E Paper 09 Feb 2009

Times Chennai VOL: 2 ISSUE 35

Feb. 09, 2009

India's first dual voltage air conditioned drivers cab for EMU trains

The newly inaugurated, India's first dual voltage air conditioned drivers cab (AC/DC) for EMU trains at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai today

TN Budget to be presented in the Assembly on February 17 Chennai, Feb. 09 The Tamil Nadu Budget for the year 2009-10 will be presented in the State Assembly on February 17, at least a month ahead, in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections. State Finance Minister K Anbazhagan will present the budget at 0930 hrs in the House that day, when the session begins for the budget session, an official release said here today. Unlike last year, when the budget for the year 2008-09 was presented on March 20, this year the budget is being presented much earlier, in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

T h e D M K Government is presenting the budget, at least a month ahead as once the election s c h e d u l e w a s announced, the model code of conduct would come into force and the Government would not be in a position to announce welfare schemes. T h e Government, which recently announced a free medical health insurance scheme for one crore poor families in the Governor's address, is expected to come out with some more sops in the budget proposals, keeping an eye on the Lok Sabha poll.

The House, after discussing and passing the budget, would take up demands for grants for various departments and pass the same after debate. Unlike last year, when the budget session lasted for close to two months, the present budget session is expected to last for less than a month. The House had met on January 21, when Governor Surjit Singh Barnala delivered his customary address to the House in the new year and adjourned sine-die on January 30, after adopting a motion, thanking the Governor for his address.

Centre watching Sri Ram Sene with concern: Chidambaram Kollam (Ker), Feb. 09 Terming the Sri Ram Sene as a "threat" to the country, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the Centre was watching its activities and expected the Karnataka government to take firm action against the outfit, accused of being involved in the Mangalore pub attack. "Sri Ram Sene is a threat to the country. The Centre is watching its

activities with great concern", the minister told reporters here. Condemning the activities of the outfit, he said "no organisation can become a self-styled police force.That cannot be allowed. Sene had already crossed limits.They cannot say what one should wear, one should eat or to where one should go," he said. Asked if the

Centre could impose ban on the outfit, he said "let us see what Karnataka Government is doing. We expect Chief Minister Yeddiyurappa to take firm action against them as promised", he said. Members of the Sene were allegedly involved in the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore on January 24 which sparked a national outrage.

Abducted Indian worker Simon Paramanathan killed in Afghanistan: Report Kabul, Feb 09: Media reports claimed on Monday that Simon Paramanathan, an Indian worker kidnapped in Afghanistan, has been killed by his abductors, the Taliban. Paramanathan, who was working in the Herat province, was abducted in October last year. According to reports, Afghanistan’s investigating agencies who were pursuing the case, have informed the Indian Embassy in Kabul that the hostage was no more alive. It is not clear whether his body has been retrieved by the Afghan authorities. Reports did not say when Afghan officials informed the Indian authorities about Paramanathan’s death, but they claimed that Embassy officials passed on the news to the hostage’s family in Tamil Nadu today only. The abductors had demanded USD 50,000 for the Indian worker’s release. Pleading with the Indian government for help, Paramanathan’s wife, Vasanthi had said, "We cannot give the money. I beg the Indian government to protect my husband." Simon, who went to Afghanistan in 2007, was working for an Italian company. He worked in Muscat before joining the present company in Afghanistan. The deadline for his release had ended in December but there was no news about him since then.

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Power shutdown tomorrow

Murasoli Trust selects Veeramani for 'Kalaignar Award' Chennai, Feb. 09 The Murasoli Trust, which had been honouring eminent people from the fields of arts, literature and culture with awards, has selected Dravida Kazhagam (DK) President K Veeramani for the 'Kalaignar award'. A release from the Trust here said three people, including Mr Veeramani, writer Solai and photographer Yoga have been selected for 'Kalaignar Award' for the

year 2008. Actor Thiagu has been selected for 'Murasoli Maran Special Award', the release said. The awards, which carries a cash of Rs One lakh each, would be presented by DMK President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at a function presided over by DMK general Secretary K Anbazhagan here on February 25, the release added.

Old spice for young men Chennai, Feb. 09: Young men have more reasons to be stalked by women, for they will now be able to sport the new fragrances launched by Old Spice recently in Chennai. One of the world’s oldest brands in men’s toiletries and personal care products, Old Spice has now introduced a range of new, young and vibrant fragrances of body deodorant sprays and after shave lotions - Ice Rock, Lagoon and Sport. Speaking during the launch of the products, GK Bhat, Managing Diretcor of MPCL India that market Old Spice products in the country said, “Old Spice has loyal customers i n Ta m i l N a d u a n d particularly in Chennai.” Old Spice that marks its 40th year in the country has come up with t three products maintaining the usual Old Spice standards and each fragrance has its own individuality. Ice Rock unleashes the feel of a fresh mountain breeze; Lagoon gives a relaxing

feel of a crystal ocean pool and Sport- a refreshing crash of an ocean wave. “The present generation doesn’t want to use those fragrances that their fathers have been using. They all want something new young and energetic. Old Spice’s new range will fulfill that,” said Ronnie Netto, one of the board members of MCPL adding that Old Spice’s products are significantly male in a market that is overloaded with many deodorants and after shave lotions. With the launch of Ice Rock, Lagoon and Sport, the Old Spice range of after shave lotions now expands to six fragrances and deodorants to seven fragrances. The campaign for the launched products will kick-start in 10 days time. The after shave lotion that come with atomiser (spray) is available in a 100ml pack for Rs 195 and the body deodorant spray is available in a 150 ml pack for Rs 175. - Agencies

Chennai, Feb. 09 : Power supply will be suspended from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 in the following areas for maintenance work. The supply will be resumed before 5.00 pm if the works are completed earlier says a TNEB release. Cooks Road: TNHB Mangalapuram, C.Y.S. Road and Link Street, Shastri Nagar, Adisesha Nagar 4th, 5th and 6th Streets, Semathamman Colony 3rd Street, Krishna Doss Road 2nd and 3rd Streets and Jamalia Nagar. Flower Bazaar: Nainiyappa Naicken Street, V.M. Street,

Hinduism as they were all composed for the benefit of the human being. It will bring positive energy in your body.’ He further said Sulamangalam Sisters were great vocalists who popularised the divine c h a n t K a n d h a Shastikavasam which praises Lord Muruga. They used to chant them in a simple tune that reached every Hindu temple and houses all over the world.’

Raghunayakulu Street, Devaraj Mudali Street, N.S.C. Bose Road, Rattan Bazaar, Theradi Lane and Subraya Naicken Lane. Sowcarpet: Thulasinga Street and Lane, Mint Street, Periya Naicken Street and Perumal Mudali Street. Kellys: 230 KV Kilpauk Water Works SS, New Avadi Road and Mandapam Road 1st to 6th Streets. Mandaveli: R.K. Mutt Road, Vaithiyar Annamalai Street and Pillaiyar Koil Street. Neelankarai: Canalpuram, Pandian Salai, Saraswathi Nagar, Kabaleeswarar Nagar, Chinna Neelankarai Kuppam, Renga Reddy

Garden and parts of East Coast Road and Perungudi industrial estate. Injambakkam: A k k a r a i , P a n a i y u r, Uthandi, Nynar Kuppam and parts of East Coast Road. Ashok Nagar East: Indra Colony 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th Av e n u e a n d A s h o k Nagar 48th Street. J.J. Nagar: J.J. Nagar Industrial Estate, Mogappair Village, BSNL, 10th Block, Vishwakarma Quarters, DABC, Green Field and Everest Colony. Nolambur: V. G . N . N a g a r, Adayalampet, Periyar and Chinna Nolambur, Sakthi Nagar, S and P

Garden and N.N.S. Area. Thiruvanmiyur: Periyar Nagar, East and West Kamaraj Nagar, Thiruvalluvar Salai, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Avvai Nagar, Rajaji Nagar, Kannappa Nagar, A.G.S. Colony, Natco Colony, VSI Estate, MGR Nagar, and parts of Indra Nagar, Kottivakkam and L.B. Road. SAF Games Village Area: Games Village C Block. Royapettah: Balaji Nagar: V.M. Street and Balaji Nagar 1st and 4th Streets. Shanthi Colony: R.K. Nagar, Poonamallee High Road Door No. 619 to 630. - Staff Reporter

BSA Motors launches its two wheeler showroom in Ambattur Chennai, Feb. 09 : BSA Motors, a Strategic Business Unit of Tube Investments of India (TII), part of the Rs.9582 crore (USD 2.4billion) Murugappa Group, launched their

dealers ‘Sastha Motors’ is a one stop shop for sales, service and spare parts. said a press release. Commenting on the inauguration, Mr. K B Srinivasan, Vice

authorized 3’s facility (Sales, service & spare parts) showroom in Ambattur today. Located on Red Hills Road, the 1000sq.ft, ‘BSA Motors’ showroom is the first of its kind in the Ambattur. BSA Motors’ authorized

President, BSA Motors, said, “The launch of BSA eScooters received an overwhelming response throughout South India. Backed by this success, today we launch our

Sulamangalam Jayalakshmi honoured Chennai: Feb. 09 : Tamil and Sanskrit should be considered on equal terms in Hindu temples,’ orator Suki Sivam has said. He was speaking at a function organised at Mylapore in Chennai yesterday by Sri Krishna Sweets to felicitate veteran vocalist Sula-mangalam Jayalakshmi. . Suki Sivam said, ‘Chants like Kandha Shastikavasam make your m i n d h e a l t h y. T h e s e chants mean a lot in

Feb. 09, 2009

After accepting the f e l i c i t a t i o n s , S u l a m a n g a l a m Jayalakshmi said, ‘It’s an great honour for me to be recognised.There should not be any war around the world and I pray to Kadhirgama Kandhar in Sri Lanka to save Tamil civilians who were affected by the ethnic conflict in the island nation.’

dealership showroom in Ambattur with an indepth understanding of the buying behavior of our potential customers”. He also added, “To eliminate the concern of after sales service for the eScooters, our showrooms are equipped with best in class equipments to p r o v i d e c o m p l e t e service and satisfaction to t h e B S A customers.” The showroom was inaugurated by M r . M A Alagappan, Executive Chairman, Murugappa Group, in the presence of Mr. A Vellayan, Vice Chairman, Murugappa Group and Mr. Arun Alagappan, Senior Vice President, BSA Motors.

All the five models of BSA eScooters would be sold in the showroom.. Each eScooter will have four colour options with the exception of Diva which will have five colour options. The unique features of these eScooter models are its protective safety switch, twin passenger foot rest, ergonomically designed seats, great storage space, side reflectors and many more innovative features that are not currently available in the market. The forte of BSA Motors lies in product design and top notch quality. Out of the five models, three models are in 250 watts, one in 500 watts and one in 800 watts. BSA Motors initially plans to set up 45 exclusive dealerships by March 2009 in states of Ta m i l N a d u , A n d h r a Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Goa. - Bureau Report

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Major tragedy averted at Mumbai airport National

'No authority named to prosecute State Emblem Act violators' New Delhi: Feb. 09 : In what may be described as an omission in law enforcement, the Centre has admitted that it has not formed any authority to sanction prosecution for violation under the State Emblem of India (SEI) Act, 2005 as prescribed by the law itself. The Ministry of Home Affairs which deliberated with the Law Ministry to respond to an RTI query for details regarding prosecution authority for SEI Act, has said no such authorised body has been formed in the Ministry. According to Section 8 of the SEI Act, "no prosecution for any offence punishable under this (SEI) Act shall be instituted except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or of any officer authorised in this behalf by general or

special order of the Central Government." The ministry, in its reply to the applicant who also wanted to know the number of cases of prosecution instituted under the Act throughout the country along with details of convictions that may have taken place, said, "No such authorisation has been made in MHA so far for giving sanction for prosecution under Section 8." "It is quite sad to k n o w t h a t t h e government has not formed any authority to sanction prosecution for the violation of State Emblem of India Act without which the Act does not have any teeth. It is an Act just for namesake," RTI applicant Rakesh Agarwal said.

Centre to set up coastal command: PC Kollam (Kerala), Feb 09: The Centre has decided to set up a Coastal Command by integrating the functions of the Navy and Coast Guard, to combat possible terrorist attacks from the sea, in light of the recent Mumbai terror attacks, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said here Monday. The Navy would look after the security of blue waters, the Coast Guard would take the territorial waters and the coastal police would keep vigil at the grassroot level, he said, while inaugurating Kerala's first Coastal Police Station at Neendakara near here. The decision on setting up the Coastal Command would be taken

in a few days, he said. The Mumbai terrorist attack had brought to light the fact that India was vulnerable to dangers from the sea. For long, the security agencies had been concentrating on land borders against enemy attack. To counter the sea threat and ensure integrated security, the Centre had ambitious plans and the Coastal Command was part of it, he said. The places identified to set up Coastal police stations are Vizhinjam, Fort Kochi, Thottapally, Azheekkal, Beypore, Kodungallur and Bakel, covering the long stretch of the state's coastline.

Mumbai, Feb 09: A major tragedy was averted on Monday when the pilot of an Indian Airlines plane applied emergency brakes after spotting an Army helicopter suddenly land on the Mumbai airport runway just when the aircraft was about to take off. The pilot of the Air India flight to Delhi-IC 866-- aborted take off when he saw the helicopter landing on the runway he was about to use, official sources said. It was not immediately clear whether Patil was on board the helicopter. A probe into the incident has been ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the sources said. A senior

false allegations against my government," he told reporters here. Condemning the kidnap case of Shruthi, daughter of Kerala MLA CH K u n h a m b u , Yeddyurappa poured out his anger at Renuka who last week hit out at the Karnataka government charging that there was no law and order in the BJP ruled state. Ye d d y u r a p p a

A fleet of three helicopters including the one carrying Patil, along with Maharashtra Governor SC Jamir and some other dignitaries, h a d t a k e n o ff f r o m Mumbai's Naval base 'INS Kunjali' and were on their way to the airport since the President was to fly to Gondia by her special IAF plane to attend a function. "At around 09.00 hrs today, an Air Force chopper landed on the same runway from which Air India flight IC 866 (with 150 passengers on board) was taking off for Delhi, forcing the pilot of the plane to abort take off at the last minute," a Mumbai Airport official said. The Air India aircraft, he said, was

IAF Chief F H Major pushes for regulation of aerospace industries Bangalore, Feb 09: In order to cut "wasteful expenditure" and duplication of efforts, Chief of Air Staff F H Major Monday sought creation of an apex body to coordinate and regulate aerospace industries. I n d i a ' s economic upswing in the last two decades has resulted in substantial surge in aerospace industries in the country, the Air Chief Marshal said, adding "this is an encouraging sign".

However, as the aerospace industry is unregulated, "we run the risk of wasteful expenditure and duplication of efforts", the Air Chief Marshal said addressing a seminar conducted biennially along with Asia's biggest air show, Aero India 2009, which gets underway here on Wednesday. "Therefore, there is a definite need for an effective apex agency to coordinate and regulate the activities of

many organs that constitute our aerospace industry and to provide focus so that (there is) development of a coherent national aerospace capability", he said. The Chief of Air Staff said India must i d e n t i f y c o r e technologies to be developed, and aggressively design and manufacture them. Attempting to design and develop "every thing" is not cost-effective, he said.

Slowdown won’t hit defence modernisation: Antony Bangalore, Feb 09: The current economic slowdown would not hurt the modernisation programme of India's armed forces in any way, Defence Minister AK Antony said on Monday and also announced the g o v e r n m e n t ' s willingness to spend more on Defence

PM should rein in Renuka: K’taka CM G u l b a r g a (Karnataka), Feb 09: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Ye d d y u r a p p a o n Monday said he would request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to rein in Union Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury, who has been unleashing "baseless charges" against the state government. "Without verifying the facts, the Union Minister has been making

DGCA official is coming from New Delhi to Mumbai to join the investigation, they said. Pilot of IC 866 Captain S S Kohli wondered how the chopper landed when he had been given a clearance by the ATC to take off. “The chopper just landed without taking a landing clearance. I cannot say much more,” he said. A n I A F spokesman said, “the pilots of the chopper had followed the instructions from Bombay approach m e t i c u l o u s l y. T h e Presidential entourage was cleared to take off from INS Kunjali and land at Santa Cruz between two taxiways”. An inquiry has been ordered by the IAF into the incident, he said.

said, "I will request the Prime Minister to advise her". Of the five arrested in connection with the Shruti abduction case, investigations had revealed that two of them belonged to CPM and the others were Congress activists. “The state is seriously thinking to book them under the Goonda Act", he said.

R e s e a r c h a n d Development. A n t o n y , responding to Air Chief Marshal FH Major who spoke earlier stressing o n d e f e n c e modernisation at an international seminar here, said, "We will provide you what ever you want to safeguard India's national interests." The minister categorically said that the economic slowdown would not affect modernisation of the armed forces. But he said the country is "far far away" from Jawaharlal Nehru's dream of India becoming

self-reliant in the defence sector. He also pointed out that only 30 percent of India's defence needs a r e m e t w i th i n th e country, while 70 percent are imported. He said that a country like India, which boasts of the "fourth largest scientific group" and is "growing like anything", depending on foreign sources for most defence items is "not suitable for us". Antony said he feels "guilty" that growth - as far as indigenous development and production of defence items are concerned -- is "very, very slow".

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taxiing to reach the main runway for the take off when the Air Traffic Control talked to the pilot regarding the helicopter. The pilot applied the brake to bring the aircraft to a halt, he said. Official sources later said that the President was not on board the helicopter and she later took off by her special aircraft for the schduled function. M u m b a i International Airport authorities did not comment on the incident, saying that, "this is purely an issue concerning the Mumbai Air Traffic Control, which had allowed the both the landing and the take off."

Prominent women likely to fight for Bhopal LS seat Bhopal , Feb. 09 Will the election for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat this year in Madhya Pradesh witness a fight between three prominent women including two actresses? This question has assumed significance following reports that film star Jaya Bachchan may contest from Bhopal on the Samajwadi Party ticket and the Congress may field film actress Naghma, while the BJP is planning to give the ticket to its senior leader Sushma Swaraj. S u s h m a ' s candidature from Bhopal is considered almost certain f o l l o w i n g t h e announcement on Sunday at Nagpur by the BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani that she would contest the parliamentary polls from Madhya Pradesh. Advani had also announced that Sushma would be the party incharge during the Lok Sabha elections for both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Of the three women, Jaya and Nagma have got strong links with Bhopal while Sushma is a rank outsider who hails from Haryana. BJP sources pointed out that the exercise to give Sushma the party ticket from Bhopal is gaining momentum, although former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and current Lok Sabha member from the city, Kailash Joshi, is not ready to give up his claim for the seat.

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BAFTA best music award for AR Rahman London, Feb. 09 : S l u m d o g Millionaire” swept Britain's BAFTA film awards on Sunday winning best film,

director and five other categories, giving it anotherboost ahead of the Oscars later this month. “Slumdog Millionaire”, a British picture about a young man from the slums of Mumbai who seeks to rise from rags to riches by winning a TV game show, triumphed at the Golden Globes last month with four honours including best drama A. R Rahman won the best music score award for Slumdog. Simon Beaufoy won the best adapted screenplay award for “Slumdog Millionaire” and Anthony Dod Mantle w o n t h e b e s t cinematography award for the same movie.. “ S l u m d o g Millionaire” director Danny Boyle gave a restrained acceptance speech, but earlier defended his film on the red carpet against criticism in India to the movie's name, which some slum dwellers find offensive and the treatment of the cast. He said the children in the film had been paid well and that the makers of the movie went to great lengths to make sure they would be well

cared for after the film was forgotten. “We also put in place an educational plan for the children which we are sticking to and we will be there for them long after the fuss has died down,” Boyle said ahead of the awards. Kate Winslet, a d o u b l e G o l d e n Globe winner, won the l e a d i n g a c t r e s s award for her role as a f o r m e r concentration camp guard in “The Reader”. “I want to thank my mum and dad, who I won't look at otherwise I will burst into tears,” she said at London's Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Mickey Rourke gave an expletive-filled acceptance speech while picking up his award for leading actor for his portrayal of a lonely, washed-up professional athlete in “The Wrestler” trying to make his sporting comeback in a role that parallels the actor's own troubled life. The red carpet was teeming with stars on a rainy London evening. Delighted fans bayed for autographs while the paparrazi jostled for snaps of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Winslet, Rourke, Robert D o w n e y J r, S h a r o n Stone, Goldie Hawn and a host of other Hollywood and British film stars. The awards ceremony was hosted by controversial presenter Jonathan Ross, who was

without pay from the BBC for his participation in obscene prank calls made to actor Andrew Sachs. Ross did not disappoint fans of his offthe-cuff humour, making fun of his own speech impediment and regaling the audience with a raft of jokes pegged to the films up for awards. “I loved The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, vividly depicting every woman's worst nightmare: as you age, your boyfriend, Brad Pitt, gets better looking,” Ross said. Pitt lost two nominations leading actor for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and supporting actor for his role in the Coen brothers' comedy “Burn After Reading”. The film had tied with S l u m d o g f o r 11 nominations, but won only three BAFTAs, for production design, makeup and hair as well as special visual effects. Supporting actress went to Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, while the supporting actor award went to the late Heath Ledger for “The Dark Knight”, in which he played Batman's nemesis Joker. The Australian actor, who died last year aged 28 of an accidental prescription drugs overdose, won the same category at the Golden Globes and is tipped to win an Academy Award. In a good night for British film, the movie “In Bruges” , directed by Martin Mcdonagh won the BAFTA for original screenplay and “The Duchess”, starring Keira Knightley won for costume design Agencies.

Feb. 09, 2009

Rahman responsible for Tamil films going global If not for music composer A R Rehman,

talent from Tamil filmdom would not have got their due recognition, noted Tamil comedian Vivek has said. "I do think that

regional talent is not getting its due credit in t h e c o u n t r y. Our industry (Tamil films) has gone g l o b a l , especially after A R Rahman entered the scene," Vivek, w h o w a s conferred Padma Shri recently, told over phone from Chennai. "If our music is getting acknowledged globally today, it is because of Rahman. But Rahman is not the only one who is responsible for this, media is also one of the reasons," he said. Chennai - born

New bride Sangeetha to continue acting Sangeetha, who last week got married to singer Krish has said she would continue to act without taking any break. 'It may be true that actresses are known to halt their acting career after marriage. I purely see acting as a job and why should I quit my profession just because I have entered wedlock. It's like going to office,' she has said. The duo was seen enjoying Bala's Nan Kadavul on Saturday night at Satyam Cinemas where a premier show was screened.

Zakir Hussain wins Grammy award Los Angeles: Feb. 09 While Slumdog Millionaire picked up seven BAFTA awards in a ceremony in London,

worked with Mickey Hart of the rock band 'Grateful Dead', Nigerian percussionist Sikiru Adepoju and Puerto

the Indian presence was also felt at the Grammys with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain winning in the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album Global Drum Project. Hussain

Rican jazz percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo for the album. Global Drum Project is the second collaboration between Hart and Hussain after their compilation Planet Drum which was released in 1991 and

Ganja Karuppu to tie the knot Ganja Karuppu is planning to marry soon. His relatives have chosen a girl from Theni to be his bride and it is said that the girl is a relative of the comedian. Karuppu has recently purchased a four-storey bungalow in Adambakkam to move in after marriage. Interestingly, the palatial house has been christened 'Bala Ameer Illam' in an apparent bid to express gratitude to the directors who made him hog limelight. Bala introduced Karuppu to filmdom with Pithamagan as a ganja seller (hence the prefix to his name). Later it was Ameer to groom him with films like Ram and Paruthiveeran.

Rahman who made his for Oscars, for his hit scores in "Slumdog Millionaire". entry through Roja in Tamil and Hindi simultaneously went on to attain stardom in both Tamil and Hindi films within years. He is also in the queue for Oscars, for his hit scores in "Slumdog Millionaire". Vivek, who was the first Tamil comedian to be bestowed with the Padma Shri award, refused to comment on veteran comedian Nagesh, who died just a week ago, not getting such an honour. Vivek said he was a great fan of Nagesh and he enjoyed his wellacclaimed movies - Server Sundaram, Kaadalikka Neramillai and Neer Kumizhi.

went on to win the firstever Grammy Award in the World Music category. But the other Indian Grammy hopes, slide guitarist D e b a s h i s h Bhattacharya and classical vocalist Lakshmi Shankar w h o w e r e nominated in the Best Traditional World Music category were disappointed as they lost out to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African acappella singing group. The ceremony this year was high on drama as a tearful Jennifer Hudson remembered her slain family while accepting her first Grammy. It has been a major personal comeback for the singer whose m o t h e r, b r o t h e r a n d nephew were murdered last October.

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Feb. 09, 2009

Tehran ready to talk with Washington Tehran: Iranian parliament speaker Ari Larijani, in an interview released on Sunday, said Tehran is ready to talk with

Washington "without preconditions" but is waiting for a "concrete" offer from the new US administration. "The dispute over the nuclear issue is not an unsolvable problem if we stop being entrenched in our positions," Larijani told the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung. "We are ready to talk without pre-conditions. But for that, we need a real starting point," the former

nuclear negotiator said in the interview to be published on Monday. " I t t h e Americans are really willing to resolve the problems, then they must present t h e i r concept," he said. T h e interview came one day after US vicepresident Joe B i d e n cautiously reached out to Iran at an international security conference in Munich. " W e will be willing to talk to Iran, and to offer a very clear choice: continue down the current course and there will be continued pressure and isolation; abandon the illicit nuclear program and your support for terrorism and there will be meaningful incentives," Biden said. Larijani said Iran and its controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, so far has

not received "any concrete offer" from President Barack Obama's administration and "declarations in interviews or in speeches" were not enough. "We have heard in media that the Americans would also be ready to talk with us without pre-conditions. But the old cliches about carrots and sticks continue nevertheless," he said. The United States and its Western allies believe Teheran is aiming to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program. Iran denies its nuclear program is military in nature and has pressed on with uranium enrichment, insisting it will be used solely for peaceful purposes geared toward electricity generation. To convince Iran to suspend enrichment, which at highly refined levels can be used to make an atomic bomb, major powers have offered it a package of political and economic incentives. B i d e n ' s comments marked a break between Obama and his predecessor, George W Bush, who once labelled Iran a member of an "Axis of Evil". US-Iran relations have been frozen for three decades. - Agenices

Campaign to name babies after Mussolini Milan ( Italy) A tiny Italian far-right party has claimed success in raising funds for a money prize it is offering to parents who name their babies after wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, or his wife Rachele. "We've got 516,000 euro ($1.01 million), with donations coming in from all over the world," MSI-Fiamma Tricolore official Vincenzo Mancusi told Milan-daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Sunday. Substantial donations from Carinthia the state in Austria which was until recently governed by the late far-right leader Joerg Haider - France and Spain have been registered, Mancusi said. "One woman from

Madrid donated 16,000 euro and told us she is prepared to sell some of her assets to continue supporting our initiative," he added. The party appears to have been less successful in attracting parents who stand to receive 1500 euro for registering their child with the required names. According to Mancusi, since the November 2008, six couples have contacted the MSI-Fiamma Tricolore, with two saying they would adhere provided their prize money was devolved to charity, Eligible for the prize are couples who live in five municipalities in the southern Basilicata

region where birthrates are exceptionally low. The party says it is highlighting its fear that Italy's population is threatened with extinction, while also paying homage to Mussolini whose ideas continue to influence the MSI-Fiamma Tricolore's outlook. Mussolini, who ruled Italy for two decades, was ousted in 1943 after leading the country to ruin by entering World War II as an ally of Nazi Germany. He was executed along with his mistress Claretta Petacci in 1945. His widow Rachele died in 1979. - Agencies

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Somali pirates release Chinese fishing boat, crew Tokyo, Feb. 09 Somali pirates released a Chinese fishing vessel and its multinational crew on Sunday from nearly three months of captivity, as Japan announced plans to dispatch two destroyers to the African coast to protect its commercial vessels from piracy, reports said. Chinese naval ships were escorting the fishing boat, the Tianyu No. 8, to safe waters after its release, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. Its 24member crew - 15 mainland Chinese, one Ta i w a n e s e , o n e

Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese were safe but would receive medical examinations, it said. C h i n a ' s government expressed appreciation for the crew's release, it said, without giving further details. The boat was hijacked November 13 while fishing off the coast of Kenya and ordered by pirates to sail north to the Somali port of Kismanyu, Xinhua reported earlier. Japanese Defense Minister Ya s u k a z u H a m a d a , attending a security

conference in Germany on Saturday, told reporters of the planned deployment of destroyers near Somalia next month, Japan's Kyodo News agency said. A government fact-finding team departed for the region today ahead of the dispatch of the 4,650-ton Sazanami and the 4,550-ton Samidare, it said. A bill for the deployment is before Japan's parliament and is expected to pass. Defense Ministry officials were not available for comment. - Agencies

Two charged with arson for Australia wildfire Sydney: Feb. 09 Two people have been charged with arson after wildfires raged through southeastern Australia at the weekend, killing at least 108 and destroying more than

700 homes, police said on Monday. A 31-year-old man accused of lighting a major blaze that burnt through about 200 hectares (495 acres) of bushland in Peats Ridge on the New South Wales central coast was due in court on Monday after spending the night in a jail cell. A 15-year-old boy who allegedly set off an explosive that started a small scrub fire in the Blue Mountains near

Sydney on on Sunday was released on bail after being charged and will appear in court next month. Neither of those fires killed anybody, but police suspect that arsonists were also behind some of the major f i r e s i n neighbouring Victoria state, where all of the f a t a l i t i e s occurred. Victoria state p o l i c e commissioner Christine Nixon said all bushfire areas will be treated as crime scenes to determine if arson was involved. "At this stage we have a team at the fire at Churchill, in the Gippsland Valley, which is certainly one that we believe was deliberately lit," Nixon said. "Our fire experts and our own investigators have suggested that the way that it happened, how fast that it happened, that

there is good evidence to believe that it was lit." F o r e n s i c investigators have also begun work in the Kinglake area where hundreds of homes were destroyed. "Wherever a death has occurred, we investigate that as a crime," Nixon told ABC radio. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Monday arsonists were guilty of mass murder. "What do you say about anyone like that -there are no words to describe it other than mass murder," Rudd said. Arsonists, who are believed to have taken advantage of tinder-box conditions after a heatwave and high winds, could face life in jail if they are convicted on murder charges, police say. The government's Australian Institute of Criminology released a report last week which said half of the nation's 20,000 to 30,000 bushfires each year are deliberate. - Agencies

Lashkar Commander Yahya arrested in Bangladesh New Delhi, Feb 09: In a major breakthrough in the Mumbai attacks case, Bangladesh on Sunday arrested Lashkar-eTo i b a ' s C o m m a n d e r Yahya who is believed to be involved in Mumbai terror strike last year. Media reports stated that Yahya was trained in Pakistan and was sent to India to survey Mumbai in order to provide information to the LeT top brass which later passed it on to Mumbai attackers. Also, it is said that the details provided by Yahya were used by

Kasab and his fellow terrorists who, after a thorough preparation of about two years, launched one of the deadliest attacks on the financial capital of India that left over 200 dead and about 300 injured. Sent on the command of Lashkar-eToiba to India, Yahya went to West Bengal and purchased SIM cards that were used by the terrorists to communicate with their operative heads in Pakistan. It has been alleged that from West Bengal Yahya reached Pakistan through

Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the Indian investigative agencies have reached Bangladesh to interrogate Yahya. It should be noted that media reports from Pakistan have earlier suggested that Mumbai terror strikes were the handiwork of Harkat-ulJehad-al-Islami (HuJI), a Bangladesh-based militant outfit. But the said reports were refuted both by Indian government as well as by Dhaka as a ploy by Pakistan to divert the attention from militant organisations operating from its country. - Agencies

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India's winning streak ends; contented with series win Colombo: India's record-breaking sequence of nine consecutive ODI triumphs was brought to an end today by Sri Lanka who salvaged some pride with a consolation 68-run win in the fifth and final one-day cricket match of the series which has already been clinched by the visitors. The defeat means that India could not make a clean sweep of the series and had to be

struggled again after some time as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals on a day when nothing went right for them. A cautious Dhoni and Jadeja only tried to delay the inevitable by putting on 55 runs off 66 balls for the seventh wicket. Dhoni's e ff o r t i n c l u d e d t w o massive sixes and a hit to the fence. He reached his 50 with a towering six.

caught by wicketkeeper Sangakkara in the ninth over. Rohit Sharma (15) then returned to pavilion in the 15th over. India's hopes suffered a further jolt when Muralitharan removed an in-form Yuvraj Singh. The offie caught the Punjab batsman, who adorned his 73-run knock with 11 boundaries and a six, off his own delivery. Dhoni took

Feb. 09, 2009

Depleted bowling did us in: Dhoni Colombo: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Sunday blamed lack of bowling resources for their defeat to Sri Lanka in the fifth and final cricket onedayer, which halted their stupendous nine-match winning run here on Sunday “Our bowling was not strong. But it was good to have a go at the guys who had not played. (Ravinder) Jadeja got a chance see what international cricket is all about and how tough it can be sometimes,” Dhoni said after 68-run loss which prevented them from making a clean-sweep of the series. “Overall it was good, though we lost (today), we won the series,” he added. The Indian captain dedicated the series win to his teammates, who, he says back each other and enjoy each others success. “The overall

team morale is good. It's important to have good dressing room atmosphere and guys back each other and enjoy each other's success. Whenever I needed them they were there, whether I needed a batsman or a bowler (to perform). So I dedicate this win to my teammates. Hopefully, we will continue to win more tournaments,” Dhoni said. The Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene praised his top-order bastmen for laying the platform for consolation win. “We had spoken to the guys. We were disappointed after four defeats. I think the wicket played a big role... Jayasuriya and Dilshan gave us a good platform to push for 300 and once we reached there we had advantage. “ T h o u g h Indians have a very good batting line up we managed to pick wickets. They are one of the best

sides and were deserved (series) winners.” The Sri Lankan skipper said his teammates were determined to win today in the view of their upcoming Pakistan Test tour. “Everyone realised and put heart and soul into it. We had not come here to lose but we were up against a very good side. We came back and won that showed the character and that is what is required of the guys. “Now we are looking forward to the Pakistan tour, hopefully we will do well there,” he said. Yu v r a j S i n g h , adjudged man-of-theseries for scoring 284 run in the five-match series, credited his good show to the tips he got from Tendulkar. “This (award) is second in a row. But I had a bad series last time here. There was little doubt about playing the spinners. A big thanks to Sachin and the coaching staff, who helped me out I played to my strength,” he said. - Agencies

Czechs stun Spain to reach Fed Cup semi-finals

content with a 4-1 victory margin. Sri Lankan o p e n e r Ti l l a k a r a t n e Dilshan missed a ton by just three runs and Kumar Sangakkara hit 84 while spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan regained form just in time to avoid the series whitewash. Half centuries by Yu v r a j S i n g h ( 7 3 ) , debutant Ravindra Jadeja (60 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (53) could not be enough as Indian top order failed to click and the visitors were rolled over with seven balls to spare in chase of Sri Lanka's challenging 320 for eight on a batting track. The Indians went into the final match without key players like Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and spinner Pragyan Ojha with the team management deciding to try out bench strength. Yuvraj gave some stability to the run chase after his side was reduced to 85 for four inside the 15th over. India, however,

Jadeja's 77-ball knock was aided by four fours. India round off the tour with a one-off Twenty20 international on February 10 before returning home next day. The visitors got off to a shaky start with opener Virender Sehwag dismissed cheaply for six by Thilan Thushara on a poor shot after hitting the bowler for a four on the previous ball in the second over. H e w a s immediately followed by Suresh Raina, who was done in by an impeccable field placing by Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the third over and at that stage India were tottering at nine for two wickets in chase of a mammoth target. The other opener Gautam Gambhir, who made 150 in the previous day-night affair, also buckled under pressure and was out for 1 3 o f f N u w a n Kulasekara, who got him

c h a r g e o f t h e proceedings for almost next 10 overs before he was sent packing by Sanath Jayasuriya. For Sri Lanka, Dilshan (97) missed his century as Indian bowlers charged up only in the 42nd over to struck gold in the form of three crucial wickets. A blazing Sangakkara's stint was also cut short on 84. Scoreboard :Sri Lanka: Dilshan run out 97 Jayasuriya c Raina b I Pathan 37 Sangakkara c Rohit b Yuvraj 84 Kandamby b Ishant 26 Jayawardene c Raina b Yuvraj 1 Kapugedera c Dhoni b Ishant 0 Maharoof run out 32 Thushara c and b Ishant 11 Kulasekara not out 10 Muralitharan not out 3 Extras (b3, lb8, nb1, w7) 19 Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 320 Fall of wickets: 1-66, 2209, 3-255, 4-255, 5-256,

Brno, Feb 09: The Czech Republic booked a place in the Fed Cup semi-finals for the first time in over a decade after securing a 4-1 win over favourites Spain. Lucie Safarova, a late replacement for compatriot Iveta Benesova, battled back in the second set to defeat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 6-3 before Petra Kvitova secured the winning point with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nuria Llagostera Vives. Benesova and Kveta Peschke completed the scoreline by brushing aside Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-4, 6-2 in the doubles. World number 30 Suarez Navarro was unable to reproduce the form that carried her to

the quarter-finals of last month's Australian Open and lost both of her matches in Brno. "The city is different, the play is different, so it is not the same here as in Australia," the Spaniard told reporters. "It is a d i ff e r e n t w e e k a n d different match." Five-times champions and 2008 finalists Spain were expected to roll over the Czechs since they held a 2-0 record over the hosts. But supported by a vocal home crowd, the Czech team attacked more often to gain the upper hand on the indoor carpet court. "The Czech players did very well. This surface is very fast for us... the Czech players were more aggressive," Spanish captain Miguel

Margets Lobato said. The Czechs reached the Fed Cup semifinals for the first time since 1997 and will face either the United States at home or Argentina away in April. The teams were level at 1-1 after the opening two singles matches but the Spaniards were left frustrated on Sunday. "The Fed Cup is entirely something else than when one plays on their own," said 22-yearold Brno native Safarova. "Nobody wants to disappoint the team." The Czechs have also won the Fed Cup five times but won the last of their titles in 1988 when the country was still part of Czechoslovakia. “We are here like a team... and we're very happy to be going to the semi-finals," said Kvitova.

6-256, 7-277, 8-315. Bowling: I Pathan 9-055-1, Ishant 10-0-60-3, Balaji 5-0-32-0, Sehwag 3-0-26-0, Jadeja 6-0-400, Y Pathan 3-0-20-0, Raina 6-0-24-0, Yuvraj 60-39-2, Rohit 2-0-13-0. India: Gambhir c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 13 Sehwag c Jayasuriya b Thushara 6 Raina c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0

Yuvraj c and b Muralitharan 73 Rohit c Kulasekara b Maharoof 15 Dhoni c Kulasekara b Jayasuriya 53 Y Pathan lbw b Muralitharan 3 R Jadeja not out 60 I Pathan c Kapugedera b Mendis 8 Balaji c Kulasekara b Mendis 7 Ishant b Maharoof 4 Extras (lb2, w8) 10

Total (all out, 48.5 overs) 252 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-9, 3-52, 4-85, 5-121, 6-138, 7-193, 8-217, 9-243. Bowling: Kulasekara 9-042-2, Thushara 6-0-34-1, Maharoof 5.5-0-46-2, Muralitharan 10-0-41-2, Mendis 10-0-44-2, Jayasuriya 6-0-28-1, Dilshan 2-0-15-0. - Agencies

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Feb. 09, 2009

Business

Satyam's restated accounts to take at least six months Mumbai, Feb 09: The "cleaning up" or restating of scam-tainted Satyam's accounts is expected to take at least six months as the newlyappointed auditing firms will have to scrutinise the company's fudged numbers back to 2002, a top source said. "Efforts to restate the accounts are progressing rapidly. The Board expects this task to take at least six months. The restated accounts can be expected to be ready earliest by July," the source told reporters here. A 30-member team from Chennai-based Brahmaiah & Company, appointed as the internal auditor, is going through the fraud-hit IT major's accounts in Hyderabad. Besides, two foreign auditing firms --

KPMG and Deloitte -have also been mandated by the Government-appointed Satyam Board to scrutinise the IT firm's books of accounts. The auditors have been asked to work backwards -- 2008-09 to 2002 -- to facilitate a speedy declaration of Q3 results, the source said. "The Board wants to declare the company's Q3 FY 09 results as quickly as possible and hence the move," the source said. S a t y a m ' s disgraced former Chairman B Ramalinga Raju had confessed in January to cooking the company's balance sheets for several years by inflating profit n u m b e r s a n d understating its liabilities.

Though no deadline has been set for the auditors to come up with the restated numbers, the auditors have been told to complete the task "as quickly as possible," the source said. "The auditors -KPMG and Deloitte -have not submitted any report to the Board so far," the source said. The Satyam Board has already obtained permission from the market regulator to extend the time for it to announce its Q3 FY 09 results. According to existing regulations, listed companies are required to announce quarterly results within a month of the end of a quarter. Meanwhile, the Board is yet to take a call on how to deal with Price Waterhouse, the statutory auditor of the company, which has received severe flak in the aftermath of the scam. “The Board has not yet decided this (on the course of action against PwC)," the source said.

LG Balakrishnan resumes partial operations at Bangalore facility New Delhi, Feb 9 Auto parts maker LG Balakrishnan & Bros today said it has resumed partial operations at its manufacturing facility located at Bangalore from Friday last.

The company had stopped production at the Bangalore unit in November last year due to poor market conditions, it said in a statement. The company is

t h e l e a d i n g manufacturer of industrial and motorcycle chains in the country and an a exclusive supplier to several four-stroke m o t o r c y c l e manufacturers.

Reliance Petroleum may export fuel from new refinery from Apr New Delhi, Feb 9 Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) today said its subsidiary Reliance Petroleum Ltd is likely to start exporting fuel from its new 5,80,000 barrels per day (bpd) Jamnagar refinery from April. ''We have lots of regulatory and other processes to be sorted out,'' a company official told reporters here on the condition of anonymity. During the Petrotech-2009 event here last month, Reliance's

President (Refinery B u s i n e s s ) P Raghavendran had said fuel exports would begin in January itself as all units of Reliance Petroleum, in which US oil giant Chevron holds a five per cent stake, were likely to be ready shortly. However, the company now expects exports to begin in April. ''We are selling products from our existing refinery all over the world and we will sell intensely to some of the markets because we have larger

volume,'' the company official said. After reaching full capacity, the six billion dollars refining complex at Jamnagar with two refineries of 5,80,000 bpd and 6,60,000 bpd, will be the world's largest fuel supplier to the global market. In December last, Reliance Petroleum started processing crude at its new facility which is adjacent to the existing refinery at Jamnagar.

Jan car sales fall 3.2%, CV by 50.96% New Delhi, Feb 9: Domestic passenger car sales in the country registered their sixth drop in seven months as sales fell 3.2 per cent in January to 1,10,212 units from 1,13,894 units in the coressponding period last year. S a l e s o f Commercial Vehicle (CV)

also fell by 50.96 per cent to 23,157 units from 47, 255 units, according to the data released by the Society of Indian A u t o m o b i l e Manufacturers (SIAM). Motorcycle sales in the country during the month, also dipped by 5.8 per cent at 4,52,822 units, against 4,80,727

units in the year-ago period. To t a l t w o wheeler sales in January also declined by 3.9 per cent at 5,81,742 units, compared with 6,05,670 units in the same month last year, the auto body said.

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Bharat Heavy Electricals wins four contracts Bhopal, Feb 9 : State-run engineering and manufacturing major Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has won four contracts worth Rs.70 billion (Rs.7,000 crore) for the supply and installation of electrical equipment for thermal power projects, the company announced Monday. The projects with a total capacity of 3,250 MW are located in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Announcing this, BHEL spokesman P.C. Rai said the company has the state-of-the-art technology to set up thermal plants suited to Indian conditions. BHEL won the contracts from National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC), NLC Tamil Nadu

Power Ltd (NTPL) and Maharashtra Power Generation Co. (Mahagenco) through international competitive bidding (ICB), he said. NTPC has placed two orders for steam generator and electrostatic precipitator (ESP) packages for its 2x500 MW Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) stage-IV in Madhya Pradesh and the 2x500 MW Rihand STPP stage-III in Uttar Pradesh. Under NTPL's contract, BHEL will set up 2x500 MW Tuticorin Thermal Power Project (TPP) in Tamil Nadu. These units will add 24 million units every day to the grid on commissioning. The order from Mahagenco envisages setting up of the Parli TPP Stage-III (1x250 MW) in

Maharashtra, wherein BHEL's scope of work involves design, engineering, manufacture, s u p p l y, e r e c t i o n a n d commissioning of the main plant package, Rai said. T h e k e y equipment for the contracts, according to Rai, will be manufactured at BHEL's Haridwar, Trichy, Ranipet, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhopal and Jhansi plants. The company's power sector regions will undertake erection and commissioning of the equipment. BHEL has now enhanced its manufacturing capacity to 10,000 MW per annum to meet the rising demand for power in the country. The company will further increase its annual capacity to 15,000 MW by December 2009 and to 20,000 MW by December 2011, the official said.

Aditya Birla Financial Services post 51% growth amid gloom Mumbai, Feb 09 Beating the downturn, Aditya Birla Financial Services Group has recorded an impressive 51 per cent growth for the nine months ended December 31, 2008 with consolidated revenues over Rs 3,043 crore as against Rs 2,016 crores during the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. Both the life insurance and mutual fund businesses of the group ranked among the top five in the private sector in the country, with the life business achieving a market share of 8.5 per cent (amongst private sector players) and the mutual fund business 8.7 per cent. Commenting on the performance, Ajay Srinivasan, Chief Executive - Financial Services of the Group, said, ''We continue to remain excited with the India story and the yet

under penetrated financial services opportunity. We have created a strong foundation with the products, distribution, team and brand in place. And the results are showing.'' As a manufacturer and distributor of products, the Group can meet virtually all the financial needs of its customers, just short of a savings or current account, he added. ‘'We believe that looking ahead there is opportunity to implement learnings from the year gone by, while continuing to emerge much stronger,' Mr Srinivasan said. In the insurance segment, while the private players grew by 26 per cent, Birla Sun Life Insurance achieved a massive 62 per cent year-on-year growth and registered an annualized premium of Rs 1810 crores, as against Rs 1222 crores for the same period last year. More significantly, this 5th

growth comes at a time when the industry has degrown for the month of December 2008 by 23 per cent. The growth has seen BSLI move to the 5th rank amongst private players within the industry and the market share has gone up to 8.5 per cent, up from 6.6 per cent in December 2007. Product gaps were filled with launch of Freedom 58 and Health Plan. In the Asset Management Company business, while the industry registered a fall of 23 per cent, Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company grew by 20 per cent year-onyear and the company's average domestic assets under management grew to Rs 36,565 crores as on December 31, 2008. The company increased its reach to a total of 116 branches, up from 74 in December 2007. Its market share has gone up to 8.7 per cent, from 5.6 per cent in December 2007.

GDP estimates to come down New Delhi, Feb 09 With the global meltdown impacting demand worldwide, the Indian economy is no exception and as per official estimates, the country's GDP growth for the current fiscal is expected to slow down to a six-year low at 7.1 per cent against nine per cent in 2007-08. According to the advance estimates, released here today by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), the growth rate of 7.1 per cent in GDP during FY09 has been mainly due to the growth rates of over five per cent in 'construction', 'trade, hotels, transport

and communication', 'financing, insurnace, real estate and business services', and 'community, social and personal services' sectors. The 'agriculture, forestry and fishing' is projected to expand by 2.6 per cent in 2008-09 against 4.9 per cent in 2 0 0 7 - 0 8 , a n d manufacturing sector is likely to grow by 4.1 per cent against 8.2 per cent in last fiscal. T h e construction is estimated to grow by 6.5 per cent in FY09 against 10.1 per cent in FY08, while mining and quarrying is likely to grow up 4.7 per cent as

compared to 3.3 per cent in 2007-08. The 'trade, hotels, t r a n s p o r t a n d communication' sector is estimated to grow by 10.3 per cent against 12.4 per cent, 'financial, insurance, real estate and business services' are likely to expand by 8.6 per cent against 11.7 per cent last fiscal and 'community, social and personal services' by 9.3 per cent in FY09 from 6.8 per cent in FY08. Earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had estimated that the economy would expand by seven per cent during this fiscal.

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Feb. 09, 2009

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