CBI conducts raids in Ktk, books cases against 2 mining firms

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore/Bellary, Oct 3 (PTI) CBI today registered cases against two mining firms including Associated Mining Company owned by arrested former minister G Janardhana Reddy's wife Aruna Lakshmi, and conducted searches in Bellary, Bangalore and Davanagere in connection with illegal mining.

Raids were also conducted on the premises of Kudligi MLA B Nagendra while a case was booked against Deccan Mining Company, which has business links with AMC, highly placed CBI sources told PTI in Bangalore.

The cases were filed consequent to orders of the Supreme Court, which directed CBI to investigate illegal mining in Karnataka on basis of a Central Empowered Committee report.

CBI is already investigating illegal mining in Andhra Pradesh. Janardhana and his brother-in-law, the Managing Director of Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC) were arrested on August 5 from Bellary and have been lodged in Chanchalaguda prison in Hyderbad since then.

CBI teams led by Superintendent Subramanay Rao conducted searches at offices of AMC and Jindal Steel Works in Bellary.

They also raided the premises of Kudligi MLA B Nagendra, a close associate of Janardhana Reddy, offices of Deccan Mining Syndicate Company in Bangalore and the residence of Davanagere Zilla Panchayat CEO Muthaiah, who was earlier Deputy Conservator of Forest in Bellary.

The authorities brought under the scanner bank accounts of Muthaiah, who has been facing allegations of aiding illegal mining by Reddy brothers.Muthaiah is one of key officials indicted by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.Sources said several documents were seized during the searches.


Links

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/cbi-conducts-raids-in-ktk-books-cases-against-2-mining-firms/844305.html

http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/India/Ilelgal_Iron_Mining_CBI_Raids-11152.html

http://www.samachar.com/CBI-conducts-raids-in-Ktk-books-cases-against-2-mining-firms-lkhxL7ccdig.html?utm_source=sify&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=publication_page

Vayalar Ravi inspects runway at Mangalore airport

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Mangalore, Oct 2: Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi today inspected the runway and safety area works at the Mangalore airport.

He was accompanied by AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes, former Union Minister B Janardhan Poojary and Airports Authority of India Regional Executive Director D
Devaraj, Mangalore Airport Director M R Vasudev said.

Ravi, who spent nearly an hour at the airport, expressed satisfaction at the work being carried out, the airport director said.

Bosch workers go on hunger strike

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 2: Workers of Bosch's plant commenced an indefinite relay hunger strike from today protesting against the company's decision to outsource manufacturing of certain products at its Adugodi facility here.

Employees association sources said five workers would observe fast on each day demanding to stop the outsourcing. If the management fail to solve the issue, the wokers would go for mass hunger strike, the sources said

The workers were on 'tool down' strike for the last four days. The decision to intensify the strike was taken after the management failed to attend a meeting convened on Friday between Karnataka Labour Commissioner, Bosch management and the employees association.

The meeting has been rescheduled for October 4, the sources said.

Links

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-10-02/news/30235224_1_hunger-strike-tool-down-strike-bosch

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/bosch-workers-go-on-hunger-strike/854630/

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/195269/bosch-workers-go-hunger-strike.html

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/article2506186.ece

Decision on new stadium on Oct 13: Ramdas

Mysore, Oct 2 (PTI) District Minister S A Ramdas today said the state government would finalise the selection of one of the three plots identified to build an international cricket stadium in the city on October 13. "The matter will be finalised in a meeting between officials and Karnataka State Cricket Association office-bearers on October 13 in Bangalore," he said. The meeting will be attended by KSCA Chairman Anil Kumble, he added. Earlier, KSCA had sought a 30-acre plot of land for the international stadium.

Links

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/decision-on-new-stadium-on-oct-13-ramdas/843527.html

http://www.mybangalore.com/news/decision-on-new-stadium-on-oct-13-ramdas.html

HCL inks partnership with CAST

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Sep 30: IT services firm HCL Technologies (HCL) today announced a partnership with CAST, a software analysis and measurement company, to further strengthen its Software Assessment Services ''ASSESS-SMART''.

"We are confident that CAST suite of tools will augment our capabilities to deliver quality and cost-effectiveness of application development and maintenance initiatives to our customers," HCL Senior Corporate Vice President Rajiv Sodhi said in a statement.

The CAST AIP along with HCL''s own proprietary IPs in this space will ensure a substantially reduced risk of high impact business disruptions, the company said.

"We have got orders from the Indian Army to supply our snowmobiles," Polaris Industries Managing Director Pankaj Dubey told reporters after unveiling a series of off-road vehicles here today.

He declined to reveal the value of the order and the quantity of vehicles they would supply and said, they would supply their "snowmobiles".
The company formally forayed in India in August, aiming to clock revenues of up to USD 400 million by 2016.

To a query, he said they may set up an assembling facility following product sales. Till then the company would bring the vehicles as completely built units (CBU) from USA.

On future plans, Dubey said they would appoint 25 dealers across India by 2012 end. "This year end we will have 10 dealers. By next year-end we plan to have 25 dealers."


Links

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5479092

http://m.mydigitalfc.com/news/hcl-inks-partnership-cast-029

Two buildings of shoe factory gutted, no casualties

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Sep 30 (PTI): Bangalore, Sep 30 (PTI): Two buildings of Paragon Polymer Shoe Factory at Peenya here were gutted in a fire but there were no casualties, police said.

They said crores of Rupees worth polymer material stored in the buildings was completely destroyed.

The blaze was reported around 3.30 PM after which more than 25 fire tenders rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control, fire brigade sources said.

The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained, they said.

Links

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/two-buildings-of-shoe-factory-gutted-no-casualties/842171.html

http://nimmabengaluru.nbtvlive.com/latest-news-fire%20in%20shoe%20factory;%20no%20casualties-accident-30-sep-2011-bangalore-press%20trust%20of%20india-56606.html

HMSI plans to reduce waiting period to less than a month

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Narsapura (Karnataka), Sep 29 (PTI) Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) today said it plans to cut down the waiting period for its bikes and scooters to less than one month from the present three months.

"We plan to bring down the waiting period for Honda bikes and scooters to less than a month. At present the waiting period for Activa, Shine and Unicorn is at least three months," HMSI Vice President (Sales and Marketing) N K Rattan told reporter.

He was here for the foundation laying ceremony of HMSI''s plant at Narsapura.
"The Manesar plant in Haryana is capable of producing 16 lakh units a year. It is obvious that when the production goes up from 16 lakh units to 22 lakh and then to 28 lakh by March 2012, there would be a drastic reduction in waiting period of all products," he said.

Replying to a question, HMSI President and CEO Keita Muramatsu said the company may have to review product prices to minimise the impact of escalating raw material costs.

"There has been a 15 per cent hike in prices of raw material over a year''s time," he said.

Muramatsu also said HMSI was planning to produce 500cc and 1000cc bikes for the Indian market.

"Since import duty is too high, we are planning 1000cc bikes for Indian two-wheeler market," he said.

The market for 1000cc bikes in India is pretty good and the company is confident of attracting customers, Rattan said.

HMSI, having 43 per cent market share in the domestic scooters segment, plans to enhance its capacity to 4 million in the next two years, Muramatsu said.
"We have 7.3 per cent share in Indian motorcycle segment and we are looking to increase sales in next two years."

Global meltdown has an impact on the sales of HMSI, but all the units are back to normal operations from September onwards, Honda Siel Cars India Private Limited President and CEO Takashi Nagai said.

All the units are back to normal operation either because of revival of problem plants or because of other measures taken by the company, he said.
"HMSI has not reduced production worldwide due to the slowdown," he added. .



Links

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5476209

http://automotivehorizon.sulekha.com/hmsi-to-reduce-waiting-period-of-two-wheelers_newsitem_3190