Apreda Horizon Feb - March 2012

H O R I Z O N S A P ’s m o s t c r e d i b l e r e a l e s t a t e m a g a z i n e F e b r u a r y - M a r c h 2 0 1 2 1

A P ’ s m o s t c r e d i b l e r e a l e s t a t e m a g a z i n e V o l u m e 2 I s s u e 3 F e b r u a r y - M a r c h 2 0 1 2

ANDHRA PRADESH REAL ESTATEDEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION

R s . 5 0

AP IS BACKIN THE RECKONING

Singapore’s Emeritus Senior Minister Goh

Chok Tong (left), Union Minister of Commerce,

Industry & Textiles Anand Sharma (centre)

and AP Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy at the CII Partnership

Summit 2012 in Hyderabad.


cont

ents

Published by AP Real Estate Developers Association# 102, Tirumala Shah Apartments, Yellareddyguda, Ameerpet ‘X’ Road, Hyderabad - 500 073 Tel : 65572184 , 99898 44467For feedback/suggestions email [email protected]: www.apreda.org

Chalapathi Rao Rayudu,Editorial Advisor

Designed by Gayatri Creations

CII Summit comes as boost for infra sector page-4

APREDA pitches strongly with MHUPA for realtypage-8

What the budget needs to look into page-10

Not just ‘another’ brick in the wall page-12

HYDERABAD realty tees off a success mantra page-14

Good newsin 2012 for city page-16

Golf and lower back painpage-17

Create customised

FLOOR DESIGNSpage-21

Get rid of that uglyBelly page-22

St. Joseph’s Cathedral: mother church of Deccan

page-23

Goa beckons one and allGoa beckons one and allpage-24

Good table mannerspage-26

News page-30

Projects page-34

Get that positive energypage-27

Contents


Cover Story

It was a virtual deluge of investment proposals in Hyderabad last week at the CII Summit. In a development that could well change the fi nancial

landscape of Andhra Pradesh, the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government netted 243 projectsproposed by both State-run and private fi rms, involving a total investment of a whopping Rs 6,47,832 crore during the three-day CII Partnership summit that concluded on January 13, 2012. What is important is that this would open up em-ployment opportunities for about 6.78 lakh people in the State. Infrastructure, tourism and power sectors accounted for a bulk of the proposals. This development has already triggered activities in different sectors, especially the infra and real estate sector. Anticipat-ing a surge in housing demand as these projects get off the ground, real estate players, including some of the top names from Mumbai and Delhi, are putting up a slew of projects on their drawing board. While government-run entities such as NTPC, GAIL and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam showed interest in pumping Rs 1.25 lakh crore in the State that would create 74,000 new jobs, FDIs accounted for Rs 1,00,000 crore worth proposals. A beaming Chief Minister, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy, summed up the situation by stating that “the response has been overwhelming. Now we have to see that these projects are grounded and commissioned in time.” The fact that the Chief Minister means busi-ness was evident when he announced that he will personally monitoring the progress of the projects on a monthly basis. He has also initiated a move to appoint Escort Offi cers for every major project to facilitate their implementation by the promoters. Further, the proposed G2B (Government to Business) portal will be ready in three months, which will also facilitate the investors to get hassle-free

on-line clearances. Of the 243 propos-als, the last day of the summit saw G.O.s being issued to 23 projects involving an investment of Rs 72,000 crore and employment potential of 46,500, which are ready to be grounded. There were 32 projects with investment of over Rs 5,000 crore each, including 19 in the power sec-tor and four (investment Rs 21,100 crore) in the infrastructure sector. Together, these projects have proposed an investment of Rs 3,82,000 crore with an employment potential of 2,20,130.These mega projects include Rs 42,500

crore steel plant by RINL, two Rs 30,000 crore refi neries by GMR Group and BR Shetty Group, Rs 5,500 crore port projects each by Navayuga and Adani group, Rs 18,000 crore wind power project by Suzlon and Rs 20,000 crore power project by NTPC.

Tourism to get a boost Not only infrastructure projects, tourism and hospitality sectors are also poised to get a boost. A total of 12 tourism projects, involving an investment of Rs 1,700 crore and employment potential of 3,250 has

CII Summit comes as shot-iIn the infrastructure sector, there were many port projects, as India’s export-import trade is slated to register a sharp increase in the coming years. The Navayuga Group, which operates the Krishnapatnam port, has proposed an all-weather deep water multipurpose port of 200 million tonne capacity at Machilipatnam in Krishna district. The port will have modern cargo handling facilities to handle container, bulk and general cargoes, including petroleum products and chemicals. “We expect to commence work in the fi rst phase of the project this year and complete it by 2015. The fi rst phase will cater to big vessels of up to 1,00,000 DWT,” a senior offi cial of the company said. The company is also planning to expand the existing Krishnapatnam port, taking ad-vantage of its proximity to the Asia-Pa-cifi c region. It has put up on its drawing board a proposal to develop a container terminal with a berth length of 2,700 metres. “The terminal will be able to handle new generation container vessels without any draught or beam restric-tions. It will have an initial capacity of 3.3 million TEUs,” the offi cial said. The integrated project is expected to

cost Rs 5,500 crore and is expected to be wrapped up by 2013. India’s biggest private port operator, the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group, has proposed a non-major deep water port in the State with an investment of $ 1 billion, which will provide direct employment to 2,000 people and indirect employment to 20,000 people. The company is yet to zero in on a location for the port.Last year, there were reports that Adani was planning to pick up a minority stake in Gangavaram port, operated by the D.V.S. Raju Group. Adani has, however, denied the reports. Another landmark project is Gas Authority of India Ltd’s Rs 5,000 crore LNG terminal. This assumes signifi cance in the light of the ever-growing demand for natural gas and declining production from the KG Basin blocks. The Regas LNG terminal will ensure continuous and adequate supplies to user industries such as power, fertilizer, petrochemicals, glass and ceramic industries. “This project is going to change the profi le of the region and realise gas-driven economy objec-tive of the State Government,” a senior offi cial observed.

Lion’s share for infrastructure projects


Cover Story

been proposed. The biggest of these are the Rs 368-crore eco-tourism project of Malaxmi Indusparks at Meenapally, near Vikarabad, Rs 355 crore mythologi-cal theme park at Tirupati by Vaishnovi Infraventures and Resorts, a Rs 300 crore hotel project in Hyderabad by Varsha Hill-fort Palace, Rs 276 crore medical tourism project by Livlife Hospitals and Rs 100 crore heritage park at Budvel. Hotel Ka-mal Pvt Ltd has put up a unique fl oating restaurant project on Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad.Power projectsA total of 19 mega power projects involv-ing an investment of Rs 3,81,952 crore with employment potential for 2,20,130 has been proposed, which will inject a fresh blast of industrial and economic activity in the State. “It is a matter of time when Andhra Pradesh becomes a power surplus State,” the Chief Minister told me-diapersons at the end of the CII Summit. The biggest projects in the power sector

include the Rs 20,000 crore thermal unit by NPC near Achutapuram, Rs 19,804 crore Vadarevu ultra mega power project, Rs 19,200 crore wind power project (3220 MW) by Vish Wind Infrastructure Ltd, Rs

18,000 crore 3,000 MW wind project by Suzlon Energy, Rs 16,000 crore coal fi re unit by GVK Group, Rs 9,000 crore Ma-nilipatnam unit by NSL, Rs 7,500 crore Welspun’s project in Prakasam district and Rs 5,685 crore gas-based project in Adilabad district by Singareni Colleries. GMR Holdings Pvt Ltd is investing about Rs 33,000 crore for setting up a greenfi eld refi nery-cum-petrochemicals complex and an integrated investment park for creat-ing an ecosystem at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The company signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Government and is expected to commercialise the plant in the next fi ve years. Besides, it is also look-ing at a strategic partner for the refi nery, the company’s Chief Operating Offi cer Mr S G Kishore said.This comes in the wake of ONGC with-drawing from the Kakinada greenfi led petroleum refi nery and petrochemicals project. The GMR Group will pick up the divested stake and will end up being a 51 per cent equity partner in Kakinada Refi nery & Petrochemicals Ltd. IL&FS and Kakinada Sea Port will jointly own 46

-in-arm for Andhra Pradesh

The temple town of Tirupati to get a Rs 355-crore mythological theme park.

The Visakhapatnam port


per cent and Andhra PradeshIndustrial Infrastructure Ltd the remain-ing three per cent. The project involves setting up of a 15-million tpa Greenfi eld petroleum refi nery with a downstream petrochemical complex within a Special Economic Zone. Another notable project coming up in AP is a thermal power plant in the coastal region. According to Mr GV Sanjay Reddy, vice-chairman, GVK group, the investment range is expected to be about Rs 10,000 crore for a 2,400 MW thermal plant. The group is expected to chalk out strate-gies in the next one year towards this project. The BR Shetty group is investing Rs 30,000 crore for a petroleum refi nery in Visakhapatnam even while the Yash Birla group is investing Rs 13,000 crore for a photovoltaic plant through its group company Birla Surya Ltd. Besides, Birla Education Ltd is also investing in integrat-ed education, research and technology by

setting up a sports and Ayurveda complex. Investors cautioned Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, however, had a word of caution for the investors. He denounced the practice by some busi-ness houses of signing an MoU for a project with one State and then using that to re-negotiate a better deal for the same project with another State. He told business houses that entered into MoUs with the State government during the CII Partnership Summit to come out with their requirements and expectations from the government. “We are willing to fulfi l all your requirements. But it is not a good practice to use the MoU (signed with AP Government) for a better bargain with another State,” he told the delegates at the summit. He made this statement in the context of some instances in the past when corporate houses signed agreements with the State Government, but later re-negotiated a different deal for the same project with

another State government. Will power shortage be a constraint in the grounding of these projects? Mr Reddy made it clear that power will not be a constraint for grounding the projects for which MoUs were signed at the Partner-ship Summit.“Even today, we have a generation capac-ity of 15,700 MW, while the peak demand is 13,200 MW. We are expecting the peak demand to go up to 22,200 MW by 2017. There are some problems with hydro units, apartfrom gas shortage,” he told mediapersons. He said power units of total 9,200 MW were under execution by government-run entities, while another 15,000 MW by private fi rms. “It is a matter of time before AP becomes power surplus,” he said. The government and private power producers signed MoUs for a total of 54,000 MW capacity at different places in the State during the summit.

Cover Story

The resplendent Vijayawada highway


Real estate regulator

To give all the stakeholders in the re-alty sector some heartening news, APREDA took the lead in ap-

proaching the Ministry of Housing and Ur-ban Poverty Alleviation (MHUPA), Gov-ernment of India, with regard to projecting the viewpoints of the sector on the Draft Regulatory Bill and removing many mis-givings on this front. An APREDA com-mittee comprising its vice-president Mr R Chalapathi Rao, Adviser Mr G Haribabu and Ch BS Subrahmanyam (GC member of NAREDCO) put together suggestions to be put forward to NAREDCO. Mr Bha-warlal Jain, executive vice-president of APREDA participated in the stakeholders meeting convened by MHUPA on January

11, 2012, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The participation was highly successful and the viewpoints appreciated. He also attended the governing council meeting of NAREDCO on the same evening and con-veyed the APREDA members’ concerns on the issue. The key issues which APREDA and the various stakeholders forcefully put across are listed below.

1) First was the provision that the reg-ulatory bill should be applicable only for projects of 10,000 sq. metres and above.

2) There should be a provision to al-low advertising of the project before ob-taining permission. This will facilitate

awareness about the project so that the prospective buyers can wait for the ap-proval to come before booking any unit. Without any time line for according sanc-tion/permit imposing such restrictions will stifl e the developers, they said.

3) The Real Estate Regulatory Bill encompasses in its discipline not only developers, but also others such as en-gineers, architects, real estate agents and so on. Its vast coverage must commensu-rate with the time of submission. Hence the Ministry is requested to extend the last date of submission of the response to the draft bill to March 31, 2012, because the draft bill will have far-reaching im-plications for developers as well as other stakeholders of the real estate sector. This will provide adequate time to all to go into all aspects of the draft bill and assist the government to enact the Real Estate Bill which is in the interests of the realty sector and all its players and ben-efi ciaries.

4) The Draft Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Bill, 2011, in its current form, projects developers as criminals. The sector, which enjoys the second place in India in the Industry rating, is getting raw treatment through this bill.

The draft bill has penal provisions, which contemplates criminal action, includ-ing imprisonment. No other business in India has been specifi cally sought to be controlled under an act with such tough imprisonment.

Any misdemeanour in other sectors by the promoters is governed under the general laws of the country, and so far criminal punishment has not been meted out to any of the other sectors or indus-try. The legal implication of each clause in the draft needs to be understood fully by the entire affected stakeholders with proper legal advice. 5) The draft bill threatens to give a mortal blow to the developers’ basic right of cancellation of the allotments in the event of a default in payment by the

APREDA pitches strongly with Ministry of Housing for realty

Mr. Bhawarlal Jain presenting APREDA’s viewpoints at the meeting convened by MHUPA at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi.


Real estate regulator

allottees in accordance with the terms of an agreement in as much as that the act obliges the developer to refund the mon-ey collected along with interest. Devel-opers are not banks and the money goes into the land and building and cannot be retrieved so easily. Therefore, opportu-nity should be given for resale to be able to refund the money.

The draft bill while obliging the devel-opers to keep their commitments with regard to the terms of allotments to al-lottees, has totally kept them away from their accountability and commitments to the developers in terms of the allot-ment agreements. Defaulting customers should be made accountable in some way.

Cancellation is the only available instru-ment with the developer which deters buyers from defaulting on payment. If this provision of cancellation is diluted and the buyers are eligible for full refund with interest, why would anyone pay? The bill unjustly grants immunity, pro-vides security and encourages custom-ers not to pay and has in fact created a fi nancial instrument to speculate on the realty prices.It is inconceivable how the government could guarantee full refund with interest even if the customers do not pay their in-stalments on time. Needless to say, when some customers do not pay, the construc-tion gets stalled, affecting interests of all those who pay on time.The bill in its present form has several such grave conditions that petrifi es the realty community. Hence, it is not ac-ceptable.6) The Real Estate Regulatory Bill obligates the developers to form societ-ies/associations of the residents or allot-tees for handing over the management of maintenance of buildings. Despite the implementation of the Apartment Act, on the one hand, and indifference of Land and Development Offi ce, as competent authority, on the other, management of maintenance function continues to re-main with the developers even as they

are keen to hand over the maintenance to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

There is no provision in the act to levy penalty on allottees who refuse to be-come members of society/association. The bill also does not provide penalties for non-payment of any maintenance dues -– past, present and future by the allottees/residents/occupants, with the result that the buildings do not get main-tained as per plans. There is a need for levying strict penalties on allottees to se-cure timely payments for planned main-tenance.

7) Arbitration mechanism through the Chambers or the Indian Arbitration and Reconciliation is completely eliminated nor is it mentioned (Arbitrator to resolve the dispute fi rst and then refer to Tribu-nal). 8) The consumer has the right to ap-proach, before the regulatory authority, civil courts, consumer courts, Competi-tion Commission of India (CCI), High Court, etc. (multiple litigation) which needs to be restricted to a single regu-latory authority and no other forum till directed to do so.

9) The undivided share in a large layout is not specifi ed which will prejudice the rights of the developer on the remaining development.

10) For consumers who do not pay on time, and no specifi c action specifi ed by the authority, how will the authority compensate the developer?

11) For consumers who undertake struc-tural changes without permission or such activities, will these fall within the juris-diction of the regulatory authority?

12) All stakeholders in real estate de-velopment, including local authority, governments playing role in NoCs and approvals, vendors, banking institutions should be covered under this regulation and regulator should be able to direct them and penalize them in case of de-

fault.

13) All transactions between a client and promoter above an amount of Rs.10 crore/or 10% of project cost decided pri-or to commencement of work should be kept outside the purview of this act.

14) If the purchaser carries out addition-al/alteration to the fl at/unit in violation of the approved plans and/or without the permission of the developer caus-ing leakages, electrical short circuit or fi re, damage to structure, stability of the building, etc. and who does not coop-erate to comply or refuses to correct or demolish such illegal construction and/or rectify such leakages and/or damage to the construction, then such purchaser should be heavily penalised/prosecuted with equally deterrent clauses.

15) Customers must comply with the terms of agreement; otherwise they should be made accountable as the mis-conduct of some of the customers might affect the larger interests of the com-plex/project/ ability of the developer to deliver as per schedule, quality & com-mitment. Authority must act to modify archaic bylaws, acts and controls of FAR/ Den-sity/Land controls to ensure free and adequate supply of housing & other real estate and discourage land hoarding by government authorities and land own-ers falling under master plans so that the cheaper, affordable and competitive sup-plies can be maintained and speculation discouraged.

Authority should also be able to direct augmentation of infrastructure to author-ities and corporations, commensurate with the free supply of housing stock for mass housing.

Meanwhile, the MHUPA Minister’s Secre-tary reacted to APREDA’s position in the right spirit and gave an indication to allow (point no. 2) advertisements for developers ahead of announcement of the project for Market Survey and Brand Building.


One of the sectors, which has been severely impacted by the global economic downturn has been the

Indian real estate sector. In the past 1 to 2 years, the sector has experienced a liquid-ity crunch coupled with a slowdown in demand. Though in the past month or so, there have been some signs of a revival, there is a clear need for the government to provide an impetus to the sector to put it back on the path of growth.

A. HOUSING THE POOR/AFFORD-ABLE HOUSINGTo meet the shortage of affordable hous-ing and to meet RAY/JNNURM objec-tives there is a need to further incentiv-ise developers to take up projects in this category.1) The annual income limit criteria for allotment of the constructed EWS/LIG units to buyers should be removed. If necessary, other criteria such as those living in slums or migrants to urban ar-eas may be introduced.2) There should not be any coercive provisions like compulsory reserva-tions/ construction of EWS/LIG units in the projects taken up by developers in private/ patta lands. These provisions introduced in Andhra Pradesh vide G.O.45 dated January 2011 has stalled all new projects resulting in short sup-

ply and increase in prices, particularly in core areas of the cities.3) There should not be any more levies or taxes or provisions like the proposed “shelter fee” and “cross-subsidy” etc as they would enhance unit cost making housing unaffordable to more and more families.4) Some of provisions/incentives under the housing schemes like compulsory construction/reservation of EWS/LIG units and granting of higher FSI/FSA in affordable housing schemes will di-rectly increase the population density in the projects/areas and indirectly defeat the noble intent of de-congesting the cit-ies. As such, the projects coming up in

the core areas of the cities should be ex-cluded from such provisions. However, if this is avoidable, higher FSI/FSA may be granted in suburban and peri-urban areas.

B. TAXATION OF REAL ESTATE SECTOR5) To encourage the construction indus-try capital goods for construction should be exempted from special additional duty (SAD) and excise duty should be reduced to 4%.6) In all the industries there is only VAT and service tax and the benefi cial system of credit for each stage of sale. However, for the real estate sector in ad-

What the budget needs to look intoA committee of APREDA compris-ing its executive vice-president, Mr Bhawarlal Jain, vice-presi-dent, Mr R.Chalapathi Rao, and Chief Coordinator Vijaya Sai has requested NAREDCO to forward the following suggestions to the Central government for consider-ation in the budget for 2012.

Economy


Economy

dition to VAT and service tax there is the burden of registration charges, that too at every stage(i) when the developer purchases the land (ii) when he sells the constructed units and(iii) when the buyer leases out the unit and there is no benefi t of credit for each stage of sale. Therefore, the system of credit of registration charges for each stage of sale should be introduced.7)If and when the GST is introduced registration charges should be merged into the GST regime.8) Service tax on renting of immovable property should be abolished. The states are already charging property tax. Also the property tax on commercial/offi ce space is 2 to 3 times more than residen-tial properties. In fact the GHMC Act provides for collection of property tax up to to 30% (3.5 months rent) of the annual rent.9) Encourage States to limit/reduce total registration charges (stamp duty, trans-fer of property tax, registration fee and etc) to 5% of sale consideration. The existing guidelines speak of stamp duty alone.

C. DIRECT TAXES10) Personal income tax exemption lim-it be enhanced to Rs. 3 lakh per annum. It will have a positive impact on the real estate sector.11) Increase deduction available under Section 24 (b) of I-T Act to Rs 300,000 from current limit of Rs 150,000 for self occupied houses.12) The unit cost limit of Rs.25 lakh un-der priority sector home lending scheme be raised to Rs. 35 lakh. The housing loan limit under this category be also raised to Rs.25 lakh from the current Rs 15 lakh. Similarly, the interest subven-tion should be raised to 2% from the present 1%.

13) Increase basic exemption limit un-der provisions of Wealth tax Act to Rs 50 lakh from the existing limit of Rs 30 lakh keeping in perspective the overall increase in prices of property, etc.

D. FINANCING OF REALTY PROJ-ECTS14) Withdrawal of advisory of caution against real estate lending to banks.15) Roll over of realty project fi nance loans or restructuring to be allowed on the lines of infrastructure projects.16) Risk weightage, which is currently 1.25 times be brought down on a par with infrastructure projects.17) Residential projects to be specially sub-classifi ed under commercial real es-tate and banks be advised to give them priority.18) External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) to be allowed in all spheres of housing and real estate development. Real Estate Mutual Fund (REMF)/Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). REMF approved by SEBI should be encour-aged. In addition, REITs should also be encouraged and necessary guidelines fi nalized at the earliest. These together will boost supply of fund to housing and real estate sector and enable equity par-ticipants reap the fruits of high yielding real estate sector.19) Service tax provisions to be amend-ed so that no service tax should be lev-ied, in case of pre-construction sale of residential complex where the seller and the buyer enter into an ‘agreement to sell’. Similar clarifi cation to be issued for pre- construction sale of commercial complex also. Service tax on renting im-movable property should be abolished.20) Thrust should be given to construc-tion fi nance or project fi nance with lib-eral terms for projects. Though we are contributing a lot in terms of taxes, this sector is neglected completely in terms of extending support.

21) SBI is extending 0.25% interest concession and processing fee waiver for Green Buildings. All the other hous-ing fi nance companies should extend the same type of facilities for Certifi ed Green Buildings by IGBC.

E. SECTORAL REFORMS22) Industry status to real estate devel-opment should be given on a par with in-dustry. Industry status will bring about a major transformation in the outlook and nature of the sector. It will boost invest-ment, attract large companies and most importantly inculcate corporate culture and industrial discipline, which will im-mensely benefi t the economy in general and consumers in particular. Industry status will also help the sector access bank lending at average interest rates at low collateral as against high risk rates prevailing at present. The real estate sector has been demand-ing ‘Infrastructure Status’ to real estate. The Finance Minister should consider the same now.23) Real estate sector must get the res-toration of Section 80 IB of income tax in respect of residential units measuring less than 1,500 sq ft area.24) In addition to lowering of interest rates, some of the measures that should be adopted for infusing liquidity in the sector are re-introduction of ‘Tax pass through’ status to domestic venture cap-ital funds investing in real estate, plac-ing real estate mutual funds on the same footing as equity oriented funds from an income tax perspective, extending ex-ternal commercial borrowing scheme to the Indian real estate sector.25) Some concrete steps to be taken to encourage rental housing.26) Single window permissions be in-troduced for building/lay-out permits/li-cences to avoid cost overruns. Similarly, all fee be consolidated and paid at one point.


AAC block possesses better sound insulation (without an echo) than red

bricks

Aerocon block is extremely light, just one-third the weight of clay bricks and much easier to handle on the site. Aerocon block covers the same area as that of 14 clay bricks, enabling faster construction, resulting in saving of labour, time and material. Aerocon’s excellent thermal properties help in saving recurring costs of heating and cooling. It is fi re and moisture resistant. It has exceptional good workability. These blocks confi rm to ISI/BSI standards which are the best in the world. The blocks also save the cost of plastering.

Technology

Bricks are the key components which determine the life of any structure. With the advent of

new technologies, the conventional red bricks are being gradually replaced with more eco-friendly and lightweight bricks. Aerocon bricks or Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (often shortened to ‘AAC’) are effective concrete slabs with lots of closed air pockets in them. These are ideal substitutes for traditional clay bricks and hollow concrete blocks used for the con-struction of walls. The basic raw materials used in the production of Aerocon blocks are cement, fl yash, lime and water. These

blocks are in the range from a thickness of 75 mm to 200 mm, respectively. They can also be made to the required size. Aerocon blocks can be plastered, painted, drylined or tiled. Aerocon’s micro cellular structure incorporates millions of pockets of trapped air which gives it the character-istic lightweight, high thermal insulation and excellent frost and water resistant features. Aerocon HQ Blocks (autoclaved aerated concrete blocks) are widely used in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.They are not only lightweight but energy effi cient too and are produced by adding

Not just ‘another’ brick in the wall


a foaming agent to concrete in a mould, then wired, cutting blocks or panels from the resulting ‘cake’, and ‘cooked (curing) with steam (autoclaving). AAC is well known as an environmentally-friendly construction material. It is manufactured from common and abundant natural raw materials and the fi nished product is up to twice the volume of the raw materials used, making it extremely resource-effi -cient and environmentally friendly. The energy consumed in the production process is only a fraction compared to the production of other materials. The manufacturing process emits no pollutants

and creates no by-products or toxic waste products. AAC is a load-bearing block, which also provides thermal and sound in-sulation as well as fi re protection, thereby eliminating the need for many different layers of materials. The workability of AAC helps eliminate waste on the jobsite. The use of AAC can reduce indoor air pollutants. AAC is com-pletely inert and does not emit toxic gases, even when exposed to fi re. There are other important distinguishing properties too, which differentiate AAC blocks from the conventional red bricks. The AAC block is stronger and possesses better compres-

sive strength than the red brick. They can be used as an ideal heat insulator six times better than the red brick and 2–4 times lighter than the red brick, which helps protect and save the structure. Heat prevention in summer, energy consumption from using air conditioning can be saved up to 60%. The blocks can be nicely plastered without causing any crack problems. Only 10 mm of plaster thickness is required which helps reduce plaster mortar usage up to 60%. They can be easily cut and can be rapidly laid since it is three times larger than red brick and resist fi re for longer than four hours.

Parameters AAC Blocks Bricks

1 Saving in steel 15-20% No saving in steel2 Quality Uniform Quality due to mass production in the factory Non-Uniform Quality3 Compressive strength 30-35 Kg/cm2 20-25 Kg/cm24 Cement Consumption Less consumption of mortar due to fl at More consumption of cement due to surfaces. uneven surfaces Column & beam size reduced and so less concrete is required No saving in concrete5 Labour required Less labour required More labour required6 Sizes availabe Available in sizes of 3”, 4”, 5”, 6” 8”,9” Available in 4”, 6”, 8” & 9” thickness thickness 7 Carpet area More carpet area is availabe in same built-up Less carpet area available due to more width of walling area due to less widths of walling 8 Construction time Speedy construction due to its big size Slow construction due to small size9 Chemical composition Flyash used app. 60 % which reacts with Soil is used which contains many inorganic impurities like binders (lime & cement) to form AAC which sulphates, etc which is an inert material results in effl orescence10 Energy saving 30 % (app.) i.e air-condition load both heating and cooling will come down. No saving11 Additional properties 1. Lightweight (Density 650 Kg/m3). Ideal for adding storeys to existing old building. A boon for increased FSI and TDR benefi ciaries.Reduces dead weight on the foundations and structural members. Thus economy in constructions ------------- 2. Highly insulating ( K value: 0.16 W/(mK). Therefore saves 25% cost of installation and also recurring cost of electrical charges. 0.81W/(mK) 3. Highly fi re-resistant and incombustible (4 Hrs for 150 mm AAC Block 2 Hrs 4. Sound absorption : Absorbency of airborne ------------- sound for 4” is 39-40 db. Helps to cut off sounds. Less sound pollution.

Technology


Project features

A home with a golf course view seems to be the latest fad within the city’s real estate sector. Hoping to

lure the rich and mighty to their far-fl ung projects on Hyderabad’s outskirts, several major developers with a suffi cient land bank are now taking to residential-cum-golf course ventures. On the Srisailam highway alone there are at least two such under-construction tee-ing arenas currently, which are in addi-tion to the few spread across areas such as Gachibowli and Shadnagar.This is a smart marketing module, say industry observers about this fast-growing trend, pointing out how these back-of-the-beyond ventures are making desperate attempts to win custom-ers with this concept. These villas would have failed to fi nd buyers had it not been for the sprawling, lush-green golfi ng zones, which are a hit with the well-heeled swish set nowadays, said an industry source.Not surprising then that MAK Projects, almost three years after it launched its Banyan Tree Retreat along the Srisailam highway,is now creating a nine-hole exec-utive golf course, exclusively for residents of this gated community. For the same rea-

son perhaps, even Aliens Group that has a 1,200-acre high-end project planned along this stretch is aggressively marketing the 27-hole signature golf course expected to be part of this soon-to-start venture.And despite the distance (over 50 km) from the core city limits, these villa projects are fl aunting an expensive price tag, thanks to the prim and verdant golf courses. What could have been available for a few lakhs sans the teeing zones, are now selling for nothing less than Rs 1 crore, say indus-try sources. In fact,the Aliens Hub (upcom-ing project) when completed, is even slated to have independent homes worth as much as Rs 7 crore!This valuation is largely rooted in the put-ting area being provided within the residen-tial project, said a city realtor explaining how these courses were being incorporated for long-term returns. Now they are fetch-ing a high selling price. Soon these clubs will be thrown open to the public and developers will charge an exor-bitant membership fee. And considering the rising demand for this game, which has become a status symbol now, there will be no dearth of takers, the realtor said.

What is also expected to work for projects mushrooming along this highway is their proximity to the healthcare centre coming up near Shamshabad. More professions-las from the health industry are expected to buy property here in the future, note observers. Already MAK Projects has numerous doctors as customers, but those developing these premium properties, pre-dictably, claim that it is not the golf courses alone that are working for them.MAK Projects says that the golf course was not part of their plan initially, but they developed it not because they did not have takers but because there was a huge demand for the golf course among their existing buyers. Also, people who have the money now want to live in a serene environment, said Samuel John Varghese, director (Strategy) of Aliens Group, ex-plaining the reason behind the fi rm’s latest venture. Considering the fl ood of enquiries about the project, Varghese is confi dent that the venture, despite its high price, will see a good run in the market.

(As told to TOI by Nasir Ali Khan, Man-aging Director, MAK Projects Pvt. Ltd.)

HYDERABAD HYDERABAD realty tees off a realty tees off a success mantra success mantra


MAR

KET

RATE

SLocality Price (Rs/Sq.Ft.)

Attapur 2800-3100A S Rao Nagar 3000-3200Barkatpura 4500-4800Bachupally 1500-2100Bandlaguda 2000-2200Banjara Hills 5800-7000Barkatpura 4500-4800Bollaram 2000-2200Chintal 1800-2000Domalguda 3500-4500East Marredpally 4200-5000Erragadda 3000-3800Gachibowli 3500-4500Hi-Tech City/Madhapur 3500-4500

Habshiguda 3000-3500Hyderguda 3000-3500Hasmathpet 2300-2800Hydernagar 2500-2800Jeedimetla 1800-2100Jamai Osmania 2300-2500Jubilee Hills 6800-7800JNTU Road/Kukatpalli 3000-3800Kondapur 2500-3800Lingampalli 2000-3400LBNagar 2500-2800Marredpally (Secunderabad) 3400-4300Mehdipatnam 3000-4200Nampally 2800-3900

Property Rates


Realty trends

Hyderabad continues to be a fa-voured destination for home buy-ers and is ranked among the fi ve

preferred cities in the country for 2012. A survey conducted by the real estate portal ‘Makaan.com’ has found Hyderabad in the company of Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore as preferred investment desti-nations. The initiative ‘Property Trends 2012’, among other things, has sought to identify the choice of the city for making a real estate purchase in the year 2012 and Hyderabad with 7 per cent found a place in the top fi ve. While metro cities continued to attract ma-jority of buyers with 78 per cent of con-sumers surveyed making them as their preference, Mumbai has been considered the most sought after location for real es-tate investment over next year with 34 per cent preference from home buyers. It was followed by Delhi (18 per cent), Pune (10 per cent), Bangalore (9 per cent) and Hy-derabad (7 per cent). While these emerged as key real estate investment destinations

for 2012, beyond these fi ve cities pref-erences came for Chennai (6 per cent), Ahmedabad (4 per cent) and Kolkata (3 per cent). A considerable chunk of home buy-ers across the country who took part in the survey expect the home loan interest rates to fall in 2012. REPO rateMakaan.com points out that in the recent past, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the benchmark REPO rate 13 times and home buyers seem to believe that the RBI was at the end of the interest rate increase cycle. In its own take, the portal expects that the RBI will maintain the rate at the current levels till February-March 2012 and announce rate softening post af-ter that. The meltdown of 2008 and early 2009 saw the property prices correct by 25 per cent to 30 per cent in major cities and post-meltdown saw a very smart recovery with prices reaching their earlier levels. On the pricing forecast, an overwhelming 34 per cent expect a price correction up to 10 per cent and 9 per cent believe that the

property prices will increase up to 10 per cent and another 10 per cent believethem to increase more than 10 per cent in the coming years. “The property prices will remain range bound till the fi rst half of 2012 with a slight negative bias. We are expecting a demand revival during July-September 2012 period which will lead to hardening of property prices in the second half of 2012,” Makaan.com observed. The other aspects of home buying had 29 per cent wishing for an increase in income tax exemption limit, on repayment of inter-est on home loan, from the current 1.5 lakh to 3 lakh per annum. Another advice from home buyers is to resolve the constant con-fl ict of super area vs. carpet area and 27 per cent wanted developers to charge on the carpet area rather than the super area.End-users The forecast opines that end-us-ers demand will drive the property market in the year 2012 and buyers are confi dent of making a property purchase with some help in the form of price correction and softening of home loans.

Good news in 2012 for city


Leisure

Golf is one of the favourite sports of jet-setting businessmen, top of-fi cials, captains of industry, cor-

porate honchos, and political bigwigs in Western countries, the US and Japan. A very sophisticated game which is mostly confi ned to the creme de la creme of soci-ety, golf is played in a relaxed atmosphere in the verdant greens. However, like any other sport, golf can produce common inju-ries to the lower back caused due to muscle strains and sprains. Why is lower back pain common among golfers. This is primarily because the swinging movement, while golfi ng, which leads to trauma to the body (lower back). The reasons for this trauma are: Lack of exercise Poor posture at play Improper body mechanics Wrong techniques & faulty body move-ments Muscle strain Ligament sprain Muscular weakness Joint & disc diseases

Lifestyle, i.e. smoking, excessive body weight, mental stress Improper footwearOverstrainCommon injuries in lower back Lumbar strain Lumbar disc prolapse Lumbar spondilytis Lumbar spondolosis Lumbar spondolosysis Lumbar spondolysthisesPrecautions & preventionsBefore playing a game of golf it is impor-tant to warm up and do some stretching ex-ercises. Lower back muscles such as exten-sor muscles and erector muscles should be strengthened isometrically. A proper pos-ture and techniques should be adopted.Appropriate footwear should be used and most importantly, stress and strain should be avoided.TreatmentMost commonly found lower back pain condition among golfers is lumbar strain.In this condition, the patient should take complete rest. For 0 to 3 days during the

acute phase ice treatment is recommended. During the 0 to 5 days phase of sub-acute condition ice treatment should be adopted.In the 0 to 7 days chronic phase, hot water fermentation should be adopted if pain is not under control. Electrotherapy treatment such as interfrequential (IFT), ultrasound and shortwave diatheramy (SWD) can also be used.Even after this if the patient com-plains of pain then the condition requires investigations such as X-ray and MRI scan. After seven days, gradual active move-ments such as strengthening exercises of extensor and erector muscles should be undertaken. Finally, after two weeks, reha-bilitation training and fi tness exercises are recommended.

Dr. M.MANJUNATH(B.P.T, PG Dip. sports

medicine)The writer is a physio-

therapist withVivekananda Hospital, Begumpet, and canbe reached on 040-66735555, 9849469102

[email protected]

Golf and lower back pain


APREDA Diary

B o n h o m i e a n d c h e e r m

1) APREDA members at the NAREDCO meeting at Jaipur.2) Horizons being released at the November monthly meeting.3) Chief Mentor Mr Muralimohan presenting a memento to Mr Gopalakrishna, APREDA Secretary.4) Founder president of APREDA Col. (Retd.) Narne Ranga Rao at the meeting.5) Col (Retd) Ranga Rao presenting a memento to Mitesh Kulkarni of Mantri Developers.

1

2 3

4 5


APREDA Diary

m a r k m o n t h l y m e e t i n g s

1) Vertex Homes MD VVR Varma and APREDA offi ce-bearers at the December monthly meeting, where a presentation was made on the regulatory bill. 2) Members are all attention at the presentation.3) APREDA secretary GVR Ravi and CP Prabhakar Rao, legal adviser, at the meeting. 4) G. Haribabu of Lahari Resorts giving the presentation on the regulatory bill. 5) APREDA treasurer K. Rajeshwar raising a point at the meeting.

1 2

3 4

5


K n o w l e d g e s h a r i n g w i t h a p u r p o s e

1) Members fl ipping through the APREDA diary at the governing council meeting held on January 10. 2) Sridhar Reddy and Sunil Chandra Reddy at the meeting. 3) Chief Coordinator Vijaya Sai raising a point. 4) APREDA president P. Prem Kumar welcoming AV Bhide and VVLN Sarma to the meeting. 5) Members heralding in 2012 in style.

1 2

3 4

5

APREDA Diary


Interiors

Alok Goyal

Mosaico is an art of creating designs with small pieces of various materials like ceramic and vitrifi ed tiles, stones, marble or any other material. Mosaic tiles are

really a form of art that was developed over4,000 years ago and was most noticeably used by the Romans who were experts at creating fantastic mosaic art.Today, most home owners are aware and familiar with Mosaic tiles and many homes have them on their walls in kitchens and bathrooms. Mosaic tiles can be used as little or as much as you like and there really is no set pattern to using them, in fact home owners can have a lot of fun creating Mosaic tile art. Whether indoors or outdoors, even a modest application of mosaic work can enliven an environment with vibrant colour and a rich textual element, which makes it the fi rst choice of design-savvyhome owners. If you haven’t used mosaic tiles before, it is al-ways wise to select areas in the room where you can experiment with mosaic tiles. Shower rooms are a great place to experiment and mosaic tiles can be used in the showers wheredifferent colours, styles and materials can be used to really brighten up the room and create a unique design.Mosaic tiles are also great for the kitchen where they can be used on backsplash areas and even on the kitchen fl oor. Mosaic tiles can be used in a disorganized fashion by blending differ-ent colours or materials together or they can be used in a more organised form where small mosaic tiles are used to create a large image or picture. Glass is a popular material used in mosaic tiles and this works really well in bathroom areas where they will refl ect the light and make the room look larger. Mosaic tiles work really well on backsplash areas and in and around bath areas where real focal points can be made. Home owners are now experimenting with new and unique designs of their own and it can be fun and really productive to create a style and design for the bathroom or kitchen. The most important aspect of any tiling job, especially when you are experimenting, is to confi ne the mosaic tiles to a small area

and if it works, you can then expand the design to other places in the room. Mosaics can be laid on vertical surfaces such as a wall, a panel or even on furniture, where the use of adhesive is recom-mended. After the mosaics are set, the joints need to be fi lled with grout. It is important to wipe off the excess grout before it settles on the surface of the tile. We also recommend the use of sealants on the most unpolished surfaces like stone or marble. This not only enhances the colour but also protects the surface from stain. The maintenance of mosaics is simple. Just wipe off the surface with a damp cloth and make sure not to use acids or any strong chemicals to clean the surface. Variation in colour and texture and even the unfi nished look of the small chips are an inherent property of this form of art. This fi eld is limitless!

The writer is CEO, Nitco LtdCourtesy:DNA Property

Bring the magic ofmosaic tiles to yourhome surfaces

Create customisedFLOOR DESIGNS


Fitness

A paunch or a pot belly not only has any tak-ers in the world of glamour, it is equally looked down upon in normal, day-to-day

life. It has been proved that belly fat puts you at high risk for many dangerous diseases and must be addressed on priority. Getting a toned body is hard work that requires dedication and commit-ment. And the one area people complain most about is the abdomen. While cosmetic concerns are the primary reason most people do hundreds of crunches and avoid foods that add to the tum-my, there are greater health repercussions associ-ated with a big belly. Which is why the belly has always been considered one of the unhealthiest spots to have excess fat on the body.Why is belly fat bad?Most people are not aware of the health hazards that high fat on the abdomen poses. Many ex-perts believe that having a heavy belly is actually more hazardous then being obese or overweight. Accumulation of “abdominal fat” leads to an in-creased waist size. Abdominal fat is popularly known as central obesity or belly fat. It is very important to know that the larger the waistline, the more you are at risk of developing a harmful disease. The human body accumu-lates two types of fats on the abdominal area. ‘Subcutaneous fat’ is located beneath the skin and muscle fat. More dangerous is ‘vis-ceral fat’, which is stored deep inside the abdominal area between the internal organs and chest.The reason this is more harmful than subcutaneous fat is because it releases more infl ammatory molecules on a regular basis, which can increase the danger of cardiovascular disease, high blood pres-sure, diabetes, cancer and sleep apnea.Ideal measurementsThe Body Mass Index popularly known as “BMI” is one of the popular tools used to measure body fat. However, the size of the waist gives a clearer idea of “belly fat”. Experts suggest that women should keep their waist measurement below 80 cm (31.5 inches), and men below 90 cm (35.5 inches). Beyond those measurements, you then fall into the category of suffering from abdominal fat, one that needs to be dealt with on a priority basis.Getting rid of that paunch or a heavy belly calls for an immediate change in lifestyle. The key to weight loss is a combination of a well-designed exercise programme and healthy and nutritious diet. Crash diets are an absolute no-no. Remember, fat accumulated on the abdomen is stubborn. Routine exercises and crunches often

don’t make a great difference. One has to do specifi c exercise, spe-cially meant for cutting fat on the belly. Andit is also important to work out regularly for a while before you actually see any difference. So keep at it, and don’t give up if you don’t see instant results. The other change you can make is to your diet.Foods that increase belly fat include: trans fats, found in many processed foods like biscuits, pizzas and many bakery products. Sugar, found in chocolates and soft drinks, simple carbohydrates found in refi ned wheat, white rice and fast foods, creamy foods.Instead, consider adding these to your diet plan as they actually help in burning belly fat: Olive oil,almondsoatseggsdals and beans like rajmawhole grainsgreen vegetablesslim milk and yogurttea -- black and greenIt is never too late to work on the excess fat accumulated on your abdomen. So before it brings you close to life-threatening diseases wake up and get rid of that belly!

Get rid of that ugly Belly


Heritage

A lane off the b u s t l i n g main road

reveals a tranquil place of worship – the magnifi cent St.Joseph’s Cathe-dral in Gunfound-ry in the majestioc city of Hyderabad

with a rich tapestry of history and tradition. Fr Barbero, the Vicar Apostolic of Hyderabad, in 1869, enjoyed the favour of then Prime Minister, Nawab Asman Jah, and subsequently an extensive plot of land in Kotha Basti Chad-erghat, now Gunfoundry, was bought by Fr A Togliabue to house a school, convent and church. The foundation of the church was laid on 18th March 1870 and the church was opened for worship on Christmas day in 1875. Pope Leo XIII notifi ed St Joseph’s Church to be the cathedral of the Hyder-abad Diocese on 17th March 1887. The predominance of Italian architecture is evident in the church and its baroque fa-çade has a dramatic intensity, which adds immensely to its appeal and distinctiveness. Baroque architecture was initially linked to the Counter-Reformation, a movement within the Catholic Church and its embel-lishments are indicative of the wealth and power of the Church. The twin towers and façade were completed in 1892 and the fi ve bells in the belfry tower were imported from Italy and installed in 1892. Till about 20 years ago, the bells could be heard afar when they were rung before mass. How-ever today, the sweet chimes are no lon-ger heard in the din of traffi c and the sur-rounding concrete jungle. The bells were rung differently to communicate different messages to people such as announcing a death or alerting people of a forthcoming storm! All the fi ve bells are rung only on important feast days, Christmas and Easter. These bells are tuned to musical notes and ‘Ave Maria’ can be played with them. The building and arches are made of gran-ite stones with an exterior of lime, except

the roof. The original roof was made of zinc sheets with mortar and lime but has been replaced with concrete. However, the same slant has been maintained, thus re-taining the original look. Extensive reno-vation work was performed on the roof and interior of the structure between 2004 and 2008 which saw a beautiful six-foot-high (1.8 m) granite wainscot being added to the cathedral sanctuary walls and column bases as well as new granite fl ooring. The main worship area is large and can accommodate 500 people at a time. The crucifi x at the altar is unique because the fi gure of Jesus Christ is made of a single piece of wood except for the arms which were attached. An interesting fact is that till 50 years ago, the priest faced the altar dur-ing worship unlike the present where the priest faces the congregation. Similarly, the choir no longer sits on the balcony above the worship areabut facing the altar on the left. There are the 14 stations of the cross illustrating the con-demnation of Christ leading to his crucifi x-ion in antique bas-relief made by European craftsmen on the walls.

A replica of the famous ‘Piete’ by Michel-angelo depicting the sorrow of Mary after the crucifi xion in the main alcove is home to the night vigil between Good Friday and Easter when the Tabernacle (where the Sacrament is kept) is closed. The side altars have statues of St. Antony and Ave Maria carved out of marble and donated by the Italian clergy that came to India. As one walks around the cathedral, one is struck by its historical associations. There is a picture of ‘Mother and Child’ painted by Spanish artist Murillo and presented by the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, as a memento of his visit on Easter Sunday, 5th April, 1953. The giant clock in the left tower was also presented by Nizam VII on 17th February 1953 in commemoration of his visit at midnight mass on Christmas eve, 1952. One cannot help but feel that the majesty of St. Joseph’s Cathedral is commensurate with its status of being the Mother Church for 136 years to the entire Deccan Plateau.

(Sarah Mathews is a Hyderabad-based freelance journalist)

St. Joseph’s Cathedral: mother church of Deccan

Sarah Mathews

The majestic facade of St. Joseph’s Cathedral at Gunfoundry.

Pic

: Mic

hael

Mon

teiro


Come December and a visit to sunny Goa is always an exciting prospect and my plans to celebrate the New

Year were no different. As we entered the last week of December, things fell in place, the bookings were done and the most ex-citing part that I was looking forward to was the road trip, like always. Incidentally, my last four trips to Goa were all by road!! This trip was going to be a pretty special one for me coz, it was with family. Wifey and kiddos you know!! And my childhood pal and his family from Bangalore were to join us midway.

The kids were all excited and kept on ask-ing me as to what was in store for them in Goa. Will we be staying close to the beach? Does the place where we are going to stay have a swimming pool? What will we beeating? The questions were endless. The D-Day arrived and on a chilly December 28 morning (6.30 a.m.),we started for Goa in my Santro Xing XL (Sweetheart). We decided to take the fa-miliar Mahabubnagar-Raichur-Sindhanur-Manvi-Gangavati-Koppal-Gadag- Hubli route. Within no time we were cruising comfortably as the roads were damn good

except for a few stretches. The kiddos (aged 9 ½ and 6) were expectedly hyper while wifey dear did her best to keep them engaged and under control. The car audio, the landscape outside and the IPad (they were inseparable) kept them occupied. And once in awhile they did break into song (No prizes for guessing!!! Kolaveri Di it has to be) I focused on the road ahead.We reached Raichur around 10.30 a.m. driving at a leisurely pace, stopped by for a quick bite and exited the dusty town 30 minutes later. The plan was to reach Hubli, where we would be staying at a friend’s place for the night and travel the next morning. Humming, chatting and occa-sionally stopping by for a cuppa of brew, we reached Gadag at 4.30 p.m. A quick bite

Travel

Goa is the ‘number 1’ tourist destination in the country. Vivek A. gives a wacky fi rst-person account of his recent road trip to the land of feni

Goa beckons one and allGoa beckons one and all

A pristine beach in Goa


later we headed for Hubli, reaching the place by 6 p.m. Must say the drive on the Gadag-Hubli stretch is great. The road is straight as an arrow man!!!Next morning started at 6.45 a.m. towards Karwar. The ghat road leading to Karwar, superb drive must say. The small villages en route, the greenery and those unavoidable stoppag-es for chai, smoke and…..you know what!!!. Midway just after a good 20 km after Yellapur, I joined my friend who drove from Banga-lore, via Haveri. Umpteen curves and slopes later, we slipped into sleepy Karwar. Such a beautiful and laidback place must say. Even as we enjoyed the drive soaking in the scenery we entered Goa, through Cancona. And lo we were greeted by theubiquitous bars on either side with the King of Good Times beckoning us!!! We’re in Gooooooa screamed the kids, impatiently asking when we’re going to hit the beach. Well! It was almost an hour later at 2.30 p.m. that we reached Dona Paula after crossing Madgaon and heading north to-wards Panjim, where our agent met us to take us to the accommodation.Driving through Panjim, the smell of the sea, sand and fi sh fi lled the nostrils and it was ‘rejuvenating’ as we crossed the jetty and headed towards the leafy Miramar and then to Dona Paula.The kids and the elders were pretty fam-ished by then and screamed Khaana fi rst. Me and my friend fi rst gulped down a cou-ple of chilled beers before thinking of food. Done with it, we headed to the place,a double-storeyed 3BHK fully-furnished A/C bungalow at Taleigaon, a couple of kilometres inside from Miramar beach. (Need to book accommodation in advance if planning to spend NY in Goa). Did noth-ing much in the evening as the drive was tiring. Nevertheless, the kids were happy and smiling and I couldn’t have asked for more. Picked up a couple of Vada Pavs and settled down with my pal and some scotch

(Chivas Regal) for the night. Bliss it was.Next morning after breakfast headed to Miramar beach where the kids (all four boys) went berserk. With the sun beating down, we shielded ourselves with caps and goggles, while the kids had fun in the wa-ter. After a couple of hours we were back home, had a shower and left for Panjim, had vegetarian lunch!!!!! (Friend and his family is veg!!!) Well! these were a couple of shockersthat I did in Goa!!! The evening was well-compensated as we went to the happening Fidalgo restaurant in Panjim. Arabian Nights was the theme as a buxom and blonde Russian belly dancer left every-one in awe with her gyrations. Some Indo-nesian babes too were belting out Hindinumbers at the orchestra. Vodka, Goan fi sh curry, King fi sh, roti, chicken, lamb, xacuti, rice and much more was the buffet spread. After the meal, just drove around Panjim as the cool breeze made it a perfect evening.Next morning (Dec 31) went to Dona Paula jetty where the kids and wifey too did some water sports (ski jets) while me and pal went around the place. North Goa is hap-pening on New Years, but the crowd (looks like the entire world is in Goa for the NY), traffi c gridlock and repeated advice from locals not to head there lest I return only the next afternoon, dissuaded me from go-ing north. (Family bhi tha na boss!) Colva was great, me, wifey and kiddos left in my car while friend drove in his Innova as he

planned to split early and not stay back for the fi reworks on the beach. The beach was choc-a-bloc. Managed to get seats in a shack on the beach and settled down with some whiskey while the ladies sipped their Bacardi. It was King Fish, prawns, chick-en Vindaloo, rice, French fries and more whiskey. The crowds swelled and the music got louder as the clock ticked towards Zero Hour. My friend, his wife and kids left as they planned to head out early in the morning to Ban-galore while we decided to chill out a bit more. We were indeed doing so and at about 12.30 a.m. we decided to leave too.

Even as we headed towards the car, I to my horror of horrors re-

alized that I had lost my car keys!!!!! Short of tears I frantically searched near the table where we sat on the beach amid thousands of stomping feet and deafening music. Gawd! What a way to start the NY I thought to myself wondering how to reach home. Wifey was a great help as she got in touch with her local contact to arrange a taxi. The poor kiddos endured the or-deal silently, while I was worried to leave Sweetheart all alone in the parking lot, 500 metres away. Will she be safe? Thankfully, she was in-deed the next morning as the taxi driver who ferried us back home gave a key mak-er’s contact in Madgaon. I thanked my stars after spending a sleep-less night as he got the duplicate made. Thanking him I headed towards Panjim, thinking about the worst scenario as it was Jan 1, a Sunday and entire Goa was shut!! (Moral: always carry a duplicate car key) Anyways, after shower and lunch, fi nally left Panjim for Belgaum at around 5.15 p.m. Drove for over four hours in the night through the ghat (a fi rst for me), reached Belgaum and checked into a hotel for night. Next morning, headed for Hyderabad via Bagalkot-Hungund-Ilkal-Lingusunur-Raichur-Mahabubnagar. Reached home at around 8.30 p.m. after what I would say was an eventful stay in Goa.

Travel

The basilica of Bom Jesus near Panjim


Etiquette

By Carolann Philips

Table manners play an important role in making a favourable impression. They are visible signals of the state

of our manners and are therefore essential to our success. To avoid awkward mo-ments while dining withfriends or business associates it is impera-tive to know the basics of table manners that would not only make the meal more enjoyable but also make one more confi -dent, relaxed and polished. There are many rules about dining etiquette but here are the basics of western dining that serve as a reminder to table manners that might have been misplaced or forgotten! It is improper table manners to do anything at the table until the host or hostess does so fi rst. This includes sitting, eating, drinking or putting the napkin on your lap. A napkin is used to only dab the mouth, not to fan oneself, wipe sweat off the face or wipe the mouth hard. A proper posture at the table always creates a good impression. Always sit straight up in the chair; never leaning

backward, or forward. When not eating, keep your hands in your lap or rest your wrists lightly on the edge of the table. The table setting is like a road map that guides the diner through the courses of a meal. The nitty-gritty of utensil placements is another matter, however, and shall be cov-ered later. The golden rule to remember is to always begin the meal with the silverware farthest from the plate. When eating, bring the fork or spoon up to the mouth rather than mov-ing the face close to the plate. Soup must not be blown on. Rather, let it sit until it cools or stir it a couple of times gently. When sipping soup, spoon it away from your body and sip it from the side of the spoon. It is poor table manners to talk with food in the mouth. Therefore, the best thing to do is to take small mouthfuls that can be chewed and swallow quickly, enabling po-lite conversation. Chewing with the mouth open or making loud noises while eating is gross. It is improper to spit a piece of bad food into the plate or use fi ngers to remove it. Rather, remove the food with the utensil

used for eating. Place the bad food on the edge in the plate and if possible try to cover it with some other food. It is bad table man-ners to drink with food still in the mouth. Instead, fi nish what you are eating, dab your mouth with the napkin and then take a sip. Never use a toothpick at the table. Try drinking some water tohelp the situation or visit the washroom in-stead. If you cause a small spill on yourself just dab it with the napkin and forget about it. There is no need to draw the attention of others. Likewise, if you eat something very hot, don’t gulp down water. Rather, take a slow sip and relax. Pass food items from left to right so that the right hand is free for serving. Above all, don’t forget - ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are basic to good manners at the table!

(Carolann Philips is a certifi ed etiquette and protocol consultant and behavioural

skills coach. She is the managing director of Hallmark Events, a company that focuses on designing and developing programmes with emphasis on organizational behaviour and

thinking, based in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.)

Good table manners


Feng Shui

Healthy house plants are good and benefi cial, especially wooded house plants and bamboos. In

Feng Shui, wood represents creativity, birth, regeneration, the direction east, and spring. It is one of the fi ve basic elements in Feng Shui. In general, all kinds of plants emit a positive energy and, because they cleanse air, they contribute to the positive fl ow of chi throughout a house. House plants can also be used to disguise harshangles or other ele-ments that would otherwise create a stagnant fl ow of energy, thus acting as “bad en-ergy sinks” that redistribute and redirect.Some tipsThe rules with Feng Shui are fl exible, to allow for the infi nite variety of homes and people. But there are some basic principles that you can use when placing plants in your home that will increase chi: Mind the entrance. Your front door is literally the beginning point in the journey of your home. It is where you welcome people, and where air circulates most freely. Place or hang plants near the front entrance, whenever possible.

Disguise harsh lines. Sloped ceilings, corners, and other sharp lines are consid-ered negative energy enhancers because they stop the fl ow of chi through a house. Use plants to disguise these architectural features of your house and enhance air fl ow between rooms and through “dead” spaces. Don’t keep dead or dying plants. It seems obvious, but dead or dying plants emit negative energy and should be discarded. This applies to cut fl owers also. In general, fl owers are good for the home, but declining bouquets should be discarded. After all, what’s the point in keeping a literal symbol of death hanging around? Keep herbs in the home. The Chi-nese often burn herbs after an argument or other disruptive event to purify the home. Growing herbs are also benefi cial and should be kept in the home. Lavender is a particularly powerful herb as it is widely considered to promote relaxation and

peace.Think in terms of

whole

rooms. Decorate the whole room at once with plants, or begin on one side and move slowly across the room. Don’t think of the plants as separate from your furni-ture, but as an integral part of your living space. Pairs are considered benefi cial also, so use pairings of plants to increase chi. Avoid thorns. Thorny plants form a pro-tective barrier, thus stopping the fl ow of chi. If you must, place them by a window to discourageintruders. Don’t place thorny plants near the front door. In the truest sense of the word, Feng Shui is not merely concerned with interior decoration or plant place-ment, but with the fl ow of energy in the world at large and all of its occupants. Obviously, one person can’t right imbal-ances throughout the world, but according to the principles of Feng Shui, we can each begin in our own little spaces.

Get that positive energy

Plants you can use Any healthy plant can help increase

a home’s chi or be used in Feng Shui designs. How-ever, some plants are more benefi cial than others, and

wooded plants are considered the best of all. Here are some

great plants to consider: bamboo. Any variety of bamboo is a good, even lucky (which technically

is Dracaena sanderiana, a shrubby plant native to west Africa).Palms Dracaena. There are

many species of dracaena, some of which form thick, wooded stalks. Peace lilies. Jade plants. These are sometimes called money plants. Ficus species. There are many species of fi cus, including rubber plants and the weeping fi g. These are very benefi cial plants — in fact, Buddha achieved enlightenment while sitting beneath a fi cus tree.Hanging plants. Baskets are great for moving chi throughout a room and near the ceiling.


Landscaping

In today’s urban world with physi-cal boundaries shrinking and open space becoming a rare commodity,

Children’s lives are being more and more restricted and constrained due to small apartments, high-stake academic instruc-tion, tight schedules, tense, tired and over-worked parents and by fewer opportunities for the tiny tots.

Our children experience fewer and fewer opportunities to explore nature, run, roll, climb, and swing. Outdoor play is essen-tially part of childhood and we must fi nd a variety of ways to provide quality outdoor play experiences for children. Fortunately, today builders, developers and the gov-ernment have realised the importance of children’s play area and are making con-

Designing the perfect children’s play area


Landscaping

scious efforts to make them an integral part of most layouts, gated communities apart-ment blocks.A variety of factors determine the quality of a playground for children. These include design of the play area, safety issues, play equipment, accessibility, and adult su-pervision. Keeping in mind the different age groups of children, the play area can be divided into two zones, one for toddlers until six years and the other half for older children.Play equipment is easily available in the market and come in different materials like pressure-treated wood, steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, and various recycled ma-terials. Environmental conditions, use,and desired aesthetics should be considered when selecting the materials. The swing be-ing the most popular, other play equipments like seesaw, slide, climber, the merry-go-round and outdoor fi tness equipments like the poly gym are a few examples.The main issue in designing playgrounds is to provide challenging and fun activities while also providing for the safety of the children using the playground. To reduce the risk of injury due to falls, playgroundequipment should be located above a shock-absorbing, or safety surface. Sand is the most common and age old material used in play areas. It not only acts as a safety sur-face but is also a ready natural material for children to play with. Nowadays poured-in-place rubber and rubber mats are alsobecoming popular in their use as a safety surfacing in playgrounds. They come in different colours and can be used to create beautiful designs.It is important to create comfort zones in locations where the children can be visu-ally supervised as they play on the play-ground. They should be located throughout the playground and should includeshaded seating areas. Trees and vegetation provide shade, places to socialize, and nat-ural boundaries between play areas. Care should be taken that new trees and shrubs are mature and sturdy at the timeof planting.Another concept in play areas that is fast catching up are the DISCOVERY PLAY GARDENS. They are natural play areas for children designed to inspire creative play

and environmental learning. Here thelandscape and vegetation is used as the play setting and ‘nature’ as the play mate-rial. In such gardens unconventional play features, including tree houses, boulder scrambles, slide inside a hollow logs, snag climb, a pond with waterfalls and walking trails, provide a natural environment where young children can immerse in the explora-tion of nature.As children have a tendency to put things in their mouth, caution should be taken while choosing plants for children’s play areas, as some can be poisonous and can cause allergies. There are no commoncharacteristics of form, colouring, odour or taste, which distinguish a poisonous or harmful plant from a non-poisonous one. But as a general rule of thumb, plants with a bitter taste, funny smell, milky sap orred seeds or berries may be poisonous and shouldn’t be included in children’s gardens. All parts of the yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) are toxic. The seeds are highly appealing, especially to kids but are very poisonous.

Cacti are stylish but are highly dangerous to the eye and most have spines - nerium oleander is also poisonous but tastes awful and should be avoided.Poinsettia, a favourite with most landscap-ists should also be avoided as the leaves and seeds cause delirium if eaten. The sap also causes irritation.The goal of designing children’s outdoor environments is to provide a composite structure of imaginative play activities that are designed to suit high standards of safe-ty and durability. It is to create an environ-ment that will beckon children and enrich their ‘work’ of play. Play areas not only add to the aesthetic beauty of a layout but also enhance the saleability of most projects.

GEETHA PRASADBFA (Murals) J.J

School of Fine ArtsPGD in Landscape and

Horticulture (JNTU)M/s Callos Hortus

Landscape Designers Mobile: 9246191992 Geetha Prasad


Wellness

Hibiscus tea is caffeine free. Rich in Vita-min A and C and with substantial quanti-

ties of fl avonoids and proanthocyanidins, the tea acts as a good antioxidant.Hibiscus tea helps control cholesterol and thereby reduces the risk of heart disease. The antioxidants such as fl avonoids, polyphenolics and anthocyanins, contained in hibiscus play a large role in preventing the oxidation of LDL cholestrol (the “bad cholesterol”) and success-fully lowers the blood cholesterol levels.Hibiscus tea is effective in promoting the menstrual discharge. It is used to regulate the menstrual cycle and the problems related to the menstrual cycle in women.Hibiscus is an aromatic, astringent and cooling herb. It has long been known to act as a natu-ral body refrigerant. The presence of citric acid and other salts exerts a diuretic effect which helps lower fever.Hibiscus tea with its well balanced, tart, astrin-gent taste and berry-like aroma replaces elec-trolytes and quenches thirst during and after athletic endeavours.It also acts as a digestive‚ mild laxative and stomachic.

Benefi ts of Hibiscus Tea

HUMOUR CORNER


SUBSCRIPTION DETAILSSUBSCRIPTION DETAILS

The annual subsription amount payable is Rs.200/- (Listed price is Rs.300, i.e. six issues @ Rs.50 each) The amount includes courier charges for the six issues. The Feb.-March, 2012, issue will be sent as a complimentary.

AS A PRE-LAUNCH WE ARE ENROLLING SUBSCIPTIONS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2012-13 (6 BI-MONTHLY ISSUES)

Requests for subscription can be sent to the following address. Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Developers Association

(APREDA)102, Tirumala Shah Apartments, Yellareddyguda Road,

Ameerpet X roads, HYDERABAD - 500 073 Phone: 655 72184, 99898 44467

email: [email protected] Web: www.apreda.org

ADVERTISEMENT TARIFF DETAILSS.NO. ITEM SIZE REGULAR RATE 1 ISSUE 3 ISSUES 6 ISSUES1. BACK COVER 21X27 RS.27,500/- RS.19,500/- RS.54,000/- RS.1,00,000/-2. FRONT INNER BACK INNER 21X27 RS. 23,500/- RS.16,250/- RS.45,000/- RS. 84,000/-3. FULL PAGE 21X27 RS.19,000/- RS.13,000/- RS.36,000/- RS. 66,000/-4. HALF PAGE 21X13 RS.13,000/- RS. 9,000/- RS.24,000/- RS. 42,000/-5 QUARTER PAGE 10X13 RS. 7,500/- RS. 6,000/- RS.15,000/- RS. 24,000/-

AD MATERIAL CAN BE SENT TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.

February 2012Date Day Time (IST)8 Wednesday From 12.51 pm9 Thursday Upto 11.29 am11 Saturday After 08.06 pm12 Sunday Upto 05.30 pm13 Monday From 13.58 pm to 27.12 pm17 Friday Upto 11.32 pm25 Saturday From 2.40 pm to 8.40 pm26 Sunday After 08.00am27 Monday Upto 10.54 am

March 2012

9 Friday Upto 01.00 pm11 Sunday After 12.00 noon13 Monday Upto 09.51 am

AUSPICIOUS DAYS

Auspicious days


What is known as General Power of Attorney Sales or Agreement of Sale- Cum- General Power

of Attorney sales are not valid as a sale as defi ned under the provisions of Transfer of Property Act. The law is very clear on this aspect. The purchaser of a property acquires absolute title over an immovable property only by way of a proper conveyance. For example, the title in immoveable property can be transferred by way of a registered sale deed, registered gift deed, registered exchange deed and registered or unregis-tered will. There is no provision under law which effectuates absolute conveyance of the property by a mere registered general power of attorney or registered agreement of sale-cum-general power of attorney.

1. In real estate transactions certain people opt for general power of attorney or agree-ment of sale-cum-general power of attor-ney to acquire title over immovable proper-ties to avoid stamp duty, registration fee. In this regard it is to be noticed that by partly avoiding the requisite stamp duty payable in respect of a sale transaction on the sale deed and by opting for General Power of Attorney or Agreement of Sale-Cum-Gen-eral Power of Attorney, the very transaction remains incomplete and doesn’t material-ize into an absolute sale.

2. The General Power of Attorney are governed by Power of Attorney’s Act and Contracts Act. The Power of Attorney is essentially given by the executant to his attorney/agent to do the acts specifi ed in

Legal corner

GPAs versus conveyance deeds

No conveyance/transfer transfer of title takes effect through general power of attorneys/agreement of sale-cum-GPA


such deed including the powers to alienate the property by fi nalizing the terms of sale upon the discretion of the agent as may be stipulated in the deed itself. The executant being the author of the deed is the person who determines as to the nature of powers to be conferred upon his agent. The agent can always exercise the powers in confor-mity with the terms of agency. If it is an agreement of Sale- Cum-General Power of Attorney it is not a mere agency but an agency coupled with interest. As per law if the agency is coupled with interest in such an event an interest will be created in the subject matter of agency in favour of the agent. Such agency which is coupled with interest is irrevocable in nature. The prevalent Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power of Attorneys are all agencies cou-pled with interest and are thus irrevocable in nature.

3. The Supreme Court recently delivered a landmark judgment in Suraj Lamp In-dustries Private Ltd. and State of Hary-ana (Decided on 11.10.2011 in SLP (C) No.13917/2009). In this judgment the law on the aspect of the prevalent Gener-al Power of Attorney Sales or Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power of Attorney Sales said that they are alleged transfers by way of wills to circumvent the provisions of prevailing laws such as the Stamp Act, Registration Act, etc and held them inval-id. The Supreme Court made it clear that no transfer of title takes place either under General Power of Attorney or Agreement of Sale-Cum- General Power of Attorney. However the General Power of Attorneys can be executed for genuine transactions by the executants in favour of their fam-ily members, relatives or friends to act on their behalf in respect of dealings related to immovable properties. Similarly, the Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power of Attorneys which are duly registered stand upon payment of stamp duty and are also

valid as contracts and agency coupled with interest.

4. Even after the recent Supreme Court judgment the registered Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power of Attorney are valid and registered General Power of At-torney are also valid in Andhra Pradesh as requisite stamp duty is paid on such deeds.

Similarly, the registered Development Agreement-Cum-General Power of Attor-neys which are already subject to specifi c stamp duty in our State, are also valid and enforceable. There need not be any doubt on these aspects.

5. In this judgment the Supreme Court re-ferred to the transaction whereby an indi-vidual executed a will in favour of a com-pany bequeathing the immovable property. The transaction by its very nature is strange and incongruous. The will be normally ex-ecuted by the testator to bequeath the prop-erty in favour of his kin but not in favour of a limited company with which he has no concern. Obviously such a method is

decided to avoid payment of Stamp Duty and Registration Fee, and such wills are invalid. The Supreme Court only declared the law on the aspects by stating that only such kind of wills are invalid. The general wills executed by the testator in favour of his kin for any charitable purpose out of his own volition are valid. 6. For example, A wants to purchase a plot of land in an upmarket area of Hyderabad and settles the price with the vendor. A real estate agent suggests to him that he can opt for a General Power of Attorney or Agreement of Sale- Cum-General Power of Attorney instead of a sale deed to avoid full Stamp Duty payable on a Sale Deed. On Sale Deed he has to pay Stamp Duty or Transfer Duty of 7.5% in municipal areas as per ba-sic value register of the Sub- Registrar. If it is a General Power of Attorney the Stamp Duty is only 1 per cent and for Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power of Attorney the Stamp Duty is only 5 per cent. A, lured by such savings, opts for an Agreement of Sale- Cum- General Power of Attorney in-stead of Sale Deed. By this Deed A does not acquire any title over the property. He approaches a bank thereafter for a loan for construction of house. In the legal opinion the bank counsel refuses to clear the same stating that an agreement of sale-cum-gen-eral power of attorney does not convey title. A is therefore forced to obtain a sale deed again by incurring additional expen-diture. Had A opted for sale deed in the fi rst instance he would have avoided the addi-tional expenditure and also the delay in the construction of his house.

Mr. Velagapudi Srinivas, specialising

in real estate mat-ters, is an advocate

based in Hyderabad and can be reached

on 9848996008, 24036799, 23542339.

Legal corner

The Supreme Court in a judgment said the law on General Power of Attor-

ney Sales or Agreement of Sale-Cum-General Power

of Attorney Sales are transfers by way of wills to circumvent the provisions

of prevailing laws such as the Stamp Act, Regis-tration Act, etc and held

them invalid


F R O M T H E N E W S

Hyderabad to become hub for medical, health facilities

At least 12 new hospitals are set to spring up in the city’sShamshabad-Hi-Tec City stretch over the next few years.

Apart from local names, the list also includes international brands that are driving into the city in large numbers, hoping to cash in on not just the rising demand for specialised healthcare but also on Hyderabad’s world-class airport that has positioned the city as a medical tourism destination.Not surprising then, the vast tracts of open space surrounding theShamshabad International Airport are suddenly being considered by investors as the best bet for setting up multi-specialty hos-pitals. The low realty rates prevailing in this area at present are adding to their attractiveness. So, if there is an international hos-pital (a GMR, Apollo Hospitals and Mayo Clinic joint venture) being built within the Health Port of the airport SEZ, not too far away in Nalagandla there is another medical institute, Citizens Hospital, which is on its way to completion. In fact, this 500-bed hospital, spread over an area of about 10 acres, is expected to

become partially operational from June next year. “Besides local patients, this international-standard hospital will also be catering to the huge demand for such facilities among overseas patients,” said an offi cial attached with the project pointing to the spurt in medical tourism in Hyderabad. While there is, even now, a steady fl ow of tourists visiting the city for treatment, investors are try-ing hard to improve the footfall further, sources said. And, their primary marketing tool: The Shamshabad international airport. Predictably, areas such as the Financial District or Gachibowli, both of which are within a 30 km radius of the airport, are also being eyed for this purpose. While there is already a facility, Continental Hospital, coming up in Gachibowli, sources indicate that at least two other international groups are in talks with local parties to pick up about two lakh square feet (sft) area in this belt. Though no confi rmation has been received from the investors, sources say that the deals are in their fi nal stages and are likely to be sealed soon.“There is also a group of doctors from the US who are looking for land in the city to set up a centre and they are sure it has to be in the Shamshabad airport-Gachibowli stretch,” said a real estate developer. And what’s adding to their advantage is the low realty rates prevailing in this area at present. All these factors put together are likely to see this part of the town develop into a medical hub soon,” an observer noted.

Boost to housing sector in APThe housing sector in Andhra Pradesh is expected to get addition-al allocation during the forthcom-ing budget for 2012-2013. Dis-closing this, Minister for Housing Kanna Lakshminarayana, said that the housing sector is likely to get an allocation of Rs 2,855 crore re-fl ecting a hike of about Rs 55 crore over 2011-2012’s allocation of Rs 2,300 crore. During the current

News


News

fi nancial year of the Rs 2,300-crore budgeted, about Rs. 1,600 crore has been spent.The State Government has set an ambitious target of constructing of about 12 lakh houses under the programme during 2012-2013. Of these, six lakh houses would be spillover housing projects from the previous fi nancial years. The rest of the houses would be taken up after securing applications during the Rachabanda programme. The Minister said that the construction of 3.36 lakh houses had been completed of the proposed fi ve lakh houses during 2011-2012. The department is confi dent of completing the targeted number of houses during the balance period of the cur-rent fi nancial year.

Ramky Infra bags Rs 1,051 crore orders

Hyderabad-based Ramky Infrastructure Limited, an integrat-ed infrastructure development and management company,

has bagged new orders valued at Rs 1,051.83 crore across roads, industries, water and waste water, power, irrigation and building verticals. The company has bagged a project from Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation for the construction of low-cost housing for urban poor for a value of Rs 252.22 crore. Another Rs 225.50 crore project has been awarded by the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project for upgra-dation of the road from Soundatti to Karnatagi. Others include, a Rs 92.75-crore project from the Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation, and a Rs 78.09-crore project from the PWD Amritsar. In Maharashtra, it has bagged two projects - a Rs 58.55-crore project from MP Paschim Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Corporation and another Rs 52.88-crore project from Adani Power Maharashtra Limited.

Mantri to take over Maytas project

Bangalore-based real estate fi rm Mantri Developers is re-placing Maytas Properties, the Satyam group fi rm, which

was building Jubilee Hills Landmark along with ICICI Venture and Nagarjuna Construction Company. The project was stalled after the founder of Maytas Properties and the erstwhile Satyam

Computer Services, Ramalinga Raju, got embroiled in an fraud. According to the new deal, Mantri will get 40 per cent of the revenuesfrom the project, The Economic Times reported, citing sources.”The real estate company will need to deposit Rs 130 crore, which will be used for construction and will be adjustable against the revenue. The property has over Rs 150 crore of non-perform-ing loan on it,” one of the sources said. Sushil Mantri, managing director of Mantri Developers, had earlier said that his com-pany is looking at a possible tie-up for the property. Originally, Maytas, Nagarjuna Constructions and ICICI Venture held 33 per cent each in the special purpose vehicle that was developing the Jubilee Hills Landmark project. The three companies had bought the 5.7 acres of land for the project from the State government for Rs 335 crore in 2006, which is still the most expensive real estate deal in Hyderabad. “Originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008, there has been no progress. However, with the new partnership, construction will now start in the next two-three months,” said a senior offi cial from one of the partner companies, who also added that there might be a few changes in the project. Mantri Developers has signifi cant presence in Hyderabad and has over 8 million sq ft under various stages of construction across different residential, commercial and retail projects.

Relief to industries

Load restrictions imposed on peak-hour power consumption will be lifted for industries located in Industrial Develop-

ment Areas and those drawing power from mixed feeders, in and around Hyderabad. Industries so far are not being allowed to draw to their full capacity between 6.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., due to increased loads during the hours. They were permitted to draw only 60 per cent of the Contracted Maximum Demand in the said hours owing to the power crisis in the State.However, restrictions on peak hour loads have been lifted with immediate effect. The relief will be in force till February end, provided no emergency situations in power supply arise.The decision was taken after a representation was made by

P A G E S & S I T E S . . .


News

FAPCCI to the Secretary to the Chief Minister, Jawahar Reddy, for remedial measures in view of power cuts, especially for mi-cro, small and medium enterprises, FAPCCI informed. Industries with dedicated lines of power supply will, however, have to en-dure the restrictions. The present two-day weekly power holiday, including one weekly off, will continue for the industries of allcategories. Meanwhile, offi cials from the company have in-formed that the present relief from scheduled power cuts for the city’s domestic consumers hinges purely on the availability of power. Areas in and around Hyderabad are being spared of the daily load reliefs due to reduced demand.

Birla group to set up sports university

The Yash Birla Group will set up a world-class sports univer-sity near Hyderabad with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.

The university, spread across 450 acres within 100 km radius of Hyderabad, will train sportspersons from childhood. The group signed three MoUs with the Andhra Pradesh government for total investment of Rs 13,000 crore in three different projects, during the CII Partnership Summit 2012. Yash Birla, Chairman, Yash Birla Group, told reporters after signing the MoUs with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy that Birla Education Limited would build the sports university. He said all sporting and education

facilities would be provided under one roof, and that he plans to rope in sport companies like Nike and Reebok as partners in running the university. “Every one is looking at engineering and medical education. But in the Western world, sports education is equally important. We want to bring such culture to India,” he said. Birla Research and Life Sciences Limited would also establish a Rs 700-crore Ayurvedic Village near Hyderabad. The project involves manufacturing of ayurvedic formulations, hospital, treatment facility and research and development laboratories. Birla also signed an MoU for a Rs. 10,300-crore polysilicon min-ing project near Kurnool as a backward integration for its wafer manufacturing facilities for photovoltaic modules. Birla Surya Ltd. plans to complete the project in three years.

LRS deadline extendedThe State government has extended the Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS till June 30, 2012. With the deadline for LRS ex-priring on December 31 2011, the government decided o extend the date following several representations. Accordingly G.O. Ms. No 589 dated 31-12-2011 was issued by the government. Fresh applications will also be accepted but the cut-off date or eligibil-ity for regularisation would be December 31, 2007.With an approximate three lakh open plots in illegal layouts Statewide, the regularisation of plots is estimated to fetch Rs. 1,000 crore to the cash-starved Hyderabad Metropolitan Devel-opment Authority and other civic bodies. There are about two lakh unauthorised plots in HMDA limits alone. The government has not been accepting fresh applications under LRS since Janu-ary 1 this year. “In the interests of checking illegal constructions and raising revenues, it is better to allow submission of fresh applications under LRS,” a senior offi cial in HMDA said.LRS was fi rst introduced on January 1, 2008, to regularise open plots in unauthorised layouts that were registered before Decem-ber 31, 2007. Nearly 1.3 lakh plot owners applied for regula-risation of their land and the government closed the doors for submission of applications from December 31 last year

F R O M T H E N E W S

Yash Birla with Kiran Kumar Reddy


Mahindra Lifespace plans housing venture in Hyderabad

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, the real estate and in-frastructure development arm of the diversifi ed $14.4-bil-

lion Mahindra group, will make a foray into Hyderabad with the launch of a Rs 250-crore, one-million sq.ft housing venture in the busy Kukatpally area close to the IT hub on a 10-acre site. It expects to commence work on the project shortly.Disclosing this, Anita Arjundas, Managing Director and CEO of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, said the company is also planning to enter the affordable housing segment in the Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh category in the tier 2 cities of the country.The company management recently approved a proposal to raise up to Rs 500 crore through an issue of non-convertible deben-tures. Part of this process is likely to be completed during the current fi nancial year, according to the MD.Currently operating out of six major cities, the company expects to have a presence across 10 major cities by next year. “We do not get deterred by ups and downs in the real estate sec-tor as this is part of the business. The downturn only slows down the sale process. But we never halted work on any project during the slowdown period,” she said.Ms Anita Arjundas said the

company was open to taking up large projects in other cities such as Mahindra City venture in Chennai subject to securing large chunk of land.

IT incubation centre at VizagAn IT incubation centre for research activity will be set up in Visakhapat-nam and for development of soft skills the IT companies too should extend help to the government, said Union Minister of State for HRD D. Purandeswari. Speaking to members of the Rushikonda Information Technol-ogy Park Association (RITPA), Ms. Purandeswari said while Hyderabad was saturated Visakhapatnam was considered a good alternative but investments in IT were not fl owing in here and the reasons for the same must be found out. She wanted both the industry and the government to follow up the proposals being made. Responding to the suggestions and requirements men-tioned by vice-president of RITPA, O. Naresh Kumar, who also conceded that the IT industry’s problems had not been brought to her notice, Ms. Purandeswari also promised to take up the problem regarding supply of power and water to the IT parks in the city. Earlier, Mr. Naresh Kumar pointed out that only Hy-derabad was developed as an IT hub accounting for Rs. 34,000 crore out of Rs. 35,000 crore worth of business in the State, while Visakhapatnam was doing only Rs. 1,000 crore worth business. Aside from lack of drinking water, backup power line or uninter-rupted power supply, public transport, phone or fax facility from BSNL at the three IT parks in the city, the entrepreneurs were facing the brunt in other forms such as the government levying Income Tax in spite of a promise of a 15-year tax holiday or did not pay the incentive of Rs. 70 lakh for early investors. MLA of Bheemunipatnam M. Srinivasa Rao wanted the IT entrepreneurs to fulfi l the promises made by them and the conditions laid by the government when land was allotted to them.

P A G E S & S I T E S . . .

News

Ms. Anita Arjundas , Managing Director and CEO of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, and Mr Rajendra

Joshi , Vice-President , Sales and Marketing.


R E A L E S T A T E O N O F F E RR E A L E S T A T E O N O F F E R

Projects

APARNA CONSTRUCTIONS

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Aparna Kanopy Lotus

Location : Kompally, Medchal Highway

Property Type : 3BHK Independent Villas

Unit Sizes : 160 – 200 Sq. Yards

Contact Number : 040 23352708 / 09 / 10

Email Id : [email protected]

[email protected]

Web site : www.aparnaconstructions.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Aparna Hillpark Avenues

Location : Chandanagar, Miyapur

Property Type : 2 & 3BHK Apartments

Built-up Area : 1150sft – 1670sft

Contact Number : 040 23352708 / 09 / 10


[email protected]


PROJECT 3

Project Name : Aparna Hillpark Boulevard

Location : Chandanagar, Miyapur

Property Type : Super Luxury Villas


Contact Number : 040 23352708 / 09 / 10


[email protected]


PROJECT 4

Project Name : Aparna Kanopy Tulip

Location : Gundlapochampally, Kompally

Property Type : 2 & 3BHK Independent Flats


Contact Number : 040 23352708 / 09 / 10


[email protected]


ARK BUILDERS

Property Type : Residential Apartment

Location : Beside MMTS Railway

Station, Bolarum

Bedroom : 2/3 BHK

Area Range : 1075 Sft. to 1510 Sft.

Price Starting From : Price: 1799/- Per Sft.

Possession : Ready To Move In

Contact : 9000132223 / 9000142224

ARMSBURG PROPERTIES PVT LTD

Property Type : Residential Apartments

Location : Bowenpally

Area Range : 822 Sft & 1941 Sft

Bedroom : 2 & 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Rs.1999/- Per Sft

Possession : December 2011

Contact : 99484-33177 / 99519-11044

BALAJI HOMES

Property Type : Independent houses and


Projects

Duplex villas

Location : Beside Flytech Aviation -

Nr L.B.Nagar

(Sagar Highway).

Area Range : 150 Sq.Yds to 400 Sq.Yds

Bedroom : 2, 3 & 4 BHK

Price Starting From : Independent House

Starts from 22Lakhs onwards.

Duplex villa Starts from 32

Lacs Onwards.

Possession : 1 Yr from date of Booking

Contact : 9848979333

CHOICE INFRASTRUCTURE PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Guru’s Choice Residency

Location : East Marredpally

Property Type : 2 & 3 BHK Independent Flat


Contact Number : 9441115599, 40068899


Web site : www.choiceinfra.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : 216-K Kavuri Hills

Location : Kavuri Hills

Property Type : 3 BHK Apartments

Contact Number : 9441115599, 40068899



PROJECT 3

Project Name : N 95 Nandagiri Hills

Location : Jubilee Hills

Property Type : 3 & 4 BHK Apartments


Contact Number : 9441115599, 40068899



PROJECT 4

Project Name : N 63 Nandagiri Hills

Location : Hitec City

Property Type : 3 & 4 BHK Apartments

Contact Number : 9441115599, 40068899



DIVYA SREE SHAKTI


Location : Miyapur

Area Range : 1170 -1940 sft

Bedroom : 2 & 3 BHK

Price Starting From : 33 lakhs

Possession : May 2012

Contact : 040-39391516 / 9347391516

DSL INFRASTRUCTURE & SPACE DEVELOPERS

PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Fortune Villas

Location : Mahendra Hills, East

Marredpally

Property Type : 3 BHK & 4 BHK


Independent Villas


Contact Number : 86867 77111 / 2343 5125


Web site : www.dslinfra.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Fortune Apartments

Location : Mahendra Hills,

East Marredpally

Property Type : 1 BHK & 2 BHK Apartments


Contact Number : 86867 77111 / 2343 5125


Web site : www.dslinfra.com

FRESH LIVING APARTMENTS


Location : Madhapur

Area Range : 1631 SFT to 2959 SFT

Bedroom : 3 BHK

Price Starting From : 3800*/SFT

Possession : A Block - Sep 2012, B Block

Mar 2012, E Block - Mar 2013

Contact : 9948280000 / 23118882 /

9992

GK DEVELOPERS


Location : Sainikpuri

Area Range : 1053 SFT - 1580 SFT

Bedroom : 2 BHK,2.5 BHK & 3 BHK

Price Starting From : On Request

Possession : Work in progress

Contact : +91 90000 09123

INDU ARANYA


Location : Nagole, Hyderabad

Area Range : Apartment: 1155 SFT to 1700

SFT

Villa : 200 Sq Yds to 260 Sq Yds

Bedroom : 2 and 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Available on request

Possession : March, 2011

Contact : +91-9985211892

JANAPRIYA ENGINEERS SYNDICATE

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Janapriya Metropolis

Location : Motinagar, Ameerpet



Completion By : 3 Months

Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333


Web site : www.janapriya.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Janapriya Nite Valley

Location : Madinaguda




Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333


Projects



PROJECT 3

Project Name : Janapriya Utopia

Location : Attapur



Present Stage : Ready to occupy

Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333



PROJECT 4

Project Name : Janapriya Lakefront

Location : Sanikpuri




Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333



PROJECT 5

Project Name : Janapriya Arcadia

Location : Kowkur, Alwal



Present Stage : Ready to occupy

Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333



PROJECT 6

Project Name : Janapriya Grandeur

Location : Himayathnagar

Property Type : 3BHK Apartments



Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333



PROJECT 7

Project Name : Janapriya Silver Crest

Location : Sainikpuri

Property Type : 3BHk Independent Villas




Contact Number : 23222999 / 666 / 333



KRUPA GROUP BUILDERS & DEVELOPERS


Location : Kompally

Area Range : 1260 Sft & 1480 Sft.

Bedroom : 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Call for Price

Possession : Block Rose by January 2012

Contact : 9440846944 / 09920210430

Projects


LUXOR HEIGHTS


Location : Miyapur

Area Range : 1480-1830 sft

Bedroom : 3 BHK

Price Starting From : 2500/sft

Possession : Ready to occupy

Contact : 9502950151 / 8978765192

MANJEERA CONSTRUCTIONS


Location : Gachibowli

Area Range : 911 - 1779 sq.ft.

Bedroom : 2 & 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Rs.2699 per sft

Possession : Ready To Occupy

Contact : +91 99661 76617

MODI BUILDERS

Property Type : Deluxe Luxury Flats

Location : Near Gajularamaram, Near

Kukatpally

Area Range : 966 Sft. to 1933 Sft.

Bedroom : 2 & 3 BHK

Price Range : Rs.2075/- Per Sft to

Rs.2175/- Per Sft


Contact : 9246262728

MODI PROPERTIES


Location : Near Alwal, Kowkur

Bedroom : 2&3 BHK

Area Range : 1200 Sft - 1665 Sft

Price Starting From : 25.84 Lakhs

Semi-deluxe Apartment: Rs.1999/- per sft

Deluxe Apartment : Rs. 2,099/- per sft

Possession : December 2011

Contact : 09246348823

MODI PROPERTIES

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Greenwood Residency

Location : Kowkur, Near Bollarum

Property Type : 2BHK & 3BHK Independent

Flats


Present Stage : Ready for possession

Contact Number : 9290970056 / 66335551 /

39101958


Web site : www.modiproperties.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Nilgiri Homes

Location : Keesara, Rampally

Property Type : 3 BHK Duplex Villas



Present Stage : Ready for Possession

Contact Number : 9989818695 / 66335551 /

39101958


Projects



PROJECT 3

Project Name : Silver Oak Bungalows - Phase I

Location : Cherlapally

Property Type : 3 BHK Luxury Bungalows



Contact Number : 9052904937 / 66335551 /

39101958

Email Id :[email protected]


PROJECT 4

Project Name : Silver Oak Bungalows – Phase II

Location :Cherlapally

Property Type : 3BHK & 4BHK Luxury

Bungalows

Unit Sizes :200 – 411 Sq. Yards



Contact Number : 9052904937 / 66335551 /

39101958



PROJECT 5

Project Name : Silver Oak Bungalows Phase - III

Location : Cherlapally

Property Type : 3BHK Duplex Bungalows



Contact Number : 9052904937 / 66335551 /

39101958



PROJECT 6

Project Name : Bloomdale

Location : Shamirpet

Property Type : 3BHK Duplex Bungalows



Present Stage : Ready for Occupation

Contact Number : 9666848606 / 66335551 /

39101958



PROJECT 7

Project Name : Mayfl ower Heights

Location : Nacharam, Hyderabad

Property Type : 2BHK & 3BHK Flats



Contact Number : 9396342437 / 66335551 /

39101958



PROJECT 8

Project Name : Paramount Residency

Location : Nagaram

Property Type : 1, 2 & 3BHK Flats

Projects




Contact Number : 9010420776 / 66335551 /

39101958


Web site :www.modiproperties.com

PROJECT 9

Project Name : Gulmohar Gardens

Location : Mallapur, Near Habsiguda

Property Type : 2 & 3BHK Flats



Contact Number : 9492427519

Email Id :[email protected]

Web site :www.modiproperties.com

NATURE AVENUES PVT LTD

Property Type : Residential Plots

Location : Bhongir

Plot Area Range : 200 Sq.Yds to 1000 Syds

Price Starting From : Rs.1,17,000/- onwards

Contact : 9849090080 / 9347299900

N R I HOMES

Property Type : Independent House/ Villa

Location : Beeramguda

Area Range : 117 Sq.yds & 150 Sq.yds

Bedroom : 2 BHK



Contact : 9346822143

NAVYA CONSTRUCTIONS

Property Type : Independent Houses

Independent Villas

Location : Beeramguda, Near BHEL,

Hyderabad

Area Range : 133 to 200 Sq.yards

Price Starting From : Available on Request

Possession : Immediately

Contact : 91777 07112 / 91777 07113

PRAJAPATI DEVELOPERS

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Prajapati Elite

Location : Nizampet Road, Hyderabad

Property Type : 2 & 3 BHK Independent Flats


Contact Number : 64559398 / 92465 36792


Web site : www.prajapatigroup.com

RNS DREAM HOMES

Property Type : Independent houses / Villas

Location : Near Habsiguda, Boduppal

Area Range : 150 Sq.Yds to 1000 Syds

Built up area : 1600 Sft. To 3000 Sft.

Bedroom : 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Rs.36 Lakhs onwards

Possession : 6 Months

Contact : 8801388237

SRI SRI GRUHA NIRMAAN INDIA PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Projects


Project Name : Sri Sri Antahpuram

Location : Sagar Road

Property Type : 4 BHK Luxury Duplex Villas




Web site : www.srisrigruhanirmaan.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Sri Sri Avenues

Location : Gurramguda Village, Sagar

Highway

Property Type : 2 & 3BHK Independent Houses




Web site : www.srisrigruhanirmaan.com

RISHI SAI RAM PROJECTS PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Project Name : 4 Square Elegant

Location : Madinaguda, Miyapur

Property Type : 2 & 3BHK Independent Flats



Web site : www.rsrppl.com

SAKET ENGINEERS PVT LTD


Location : Saket, Near A.S. Rao Nagar,

Hyderabad

Area Range : 454 -1686 sq. ft. (Pranam)

1241 - 2194 sq. ft.(Sriyam)

Bedrooms : Studio/1/2/3 BHK

Price : Rs. 15 Lakhs Onw. (Pranaam)

Rs. 35 Lakhs Onw. (Sriyam)

Possession : Ready to Occupy

Contact : 7893371499

SAI AKSHAY CONSTRUCTIONS


Location : Alwal

Area Range : 890 Sft to 1409 Sft.

Bedroom : 2 / 3 BHK

Price Starting From : Rs.2047000/-* Onwards

Possession : September 2012

Contact : 9885779768

SRI SAI BALAJI CONSTRUCTIONS


Location : Jeedimetla

Plot Area Range : 929 Sq. ft to 1270 Sq. ft

Bedroom : 2 BHK & 3BHK



Contact : 9849253762,9849789446

THEME AMBIENCE CONSTRUCTIONS PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Golf View

Location : Nanakramguda

Property Type : 2 BHK & 3 BHK

Independent Flats


Completion by : 2012 End

Projects


Contact Number : 9348521652, 9391050852


Web site : www.themeambience.com

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Fort View

Location : Hydersha Kote, Langar House

Property Type : 2 BHK & 3BHK Independent

Flats


Contact Number : 9348521652, 9391050852


Web site : www.themeambience.com

PROJECT 3

Project Name : Lake View

Location : Old Bombay Highway Road,

Tolichowki

Property Type : 3 BHK Independent Villas


Contact Number : 9348521652, 9391050852


Web site :www.themeambience.com

VASATHI HOUSING


Location : APPA Junction on ORR

Bedroom : Studio / 1BHK /2BHK /

2BHK+Study / 3BHK

Area Range : 507 sft to 1355 sft

Price Starting From : Rs.13.5 Lakhs to Rs.32 Lakhs

Possession : March 2013

Contact : 8008688788

VERTEX HOMES PVT LTD

PROJECT 1

Project Name : Vertex Prime

Location : Nizampet Road, Kukatpally



Contact Number : 9396844261, 23056090


Web site : www.vertexprime.in

PROJECT 2

Project Name : Vertex Lake View


Property Type : 4 BHK Independent Villas


Contact Number : 23050942, 23056090


Web site : www.vertexhomes.com

PROJECT 3

Project Name : Vertex Sadguru Krupa


Property Type : 3 BHK Independent Flats


Contact Number : 23050942, 23056090



PROJECT 4

Project Name : Vertex Pleasant




Contact Number : 23050942, 23056090



Projects

Apreda Horizon Feb - March 2012

Documents

Transcript of Apreda Horizon Feb - March 2012