A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'
Think of this:
"Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor."
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
May we all be COFFEE!!!
(Courtesy of: R Masthipuram).
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Stifling Growth
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) and Special Development Regulations for the development of the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road GrowthCorridor (ORRGC) have come as a rude shock to real estate developers as there are many clauses that will only stifle growth rather than encourage it. Layout developers are crying foul, in particular, over the rule that mandates them to "gift" five per cent of total developed area free of cost to Hyderabad Urban Development Authority through a gift deed. Developers are also required to reserve five per cent of total area for Economically-Weaker Sections (EWS) housing programme. Besides, a minimum of 10 per cent of total area has to be reserved for parks, playgrounds and open spaces of which five per cent has to be for 'local' open spaces. Developers are equally aghast at the provision for levying a "Development Deferment Charge" (DDC) which, authorities say, is aimed at discouraging owners from land hoarding. "There is nothing encouraging in the CMP that spurs growth but rather it will only discourage prospective investors from coming to the state," real estate developers say, adding that the CMP and the SDRs were totally "unviable and impractical." When the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department came out with the draft master plan for the ORRGC last year, it did not contain provisions for "gifting" of land or levying the development deferment charge. "These issues were never discussed with the stakeholders at any level. The provisions in the CMP have indeed come as a shock for us," president of the Builders' Forum Sekhar Reddy remarked. Developers contend that there was no logic in trying to impose the development deferment charge as the Outer Ring Road itself has not taken shape. "Where can you expect development when there is practically no infrastructure to speak about? It will take a few more years for things to take shape," one major real estate player pointed out. In case, the government goes its way, developers will be required to shell out Rs 80,000 per acre in the first year as DDC and Rs 2 lakh per acre in the second year. This rule alone will deter investors from looking at Hyderabad as a popular destination, particularly in the real estate sector. The move to impose DDC boomeranged in the case of Cyberabad Development Authority, forcing the government to withdraw it. "The same scenario may repeat even in respect of ORRGC," developers feel. Besides, the "abnormal" impact fee and other development charges that the developers are required to bear amount to at least Rs 1.5 crore per acre -- a burden which will ultimately be passed on to individual buyers. Though the government spoke of providing incentives for large projects, developers see it as an "eyewash" as the levies outweigh the discounts. The MAUD Department authorities, however, say there was nothing unusual about the provisions in the CMP. "These are essential to regulate development. Moreover, the land we take from developers will be used only for development of common facilities and not used for commercial purposes," a senior MAUD official pointed out. Referring to the DDC, he said it was meant only to ensure there was no land hoarding. He said the ORR would be ready in two years but development along the ORRGC could be taken up simultaneously.
Hyderabad: The Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) and Special Development Regulations for the development of the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road GrowthCorridor (ORRGC) have come as a rude shock to real estate developers as there are many clauses that will only stifle growth rather than encourage it. Layout developers are crying foul, in particular, over the rule that mandates them to "gift" five per cent of total developed area free of cost to Hyderabad Urban Development Authority through a gift deed. Developers are also required to reserve five per cent of total area for Economically-Weaker Sections (EWS) housing programme. Besides, a minimum of 10 per cent of total area has to be reserved for parks, playgrounds and open spaces of which five per cent has to be for 'local' open spaces. Developers are equally aghast at the provision for levying a "Development Deferment Charge" (DDC) which, authorities say, is aimed at discouraging owners from land hoarding. "There is nothing encouraging in the CMP that spurs growth but rather it will only discourage prospective investors from coming to the state," real estate developers say, adding that the CMP and the SDRs were totally "unviable and impractical." When the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department came out with the draft master plan for the ORRGC last year, it did not contain provisions for "gifting" of land or levying the development deferment charge. "These issues were never discussed with the stakeholders at any level. The provisions in the CMP have indeed come as a shock for us," president of the Builders' Forum Sekhar Reddy remarked. Developers contend that there was no logic in trying to impose the development deferment charge as the Outer Ring Road itself has not taken shape. "Where can you expect development when there is practically no infrastructure to speak about? It will take a few more years for things to take shape," one major real estate player pointed out. In case, the government goes its way, developers will be required to shell out Rs 80,000 per acre in the first year as DDC and Rs 2 lakh per acre in the second year. This rule alone will deter investors from looking at Hyderabad as a popular destination, particularly in the real estate sector. The move to impose DDC boomeranged in the case of Cyberabad Development Authority, forcing the government to withdraw it. "The same scenario may repeat even in respect of ORRGC," developers feel. Besides, the "abnormal" impact fee and other development charges that the developers are required to bear amount to at least Rs 1.5 crore per acre -- a burden which will ultimately be passed on to individual buyers. Though the government spoke of providing incentives for large projects, developers see it as an "eyewash" as the levies outweigh the discounts. The MAUD Department authorities, however, say there was nothing unusual about the provisions in the CMP. "These are essential to regulate development. Moreover, the land we take from developers will be used only for development of common facilities and not used for commercial purposes," a senior MAUD official pointed out. Referring to the DDC, he said it was meant only to ensure there was no land hoarding. He said the ORR would be ready in two years but development along the ORRGC could be taken up simultaneously.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Gates opened for Hyderabad Growth Corridor
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The state government has finally opened the gates for "planned and regulated" development along the 162-km Hyderabad Outer Ring Road by coming out with a Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) for the Growth Corridor (ORRGC). The CMP covers a one-km belt on either side of the ORRGC and has a set of Special Development Regulations that are intended to "promote planned development and curb haphazard and ribbon development." The CMP is expected to give fresh impetus to economic activity along the162-km stretch -- a one-of-its-kind in the country -- as the government did not permit any development activity for over two years now. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department issued the CMP notification on Wednesday. The government is planning to announce special incentives to encourage major projects that would cater to a larger population and also provide better infrastructure, sources in the MAUD Department said. Special incentives will be offered to large integrated townships and large educational institutions that come up on land up to 400 acres. A special committee will soon be constituted by the government to look into development issues related to the ORRGC. A special unit is also being created for dealing with applications for permission to develop\undertake building constructions in the ORRGC and also enforcing the regulations, the MAUD sources added. "We are also working on a separate policy on the planning standards and public-private partnership models along the ORRGC," highly-placed official sources said. The government feels the CMP would spur widespread development along the ORRGC and construction activity would also get a push. "Hype around the ORRGC has so far only been speculative but with the ORR works going on in full steam, the entire stretch will become a popular destination for investment," a senior MAUD official said. The government also wants to encash the opportunity to strengthen its financial resources and ensure overall development of physical and social infrastructure within the ORRGC. Land use in the ORRGC has been classified as a multi-purpose zone. The ORRGC will be characterised by two SDZs of 500 mts wide each (SDZ-1 and SDZ-2). No expansion of existing industries and no new industries will be permitted within the SDZs while existing industrial estates will remain part of it only if they are "non-polluting." The ORRGC will, have three categories of zones: SDZs for residential, commercial and industrial development (non-polluting units), social infrastructure, institutional and work centres; open space and recreational zone for parks, green buffers, lakes, nalas and reserve forests; transportation and circulation zone for roads, parking lots, truck terminals, warehousing, wholesale market yards among others.
All Smoke, No Fine
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: If there is one law that is implemented only in breach rather than practice, it is the "Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
The law that came into force from May 1, 2004, prohibits, among other things, smoking in public places, including indoor workplaces, ban on direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products and also a ban on sale to minors. The Government of India legislation also stipulates that tobacco products cannot be sold within a radius of 100 yards of educational institutions but don't we commonly find kiosks that sell these stuff everywhere, even in the vicinity of schools!
In fact, the Andhra Pradesh government too enacted the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Smoking and Health Protection Act, 2002, imposing a ban on smoking in public places. It came into force from July 4, 2002.
Now, there is always an argument over what a "public place" is. The Supreme Court, way back in 2001, defined hospitals, health institutions, public offices, public transport (including railways), bus stops, court buildings, educational institutions, libraries and auditoriums as "public places." The state government included amusement centres, restaurants and hotels (inlcuding pubs), function halls, monuments and stadia, shops and shopping complexes and cinema halls too in the list of public places and classified them as "non-smoking" places under Section 3 of the AP Prohibition of Smoking and Health Protection Act, 2002.
"On any person who is reasonably believed to have committed an offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder, a sum not exceeding Rs 100 will be imposed as penalty for the first offence," the Act says. If caught a second time, the fine will be Rs 200 and subsequently Rs 500. Under a similar legislation in force in Kerala, a violator can be arrested without any warrant and the punishment includes six months' imprisonment or fine which might extend upto Rs 1000 or both.
Do pubs run without smokers or are cinema halls free from this smoking menace? The answer would be a clear 'No.' Then, what are the enforcing authorities doing? By the way, who these enforcing authorities actually are?
The state government has designated the managers\assistant managers of auditoriums, amusement centres, hotels, pubs, stadia and monuments as the enforcing authorities; for hospital buildings and health institutions the respective principal\superintendent\resident medical officer or the medical officer; for educational institutions it is the principal\head or chief executive concerned; for libraries the librarian\assistant librarian; for court buildings the registrar\assistant registrar of High Court, Sheristadar or head clerk of district court, head clerk of junior civil judge court; for public offices gazetted officers of the Central or state government or public sector undertakings.
If it is a public transport vehicle like a bus, the conductor or the driver are the designated persons to enforce the smoking ban and collect penalties. Now, don't we find RTC bus drivers or conductors themselves puffing inside the bus?
The state government appointed a high-level technical committee under the chairmanship of Director of Health to ensure effective implementation of the smoking ban. The committee includes officials from the Drug Control Administration, Crime Investigation Department, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Revenue Department, AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, Directorate of School Education, Municipal Administration, Higher Education Department and representatives of Non-Government Organisations. This committee meets once a month and reviews the implementation and submits a report to the High Court.
Statistics available with the Directorate of Health reveal that till the end of May this year only 1260 cases have been registered and a fine of Rs 1,09,250 collected from violators of smoking ban, from the time it came into force. Obviously, the police topped the list in enforcing the law by booking 505 cases and imposing a fine of Rs 62,300. The Drug Control Administration ranks second with 271 cases and Rs 25,000 in fine, IPM third with 458 cases and Rs 19,530 fine.
The revenue, higher education, transport, roads and buildings and school education departments drew a full blank in this regard.
The district-level committees are headed by the respective joint collectors as chairman and district medical and health officer as member-convenor. "To put it simply, no body cares about the law," a top official of the health department lamented, admitting that enforcement of smoking ban was proving "impractical."
Hyderabad: If there is one law that is implemented only in breach rather than practice, it is the "Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
The law that came into force from May 1, 2004, prohibits, among other things, smoking in public places, including indoor workplaces, ban on direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products and also a ban on sale to minors. The Government of India legislation also stipulates that tobacco products cannot be sold within a radius of 100 yards of educational institutions but don't we commonly find kiosks that sell these stuff everywhere, even in the vicinity of schools!
In fact, the Andhra Pradesh government too enacted the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Smoking and Health Protection Act, 2002, imposing a ban on smoking in public places. It came into force from July 4, 2002.
Now, there is always an argument over what a "public place" is. The Supreme Court, way back in 2001, defined hospitals, health institutions, public offices, public transport (including railways), bus stops, court buildings, educational institutions, libraries and auditoriums as "public places." The state government included amusement centres, restaurants and hotels (inlcuding pubs), function halls, monuments and stadia, shops and shopping complexes and cinema halls too in the list of public places and classified them as "non-smoking" places under Section 3 of the AP Prohibition of Smoking and Health Protection Act, 2002.
"On any person who is reasonably believed to have committed an offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder, a sum not exceeding Rs 100 will be imposed as penalty for the first offence," the Act says. If caught a second time, the fine will be Rs 200 and subsequently Rs 500. Under a similar legislation in force in Kerala, a violator can be arrested without any warrant and the punishment includes six months' imprisonment or fine which might extend upto Rs 1000 or both.
Do pubs run without smokers or are cinema halls free from this smoking menace? The answer would be a clear 'No.' Then, what are the enforcing authorities doing? By the way, who these enforcing authorities actually are?
The state government has designated the managers\assistant managers of auditoriums, amusement centres, hotels, pubs, stadia and monuments as the enforcing authorities; for hospital buildings and health institutions the respective principal\superintendent\resident medical officer or the medical officer; for educational institutions it is the principal\head or chief executive concerned; for libraries the librarian\assistant librarian; for court buildings the registrar\assistant registrar of High Court, Sheristadar or head clerk of district court, head clerk of junior civil judge court; for public offices gazetted officers of the Central or state government or public sector undertakings.
If it is a public transport vehicle like a bus, the conductor or the driver are the designated persons to enforce the smoking ban and collect penalties. Now, don't we find RTC bus drivers or conductors themselves puffing inside the bus?
The state government appointed a high-level technical committee under the chairmanship of Director of Health to ensure effective implementation of the smoking ban. The committee includes officials from the Drug Control Administration, Crime Investigation Department, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Revenue Department, AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, Directorate of School Education, Municipal Administration, Higher Education Department and representatives of Non-Government Organisations. This committee meets once a month and reviews the implementation and submits a report to the High Court.
Statistics available with the Directorate of Health reveal that till the end of May this year only 1260 cases have been registered and a fine of Rs 1,09,250 collected from violators of smoking ban, from the time it came into force. Obviously, the police topped the list in enforcing the law by booking 505 cases and imposing a fine of Rs 62,300. The Drug Control Administration ranks second with 271 cases and Rs 25,000 in fine, IPM third with 458 cases and Rs 19,530 fine.
The revenue, higher education, transport, roads and buildings and school education departments drew a full blank in this regard.
The district-level committees are headed by the respective joint collectors as chairman and district medical and health officer as member-convenor. "To put it simply, no body cares about the law," a top official of the health department lamented, admitting that enforcement of smoking ban was proving "impractical."
Monday, July 7, 2008
National Urban Health Mission
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The Government of India will launch the National Urban HealthMission (NUHM), on the lines of the ongoing National Rural Health Mission. The goal of NUHM is to improve the availability of and access to quality health care by people, especially those residing in urban slums, the poor, women and children. The proposed NUHM will be in convergence with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), according to joint secretary in the Union Ministry for housing and urban poverty alleviation, Dr P K Mohanty. Mohanty said the Centre has earmarked Rs 5160 crore for the NUHM, which would be implemented over a five-year period. Access to integrated comprehensive primary healthcare to the urban slum-dwellers would be the main objective of the NUHM. Prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including locally endemic diseases, and total sanitation would be the other focus areas of the Mission. The NUHM will cover 100 cities in the first phase and later extended to 330 more cities to benefit over 22 crore people, including about five-crore slum population. Cities with a population of over one lakh, state capitals and district headquarters will be brought under NUHM purview. Urban Social Health Activists (USHAs) will be appointed, each catering to a population of 2,000. The government would pay the health insurance premium for slum-dwellers while the private sector and Non-Government Organisations would also be involved in reaching out to the urban poor under the programme, official sources said. The Union Cabinet is expected to give its formal approval to NUHM and make it operational soon.
Hyderabad: The Government of India will launch the National Urban HealthMission (NUHM), on the lines of the ongoing National Rural Health Mission. The goal of NUHM is to improve the availability of and access to quality health care by people, especially those residing in urban slums, the poor, women and children. The proposed NUHM will be in convergence with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), according to joint secretary in the Union Ministry for housing and urban poverty alleviation, Dr P K Mohanty. Mohanty said the Centre has earmarked Rs 5160 crore for the NUHM, which would be implemented over a five-year period. Access to integrated comprehensive primary healthcare to the urban slum-dwellers would be the main objective of the NUHM. Prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, including locally endemic diseases, and total sanitation would be the other focus areas of the Mission. The NUHM will cover 100 cities in the first phase and later extended to 330 more cities to benefit over 22 crore people, including about five-crore slum population. Cities with a population of over one lakh, state capitals and district headquarters will be brought under NUHM purview. Urban Social Health Activists (USHAs) will be appointed, each catering to a population of 2,000. The government would pay the health insurance premium for slum-dwellers while the private sector and Non-Government Organisations would also be involved in reaching out to the urban poor under the programme, official sources said. The Union Cabinet is expected to give its formal approval to NUHM and make it operational soon.
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