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TOI : PUNE: With one more person succumbing on Monday morning, the death toll due to H1N1 influenza has gone up to 57 in the city.

Ambadas Vitthalrao Shivratri, 44, who was admitted to the Sahyadri Munot hospital in Bhavani Peth on September 6, succumbed to the contagion at 12.50 am on Monday.

“He had tested positive for H1N1 influenza,” said PMC deputy health officer D D Chandakkar. Shivratri was a resident of Ahmednagar.

Shivratri was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. “He was immediately put on ventilator. He was suffering from high fever and breathlessness. The throat swab was sent to the National Institute of Virology on the same day. The report confirmed the presence of H1N1 influenza on September 8,” Chandakkar said.

Girish Kulkarni, honorary director of NGO Snehalaya and a close associate of the victim, said, “Shivratri was associated with various social organisations. He was also a member of the state executive committee of medical representatives’ organisation.”

Before being admitted to the Sahyadri Munot Hospital, where he was on ventilator for 15 days, Shivratri was taken to KEM and Sassoon hospitals on September 6, but the isolation ICUs at both the hospitals were full.

Meanwhile, as many as 15 people tested positive for the H1N1 influenza on Monday. “A total number of 313 suspected patients were administered Tamiflu tablets. Around 19,998 people have been given Tamiflu tablets so far,” joint director of health services Ashok Mehta said. Nine patients in critical condition are being treated at various private and government hospitals, Mehta added.

“A total number of 46 patients were discharged on Monday,” he said. More Stories from this section Swine flu kills two more in city, toll up to 56 MNS will act as a watch dog: Raj City gears up for Eid Pune-Lonavala section to become 25 KV AC from…More

TOI : PUNE: Here’s a good news. At a time when the fear of drought has gripped most parts of the country, the monsoon figures in Maharashtra this year are almost the same to those during the 2004 assembly elections.

Till September 16 this year, the state has received around 80 per cent rainfall. The state received the same amount of rainfall in 2004 as well.

Since the start of the monsoon season till September 16, the state has recorded 811.8 mm rainfall, as compared to 1002 mm of normal average rainfall figures. The state has received around 20 per cent less rainfall this year, according to the statistics given by the state agriculture department. Though the performance of monsoon is slightly better in some parts, the ruling democratic front (DF) government is likely to face rough weather in regions like Marathwada and Vidarbha, which have suffered more due to the lack of rain.

As per the figures given by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this year, both these regions are deficient in rainfall. The deficiency of rainfall is around 21 per cent in Marathwada and the situation is even worst in Vidarbha where rainfall deficiency is as high as 30 per cent. Other regions in the state, such as central Maharashtra and Konkan (including Goa) have normal rainfall.

“No major rainfall is expected in the state now. Some regions in western Maharashtra and Cenral Maharashtra would have some rainfall,” said Medha Khole, director (weather forecasting), IMD, Pune.

“In 2004 too, the weather conditions were almost same to this year. Rainfall was very less during the period of from start of the season till mid September, after which it made a recovery,” Khole said.

According to data available with the IMD, in 2004, Vidarbha region had received 31 per cent less rainfall and Marathwada had 17 per cent less rain. Two regions in the state,…More

TOI : PUNE: City will host the 83rd Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, the all India Marathi literary meet, sometime in January-February next year.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the apex Marathi literary body, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, in Aurangabad on Monday. The meeting also agreed in principal to hold the second world Marathi literary meet in Dubai. The first meet was held in the US.

Speaking to TOI from Aurangabad, president of the Mahamandal Kautikrao Thale-Patil said: “The apex body had got two invitations, one from Thane and the other from Pune, showing willingness to host the 83rd literary meet. However, later, the Thane Granthalaya told the Mahamandal that it will be unable to host the literary meet. As a result the Mahamandal decided to accept the invitation given by Punyabhushan Foundation of Pune, chaired by Satish Desai.”

Thale-Patil further said that the Punyabhushan Foundation had also given an invitation for the 82nd Marathi literary meet and the facilities and resources at their disposal was inspected by the Mahamandal last year. “So there was no need for another inspection,” he said.

The Mahamandal also discussed the prevalence of H1N1 flu in Pune and the drought-like situation in the state, while deciding about the literary meet, Thale-Patil said. “It was decided that further discussion will be held with the Punyabhushan Foundation to assess the situation, and the dates of the meet will be fixed later. The meet will be held either in January or in February.”

About the second world Marathi literary meet, Thale-Patil said that a couple of telephonic invitations had come from the Marathi communities abroad, but the Maharashtra Mandal in Dubai had sent a written invitation signed by its president Sanjeevani Patil. “The Mahamandal decided in principle to accept the invitation from Dubai. However, we will hold further discussions with the Maharashtra Mandal to gauge their…More

TOI : PUNE: With just 21 days to go for the assembly elections, candidates of all political parties in the city are likely to face an uphill task to reach out to the over-three-lakh voters in their respective constituencies with their manifestos and strategies. The party leaders, however, are confident about effective campaigning and say that the delay in fixing the candidature would not be a worry factor.

With just four days remaining for filing of nominations, the Congress and the NCP are still in the process of finalising the list of candidates for the city and district, while the Sena-BJP alliance is yet to announce around 50 per cent of candidates.

The Congress’s city unit president Abhay Chhajed told TOI that the announcement of candidates is likely by Tuesday evening. “After the last date for withdrawal of nominations, each candidate will get around 15 days to go to the voters with their agenda.” Chajjed said that padyatras’ and door-to-door campaigning will be the important part of the campaigning as the Election Commission has banned rallies on roads and junctions.” He added that the party will be inviting star campaigners to hold rallies in the city.

The spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party, Ankush Kakde, said the party is selecting its candidates on the basis of merit and networking of the candidate. The NCP list is expected at any moment, he added. However, Kakde said that the delimitation process would bring an uphill task for candidates to reach out to the voters in the limited time.

BJP’s city unit chief Girish Bapat said: “The campaign of the party will have some national leaders as well as the cadre of activists and supporters. There will be rallies of a couple of national leaders during the last stage. The candidates will visit most of the areas and interact with people.”

According to party leaders, the restructuring of constituencies…More

TOI : PUNE: The Yerawada police have booked incarcerated gangster Moin Qureshi and his two accomplices for allegedly thrashing another inmate, a former armyman-turned ISI agent Shailesh Jadhav, in a police van on the premises of Yerawada Central Prison on August 11.

Qureshi was booked following directions from a sessions court. Jadhav had complained to the court about the assault and also told the court that the attackers had threatened to kill him. Jadhav, who served as Hawaldar with the Indian Army, was arrested by the crime branch in February 2008, for his links with ISI agent Sayeed Desai.

A resident of Kenjal village in Wai taluka of Satara district, Jadhav was dismissed from service after he was found guilty in a fraud case involving Rs 1.5 lakh while working in Jodhpur. He was court-marshalled and imprisoned for two years in the Yerawada jail. It was here he came in contact with Desai. Jadhav was released from the jail in November 2006.

Later it was revealed that Desai, after escaping from the Sahakarnagar police station on January 24, 2008, stayed at Jadhav’s house in Wai. Jadhav possessed important printouts of e-mails and phone numbers pertaining to defence department. Subsequently, Jadhav was arrested in February 2008. Desai was later picked up by the city crime branch from Kolkata. Since then, both are lodged in the Yerawada prison.

Speaking to TOI, assistant police inspector Machhindra Dangade of Yerawada police station said, “The suspects assaulted Jadhav twice. The first incident took place in the prison on June 12 when all of them were leaving for the Shivajinagar court to attend hearings in their respective cases. The second incident took place on August 11.” “The suspects blamed Jadhav for implicating Desai in the case,” he added.

Dangade said, “As per the directions of the court, we have lodged a complaint against Qureshi and his two accomplices under section 324 (voluntarily…More

TOI : PUNE: The BJP-Shiv Sena combine has played its card right in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Bhosari constituencies by finalising its candidates.

Even in some of the rural constituencies, the two parties have tried to gain an edge over their rivals by announcing candidates early. For instance, Kalpana Adhalrao Patil, wife of Shiv Sena MP from Shirur, Adhalrao Patil, has been fielded from Ambegaon.

The Shiv Sena has fielded Shreerang Barne from Chinchwad and Sulabha Ubale from Bhosari. Speaking to TOI on Monday, Barne said, “I have been raising my voice about the wrong works in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) house for the past twelve and half years. I have even suggested changes for benefit of citizens. The people are now realising that the irregularities in the PCMC, which I was talking about, are now proving to be true. The PCMC does not have enough funds to carry out development projects.”

Barne is a former Congress corporator who resigned from the party membership and as a corporator to join Shiv Sena a month back. He was also the president of Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of Congress. Asked about the possible dissent in the BJP rank as it had desired to get the seat in either Chinchwad or Bhosari, Barne said, “I am the candidate of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance which has a considerable strength in Chinchwad. The BJP leaders have assured that BJP will work for the victory of the Shiv-BJP alliance candidate.” Barne is likely to file his nomination for the Chinchwad constituency on September 24.

Ubale, who is a two-time corporator and a senior party functionary, said that she would file her nomination on September 24. She said that stress will on opening a separate police station for women in her constituency. “I will work for creating a market for the goods made by women self-help groups (SHG). I am not in favour of demolishing houses if it…More

TOI : PUNE: Election time is business time and among the many beneficiaries of the poll jamboree are astrologers. Most of them are receiving a steady stream of aspirants wanting to know what their stars foretell.

From the possibility of getting a party ticket to their chances of winning to rituals that will help them ensure success, poll aspirants are keeping the astrologers busy. And it’s not just their details that they furnish, many aspirants have also ferreted out the date, time and place of birth of their possible rival candidates.

City-based astrologer Siddheshwar Maratkar has been getting hopefuls that include sitting MLAs. “They are coming with queries on whether their party will issue them a ticket, which constituency they should fight from and, above all, their victory chances,” he said.

And what does Maratkar have to predict about the overall poll outcome? “The state goes to the polls on the 13th and the results will be out on 22nd both dates add up to 4. There is going to be some change after the elections. I think the chief minister may change,” he said.

Another astrologer, Adinath Salvi, said that for the past one month politicians have been visiting him and asking what they should do to improve their chances of winning. “According to me, the date and time when a party declares its nominations is vital as the planetary position of the candidate is important then. This day, I feel, is far more important than the election day or the day of counting of votes,” he said.

Depending on the queries of the aspirants, astrologers charge anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 per question.

Among the poll aspirants who have visited astrologer-numerologist Anupam V Kapil, many have come with their rivals’ date, time and place of birth. “Several of them want to know the colour of the clothes they should wear and…More

TOI : PUNE: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) declared names of nine candidates from Pune in the first list, which was made public in Mumbai on Monday.

Three out of the nine contestants are sitting corporators, namely Kishor Shinde, Ravindra Dhangekar and Vasant More. Ranjit Shirole, who had fought the recently held Lok Sabha election, is also in the race.

Shinde would be contesting from Kothrud while Dhangekar and More would try their luck from Kasba Peth and Hadapsar constituencies. Shirole will fight from Shivajinagar while Ashish Chitnis would contest from Parvati.

The MNS had made its presence felt during the last Lok Sabha elections. Shirole came third with 75,000 votes. The party gained more in regions like Shivajinagar and Kothrud. It is felt that the MNS could once again play spoilsport and even destablise a few established players.

Besides Pune city, the MNS will be contesting from other constituencies in Pimpri Chinchawad and rural areas of the district. These constituences include Maval, Chinchwad, Purandar and Bhor. Rajendra Pinjan, Sunil Valhekar, Krishna Lohkare and Ravindra Garudkar would be the contestants for these seats respectively. More Stories from this section Swine flu kills two more in city, toll up to 56 MNS will act as a watch dog: Raj City gears up for Eid Pune-Lonavala section to become 25 KV AC from…More

TOI : PUNE: While the next two days would see the response from citizens to the public appeal for observing the Vehicles-free Day,’ a look at the vehicular population figures shows that the city, which already has more than 18 lakh vehicles, continues to see traffic jams with hundreds of new vehicles joining the overcrowded roads everyday.

Of the 18 lakh vehicles, nearly 75 per cent are two-wheelers, that is, motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. It is a known fact that Pune, which had a unique distinction of being the city of bicycles, is now a city of motorised two-wheelers.

Invariably, the blame for the explosion in vehicular population goes to the poor public transport system. Ironically, the need for improving public transport is being talked about for the last several years. If the vehicle population figures of the neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad are also taken into account, the cities have more than 23 lakh vehicles already.

Incidentally, the increase in number of personalised vehicles has been much higher in the last four years. As per the figures with the Pune Regional Transport Office, since 2005, the number of new vehicles added every year has always crossed the one lakh mark. In the last four years, the average number of vehicles added every year is over 1.34 lakh. The year 2006-07 saw the maximum increase with the registration of over 1.57 lakh new vehicles.

The number of two-wheelers in the city has more than doubled in the last eight years. While in 2001, there were over 6.65 lakh vehicles, at present, there are over 13.3 lakh vehicles. The number of cars too has tripled from just over 74,000 in 2001 to over 2.17 lakh till the end of March this year.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Manoj Patil states in the detailed traffic analysis report that the gap between the number of vehicles and the available road space is…More

TOI : PUNE: The elections to the Pune Zilla Sahakari Dudh Utpadak Sangh Maryadit (popularly known as Katraj Dairy) are likely to be postponed by a month.

The district collectorate had scheduled the elections for October, following the instructions given by the Bombay High Court in response to an application filed by a couple of co-operative milk societies. Meanwhile, the assembly elections were announced. Hence, to avoid overlapping with the assembly polls, the district collector sought postponement of the dairy elections.

District collector Chandrakant Dalvi told TOI: “The last hearing of the case was on September 18 and the administration is waiting for the verdict. The orders are expected to be received by Tuesday. Most probably the elections would be postponed.”

The Katraj dairy is one of the prominent organisations in the political sector, as its directors can utilise dairy network from district level to village level for developing, maintaining and strengthening their base in the area. It is the third-largest co-operative milk dairy in the state.

“The annual turnover of the dairy is around Rs 125-150 crore. As many as 950 dairies in the 11 talukas of the district are affiliated to the Katraj dairy,” said Vivek Kshirsagar, managing director of Katraj dairy. Two other talukas in the district Baramati and Indapur have their own co-operative dairies.

Balasaheb Nevale, one of the directors of Katraj dairy, said: “The results of the assembly polls will influence the results of the dairy elections also. Most of the candidates in both the elections are either same or are closely associated. The postponement of elections has also created problems for some, who want to join other parties for assembly elections.” More Stories from this section Swine flu kills two more in city, toll up to 56 MNS will act as a watch dog: Raj City gears up for Eid Pune-Lonavala section to become 25 KV AC from…More