Consumers, The Pune District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has ordered the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to pay Rs. 5,656, along with 18 per cent interest from January 1, 1994, to policy-holder Madhushankar Vyavhare. This is as compensation for the gross negligence on part of the LIC's staff members, leading to excessive deductions of premiums from Vyavhare's salary. As they say, you simply have to pay for inefficiency.

Martyrs, With the dedication of an impressive war memorial at the Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar. Dedicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian Cavalry and Armoured Corps, the memorial has a battle-scarred Centurion tank, that witnessed action in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, standing on a pedestal made of white marble.

Down
Illegal constructions, With the new Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia going hammer and tongs against illegal structures in the city, owners of places that have gone where they had no business going are quivering in their shoes. Eateries on Jungli Maharaj Road, Hotel Holiday Inn and some owners of establishments on Fergusson College Road, have already felt the powerful impact of the indefatigable Bhatia and his demolition squad, whose motto seems to be `Down with encroachments' - literally.

The simla office chowk, Where, according to a study conducted by the School Of Health Sciences, University of Pune, the air-pollution level far exceeds the safety limits. Due to the heavy traffic in the area, the circle and its surrounding areas have been deemed hazardous toward health, with the heavy concentration of vehicular emissions that have the potential to cause serious cardio-vascular disorders. Heart-stopping news, this.

Life, As a main balance reservoir at Krishna Nagar, near Alandi, caved in. Three people, including a nine-year-old girl, lost their lives even as 37 others were injured. The reservoir, that was constructed three months ago, had been tested twice by the State Government and the World Bank before it was made functional.

Environment, With State Government's scheme to construct roads for the Dehane village, about 15 km. from Bhimashankar, at the expense of innumerable trees that form the sacred grove surrounding the Shiva temple located here. With this, one of the rarest patches of primary forest in the Western Ghats, along with its precious flora and fauna, is under the threat of destruction.