Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Rules and regulations pertaining to booking and cancellation of e-tickets in Indian Railways


Most of us are using IRCTC website to book e-tickets to perform journey by train but most of us are not aware of certain rules on e-tickets. Some of the important rules I have noticed is given below:

The tickets booked are not transferable and is valid only if one of the passenger booked on an e-ticket presents any one of the prescribed original identity cards during the train journey, as proof of identity failing which the passengers will be treated as travelling without ticket and shall be dealt with as per existing Railway Rules.

The identity cards prescribed for this purpose are Voter Identity Card / Passport / Pan card / Driving license Photo Identiy card of Central/State Government / Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized School/College for their students / Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph / Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph.

Change of boarding station & change in name of E-Ticket passenger is allowed and will be granted for once only.

Passengers should approach the nearest Railway Reservation Office with ‘Electronic Reservation Slip’ print out and photo identity proof in original of one of the passenger traveling in the ticket at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train;

Reservation offices can change ‘Boarding Station’ & ‘Passenger Name’ against a request from the passenger as per existing rules applicable to other counter booked tickets.

The change in name of the passenger holding confirmed e-reservation has been permitted as per existing rules and the same is:
a. Where the passenger makes a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train to the nearest Railway Reservation office. It can be transferred to an-other member of his family, meaning, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Husband and Wife. He should bring the ‘Electronic Reservation Slip’ print out along with photo identity card proof in original & a proof for blood relation desired to be changed
b. Where the passenger is a Government Servant proceeding on duty and appropriate authority, makes a request in writing 24 hours before the scheduled departure of train.

Passengers with ERS/VRM along with any one of the eight prescribed ID proofs in original and the indication of their name(s) in the Reservation Chart are authorized to travel.

VRM combined with valid photo-id in original will be treated as an instrument on par with the ERS.

ERS is the Electronic Reservation Slip which is the printout containing reservation particulars and instructions (e-ticket printout) , which is used by the passenger along with the relevant authorized Identity cards during the journey.

VRM is Virtual Reservation Message which is a screen-shot of the e-ticket displayed through laptops/palmtops/ Mobile phone. 

In case the train is cancelled, full refund permissible in case the ticket is cancelled within 72 hours of the scheduled departure of the train.  Such cancellations of e-tickets can be done through internet.  If e-tickets are not cancelled with 72 hours of the scheduled departure of the train, TDR can be filled with option ‘Train Cancelled’ to get refund through TDR. (TDR = Train Deposit Receipt)

E-mail id and Mobile Number are now mandatory for IRCTC users and are being verified.


Sunday, August 28, 2011

10% Special discount on 3G postpaid data plans



Special discount of 10% on Fixed Monthly Charges of all 3G postpaid data plans is being offered to Government Employees (Central Government/ State Government/ PSUs) both existing / new connection after verifying the credential of the Government employees.
Visit your nearest Customer Service Centre for availing discount. 

See BSNL 3G Data Plans, Bandwidth and Transfer Speed Review






Friday, August 26, 2011

SBI Gold Fund by SBI Mutual Funds opened on 22nd August 2011

 
New Fund Offer from 22nd August 2011 to 5th September 2011

Gold as an investment asset has given positive returns during the last decade. SBI Mutual Fund is introducing a new Fund called SBI Gold Fund which is an open ended Fund of Fund (FOF) scheme that invests predominantly in the units of SBI Gold Exchange Traded Scheme (SBI GETS). 



Plans and Options
Growth and Dividend Plan (with both payout and reinvestment options)
Min. investment size initial purchase
Rs. 5000/- and in multiples of Re. 1 thereof & Additional purchase: Rs. 1000/- and in multiples of Re. 1 thereof

SIP Plans 
Rs.100/month minimum 60 months (available only through the direct debit mode of SBI & associate banks)
Rs.500/month for minimum 12 months
Rs.1000/month minimum 6 months
Rs.500/quarter minimum 12 quarters
Rs.1500/quarter for minimum 4 quarters.



SBI Gold Fund is treated as a non equity product from tax perspective and investors can claim long term capital gains tax after a period of one year of investments.




Link for further details and application download.





Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Special trains to run during Ramzan, Vinayaga Chathurthi & Onam Festival seasons.



Special trains to run during Ramzan, Vinayaga Chathurthi & Onam Festival seasons.

1)  Nagercoil – Mangalore Junction – Nagercoil Specials
(via. Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam Town, Shoranur, Kannur): 
T.No.06304 Nagercoil – Mangalore Special will leave Nagercoil at 16.50 hrs. on 29.8.2011 and arrive Mangalore Jn. at 10.30 hrs. on 30.8.2011
T.No.06303 Mangalore Jn. – Nagercoil Special will leave Mangalore Jn. at 13.35 hrs. on 30.8.2011 and arrive Nagercoil at 04.45 hrs. on 31.8.2011.

2)  Coimbatore – Chennai Central – Coimbatore Superfast Specials
(via Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi)
T.No.06616 Coimbatore – Chennai Central Superfast Special will leave Coimbatore at 22.45 hrs. on 30.8.2011 and arrive Chennai Central at 06.45 hrs. 31.8.2011.
T.No.06617 Chennai Central – Coimbatore Superfast Special will leave Chennai Central at 22.30 hrs. on 31.8.2011 and arrive Coimbatore at 06.50 hrs. 1.9.2011

3)  Chennai Central – Mangalore Central – Chennai Central Specials
(via. Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Shoranur)
T.No.06067 Chennai Central – Mangalore Central Special will leave Chennai Central at 20.45 hrs. on 7.9.2011 and arrive Mangalore Central at 13.00 hrs. on 8.9.2011
T.No.06068 Mangalore Central – Chennai Central Special will leave Mangalore Central at 20.30 hrs. on 8.9.2011 and arrive Chennai Central at 12.25 hrs. on 9.9.2011.
  
4)  Chennai Central – Nagercoil Special
(via. Erode, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram) 
T.No.06069 Chennai Central – Nagercoil Special will leave Chennai Central at 23.30 hrs. on 7.9.2011 and arrive Nagercoil at 17.00 hrs. on 8.9.2011


5) Nagercoil – Chennai Egmore Special
(via. Tirunelveli, Madurai, Dindigul, Tiruchchirappalli, Villupuram)
T.N.06070 Nagercoil – Chennai Egmore Special will leave Nagercoil at 19.40 hrs. on 8.9.2011 and arrive Chennai Egmore at 09.05 hrs. 9.9.2011.

Advance reservation to commence from 24.8.2011.

Public Issue of Secured NCD – Muthoot Finance Limited

 
Muthoot Finance limited's Public Issue of Secured Non Convertible Debentures (NCDs) opens on 23rd August and closes on 5th September 2011. Advertisement will be issued in newspapers in case of early closure.

The size of issue is Rs.1000 crores.

The NCD issue has been rated at AA-Stable by CRISIL AND CARE.


This offer is open for institutional and individual investors and each NCD carries a face value of Rs. 1,000.

Three series on offer—option I, 24 months with 12% interest, option II 36 months with 12.25% and option III, 60 months with 12.25% interest for individual investors.


Investors can apply for a minimum five NCDs (worth Rs. 5,000) under each option with
additional investments in multiples of Rs.1,000.

Allotment will be made on first-come-first-served basis. Interest on application and refund is 8%.

Cheque / DD should be drawn in favour of “Escrow Account Muthoot Finance NCD Public Issue” by
all applicants. It should be crossed “A/c Payee only”.


Monday, August 22, 2011

FREE SIM OFFER FROM BSNL


BSNL offers promotional Free SIM Offer for Virgin SIM card (2G SIM) at free of cost to all new customers for 90 days  from 17.08.2011 to 14.11.2011.


Friday, August 19, 2011

Chennai Monorail Project revived - four monorail corridors proposed in the Phase-I

The earlier proposal of monorail implementation has been revived by the present government and four corridors have been identified based on the feasibility study prepared by Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services Limited.

The proposed corridors are:

CORRIDOR I
(From Vandalur to Puzhal, 54 Kilometers)
Vandalur, Tambaram, MEPZ, Pallavaram, Pammal, Kundrathur, Mangadu, Karayanchavadi, Melapakkam, Paruthipattu, Avadi, Thirumullaivoyal, Ambattur O.T., Pudur, Surapet, Puzhal

CORRIDOR II
(Vandalur to Velachery, 23 Kilometers)
Vandalur, Perungalathur, Irumbuliyur, Tambaram East, Sembakkam, Gowriwakkam, Medavakkam, Pallikaranai, Narayanapuram, Velachery.

CORRIDOR III
(from Poonamallee to Kathipara Junction, 18 Kilometers)
Poonamallee, Kumananchavadi, Karayanchavadi, Kattupakkam, Iyyappanthangal, SRMC Hospital, Porur, Ramavaram, Nandambakkam, Butt Road, Kathipara Junction.

CORRIDOR IV
(from Poonamallee to Vadapalani, 16 Kilometers)
Poonamallee, Karayanchavadi, Kumananchavadi, Velappanchavadi, Vanagaram, Maduravoyal, Alapakkam, Porur, Valasarawakkam, Virugambakkam, Vadapalani Junction.

Project will be finalised by an international competitive bidding for a total length of 111 kilometers in Phase-I of the project.

The cost of the project will be to the tune of Rs.16,000 crore. The successive bidder has to design, construct, finance, own, maintain and transfer the project after a period of 30 years.

The monorail with four cars, will carry 600 passengers per train, ie. about 10,000 passengers per hour per direction.

Metropolitan Transport Corportion (MTC) will be the nodal agency for implementing the project.

The project will focus mainly on the suburbs of Chennai where mass transport facilities are needed most.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Manappuram Finance Limited's Public Issue of Secured Non Convertible Debentures (NCDs)

Manappuram Finance Limited's Public Issue of Secured Non Convertible Debentures (NCDs) opens on 18th August and closes on 5th September 2011. Advertisement will be issued in newspapers in case of early closure.

The size of issue is Rs.400 crores, with option to retain oversubscription up to Rs.350 crores.

The NCD issue has been rated at AA- by CARE and AA- by Brickwork for an amount up to Rs. 750 crore. “AA” rating suggests that a company has high ability for debt serving and low credit risk.

This offer is open for institutional and individual investors and each NCD carries a face value of Rs. 1,000.

Two series on offer—option I and option II. Option I carries a maturity of 400 days and an interest rate of 12% p.a. payable on maturity. Option II matures in two years and carries an interest rate of 12.20% p.a. payable half yearly.

Investors can apply for a minimum five NCDs (worth Rs. 5,000) under each option with
additional investments in multiples of Rs.1,000.

Allotment will be made on first-come-first-served basis.

How to apply

Application forms may be obtained from the Registered Office of Manappuram Finance Limited or from any branches and from the branches of the Lead Managers to the issue, viz. Axis
Bank, YES Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank and ICICI Bank.

The application forms duly filled in along with Cheque/Demand Draft for the requisite amount
should be submitted to the Registered Office or to any branches or to the branches Axis Bank, YES Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank or ICICI Bank.

Cheques/Demand Drafts should be drawn in favour of “Escrow A/c – Manappuram Bond Issue”


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Heritage run of the world's oldest steam engine from Chennai Egmore to Guindy

On August 15th, 2011, Southern Railways ran a 156 year old steam locomotive, EIR 21. It was flagged off by Shri V. Gopiraam, the senior guard at Chennai Egmore Railway Station, and went up to Guindy with a 20 minute stop at Kodambakkam Railway Station to ensure that the engine was not experiencing any strain or other technical problems.

This engine, built by KitsonThompson and Hewitson of England was brought to India by the British in 1855. The engine was retired at the Jamalpur Loco Works in Bihar and exhibited there for nearly 100 years. The engine was restored at Perambur Loco Works in 2010. The capacity of the engine is 130 HP.

The world’s oldest steam locomotive which took the heritage run on 15th August, 2011 was to show our rich railway heritage to the young and also gave a chance to the older generation to reminisce about the olden days. Most of us now would not have heard the loud, distinctive whistle of a steam engine.

The engine had run from Chennai Central to Avadi in 2010 and a few technical glitches were observed by the railways since it had run a longer distance. But this, year the technical glitches were fixed and the pulling power increased. Several trials were conducted and all problems experienced in 2010 run were sorted out.

Several people and children present at the station were thrilled to see the engine and were amazed at the restoration done by the Railways to the preserve the world’s oldest steam engine.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Heritage Run of 156 year old steam locomotive from Chennai Egmore

Southern Railway has announced that it will conduct a Heritage Run of 156 year old steam locomotive from Chennai Egmore to Guindy in connection with the Independence Day.

Steam locomotive EIR 21, the oldest locomotive on Indian Railways will leave from platform No. 1 of Chennai Egmore at 11.00 hrs. on 15.08.2011 and arrive Guindy by 12.30 hrs.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

New Voice STV/Boosters through C-TOP-UP in 2G/3G prepaid service of BSNL Chennai Telephones

Activation of new Voice STV/Boosters through C-TOP-UP in 2G/3G prepaid service

BSNL Chennai Telephones has introduced STV for Lifetime customers through C-TOP-UP in 2G&3G Prepaid mobile services in Chennai Telephones with effect from 10.08.2011.

Saral Ananth Special (current Plan) and Saral Ananth (OLD Plan) customers only can avail the tariff of all @49 plan using STV 49 for 365 days.

Visit the link to know more.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Shriram City Union Finance Limited Secured Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs)

Public issue by Shriram City Union Finance Limited of Non-Convertible Debentures of face value of Rs.1000 each, (NCDs), aggregating upto Rs.375/- crores with an option to retain over-subscription upto Rs.375/- crores for issuance of additional NCDs aggregating to a total of Rs.750/- crores.

Issue Opens on 11th August, 2011 and closes on 27th August, 2011. Allotment will be made only on 'first come first served' basis.

Shriram City is a premier financial services company, specialising in retail finance. Shriram City finances for Two wheelers, Three Wheelers, Four Wheeler finance (both new & pre-owned passenger and commercial), Personal Loans, Small Business Loans and Loan against gold. It has over 1000 Business Outlets across the country and enjoys a high credit rating, as well as listing on the BSE, NSE & Madras Stock Exchanges.

The Individual Reserved Portion is Rs.450 crores for applications upto Rs.5,00,000 and Individual Unreserved Portion is Rs. 150 crores for applications above Rs.5,00,000

The Face value of NCD is Rs. 1000 and minimum application is Rs.10,000.
Investments can be made in Demat form only and NCDs will be listed at NSE & BSE.


Rating by CARE is ‘CARE AA’ by CARE and by CRISIL is ‘CRISIL AA-/Stable’.

Cheque / DD should be drawn in favouar of ‘Escrow Account SCUF NCD Public Issue’.

Scheme details:
OPTION I - Tenure is for 60 months, Annual interest is 12.10% for applications upto Rs.5 lakhs and 11.85% for applications above Rs.5 lakhs. Put and call option is 48 months and redemption date will be 60 months from the deemed date of allotment.

OPTION II: Tenure is for 36 months, Annual interest is 11.85% for applications upto Rs.5 lakhs and 11.60% for applications above Rs.5 lakhs. No Put and call option and redemption date will be 36 months from the deemed date of allotment.

Redemption amount will be Face Value plus any interest that may accrue on the redemption date.

Link for further details and application download.
http://iepindia.com/IEPPPSS/scufncd_files/v3_document.htm

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Chennai's exclusive student special services extended to more routes

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has extended its student special services to more routes to benefit students.

The existing student specials ply on these routes: 23C, 29A, 11G, 12B, 21L, 27D, 29C, 47, 5B, 6D, 37B and 38C.

Special buses for students will ply on the following routes during the morning and evening school hours. Students plying on these routes should utilize these services offer to them for their benefit.

5A T.Nagar – Tambaram East
5E Vadapalani – Besant Nagar
12 T.Nagar – V.House
12G K.K.Nagar – Anna Square
15B CMBT – Broadway
20 Villivakkam – Broadway
T21 Broadway – Kannagi Nagar
27L Mogappair West – Anna Square
28 Tiruvottiyur – Egmore North RS
29A Perambur – Anna Square
32A Tollgate – Foreshore Estate
44C IOC – Broadway
51G Tambaram East – Vengaivasal PH
56C Tiruvottiyur – Broadway
M64C Manali – Broadway.
120 Avadi – Broadway

The student special services usually start between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m. in the morning and 3 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. in the evening.