Faridabad bestows Mahindra's defence auto facility

Tractor to multi-utility vehicle maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M) is assessing plans to get into manufacturing of small aircraft but will concentrate on naval and land systems currently for which it has launched a new facility at Faridabad, reported livemint.

“We are currently working with NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories) in their project to design a turboprop plane and at the right time we will assess whether or not to go into the manufacturing,” said Vice-chairman Anand Mahindra.

The new Faridabad facility, spread across six acres, developed partially with a Rs25 crore investment, will assemble around 200 specialized vehicles for the Armed Forces, paramilitary forces and police for the current fiscal, taking the number to 350 in the next.

It will also produce bullet-proof versions of the company’s Scorpio and Bolero multi-utility vehicles.

"In first phase, we have developed shopfloor of 40,000 square feet for building bullet-proof, riot control, armoured vehicles and armoured tourist buses. In the second phase, we will develop another 40,000 square feet and build the high mobility vehicle 'AXE' and mine-protection vehicles that are being developed in collaboration with BAE Systems from South Africa," MDS chief executive Brigadier (Retd) Khutub Hai said to The Times of India. The plant has a capacity to roll out 500 armoured vehicles annually.

The Economic Times reported that Mahindra and Mahindra said it could develop a vehicle on the lines of US President Barack Obama's official car nicknamed 'The Devil' for the country's political leadership if the necessary facilities existed here.

"I saw the diagram (of the car) and it had complete details of President Obama's Cadillac limousine. If this facility exists then we would be proud to make such vehicle not just for the Prime Minister but for any VIP," Mahindra Group Vice Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra told reporters after inaugurating the Special Military Vehicles (SMV) plant in Faridabad.

Voter helpline for Faridabad

Election authorities has set up helpline for voters for every districts in Haryana. For, Faridabad it is : 2433593

http://www.ceoharyana.nic.in/html/helpline.htm

Ila showcases rural eco-tourism at Mangar village

by Sumita Chatterjee at goodtimes.ndtv.com

Meet Ila Lumba, who gave up a successful career in hospitality industry to work in the sector of organic farming. Her farm is situated in Mangar village which is near the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway. Laksh (the farm) is spread over 15 acres of land in between the Aravalli hills. It's a unique example of the restoration of a degraded ecosystem, it offers a fulfilling experience in rural eco-tourism. Away from the archlights, Ila has donated her whole life to work for the villagers and to spread the message of healthy living. Read more...

Faridabad gets 4th cargo terminal of Gateway Rail

By Jasudha Kirpalani and C.J. Kuncheria

Reuters

The rail unit of logistics firm Gateway Distriparks will start a fourth rail-linked cargo terminal by the end of 2009 as it seeks to improve its efficiency, a senior official said.

The additional terminal will help Gateway Rail increase its fill factor, or the utilisation of its container wagons, beyond the current 78 percent, Sachin Bhanushali, president of Gateway Rail Freight Ltd, told Reuters in an interview on Monday.
"As the number of terminals increase, the network benefit is bound to result into improvement in the fill factors," Bhanushali said. "The plan is to go up to a network of eight to 10 terminals all over India."

Gateway Rail and other peers are looking to seize market share from truck firms to capitalise on the cost-effectiveness of railway transport, especially with firms who want cheaper and more efficient alternatives in a slowing economy.

Its fourth terminal in the north Indian city of Faridabad will cost the firm 350 million rupees over two years, of which 150 million will be spent by March 2010, he said, declining to give details on when the remaining terminals will be added.

The Faridabad investment will be funded through two rupee-denominated lines of credit, he said. Gateway already has terminals in Ludhiana, Mumbai and Garhi.

Gateway Rail, a fully-owned unit of Gateway Distriparks, transports goods like steel, chemicals, paper, meat and grains through containers on railroads. A fifth of its business comes from overseas trade while the rest is from domestic cargo.

The company currently runs 19 trains and may add some more, although Bhanushali declined to give details.

Faridabad potters

The Times of India

At villages in the state of Haryana, a potter's wheel is something that one can witness in almost every household. For, the practice of pottery dates back to ages in the province. Forming one of Haryana's prime occupations, the skill is accomplished by almost every other person in the villages here. One such artiste is Dharam Bhatiji, whose dexterous hands have been creating colourful pottery items for over years now.

A resident of Mohana village at Faridabad, Dharam is a skilled artisan who is presently participating in an ongoing arts and crafts mela at the Scouts and Guides Bhavan grounds in Mysore. Having turned an artiste through the training that she received from her artiste husband Dayaram, she calls the art a delightful skill. Read more...

Huda to return 379 acres for greening of Aravalis

The Times of India

In what appears to be the first win for those fighting for the revival of Aravalis, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) is all set to hand over 379 acres of land in the hilly suburbs of Faridabad and Rs 45 crore for the re-development of forests there.

This is as per a recommendation made by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). In return, CEC will make an appeal to the Supreme Court for granting amnesty to HUDA for its development projects in sectors 21-C-III, 44, 45, 47, Anangpur Village (part of Kant Enclave) and some community buildings which are partially or wholly in notified forest land as per the Punjab land Preservation Act (PLPA).

This quid-pro-quo deal was worked out at a meeting between the CEC and the Haryana government on January 7. On Wednesday, the deal was sealed at a meeting of financial commissioners and principal secretaries of various departments. The meeting was chaired by P K Das, principal secretary and financial commissioner (forests).

Faridabad builders begin to default

by Shabana Hussain, livemint.com

It is more than two years since Kamal Sachdeva and brother Harish booked villas in Faridabad, an industrial area south of New Delhi that is fast becoming a housing destination, with Pal Infrastructure and Developers Pvt. Ltd.

Sachadeva made a down payment of Rs3.5 lakh and was promised possession of a 1,200 sq. ft house built on a 1,350 sq. ft plot by the end of 2007. He says not only has he not yet received possession of the property, construction has not started since he made his booking in February 2007.

Some four months ago, Sachdeva, a finance professional with a New Delhi automobile company, asked Pal about the progress at the project. Pal informed him, he says, that it did not have the land for the project proposed to come up at Sector 78 of Faridabad.

“I want my investment back but the company says it will only give me a six-month post-dated cheque at an 8% rate of interest. Earlier, they had said they will give a 12% rate of interest,” says he. “I don’t want post-dated cheques because I have heard the company’s cheques are bouncing.” Read more in livemint.com...

Pathwari Temple of Faridabad

by C.D. Verma, Old Faridabad, Faridabad Plus

Where Goddess shows the way
In Faridabad people walk by faith. For the goddess, the presiding deity of an ancient, centuries-old, temple here, shows the way. Yes! this is true of Pathwari Temple, situated in the heart of the main bazaar of Old Faridabad. As is implied in its name Pathwari, which literally means path showing, the denizens of Faridabad, from the hoary past, have been following the tradition of paying their obeisance to the Pathwari Mata, the presiding deity of the temple, before embarking on any journey, be it for social, religious, domestic or business errands. And on return to their home town, they punctiliously revered her too. In the 21st century when the idiosyncrasies of the modern man and his ways of life have undergone a complete metamorphosis, the symbols of waxing faith in Faridabad still remain unforgettable guiding principles, and integral parts of the socio-cultural ethos.

Old Faridabad is old enough with an ancient history of about 400 years. Faridabad, named after Sheikh Farid, treasurer of King Jehangir (1605-1627), who is believed to have founded it in 1607, has a unique feature of naming and niching various streets and Mohallas after different castes and professions, such as Khatriwara, Brahminwara, Sheikhwara, Sayyedwara, Ahirwara, Dhobiwara, Naiwara, Kumbharwara, etc. And all lived happily in harmonious togetherness, peacefully and affectionately, interacting within as well as without their castes and callings during the last 400 years. Interestingly, there has been no communal riots in this town during all these four centuries.

The recorded history has it that once Sheikh Farid accompanied the King’s treasure from Agra to Delhi. Agra was then the capital of the Mughal empire. Sheikh Farid rested for the night near the present Old Faridabad. The geographic and topographic features of the area so attracted him that he decided to raise a town here to protect the highway - (now called Delhi-Mathura Road, which then passed through this area, and which now forms the part of the main Bazaar of Old Faridabad ) - from robbers and highwaymen.

Sheikh Farid, a Moghal nobleman, manifested his secular credentials, by building Shahi Jama Masjid Jehangiri, in the main bazaar of Old Faridabad, a temple again in the main bazaar, close to the mosque, and the Brahi Talab. Pathwari Temple is a much visited, very famous temple. Jagdish Goel, a senior citizen and an original inhabitant of Old Faridabad, informed that he did not know as to how old the temple was. But it has been in existence in the main bazaar of Faridabad much before the days of his grandfather and great grandfather. From the days of yore, the residents have worshipped the Pathwari Mata. She is the goddess who is believed to show path and put on right course the voyager and wayfarers.

In order to substantiate his point, he said that during the marriage season, the bridegrooms, accompanied by Baratis, visited this temple before going to the bride’s house for the nuptial ceremony. And after wedding, the newly-weds, before going home, paid their obeisance to the goddess, and prayed for the conjugal bliss. As aforementioned, the residents of Faridabad sought the blessings of the Pathwari Mata before they proceed on any journey, and after they returned from the voyage. Kunji Lal, again an original inhabitant of Faridabad, who runs a sweet-meat shop at the gate of Pathwari Temple, said that anyone who scavenged, washed and cleaned away the Mandir precincts for 21 days, would get his wishes fulfilled. The kind-hearted goddess showered her devotees will all kinds of boons and benedictions, he confidently claimed. On Tuesdays the Mandir is crowded with devotees and worshippers who make offerings in cash and kind in plenty.

On the idol of the goddess in the sanctum sanctorum hangs the canopy of a Pankha made of silver. Interestingly, on the day of Raksha Bandhan, a three-day festival is held to propitiate the goddess. The silver-Pankha is taken out in a procession, followed by varied tableaus, in which participate thousands of denizens of Faridabad. On the second day is held sang (theatrical presentation of rural Haryana) in front of the Mandir, and on the day next are held wresting matches, where winners are adequately rewarded. The Pankha procession/ Mela has been symptomatic of communal harmony and inter-connected of society, as it is attended by people belonging to all castes, callings and religions-Hindus, Brahmins, Muslims, Khatris, traders, workers, etc.

In the west of Old Faridabad existed the famous Brahi Talab. It was at this place that Sheikh Farid had rested for the night. Brahi Talab derives its name from goddess Brahi. In the Indian mythology, Brahi Mata is one of the 64-yoginis. Every year the tank was filled with the overflowing rain waters of the Badkhal Lake. The waters of the Brahi Talab, till recently, were considered to possess the medicinal properties effective for the magical cure of the skin diseases. The elders of the town talk of a myth that when the Brahi tank was filled with rain waters, a hand came out of it and blessed the devotees on the full moon night of the Chaitra month

Faridabad decides on May 07 in fourth phase

Faridabad along with nine other constituencies in Haryana and Delhi will go to the polls in phaseIV on May 07. The Election Commission called the dates for the 15th Lok Sabha elections on March 02.

The other constituencies in Haryana are: Ambala (SC), Kurukshetra (GEN), Sirsa (SC), Hisar (GEN), Karnal (GEN), Sonipat (GEN), Rohtak (GEN), Bhiwani-Mahendragarh (GEN), Gurgaon (GEN)

• Important dates:
  Date of Issue of Notification: 11-Apr-09
  Last Date for making Nominations: 18-Apr-09
  Date of Scrutiny of Nominations: 20-Apr-09
  Last Date of Withdrawal of Nominations: 22-Apr-09
  Date of Poll: 07-May-09
  Date of Counting: 16-May-09
• 1.20 crore electors including 65.78 lakh men and 54.84 lakh women to cast votes in Haryana

Court refuses stay on auction for mining in Faridabad

Expressindia.com

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday refused to stay the proposed auction of mining sites in Sirohi and Khori Jamalpur in Faridabad district for extracting road metal and masonry stone. The auction is to take place on Tuesday.

The court also refused to grant any immediate relief to Faridabad Gurgaon Minerals Ltd, whose seven-year mining lease for Sirohi and Khori Jamalpur expired on February 5. The counsel for the two mines contended for a stay over the auction, saying a petition is already pending in the High Court and that the auction might adversely affect the company’s rights.

The main petition filed by the company seeking extension of lease has been adjourned. As per the petition, the company held two mining leases for extraction of stone and ordinary sand minor minerals in Khori Jamalpur and Sirohi villages for seven years.

The Haryana government has already rejected the August 28, 2008 representation of the company seeking renewal/extension of the mining leases. The company had subsequently challenged the omission of Rule 18 of Punjab Minor Minerals Concession Rules 1964 providing for renewal of mining leases. The petitioner had also prayed for direction to the Haryana government to decide their representations of December 14 and 26, 2008 for extension of leases in lieu of the reduced area for mining operations.

Foundation stone of the first medical college of ESIC laid at Faridabad

The Hindu

The foundation stone of the first medical college of Employees State Insurance Corporation was laid on Feb 27 at Faridabad by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Oscar Fernandes presided over the function. Haryana's Labour & Employment Minister, A C Chaudhry, MP Avtar Singh Bhadana, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Faridabad R K Khullar, officers of ESIC and other dignitaries were also present at the function.

Hooda said that Haryana government has provided 31 acres of land for the college and hospital.

The project will cost Rs. 750 crore. The admissions to the medical college will start from next academic year. Fernandes said that for increasing employment opportunities, UPA government at Centre has decided to open 1500 ITIs and 5,000 Technical schools in the country.

Fernandes also announced that a dental college will also be opened in Faridabad.

20% land in new sectors of Gurgaon, Faridabad for group housing

The Times of India

In a move that will help many middle-class families get affordable homes, Haryana Urban Development Authority announced that in each new sector at Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula, a mandatory 20% of land would be earmarked for group housing societies.

The authority also announced it had revised the charges that any builder has to pay HUDA as security deposit for generating construction waste. The fee band has been revised to Rs 5,000-Rs 1 lakh from the existing Rs 1,000-Rs2,000.

The revision in malba fee comes after nearly two decades and is expected to help keep roads and berms clear of construction waste. Justifying the huge increase, Gupta said this would keep the state clean. He added that from now, 90% of the fee would be refunded when the allottee collects his occupation certificate issued by estate officer