In brief

The meeting was part of a larger series of regional consultations of social organisations across the country,being held in various state capitals and major cities. According to convener Amitabh Behar,about 5,000 social groups are involved in the meetings – being held this week in Patna (for eastern India),Shillong (North-East region),Chennai (southern region),Shimla (northern India) and Ahmedabad (western India).

Parallel to these regional consultation meetings,a survey of hundred villages in 10 states is also underway. The survey,however,will be based on humanitarian problems rather than statistics,Behar said.

In the second week of January 2010,representatives of the consortium will meet members of the Planning Commission to discuss the findings of the survey. The conglomerate,which calls itself the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Do not break promise campaign),is an initiative to track government policies and their eventual implementations to end poverty,social exclusion and discrimination. Saturday’s meeting was attended by Gujarat Vidyapith Vice-Chancellor Sudershan Iyengar,Martin Macwan of Navsarjan,Prof Dileep Mavalankar of IIM-Ahmedabad,Mahesh Pandya of Paryavaran Mitra and MLA Shaktisingh Gohil among others.

86 mobiles phones without IMEI number seized

A team of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad seized 86 Chinese handsets without the mandatory 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) numbers in Ahmedabad on Saturday evening. The seizures were made two days after the ATS had busted an illegal IMEI in-plant centre that was being run from Relief Road in the walled city area.Six persons were arrested for allegedly cloning IMEI numbers on the charges of counterfeiting and Information Technology Act,said state ATS chief Ajay Tomar.

The accused have been booked under Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Further investigations are on.

Swine flu claims another life,toll 57

A 42-year-old man died of swine flu at the Rajkot Civil Hospital on Friday,taking the toll in the state to 57. The deceased was identified as Ramzanbhai Kazi,a resident of Rajkot.

State Health Department officials said that out of the 57 deaths,five patients were from Rajasthan.

Meanwhile,nine people were tested positive for the deadly H1N1 virus in Bhavnagar,Ahmedabad and Rajkot on Saturday.

So far,372 people have been tested positive for swine flu in the state,said Health Department officials.

Advani attacks UPA on price rise

GANDHINAGAR: SENIOR BJP leader L K Advani today attacked the UPA government at the Centre on high food inflation,saying even the middle class people are affected by the rise in prices of essential commodities.

“Not only poor,but middle class people are also facing the severe rise in prices. Had anybody imagined that price of daal will shoot up like this?,” Advani asked. “Food inflation here has nothing to do with international economic situation,” he said.Rising prices of potatoes,onions and pulses pushed food inflation to a high of 19.05 per cent in November. “The rise in inflation is due to excessive spending by the Union government before last year’s general elections,” he said.

Modi becomes trustee of Somnath temple

CHIEF Minister Narendra Modi has been appointed a trustee of the Somnath Temple Trust of which managing trustee is former CM Keshubhai Patel while L K Advani is another trustee.

Besides Modi,former chief secretary of Gujarat P K Laheri has also been appointed a trustee of the prestigious temple board. The new appointments were announced after a board meeting of the trust was held at Infocity in Gandhinagar on Saturday in which Patel and Advani were present.

— PTI