In 2003, 2005 and 2009, Gujarat’s total forest area was reported to be 19113 sq km, 18692 sq km and 18927 sq km respectively, in FSI’s official website.

Patel, even after being repeatedly requested to quote the exact figure of the increase in the forest cover, failed to present the exact figures.

Patel was addressing a gathering held to announce the launch of the 62nd Vanmahotsav on July 31.

On the encroachment of forest land by Essar near Hazira, he said: “We have send a proposal to the Centre to regularise the encroachment by charging fine from the company. “There is nothing wrong in giving forest land for public purposes and cutting trees for development,’’ Patel said, while talking about the diversion of reserve and protected forest land in the state in the last few years.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/forest-cover-rising-says-minister-fsi-contradicts/823499/

While a complaint in this regard was registered against three persons, including Juna village postmaster Suleman Mod in April, investigations by the Local Crime Branch has revealed alleged role of several top-level officials from the postal department and collectorate.

“A Bhuj taluka panchayat technical officer, irrigation department deputy executive engineer and three postal department officials were involved (in the scam),” said a police officer.

The scam had surfaced during an audit of NREGS project bills by the Bhuj taluka head post office, in which irregularities were found in 37 bills. Investigations revealed that seven of these bills were signed by the technical officer and the rest by the deputy executive engineer.

source : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nregs-scam-bhuj-taluka-development-officer-arrested/823501/

Sources said the Senate members briefed him about the on-going tussle between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the BJP-RSS backed members. They reportedly said that though Professor Shirish Kulkarni’s term has ended, many in the ABVP camp are looking forward to his re-appointment as the VC’s nominee for the Syndicate membership. Prof Kulkarni ceases to be a Syndicate member, according to a notification by the V-C.

A Senate member said: “We wanted to send a message that in the tussle between the RSS-BJP camp and the ABVP camp, the image of the university is getting tarnished and VC should not see himself getting involved in this tug of war.”

The ABVP-RSS backed Syndicate members fell out following differences between Prof Kulkarni and Pragnesh Shah during the tenure of former V-C Ramesh Goyal.The Senate members also presented Singh with a specially-ordered cake.

source : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/msu-vc-meets-senate-members/823502/

His book details accident cases of the last 10 years.

Patel said: “We have two different laws, the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) and the Workmen’s Compensation Act (WC Act). But owners generally don’t provide any documents or ID cards to workers making it difficult for them to make claims. The workers don’t know if their names are listed in the register and if at all they have attendance cards, they have to submit them at the month-end before drawing their salary.” He said few factories have taken the WC policy, but under ESIS, a registration is a must and owners generally don’t issue ESI cards as the issue of denial of stipulated wages may arise.

IIM-A Professor Anil Gupta said: “There is a need to make the factory owners aware of the trouble these labourers face.”

Fatal accidents at cotton mills relate to deaths due to asphyxiation, burns, and entanglement in machines. Most of the casualties are women, of whom a majority are in the 12-15 age group and mainly migrants from Rajasthan, Patel said.

Mukta, a labourer, said: “Three of my fingers were crushed in a machine and I was treated for six months. The owner refuses to pay for the medicines. I did not get any medicines post-treatment. They took my file for insurance claim but nothing has been done.”

source : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bloodied-cotton-book-chronicles-plight-of-mill-workers-in-state/823504/

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Kalam will arrive at Bhuj airport at 10.00 am. He will reach Kutch university.
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As per the latest annual report of the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, Gujarat provided jobs through the exchanges to 2.14-lakh people during 2009, as against that to 3.09-lakh in the entire country. This amounts to a whopping 71.4% of the total vacancies filled through employment exchanges.
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The bus showcases internet content in both English and Gujarati languages to common people and school children in Gujarat.

“The Internet is a strong medium of knowledge. Our attempt through the Internet Bus is to spread the awareness of this medium and its relevance in our daily life. Google aspires to improve livelihoods, lifestyle and productivity for Indian users by generating and preserving income, leading to improved livelihoods and better lifestyles, by overcoming language and literacy barriers,” said Jagjit Chawla, product manager, Google India.
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The event began with a live phone-in program at Gyan Vani Radio with senior scientist R M Pandya from the ISRO Space Application Centre taking calls on how the moon could be mankind’s next habitat.
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In May, MITCON Consultancy began auditing the energy-use patterns in the campus.
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