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Crackdown on ladies bars The state excise department has registered 114 cases against bars where women were found to be serving liquor be...

Crackdown on ladies bars

The state excise department has registered 114 cases against bars where women were found to be serving liquor beyond the prescribed hours. In the drive conducted between November 14 and 26, the Collector of Mumbai Suburban District cancelled 46 bar licences and suspended 40 others. Fifty criminal cases and 52 departmental cases have been registered against hotels. Twelve cases have also been registered against hotels for serving liquor without licences. Most of the customers at the ladies8217; bars were found to be between 19 and 30 years.

Meanwhile, bar owners convened a special meeting to demand that authorities amend provisions of the 1946 Shops amp; Establishment Acts, which forbid them to carry out business after 8.30 pm. They will also ask excise authorities to permit them to keep bars open till 12.30 pm as well as abolish the permit system.

Marathi literary awards

The Maharashtra Foundation Awards for Marathi literature for the current year wereannounced at Aurangabad today.

The lifetime achievement award Rs 2,25,000 and a plaque for creative writing has been awarded to noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar, and for reflective writing Rs two lakh and a plaque has been given to critic Dr R B Patankar.

The award for lifetime achievement for Dalit literature has been bagged by Baburao Bagool. Pune-based publishing house Sadhana Prakashan has been awarded an award of Rs two lakh. Reflective Marathi periodicals like Purogami Satyashodhak and Marathi Vidyan Patrika have also been given an award each for their excellent work. Books published in 1996-98 have also been awarded.

The awards will be given away in a function on December 29 at 6.00 pm at Eknath Rang Mandir, Aurangabad. Vasant Palshikar will chair this function.

Fund-raising drive for Bhopal

The Bhopal Medical Appeal, in association with The Brief, has invited advertisements for its fund-raising drive for Sambhavana Clinic, which works for victims of the Bhopal gastragedy. The last date for running the advertisements is December 31.

The advertisement can be for the press, television, radio, a poster or a mailing. The winners will undergo two weeks8217; training in the creative department of a top London-based agency. The campaign will be judged by advertising professionals.

To enter, contact The Brief for a fact sheet on the Bhopal gas tragedy, the disaster, health education, treatment and services offered by the clinic, campaign guidelines, procedure and donations.

World Disability Day on Dec 3

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On the occasion of the World Disability Day on December 3, an awareness procession has been organised by the Spastics Society of India at Chembur, where 500 children from special and regular schools along with representatives of organisations will participate. The procession will be flagged off at 8.30 am and will be followed by a mela at the Chembur centre of the society. The centre8217;s website will also be launched on that day.

TCCI donatescomputers

The Tata Council for Community Initiatives TCCI recently donated computers to students of Supari Tank Municipal English School at Bandra West. The computers have been donated by various Tata companies. A classroom set aside for the purpose was resdesigned by TCCI with wiring and brightly painted walls and furniture. This project is part of the vocational training Computer Literacy Project.