Events that shaped Gujarat in 2003

JANUARY:
28: The first phase of the 44.43 kilometre long Ahmedabad-Vadodara Express Highway inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

31: A G Kalmankar takes over as managing director of State Bank of Saurashtra

FEBRUARY:
3: Centre asks the state co-operation department to extend the ambit of the Securitisation Act to co-operative banks in Gujarat

4: Government of Gujarat cuts Rs 1600 crore in various development schemes because of a cash crisis

10: Hitachi Home and Life Solutions announces its decision to go in for a rights issue of Rs 27.3 crore

19: Squall plays havoc in Gujarat. Crops worth crores of rupees damaged, many people and cattle die

19: A senior SEBI team initiates enquiry into alleged irregularities at the Saurashtra-Kutch Stock Exchange in Rajkot

20: Karamsad Urban Co-operative Bank and Co-Operative Bank of Umreth plunge into a liquidity crisis. The banks are withdrawn from clearing houses

21: Hutch and Idea, the cellular operators in Gujarat, announce free incoming calls

MARCH:
3: NDDB signs an agreement with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for development of vaccines

12: Zydus Cadila Healthcare shareholders approve the amalgamation with Recon, Zydus Pathline and Zoom Properties

26: Haren Pandya, former Gujarat revenue minister shot dead in Ahmedabad.

27: SEBI supersedes the board of the Ahmedabad Stock Exchange. An administrator is appointed

APRIL
3: Essar Construction bags the order for a Rs 198-crore gas pipeline project from Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation

12: Panic withdrawal of deposits from ICICI Bank branches across the state

16: Transport strike sends prices of fruits, vegetables soaring ""pharmaceutical supplies badly hit in the state

21: Violence hits Gandhidham as fights break out between salt manufacturers and transporters. Police opens fire

23: Eight urban co-operative banks turn weak due to no-repayment of loans by farmers

MAY
2: Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), Gandhinagar, appointed the nodal agency to promote food processing ventures

5: Cadila Pharmaceuticals forays into asthma segment, launches new drugs

11: Panchmahals District Co-operative Bank suspended from the clearing house

JUNE:
3: NDDB snatches the rights for marketing Dhara edible oil from the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). A cold war begins between the two organisations

13: JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals enters into a strategic alliance with the Arrow Group of Canada

JULY
3: Intas Pharmaceuticals forays into biotech product development

AUGUST
2: Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation ties up with a consortium of nationalised banks to raise Rs 300 crore.

3: Blast rocks Surat city. 46 dead, diamond industry hit

10: Two killed in bomb blast in Ahmedabad

26: Vadodara-based Alembic Ltd decides to go for a rights issue

SEPTEMBER:
16: Torrent launches drugs for hypertension

19: The first phase of Shell Hazira's multi-crore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project inaugurated in Hazira

28: Global Investors' Summit, a mega event, gets underway in Ahmedabad

OCTOBER:
3: Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation ties up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd for CNG distribution in Gujarat

14: Blast at the nitrophosphate plant of Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers Ltd in Bharuch. Several workers killed, plant shut down.

20: Gujarat plunges into milk crisis. NDDB seeks government nod to import skimmed milk powder (SMP)

NOVEMBER:
14: Billimora police arrests Sanjay Agarwal, CEO of Home Trade, for cheating co-operative banks in south Gujarat

14: London-based Benson Overseas finalises a pact to takeover Baroda Rayon

19: IIM-Ahmedabad's Confluence-2003, an annual international B-schools' meet, kicks off

23: CBI informs IIM-A director about CAT paper leak. Examination cancelled

25: The Indian Institutes of Managements announce that the CAT will be held on February 15, 2004

30: Sudhir Mehta, chairman of Torrent group, takes additional responsibility as chairman of Surat Electricity Company

DECEMBER:
10:The Gujarat Pollution Control Board issues closure order to Sachana ship-breaking yard in Jamnagar

24: Gujarat High Court directs insurance companies to renew mediclaim policies on the existing terms and conditions

29: Union Bank of India launches Union BillPay facility in Ahmedabad.