Agreement
The state government and Wellspun Terry Towel company has shared the cost of a bridge between railway staff quarters and the company premises located in Morai village off the Valsad-Vapi Highway. The government agreed to the company's proposal of sharing the construction cost Rs 50 lakh. The bridge will help about one lakh villagers staying in Dabhel, Kunta, Jarsinh, Bhatar and Morai among other villages. The company has also donated Rs 1 lakh towards the chief minister's Cyclone Relief Fund.

AGM today
The second annual general body meeting of the Surat Round Table-135 will be held on Friday at the Agrawal Samaj Bhavan at 7 pm. The AGM is being held with the induction of new office-bearers for 1998-99. The meeting will be presided over by former president of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while Tilal Vadhwa, Chairman of Area III will be guest of honour.

Contest winners
A total of 38 teams from 55 civic schools participated in the Surat Municipal Corporation-sponsored Alunavrat song competition, at the Katargam community centre, on Tuesday. About 380 children in the age group of 8 to 10 (group A) and 10 to 12 (group-B) took part. In group A, the first prize went to civic school No 19, second prize to school No 20, while the Sarvajanik Prathmik school, Adajan bagged the third prized. Civic school No 172 and 110 were given consolation prizes. In group B, I P Patel girls High School bagged the first prize, while P B Desai Prathamkil school, Rander and civic school No 88 bagged the second and third prizes respectively. President of the cultural committee Beenaben Joshi gave away prizes to winners.

Jagadeesan flayed
Town Planning committee chairman Arvind Rana has criticised Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan for collecting Development Fund from builders. Describing the commissioner's act as illegal, Rana said there was no such provision to collect Development Fund. Rana said while approving plans of builders, who paid development fund, the commissioner had ignored the queries raised by the technical staff of the SMC.

Rats killed
Teams of Surat District Panchayat killed 3,61,000 rats in 603 villages during a special drive from June 5 to 11. Zila Panchayat president Harshadbhai Chaudhary said 124 teams were sent to different talukas, to prevent the possible outbreak of leptospirosis. Villages falling under Olpad, Choryasi, Kamrej, Mandvi, Mangrol, Songarh, Uchchal, Nizar, Bardoli Valod and Vyar talukas were covered in the drive.