With some major groups making an attempt to kick off hydel-power plants in Siliguri, industrialisation is slowly moving towards making the town a progressive industrial hub, writes Swaati Chaudhury

West Bengal has lately been awash with big-ticket investment proposals and industrial development is happening all across the state. Siliguri is also opening its doors for new-age industrial investments and a slew of investors and Information Technology barons are eyeing the town with a plethora of hope. Let us have a glance at Kolkata’s Shyam Group that has made major breakthroughs in the arena of non-conventional power and has stepped ahead to bring industrialisation in and around Siliguri. Emphasising on consolidating the infrastructure industry of North Bengal, the organisation has made a bold attempt to kick off a hydel-power plant on river Chel near Siliguri and has received the consent of West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency. It has made a proposed investment of Rs 500 crore to boost the industrial growth of the region. The 6MW non-conventional power plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of next year. Comments B Bhushan Agarwal, vice-chairman cum managing director, Shyam Group, “We are setting up two hydel-power plants in Siliguri and plan to diversify more on hydel projects in the region. The town will also have a cement plant. We are eyeing to enter the real estate turf in Siliguri for which we are conducting feasibility study. The town of Siliguri has a lot of potential and is on the growth binge. It forms a significant part of Bengal keeping with its economy, location and foreign relations.” Apart from being the gateway to the north-east region of India, industrial experts predict that Siliguri will form a significant connecting link with south-east Asian countries with brisk trade activities in the future years.

The department of Information Technology is slowly inching towards making Siliguri an upcoming IT destination in North Bengal. A study taken up by Price Waterhouse Coopers has identified five destinations in the state including Kharagpur, Haldia, Siliguri, Kalyani and Durgapur for setting up Satellite Information Technology hubs. A land area of 25 acres has been identified at Siliguri with an aim to establish an Information Technology Park and the endeavour is taken up by Infinity Group. Other IT developers are also eyeing to set up their ventures at Siliguri. The place offers tremendous potential for BPO and KPO companies since around 25 per cent of employees working in call centres hail from north-eastern region of India. Webel, the nodal arm of the state government is looking at coming up with a Finishing school at Siliguri.

City-based Nippon Power Limited has also pioneered to roll out hydro power projects in Darjeeling Hills. Located at a high altitude of 1,500 elevated level and at an inhospitable terrain, the Lodhama Small Hydro Power project is the most landmark venture in the hydro-power sector of the organisation. Some of the other notable developments of the group are setting up of 2 MW Hydro Power plant at Teesta Bazaar in Darjeeling Hills and another 2 MW Small Hydro Power project is being installed at Giel Khola in Darjeeling Hills. These positive developments are an indication that Siliguri is making a fresh beginning in the industrial sector of Bengal.

This short journey was only possible because the road, 4-lane expressway, way above any Indian highways. The same journey 7-8 years back would have taken 5-6 hrs easily. Thanks to previous NDA government, India took initiative to connect all its metro by expressway; the project was called GOLDEN QUANDRANTANGLE. Very fortunately, the successive UPA government didn't shelf the project; a very common case in democratic India where opposition first closes all projects started by previous govt.

Well coming back to the discussion, although the Durgapur Expressway (DE) is quite good, it doesn’t have features, a modern infrastructure should have. Many parts of road are barely lighted; there are no reflectors what so ever. Moreover, the most dangerous one, there are no meridian; what we have is two beautiful strips of road separated by uncultured grass and big hollow channel. On both side of road there are no reflectors, the road is at least 6-10 ft higher that the surrounding, exposing drivers to risk of slipping away from mail road. The danger is so high that buses and trucks can overturn if they are little careless. My fears were answered while returning, when I saw a truck has plunged itself into deep channel on the side of the road, obviously the truck was overturned because of the slide. 

The authorities of the toll way have barricaded both sides of roads, making sure that existing petrol pumps are out of business. So essentially if you driving on DE, make sure you have full tank of fuel.

All the above reason makes me to comment that DE is a great road but for it to be a good world class infrastructure it has to travel long distance. 

Drive safely!

kk

Siliguri, June 5: The Uttarbanga Express was detained at a small station near New Jalpaiguri for six hours this morning because of the Bengal bandh, prompting passengers to ransack the station manager’s office and manhandle railway employees.

The New Cooch Behar-bound train had arrived at Rangapani station, 7km from New Jalpaiguri, at 7am.

“There was not a single picketer on the tracks, but the train was still stopped at the station,” said Sourav Ganguly of Durgapur, who was travelling to New Jalpaiguri on his way to Gangtok. “We approached the on-duty railway employees who said until there was signal from New Jalpaiguri, the train would be detained at Rangapani.”

The absence of even the basic amenities at the station left the passengers angry and each passing hour only added to their fury.

“There was no water in the train and not even a single tea stall at the station,” said Sovan Seal of Nadia who was in the train. “We insisted that the railway employees talk to their superiors so that the train could at least be allowed to get near the New Jalpaiguri station. But they did not listen to us.”

As resentment built up among the 1,000-odd passengers and a section of them barged into station manager Ashok Sarkar’s room, broke the windowpanes, threw the furniture around and ripped off the telephone cable.

“We failed to make them understand that for some reasons, the train could not be taken to New Jalpaiguri,” Sarkar said later. “They ransacked my office and also abused and shoved me and my colleagues around.”

A senior railway official said a number of trains were detained at New Jalpaiguri because of the 12-hour strike called by the CPM against the rise in fuel prices.

Government Railway Police (GRP) officials at New Jalpaiguri confirmed that the station manager’s office at Rangapani had been ransacked.

“We came to know of the incident and rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control,” Daman Karmakar, the officer-in-charge of the New Jalpaiguri GRP, said. “An investigation is on but we are yet to receive any written complaint.”

The train reached New Jalpaiguri around 2pm, railway sources said. [The Telegraph]

Power department officials said the main reason for the impending crisis was the delay in full-scale generation by the new units that were scheduled to start running last year itself.

“We hope the situation will improve after the new units at Sagardighi, Santaldih, Bakreswar and Durgapur begin generation in full swing,” the minister said after opening a 300MW Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL) unit today.

However, “full-swing” operation at none of the plants is likely to begin before June.

The evening peak-hour demand this summer has be-en estimated at 4,700MW, over 500MW more than last year.

According to a West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company official, Calcutta is likely experience a 100MW shortfall everyday. That roughly translates into an hour’s power cut on any given day.

The situation is likely to turn worse if the central power suppliers such as the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) scale down supply.

In the districts, the shortfall is expected to hover around 300MW during the evening peak hour.

The best hope of relief could be in prayers for Nor’westers.

“They are a blessing,” an official said. “The storm and rain pull down temperatures and bring down the demand for power.”

This evening, for example, CESC had expected a shortfall of 100MW in Calcutta and its adjoining areas.

After a squall, the deficit was less than 20MW and there was hardly any power cut, an official said.

The government had announced in 2006 that there would be a capacity addition of 1570MW by May 2007. Among the new units were two 210MW units in Bakreswar, a 250MW unit at Santaldih, two 300MW units at Sagardighi and a 300MW unit at DPL.

Among these, three units at Sagardighi, Santaldih, and Bakreswar have started generation but on a very low scale.

“These units are yet to begin commercial operations. So, it will be almost impossible to avoid power cuts in April and May,” a power department official said.

The new DPL unit could take longer to begin commercial operations.

The West Bengal Power Development Corporation, which manages the state-run power plants, said the situation would improve from mid-April, when a 300MW unit at Sagardighi goes into the commercial mode.

“We’ve already coal-fired the Santaldih unit, where we expect to go full steam by August,” said corporation managing director S. Mahapatra.

A power department official said the central power plants were supplying less than usual, adding to the crisis.

“Last year, we received about 800MW on an average during the evening peak hours. This year, we have not received more than 400MW.”

Minister Banerjee laid the foundation stone for another 300MW unit at DPL.

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India FDI Watch along with its partner organizations calls for Halla Bol on 23rd February 2008 in all the major cities of India taking demonstrations to the doorstep of corporate stores. Militant demonstrations will be organized before the corporate stores as part of the action. In Kerala, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti will organize a Halla Bol rally in Trichur on 23rd Feb. Lakhs of small shopkeepers are expected to join the rally to raise their voice against corporate retail.

The political resolution draft for XIX Party Congress of CPM says, "The Party firmly opposes FDI in retail trade as it will seriously affect the livelihood of millions of shopkeepers and small traders. The entry of big Indian corporates into retail trade has a similar effect. At present there is no law to restrict the entry of corporate sector. Taking advantage of this, companies like Reliance have entered retail trade in a big way. The CPI(M) has set out a policy document for licensing and regulating the entry of corporates in retail trade. Till the Central Government puts in place such a policy, the Left led governments should take steps to regulate their entry." Leaders of the party informed India FDI Watch that West Bengal Govt. has decided to regulate the entry of corporates in retail trade according to its policy draft and a committee will be formed having traders and hawkers to issue licenses to corporations to do retail.

National Statistical Office (NSO) of South Korea reported that, Mom-and-Pop shops are disappearing from neighborhoods, losing to cutthroat competition against giant retail outlets and convenience stores. Korean Mom-and-pop shops are seeing sales drop. It says, - Losing the competition, these small retailers are disappearing from the market. According to the Bank of Korea, the number of these shops dropped to 585,996 in 2005, from 739,059 in 1995. Another statistic showed that an average 6.3 mom-and-pop shops closed down everyday between 2001 and 2006. The number of corporate stores, meanwhile, surged to 8,855 from 1,557, increasing 20 percent on average every year during the last 10 years.

Below is the link of an informative short video, reflective of the unsustainable wasteful consumption culture being developed by corporate retailers: - www.storyofstuff.org

In Solidarity !
Dharmendra Kumar
Director
India FDI Watch
M-09871179084
Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

Drug wholesalers of Mumbai boycott Subhiksha :
http://www.planetretail.net/NewsFeed/NewNewsFeed.aspx
Drug wholesalers of Mumbai have boycotted Subhiksha. Subhiksha has sent legal notices to drug wholesalers in Mumbai for withholding supplies. Subhiksha Managing Director R Subramanian said, "wholesalers have boycotted us and have stopped supplying medicines.
Wal-Mart did lobby Blair over Asda

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/01/27/cnasda127.xml

Details of a secret Downing Street meeting held between Tony Blair, the then prime minister, and a senior Wal-Mart executive just months before the world's biggest retailer pounced on Asda have finally been released, some nine years after the £7bn deal was struck. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Bob Martin, the then chief executive of Wal-Mart International, complained at the meeting to Tony Blair about Britain's restrictive planning rules. The minutes of the meeting, released last month by the Cabinet Office after a direct order from the information watchdog, lay bare the lobbying strategy employed by Wal-Mart before it bought Asda in July 1999. The three-page document exposes the frantic lobbying of a country's leaders that top executives carry out before making a major acquisition.

Mom-and-Pop Shops Disappear As Giant Retail Shops Pop Up :

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/02/123_18403.html

Mom-and-pop shops are disappearing from neighborhoods, losing to cutthroat competition against giant retail outlets and convenience stores. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), huge retail outlets like E-Mart posted sales growth of 9.8 percent last year. Mom-and-pop shops, meanwhile, are seeing sales drop. Small markets below 50 pyeong (165.3 square meters), excluding convenience stores, saw sales decrease of 2.9 percent. They were the only retailers to see sales fall. Losing the competition, these small retailers are disappearing from the market. According to the Bank of Korea, the number of these shops dropped to 585,996 in 2005, from 739,059 in 1995. Another statistic showed that an average 6.3 mom-and-pop shops closed down everyday between 2001 and 2006. The number of convenience stores, meanwhile, surged to 8,855 from 1,557, increasing 20 percent on average every year during the last 10 years. Retail outlets also explosively surged to 316 from mere 25 a decade ago, growing 28.9 percent on average each year.

Retail policy stuck over Rs 16 lakh bill :
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14596372
The Centre's proposed retail policy seems to be stuck over, believe it or not, an uncleared bill of Rs 16 lakh. ICRIER, it seems, will not submit the report till this bill is cleared by the government. The government's objective was to draw up a comprehensive retail policy from the findings of the ICRIER study.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Mumbai Marches on Against Globalisation :
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40953
MUMBAI, Jan 27 (IPS) - There was grim determination on the faces of the 500-strong crowd that marched through the streets of this western port city for the World Social Forum’s Global Day of Action on Saturday.
Defiantly, they carried banners that read ’Another World is Possible". The slogan -- familiar enough in this city which hosted the WSF in 2004 -- has a special ring to it because memories linger of a year-long strike in 1982, by some 250,000 textile mill workers, which failed.
"India's retail sector is facing the onslaught of national and multinational corporations which will lead to the destruction of livelihoods of over 40 million people in the country," said V. Shetty, lawyer and coordinator of India FDI Watch, an organisation spearheading a national campaign against foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector, and the Vyapar Rozgar Suraksha Samiti (Committee for Protection of Livelihoods and Retailers), a coalition of small traders, hawkers and workers.
"Multinational chains have started selling vegetables at predatory prices, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of hawkers who make a subsistence income on this work. And Indian companies like Reliance, Godrej and the Birlas open retail outlets and lure middle-class customers with prices that are below cost, running "Mom and Pop" stores out of business after which they can hike their prices sky high, said Shetty. ''The ground realities are in complete contrast to stated government policies of not allowing FDI in the retail trade. Walmart, the largest company of any kind in the world, is slated for entry into India in 2008, in a joint venture with an Indian company."

Reliance Fresh on Orissa govt watch list :
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Retailing/Reliance_Fresh_on_Orissa_govt_Watch_list/articleshow/2738944.cms
NEW DELHI: Reliance Fresh could be headed for an Uttar Pradesh-like situation in Orissa with the state government learnt to have assured an India FDI Watch delegation that it will re-scrutinise the permission given to Reliance Fresh for opening outlets in Orissa. “We have been assured by a senior state government official that all possible steps would be taken for the rehabilitation of roadside vendors. The permission given to Reliance Fresh for opening outlets would also be scrutinised,†India FDI Watch director Dharmendra Kumar told ET.
India FDI Watch is a national association of small traders that is opposing big and foreign retail players. The Orissa government has, meanwhile, also offered a helping hand to the roadside vendors, notifying specific zones for them across the state.
To start with, 15 such vending zones will be opened in the Cuttack district of Orissa, aimed at rehabilitating roadside vendors, whose business has reportedly suffered major losses due to entry of organised retail players. Reliance Fresh has had a difficult time operating in the state. Even its launch in September last year was marred by violent protests from local traders and the company had to close down its Bhubaneshwar store for a couple of hours on the day of the launch itself.
The state government had also refused to extend any preferential treatment or additional security to the corporate giant.
Farmers urged to come under one umbrella :
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Farmers-urged-to-come-under-one-umbrella/267068/0
The former Union agriculture minister and the CPI leader, Chaturanan Mishra urged the farmers' organizations affiliated to different political parties in country to come under one platform to fight for the just cause. The conference passed a resolution demanding hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy to at least Rs 1000 per quintal and that of paddy and that of wheat to at least Rs 1600 per quintal. It criticised the wheat imports done by the government at higher prices in 2006 and 2007, when ample wheat was available in the country. The government should have purchased wheat from farmers by raising the MSP, instead of buying wheat in the global market at higher prices, it said Expressing concerns over the government's apathy towards the increasing incidences of suicides committed by farmers, the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj president, Krishan Bir Chaudhary demanded reversal of the anti-farmer policies. The resolution criticized the government for opening the doors to the corporate houses and multinationals in Indian agriculture and in the retail chains as this would lead to greater exploitation of farmers. The resolution also called for a ban on futures trading in agro commodities. The resolution also demanded a ban on genetically modified crops. The farmers have suffered huge losses on account of Bt cotton cultivation.

Mom, Pop stores impacted by big retail: ICRIER :
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Mom--Pop-stores-impacted-by-big-retail--ICRIER/266673/

The neighbourhood kirana stores will initially feel the heat with the growth of big super markets and malls, Rajiv Kumar, Director of ICRIER, which has been entrusted with a government study on the impact of organised retail on Mom & Pop stores, said. "Small retailers will be initially impacted by the entry of large scale retail houses. However, the impact is likely to be diluted over a period of time", Kumar said.

Draft Political Resolution For XIX Party Congress :
http://pd.cpim.org/2008/0127_pd/01272008_draft.htm

The Party firmly opposes FDI in retail trade as it will seriously affect the livelihood of millions of shopkeepers and small traders. The entry of big Indian corporates into retail trade has a similar effect. At present there is no law to restrict the entry of corporate sector. Taking advantage of this, companies like Reliance have entered retail trade in a big way. The CPI(M) has set out a policy document for licensing and regulating the entry of corporates in retail trade. Till the Central Government puts in place such a policy, the Left - led governments should take steps to regulate their entry.

Reliance to unveil new speciality format; plans to set up 100 AutoZone stores :
Having already launched its first ˜ AutoZone " in the recently opened Reliance Mart (Hypermarket) at Jamnagar (Gujarat) on the 30th January, Reliance Retail, is ready to rollout a super speciality retail chain of auto stores across the country. Apart from selling auto spares and repairing two wheelers and four wheelers, AutoZone stores will also retail two wheelers and pre-used branded cars.Reliance plans to set up about 100 such AutoZone stores across the country, within a year.

Landmark group to undetake aggressive retail expansion; plans $500 mn. investment in 3 years :
indiaretailbiz.com

Landmark Group, owned by Dubai-based group of NRIs, which currently operates 19 stores under three retail chains across 9 cities in India, according to a Business Standard report, is planning to invest another $500 million in the next three years (by 2010) in the country. The group, in the past 10 years, since 1998, has invested $100 million in the country. Landmark group operates over 650 stores across West Asia, India, China and Spain. Landmark's current operations comprise 13 Lifestyle stores, 5 Home Centre stores and a Babyshop store operating out of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Vashi and Pune.

Reliance could soon foray into travel retail business :
To begin with, before venturing into full fledged travel business, the company would first like to leverage on the domestic and international travel business worth about Rs. 100 crore being generated by the group and on promotional schemes that offer travel related incentives like holidays to its retail customers. The company, incidentally, has already incorporated a subsidiary called Reliance Retail Travel & Forex Services Ltd. The new company appears to have tied up with Indian, the national airline, for up to 30% discount on airfares.

Kamal Nath defends retail FDI policy :
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/02/09/stories/2008020952401000.htm

Bangalore, Feb. 8 The Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, on Friday said that the government will continue to reduce customs duty but it will also ensure that every fiscal policy decision it takes stimulates economic growth. But he defended India’s policy on retail FDI stating that there was a need to protect smaller retail shops and the conditions in the country were different from other countries. "We need to see that the policy does not dislocate small retailers," he told delegates at the India Sourcing Summit.

Birla Retail in talks with farmers' co-ops for direct procurement :
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Birla-Retail-in-talks-with-farmers---co-ops-for-direct-procurement/269189/

Bangalore, Feb 4 Even as India's largest business conglomerate Reliance Industries is facing trouble over its retail venture over procurement of farm products, its competitor Aditya Birla Retail Ltd, the retail arm of the $23-billion Aditya Birla Group, is trying to overcome the hurdles by tying up with farmers' cooperative societies. The company, that has set a target of establishing 1,000-1,500 superMarkets and has earmarked Rs 8,000-9,000 crore in the next five years, is planning to tie-up with cooperatives to procure fresh farm products, vegetables and fruits.

Spencer's first hypermarket in Kolkata launched; plans to invest Rs. 2,500 Cr. in expansion :
Spencer's, among the oldest names in retail sector, threw open the doors of its Hypermarket store on in Kolkata on the 1st Feruary, 2008. The store was opened by the group patriarch R P Goenka. Besides Kolkata, Spencer's also operates hypermarket format stores in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Calicut, Hyderabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Aurangabad and Durgapur. The group is planning to scale up its operations to 52 cities in the coming months.

1. Manager (F&A), Pay Scale : Rs.10000-15525/-, Age : 35 years as on 01/01/08, Qualification : CA/ Cost Accountant or Graduate with SAS of IAAD, Experience : 6 years, out of which 3 years in a responsible position in the field.
2. Asst. Manager (F&A), Pay Scale : Rs.8000-13500/-, Age : 32 years as on 01/01/08, Qualification : CA/ Cost Accountant or Graduate with SAS of IAAD, Experience : 3 years out of which 2 years in a responsible position in the field.
3. Asst. Manager (Systems), Pay Scale : Rs.8000-13500/-, Age : 32 years as on 01/01/08, Qualification : MCA or M.Sc. Computer Science/IT or BE Computer Science/IT, Experience : 3 years out of which 2 years in a responsible position in the field.

How to Apply : Complete applications with all details superscribing the envelope "Post applied for" along with photo copies of testimonials & passport size photograph must reach the following Address

Sr. Manager (Personnel),
The Durgapur Projects Ltd.,
Administrative Building,
Durgapur-713201

The Application Must Reach with in 15 days.

Majitar (East Sikkim), Jan. 7: Alka Singh looked thrilled as she set foot on terra firma after expertly sliding down an eight-storey-high vertical wall with the help of a rope. The amateur rappelling skills of the five-foot-nothing computer applications student from Rajiv Gandhi University in Itanagar were employed to encourage her batch-mates to take part in similar activities.

In all, 83 undergraduates — mostly engineering students but also a few doing their BCom — from different parts of the country are taking part in a unique course on network management and “ethical hacking”. The programme combines academics with white water rafting and training in mountain climbing conducted by instructors from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling.

The 18-day course, organised by Nettech, a Bhubaneswar-based IT consultancy firm, is being held at Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) here.

For most of the students, it was the first time that they climbed up and down a 100ft vertical wall, crossed from the roof of one eight-storeyed building to another about 80ft away using a rope and pulley and drove up to 14,500ft to shake hands with Chinese soldiers at Nathu-la.

“It was very exciting,” Alka said, all smiles and ready for another go at the wall. Three boys, however, needed a lot of persuasion to overcome their fear. But they, too, finally gave it a try.

“The amount of hands-on training that this course offers is quite good. No other course does this,” said Ushashi Chakraborty, a fourth-year computer science student of Futures Institute of Engineering and Management, Kolkata.

Brig. S.N. Mishra, the director of SMIT, inaugurated the course on December 26. “Students from Noida, Manipal, Bhubaneswar, Durgapur and several other places are taking part,” said Swapan Purkait, the founder-instructor of Nettech who started the course four years ago. The participants are selected on first come first served basis and are charged Rs 7,000 each.

Academics, too, were given a lot of importance.

“The training programme is designed to increase the participants’ technical knowledge of Linux-based solutions,” Purkait said.

An interesting facet of the course is knowledge about ethical hacking. “Computers around the world are systematically being victimised by rampant hacking, which is being executed so flawlessly that the attackers compromise the information system, damage the target data and then leave the network without any trace,” said Purkait, who studied BCom before shifting to network security.

To counter this, Nettech has designed a course on “ethical hacking”, which allows participants to work on a simulated network with an internal set-up. “The students design their own networks and test, scan, hack and secure it from attackers. The goal of ethical hackers is to help their organisations take pre-emptive measures against malicious intrusions by attacking the system themselves, all the while staying within legal limits,” the instructor added.

“It’s an awesome course,” said Rajiv Berlia of Siliguri who is now studying IT at Jadavpur University.

Dell began offering consumer systems running Ubuntu in May 2007. Ubuntu’s Gutsy Gibson has been available on laptops since October.

The OEM and laptop testing teams of Dell have been testing the code and hardware drivers for several weeks and are ready to launch the Ubuntu 7.10 Laptop based on the free and open source Ubuntu Linux operating system.

“We believe Ubuntu 7.10 is a solid step forward <span style="font-weight:bold;">for both Linux enthusiasts as well as the mainstream consumer market</span>,” wrote Daniel Judd, Product Group Strategist on the Dell2Dell blog on Tuesday. “The answer is simple. With any operating system, we take gold code and take the time to do extensive testing on our systems to make sure that customers have as few issues as possible.”

Daniel Judd, Dell product manager has cited “cool” 3-D visual effects, easier desktop search for applications and the “ability to quickly switch between users and easily share a system with family members” as key new features of Ubuntu’s 7.10 release. He has also cited two minor Dell developed innovations much in demand by younger generation of laptop users — pre-installation of Flash and improved recovery options — as other significant enhancements for Gutsy Gibbon on Dell consumer PCs.

Judd also one key request was the ability to watch DVD movies from the Dell Linux desktop. “We totally agree and that’s why we now include built-in DVD movie playback with all Ubuntu 7.10 systems.The experience we wanted is simple — when you put a movie in, it plays. It is easy enough for a child and an example of the steps we are taking to make Ubuntu as enjoyable as possible.

Mera wala PRINTER kaun ? Latest, achha aur best printer mere Ubuntu ke liye kaun sa ?

Which printers are recommended for Ubuntu Kubuntu Linux users ?

Kya Linux Ubuntu par tumhara printer theek se chalta hai ?

For the Kanpur Lucknow based users of Ubuntu Linux computers one of the big questions to do some research on before buying a recommended printer from the Computer manufacturers or local assemblers - is whether the PRINTER being suggested works well with UBUNTU / KUBUNTU LINUX for English language printing ?
Please do ASK your computer supplier / manufacturer / local assembler if the printer they are suggesting for you to BUY, supports good black and colour printing with Ubuntu based Debian operating system ?
If the answer is NO - please do NOT buy that printer as it will be worth nothing to you once you buy it.
It is usually best to buy a LOW COST printer with good preloaded Linux Ubuntu DRIVERS.
If you want to check out if the printer which MAY LOOK GOOD but DOES NOT work well with UBUNTU then just tell the computer dealer to keep the printer in cold storage rather than expect you to buy a USELESS printer that you will not know where to DUMP and throw away.
Where to get the LATEST list of MODERN and best printers which work well with UBUNTU and KUBUNTU Linux ?
Check out at - http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

It is very important for Indian computer users to buy only printers which have good Linux printer drivers preloaded. There is NO POINT buying a printer if it does NOT work with Linux.
Do ask your computer dealer this question before buying a computer from them.
There are many reports of printers with a lot of marketing push behind them from computer dealers and manufacturers but that do not support Linux Ubuntu for Indian markets and Indian users.

And then if you ask them one simple question as to why - if when a user in an Indian village wants to download Ubuntu Linux from an Indian server there is no Indian server offering free downloads - they just go suddenly quiet.
How long is this state expected to last ?
Just try going to the Ubuntu Linux download page and see (forget the world) - just check out which Asian countries have servers from which common people can download Ubuntu Linux from.
You will be amazed that all these high flying science and technology bureaucrats of India have not even found the time or the resources to offer a server for simple downloads.
And do you wonder what countries figure there ?
Well certainly not the so called big boss of IT - India. Nor the IT capitalists who profess to be socialists at heart.
There is no NASSCOM there. No IIT. No IIIT. No IIM
Then who is there ? -
Surprise of surprises - China, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Vietnam.
No Indian servers at all from any of the high flying prestigious IT computing hubs sprinkled all over India.
Is this issue symptomatic about ills and achievements of Indian Science and Technology, some fifty years after the dreams of public sector and science and technology revolution in India ?