AMBERNATH NEWS

ITC shuts down two WIMCO plant

"In the present form, WIMCO did not perform well. So, we have already closed down two of the plants. We are restructuring it," ITC chairman and managing director Y.C. Deveshwar told shareholders at its 100th annual general meeting.

Wimco Ltd was acquired by Russell Credit Limited, a 100 percent subsidiary of ITC, July 1, 2005.

Deveshwar attributed the poor performance of WIMCO to the differentials in duties between handmade and non-handmade sectors.

According to the annual report, WIMCO had posted a net loss of around Rs.60 crore during 2011-12 fiscal.

The company has already given voluntary retirement to all the employees of the two factories. The one-time separation has cost the company Rs.37 crore.

However, as the location of the two factories was good, the infrastructure there will be used for manufacturing new products the company has entered into of late. (IANS)

BUKAD NEWS

'Mumbai mega infra-projects to be completed by 2013'

India Gazette
Wednesday 7th March, 2012
(IANS)

Focusing on completing mega-infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai, the state government has allocated Rs.4,825 crore for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for fiscal 2012-13 beginning April 1.

Though no new projects have been announced, the emphasis would be to complete the mega-projects like Monorail, Metro rail, elevated road near the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at Sahar and important roads in and around Mumbai, MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana said here Tuesday.

The budget was approved at the MMRDA's 130th meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The highlight would be kicking off the crucial 22 km, Rs.8,800 crore Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link, the city's second sea-bridge after the Rajiv Gandhi Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The ammount is to be spent over four-five years.

The project is expected to be awarded by November, Asthana said.

Another major infrastructure project is the 126-km-long Virar-Alibag Multi-Modal Corridor linking Thane, Mumbai and Raigad districts.

It is being implemented in two phases -- Virar-Chirner (79 km) and Chirner-Alibaug (47 km) at a cost of Rs.9,326 crore with dedicated lanes for traffic, buses, two-wheelers and non-motorized transport.

"We have made significant allocation for strengthening our road network as well as for developing infrastructure. The funds will be used for completion of the ongoing projects," Asthana said.

He said that MMRDA plans to start trial runs of the ambitious Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro railway by year-end and commission it in the next financial year, providing much-needed relief to Mumbai commuters.

An amount of Rs.338 crore has been earmarked for the Metro rail, including Rs.100 crore for the targeted Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar stretch, Rs.138 crore for the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd sector and Rs.100 crore for the underground Colaba-BKC-Andheri Link, Asthana said.

An allocation of Rs.870 crore has been made for the Monorail, while a large chunk - Rs.1,460 crore -- will be utilized on developing the road network in the city and surroundings.

Of the Rs.1,460 crore, Rs.660 crore will be spent for Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project components like Eastern Freeway (by December 2012), Anik-Panjrapole Link Road, Panjrapole-Ghatkopar Link Road, the under-construction Milan Rail Overbridge (tentatively, June 2012), and the elevated road outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) (by July 2012).

Mumbai's lifeline, the suburban railway network, will get Rs.290 crore under the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project-II, for developing various components.

An amount of Rs.800 crore has been allocated for the satellite towns/cities around Mumbai in Thane and Raigad districts, including Mira Road, Bhayander, Vasai, Virar, Kalyan, Dombivli, Ambernath, Karjat and Badlapur.

Aware of the growing requirements of water in the Mumbai Metrpolitan Region areas, the MMRDA has allocated Rs.390 crore to develop water resources.

AMBERNATH NEWS

8,000 ditch vehicles to celebrate car-free SoBo


An initiative to reclaim south Mumbai for pedestrians and cyclists got off to a great start on Sunday morning, with around 800 Mumbaikars ditching their vehicles to participate in a walkathon and a bike-a-thon.

Organizers, who flagged off the events at 8am, managed to keep vehicles off the 20-km stretch for the first few hours, after which a trickle of BEST buses and taxis began plying on the roads again.

While some turned up to show their support for the green cause, for others, it was a chance to get some exercise and fresh air. For a city always on the run, the prospect of biking 20 km on a Sunday morning seemed an ideal way to unwind after a hectic week at work. The event had its share of dazzle with big-ticket names such as actor Rahul Bose, industrialist Siddharth Mallya and director Abhinav Kashyap pledging their support. 


However, the turnout was lower than expected. "We had almost 800 people participating in both the rallies, so it was a pretty good turnout, though we expected more than 1,500 people to show up," said Kalpesh Parekh, founder of the Greenmile Foundation, which along with the Baramati Welfare Organization, conducted the event. "The traffic police cooperated with us 100%. But since it's the first year, it was a learning curve for all of us involved. I am confident that we'll be able to spread the word much better next year and the event will be much better coordinated next year," he said.

The event ended at Bombay Gymkhana where the top 10 winners of the bike-a-thon and the first six of the walkathon were felicitated.

The second runner-up of the walkathon, Premkant Negi, who had travelled all the way from Ambernath to participate in Sunday's event, was thrilled with his win. "I won vouchers worth Rs 30,000. I think I am going to buy a top-gear bicycle with the prize money. What better way to spend the money than to use it to make a permanent lifestyle change?" 

AMBERNATH NEWS

Two killed in an attempt on life of Shiv Sena leader

Two persons were killed during an attempt on the life of a local Shiv Sena leader at Ambernath town on Wednesday night.

Four unidentified persons, armed with sten-guns, entered Shiv Sena's office in Ambernath and opened fire at the party's local unit chief Arvind Walekar injuring him, they said.

Walekar's bodyguards quickly surrounded him and one of them was fatally hit by a bullet, police said.

The bodyguards too fired killing one of the assailants, they said.

The two deceased are yet to be identified.

Walekar has been admitted to a local hospital, police said.

It is suspected that the firing is a result of previous enmity, they said, adding police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.

Walekar, a former president of the Ambernath Municipal Council, was named as an accused in a criminal case but was subsequently acquitted by the Sessions Court.

Security has been stepped up at Ambernath, located on the outskirts of Mumbai, following the incident, police said.

 

AMBERNATH NEWS

16-year-old athlete falls off running train, loses leg


Looking for an electric point to charge his mobile phone on train, cost a 16-year-old hammerthrow player from Ambernath in Thane district lost his leg, and career.

Neeraj Singh, a hammerthrow player, was in Ranchi to represent the state at the Junior Athletics Meet on Friday. As the state made  no arrangements for their tour, the players had to make do with the seats they managed to get at the last minute. Neeraj booked a seat on Shalimar Express.

On his return journey, as the train neared Wardha, Neeraj’s phone battery got discharged. He found an electric point close to the door. Leaning on the door, he tried to put his charging pin into it. But, the door gave way and Neeraj got hurt on his head. Owing to the injury, Neeraj lost his balance and fell on the

tracks between Nagpur and Wardha. 

Vilas Gaikar, Singh’s coach and family friend, said: “According to the rules, the junior athletes team must be accompanied by an official for an outstation sports meet. But, no official from the state was with the team.”

Admitted to Kasturba hospital at Wardha, Singh underwent a surgery wherein his left leg was amputated knee down on Saturday.

So far, no official from the Maharashtra Athletic Association or the Thane District Association has inquired about his condition or offered help, Neeraj’s family claimed.

“An official from Wardha District Association visited Neeraj once, but offered no help,” Gaikar said.