Only for $30m : Virgin Madonna is available

Madonna will only perform Like A Virgin again for $30 million. The 4 Minutes star, who is set to embark on a tour this autumn, is tired of singing her early hits and has no desire to include them in her set lists. She said, “I’m not sure I can sing Holiday or Like A Virgin ever again. I just can’t — unless somebody paid me like $30 million or something.” Madonna also spoke about troubled singer Britney Spears, and revealed she works out to her new album Blackout. She added, “I actually love Britney’s new album. I usually work out to her record. I do a combination of Pilates and dance aerobics. People need to step off. For real, let’s go save her.”

Different D A to Babu??

Here's some good news for babus – a clear majority of the youth in some of India's biggest cities believes there's nothing wrong with the goodies they have got from the Sixth Pay Commission. What's more, there's even a section that believes they should have got bigger pay hikes. That's the finding of a six-city opinion poll done among college-going students exclusively for TOI by Synovate, a global market research agency. The poll was conducted among students from the elite IIMs and IITs as well as those from government colleges and approval for the pay hikes cuts across both segments. Overall almost two-thirds approved of the hikes and if we add the 11% who felt the hikes should have been even higher, that's an impressive three-fourths of all respondents who felt that the pay increases were not overly generous. However, there were variations in the response to this question across cities. In Delhi, for instance, 89% were in favour of the recommendations being implemented, while in Mumbai — at the other end of the scale — only 43% approved of it. The approval ratings were in the high range for Chennai (76%) and Bangalore (64%), but much lower in Ahmedabad (56%) and Kolkata (48%). Interestingly, there was hardly any difference between the responses from the IIMs/IITs and those from government colleges. In fact, if anything the elite institutions were slightly more inclined to approve of the pay hikes than the others. But should pay hikes have been linked to productivity in some way? An overwhelming 80% said they should have been. Here again, there were greater variations in responses across cities than between students from different types of institutions. In Delhi, 95% wanted such a link to be made, whereas in Kolkata and Ahmedabad those seeking productivity-linked wage hikes were only 68% and 69% respectively. Have the latest pay increases made a difference to the way the students perceive government jobs as a career option? We first asked them how many of them would have sought government jobs before these hikes. The answer was a surprisingly high 63%. Unlike the previous questions, the responses in this case varied significantly not only across cities, but also depending on the type of college the respondent was studying in. Only 41% of IIT/IIM students said they would have looked at the government as a career option before the hikes, while 77% of students from government colleges replied in the affirmative. Not surprisingly, Delhi had the highest percentage (82%) of those voicing this opinion. This could also explain why Delhi students were more approving of the pay hikes than those from any other city. At the low end of the scale in terms of enthusiasm for sarkari jobs were cities like Bangalore (49%), Ahmedabad (55%) and Kolkata (56%). We then asked them whether the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations had made the option of a government job more attractive to them. Again, about 63% said they had. The variations across cities and institutions reflected the same patterns as the responses to the previous question, with 50% of IIT/IIM students maintaining that despite the pay hikes, working for the government was not an attractive option. Responses to questions on the link between government pay levels and the extent of corruption in India reveal a certain despair about tackling this festering problem. When we asked them how important a factor low pay levels was in breeding corruption, about half the respondents felt that it was a major factor and another 29% said it was a minor factor. That left only 21% expressing the view that pay scales had nothing to do with the phenomenon of graft. Not all cities reflected the overall pattern. In Chennai, for instance, 44% said low pay scales were not a factor in corruption and only 28% saw this as a major factor. At the other end of the spectrum, a mere 4% in Ahmedabad said it was not a factor, while 65% saw meagre pay as a major contributor to corruption. Across institutions, the IIT/IIM students were less inclined to dismiss it as a non-factor (17%) than those from government colleges (24%). But, when we asked the students whether the latest pay increases would help bring down corruption levels in the government, 45% said they would have no impact at all, while only 17% felt they would have a significant impact, the rest being of the view that they would make only a slight difference. Chennai once again appeared the most cynical of all the cities, with 72% saying there would be no impact and just 7% saying the impact would be considerable. At the other extreme, 17% in Delhi said there would be no impact while 37% said there would be a major impact. Students from the IITs/IIMs were less inclined to be optimistic on this score than their counterparts in government colleges, though the differences between the two sets of respondents was not very large. The broad message coming through from the poll seems to be: The pay hikes are fair enough, but don't expect things to change very much as a result of them.

Goa has just become costlier in the budget for 2008-09

Your dream to own a beach-side home in Goa has just become costlier. In the budget for 2008-09, the state government has increased stamp duty on property from the average 2% to varying rates depending on the value of the property. So while the state will continue to charge 2% stamp duty for land valued up to Rs 30 lakh, an additional duty of Rs 90,000 or more will be charged for a property worth between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. Property worth above Rs 50 lakh will be charged a stamp duty of 4%, while a 5% stamp duty will be levied for property costing more than Rs 1 crore. “Everyone wants to own a piece of land in Goa, so let them pay more,” said state finance minister Dayanand Narvekar defending his decision. Aware of the danger of properties being undervalued to save on stamp duty, the government has also proposed setting up a benchmark for property prices, based on which duty will be charged. This is similar to the ready reckenor introduced in Maharashtra. The state has also raised infrastructure tax from Rs 40 per sq mt to Rs 50 per sq mt for residential constructions and Rs 100 for commercial developments. Meanwhile, buoyed by a 12% growth rate with a revenue surplus of Rs 141.41 crore, the state has decided to waive off all loans taken by farmers from the state agricultural department. The state will also write-off the housing loans of farmers taken from the director of panchayats. The state will also offer farmers bank loans up to Rs 5 lakh at 4% interest. It has also decided to pay the difference in interest rate to banks. The state budget has also decided to provide 50% subsidy to farmers for purchase of machinery, apart from providing support prices for various items like areca nut, paddy and cashew. This grant is applicable to also horticulturists and those involved in animal husbandry; and is expected to cost Rs 50 crore to state exchequer. The state, has also extended social schemes and benefits available to SCs and STs to all families with an income of less than Rs 1 lakh per year. At the same time it has also introduced a concept of creamy layer (which include families with an income of Rs 6 lakh per year) which will be excluded from availing of any government subsidy.

Will Shilpa Shetty marry boyfriend Raj Kundra?

Well, it's now Shilpa Shetty's turn. The echoes of ringing temple bells have culminated into a possible wedding bell rumour for the duo. Apparently, Raj Kundra joined Shilpa, Shamita and mom Sunanda Shetty on a visit to Shirdi. However, marriage, they maintain is still not on the cards. And the yet-very-much-single Shilpa is flabbergasted by the 'misreporting', her publicist tells us. Not very long ago, the media got Rani Mukerji married off to Aditya Chopra, speculating a big fat Indian wedding in the city of Jodhpur. Bipasha's engagement to John was also another serious conjecture. The diamond ring on Sushmita Sen's finger began assumptions of her having been proposed to by then-boyfriend Sanjay Narang, and more recently the Kareena Kapoor - Saif Ali Khan secret nikaah was just the minds of many working overtime! But then Ash and Abhi did eventually tie the knot. Wonder what Sai Baba has planned for the Shilpa-Raj jodi.

Mrs. Bachchan i.e. Ash turns down Will Smith again

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has declined to co-star with Hollywood wonder boy Will Smith yet again! Two years ago, Smith offered her a role in his comedy Hitch which Ash could not accept due to time constraints. At that time, a besotted Smith who wanted to work with the beauty queen had said in an interview, “Aishwarya has this powerful energy and doesn’t have to say anything, or do anything, she can just stand there. Anything she’s making, I’ll be there.” Since then, Aishwarya turned down two more Will Smith projects. “That’s true,” she laughed. “I had to say no to Will for The Seven Pounds and now again for Tonight He Comes (Smith’s super-hero flick re-named John Hancock). I feel awful about it. But I’ve my priorities. Family always comes first.” Contrary to reports, Aishwarya didn’t decline the film to celebrate Karwa Chauth in Mumbai. “That’s what the Hollywood press wrote... that I preferred to return to Mumbai to ‘starve’ myself for a religious occasion than to meet Will. That’s incorrect. The script reading was just after Diwali when Dadima’s (Teji Bachchan’s) health dipped. So I didn’t make that trip for the reading with Will. Is that wrong? Not to me. I’d any day put family over career.” Now Ash has said no to Tonight He Comes. “I couldn’t do it because of my schedules. Flying in and out of the country for a role is not what I want to do now,” she said. Are Ash and Will star-crossed? “When it has to happen it will happen. There’s something very charismatic about that actor. He gives off very nice vibes. He’s very adventurous as an actor. He did I Am Legend and Pursuit Of Happiness at the same time. He’s an actor, rapper, and a great family man. I like that.”

Encounter Specialist Delhi Police ACP Rajbir Singh shot dead

Delhi Police Special Operations Squad ACP Rajbir Singh, known as the "encounter specialist", was gunned down allegedly by a property dealer on the city outskirts late on Monday night. The ACP, who was shunted out of DP crime branch and returned in November last year to head its special anti-terror cell, was allegedly shot dead by Vijay Bharadwaj, a property dealer near Sukhrali village in Gurgaon. Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said that the shooting is believed to have taken place around 10:30 pm and they were informed about the incident by their counterparts in Gurgaon around Monday midnight. A Delhi Police team had been sent there to verify details and a statement on what exactly happened could only be made after it returns, he said. Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mahendra Lal independently confirmed the incident. Reports said the property dealer shot dead Singh over some monetary dispute. The Additional Commissioner of Police was transferred from the crime branch to Delhi Armed Police after allegations of his involvement in an illegal land deal last year. The vigilance probe however gave him a clean chit and he returned to head the Special Operations Squad in November last year.

Haryana all for 6th Pay Commission recommendations : Monday, March 24, 2008 19:30 [IST]

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that the State government would implement the report of the sixth Pay Commission "by and large" as per its recommendations, but made it clear that at the moment there was no proposal to raise the retirement age of the employees of the State government. Talking to reporters in the press lobby of the state assembly here this afternoon Hooda said that the state government has already provided Rs 1500 Crore in the budget of the State for the year 2008-09 for implementation of the report of the sixth Pay Commission. Hooda reiterated that the state was for having its own High Court here by bifurcating the existing Punjab and Haryana High Court between the two states on 60:40 basis as had been done in respect of other issues, including Secretariat and the state assembly after the reorganization of Punjab. On the reported statement of Union Law Minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj that Haryana could get its High Court after getting its own capital, Hooda said that Chandigarh is the capital of the state. He would further pursue the issue of separate High Court for Haryana, Hooda said.
He supported the recent passage of a resolution unanimously by the Punjab Assembly urging the centre to rename the International Airport coming up here as the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport.
In reply to a question on the problem of drinking water in Gurgaon city following a recent breach in a canal, he said that the normal water supply would be restored in a couple of days as the task of plugging the breach was expected to be completed today. On by-election to Gohana and Indri assembly constituencies following the disqualification of two ruling party legislators Dharampal Singh Malik and Rakesh Kamboj under the anti-defection law after they joined a new political party formed by former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal's son Kuldeep Bishnoi, Hooda said the State has informed the Election Commission of India about the two vacancies and there was a possibility of these by-elections to be held alongwith those of Karnataka in May.

6th Pay Commission : Panel recommends up to 40 pc pay hike for top officials

New Delhi: Government employees are in celebratory mode as the Sixth Pay Commission has handed over its report to the Finance Ministry on Monday. A major hike has been announced for Government servants across the board.
The Government will incur a one-time burden of Rs 18,060 crore on payment of arrears in the event of the report being accepted with the salary increase of 77 per cent for the starting level employees.
The hike would be effective from January 1, 2006 as per the prevailing practice.
The maximum salary of Government employees will be Rs 80,000 per month while the minimum salary will be Rs 6,600 per month.
The Commission has reportedly recommended a hike of over 40 per cent in salaries of Government employees at the senior level and substantial salary hike in other categories as well.
As widely speculated, the Commission is silent on the retirement age for government workers.
The existing HRA rate has been retained for A-1 cities while it is higher by 20 per cent for A, B-1 and B-2 cities. For C and unclassified cities the allowance is higher by 10 per cent.
The report recommends that CCA be subsumed in Transport Allowance, and the rate be increased by four times. In other changes, travel is to be paid on actuals.
The Finance Ministry will consider the report and will submit its recommendations to the Union Cabinet.
With general elections round the corner, the Government is likely to accept the recommendations without any cut.
The Commission — the arbitrator in the collective bargaining process between labour and the largest employer in the country, the Central Government — however, faces challenges that seem staggering.

Haryana to implement 6th pay commission report : Saturday, January 26, 2008 18:00 [IST

Chandigarh: Haryana will be the first State in the country to implement the report of the sixth pay commission, State's Finance Minister Birender Singh claimed today.
"We will implement the report soon after it's receipt and as a result of it the employees of the State Government will get more salary as compared to those of other states, Singh said speaking at the Republic Day celebrations in Rohtak, where he also unfurled the tricolour, according to an official release here.
The only surviving member of the Constituent Assembly, Ranbir Singh, who is father of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was special invitee at the function. Birender Singh said that the present Government has not only withdrawn ban on filling up of vacancies, but also provided employment to about 20,000 youth during last about 34 months.
A target has been fixed to provide jobs to more than one lakh youth in next two years, he said, adding it was a matter of great pride that Haryana was ahead of many other states in financial management. "The State ranked at number two after Goa in per capita income," he said. He said that new schemes involving an investment of Rs 600 crore have been initiated to enhance the socio-economic status of members belonging to Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and economically weaker sections of the society. Singh paid rich tributes to the martyrs and freedom fighters. A colourful cultural programme was also presented by the school children and 16 tableux were taken out to project the developmental strides made by various departments.

'unsexiest woman' title upsets Sarah

Sarah Jessica Parker, the Sex And The City actress, revealed that both she and her husband Matthew Broderick were upset when they found out that a US magazine has voted her the ‘unsexiest woman in the world’. A website reports Parker as saying, “It’s so brutal in a way, so filled with rage and anger. It upset him because it has to do with his judgement too. ” She also added, “Do I have big fake boobs, botox and big lips? No. Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men’s magazine? Maybe not! Am I really the unsexiest woman in the world? Wow! It’s kind of shocking. It’s condemnation and it’s insane. What can I do? I guess you can’t please all people.” Runners up on the infamous list included singer Amy Winehouse, Madonna and Britney Spears.

TIO report : Central govt staff all set to get 52% raise

Central government staff and officers, along with their counterparts in defence and paramilitary forces, have a reason to paint the town red on Holi — the Sixth Central Pay Commission is set to hand them a hike of up to 52%, if read along with their house rent allowance (HRA). The report is likely to be submitted to Finance Minister P Chidambaram by panel chairman Justice B N Srikrishna any day after the festival of colours, possibly as early as Tuesday. Higher housing and transport allowances may be the icing on the cake, though there could be only a modest hike in city compensatory allowance. Indications are that a secretary to the government will have a basic salary of Rs 80,000 a month (up from Rs 26,000 with 50% merged dearness pay and 47% DA). The Cabinet Secretary, the country's seniormost officer, is likely to have a basic of Rs 90,000 (up from Rs 30,000 with 50% merged dearness pay and 47% DA). The across-the-board hike could be paler compared to the pay commission's fifth edition (1997), the best bounty so far, as the proposed quantum of hike now is a few percentage points (just around 0.40) lower. But the good news is that a government employee could, sources said, now look forward to higher annual increments, besides the regular addition of DA, which is now an annual average of 12%. There is, however, the possibility of a fresh rationalisation of DA rates (decided on the basis of consumer price index) because of the upward scaling of salaries. The increase in city compensatory allowance (maximum Rs 300 at present) may also not be substantial. The bounty for senior officers, sources said, could have been more attractive had the President's monthly salary not been fixed at Rs 1 lakh recently. As expected, the commission may slash the number of scales to 18 from the present 33, to facilitate accounting and uniformity across various employees and officers. A likely implication for senior officers in A1 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) could be that government accommodation might not seem as attractive as before because their HRA may rise substantially. At the minimum entry level (Group 'D'), a government employee is likely to get Rs 8,000 now while the highest starting pay in non-gazetted grade (Group 'C') could be Rs 20,000. The expected starting pay for gazetted Group 'A' and Group 'B' officers could be Rs 26,000 and Rs 22,000 respectively. Pay at the highest government (secretary) level is likely to be Rs 80,000. At present, a Group 'A' officer gets around Rs 18,000 at entry (12% HRA in A1 cities is extra). These scales would have higher annual increments.

Is Eva’s figure perfect for underwear!

The We Own the Night actress — who already fronts an advertising campaign for the fashion label’s fragrance — has been offered the deal despite her recent high profile stint in rehab. The fashion house’s president Tom Murry said, “News reports of Eva going to rehab made no difference. We were already in one campaign when it occurred and it did not affect our decision making for the underwear campaign. She really embodies the essence of our brand and we look forward to seeing that carried through in the creative.” Murry revealed Eva’s curvy figure was the deciding factor in choosing her for the campaign, which will be unveiled this autumn. He added, “We are trying to get across that these new products are for fuller busted, shapelier kinds of women and when we looked at the talent, Eva was right.” Eva said, “The company has such an incredible creative legacy. I’m honoured to be associated with such an iconic, world-class brand.”

Lindsay and Jessica : dolled up

Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson have been recreated as blow-up dolls. The Lindsay doll reads: ‘She’s no love bug, she’s a fiery red who never says no and is always up for a good time’. While Jessica’s ‘Love Doll’ reads: “She’s sexy, and newly single! She’s dumb as an ox and never says no!’ Other new additions to the collection include Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria. Pamela Anderson, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton dolls also appear in the range.

RK Sharma held guilty in Shivani murder case

Suspended IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma and three others were on Tuesday convicted by a Delhi court in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.
Additional Sessions Judge Rajendra Kumar Shastri held Sharma, a Haryana-cadre IPS officer, guilty of hatching the conspiracy to murder Shivani, who had allegedly threatened to expose the suspended IPS officer's alleged involvement in leaking classified documents to her, nine years ago.

Three other accused -- Sri Bhagwan Sharma, Pradeep Sharma and Satya Prakash -- were also held guilty for executing the suspended police official's plot to kill Shivani.

Two accused -- Ved Prakash Sharma and Ved Prakash alias Kalu -- were acquitted for want of evidence.

The court would hear the argument on quantum of sentence, which may range from life term to death penalty, on March 20.

Bhatnagar, an Indian Express scribe, was killed in her east Delhi flat on January 23 1999.

The prosecution held that RK Sharma in his capacity as OSD (officer on special duty) at the PMO between July 1997 and April 1998 had leaked classified documents to the deceased journalist. It said that the two later developed an intimate relationship.

The prosecution also claimed that after some time differences cropped up between them and Shivani resented Sharma's bid to avoid her. Later, she decided to expose his involvement in "pilferage and passing out classified documents" to her.

It was this fear that Shivani would spoil his career, social status and married life that prompted Sharma to plan her killing, the investigation had reveale

Latest Forex News

The UsdJpy fell below 99 and EurUsd hit a record high after Bear Stearns said a worsening cash position forced the Wall Street firm to secure emergency financing. News that the New York Federal Reserve and JP Morgan Chase were to provide funds for the fifth-largest US investment bank signaled more credit turmoil to come and added to investor fears that the economy is in for a long recession. UsdJpy dropped -1.66% to 99.08. It was down nearly 11% so far in 2008. EurUsd hit 1.5688 on Friday, all-time high, before easing to 1.5680 up 0.38%. UsdChf fell below parity for the first time ever, trading at 0.9973 before easing to 0.9979 -1.23%. Analysts said the dollar is likely to remain on the ropes because the Fed may have to do much more to ease market nerves, either by cutting interest rates even more aggressively or by taking additional measures to inject liquidity. In addition to providing funds to Bear Stearns, the Fed last week announced plans to lend $200 bio to primary dealers and accept various mortgage debt as collateral. US economic data on Friday did no favors for the Dollar. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to a fresh multi-year low. A separate report showed underlying inflation unchanged in February.

The Risk Today:

EurUsd Euro posted a new all-time high 1.5688 last Friday. Medium term trading range is still 1.4500 – 1.6000. Initial support hold 1.5533 Friday low. Psychological 1.5000 level marks strong key support before 1.4500 pivot point. Initial resistance hold 1.6000 key level. GbpUsd Cable advanced as high as 2.0398 last week, 2 ½ month high. Further strength might open the way toward 2.0577 3-month high. Psychological 2.0100 former resistance level marks support. Renewed pressure below 2.0000 might reopen the way down to 1.9337 January low and 1.9105 (50% retracement of 1.7049 – 2.1162 advance). Further support holds 1.9630 former Trendline resistance. UsdJpy It remains weak in the last 4-week down trendline. Recent weakness open the way toward 101.68 January 2005 low and 101.22 November 1999 low. Bottom support holds 95. On the Upside, only a return over 100 may open the way up to 110.10 strong (Trendline) resistance and mid January double top ahead of 111.92 early January high. Initial support holds 95.74 today low. UsdChf Market remains weak, having broke down through 1.0000 last Friday psychological level. Further weakness open the down to 0.9639 intraday low. Uptrend would return over 1.0000 and 1.0700 opening the way for 1.1130 (38.2% of 1.1603 – 1.0838 decline). Early January double top 1.1191 marks strong resistance.

Rs 2000 cr invest in DLF realty

Global financial firms Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and DE Shaw are likely to invest Rs 2,000 crore or $500 million in the DLF Assets’(DAL) real estate investment trust(REIT), according to sources. The transaction is likely to be completed by early next week. Part of DLF Group, the largest real estate developer in the country, DAL is focused on buying and managing office space. Currently, DAL is a owned by DLF promoters and the listed firm has no equity stake in this firm. However, as per the plan, DLF will also invest $750 million or Rs 3,000 crore in the REIT. DAL had earlier planned to list the REIT, but now is going for a private placement.
DLF spokesperson declined to comment saying that the Singapore market regulation didn’t allow company to make any comment on the issue as its application for listing of REIT was still being scrutinised by the authorities.
DLF Assets originally planned to raise $2 billion through its REIT called DLF Office Trust. Given the downturn in the global financial markets, DAL has now put on hold its plan to list the REIT. In the meanwhile, it is going ahead with its fund-raising plan through the private-placement route. According to sources, DLF Office Trust will now be a private trust, raising money only through institutional investors. A private trust, unlike a public trust, is not listed and doesn’t have retail participation. DLF had originally planned to have 10% retail investors in its REIT
Sources add that DLF was reluctant to go in for the public offering as it felt the share prices may not be able to hold the price on listing even if it were to subscribe fully.
The company is now in negotiations with Citigroup and Merrill Lynch apart from US-hedge fund DE Shaw, who are likely to put in a combined sum of Rs 2,000 crore in the trust. Citigroup is likely to be the lead investor in the transaction.
According to sources, DAL would use the funds to meet its debt obligations which are due by the end of March’08. Real estate developers see REIT as an avenue to cash out of property investment. DAL owns five IT SEZs, purchased from DLF. For DE Shaw, this would be yet another exposure into DLF Group. Last year, it invested $400 million in DAL. US-based investment bank Lehman Brothers, too, had pitched in with $200 million in DAL at that time.
The other investor, Merrill Lynch, one of the world’s largest securities firm, had bought 49% in DLF’s seven housing projects for Rs 1,481 crore or $377 million. These projects are spread across the cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Indore.
ment

The largest Deal in Delhi - By BPTP for more than Rs.5000 crore

In the field of real estate, Delhi based real estate firm BPTP has raised the largest deal for more than Rs. 5000 crore beating the India's largest real estate firm DLF by capturing 95 acre land in sector 94 Noida. The consortium comprising BPTP and its three subsidiaries offered Rs 1,30,207 per sq metre, compared to DLF’s Rs 1,17,000 per sq metre and Omaxe’s Rs 80,000 per sq metre. The fourth bidder, Ansal API, didn’t meet the technical criteria. The BPTP deal leaves other big-ticket land transactions in the country far behind in absolute terms, but is not the most expensive. Last year, Wadhawan Group won the bid for a 7,107 sq metre commercial plot at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai at Rs 5.04 lakh per sq metre. The other big deals include Adani’s Rs. 2,250-crore deal with HDIL in BKC, DLF’s Rs 1,675-crore acquisition of DCM Shriram’s property in Delhi, Unitech’s Rs 1,586-crore deal in Noida and DLF’s Rs 702-crore purchase of NTC Mills land in Mumbai. The deal is being seen as a major leap for BPTP, a closely-held firm promoted by Kabul Chawla. The company, which sold 5% stake to Citigroup last year for an undisclosed sum, expects to close the current financial year with a revenue of Rs 1,200 crore and net profit of Rs 400 crore. BPTP director Sudhanshu Tripathi told ET the acquisition will be funded purely through internal accruals. It is a staggered payment, where BPTP will have to pay only 30% of the total amount now. The company will pay the rest in 16 installments over eight years, along with an interest of 11% compounded annually on the due amount. The company may take on board strategic investors for the development of the project, Mr Tripathi said. BPTP, which has put off its IPO till market sentiment improves, is raising money through private equity. This shows the bright future of BPTP.

New Study - 70% want to talk to BPO agents of opposite sex

New study :- If you dial a call centre, whose voice do you want to hear at the other end? Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone was the overwhelming answer in a recent survey on call centres. While Bachchan was voted favourite-celebrity-to-answer-a-call by both men and women, there were gender differences when it came to the other questions. To start with, the men said they preferred talking to women and the women customers said they preferred talking to men. The survey thus confirmed what has long been an open secret. The study was conducted by Avaya GlobalConnect and the Sydney-based research firm callcentres.net. Questionnaires were emailed to 300 respondents in India who had recently used the services of a call centre. They were from various income groups. Exactly 70% said that they preferred talking to an agent of the opposite sex. And almost one-third were more demanding—they wanted the agents to be both of the opposite sex and younger than them. The study comes at a time when a number of banks and telecom companies have begun diverting their customer-query traffic to their call centres rather than have people visiting their outlets. Even government monoliths like the Indian Railways and state-owned telecom companies, which have a less-than-shining record of customer service, are setting up call centres to address queries. The customers don’t seem to mind with 58% saying that interacting with call centres made life easy. More than gender, it was the age groups that responded in different ways. The youngsters or Generation Y (16 to 30 years) had the most complaints and said it was usually a problematic process. They also had the lowest service expectations from the men and women at the other end of the phone. Middle-aged customers or the Baby Boomers (46 to 61 years) had the highest expectations about service quality. The Silent Generation (62 to 82 years), surprisingly, found the least problems with call centres. They were more than happy to speak to a number of different people on the same call, as long as it helped resolve their problem. What did customers look for in an agent? Once again there was a gender difference: for males it was being helpful, while for females, intelligence was most sought after.

Is it true that Bipasha Basu tries to be Sharmila?

History repeats itself!!!!!!!!!!
Old trends return with a bang, and all mommies suddenly feel proud that the knee-length skirts they once wore are back in fashion, or that short kurtas and tight churidaars were a trend of their golden era. So, now what’s making the ma’s of India happy is the way Bipasha Basu has worn her eyeliner in Race. She extends it far and wide just like Sharmila Tagore did once upon a time. But Bipasha says she enjoyed ‘drawing the line’, only figuratively speaking of course!

Doctors said - British girl was murdered in Goa

Goa :- The case of a dead British tourist, which is threatening to ruin Goa's image as an idyllic sea-and-sand vacation spot, got murkier as doctors on Saturday conducted a second autopsy on the body of Scarlette Eden Keeling and confirmed that the 15-year-old girl was indeed murdered, as claimed by her family. A panel of three doctors, however, said that though they could not confirm rape, there were strong indications of sexual violence because of injuries in the vagina. The report came as pressure mounted on Goa police to explain why full details of the death, summarily dismissed by police earlier as suicide, were not being released to the family. The report, which will add to the murkiness of Goa's tourism sector, urged the sub divisional magistrate in-charge of the case to investigate the death as a homicide. Since her barely-clad body was recovered from the state's prime Anjuna beach, her mother Fiona MacKown has been screaming that multiple bruises on the corpse clearly pointed to rape and murder. But cops ignored her, saying the first autopsy established death due to drowning. The incensed mother refused to take her daughter's body from the government morgue. After the report she was going to file a complaint against the police for cover up. The case has exposed the dark underbelly of Goa's otherwise picture-postcard touristy life and revealed a web of crime and drugs involving foreigners. According to police statistics, of the 25 people arrested on drug charges in 2006, 15 were foreigners. The number has steadily risen since 2004, when the first numbers are logged. Even as the second autopsy report was presented to a magistrate, the cops clung to the drowning story. "We are conducting the second autopsy only because we are not satisfied with the first," IGP Kishan Kumar said. The autopsy was conducted by three doctors at Goa medical college and hospital. Kumar also blamed the media for sensationalizing the case and levelling allegations of a police cover up. Worried that bad publicity was hurting the tourist cash cow, Goa tourism minister, Francisco X Pacheco on Saturday demanded strong action against Anjuna police station in charge, Nerlon Albuquerque and doctors who had conducted the first autopsy.

Sen Riya is shocked! Or something….

What was it??
Suchitra, who has turned reclusive and shuns media attention, was admitted recently in a Kolkata hospital’s ICU. It is here that Gopa Mukherji, a lady journo working for a Kolkata channel, entered her ward. Needless to say, her family is livid. Her granddaughter Riya Sen confirms the incident and adds, "On Feb 29, Gopa entered the hospital claiming to visit someone else and caused a lot of trouble. It’s shocking." There’s a lot of anguish in her voice as she says, "Just because we are celebs, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have a right to privacy. Especially when a person is in ICU, people must leave her alone. We are so upset, especially my mom Moon Moon Sen. Granny has got a setback again, just when she was on her road to recovery."

Priyanka won't work with Akshay

Last seen together in Waqt, reportedly Akshay decided not to work with Priyanka after news of an alleged link-up between the two spread like wildfire and wife Twinkle Khanna issued an ultimatum to hubby dearest. But after a three-year hiatus, Akshay and Priyanka were to work together in Blue, an action flick by Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision. Only Priyanka didn’t give her nod. The grapevine suggests that is because Twinkle is not comfortable with the prospect of Akshay working with Priyanka again. But a well placed source puts all wild rumours to rest. "Blue did not work out because the script was just not good enough for Priyanka. Priyanka’s declining the offer has nothing to do with Twinkle," he says.

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Aishwarya Rai working hard to get in shape for 'Robot'

Not that she doesn’t have an excellent figure, but for the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan matching Rajnikant 's agility in Robot will be no mean feat.It is for this reason that director Shankar wants the Bachchan bahu to get in shape real soon before she starts shooting with the superstar in his sci-fi flick 'Robot'.
Although Ash had put on some weight for her role in Jodhaa Akbar , she is working hard on her figure now.Reports are that Ash's current diet comprises sprouts and liquids like juices and soups.Shankar is very particular even about the smallest details in his films. He has churned up some of the biggest hits like the Rajnikant starrer Sivaji and the Kamal Haasan starrer Ek Hindustani . He wants to leave no stone unturned for 'Robot' too.So Ash has already started to loose weight, through gymming and dieting, ending recent tabloid speculation that she is pregnant and has withdrawn from the film.

Britney warned she could end up bankrupt in 4 years

London: Britney Spears has been warned by financial advisers that she could be out of money within four years.
According to newly released court documents, the troubled singer had a fortune of 80 million pounds but is now left with just 20 million pounds.
Last week, Britney’s parents, Jamie and Lynne Spears, and Andrew Wallet, a lawyer appointed by a Los Angeles judge to run her estate with her mother, carried out a financial meeting at the singer’s Los Angeles home.
Jamie said that his daughter was on the verge of ending up like Michael Jackson, whose Neverland ranch is due to be sold by creditors at public auction this month.
“Britney was very wide-eyed and attentive ... but ... she’s as addicted to buying houses and new Mercedes as she is to the attention of the paparazzi,” Times Online quoted a business associate, as saying.
“There was a moment when her mother said she could be out of money within four years, and her two children would still be at grade [primary] school, when she sat up and took notice,” the associate added.
The Toxic singer’s income is believed to be in decline, for her most recent album, Blackout, and Believe, her fifth Elizabeth Arden perfume from a range that used to earn her 2 million pounds a year, have failed to match previous sales.
However, the troubled pop star’s friends believe that under the guardianship of her parents, she may be coming back from the edge.

Shah Rukh Khan: My space!

Shah Rukh Khan recently bagged one more trophy — his seventh Filmfare award — to add to his impressive collection. However, when we asked him where he was going to place the Black Lady, he wittingly said, “ Masha Allah, ghar bahut bada hai...toh finding a place for it is not going to be tough.” SRK’s Mannat seems to have enough and more room for many more Black Ladies, and SRK isn’t going to fall short of getting them all. And you thought that SRK wasn’t a ladies’ man?

Isha is very much single

Isha Sharvani is busy these days, but only with the various performances that she has been putting up around the country. On the personal front, the beautiful actress is very much single. Single, fancy-free and footloose, does she prefer it this way? The answer is spontaneous, “Yes, I am enjoying being single but I don’t know if I am fancy free and footloose because right now my legs need to stretch after those rehearsals,” she laughs.

Heidi Klum has designs on men

Heidi Klum wants Victoria’s Secret to design an underwear range for men. The 34-year-old beauty — who models for the lingerie giant — doesn’t think it is fair that women are the only sex who can wear raunchy undergarments, and thinks a male range would look great on husband Seal. She says, “Victoria’s Secret should do men’s underwear, Seal would love that. Bloomers are just not cool, boxers are all right, but there are so many sexier things we could do for guys.” Heidi also reveals she prefers rough men. She adds, “I’m really not into make-up for guys. I like them to be a little more rough and real. I think make-up, glitter and that sort of thing should just be for us girls — men should be men and women should be women.”

Indian on death row in Pak to walk free tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Indian national Kashmir Singh, held on death row in Pakistani prisons for 35 years after his conviction on espionage charges, will be released on Monday and is expected to be reunited with his family the next day, caretaker Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney said on Sunday. Following the approval of Singh's mercy petition by President Pervez Musharraf, the order for Singh's release was issued by the interior ministry on Saturday. Singh, currently in Lahore's Central Jail, will be handed over to Syed Fahad Burney, acting chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, on Monday. The trust will take Singh to India by road through the Wagah land border on Tuesday. Singh's wife Paramjit Kaur, who has been struggling for his release since his arrest in 1973, will greet him on the Indian side of the border with family members and friends. Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal spoke with Ansar Burney on Saturday and assured the minister that Singh's travel documents will be issued on Monday. Burney and the staff of his Trust will accompany Singh on the journey to Wagah. Fahad Burney said many of Singh's friends and well-wishers in India had started gathering at the border in anticipation of his return. "The release of Singh is being seen as a significant step of improvement in Pakistani-Indian relations and trust building," said Ansar Burney. The Ansar Burney Trust, one of Pakistan's most prominent rights organisations, is also working for the release of other Indian nationals in Pakistani prisons, particularly fisherman.

India clinch U-19 World Cup

Virat Kohli's India juniors won cricket's under-19 World Cup with a 12-run victory over unlucky South Africa in a rain-hit final here on Sunday. The South Africans, who bowled India out for a modest 159, were left chasing a tricky 116 in 25 overs after heavy thunderstorms forced the players off the Kinrara Oval for two hours. The Proteas, already struggling at 17-3 before the rain break, finished with 103-8, with Reeza Hendricks making 35 and captain Wayne Parnell contributing a valiant 29. Ajitesh Argal, Siddarth Kaul and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets each to hand India their second title after winning the premier junior event for the first time in Sri Lanka in 2000. The excellent drainage system at the ground ensured the game was not put off until Monday, the scheduled reserve day, and South Africa were left to chase 99 runs from the remaining 98 deliveries after the rain break. Before the enforced break, seamer Argal had removed the in-form Pieter Malan and Rilee Rossouw while Jon Smuts ran himself out in a mix-up with his partner Hendricks. Left-arm spinner Jadeja struck in the second over after the resumption when Jonathan Vandiar edged a faster delivery to wicketkeeper Sreevats Goswami, reducing South Africa to 22-4. Hendricks and Parnell put on 50 for the fifth wicket to revive the Proteas, but the fired-up Indians kept the runs in check by picking up wickets at regular intervals. The victory ceremony was disrupted when about 500 fans rushed on to the ground after the match, and as soon as security men stepped in to clear the field, heavy rain hit the ground for a second time. Earlier, the South African bowlers skittled India for 159, setting an ideal platform for the Proteas to win their first junior World Cup after finishing runners-up to Australia in 2002. Skipper Parnell, who gave India first strike, led the way with 2-21 from 7.4 overs of accurate left-arm seam bowling that helped terminate their rivals' innings in the 46th over. Matthew Arnold, Roy Adams and Mohammad Vallie also took two wickets each as Tanmay Srivastava played a lone hand for the Indians with 46. The South African bowlers, who won their team a place in the final by restricting defending champions Pakistan to 153 in the semi-final, grabbed Indian wickets cheaply. Parnell provided the early breakthrough when opener Taruwar Kohli (one) miscued an attempted hook off the seamer and skied a catch to Malan at square-leg. Goswami, the other opener, made six before edging Arnold to second slip to leave India on 27-2 in the 10th over. Left-handed Srivastava and skipper Virat Kohli carried the total to 74-2 by the 23rd over when both batsmen fell to catches by Sybrand Engelbrecht in the point region. Virat Kohli had made 19 when he slashed at a ball from Malan, Engelbrecht leaping to produce an outstanding catch. The fielder then took a similar catch off Adams to remove the dangerous Srivastava, who hit four boundaries and a six in his fluent innings.

India thrash Russia in Olympic hockey qualifier

SANTIAGO: Eight-time gold medallists India got their campaign to qualify for the Olympic Games off to a flying start with an 8-0 win over Russia on Saturday. But Great Britain, one of India's closest rivals for the one ticket to Beijing available from this tournament, were also in ominous form, disposing of Mexico 11-0. Prabhjot Singh starred for India by hammering home a fine hat-trick. But it was Dilip Tirkey who was first on the scoresheet with a 14th minute penalty corner before Prabhjot grabbed his first of the day five minutes later scoring off a pass from Sardar Singh. On the half-hour mark, India were 3-0 ahead with Prabhjot notching his second before Shivendra Singh made it 4-0 at the interval. Tushar Khandekar added the fifth as the Russian defence began to wilt early in the second half before Sardar, with his second of the match, VR Raghunath and Prabhjot completed the rout. India have never missed the Olympics since field hockey was introduced as a medal sport in 1928. Austria and Chile make up the six-nation tournament here which runs until March 9. Ten teams have already qualified for the Olympic men's competition with the remaining two coming from the qualifying tournament here and the next one in Japan in April. The automatic qualifiers were Australia (Oceania champions), Belgium (European bronze medallists), Canada (Pan American champions), China (hosts), South Korea (Asian Games winners), the Netherlands (European champions), Pakistan (Asian Games bronze medallists), South Africa (African champions) and Spain (European silver medallists).

Hollywood laps up Taj script for Rs 2 crore

MUMBAI: Hollywood clearly has a yen for the Taj. Months after Sir Ben Kingsley made his announcement about a film based on the celebrated mausoleum of love, Krishna Shah has sold the rights of his script Taj for a mind-boggling Rs 2 crore. GenNow may not have a clue about who Shah is, but the Hollywood-based film-maker created a flutter way back in 1978 when he brought Hollywood stars Rex Harrison, John Saxon and Sylvia Miles together with Bollywood stud Dharmendra and sex siren Zeenat Aman in one of India's most expensive films, Shalimar . The Yale-UCLA graduate later set up his company, Double Helix Films, in the West. Confirming to TOI that he had sold his script to Hollywood producers for an impressive USD 4,75,000 (nearly Rs 2 crore, making each page of the 122-page script worth Rs 1.63 lakh), Shah said, "Hollywood pays its scriptwriters well. Manoj Night Shyamalan can get five million dollars for a script without batting an eyelid. But in India, scriptwriters are still paid Rs 15-20 lakh for a script, which is a pity. Leading men here charge Rs 5-7 crore for a film but writers are shortchanged." According to Hollywood trade journal Variety , the film will cost 25 million dollars and will be produced by Michael A Simpson, Judy Cairo, Ken Atchity and Chi-Li Wong. (Shah had also got feelers from Hollywood biggies like Ridley Scott, Michael Rymer and Silvio Sardi, besides Indian producer Ramoji Rao.) The casting for Taj is under way, but Shah says that since he is only the scriptwriter, he won't be in on it. "The director will finalise the cast," he says. "I assume it will have a mix of Hollywood and Indian actors because that is a requirement in the script." claimed, India-born director Michael Radford to helm the film. Radford's Il Postino is the highest grossing foreign language film in the history of world cinema. Kingsley's version will reportedly cover the death of Mumtaz Mahal and then go on to the construction of the Taj (which took 20 years' of work by 20,000 masons) and Shah Jehan's subsequent imprisonment by his son in Agra Fort. Shah's version, on the other hand, is likely to focus on the emotional conflict between Shah Jahan and his stepmother Queen Noor, who was completely opposed to his love marriage to Mumtaz Mahal.

India colts ready for SA in Under-19 World Cup final

Kuala Lumpur: India colts take on South Africa in the final of the Under-19 World Cup on Sunday.
India last won the Under-19 World Cup under the captaincy of Mohammad Kaif eight years ago in Sri Lanka with Yuvraj Singh bagging the Man of the Series award in that tournament.
So far it has been a near flawless tournament for India with five wins in five games. While some have been easy; others have been made possible by grit and resolve.
"Expectation to logon ko bahut hai. Sab yehi keh rahe hain ki jeet ke ana hai jab final tak pahuche hain. To dabaaw yehi hai ki accha khelne ki puri koshish karenge aur apna last effort hai. 100 per cent dene ki puri koshish karenge (There is a lot of expectation. Every won is telling us to win the final. The pressure is on us to give our best. We will try our best and give our 100 per cent," says left-hand batsman Tanmay Srivastava.
But the talismanic influence in the team has been skipper Virat Kohli. Virat has been leading with panache and batting with the maturity of a hardened veteran.
He has made 216 runs at an average of 54 and even picked up four wickets with his off-breaks.
India's opponents in the final won't be pushovers though. South Africa creamed two-time defending champions Pakistan in the semi-final and bring the traditional qualities of a South African team into battle. They have penetrative fast bowling, robust batting and a never say die attitude in the field.
"I think that it would be easy beating India in the final rather than the pool games. There is more pressure obviously with under 19s. It is a young age. Maybe one or two mistakes and then we can capitalise on that," hopes South Africa Under-19 team skipper Wayne Parnell.
India's juniors know the headlines await them on a day they share the limelight with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men – the men they aspire to be.

Khan vs Khan at Filmfare Awards

Welcome to the 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards. They are being brought into your living room tonight courtesy Sony Entertainment Television, 8 pm, Black Lady, red carpet and all. With Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan playing masters of ceremony and chief pranksters, the lovely Vidya Balan a valiant foil to their masti. It’s a Khan vs Khan show as SRK matches wit and audacity with rockstar Saif in gags that will have you cracking up with their bawdy irreverence to Bollywood. What didn’t the Bollywood Badshah and Chhote Nawab do! They ran a spoof on debutant award winner Ranbir Kapoor’s towel dropping act from Saawariya , holding onto their own towels, thankfully. And another one saw them, well, rip co-host Vidya Balan of the bizarre costumes she wore in Heyy Babby. Celina Jaitley, they did not spare for her makeup. In this delightful manner, the duo kept the show alive, fresh and moving, making sure even their hapless victims seated below enjoyed a chuckle at their own expense. The event, held at the Yash Raj Studios on February 23, was as fine a tribute to the world of Hindi cinema as it was a platform for the industry’s talented top stars to show what high energy they are capable of when unleashed outside of a camera. In the audience, there were black tie and velvet gown moments of suspense before the award envelopes were opened. On stage, there was dhoom and dhamaka provided by Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Vivek Oberoi and Neil Nitin Mukesh.And then there was drama, too, as in when Rishi Kapoor accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from his first co-star, Dimple Kapadia, and shared the honour with wife Neetu Singh. In the midst of their tears and laughter, Rishi was overheard calling up his mother Krishna Kapoor who could not make it to the function. Tonight’s telecast of the 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards is for Mrs Kapoor and others like her who could not be at Yash Raj to witness the spectacular show unfold live on stage. Take your seat at 8 pm and watch the stars as they accept their awards.

Tanishaa and her little yellow dress

Many babes on the sets of 'One Two Three' saw Tanishaa, dressed in a little yellow dress. It was an exquisite baby doll bright yellow one. We were told that most of the girls present wanted one exactly like that. In fact, director Ashwini Dheer’s daughter, too, was adamant that papa buy her a similar dress. Now, whenever the film gets released, we too will get to see Tanishaa in her yellow outfit!

I'm attracted to a lot of men: Esha

Her recent films may not have set the cash registers ringing at the BO, but Esha Deol’s unfazed by the lukewarm response her films have garnered. Instead the actress, who’s currently on a self-imposed hiatus, prefers not to mull over the past and is excited about her two-month stint in the US. “Oh, I’m jobless at the moment and I’m making the most of it by catching up on sleep, working out and re-learning jazz and ballet at a US-based dance institute. I’m also indulging my tastebuds and binging on ghar ka khana, which I will so miss there,” said the sexy star, as she settled for a quick tete-a-tete, with her equally starry Lhasa, Piccola, in tow. But isn’t she wary of piling on the pounds? “We keep trying new hairstyles, so why not try new body-styles? Right now, I’m enjoying being a little curvaceous,” she laughed. “I’m also planning to have another tattoo done,” revealed the bindaas babe, who already sports three of them. “I love travelling and exploring. In fact, I have the best conversations with strangers,” revealed the star, who is looking forward to her upcoming films — Hijack, where she plays an airhostess, and One, Two Three. Esha loves living on the edge, so much so that her idea of romance too borders on the wild. So is love on the cards? “No yaar! I’m at my peak, enjoying absolute freedom. It’s not going to last forever. I know some day I am going to settle down, get married, have a family, but till then, I just want to have a blast. ” And though the girl admits that she does get attracted to men, she’s yet to come across the right guy. “I am attracted to a lot of men, but not enough to tell them about it. Besides, I would want them to woo me instead.” And who is she really attracted to at the moment? “Owen Wilson’s my hottie! I love his lips.” So, is she planning to meet the actor whilst in US? “No, I’m still waiting to meet Sylvester Stallone first. He’s my all-time hottie and I still have a soft corner for him.” And which actor does she think she’s most compatible with in Bollywood? “Ajay for sure. Ajay and me share a very strange chemistry on screen,” she says unabashedly.

CBSE 2008: Students pleased with new format on Day 1

NEW DELHI: Easy but tricky -- that is how the students described the question papers as the examinations for class X and class XII under Central Board of Secondary Education started on Saturday across the country and abroad. For the first time, 20 per cent of the questions required 'high-order thinking skills' as prescribed by the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), the guiding document for preparation of NCERT textbooks. The class-XII students appeared in the Chemistry paper while Class-X students sat for Information Technology. However, the students did not find any problem to answer them. "It was not at all difficult. Those questions were bit tricky," Ananya Roy Choudhary, a Class-XII student of Delhi Public School, Dwarka, said. She said the question paper was a bit lengthy as there were many questions which warranted brief answers. "But I could answer them before time. It took me two hours to answer all questions and I had one hour time to revise," she said. "If you are thorough with the textbooks, you would not find any problem to answer," said another student. The class-X students appeared in the Information Technology paper which was on expected line, students said. "The questions were as per expectations. We could answer them before time," Snehashis Mitra, a student of Mount St Mary school, said with a smile. CBSE spokesperson Roma Sharma said the exam was conducted in a peaceful manner.

Big B's office attacked in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Unidentified persons threw bottles at actor Amitabh Bachchan's office, behind his Juhu residence Jalsa , on Friday night. Confirming the incident, the actor said, "My bungalow was attacked by four people who came in a car and threw bottles. I have informed the police and they are investigating." Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh told TOI that the men came in a grey Santro (MH-02 AL 580). He suspected the involvement of Raj Thackeray's supporters in the incident and demanded their arrest. In early February, two motor-cycle borne youths had thrown bottles at Bachchan's residence in the wake of Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) attacking the superstar for alleged negligence of Maharashtra. Soon after that, alleged MNS activists had unleashed violence on the streets of several cities in the state, attacking north Indian migrants, mainly taxi drivers and shop owners.

Budget 2008: Farmers all over are loving it

The entire village of Garhar in UP's Jalaun district is overjoyed. Now farmers here won't have to go to jail, thanks to P Chidambaram. But what's that got to do with the Budget? For years, farmers in this parched swathe of farmland haven't been able to repay loans. As a result, they've had to spend as much time in courtrooms and even prisons as they do in their fields. Now, the loan waiver has set them free. Up north in Lakhnour village near Mohali in Punjab, Jarnail Singh hadn't smiled for two years since he sold two acres of his 5-acre farm to pay off part of his loan of Rs 2 lakh. "If you are being truthful, all I can say is that this man (PC) has been heaven-sent. Our prayers have been answered," Jarnail Singh told a TOI reporter who sought reactions after giving him the news. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from studies between 1997-2005 reveals that - and this is a conservative estimate - 1.5 lakh farmers committed suicide all over India with countless farmers abandoning agriculture. It's, therefore, understandable that the loan waiver for marginal and small farmers has been received with much relief in large parts of the country. While farmers in Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and to an extent, even Karnataka, are delighted with the proposal, the reactions are more than just muted in Vidarbha, the region of Maharashtra that has witnessed a rash of farmer suicides. One of the problems in Vidarbha is that nearly 50% of farmers have taken loans from private moneylenders because they are not entertained by scheduled banks. And it is mostly farmers in the grips of the village sahukar who have been driven to suicide. Ravikant Patil, a farmer living 35 km from Nagpur, says: "Unless one has sifarish (recommendation), one isn't entertained by regular banks. We have no option but to turn to private moneylenders." There is another problem, too - the two-hectare ceiling on land holding for loan waiver. Nearly all farmers TOI contacted in Vidarbha said the Budget had nothing for them since their average land-holding is seven hectares and their problem is low rates from farm produce which has made agriculture loss-making. Farmer leader Kishor Tiwari welcomed the waiver but demanded that the land holding limit of two hectares should be relaxed for Vidarbha. "Unless the limit is relaxed, only 40% of Vidarbha farmers would benefit as against 90% in western Maharashtra." Agrees Vijay Jawandhia: "Due to the harebrained government decision, a farmer owing Rs 2 lakh in western Maharashtra would get exemption while a farmer owing Rs 50,000 in Vidarbha would have to pay." But in Gujarat's Memar village in Bavla, near Ahmedabad, Ghanshyam Solanki is pleased - the finance minister has wiped out Solanki's debt of Rs 22,000. He says: "There are many others like me - some of whom could have been driven to suicide but for this waiver." Likewise, in Andhra Pradesh, Adem Muni Reddy in Tirupati rural mandal, who has a loan of Rs 30,000 and land around 3 acres, said: "The waiver has come as a boon." But Mohan Reddy in Jyothi village isn't happy. "I took a loan from State Bank, but it won't come under the waiver scheme (he has seven acres of land) even though I am a regular repayer of loans." In Bundelkhand's Jalaun village, suicides were becoming common. "It's too late for those of our kin who committed suicide, but the move will prevent many more from unnatural death," said Ajai Parsad in Garhar village. But, Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha state president Maruti Manpade has the last word on the matter: "The government should have waived off all loans of all farmers."