phase, 12.9 km, will be floated soon, he added. Mahida said BRTS would make commuting smoother in the city. The bus route is constructed in the middle of the road with 82 bus stations altogether. Later this model of BRTS will be replicated in other parts of the state.

Apart from the modern BRTS, the city corporation is busy constructing subsidised housing for the urban poor. Around Rs.12.5 billion (Rs.1,250 crore) will be invested to make Ahmedabad a slum-free city by 2012.”A total of 18,000 housing of casting concrete will be provided to the poor families,” Anand B. Patel, additional city engineer (housing) of the municipal corporation said.  More…..