Sensex slips in last session, off day's highs

MUMBAI: A benchmark index for Indian equities Friday closed 96 points higher, paring some of its intra-day gains.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened higher at 18,080.29 points, closed at 18,168.99 points (provisional), 95.09 points or 0.53 percent up from its previous close at 18,073.9 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader

50-share S&P CNX Nifty followed a similar trajectory to close 0.69 percent higher at 5,456.65 points.

Broader markets also did well with the BSE midcap index closing 0.98 percent up and the BSE smallcap index ending 0.63 percent higher.

TOI

Taj Palace is back in business

MUMBAI: The Taj has chosen Independence Day to reaffirm the values it stands for. On August 15, it will open its heritage wing — that was gutted during the 26/11 siege — to an expectant public.

Born as India's answer to British pride, the hotel built by Jamsetji Tata opened its doors in 1903 to 17 guests. A century later, tragic circumstances forced the Taj to shut its doors for the first time since it opened. But the staff and the management used this to their advantage and turned adversity into an opportunity to match the best hotels of the world.

After the terror strike, the hotel was opened in stages and by September this year, it will be fully functional. On Independence Day, although most of its rooms in the palace wing will accommodate guests, some of its opulent spaces — like the Tata Suite — will be unveiled in a month or so. A night’s stay at the Tata Suite, formerly the Presidential Suite, complete with personalised butler service will set one back by Rs 7 lakh. There are more than 40 suites in the heritage wing of the building, with some of them being named after marine motifs, given the sea-front location.

“Each suite tells a story,” says Ajoy Misra, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Taj hotels. So you can ride on a dolphin, search for coral reefs or chase a seagull for a price ranging from Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh.

While it may be difficult for a visitor to spot the small differences, the management has finetuned the hotel’s interiors. For instance, the ceiling in the Taj Palace lounge has been lowered by 8 inches. Its spacious rooms are now soundproof.

Another feature it has added to its rooms is the special levers that allow guests to open the window in an emergency. Upping the security quotient, special access control elevators are installed on the premises, allowing only guests to operate them with a valid key.

TOI

Sansui to enter mobile handset business

Sansui to enter mobile handset business

New Delhi, Aug 9: Japanese audio and video equipment maker Sansui said it will enter the mobile phone business in India, launching 10 handsets by the end of this year, as part of an expansion plan. The company on Monday launched its new range of slim, LCD televisions and digital video disc players. “We have launched our new range of LCDs with a plan to target a 5 per cent share in the Indian LCD market by the end of the current financial year. We also plan to increase our market share in television to 12 per cent,” said Jaideep Rathore, chief marketing officer, Sansui.

The new range of LCDs launched by the company offers high audio and video quality and enables customers to store movies, music and photographs with high storage capacity. The slim television, which has a touch control sensor, also offers access to tweeter networking website. Sansui has a dedicated customer call centre as well to ensure healthy after sales services, besides exclusive service centers. “We also plan to invest over Rs 40 crores in the next six months in advertising and marketing promotion initiatives,” Rathore added. The company expects a turnover of Rs 2,000 crore by the end of 2011, currently it enjoys a sales turnover of Rs 1,000 crore. (IANS)

Mamata urges Maoists to give up violence, sit for talks

Mamata urges Maoists to give up violence, sit for talks

Lalgarh (West Bengal), Aug 9: Railway minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Maoists to eschew violence and come for talks, and appealed to social activists and thinkers like Swami Agnivesh, Medha Patkar and Mahashweta Devi to broker the discussions.

Addressing a huge rally in this Maoist-hit area of West Midnapore district, Banerjee also promised to shower development goodies like renovating schools, setting up hospitals, colleges and a railway factory for giving employment to the local people.

“I request everyone with folded hands, please eschew violence, stop killings. I am telling all those, including the Maoists who are indulging in violence, to help in restoring peace. Medhaji (Medha Patkar), Swami (Agnivesh) are here. They should talk to the Maoists and ensure restoration of peace”.

Banerjee said she was not in favour of establishing peace by using rifles, condemning the manner in which Maoist spokesman Cherukiri Rajkumar alias Azad was ‘killed’ last month.

“What happened is not right. Azad had reposed faith in the democratic process,” she said at the ‘apolitical’ rally organised under the banner of the Anti-Atrocities Democratic Forum.

The Moists and the pro-rebel tribal body People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) had extended support to the rally also attended by social activists like Agnivesh and Patkar, and pro-rebel writer Mahasweta Devi, among other intellectuals.

“Let the peace process start from today. Let negotiations begin. Let Bengal show the way to India, wherever there is disturbance and misunderstanding,” Banerjee said.

“Tell us when and where you will sit. We all want to sit. However, if my presence poses problems in the peace process, I won’t mind if I am kept out of it,” she said.

“If a policeman dies, or a mediaperson, or a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist or a Maoist, that’s equally sad. All are human beings. I don’t want anybody to die. I don’t want politics of death”.

She also appealed to the left ultras not to obstruct railway services as it adversely hit the daily life of the common man. Categorically saying she did not support the Maoists’ politics of violence and killings, Banerjee asked the CPI-M and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee should think why the Lalgarh movement was on despite their 34-year rule. “There is a dearth of development, schools, colleges and hospitals. The government could ensure only 12 days’ work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS),” she said.

Banerjee said Rs 20 lakh would be sanctioned for the Ramakrishna Vidyalaya here from Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy’s MPs Local Area Development fund. Apparently referring to the Maoists, she asked: “What do you want? Schools, college, rights over forests? I feel tribals should have rights over forests.”

The Trinamool chief, whose party is the second largest constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the centre, however, said her powers were limited. “We are in power. But our party has only 19 MPs. It’s not that they (Congress) listen to whatever we say”.

On land acquisition, she said she was against taking land by force. “In railways whenever we have to take land we provide employment to the landlosers and take minimum land with their consent”.

“Show me one area where I have deviated. If I have, I will publicly admit it and apologise,” she said, in an apparent reply to some questions made by the Maoists in an open letter to her on and acquisition and some other issues.

Banerjee told the ultras that their policy of violence was only benefiting the CPI-M. Accusing the CPI-M of misleading the people and committing atrocities by putting on police and military fatigues, she appealed to Patkar and Agnivesh to visit other violence-prone areas of the state. “If necessary, we can go to areas outside the state like Dantewada also to bring back peace”. Addressing a party rally at Tamluk of East Midnapore district, state Congress chief Manas Bhunia welcomed Banerjee’s rally at Lalgarh. However, Congress general secretary in charge of the state K Kesava Rao stayed away from the Trinamool Congress’ invitation to attend the Lalgarh rally citing the party’s meeting at Tamluk around the same time. (IANS)