State surpasses national growth rate of 11.89%

Despite slowdown in the Indian economy, revenue collections by income tax in Gujarat have registered a growth of 15% in the first 11 months of the financial year 2008-09 over the corresponding period last year. While nationally, income tax revenue has registered a growth of 11.89% in the same period.

If the roads & buildings department's circuit house expansion dream takes a 'realty' turn, the Gujarat IAS officers' association stands to be rendered homeless, with its office at the Officers' Bungalow 3 in Shahibaug, allotted to it four years back, being targeted for the extension of adjacent circuit house.

Interestingly, the association does not even have a mess of its own and most of its members' major events are usually held in the IPS officers mess in Shahibaug. What remains to be seen now is whether the association will be given another place for shifting its office from the present house immediately, or not.

Oil & Natural Gas Commission will raise Rs 9,000 crore for its petrochemicals project in joint venture with Gujarat State Petroleum Corp, a company executive said.

"It will be through syndicated loans," director (finance) D K Sarraf said, adding, "We will complete the transaction in March or early April." ONGC Petro Additions Ltd, a joint venture of ONGC and Gujarat State Petroleum Corp, is building a petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat.

In a shocking development, one more case of hepatitis has come to light in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat.

However, health authorities in the state are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that no other person dies due to this fatal viral disease.

With this the total number of people infected with hepatitis has gone up to 185 in the state, of which 56 have died.

The town of Modasa in North Gujarat district is considered to be the epicentre of this disease.

Even before the Gujarat state board examinations begin from March 17 this year, the stress of examination has claimed the life of a student. Ajay Mahendra Patel, 17, a student of class XII of Vishwa Bharti Vidhyalaya, committed suicide by hanging himself at his house on Monday.

Sources said that Patel, a resident of Saibaba Society, committed suicide when there was no one in the house. He was to appear in Class XII (science) examination and was in a state of depression over whether he would  get good marks in the examination or not.

Company bags Rs67crore BSNL contract

The state-owned telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will now also start WiMax service in rural area of Gujarat. The Chennai-based IT firm, Gemini Communication has won an order from BSNL to provide the service in rural area of the state.

Gemini Communication, which is listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), announced on Tuesday that it has bagged an order worth Rs67 crore from BSNL for its rural mobile WiMax project.