The Lalbaug railway over bridge now threatens to blow into a full-fledged political controversy. The stage for a showdown was set on Friday evening with Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) opposition leader Chinnam Gandhi sitting on an indefinite fast demanding action against those responsible for the bridge.
The design and the traffic movement on the bridge had been debated heavily since the last several months. Recently, even BJP MLA from Raopura and state parliamentary secretary Yogesh Patel raised the issue and VMC officials had to visit the bridge along with Patel to look into the possible ways of taking care of a chaos that Patel had predicted.
With the inauguration date of the bridge nearing, the controversy is only peaking. Sources said that the inauguration of the bridge is planned on January 30 and preparations are being made for the same.
Gandhi had earlier demanded an inquiry in the affairs of the bridge that was constructed at a cost of around Rs 49 crore. "But that has not been done despite the fact that now everyone admits that there could be traffic chaos on the bridge," he said.
In a first-of-its-kind public-private sanitation project in rural areas in the state, the district administration has roped in a private firm to clean up villages in Vadodara.
The district rural development agency (DRDA) and taluka panchayat designed this project along with Centre for Development and Communication (CDC), a private non-profit making agency. Under the project, nine vehicles have started picking up solid waste from 16 villages in Vadodara district from Thursday. The waste will be disposed at a wasteland in Atladara.
The project has been initiated to clean up public places in rural areas. "As per the contract, CDC will collect solid waste door to door, streets and public places in 16 villages. The agency will also create awareness among villagers on how to maintain sanitation in their houses and streets," said district development officer (DDO) Rakesh Shankar.
Ashvini Kumar, Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) commissioner, today proposed a draft budget of Rs 2,170 crore for the financial year 2012-13. Residential property taxes and water charges have not been raised in the draft budget. Talking to reporters after presenting the draft budget to chairman of the Standing Committee of VMC, Kumar promised to make Vadodara slum-free by 2020. "Despite decline in surplus income, no hike in taxes is proposed in the budget, though salary and pension bill has gone up by Rs 90 crore in wake of the Sixth Pay Commission," he said. Water charges for certain categories of commercial and industrial properties may be hiked in accordance with the judgement of the Gujarat High Court. As per the High Court order, the water charges will be converted into water tax, Kumar added. The civic body has estimated the revenue income to be around Rs 713 crore, and it will also raise Rs 387 crore through bank loans and sale of lands. It expects to generate revenue surplus of Rs 63 crore. Capital resources from JNNURM are projected at Rs 135 crore, while those from other grants are projected at Rs 78.78 crore. Kumar has proposed an expenditure of Rs 901 crore on development works. Of this, Rs 341.30 crore will be spent on flyovers and bridges, Rs 120.69 crore will be spent on water supply. Another major expenditure proposed is Rs 250 crore on new overhead water tanks, water network, and source upgradation, etc.
Vadodara Municipal Corporaiton ( VMC) is set to propose its annual budget for the financial year 2012-13 on Wednesday. The budget is being keenly watched in the wake of ambitious announcements made by chief minister Narendra Modi for the city during his Sadbhavana Mission fast here.
Sources said that several major projects promised by the chief minister during the Sadbhavana mission will be included in the budget. Modi had mentioned a Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS), city gas system and other amenities. A book brought out on the occasion by the civic body had also mentioned four multi-speciality hospitals, gardens on public-private partnership mode and other projects.
Launched the career counselling workshop series with 550 students of Vadodara
The Vadodara chapter of Young Indians (Yi), the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is targeting 25,000 kids, who will be provided career counseling by the chapter.
Yi Vadodara chapter recently launched the career counselling workshop series with students of high schools at Jaspur and Vadodara covering a total of 550 students. The career counseling workshops were held with students of Shri Seva Samaj School, Jaspur and Shri Pratap High School in the city.
"We targeted a total of 550 students of standard nine to 12 in these two schools and gave them 200 career options from our customized career database based on their personality traits which will help them map their careers in future. Moreover, we target 25,000 kids in the coming year," Anish Patel, Yi Vadodara chapter chair told TOI.
The workshops were facilitated by Anuj Kothari, chair of Yi National (environment) and Amit Bidasaria, co chair of Yi National (rural counseling).
"We have created a platform for the city based youth in guiding their career. Through this program, we identify strength and interest of participating students which in turn help students in identifying career possibilities," said Patel. "Based on this, counselors draw a career map for the students."
As teachers play a vital role in the drawing a career path for any student, the workshops are also aimed to train the teachers for motivating the students.
Alleging that the sale of 'gauchar' land (grazing land) was turning the farmers from OBC community in the state, landless, a resolution was adopted at an OBC convention here, demanding immediate ban on this.
"The condition of 3.37 crore people from OBC communities, has become very miserable due to pro-industry policy adopted by the Modi government in the state," Dalsukh Parajapati chairman of OBC cell of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee and former mayor of Vadodara city said.
The resolution also demanded reservation for OBC students in the self-financed educational institutions in the state.
President of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Arjun Modhwadia criticised the state government for the policies that "compelled" the OBC farmers to sell off their land and become landless.
Modhwadia criticised Chief Minister Narendra Modi's slogan on 'Sauno saath, sauno vikas' (all together, development for all) saying it should be 'development of only 100 industrialists, with cooperation of all people.'
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela urged the people saying, "You should think and make other people of your communities aware about the injustice by the BJP government."
"Now, a decade of BJP regime is over. You should be campaigning for the Congress. Modi's Sadbhavna fast is nothing but a 'tamasha'. He is using public money for his own publicity. So, be prepared for the 2012 assembly polls and remove BJP from power," Vaghela added.
India's first lady photographer Homai Vyarawalla was cremated here on Monday. Vyarawalla, who stayed alone, had slipped and fallen at her residence on Thursday and fractured a hip bone. Although she was taken to a hospital by her neighbours, she passed away at the age of 98 on Sunday morning after developing breathing complications.
On Monday morning her body was kept for public to pay homage at the veteran photographer's Nizampura residence. Later the funeral procession reached Karelibaug crematorium in the presence of a few Parsi families of the city, her distant relatives who had reached the city from Mumbai and a couple of artists from the city and Delhi.
Respecting her wish of not putting her body in Dokhma (also known as the tower of silence as per Parsi customs), she was cremated. Ironically, only Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) mayor Jyoti Pandya and standing committee chairman Dr Vijay Shah - were the two public figures of the city who turned up to pay tributes at her residence in Nizampura and Karelibaug crematorium. All other politicians - be it from Congress or the BJP - who usually do not miss a single opportunity to get clicked - were conspicuous by their absence.
Those present recollected how 1990s witnessed a 're-birth' of Homai. "It was photo historian Satish Sharma from Delhi who had started searching for her. After she left photography in 1970, a year after her husband's death, Homai lived in hiding for decades in Vadodara," said Delhi-based multiple media artist and inventor Ashim Ghosh, recollecting how he had first met Homai in 1992 when both of them had put up their solo exhibitions in Delhi.
"She was such a delightful person and despite her age had a sharp understanding of her medium," said Ghosh. "She was happy to have received a tool-box (with hammer and nut bolts) as her 96th birthday gift,!" he added.
An earthquake-resistant and eco-friendly school complex has been constructed in Manjalpur locality here.
The English medium school was founded by Devyani Raje Gaekwad, widow of Lt Col Ashokraje Gaekwad, former ADC to Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British Indian Empire.
Further in the making of blocks, paper masch was used as additive to cement and rubbles. Thus the use of cement was also reduced considerably, which is once again an environment friendly aspect.
In the new premises, there has been no use of paint. The natural colour of the blocks used for raising the wall has been retained. The walls are raised arranging the blocks in triangular formations, which are earth-quake resistant as compared to the rectangular structure raised using conventional bricks.
Homai Vyarawalla, one of India's first professional women photographers, died here Sunday, days after being hospitalised due to a fall from her bed, close friends said. She was 98.
According to friends, she had slipped and fractured her hip. "It took some time for the neighbours to find out she had a fall. They then took her to the hospital Thursday," said Sabeena Gadioke, an associate who called on Vyarawalla from time to time.
However, according to doctors attending on her, it was not the fracture that took her down but the severe breathing problems which she had developed. She was also suffering from lung congestion, which caused her difficulty in breathing.
Vyarawalla is only survived by her ailing daughter-in-law, who stays in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. "She has been informed and is on her way to Vadodara. She too is not keeping well," Gadioke said.
Born Dec 9, 1913 to a Parsi family in Navsari (Gujarat), Vyarawalla studied at the then Bombay University and did her arts diploma from Sir J.J. School of Arts.
She started working soon after in late 1930s, before moving to Delhi in 1942 where she photographed the first flag hoisting of independent India in 1947.
The grand old lady, as she was called, had several accolades to her credit, including the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, conferred upon her in 2010.
Homai Vyarawalla took a number of memorable photographs during her career. Her favourite subject was India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
After much deliberation over technical snags in Lalbaug overbridge, it has been decided that commuters won't be allowed to take right turn on the bridge. No matter what direction they come from on this four-way bridge, they will be allowed to take only left turn to avoid accidents and traffic jams.
The decision was taken on Thursday morning during a brief meeting between municipal commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation ( VMC) officials, the consultant who designed the bridge and politicians.
All the concerned parties met on the overbridge and discussed the issues that can possibly lead to traffic jams and accidents. "During the meet it was decided that commuters won't be allowed to take right turns on the bridge as it would mean that they would have to cross the lane to reach the other one. It would cause traffic jams on the bridge," said Raopura MLA Yogesh Patel, who had raised objections over the bridge design.
TOI had last month reported about faulty designs of overbridges including the Lalbaug bridge and how it can lead to accidents and traffic jams.
Representatives of the traffic police were also present during the discussion and they lent their support to the decision.
As a result of the decision, those climbing the bridge from Kashivishwanath Temple won't be able to turn towards Vishwamitri and those coming from Manjalpur won't be able to turn towards Pratapnagar from the bridge. The authorities have decided not to install traffic signals on the bridge. Also, there is a proposal to remove dividers from the bridge. "The dividers will create hassles for commuters and serve little purpose," Patel said.
The decision to broaden the service roads too has been taken to ensure smooth flow of the traffic. Sources said that the overbridge may be inaugurated by the end of this month or next month.
