Road to Rae Bareli
The officials in the Ministry of Roads are working overtime to ensure that the ride to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s constituency of Rae Bareli is not-bumpy. The buzz is that the Government is all set to award a national highway project worth over Rs 1,300 crore to improve and widen the two-way Tanda-Raebareli-Banda stretch. Meanwhile, Highways Minister Oscar Fernandes has intervened to ensure a fast-tracked approach towards the project, which has been pending for the last two years.
Cong MP’s loyalty dilemma
A Congress MP in the Parliament corridors was heard saying that his constituency voters want to re-elect him, but would want him to contest election from BJP this time. “You are good but the BJP is a better party to vote for”, the MP from Uttar Pradesh quoted what some of his voters told him. “What do I doIJ” he asked. Sharing his plight with the reporters.
lord over My lords!
Computers in the Supreme Court are defying their masters and even the Chief Justice of India is helpless in resolving the trouble. last week, a lawyer complained to the CJI that even though his matter was listed for early hearing, the court computers did not show it on list. The twist in the tale came when the CJI pointed out that the judges too were victims of the truant machines. “The computers are not helping us. They are attaching orders of our dismissal,” CJI P Sathasivam said.
Scribes’ security woes
Parliament was virtually turned into a fortress during the Winter Session last week to prevent anti and pro-Telangana supporters from entering the premises. The security drill became more stringent after an MP used pepper spray inside the lok Sabha. Not willing to take any chances, journalists were frisked thoroughly and some women scribes were not even allowed to carry moisturisers packed in small jars inside both the Houses. While they took this inconvenience in their stride, some smokers amongst the media fraternity grumbled when the security staff asked them to surrender their lighters or match boxes as it could also pose a security threat.
Mum CBI
Apparently on direction from the higher authorities, CBI officials do not speak, even on matters of routine investigation. Recently, a top CBI official told a few journos that the agency has not found criminality in any of the 14 Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) relating to tapped conversation of controversial lobbyist Nira Radia. However, officials in the public information office refused to comment on the status of the probe into the PEs.
Undemocratic entry
When the controversial Telangana Bill was to be brought in the Rajya Sabha, MPs from lok Sabha were denied entry to the lok Sabha gallery. But BJP MP from Andaman & Nicobar, Bishnu Pad Ray, fought his way to the Upper House gallery by barging into the Press gallery and engaged into fisticuffs with security staff. He order a journalist to vacate the chair from where he jumped to the adjacent gallery shouting “is this democracy.” A senior journalist pointed to the member, “Sir, your action too cannot be called democratic in this temple of democracy.”
Feline pride
When it comes to big cats, Madhya Pradesh seems to be unstoppable. It may have lost its coveted crown of “tiger State” to Karnataka during the last tiger census, but it is certainly in no mood to be pinned down. So whatIJ If it does not have the highest number of tigers in the country, it is all set to have one of the highest varieties of feline population in the world. While tigers are already roaring in the State, and talks are on regarding translocation of some lions from Gir to the State, there is a yet another buzz. It is on importing cheetahs from Namibia and reintroducing them in this State. The big cats are all set to bestow MP with rare feline pride !