Surat Businessman Does it Again, Gifts Mercedes-Benz SUVs Worth Rs 3 Crore to Employees
Surat, Sept 28: That there’s a man who showers his employees with gifts worth crores sounds unbelievably blissful in India, where eight out of 10 workers suffer from inadequate earnings, low productivity and difficult conditions of work.
The man is no other than Savji Dholakia, the owner of Hare Krishna Exporters, who has gifted three Mercedes-Benz GLS SUVs worth Rs 3 crore to three senior staffs who completed 25 years at the company.
Nilesh Jada (40), Mukesh Chandpara (38) and Mahesh Chandpara (43) were handed the car keys at an event in Surat by Madhya Pradesh Governor and former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
The luxury SUV, whose on-road price in Surat is close to Rs 1 crore, is powered by a 3-litre V6 engine coupled with a seven-speed automatic transmission gearbox. It is coupled with LED headlamps, intelligent lighting system and many other exclusive features such as panoramic sunroof, three-zone climate control system, and rear seat entertainment among others.
These three beneficiaries were in their early teens when they joined the company, Dholakia told TOI. “They started with learning to cut diamonds and polish it and now they are not only experts but most senior and one of the most trusted people of our company.”
This isn’t the first time that the Surat-based diamond merchant has done something of this sort. On the New Year in 2017, he gifted 1,200 units of Datsun’s redi-GO hatchback to his employees.
A year before, the trader gave a Diwali bonus worth Rs 51 crore. The generous man also gifted 1,260 cars along with 400 flats to his employees.
Savjibhai Dholakia, fondly known as Savjikaka in Surat and Saurashtra, says that he offers gifts to the employees on the basis of their performance. His diamond and textiles trading company employs 5,500 people and has an annual turnover of over Rs 6,000 crore.
There’s a legend that Dholakia came from Dudhala village in Amreli district to Surat in 1977 on a state transport bus with just Rs 12.5 with him—the ticket fare—and over the years built a Rs 6,000 cr diamond business.
Courtesy: www.news18.com
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
