Baroda Diary

Legend Passes Away: Vijay Samuel Hazare, who led India to their first Test victory, passed away on 18th December at a private hospital after a prolonged illness. Hazare, 89, had been suffering from intestinal cancer and other ailments. He had been kept on life support for the last couple of days. The Cricket Club of India honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award a week ago by former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), president Raj Singh Dungarpur at a private ceremony. He was the First Indian to score a century in each innings of a Test and also First Indian to score two first class triple hundreds. He was born on March 11, 1915 in Sangli, Maharasthra. Besides playing for the National side, Hazare had stints with Maharashtra, Central India and Baroda teams.

17-12-04

The Best Out Of Waste: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has set up a plant at Atladra to convert municipal solid waste into compost. After Ahmedabad, Vadodara is the next to have such a facility to dispose of waste and follow the Solid Waste Management Rules (SWMR). The plant, Chemstrol Engineering Private Limited, went operational from December 1 and handles a total of 250 tonnes of solid waste of the total 525 tonnes generated daily in the city. It has been set up on BOOT (Build, Operate, Own and Transfer) basis. Chemstrol will operate the plant for 20 years and then hand it over to the corporation. The company is intending to solve the garbage disposal problem and solid waste for the corporation and earn its revenue by selling the compost. Out of the 250 tonnes of waste, after decomposition, about 50 to 60 tonnes of compost is prepared. It is free from pathogens and weed seeds.

Handicrafts & Handloom Exhibition: Huge display of Silk Saree, Cotton Saree, Tassor, Dupattas, Dress Material, Bed Cover, Ready Made Dress, Stone Carvng, Silver Carving, Silver Filligres & Wood Carving of Handicrafts & Handlooms is on at Aditi Gallery, Race Course Circle, Baroda. 11th to 25th December between 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The exhibition will remain opened on Sunday.

Crafts Exhibition-Cum-Sale: Sponsored by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Organised by North East Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation. Marble Arch, Race Course Circle. 14th to 26th December. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition will remain opened on Sunday.

Sun Pharma Sets Up New R & D Facility: Sun Pharma is setting up a massive research and development in backdrop of changing patents regime in the pharmaceuticals sector facility in Baroda. R & D centre at Tandalja is ready for inauguration by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on December 14. The research site built on a 16-acre campus, offers 200,000 sq ft. of research floor area, housing modern labs for a committed team of 325 newly recruited scientists. The modern and exhaustively equipped lab areas in biological and analytical development at the centre will focus on pharmacokinetics, tissue culture and screening.

Seminar For Trade Union: Baroda Management Association (BMA) Organises Two Days Seminar on "Role of Trade Unions in the Changed Scenario for Achieving Excellence and Happiness." On December 17 & 18 at Hotel Taj Residency between 9.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M. Interested persons can contact the BMA office before 14th December at Anmol Plaza, 2nd Floor, Old Padra Road, Baroda. Ph no. 2353364 or 2344135 or email: bmabaroda@sancharnet.in.

Art Exhibition: An exhibition titled ‘The Ramp’ showcasing work of K.S. Radhakrishnan at Bayer ABS Gallery. 4 to 7.30 p.m. Till December 26.

‘The Karate KID': Shivam Raval, 10 years old, is a budding karate champ from Vadodara. His recent achievements include gold and bronze medals won at the International Karate Championship held in Baroda and is one of the youngest International First Degree Black Belt. He achieved the feat when he was six but missed the world record by a 6 months. He was conferred with the President Award in 2002 for exceptional achievement. There has been no stopping ever since as he went on to acquire the International Second-Degree Black Belt at nine. Since 1999 he has won several karate championships, collected over 35 trophies and medals, and is currently preparing for the World Shoto Cup Karate championship to be held in Japan next September. He has been coaching students in Shoto-Kan for the last 12 years.

National Child Awards Winner: Master Jugal Ambrishkumar Pithadiya, is the youngest team member of Mount Kalindi Expedition -2001, launched by

The Alpine Lovers-Vadodara. A class five student of Vidya Vihar School has been actively participating in all the local Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Trekking, Wild Life & Bird Watching programs. He participated in the Expedition to Mount Kalindi (6103 Metres) during June 2001and gained height of 17,000 ft. at an early age of 6. Jugal was felicitated by Gujarat Government in May 2003 and Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. Vadodara. He is the only Child Mountaineer in Gujarat & India awarded the Prestigious Certificate - Sahas Award 2001. He has registered in the Limca Book Of Records - 2004, also has received the National Child Award For Exceptional Achievement -2003 in the field of mountaineering on the Children’s Day 14th November 2004.

The Other Side Of Viagra: Researchers at M S University have found the Viagra drug is helpful in reducing the risk of a second heart attack that sometimes occurs while a first is being treated. Pfizer’s Viagra, of which the active ingredient is sildenafil citrate initially, had to struggle to dispel some reports of increasing the risk of heart attack. When a patient has a heart attack, blockage of a coronary artery stops blood supply to a part of the heart muscle, causing ischaemia. Doctors work to establish reperfusion, that is, restoration of blood flow to the ischaemic tissue. But reperfusion to the ischaemic areas is often believed to cause oedema, explosive swelling and even disintegration of cardiac muscle cells. This amounts to a second heart attack. Researches have found that administering sildenafil citrate was effective in preventing myocardial reperfusion injury. Research paper on the topic will be read at the Joint International Conference on Cardiology, in Ahmedabad, on December 31, by Professor Balaraman and a Ph. D student S. B. Bothara.

Seminar On Rights Of The Disabled: United Way of Baroda in association with Unnati Organisation of Development Education & Handicap International has organised a seminar on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities on December 10, at Shagun Hall, Hotel Sasujee. The seminar is motivated to make people aware about the rights of a person with disabilities.

Weekend Workshop For Children: Bal Bhavan is organising a workshops for children between 6 & 14 years in candle-making, paper decoration and card-making, every weekend in December between 4.30 p.m. & 6 p.m. For registrations contact Bal Bhavan.

Jayant Parikh’s Paintings: The 56th solo exhibition of Paintings will be exhibited by Jayant Parikh at Welcom Art Gallery, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. December 1-12.

Art and Aesthetics: An exhibition titled ‘Crossworld’ featuring works of artists like Chritophe Robin, Santanan Gohain, Kenji Horai, Ganesh Gohain & Blaise Raymond at Sarjan Art Gallery. 12 Noon to 8.00 p.m. Till December 04

Handicrafts & Handloom Festival: Parsi Agyari Ground, Sayajigunj. November 26 to December 7. 10.30 A.M. to 9 P.M.

Blast At Gujarat Refinery: Two persons died and 16 were injured in a blast in a reactor at Indian Oil Corporation's Gujarat Refinery at Koyali in Baroda on Friday, 29th October. The blast and the subsequent fire damaged property worth millions of rupees. The accident happened at 3.38 a.m. and people living in the vicinity heard an extremely loud noise and some feared that an earthquake had taken place. The noise of the explosion could be heard several kilometers away. Panic overtook the residents of surrounding villages. Fire fighters worked for seven hours to bring the blaze under control. The reason behind the blast is under investigation. The blast ripped through the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) plant of the refinery.

Message From Ashit T. Joshi: I was in Baroda High Alkapuri (1999). I have started a yahoo group for my batch mates as well as other friends of my school. You can mail me so that I can add you to the group. Ashit T. Joshi <asit_t_joshi@yahoo.com>

Art Exhibition: Shelly Jyoti presents pastels, inks and drawings. At WelcomHotel's Art Gallery, R.C. Dutt Road. Till November 15. 5.30 p.m. onwards.

Dress Materials: Sale of exclusive dress materials and western outfits for women. Trisha Gallery. October 25-27. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Violin Concert: Rasika Priya has organised a solo violin concert by Dr. Hemlata from Chennai. At Vasvik Auditorium, Race Course. Entry free for all. October 27.

Suit Fabrics: Sale of Mulberry's collection of suit fabrics in crepe, georgette with embroidery, sequin, stone work and glass bangles for Karva Chauth. Trisha Gallery. October 28-29. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

World's Largest Garba: Baroda's Donor's Plaza grounds – venue of the 'Maa Shakti Garba' – made statistical history of sorts on Friday (15th October, 2004). The garba ground registered 38,805 participants, a number that won a place in the Limca Book of Records as the 'World's Largest Garba'.

Jahanavi Dies: One of the oldest big cats at the Sayajibaug Zoo, a lioness named Jahanavi, died recently. Aged 25, she was ill for a long time and had also undergone a cataract operation. The zoo now has seven lions, two tigers and four leopards.

Crematorium Modernisation: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has approved a modernisation programme at the Bahucharaji crematorium in Karelibaug. According to the plan, the last rites at the crematorium will be telecast live over the Internet so that relatives and friends all over the world can see them. The project, costing Rs.10 million, has been sponsored by Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (IPCL) and Rotary Club of Jawaharnagar.

Message From Akshit Patel: All Baroda people are encouraged and requested to join my group … groups.yahoo.com/barodiansgroup. See you all there. Akshit Patel <axepatel@yahoo.com>

New Treatment At SSG: SSG Hospital's orthopaedics department has recently experimented with a procedure to install titanium plates to repair fractures. The technique, first tried out in Switzerland, is a big help to people who cannot afford to be in bed for several months after a fracture. In this procedure the fractured bones are held in place by titanium plates. The plates do not come in contact with the bones and allow the free flow of blood around the fracture, thus allowing it to heal quickly. The patient may even be allowed to walk after a few days of rest. The plates can be removed after two years. The long-term effects of this method are yet to be studied. The titanium plates cost about Rs. 5,000.

Pollution Control Seminar: A national seminar on ecodegradation due to air pollution will be organised on October 16 by the Indian Association for Air Pollution Control, Vadodara, in collaboration with the Institution of Engineers and MSU's Department of Environmental Science. Venue: Vasvik Auditorium, Race Course Road, Baroda.

MSU Centre Studies Jute: MS University's Genome Research Centre, an advanced genetic research facility, has taken up a project to study how jute can be promoted for purposes other than just the making of gunny bags. For this purpose it has tied up with Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur), Calcutta University and Jute Research Centre of India (JRCI). The research will try to identify ways in which jute can be used as a value-added product, for instance as an alternative form of fibre. The Genome Research Centre was set up two years ago especially for students who have done their postgraduation in Biotechnology.

Mail From Hiren Chandrakant Shah: This is Hiren from Infosys. I am very proud to be a citizen of Baroda. For long time I was in search of a site through which I can know happenings in Baroda and baroda-online.com provides me everything. It has been one year working in Infosys but there has not been a single day when I have not missed MY BARODA. I would like to add myself in your most beautiful site of Baroda. Also, I would like to help those people who are willing to build their career in software engineering. And the last but not the least, Baroda I miss u very much. Hiren Chandrakant Shah <Hiren_Shah02@infosys.com>

Standing Committee Chairman: Ajit Patel, the councillor from Alkapuri, has been unanimously elected chairman of the standing committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for a second consecutive term. A key VMC body, this committee has the power to approve all tenders exceeding Rs. 200,000. It also the power of veto in the case of appointments made by the corporation's administrative wing.

Art & Alphabets: Satya P. Kadam presents 'Art & Alphabets', an exhibition of various artists. At Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU. Till October 11.

Oriental Food Festival: At Havmor Restaurant, Sayajigunj. Specialities from China, Thailand and Indonesia. Till 18th October.

'Adopt' An Ambulance: Lifeline Foundation, a Baroda based NGO, has taken up the task of upgrading the city's 43 ambulances. Most of these ambulances do not have life-saving equipment like oxygen cylinders, stretchers and first-aid boxes, let alone trained medical attendants. The NGO's conversion kit equips the vehicles with a small portable oxygen kit, a collapsible stretcher, a first-aid box, a stainless steel sink and communication links to a hospital or a control room. The fire brigade runs 13 ambulances, three are run by the Arvind Charitable Trust, two by the ESIS, 19 by hospitals and the remaining by corporates and NGOs. Each vehicle's upgradation costs about Rs. 40,000. Lifeline Foundation has appealed to individuals and organisations to contribute funds to 'adopt' an ambulance.

Kiran More, Chief Selector: In the elections to the BCCI the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) secretary Kiran More has been chosen chairman of the selection committee and BCA president Chirayu Amin has become a BCCI vice-president. More, a former Indian wicket-keeper, was a selector in the outgoing committee headed by Syed Kirmani. Chirayu Amin, the Alembic CMD, comes in place of the Gujarat Cricket Association president Narhari Amin. It was many years back that Baroda was represented at the BCCI. Maharaja Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad was once the president of BCCI and later Anshuman Gaekwad and former president of Baroda Cricket Association, J.Y. Lele, had been chosen its national selector and general secretary respectively. Vijay Hazare and Mamasaheb Ghorpade had also in the past chaired the BCCI selection committee.

VSE Elections: Tarang Mehta and Janak Shah have been unanimously elected president and vice-president respectively of the Vadodara Stock Exchange (VSE) Ltd.

Mail From Vikram Vasant Limaye: Dear Baroda-Online team: I am now in Melbourne, Australia. Just recently I have come here from our own Baroda... and after viewing all the wallpapers of Baroda I am absolutely thrilled. I am feeling as if I am in Baroda. Thank you very much for bringing me back to my land (virtually). Keep it up. Best wishes.

Computerised OPD At SSG:The Out-Patient Department (OPD) at the Sir Sayaji General (SSG) Hospital has become fully computerised from 2nd October 2004. The computerisation process has cost Rs. 600,000. All the departments in the hospital are likely to be computerised by March 2005. The hospital currently caters to about 1,200 outdoor patients daily. The project was funded by Baroda based NGO Jeevan Akshay Charitable Trust.

Emergency Rescue Van: The Vadodara Fire Brigade is acquiring a multi-disciplinary Emergency Rescue Van (ERV). The World Bank has approved the cost of Rs. 5.6 million and sanctioned the amount to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). The ERV can perform multiple rescue tasks in emergencies like gas leaks, underwater rescue operations, railway accidents, air crashes, fires and earthquakes. Among its facilities are: generator; floodlight mast; a wire roll that can extend up to 100 metres; a chain saw for cutting wood; concrete cutters that can cut into any grade of concrete and even wrought and cast iron; underwater diving equipment; special stretchers; high-pressure lifting bags which can lift a concrete slab weighing up to 67 tonnes; exhaust blower to ward off smoke; chemical suits; space for paramedics.

Dream Of Rajputs: Exhibition of paintings by Yashwant Shirwadkar. October 3 to 19, 2004. 12 noon to 8 p.m. Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony. Ph: 2338351, 2343574.

Seismic Activity Centres: The Gujarat Sate Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) is investing Rs. 150 million to set up 40 centres all over Gujarat to monitor seismic activity in the state. The project is being handled by Vadodara based Gujarat Engineering & Research Institute (GERI). GERI has already set up 16 seismological observatories in various locations. Besides Bhuj, Bhavnagar, Vadodara and Junagadh, the observatories have also been set up near dam sites like Kevadia Colony and Sipu Dam. Strong Motion Accelerographs (SMAs), which can measure high-intensity earthquakes of above 3 on the Richter scale, will be installed in all these observatories.

Baroda Too Has Millionaires: Mumbai has the most millionaires in India; 18,939 individuals declared an income of over Rs. 1 million to the income tax department. Bangalore has the second highest number (13,130), followed by Delhi (12,450). In all there are 70,217 millionaires in the country. Kolkata has 3,492 millionaires, Pune 4,198, Chennai 2,716, Hyderabad 3,835, Ahmedabad 1,168, Vadodara 665, Rajkot 110 and Surat 587.

Monthly GEB Bills: A pilot monthly billing project of the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) will be launched in Baroda for customers of its Alkapuri subdivision. Under the project, about 25,000 customers in Alkapuri will receive computerised bills for the month of October 2004.

Vidyakunj Reunion, London: I have organised a Vidyakunj reunion and invite anyone from Baroda to join us on October 3, 2004, 6 p.m. onwards at Cyclone Club, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware, London. On that evening we have got music, a few comedy artists from India and dinner. Please come along, join us and make the evening a night to remember! Just to accommodate enough people, please email me or phone or text on 07956 891199. Bhupendra Makwana <bhupendramk@hotmail.com> <BhupendraMk@aol.com>

Post Office To Accept Electricity Bills: From October 2, consumers can pay their electricity bills at post offices also. Though the tie-up will not make much difference in cities and towns as consumers can pay their bills at various places near their locality, it will benefit villagers considerably. The villagers can now pay their bills at any nearby post office within a particular date.

Exhibition Of Beaded Handicrafts: Sahaj – an organisation for women's development – has an exhibition-cum-sale of beaded handicrafts at Trisha art gallery from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. September 20-26.

Jetalpur Underpass Closed For Repairs: The Jetalpur railway underbridge has been closed for traffic till October 20 for repairs. Traffic from Bhimnath Bridge to the underpass will be diverted via Parshuramnagar cross roads, Subhashnagar and Akota underbridge.

Exhibition of Beaded Handicrafts: Sahaj, an organization for women's development, will organise a week-long exhibition cum sale of beaded handicrafts by tribal women from Dahod at Trisha Art Gallery. September 20-26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Handicrafts & Handloom Festival: Parsi Agyari Ground, Sayajigunj. September 18 to 27. 11 A.M. to 10 P.M.

Mayor To Lead Delegation: Baroda Mayor N.V. Patel will head a delegation of Indian Mayors to Phillipines to take part in a local body and regional network programme shortly. Sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Mayor will participate in a regional urban environmental policy and management support programme. The Mayors' delegation is scheduled to leave for Manila on September 18. The theme of the programme is decentralisation in local bodies for efficient delivery system.

Exhibiton of Paintings: An exhibition titled 'Fusion' a seminal exhibition of paintings and sculptures by seven artists is on display at the Bayer ABS Gallery. 4 to 8 p.m. Till September 19.

MSU E-Resource Centre: MSU has inaugurated the E-resource centre at Hansa Mehta Library. The centre will facilitate research work for teachers, research scholars and postgraduate students. They will be able to access 6,623 online journals and archives through this centre and will also be able to get extracts and research works of several renowned authors.

US Grant For Champaner: The Chairperson of US-based Global Heritage Fund Jeff Morgan will talk on Global Heritage fund: Saving Asia's Treasures at 6.30 p.m. at Taj Residency on September 11. Jeff Morgan will also present Heritage Trust with a grant for US $ 30,000 towards project related to Champaner-Pavagadh.

Facelift For Vadodara Railway Station: Union Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa on 6th September laid the foundation stone of a project to upgrade facilities at the Vadodara Railway Station. The minister said Rs. 145 million has been allocated for converting the station's loco yard into a platform to facilitate passage of more trains. Among other plans to modernise the station, railway authorities propose to extend platform number four and five to accommodate longer trains having upto 22 coaches. The project should be complete in three years.

Helmets Compulsory On Highways: The Gujarat government decided to make wearing of helmets compulsory for drivers of two-wheelers on state and national highways. Cities have been kept outside the purview of the order.

Table Tennis Academy Set Up: After having set up a cricket academy with state-of-the-art facilities, including a club house for players, the Shreyas Society of Education has now set up a Table Tennis Academy not only for their own but also outside students. The academy, which already has five table, proposes to host the All Baroda Open Ranking Tournament, Scheduled to begin from September 15.

Lehripura Gate To Be Repaired: The Lehripura gate near Nyay Mandir in the city was closed for traffic and pedestrians from Sunday (6th September) morning after portions of its roof continued to fall down on passers-by. Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) authorities plan to begin repair work in a week. The traffic is diverted from two smaller outlets on both side of the gate. The wooden platforms that support the roof structure had corroded and VMC intends to replace them with MS plate and high tension beams.

Indian Music Workshop: The theme for the sixth workshop in this ongoing series is 'Melody & Rhythm – The Relation'. The workshop will be hosted by Achal Mehta, noted musician and singer, and the guest of honour will be Shri Vikram Patil, well-known rhythm maestro and music composer. At Planet M, Old Padra Road, 11 a.m. on 5th September.

Printmaking Workshop: Chhaap has organised three days workshop on the process of dry point for the hearing impaired children from 2 schools. The aim of this workshop is to introduce them to the process and give them hands on experience. Venue: Chhaap, Purshottam Estate, Bahucharaji Road, Karelibaug. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. September 01-03.

IOC Starts LAB Plant At Koyali: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has now commissioned the Rs. 12.5 billion Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) plant at its Koyali refinery near Baroda. The 120,000 TPA capacity plant is India's largest and has been commissioned in just 24 months. The plant will produce superior quality LAB for making environment-friendly biodegradable detergents. It signals IOC's debut into the petrochemicals sector. Raw materials like kerosene and benzene will be sourced from the refinery itself.

Kashyap Dhaka Killed: Kashyap Dhaka, the person behind the recent chain-snatching incidents and the attempted loot at HDFC Bank on July 22, was shot dead by the police in an encounter on 14th August. The encounter took place at a place along the Narmada canal in Harni Village, about 8 km from Vadodara, where he had been taken by the police in order to recover the firearms that he had hidden there. It seems that Dhaka first opened fire on the police and the police then had to resort to firing.

Bravery Award For Arvind Patel: The Gujarat government has decided to confer the Veer Meghmaya Award on autorickshaw driver Arvind Patel. The driver was shot dead by a chain snatcher as he tried to help an old lady in the Manjalpur area of the city on July 9. The award carries Rs. 100,000, a citation and a certificate. In response to an earlier appeal by Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha, Barodians contributed Rs.1.7 million to assistance Mr. Patel's widow and two minor daughters. The money was deposited in the name of his two daughters in fixed deposit account.

The Abacus At Akshar Chowk: Sculptor Nagji Patel has made a 16-foot high abacus weighing 20 tonnes. This sculpture has been installed at Akshar Chowk on Old Padra Road. The artist took five months to complete the project, with the help of four assistants from Rajasthan. Pink sandstone from Bansi Pahadpur, white, green and yellow marble from Kelwa, Kesariyaji and Jaisalmer form various parts of the abacus. The sculpture has been sponsored by Transpek-Silox Industry Ltd.

Harry Potter Ane Parasmani: The Gujarati version of J.K. Rowling's book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' – Harry Potter Ane Parasmani – was released in Baroda recently at the Crossword bookstore. Manjul Publication House of Bhopal has the rights to translate the bestseller into four regional languages and it entrusted the Gujarati translation to Baroda's Jagruti Trivedi. Ahmedabad based children's book writer Harish Nayak edited the book.

Expressway Opens At Last: The National Highway Authority of India has finally opened to traffic the entire 93-km stretch of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway. The expressway has been built at a cost of Rs. 1,900 million. The Ahmedabad-Nadiad portion has been in operation for quite some time. The proposed toll is Rs. 58 for cars, Rs. 101 for light goods vehicles and Rs. 202 for buses and trucks.

HIV Tests For MSU Students: A project has been started to test students of MS University for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The testing began with the Polytechnic Campus on Friday. The project, being carried out by Indu Blood Bank, will be conducted at various faculties of the university. About 10,000 students are expected to be screened in one year. The project has been launched with the help of US based NRI Dr. Kiran Patel who was donate kits for the tests. The university has granted permission to allow its student to participate voluntarily in this campaign.

High-Speed Train: Indian Railways is studying the feasibility of the country's first high-speed rail corridor between Ahmedabad and Virar, 90 minutes of travelling time at 300 kmph. The estimated project cost is Rs. 20 billion. The new track will be some distance away from the existing ones and halts will be few, may be just Vadodara and Surat. The train may start from Sabarmati, and a satellite station may be needed close to Baroda. German technology may be used for the train's coaches and special traction tracks. Each kilometre of track may cost about Rs. 35 million. The route will need to be fenced, there should be no level crossings and bridges will need to be designed for high speeds.

SSG Department Needs Funds: The dental department at Baroda's SSG Hospital lacks some essential equipment. A single dental chair at this large hospital caters to over 8,300 patients per year. The department gets about 130 patients daily, mostly from rural and tribal areas. It has only three full-time consultants and four interns who come from Ahmedabad and Jamnagar. The department's immediate requirements are two dental chairs with modern accessories.

Thai Handicrafts: Exhibition of orchids, ceramics, feng shui aromatic candles and spa products. Also Shringar Laxmi sarees and dress material from Kolkata. August 2-3. At Trisha Gallery.

New BoB Building: Bank of Baroda plans to shift a part of its back office and IT operations to Baroda, the city where the bank took birth. Many of these operations are presently conducted from its corporate office at Mumbai. Overheads are higher – compared to Baroda – in Mumbai, and a shift of locale makes sense. The bank may set up a new eight-storey building near its Alkapuri office at a cost of Rs. 210 million. The foundation stone of the new building may be laid in January 2005. The bank's registered office at Mandvi may subsequently be moved to the Alkapuri address.

Sadhna Talkies Sealed: Vadodara District Collectorate officials sealed the property of the now defunct Sadhna talkies near Nyay Mandir for non-payment of entertainment tax dues. August 5 has been set as the deadline to pay up the dues. If the owner fails to do so, the officials may auction the property.

Navrachana Wins Cleanliness Award: Navrachana School has bagged the Dakshinamurthy Trophy for topping the inter-school cleanliness and aesthetic competition organised by SOCLEEN – an NGO working on greenery promotion.

Kashyap Dhaka Arrested: Twenty-two-year old Kashyap Dhaka, the prime accused in the firing incident near HDFC Bank in Alkapuri on 21st July was arrested in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 26th July. In the meantime he is alleged to have committed three more – relieving two old women of their gold necklaces and a failed bid to loot a car driver. He was arrested while trying to get the number plate changed of a motorcycle he had stolen from Baroda. See earlier story. It seems that Dhaka had escaped from the Tihar Jail in Delhi in December 2003, where he was allegedly lodged in connection with a murder case.

New Nursing Academy: To meet the national and international demand for trained hospital, the All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG) at Baroda will start a nursing academy. Launched in 1926, AIILSG is active in research and training in the field of municipal administration. The organisation already runs the Nehru Bhavan and the Fire Academy in the city. The nursing academy, affiliated to the Jamnabai General Hospital, will start its academic year from September 2004, after approval by the Indian Nursing Council (INC). The 42-month course will have a capacity of 60 students, double that of the SSG Nurses Training College.

For Experimental School Alumni In New Jersey: Kumar Majmudar writes from New Jersey, "I studied in Experimental School, was in 1971 SSC Batch. I used to play the accordion and used to perform for musical programmes and garbas, and I still do it all over the USA. I am presently in New Jersey and I would like to have a reunion with Experimental School students. If you are interested, please contact me at 732-617-7000 or send me an email. Kumar Majmudar <kumar@cpakumar.com>"

Children's Park At Prayagpura: Mr. Gordhan Patel writes from USA, "A modern children's park has been set up at Prayagpura Primary School by Kirit Patel of Bhayali in memory of his mother through GCA Bay Area, Fremont, California, USA, and Dr. Usha Smarak Trust of Vadodara. The school is 40 km from Vadodara and 7 km from Dabhoi. For more information call Nagindas Patel (ph: 2663-257271). Gordhan Patel <gordhan@hotmail.com>"

Spate Of Robberies In City: This has been an eventful week for the police in Baroda. On Wednesday (21st July) two youngsters were spotted hanging about suspiciously near the HDFC Bank at Alkapuri. When the police were alerted, the two tried to escape. One was caught, but the other pulled out a gun, shot at and injured a passerby who tried to help the police, and escaped on a stolen motorcycle. The nabbed person is Ritesh, alias Vicky Gawli, and he has been remanded to seven days' police custody by a local court. The one who got away is Kashyap Dhaka. Dhaka had stayed for a while at Hotel Natraj in Sampatrao Colony and he seems to be a resident of Ghaziabad. He came to the city about two months ago, took up a job in a garage near Fatehgunj Circle and stayed as a paying guest at Gawli's house. At 5.30 a.m. on Friday, someone who fitted Dhaka's description stopped 44-year-old Mukesh Shah at gunpoint in Kashi Vishveshwar Society on Jetalpur Road. Mr. Shah, on his way to work at IPCL, was robbed of his gold chain, Rs. 500 and his Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle. Just forty minutes later, at 6.10 a.m., a couple – 58-year-old Ramnik Shah and his wife – enjoying a morning walk was forced to part with a gold chain. The robber, brandishing a gun, matched Dhaka's description.

Labour Of Love: A group of 14 ladies at Baroda's Jhankar Kala Kendra have been quietly running a public library for children and book lovers at Ellora Park for over 15 years. They are now putting the final touches to an ambitious expansion project and will inaugurate the large library in August. The enterprising ladies, between 50 and 70 years, have managed to get contributions of Rs. 250,000 for their project. The expanded library will have over 8000 books. It offers books at a monthly fee of Rs. 5 and its current membership numbers 300. Ordinary people, senior citizens and the Rotary Club of Jawaharnagar have helped immensely in this venture.

MSU Develops 'Interobactors': Researchers at MS University have developed an effective, organic and more natural alternative for fertilisers. Their work opens up the possibility that in some cases farmers may be able to use bacteria and microorganisms instead of fertilisers. The scientists at the university's Biotechnology Department claim that certain kind of bacteria, 'interobactors', effectively perform the function of fertilizers by releasing the phosphate content in soil in a soluble form which can be absorbed by plants. This may turn out to be a significant development because chemical fertilisers are expensive and not environmentally friendly. The Gujarat Agricultural Centre is presently conducting field trials with the bacteria at its model farm by testing it on different soil conditions and different plants. Commercial applications may take another five years.

Indian Music Workshop: The theme for the fifth workshop in this ongoing series is 'Harmony and Mood Music'. The workshop will be hosted by Achal Mehta, noted musician and singer, and the guest of honour will be Kaushik Mistry, well-known music director and mood music composer. At Planet M, Old Padra Road, 11 a.m. on 25th July.

Police Appeal Helps Family: Thanks to an unprecedented appeal by the city police to help the family of Arvind Patel, the autorickshaw driver who was shot dead by a chain-snatcher in Manjalpur on 9th July, Barodians have donated Rs. 1.7 million for his widow Hemlata Patel and daughters Dakshita and Esha. The money was handed over to Hemlataben on 19th July by Vadodara Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha. If you wish to help the family, please refer to the earlier story.

Baroda's Transportnagar: In order to reduce some of the heavy traffic on Baroda's roads, the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA), plans to set up an area with modern facilities exclusively for stationing heavy commercial vehicles. This 'Transportnagar' will be outside the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits. VUDA has acquired almost 90 per cent of the required 56 hectares at a cost of Rs. 5 million. The site is on the junction between the Vadodara-Godhra state highway and the Vadodara- Mumbai by-pass on National Highway 8. VUDA plans to construct special godowns for specific needs, petrol pumps, shops, auto ancillary outlets, a post office, octroi counter, banks, restaurants and hotels and dhabas. The main reason behind this project is to move a major chunk of the heavy traffic jamming the inner city roads towards the periphery of the city.

MSU Develops Magnetic Semi-Conductor: The Physics Department of MS University says that it has developed a magnetic semi-conductor device which is a major breakthrough in the direction of spin-transistors. This research will help in the field of high-speed computing. The department has been invited by the Centre for European Research in Nuclear Science (CERN), Geneva, to test the feasibility of the material under different experimental conditions. Research had been started at MSU five years ago under a project of the University Grants Commission. Magnetic semi-conductors have been around for decades, but they were operative only at extremely low temperatures. For spintronics they should work at room temperatures.

Eco-Adventure Expedition: IPCL's Sandip Vaidya (37) a mountaineer from Baroda's Alpine Lovers' Club, is the only person selected from Gujarat for India's longest eco-exploration and adventure expedition. He is part of a 14-member core team that will participate in an expedition that will cover 15 villages, seven major pilgrimage centres, two wildlife sanctuaries, a national biosphere reserve, a winter sport destination, six historical places, eight high-altitude lakes and six towns in the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas region which will be assessed for their tourism potential.

Serigraphs At Sarjan Gallery: The Sarjan Art Gallery has organised a big exhibition, featuring more than 175 serigraphs made by 75 renowned contemporary Indian artists, from July 22 to August 14.

'Rhythm' Photographs Exhibition: Hari Om Gurjar's 19th solo show of photographs will open on July 18 at the Vithi Gallery in Karelibaug. The focus will be on 'Rhythm'; Gurjar explores the different aspects of rhythm inherent in nature as well as in the creation of music. The show will continue till July 23.

Arvind Patel's Family Needs Your Support: Autorickshaw driver Arvind Patel was shot dead in Manjalpur last week while trying

to help an elderly lady. A motorcycle borne thief tried to snatch a chain from Vimlaben Parikh who was walking on the road. Responding to her cry for help Arvind Patel and another person intervened. The thief pulled out a gun, shot Avindbhai dead and fled the scene. The residents of Manjalpur have now decided to raise Rs. 51,000 to extend some monetary assistance to Arvindbhai's wife Hemlata and two daughters aged nine and six years. The Vadodara police commissioner Sudhir Sinha has appealed to voluntary organisations and citizens to contribute to the family in any way they can. You can contribute by sending an account payee cheque (in favour of Hemlataben Arvind Patel) to: Hemlataben Arvind Patel, Soni Pole No. 2, Wadi, Vadodara 390 017. Contributions can also be sent to the Police Commissioner's office at Narmada Bhavan, Rajmahal Road, Vadodara.

City Children's Limca Records: Baroda's Jugal Pithadiya, a student of IPCL's Vidya Vihar School has entered the Limca Book of Records - 2004 under the 'Young Mountaineers' category. He had scaled a height of 17,000 ft in 2001 at the age of six years, five months and 15 days. Jugal had also bagged the Gujarat State Award for Sahas in May 2003. Jugal is now 10 years old and his father Ambrish Pithadia is an IPCL employee. Jugal honed his climbing skills in the Pavagadh Hills near Baroda. Another Barodian kid, Prarthana Vaidya of the Alpine Lovers Club, scaled the 20,079-feet Mt. Kalindi and also figures in the Limca book for being the youngest (11 years) to climb to this height.

Fly Ash For Check Dams: Fly ash, an industrial waste, may be used to build check dams on the Vishwamitri in a city project to revive the river and recharge aquifers. The idea of check dams is being pushed by Engineering Sewa Trust, a Baroda based NGO which has already built one such dam near the Sama area for Rs. 168,000. The Sama dam was made using bags of sand and cement. The NGO plans to use fly ash to build two check dams near the Kalyan Nagar slums and Buddhdev Colony in Karelibaug. Several Check dams have been planned on the river's 12-km leg through Baroda. The Sama check dam had filled to the brim this monsoon and is claimed to be serving its purpose. Residents report a considerable increase in aquatic life, and crocodiles too were sighted near the dam. The plan is to build a check dam every 2.5 kms on the river's stretch through the city. The check dams should help to refill the presently dry Vishwamitri channel which flows across Sayajibaug. This channel can hold up to 500 million litres of water that can be used for the garden's upkeep and also for recreation.

Honour For Former MSU VC: Noted political philosopher and former MS University Vice-Chancellor Lord Bhikhu Parekh, is among the four Indians to figure in the British journal Prospect's list of Top 100 British Public Intellectuals. The only political theorist included in the list, he has been nominated for his writing on multiculturalism, inter-cultural dialogue and global justice. The other Asians in the list include Amartya Sen, Salman Rushdie, Tariq Ali and Ziauddin Sardar. Noble Laureate V.S. Naipaul also figures in the list. Lord Parekh was recently awarded the Sir Isaiah Berlin Prize for Lifetime Contribution to Political Philosophy.

Vidya Kunj Reunion in USA: The graduating class of 1979 of Vidya Kunj Higher Secondary School has planned a reunion on July 30 and August 1, 2004, in Maryland, USA. Please pass on this message to all that you may know. We have some folks from Canada and UK joining in. For details please write to me. Abhilash Barot <abhilashbarot@hotmail.com>

Baroda High Reunion Cruise: Hello fellow Tabelians. If you are not already part of our group, please contact me at your earliest convenience. From batch of 1976 'A' Division class of 44, we are already connected with 22 classmates, and further 20 from 'B' Division, and new discoveries are being made weekly. We are also scheduled for a reunion cruise in August 2004 from Florida to Bahamas, with 50 persons now confirmed. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. Baroda's special charm and attachment is still pulling us together. Kishor Patel <Kishor_b_patel@yahoo.com>

VMC Centenary Year: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is into its 100th year as a local governing body. It was in 1904, during the reign of Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III, that the city was made a borough with a specially built administration office in the building that today is known as Khanderao Market. The fact that this is the centenary year seems to have been missed by the city's authorities until a veteran Barodian recently pointed it out to them. With almost six months left of the year, we may still see some belated celebrations.

Ten-Rupee Baroda Tour: You can now travel all over Baroda city in a bus by paying just Rs. 10 per day. Travel as often as you want, on any city route. The ticket will be valid for 24 hours. Baroda presently has 80 buses, operated by Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC). The minimum fare is Rs. 2 and the maximum is Rs. 9. The city bus service is a loss-making proposition, partly due to autorickshaws which offer cutthroat rates on a passenger-sharing basis. GSRTC will be hoping that this new scheme will attract more customers.

Seed Technology Course: The Faculty of Science at MS University has started admissions to the vocational course in Seed Technology. Funded by the University Grants Commission, the course has 30 seats and admission is provided on the basis of merit in the Class XII Science Stream examination. It will have Seed Technology as the principal subject and Botany and Zoology will be the subsidiary subjects. MSU is one of the few universities in India to offer this course.

Naturopathy College Inaugurated: The Morarji Desai Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Science was inaugurated at Baroda on 27th June. Administered by Lok Sevak Mandal, a trust founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, it will offer a Bachelor's degree (equivalent to an MBBS) in Naturopathy and Yogic Science. The 54-month course will cover pathology, anatomy, hydrotherapy, mud-therapy, magneto-therapy, yoga and other alternative methods of medication. Students will also undergo a one-year internship programme at a naturopathy hospital. Forty students will be admitted to the first batch. All 12th standard students are eligible to apply. CCRYN and the Jamnagar Ayurvedic University will formulate most of the course modules. The Chief Medical Officer of Balwant Rai Mehta Naturopathy Hospital, Dr. Prabhakar Rao, will take charge as the principal of the college. Though this college is the first of its kind in Gujarat, there are six other such colleges in India. It is awaiting a no-objection certificate from the Gujarat government and is expected to start functioning from July. The college was inaugurated by former prime minister I.K. Gujral.

Fashion Designing Course: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has cleared MS University's proposal for a three-year vocational degree course in fashion designing. The course will be conducted from this year by the Department of Clothing and Textiles in the Faculty of Home Science. MS University will thus be the first university in the state to offer a degree course in this field. The UGC has cleared a grant of Rs. 700,000 annually to begin the course. Twenty students will be admitted.

'Barodaiana' At Hansa Mehta Library: MS University's Hansa Mehta Library is ambitiously proposing to put together a local history section to extensively document the development of Baroda. To be called 'Barodaiana', it will be a part of the existing library. Material will be sourced from the Mandvi Central Library, the state archives, Jaysinhrao Library at Kothi and several departments within the university itself. The section will cover natural resources, topography, industries, politics, voluntary organizations, biographies of prominent persons from the city, etc.

Photograph Exhibition: June 26-28. 18th solo exhibition of photographs by Hariom Gurjar, titled 'Children of Nature'. At Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. 11 a.m. onwards.

Bengali Collection: Baroda art collector Rakesh Agrawal's 'Bengali' collection is on display at Bayer Gallery. The original works of artists like K.G. Subramanyan, Nandalal Bose, Binode Bihari Mukherjee, Paritosh Sen, Pradosh Dasgupta, Ram Kinkar Baij, Somnath Hore, Meera Mukherjee, Sankho Chaudhuri and Sarbari Roy Chowdhury are being exhibited. Till July 4. 4 to 8 p.m.

Crepe & Sizzler Festival: At Azure, Hotel Surya Palace. July 1 to September 30. 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Vegetarian Food Festival: Multicuisine vegetarian food festival incorporating the 'Munnabhai'. Anjoy Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. Till June 30. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Check-Dams On The Vishwamitri: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to build two check-dams on the Vishwamitri river in order to fill the stretch that passes through Sayajibaug with rainwater. One dam is proposed on the Buddhdev Colony side and the other on the Kalaghoda side. The idea is to store rainwater at the two check-dams when water levels in the river rise above the level of 10 metres. It is hoped that the Vishwamitri water can thus be made available for use in Sayajibaug. Before beginning this project VMC will study how the earthen dam at Sama withstands water pressure during the monsoon. In the Sama check-dam bags filled with earth have been used for the embankment. A Baroda based NGO, Engineering Seva Trust, is actively advocating this low-cost option.

Barodians Below The Poverty Rekha: The central government has asked the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to conduct a survey and determine the number of families that can be considered to be below the poverty line (BPL). The last such survey was conducted in 2001, when the BPL line was drawn at a monthly income of Rs. 373.16 per head. The economic benchmark for the latest survey in Gujarat has been revised to a monthly income of Rs. 501.14 per head. This time it will not be just the economic indicators that will be considered. Non-economic indicators will also be taken into account, among them: housing condition, education standards, type of employment, status of children, availability of water and toilet facilities, access to community lavatories, open defecation, private dry toilets, etc. The 2001 survey had identified 93,946 households as urban poor, based on the Rs. 373.16 monthly income per head. Considering the new benchmark of Rs. 501.14, that figure would be 70,524 (in 2001). In 2001 Ward 3 (Wadi) had the highest number of BPL families, followed by Ward 4 (GIDC Manjalpur). Ward 5 (Babajipura) had the lowest number of BPL families.

Special Education For Teachers: A foundation course in special education for working teachers of primary and secondary schools will begin at the K.G. Patel Children's Hospital in July. The programme is recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Interested persons can obtain the application forms from the hospital before June 28.

City Railway Station: The Vadodara Division of Western Railways has drafted a proposal to build another entrance – this one from the Alkapuri side – to the Vadodara Railway Station. The plan consists of waiting rooms and parking facilities and several other basic amenities for passengers. Over 40,000 passengers use the Vadodara railway station daily.

Indian Music Workshop: Planet M has organised AAROHI – an Indian music workshop – on 27th June (11 a.m.) at TNW, Old Padra Road. The theme of the workshop is 'Spirituality In Music'. It will be hosted by musician and singer Achal Mehta.

Glass House For Baby Whale: The skeleton of the baby blue whale at the Baroda Museum has been a major attraction for visitors over the years. The museum is now spending Rs. 180,000 to make a glass case to house the skeleton and protect it from the weather and over-enthusiastic visitors. Earlier, it was protected by iron railings. The skeleton of the blue whale measures 71 feet and two inches, and it is the only one of its kind in India. On November 28, 1944, the baby blue whale (a full-grown blue whale is over 100 feet long) entered the Mahi river during high tide. When the water receded the whale was stranded and died near Gajna Ara, which is 20 kms from the mouth of the river in the Gulf of Khambhat. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III asked the Fisheries Department to preserve the skeleton in the museum. Incidentally, the Baroda Museum was started in 1894 and it has since then played host to over 35 million visitors.

Petrol Price Increased: The government has raised the prices of cooking gas (by Rs. 20 per cylinder), petrol (by Rs. 2 per litre) and diesel (by Re. 1 per litre). Kerosene prices remain unchanged. In Baroda a cooking gas cylinder now costs Rs. 298.85, petrol is Rs. 38.85 per litre and diesel Rs. 25.79 per litre.

SSC Results: Baroda's students more or less monopolised the top positions in the Gujarat SSC examinations, results for which were declared on 12th June. City girls and boys secured eight positions in the Gujarat 'Top 10' merit list. Local girl Himani Patel of Nutan Vidyalaya came first in the state with 97.14 per cent marks. Of the 21 toppers in the merit list, eight are from Vadodara (all from Gujarati medium schools), four from Surat, three from Junagadh, two each from Bhavnagar and Gandhinagar and one each from Anand and Gandhidham. Out of 634,120 students who appeared for the examinations from 433 centres across the state, 334,099 passed, resulting in an overall pass percentage of 52.69 per cent. The success rate of girls was 58.60 per cent and of boys 49.08 per cent. English medium schools performed better than Gujarati medium schools. The success rate of English medium students was 91.05 per cent, followed by Hindi medium (70.42 per cent), Marathi medium (69.08 per cent) and Gujarati medium (50.88 per cent). Gujarati medium students form the major chunk.

Gujarat Toppers:
1. Himani Patel, Nutan Vidyalaya, Vadodara
2. Parth Desai, S.V. Vidyalaya, Vadodara
3. Sanket Vakil, Swaninarayan High School, Bhavnagar
4. Paridhi Trivedi, Swaminarayan High School, Gandhinagar
5. Saumya Mehta, R.S.M. Poonawala Sarv Experimental School, Surat
6. Kruti Patel, Swaminarayan High School, Gandhinagar
7. Hetvi Desai, Smt. V.D. Desai Shala, Surat
7. Yesha Choxi, Utkarsh Vidyalaya, Vadodara
7. Manan Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri Vidyalaya, Vadodara
7. Dhaval Dave, Lal Bahadur Shastri Vidyalaya, Vadodara
8. Margi Bhatt, Kasturba Vidyalaya, Anand
8. Abhijeet Vaidya, Alembic Vidyalaya, Vadodara
8. Natasha Tipnis, Fatima Convent, Bhavnagar
8. Ridham Bhadja, N.P. Bhalodiya High School, Junagadh
9. Shalin Rabadia, P.P. Savani Vidyabhavan, Surat
10. Niket Shah, R.S.M. Experimental School, Surat
10. Manali Shah, Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya, Vadodara
10. Devang Patel, S.V. Vidyalaya, Vadodara
10. Charmy Parekh, Alpha School, Junagadh
10. Milan Kantesariya, Alpha School, Junagadh
10. Arti Sharma, Mt. Carmel High School, Gandhidham

Baroda City Toppers:
1. Himani Patel, Nutan Vidyalaya
2. Parth Desai, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
3. Yesha Choxi, Utkarsh Vidyalaya
3. Dhaval Dave, Lal Bahadur Shastri Vidyalaya
3. Manan Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri Vidyalaya
4. Abhijeet Vaidya, Alembic Vidyalaya
5. Manali Shah, Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya
5. Devang Patel, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
6. Ankit Patel, Shri Narayan Vidyalaya
6. Jalpan Parikh, Jeevan Sadhana High School
6. Siddharth Bhesania, Sardar Vinay Mandir
7. Pinank Pandya, Nutan Vidyalaya
7. Prakash Rana, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
8. Kinjal Yagnik, Vidya Vihar High School
8. Jigar Shah, Lal Bahadur Shastri Vidyalaya
9. Malay Desai, Alembic Vidyalaya
9. Dhruv Patel, Fertilizernagar School
10. Aarohi Prajapati, Alembic Vidyalaya
10. Chaitanya Shah, Vidyut Board Vidyalaya
10. Avani Pandya, Baroda High School, Alkapuri
10. Sitanshu Joshi, Jeevan Sadhana High School
10. Ashish Gupta, Vidyakunj High School

Monsoon Launched In City: On Friday, 11th June, Baroda got its first dose of rain, and the city's roads could not cope with the four-hour downpour. The heavy rain was welcome nonetheless, and it certainly helped to lower the temperature a bit. The downpour began at about 5.30 in the evening, preceded by the customary power failure in some areas. About two mm of rainfall was recorded. As in the past, waterlogging was witnessed in many localities, including the recently renovated underbridge near the railway station. Power failures were reported in Karelibaug, Sayajigunj, Akota, Ajwa Road and several other areas. Children generally had a grand time playing in the instant mini lakes.

Teacher Shortage At MSU: According to the 2002-2003 Annual Report of MS University, its 16 faculties and institutions have 36,204 students but only 1,150 teachers. The student strength is increasing at the rate of 10 per cent each year, but staff recruitment is not keeping pace. For instance, at the faculty of Technology and Engineering (FTE), out of the sanctioned 342 teaching posts 45 per cent are vacant. Incidentally, 60 per cent of MSU's budget is spent on the 15 departments of the FTE alone. At the Faculty of Commerce, which has 16,955 students, the staff-student ratio is a pathetic 1:130; of course, the scene appears to be not so gloomy because 50 % of the students just do not attend classes.

Factory Blaze Kills Four: The factory of Vasudev Chemicals in the Nandesari Industrial Estate near Baroda was gutted on Monday, 7th June. Four persons, including the company's owner, were killed in the unfortunate accident and four others were injured in the blaze. The blaze gutted the factory within just 10 minutes, and it took more then an hour for the fire tenders from IPCL, GSFC and the Nandesari Industrial Estate to douse the fire. Sodium picramic acid, used as a raw material to make dyes, was manufactured at the factory.

Marathi Play: Bhola Dambis at Gandhinagar Gruh on June 22 at 8.45 p.m. The play is directed by Milind Pendanekar and written by Gangaram Gavankar.

Jogging Tracks: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) wants to make nine new parks in the city with facilities for jogging tracks. The selected areas include Vasna Road, Old Padra Road, Sama, Gotri, Manjalpur, Gorwa, Diwalipura and Ellora Park. The work will be done in co-ordination with city-based trusts and senior citizens clubs (the Dada Dadi park in the Race Course area was developed by the senior citizens club of the area and the Rs. 2 million spent on the park was collected by club members).

Postal Stationery Guide: Prashant Pandya, president of the Baroda Philatelic Society, has released a publication titled 'A Guide to Modern Indian Postal Stationery, Vol-I'. The book is a reference guide for envelopes used by the Indian postal department between 1947 and 2003. The book documents 35 varieties of ordinary envelopes, 35 varieties of registered post envelopes, seven varieties of airmail envelopes and four envelopes published by the department for express delivery. A complete collection of the 256 varieties of postal greeting envelopes is also documented.

Baroda Station's AC Waiting Rooms: The Vadodara division of Western Railways has now installed airconditioners in the upper-class waiting rooms at the Vadodara railway station. The step is a part of the upgradation project of the exiting passenger amenities at the railway station. The authorities claim that this is the first time that such a facility has been provided anywhere in India.

FSSI Seminar: The Federation of Small Scale Industries (FSSI), the Trade and Commerce Commissionerate and Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) will organise a two-day seminar on 'How To Export & Import' at Hotel Yuvraj, Baroda, on June 7-8. The programme is designed to help those who want to start their own business ventures.

Course In Genetic Engineering: MS University's Department of Microbiology and the Biotechnology Centre at its Faculty of Science are introducing a one-year post M.Sc diploma course in Genetic Engineering & Bio-Process Development from the current academic year. Application forms and brochures will be available at the Biotechnology Centre from June 1 to 30 on payment of Rs. 200. The minimum eligibility is M.Sc in Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or allied areas of biological science with 50 per cent marks. Of the ten students that will be admitted five will be sponsored candidates from industries and institutions. Further information is available on www.bcmsu.ac.in.

Kids Carnival: All In Development (AID), a non-profit organisation working for environmental issues and sustainable development has organised May Fair-2004, Green Educative Kids Carnival, at Akota Stadium. The fair will on till 30th May, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Among the attractions are displays by Ahmedabad based Centre for Environment Education, games and display of night vision devices by the EME and Air Force. AID promotes economical, efficient environment friendly best practices, through research, seminars, publications and awareness drives. It also promotes sustainable technology solutions by networking between public, government, corporate and technology sectors.

Art In Ahmedabad: Pratyayana, Ahmedabad, and Baroda's Sarjan Art Gallery have organised 'Art in Ahmedabad' – an exhibition of paintings by prominent painters of Ahmedabad like Haku Shah and Amit Ambalal. Several other artists are displaying their creations. Till June 10. 12 noon to 8 p.m.

NRI Parents' Meet: The monthly meeting of NRI Parents' Association will be held on 30th May at 'Anjoy Restaurant', Jetalpur Road, at 6.30 p.m. Interested NRI parents can phone 2331846 or 2488849.

Tribute To Pratibha Pandit: Ghargharika and Kedar Art and Research Centre organised a cultural programme on May 22 at the C.C. Mehta Auditorium to pay tribute to the noted danseuse Kumari Pratibha Pandit who passed away on April 22 at the age of 73. The programme featured performances that Pandit had choreographed herself. Daughter of Pandit Anandpriyaji who was founder of Aryakanya Mahavidyalaya, Pratibha Pandit was a noted Bharatnatyam exponent and a disciple of Guru Kubernath Tanjorekar. She was a student as well as a teacher at MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts, and she had made her mark as a proponent of folk dance forms, particularly of Gujarat and Rajasthan. She was a member of Gujarat Sangeet Natak Academy.

HSC General Stream Results: In the recently declared HSC General Stream examination results for Gujarat the pass percentage for girls was 74.39, compared to 55.27 for boys. The overall pass percentage was 63.16 per cent. Of the 2 88,141 students registered, 283,261 appeared, and 178,900 passed. The result for English medium students was 81.79 per cent, and for Gujarati medium it was 62.06 per cent. In Baroda girls secured 11 of the 14 positions in the city's top-10 merit list. City topper Mitali Kamdar ranked fourth in the Gujarat. Overall, 13,307 students took the exam from the city and 8,575 students passed. The pass percentage of students in the city was 64 per cent, while that of Vadodara district was 42 per cent.

HSC General Stream Results (Gujarat Toppers):
1. Sweta Shah, K.G. Trivedi Sadhna Vinay Mandir, Ahmedabad
2. Ankit Srivastava, Shree Vidyanagar High School, Ahmedabad
3. Punit Jhamtani, Dr. C.G. Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
4. Ankita Katwala, Smt. Indiraben T. Tekrawala High School, Surat
4. Mitali Kamdar, IPCL School, Vadodara
4. Naishal Shah, Shree Vidyanagar High School, Ahmedabad
5. Mosam Shah, Best Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
6. Sapan Sheth, Amrut Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
6. Vinay Sharma, Rajasthan Hindi High School, Ahmedabad
7. Ishita Shah, S.P. and Swami Vivekanand High School, Ahmedabad
8. Priyadarshana Shah, Shri Sabarmati Kanya Vidyalaya, Ahmedabad
9. Tejaskumar Shah, Tapovan Sanskarpith Vidyalaya, Gandhinagar
9. Nitesh Shah, Tapovan Sanskarpith Vidyalaya, Gandhinagar
9. Darshan Bagadia, Vishvaniketan Vidyavihar H S School, Ahmedabad
9. Akash Modi, Nelson's Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
9. Vishakha Thakkar, H.B. Kapadia New High School, Ahmedabad
9. Priyesha Shah, H.B. Kapadia New High School, Ahmedabad
9. Pratik Shah, H.B. Kapadia New High School, Ahmedabad
10. Sona Vadecha, Lourdes Convent High School, Surat

HSC General Stream Results (Baroda City Toppers):
1. Mitali Kamdar, IPCL School
2. Heena Patel, Gayatri Vidyalaya
3. Bhumika Patel, Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya
3. Heny Shah, Baroda High School
4. Manish Wadhwani, Ladharam High School
5. Sheetal Jain, Swami V.V. Gitamandir
6. Kaushambi Vaishnav, Tejas Vidyalaya
7. Kinjal Dhamecha, New Era Girls High School
8. Anuj Tiwari, Alembic Vidyalaya
8. Elma Mcckuskie, Convent of Jesus & Mary High School
9. Asha Zala, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
10. Hiral Khatau, Basil High School
10. Gulab Haseja, Ladharam Sind Hindu High School
10. Poonam Santwani, Hari Shewa Girls Vidyalaya

Former Test Cricketers Felicitated: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), on behalf of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), recently felicitated former Indian Test cricketers Vijay Hazare, Dattajirao K. Gaekwad, Anshuman Gaekwad, Kiran More and Rashid Patel at a function at Baroda. The felicitation programme was a part of the pension scheme announced by the BCCI recently for former cricketers. The players were given a bouquet and a cheque of Rs. 5,000 on behalf of the board. Vijay Hazare, who could not attend the function for health reasons, was felicitated at his home.

Post Offices To Collect Electricity Bills: The vast network of post offices in Vadodara district will soon start accepting electricity bills as part of a special project to simplify bill payment. The Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) and the postal department are launching a pilot project in the region and will replicate it elsewhere if it succeeds here. There are around 700 post offices in Vadodara district. GEB will pay the postal department Rs. 5 per bill, thus also creating extra revenue for it.

Pokemania Festival: Festival of fun and food for children. At Sayaji Hotel's Rooftop Restaurant. Till May 31.

Summer Bonanza: Special deal of free ice-cream with a meal. At Hotel Yuvaraj. Till 15th June.

Mumbai-Vadodara Flight: Indian Airlines has restored its morning flight, Mumbai-Vadodara-Mumbai, with effect from May 14. The flight timings are 7.15 a.m. for Vadodara-Mumbai and 5.50 a.m. for Mumbai-Vadodara. The one-way promotional fare is Rs. 2,000 till September 30.

Course In Hospital Administration: The Baroda chapter of the Indian Hospital Association (IHA) will start the fifth batch of its one-year diploma course in Hospital Administration from June at Narhari Arogya Kendra, Fatehgunj. The course has been recognised by the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) and New Delhi-based IHA. Interested persons should ring up 2327737 or 98243-66843.

HSC General Result On May 22: GSHSEB will declare the result of the HSC General Stream examinations on Saturday, May 22.

Ranjitsinh Gaekwad Exhibition: An exhibition of drawings by Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. At the Aakruti, near Kirti Mandir. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 10 to May 18.

Stress Management Course: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation will conduct a five-day stress management programme starting May 27. The programme will be held between 12.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. Those who are interested may contact the foundation office at 1st Floor, Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

HSC Science Stream Results: Of the 16 students who made it to the list of top 10 in Gujarat, 12 were boys. However, compared to the 49.09 pass percentage for boys, 56.16 per cent of the girls passed. The overall result for the state was 51.16 per cent. Twenty-seven students in the state scored zero marks in all the subjects. Of the total 74,430 students who were registered, 70,036 had appeared for the exams that were held in March. Of these, 4,259 students scored distinction, 4,763 got a first class, 10,881 scored second class and 15,928 pass class. Of the 49,495 boys who appeared for the exams, 24,296 (49.09 per cent) passed while of the 20,541 girls who appeared, 11,535 (56.16 per cent) passed. The result of English medium students was recorded at 61.99 per cent while it was a bit low – 49.46 per cent – for Gujarati medium students. Ahmedabad city recorded the best result at 66.92 per cent. In Baroda, 60.92 per cent of students passed, surpassing the state average of 51.16 per cent. Of the top ten schools in the state in terms of pass percentage, five were from the city. On the other hand, three Baroda district schools found mention in the list of ten schools in which the pass percentage was less than 10. Two city schools that showed a 100 per cent result – Basil High School and Rosary High School – were ranked one and two in the state, respectively. In both schools, all students who appeared in the exams passed the exam. The three other top schools were Baroda High School (Bagikhana), Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya and MS University Experimental School; in each one of them, only one student out of those who had appeared had failed.

HSC Science Stream Results (Gujarat Toppers):
1. Nisarg Gandhi, Swastik Shishuvihar Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
2. Neeraj Shah, St. Xavier's High School, Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad
3. Malhar Mehta, St. Xavier's High School, Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad
4. Rohan Shah, Swastik Shishuvihar Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
5. Chintan Dholakia, Shri S. V. Virani Multipurpose High School, Rajkot
5. Kadambari Jethwani, Udgam School for Children, Ahmedabad
6. Mohit Shah, Udgam School for Children, Ahmedabad
7. Dhara Gajera, Swami Vivekanand Vinay Mandir, Junagadh
7. Pratik Shah, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya, Vadodara
7. Krunal Sheth, Shri Saurashtra High School, Rajkot
7. Nishit Shah, Asia English School, Ahmedabad
8. Himal Shah, Sharda Mandir Vinay Mandir, Ahmedabad
9. Hardik Vora, Shreyas Vidyalaya, Vadodara
9. Nidhi Pancholi, Asia English School, Ahmedabad
10.Lavanya Iyer, M.K. Higher Secondary School, Ahmedabad
10.Vivek Vishwanathan, Don Bosco High School, Vadodara

HSC Science Stream Results (Baroda City Toppers):
1. Pratik Shah, Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
2. Hardik Vora, Shreyas Vidyalaya
3. Vivek Viswanathan, Don Bosco High School
4. Dhaval Patel, Alembic Vidyalaya
5. Umang Barvalia, IPCL School
6. Aditi Trivedi, Alembic Vidyalaya
7. Priyank Katwala, Baroda High School Sr.
8. Shachi Patel, Alembic Vidyalaya
9. Hitesh Meghani, Bright English Medium School
9. Sadchit Rajapurkar, Baroda High School Sr.
10. Arpan Mehta, Baroda High School
10. Archana Asher, Baroda High School Junior-2

Baroda's Hottest Day: Gujarat reeled under severe heat wave conditions on Tuesday (4th May). The temperature in Baroda touched 46.3 degrees Celsius. People stay indoors to the extent possible. Ahmedabad recorded 45.2 degrees, Rajkot 44.6 degrees, Surat 42.6 degrees and Bhuj 43.1 degrees.

Pay 'N' Park Facility: The standing committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has passed a proposal to earmark specific areas between Bhootdijhapa and Salatwada and between Kala Ghoda, Rajashri Cinema and Hotel Surya Palace for pay-and-park schemes. The schemes will be run on a trial basis for a year, and 28 more areas will be added subsequently based on the experiment. The possible areas are being identified by the city's traffic police department, which has been studying vehicular movements on different days in various areas.

HSC Science Results On May 7: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) will declare the results of HSC Science Stream exams on 7th May. The results will be available on the websites www.gseb.org and www.enfinet.net. Students who want to get their results on email may register their email addresses on these websites on 6th May.

Bar Association Elections: The incumbent president of the Baroda Bar Association (BBA), Narendra Tiwari has retained his seat in the recent association elections by defeating advocate Nalin Patel by 173 votes. He has retained control for the twelfth time in a row. Of the 1,482 votes polled, Tiwari got 816 votes and Patel 643. Jagdish Choksi was elected vice-president and Sanjeev Misra and Suhagini Shah were elected. Malini Ravat and Smruti Bhave were elected to the women's reserved category of the managing committee.

MSU's E-Journal Project: MS University's Hansa Mehta Library has embarked upon an e-journal project. Teachers and students of the university will soon be able to access several academic journals online. The library has been selected for the Infonet project of India's University Grants Commission (UGC). The project has been initiated in select universities in the country to facilitate quality research in higher education.

Award For Baroda Schoolgirl: Fifteen-year-old badminton player Vaidehi Dave of Baroda has been ranked No. 1 in Gujarat in the Uder-16, Under-19 and women category since the last two years. The Jaideepsinh Baria award for excellence was given to her by the Gujarat government on the occasion of Gujarat Day on 1st May. The five feet eight inches tall girl weighs 43 kg and studies in Baroda High School. Her father, Ketan Dave, works at Bank of Baroda.

Key Chain Collection: Barodian Firoz Saudagar has been collecting key chains for over 40 years. He now has an impressive collection of over 2500 key chains. He has recently donated his collection to Rosary School for the benefit of children.

Highway Junction: Dhaba Food Festival. At Taj Residency. 30th April to 9th May. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Vipassana Course: Vadodara Vipassana Samiti has announced a 10-day Vipassana course (residential, for persons over 18) from 23rd May to 3rd June at New Era Senior Secondary School, Nizampura. Vipassana is a simple, scientific and practical method of mental purification that makes it possible to face the tensions and problems of daily life in a calm and balanced way. For registration ring up 2343302, 2343304, 2788889, 2333442, 2333965 or 2662296. E-mail: tml@wilnetonline.net

Mahesh Padia's Exhibition Of Photographs: Well-known photographer Mahesh Padia is exhibiting his photographs, titled 'Nature', at Akruti Gallery, Abhivyakti Sankrutik Sthal, Kirti Mandir. Till May 9.

Cricket Camps: As many as 2,500 youngsters have registered at the four cricket camps going on in Baroda right now at Kiran More Cricket Academy, Youth Sports Club, Hindu Gymkhana and Baroda Sports Club. About 25 to 35 promising players will be picked from each of these camps for further training.

Biometric Attendance System: Following the successful implementation of the biometric attendance system in the Ahmedabad and Surat municipal corporations, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) may introduce it at its head office at Khanderao Market. The biometric system uses the finger scan method. The finger scan is unique to every person, and this method should eliminate proxy attendance or 'buddy punching' from the work place. In the first phase, the system may be started for 1,000 employees in the VMC's main building. In the second phase, it will be extended to all ward offices. The last phase will involve the major task of dealing with the 3,300 'safai sevaks', a group in which proxy attendance seems to be quite prevalent.

Multi-Speciality Hospital: A multi-speciality hospital, Sangam, was inaugurated on 25th April at the Sangam crossroads in Karelibaug. The 50-bed hospital has several specialised sections including cardiology, critical care and pulmonology, diabetology and endocrinology, dentistry, gastroenterology and psychiatry. It also intends to provide cosmetic and plastic surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, ortho joint replacements and spine surgery. It has a trauma center. It is equipped with three operation theatres and has its own ambulance.

Hospital Receptionists' Course: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation and Indian Hospital Association will conduct a three-week course to Train Hospital Receptionists from May 3. Classes will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Interested persons can contact the Foundation office at Bombay Shopping Centre between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Dhruv Waghela Exhibits In London: An exhibition of glass mosaic paintings by Baroda's Dhruv Waghela will be on till April 30 at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in London.

Computerisation At Central Library: The Central Library at Mandvi in Baroda has received funds from Kolkata-based Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (RRLF) for computerisation. The library has identified about 10,000 rare books and 500 photographs that need to be preserved. The Gujarat government will also give Rs. 246,000 for this purpose. Established by Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1910, the library has over 300,000 books in six languages – Gujarati, Hindi, English, Marathi, Sindhi and Urdu. It also supports 3,000 village libraries spread across 11 districts. The state government will shortly open a district public library in Alkapuri and it will be under the jurisdiction of the Central Library.

Small Arms Training Centre: The Director General and Senior Col Commandant of the Corps of EME, Lt Gen V.K. Dhir, inaugurated a state-of –the-art small arms training centre, Dronacharya, on 22nd April at the Faculty of Weapon Technology of EME School, Baroda. The EME wing is the single largest component of the Indian Army comprising about 10 per cent of its strength. Its primary role is to provide technical and engineering support to the complete array of equipment of the army, right from the forward zones to the bases in the rear.

Personality Development Camp: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation will conduct a four-week summer personality development camp starting on May 4 for children between 6 and 16 years. The camp will impart training through play-way method to enhance abilities such as conversational English, creative thinking and writing, acting and scripting. Interested parents may contact the foundation office at 1st Floor, Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course.

Chess Championship: Baroda Chess Academy will organise an Open Baroda Chess Championship on April 2004 at Baroda High School (ONGC). Interested persons can enroll their names at the Baroda Chess Academy, 29 Arihant Society, Ajwa Road or ring up 2510796.

Lok Sabha Elections: How Vadodara Voted
Segment	Voters	Turnout	%
Savli	166,931	67,661	40.50
Vadodara City	255,216	98,255	38.50
Sayajigunj	462,403	177,633	38.42
Raopura	227,365	88,046	38.72
Vaghodia	164,987	63,549	38.52
Vadodara Rural	205,964	78,299	38.02
Padra	173,484	78,502	45.25
Total	1,656,350	651,895	39.36

Exhibition By Jayita Das: Exhibition of fused glass works and oils on canvas by Jayita Das. At Faculty of Fine Arts Exhibition Hall, MS University. April 9 to 11. Jayita Das completed her BFA in Painting last year.

Ahmedabad-London Flights: Air-India has started a direct twice-a-week Boeing 747 flight between Ahmedabad and London. Flight AI-121 leaves Ahmedabad at 10.05 a.m. every Friday and reaches London at 2.30 p.m. (GMT). The return flight AI-120 leaves London at 9.30 p.m. (GMT) and reaches Ahmedabad at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The second flight leaves Ahmedabad every Sunday at 10.20 a.m. and reaches London at 2.45 p.m. (GMT). The return flight departs from London at 5.25 p.m. (GMT) and reaches Ahmedabad at 5.55 a.m. on Monday.

Some Land For Irfan Pathan: Everyone is wanting to get into the act of congratulating Irfan Khan Pathan. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has now proposed to the Gujarat government that a plot of land in Baroda should be given to the city's most recent cricketing hero. The proposal follows Irfan's match-winning performance in the just concluded India-Pakistan one-day cricket series.

Sursagar Beautification: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) may hand over the beautification of the Sursagar Lake to private parties. VMC wants to raise Rs. 30 million by way of contributions from private companies. Companies who contribute in the project may be given advertising rights around the lake. VMC has already handed over the maintenance and beautification of the railway underbridge at Alkapuri to a private party. The company has already renovated one side of the underbridge and it will have advertising rights for ten years. Similar plans are proposed for R.C. Dutt Road and Old Padra Road.

City Artists At Harmony Show: Eighteen artists from Vadodara will be showcasing their works at the Ninth Reliance Harmony Show, 2004, which will soon be organised in Mumbai. Of the 23 artists from Gujarat, 18 were from Vadodara. Those who will display their works include Haku Shah, Vrandavan Solanki and Jyotsana Bhatt.

Students' List On MSU Website: The list of students along with seat numbers for various examinations at the MS University to be held in April/May has been uploaded on the university website (www.msubaroda.ac.in).

NRI Parents Meeting: NRI Parents' Association will hold its monthly meeting on 28th March at 6.30 p.m. at the conference hall of Kenny's Woodland Restaurant, Windsor Plaza, R.C. Dutt Road, Baroda.

Suggestions Regarding Sayajibaug Toy Train
The Sayajibaug children's toy train, presently held up because of ongoing repairs on the tracks and a bridge near the Sardar Planetarium, is not a 'profitable venture'. It seems that the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is not particularly pleased with the little train's balance sheet. The following are some suggestions from Baroda-Online's viewers.

From Manish Amin In USA
Do you really think the VMC have no money to run the train? If VMC can propose to the Gujarat government to give a plot of land in Baroda to Irfan Pathan, why can't they do something like that for the toy train? At least to keep the attractions going, privatisation is not a bad idea. VMC is thinking to hand over the beautification of the Sursagar Lake to private parties. They can do something like that for the toy train also. I also agree with Dhriti Dave (USA)'s Temporary Solution: 1) We all well settled Barodians can raise some fund for at least one year's expense. Manish Amin

From Rajiv Shah In UK
While the election campaign is steaming ahead, why not raise this issue to main political parties. Something can be done and there have been lots of suggestions on this website. It would now need the initiative by an elected representative of Baroda to ensure that the toy train can be restored. This issue should be reminded to all mainstream political candidates of Baroda to save the heritage for the future of Barodians and beyond. Rajiv Shah

From Prashant B. Shah In USA
I have lived in USA for last 30 years but each time I visit Baroda I take my children to Sayaji Garden and show them the train as I myself had fond memories of enjoying it at as a child. It would be a great loss to shut down the train, one of few great novelties not just for Baroda but also for world. I have travelled many places in US and elsewhere but yet have to come across such a joyous and marvelous train for children (and adults). Rs. 5 is hardly enough these days to buy anything. Besides raising fare, you can also collect donations, have special raffles, have more hours to generate more revenue, create a food canteen to sell items at the station for folks waiting at station. Finally consider having a joint budget with other garden activities such as planetarium, etc. It would be also a great idea to bring back elephant rides, and carnivals to have more reasons for people to visit the gardens and thereby increase customers. Prashant Shah

From Dhriti Dave In USA
Hello. The Toy Train and big ground clock are the main attractions of the Sayajibaug. We, as Barodians, have to keep it alive. Following steps can be taken by VMC to save the Toy Train: Permanent Solutions: 1) Ask funding from big companies like Baroda Dairy, Amul, Nestle and give their products like a chocolate bar or candy free to each kid who buys the ticket. That way companies will get a big advertisement ground and more and more kids will be attracted to the train. 2) Let big companies put their advertisements on the train and the tickets. 3) Privatisation. Temporary Solution: 1) We all well settled Barodians can raise some fund for at least one year's expense. Please let us know, how much total expense is to keep Toy Train running? Dhriti Dave

From Samir Shah In USA
You are doing an excellent job by posting this on Baroda-Online. It would be a shame if we Barodians can't save the toy train. We grew up enjoying it and whenever we are visiting India, we take our children for the train ride. I say, raise the price to Rs. 10, 20 or even more. People are paying up to Rs. 100 for movie tickets and Rs. 50 for a bottle of coke. They can pay at least Rs. 10 or 20 for toy train ride. Another idea is to open it up for corporate sponsorship and have the sponsoring party pay a lump sum per year for maintenance. Samir Shah

From Hussaini Adenwala In Dubai
As a Barodian I am surprised to know about toy railway of Sayajibaug (Kamatibaug). Today I am 55 but still remember my school/college days when as young Barodians how proud we were of one of the tourist attractions in our small Vadodara. I suggest to request the big business houses to sponsor the toy train and I hope which they will not mind but request corporation and politicians to stay away from that once it is sponsored. We have many international and local banks which they will not mind. Hussaini Adenwala

From Satish Parikh In USA
I read very very sad news on baroda.com toy train stop for maintenance of track and bridge. It is no good for cultural city of Baroda. Toy train is entertainment for our child. I suggest to municipal commissioner, mayor and deputy mayor they take Rs. 2 special tax for toy train in property tax or give private company lease or offer big company to donate for a toy train running and maintenance. I lived in Sultanpura, Baroda. Today I live in USA (Minnesota state, Champlin City). Satish Parikh

From Ritu Desai
How about having companies put their advertisement on the train for a fee? Would hate not seeing the train. Ritu Desai

From Ashish Ganjkhane
Dear Baroda Online People, I am really thankful to you for giving us (the citizens a chance) an opportunity to make the toy train running smoothly. I as an individual who is a pure Barodian would like to give some suggestions for its smooth working. Following are my suggestions: Contact for advertisements to local or national organisations for funding e.g. contact Baroda Dairy for its advertisements and the train can be painted with their product advertisements; Contact local schools like Delhi Public School for its advertisements. Ashish Ganjkhane

From Srujal Parikh, New York
Hi, I know the feeling of closing of the toy train. It happened once when I was a kid and I know the disappointment. I think the best way to run that train is help of any big company like IPCL, GSFC, GM, etc., as a sponsor. Have the companies' logos on the train and let the toy train rock without fund problem. Srujal Parikh

From Ashish Thakore
I heard the news about having difficulty running the toy train at Sayajibaug. The only option we have is to privatise the train. As a kid our dream was to sit in that toy train but was never fulfilled. But I would like to have our next generation take advantage of this train. I would like to have VMC pay for everything even though it is not making any profit for the benefit of the little children. Ashish Thakore

From Harin Parikh
Thanks for sharing the news. What is the total cost per year? What are the future alternative plans that municipal corporation is thinking of? Harin Parikh

From Sanjay Shah, UK
I think the train should be kept as a working model for the children's Baroda. It's a wonderful thing you have there and should be kept going as long as possible. The way to increase the revenue is to double the ticket price to Rs. 10 and get the child related product companies to sponsor the so-called special day and get the revenue from them as a means of advertising. Also get some of the college (electrical/engineering/automobile) students to come and learn the trade of repairing and maintaining the train system. This will be a two-way thing. Students come and learn the trade and in return get experience and Sayajibaug gets a helper. Thanks and good luck. Sanjay S. Shah, Barodian.

From Dhaval Patel
The toy train in Kamatibaug should be preserved and should be handed to private company to take care of it and maintenance and operations.

From Nehal Shah
I do not know how much impact would my idea make but still here is what I think could be done to save Toy Train. Making it privatised could cause some families unaffordable to take the ride. 75 % of them would not like to see the raise in price more than Rs. 7 or Rs. 10. I think raising price for couple Rs. is not a bad idea. Could VMC post some posters at public places like Railway, Bus station or even on this website (for NRI's)? Doing that may draw citizen's attention toward our heritage and may offer some donations, if that's what VMC would like to pursue. Privatise definitely would make sense but we need to see the big picture. Sayajibaug itself needs maintenance. Doing that would attract more families. Having some price reduction in weekdays could bring more families who live nearby to visit and that way resources are not unused and keep making some income. Send some flyers in newspaper that Toy Train needs citizen's help and having separate fund only to keep train running would make definite change. 20-25 years ago what I used to see around train station, nothing has changed when I brought my kids over there. VMC or Sayajibaug may want to have something more than racing car and slides. I do not know what's the engine's capacity is right now but VMC and Sayajibaug may want to think about investing some money and attach one more cart for little older kids. Usually, not all family could come there because they cannot have their older kids take a ride. So, they even keep younger kids away from train also. VMC may not have a budget right now but investing like this would definitely make a huge impact in long run. Thanks for the forum. Nehal Shah

From Sunil Sharma, Canada
Hi there. I remember the old days when we as kids used to enjoy the rides in the toy train. I fully support the idea of keeping it on the track, irrespective of fund constraints. Do you think the VMC have no money to run the train? How about the other unnecessary expenses VMC does. At least to keep the attractions going, privatisation is not a bad idea. Sunil Sharma

From Tarun Shah
Congratulations to remain so alert to very important matters of the city. I have always believed that Kamatibaug facilities are 1) greatly underutilised and 2) under publicised. It can used by parents for celebrating birthday parties. Special time can be created for family tour – I guess overall weight will be limiting factor rather than whether a person is adult or a child. As long as adult don't mind sitting in those box, it should not be a concern. Such special tours can be priced high. People will pay for it. Advertisement revenue should generated from allowing putting banners on the station, the car etc. A children product company may be willing to invest in putting music system in the coach and can play its products jingles. In nutshell, a committee of 'good value businessmen' should be given free hand at strategic level to implement such ideas to boost revenue. The VMC must cooperate on things like timing etc. Tarun Shah

From Nilesh
This toy train has a emotional attachment to many of the Barodians, just think how to make this operation profitable so that this can run for years to come and few common thing that 3rd generation can share with their grandparents. Nilesh

From Rudresh Vyas
Suggestions to improve business / earning of Sayajibaug Toy Train: Send Discount Coupon (10-50 %) to All Schools and Play Groups Kids (Validity period can be 1-2 months); If Discount is not possible just Colour Printed Coupons also will create good awareness / will help in marketing; Can be given to private organisation if marketing is not possible from corporation. Rudresh Vyas

From Dharmesh Jaswantlal Shah, Mumbai
In any way, one has to save the Toy Train. As I could not have an opportunity to sit in the train, I would want my daughter who is only 3 years old to enjoy the ride whenever I visit Baroda. Apart from taking advertisements from corporates, advertisements can also be in the form of ticket-cum-gift voucher (like discount voucher) of existing or newly opened pizza parlours, fast-food corners, hotels, readymade garment showrooms, saree showrooms, jewellery showrooms and many other big showrooms. Dharmesh Shah

Indoor Cricket Turf: The Shreyas Education Society has made an indoor cricketing facility for students to practice inside the premises. The school's alumni includes many famous cricketers such as Kiran More, Atul Bedade, Rakesh Parikh and Tushar Arothe. Three tracks have been created, one of concrete and two of grass. The school may also provide a special software to students so that they can analyse their performance during practice sessions.

New EME School Chief: Major-General S.K. Sharma has taken over the command of the Indian Army's EME School at Baroda. He was earlier Brigadier (Administration) at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

Sunday Painters' Show: The Sarjan Art Gallery runs Sarjak, a practical workshop for adults interested in painting. Sarjak's workshop is conducted by Ramesh Pandya, an artist who taught painting at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts for many years. It is held on Friday and Saturday mornings at the Hobby Centre. Some artists from Sarjak – Darshita Mankad, Deval Mavalankar, Harsha Gandhi, Jyotsna Varia, Nina Malhotra, Toral Dave, Seema Dalmia and Susan Sinclair – will show their works at Sarjan Art Gallery in an exhibition titled 'Expressions'. The exhibition will be on from March 28 to April 2.

Letter From Bhavin, USA
Cool, pals, keep it up. I am from IL, USA, and love my city and love such kind of contests (Baroda Quiz). Can you guys keep on putting like 100 to 200 pictures of the streets of Baroda for people like me? Thanks for your hard work. I highly appreciate it.

Letter From Swati Patel, USA
I am a regular user of your site and through your site I found my lost friend (Anand Shah, who is now in USA) online after 14 years. So I am really grateful to your site which is really live site for Barodians. It's really informative, exciting and loving for everyone. Thanks for your wonderful site.

Lok Sabha Poll Notification: The Vadodara District electoral authorities will issue the relevant notification on 24th March for the elections to the Vadodara and Chhotaudepur Lok Sabha seats. There are 1.645 million registered voters in Vadodara and 1.065 million registered voters in Chhotaudepur. There will be 1,620 polling stations in Vadodara and 1,226 in Chhotaudepur. In Vadodara 311 booths have been classified as hypersensitive while in Chhotaudepur 47 booths have been similarly classified.

Holy Fire To Be Shifted To Fatehgunj: The Atash Padshah (Holy Fire) revered by the Parsi community will be shifted to the renovated building in the Umrigar Agiari at Fatehgunj on 26th March. The Holy Fire in the city was installed at its original site in Anandpura, Kothi, in 1842. It was later shifted to Fatehgunj in the old Parsi Dharamshala. The present Agiari was constructed in 1959. Baroda now has about 1200 Parsis.

Grant For Ajwa Zoo: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has been able to convince India's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to grant Rs. 7.15 million to develop new enclosures for lions and tigers at the Ajwa Zoo. The project has been given the go-ahead with an initial grant of Rs. 2 million. Around 40,000 square feet of area has been earmarked for the enclosures. The design of the enclosures is similar to that at the Ahmedabad Zoo. The Sayajibaug Zoo, among other species, has one pair of tigers, four pairs each of lions and leopards, a hippopotamus, Himalayan black bear and a variety of deer, antelopes and birds.

Paintings By Kavan Shukla: Exhibition at Sarjan Art Gallery. Till March 27. 12 noon to 8 p.m.

Barodian Honoured In USA: Dr. Jatin Shah, an alumnus of the Baroda Medical College, has been honoured by the US-based Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in recognition of his extraordinary achievements over the past 25 years. The center has established a chair in his name. Dr. Shah graduated from Baroda Medical College in 1958 and completed his MS (General Surgery) in 1967. He left for the US in 1974. He has written seven books and 300 scientific publications.

Helpline For Voters: The Vadodara district election office has started a toll-free number 1600-212204 for voters whose names are not on the voters' list and who do not have the photo identity card of the Election Commission of India. People can also call on 2425656 to get their names registered and get the identity card. Both numbers will be operative between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Exhibition Of Embroideries: Trisha Gallery has organised an exhibition of saris and salwar suits of Kasuti embroidery from Karnataka. March 22-24.

Children's Film Festival: VCARE has organised a five-day children's film festival. The movies to be screened are: The Wind in the Willows, Far From Home – The Adventures of Yellow Dog, Charlotte's Web, Heck's Way Home and The Aristocrats. Venue: Anand Balwadi, Harinagar at Anand Vidya Vihar School.

Printmaking Workshop: Chhaap has organised a printmaking workshop by Muriel Moreau, a printmaker who has worked and studied in France and Germany on dry paint. Venue: Chhaap, Purshottam Estate, Bahucharaji Road, Karelibaug. 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. March 21-24.

Handcrafted Textiles: Heritage Trust and Department of Clothing & Textiles (Faculty of Home Sc

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Vadodara, India