News

IndianExpress: Golden bananas, a species of bananas grown exclusively in Gujarat, are the latest attraction in Pune’s fruit market. Traders from the wholesale as well as the retail fruit market say that this variety is being favoured by buyers, despite its steep rates.

Sunil Katake of Kanifnath Fruit Merchants firm at Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard, in Gultekdi, said he received 70 boxes of Golden bananas, each weighing 13 kgs, on Sunday. The stock was all sold out by the next day. “We are expecting more delivery of Golden bananas on Tuesday,” he added. Katake said the rates of this fruit in the wholesale market ranged between Rs 225-230 per box.

IndianExpress:  President APJ Abdul Kalam is a living legend, much admired and deeply respected for his knowledge, humility and fondness for children. When he became President in 2002, the country took pride in the fact that a scientist of his stature was at the highest post.

In the past 4 years, Abdul Kalam, the man, has endeared himself to millions. It’s no wonder then that people would like to see him as President for another five years. A quiet movement was started last month by Nirman Bharati Foundation (NBF) and Pune Nagrik Manch (PNM) to ensure this.

IndianExpress: The cleanliness drive in Pimpri-Chinchwad has hit a hurdle and the civic administration is blaming its own corporators for it. With dengue and malaria in the air, the PCMC commissioner Dilip Band’s proposal to outsource the cleanliness work has been shot down by the corporators.

‘‘Last month, the general body rejected the administration’s proposal to rope in private firms for cleanliness job. They have their interest at stake. A few them have bagged the contract for their kith and kin,’’ Band alleged.

IndianExpress: It’S not hype, not hope but a reality. At a fee, parents can now provide biological insurance for their new born babies in Pune. LifeCell, the country’s first family cord blood bank has opened its 17th centre in Pune and is planning to launch a unique public cord blood bank in the country by December.

Speaking with mediapersons on Monday, LifeCell vice-chairman S Abhaya Kumar said that cord blood which is discarded after child birth is a rich source of stem cells which can be harvested and cryo-preserved. These stem cells have the potential to cure more than 75 serious ailments. Over 6,000 people have been successfully treated with this therapy the world over.

IndianExpress: In a major anti-encroachment action, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday razed 45 huts at the slum near Bopodi Railway crossing, off the Mumbai-Pune highway. The drive went on for five hours. Civic officials said that the residents of the slum have already been rehabilitated at Aundh.

The drive was aimed at clearing the encroachments on the carriageway of the road, from the highway to the railway crossing. The civic officials said the encroachments had eaten up half of the carriage width of the 120-feet wide road. This, they added, would result in frequent traffic snarls.