‘No deadline extension in digitisation phase-II’
New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday ruled out extension of deadline in the second phase of digitisation beyond March 31 despite 25 per cent households not having Set Top boxes but said that matter will be sensitively dealt.
“In the second phase in the 38 cities....We are not going to relax the deadline but at the same time we are being sensitive. It is not that we are switching off everybody’s television set. We’ve told the Multi System Operators to be sensitive since we are implementing a very large remit. And to do it in a manner which gives people, who have not had the opportunity may be because of paucity of Set Top Boxes, or because they were recalcitrant or indolent to come up the learning curve,” he said.
hotel project approval goes online
NEW DElHI: In a bid to cut red-tape and ensure transparency, Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi on Wednesday launched a web-based public service delivery system for approval and classification status for hotel projects. The Minister said that now-onwards developments of all applications seeking hotel project approvals, hotel classification and approvals for other related services can be tracked online on a real time basis. PNS
Indo-Nepal Everest expedition flagged off
New Delhi: Army chief General Bikram Singh on Wednesday flagged off from here a joint India-Nepal Army mountaineering expedition to Everest. The expedition is planned to coincide with the diamond jubilee of the first ascent on the Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The joint team consists of 20 members from Indian Army and 12 from the Nepalese Army and will attempt to summit the peak in May. Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh also flagged off an 18-member NCC expedition to Everest.
‘on decline in foreign tourists inflow’
NEW DElHI: Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi on Wednesday took strong exception to claim by the business chamber, ASSOCHAM, that the foreign tourists inflow has dipped by 35 per cent in the last three months in the wake of the series of rape incidents since December 16 last year in the country. Without naming the business chamber, the Minister said that, instead, “the foreign tourist arrivals to India have grown by 2.1 per cent in January and February. There is no negative growth. During these two months foreign exchange earnings from tourism rose by 19.8 per cent in rupee terms and 11.4 per cent in dollar terms.”