Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This September, A Mary, 47, got something she never thought she ever could -not a car or a home but a pension. A house help and a mother of two whose husband is a driver, Delhi-based Mary al ways viewed a pension as something only the affluent could afford -until her employer Kurt Strasser, a senior sector specialist at German development bank KfW, brought it within her reach.

Mary is a beneficiary of the Micro Pension Foundation's Gift-a-Pension initiative. Every month, Strasser gives her Rs.500 extra cash as part of her salary that she deposits in her pension account via one of the 2.5 lakh designated outlets.

The Micro Pension Foundation has tie-ups with companies such as Eko, ItzCash and PayWorld, and when Mary deposits the money at one of these outlets, it gets credited instantly, with an SMS confirmation. "Old-age care is a challenge facing India. Gift-a-Pension is an excellent initiative to make a pension product accessible to low income Indians," says Strasser.

At a time when the government is laying a thrust on financial inclusion, Gift-a-Pension demonstrates an efficient mechanism to deliver a financial product to India's poor. "It is a great initiative. No financial product today in India addresses this segment. High transaction costs for low-value products are a big deterrent. Micro Pension Foundation has done something that was difficult to do," says YSP Thorat, a former chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and a board member of Micro Pension Foundation.

Gift-a-Pension is targeted at over 35 million domestic workers (maids, cooks, cleaners, drivers and the like) who earn enough to make ends meet but not enough to create a financial cushion for the autumns and winters of their lives.Whilst the facilitators of the scheme are employers, they don't need to worry about being weighed down by the scheme's financial and logistical burden.

The key role of the employers is at the beginning -understanding and explaining the product details and enabling online enrollment.Their co-contribution to the pension account is optional. And the product is structured such that illiterate workers can easily manage it even as they change employers and switch cities (see Fast Facts).

Sound Start

Launched in September, the response has been encouraging with over 1,000 employers registering so far. Over 350 have gifted a pension to their domestic help. Most of the enrollments are from Delhi National Capital Region (91%), with Bengaluru (5%) and Mumbai (4%) bringing in the rest, says Parul Khanna, associate director, Micro Pension Foundation. Most of the beneficiaries are maids (45%), followed by drivers (27%) and cooks (13%). So far, almost half of the enrollments have been made using Aadhaar as proof of identity. Over 70% prefer monthly saving and 38% are putting away over `500 monthly into their pension account. About 10% of the employers have also set up a systematic investment on their credit cards for automatic deductions. "I have enrolled my maid of eight years. I helped her enroll and paid the `300 sign-up fee. Now, she takes care of it," says Mumbai-based Sonali MehtaRao, co-founder, MelaArtisans.com.

The Gift-a-Pension scheme has a helpline that is open from 8.30 am to 6.40 pm on all working days, with a staff of 20 in Pune and Bengaluru that can take queries in 14 regional languages.

The man behind Gift-a-Pension is Gautam Bhardwaj, director of Micro Pension Foundation, for whom the scheme has been a gleam in the eye since 1990. The think-tank he founded, Invest India Economic Foundation, was the main architect of the National Pension System (NPS), which was rolled out by the government in 2004 for its workers. For the next five years, he worked with the government to open up NPS for all.

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A Pension Scheme that's Maid in India

CNBC must miss former anchor Maria Bartiromo, who decamped to Fox Business Channel earlier this year.

The Englewood Cliffs, NJ-based CNBC is spending big bucks renting studio space in Midtown in order to set up its Squawk Box studio just two blocks north of the Fox Business headquarters on the Avenue of the Americas.

Squawk is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Competition is so tough, top business executives tell us, that CNBC is stepping up its haranguing of guests about appearing on any parts of the Fox Business lineup and has threatened these executives with banishment from CNBC if they appear on Fox first.

Booking wars are nothing new, but it seems some of CNBCs hosts lack a team spirit, our sources say. The culture there seems to be kill your colleague, one person quipped over bookings. They [the hosts] seem to think theyre more important than the guests.

When you are first in business worldwide, sometimes confidence is misinterpreted as arrogance, and if that were ever the case, we would certainly be apologetic, said a spokesman for CNBC.

Tinseltown isnt known for its soft side, but when it comes to watching the North Koreans (allegedly) open Sonys kimono, theres a distinct lack of schadenfreude and more of it could have been us.

Hackers breached Sonys internal systems and illegally released a handful of upcoming movies online, then dumped data exposing the most intimate details of Sonys deals, employee contracts and actors salaries, among other things.

Sony just never seems to be able to dig out from unfortunate situations.

In 2012, its factories got swamped in the tsunami. Then in 2013, Sony came under attack by hedge-fund operator Dan Loeb, who shamed the studio, saying its movies sucked and the entertainment unit should be sold.

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CNBCs Squawk Box looks to compete with Fox Business

After nearly a year of study, a prominent architectural-landscape company in Philadelphia will present its vision Thursday for improving the tired riverfront promenade in Burlington City.

The grassy 14 acres along the Delaware River would be transformed into a more inviting space, with new park benches beneath a grove of shade trees; winding paths; changing art installations; designated areas for concerts, kite-flying events, and children's sports; and more, said Richard Newton, an Olin Studios partner who is working on the project.

A presentation will be made at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at a special public meeting at City Hall, 525 High St.

The renderings, which have not been released, depict a "more interesting . . . more romantic" promenade that takes full advantage of the location's "amazing views of the bridge, the Delaware itself, the island, and, of course, the sunsets," Newton said in an interview.

How the project would be financed has not yet been determined, but officials said it could be a combination of donations, state aid, and other sources.

Council President David Babula said the beautification project was a key part of the city's ambitious revitalization plans. The project could take more than three years to complete and cost $2.5 million to $5 million, he said. "That's just a ballpark figure," he said, adding that a planned development of market-rate apartments nearby might contribute to the project's funding.

"We're looking mostly to enhance and beautify that area," he said, "to make it into a tourist attraction and also an entertainment venue."

Built more than 25 years ago, the promenade is a quiet, grassy space between the Burlington-Bristol Bridge and the Oneida Boat Club, with a paved walk that stretches less than a half-mile along the river. Used occasionally by pedestrians, joggers, and boaters, the area also has a soccer field and a band shell for summer concerts.

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Public meeting on proposed promenade upgrade in Burlington City

11:50 26 January 2006

The blot on the landscape

THE best-known skyline in Hitchin could be changed forever by a housing development. It has been suggested that a developer is about to apply for planning permission to build seven town houses on top of Windmill Hill. Two scaffold towers have been erected

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THE best-known skyline in Hitchin could be changed forever by a housing development.

It has been suggested that a developer is about to apply for planning permission to build seven town houses on top of Windmill Hill. Two scaffold towers have been erected on the site.

Norman Hyde, who lives on the hill, said a development of that size would "devastate" the landmark.

Retired architect and planner Mr Hyde also expressed concern that the development could only be reached by a narrow lane and that there was inadequate sewerage available.

Currently there is planning permission to extend an existing house on the hill, Woodside, and to build another house near it.

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Blot on the landscape

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Untitled (Red and Yellow Cliffs) by Georgia OKeeffe captures the geology and colors of the Ghost Ranch area. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

Red Hills and White Flower is a pastel on paper-covered board by Georgia OKeeffe. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

Rams Head, Blue Morning Glory is in the Ghost Ranch Views exhibition at the Georgia OKeeffe Museum. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

Pelvis IV was done by Georgia OKeeffe in 1944. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

Geralds Tree 1 is an oil on canvas by Georgia OKeeffe. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

In this photograph by Maria Chabot, artist Georgia OKeeffe is shown on the roof of the Ghost Ranch house. (Courtesy of the Georgia OKeeffe Museum)

SANTA FE To put paint to canvas, Georgia OKeeffe only had to look out her window.

Ghost Ranch Views showcases the results at the Georgia OKeeffe Museum through March 22.

Abounding in landscapes of the cliffs and mesas surrounding her, the paintings reveal OKeeffes steady exploration of abstraction, always based firmly in nature. Compositions viewed through the lens of a hip joint hang near images of the towering cliffs she simplified with undulating lines and delicately blended pinks, corals and yellows.

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Ghost Ranch exhibit highlights the landscape Georgia OKeeffe called home

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Land which has been illegally developed for farming in the Cameron Highlands will be cleared and then rehabilitated with tree planting.

National Security Council (NSC) secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said close monitoring would be conducted on land development in the Cameron Highlands to prevent further illegal land clearing for farming.

"When this happens, problems arise as it (illegal land clearing) affects the environment and ecology, hence causing natural disaster like soil erosion," he told reporters during an operation, code-named Ops Gading, at the Blue Valley here today.

A total of 300 personnel from 16 agencies, including the police, the Malaysian Armed forces, Immigration Department, Civil Defence Department, the People's Volunteer Corps and the Attorney-General's Chambers, were involved in the operation.

Mohamed Thajudeen said illegal land clearing for farming did not occur only in the Blue Valley, but also in several other areas in the Cameron Highlands.

Some 18 hectares of land in the Blue valley had been illegally developed for farming, he said, adding that structures on 10 hectares of the land had been demolished.

"After the area has been cleared, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will carry out works to improve the soil there by planting trees," he added.

The incident of mud floods and landslides in Kampung Raja, Ringlet town and Bertam Valley in the Cameron Highlands last Nov 5 resulted in the loss of five lives and more than 90 victims from 28 families to be evacuated to the Ringlet community hall.

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Illegal farmland in Cameron Highlands to be planted with trees

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will carry out work to improve the soil to prevent erosion.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Land which has been illegally developed for farming in Cameron Highlands will be cleared and planted with trees.

National Security Council (NSC) secretary Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said close monitoring would be conducted on land development in the Cameron Highlands to prevent further illegal land clearing for farming.

When this happens, problems arise as it (illegal land clearing) affects the environment and ecology, hence causing natural disasters like soil erosion, he told reporters during an operation, code-named Ops Gading, at the Blue Valley here today.

A total of 300 personnel from 16 agencies, including the police, the armed forces, Immigration Department, Civil Defence Department, the Peoples Volunteer Corps and the Attorney-Generals Chambers, were involved in the operation.

Mohamed Thajudeen said illegal land clearing for farming did not occur only in the Blue Valley, but also in several other areas in the Cameron Highlands.

Some 18ha in the Blue valley had been illegally developed for farming, he said, adding that structures on 10ha of the land had been demolished.

After the area has been cleared, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will carry out work to improve the soil there by planting trees, he added.

The incident of mud floods and landslides in Kampung Raja, Ringlet town and Bertam Valley in the Cameron Highlands last Nov 5 resulted in the loss of five lives and more than 90 victims from 28 families to be evacuated to the Ringlet community hall.

BERNAMA

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Illegal farms in Camerons to be planted with trees

Carleen Ann Roderick of New Bedford, an interior designer, died Friday in her home with her family at her side. She was 54.

Mrs. Roderick was born in New Haven, Conn. She was a graduated of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Mrs. Roderick worked as an interior designer at La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

She was the proud owner of a Chihuahua, Scrappy-Doo.

Mrs. Roderick is survived by her husband, Kenneth; her parents, Anita (Croteau) and Morel Menard; three brothers, Paul Menard, Philip Menard and Morel Menard; three sisters, Susan Parker, Michelle Wray and Nicole Lipeles; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. tomorrow at Holy Trinity Parish in Fall River.

Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Fall River. Arrangements by Perry Funeral Home, New Bedford.

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Carleen Ann Roderick, 54, of New Bedford, designer

BUILDING A HOUSE: It is a rather significant investment - surely you want to do it right first-time?

Richard Gough, general manager of Future-Proof Building, made some mistakes when building his family home five years ago.

Now that he has moved on to a new project - a house renovation - Gough took some time to reflect on things he would be doing differently this time round.

Here he shares his top tips for building your own home.

Fairfax Photographic

DO YOU HAVE THE POWER?: Gough says it is an investment worth thinking about.

1. Rays the roof

Solar power: When I built I didn't give much consideration to solar power, the units weren't that attractive and it wasn't as cost-effective as it is now. But prices have reduced dramatically installation is now less than a third of what it was in 2008 and they are more slimline and aesthetically minded.

My advice: Solar power can pay for itself in about eight to 10 years. If you can't afford to install it at this stage, it's definitely worth pre-wiring in case you want to upgrade in the future. It is a selling point if you put your home on the market.

SECURITY: Gates aren't enough to deter criminals, but the good news is there's plenty of technology that can help.

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10 lessons learned from a house build

Difference Between Home Warranty Home Owner #39;s Insurance
Home warranty and Home Owner #39;s insurance are completely different type of service. Home warranty is for appliance protection and home owner #39;s insurance is for house protection against natural...

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