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THE ECHO OF INDIA SILIGURI

Other States 5

Thursday January 1, 2015




Modi emerged as star performer


on world stage in 2014
NEW DELHI, DEC 31/-/
Emergence
of
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as
a star performer on the
world stage was the
highlight of Indian foreign
policy during 2014 which
was described by External
Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj as truly a "Year of
Breakthrough Diplomacy".
Modi's diplomatic outreach
was evident the moment he
took over as Prime Minister
with the leaders of SAARC
countries attending his
swearing-in ceremony. His
visit, thereafter, to the US,
Japan and seven other
countries confirmed his
status as major global
figure. Pakistan Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif

were among his special


guests
but
relations
between
the
two
neighbours actually soured
later
over
ceasefire
violations, that country's
involvement with Kashmiri
separatists and kid glove
treatment given to key
conspirators of Mumbai
terror attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan will remain a
challenge
for
Modi
government's diplomacy in
the year ahead with experts
maintaining that Islamabad
will only talk about the
dialogue with India but will
not
do
anything
"spectacular" to make it
happen. "I don't expect any
spectacular engagement of
Pakistan with India even

though that country will


keep
talking
about
dialogue. They will not act
against terror groups like
Jaish and Lashker and we
need to keep a watch on the
ground," former Indian
High Commissioner to
Pakistan G Parthasarathy
said. "Pakistan will remain
a challenge given its
internal political dynamics
and role of its military in
the foreign policy," he
added when asked the
reasons for Pakistan's
particular
approach
towards India. He also
talked about the increasing
involvement of Pakistan
with
Afghanistan,
a
strategically important
neighbour of India and

vulnerable in terms of
security situation after the
withdrawal of combat
NATO
troops.
While
Pakistan will remain a
challenge, India also has to
trade carefully while
dealing with China, whose
President Xi Jinping was
yet another high-profile
guests of Modi while the
Chinese troops carried out
incursions in Chumar
sector of Ladakh. Summing
up the Modi government's
diplomacy in 2014, Swaraj
said,
revitalising
traditional ties, re-setting
strategic relations and
reaching out to Indians
abroad have been primary
to India's diplomatic efforts.
PTI

'PK' row: Maha CM says no probe; film shows to continue


MUMBAI, DEC 31/-/
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis on
Wednesday r uled out any
probe into Aamir Khan
starrer 'PK', a day after MoS
for Home ordered an inquiry
into the film's "content"
amidst raging protests, and
promised
adequate
protection for its smooth
screening.
"There will be no
inquiry. Shows of PK will
continue
all
over
Maharashtra and we will
provide
necessary
protection to ensure smooth
screening of the film," he
told reporters. Amid protests
by right-wing groups
demanding a ban on the
movie, which takes a swipe
at Hindu gods, godmen and
superstition, Maharashtra's
Minister of State for Home
Ram Shinde had said
yesterday that he had asked
police to probe contents of
the film. "Shows of PK won't
be stopped. PK will continue
to
be
screened
in
Maharashtra," Fadnavis said

TENDER
e-Tender for N.I.T No :- WBPWD/
SENEC/ NIT- 72/ 2014-2015 is
invited by the Superintending
Engineer, P.W.D./ Northern Electrical Circle, near 2nd
Mahananda Bridge, Hill Cart
Road, Siliguri, Pin- 734001,
Dist.- Darjeeling, for the work of
Electrical Installation work of
H.D.U unit at 2nd Floor of S.D Hospital Mathabhanga in the district
of Cooch Behar and last date for
submission of tender 14.01.2015
upto 4.00 p.m. All details can be
seen from the website- http://
etender.wb.nic.in or http://
www.pwdwb.in or office of the
undersigned during office hours.

SE/ NEC P.W.D.

following reports that some


theatres had cancelled the
shows under threat from
right wing groups like
Bajr ang Dal and Vishwa
Hindu P arishad. With
protests spreading to several
states, the film's director
Rajkumar Hirani had said on
Tuesday he had no intention
to hurt anyone's sentiments
and maintained that the film
upholds the true spirit of
religion while condemning
"only the abuse" of it. "I'm
deeply
saddened
and
concerned about the protests
by some groups against our
film 'PK'. On behalf of the
entire team of 'PK', I would
like to clarify that we respect
all religions and faiths," the
52-year-old celebrated film
director had said, in a

statement. Shinde had


asked IG (Law and Order)
Deven Bharti to look into
objectionable scenes, if any,
in the film and promised
"necessary" action if any
"wrong" was found.
"The Censor board may
have found the film fit to be
released and hence they
cleared it from their end. But
after the release some
organisations have objected
to some parts of the film,"
Shinde had said, adding the
government will "step in" if
the issue snowballed into a
major law and order
problem. The film has the
rightwing Hindu groups up
in arms, staging protests that
have turned violent in some
places including BJP-ruled
Gujarat where theatres have

been vandalised. Protests


have also taken place in
several states including
Madhya Pradesh, Assam,
Odisha, Haryana and Delhi,
besides Hyderabad and
Mumbai. Leela Samson,
chairperson of the Central
Board of Film Certification,
has already made it clear that
the board will not remove
any scenes from the film.
Aamir has also trashed
accusations of him having
"insulted"
the
Hindu
religion because he was a
Muslim, saying, "We respect
all religions. All my Hindu
friends have seen the film
and they have not felt the
same". Clarifications from
Hirani and Aamir Khan
have, however, cut no ice
with the agitators. PTI

TENDER
e-Tender for N.I.T No :- WBPWD/
SENEC/ NIT- 73/ 2014-2015 is
invited by the Superintending
Engineer, P.W.D./ Northern Electrical Circle, near 2nd
Mahananda Bridge, Hill Cart
Road, Siliguri, Pin- 734001,
Dist.- Darjeeling, for the work of
Electrical Installation work of
H.D.U unit at 2nd Floor of S.D Hospital Dinhata in the district of
Cooch Behar and last date for
submission of tender 14.01.2015
upto 4.00 p.m. All details can be
seen from the website- http://
etender.wb.nic.in or http://
www.pwdwb.in or office of the
undersigned during office hours.

SE/ NEC P.W.D.


TENDER
e-Tender for N.I.T No :- WBPWD/
SENEC/ NIT- 74/ 2014-2015 is
invited by the Superintending
Engineer, P.W.D./ Northern Electrical Circle, near 2nd
Mahananda Bridge, Hill Cart
Road, Siliguri, Pin- 734001,
Dist.- Darjeeling, for the work of
Installation of L.E.D Street
Lighting from Jail Khana More to
Station More in the district of
Cooch Behar and last date for
submission of tender 14.01.2015
upto 4.00 p.m. All details can be
seen from the website- http://
etender.wb.nic.in or http://
www.pwdwb.in or office of the
undersigned during office hours.

SE/ NEC P.W.D.

Indians fly safe in 2014


as 3 major air mishaps
hog headlines
NEW DELHI, DEC 31/-/
Indian airspace remained
free of any major mishap
involving airlines and
helicopters this year,
which saw three major air
accidents hogging the
headlines globally. There
were 20 air accidents
across the world in 2014,
which
included
the
disappearance
of
Malaysia Airlines flight
MH-370, shooting down
of MH-17 of the same
airline and AirAsia
Indonesia's
QZ-8501
plunging into the sea
after getting caught in
extreme weather.
Indian
aviation
industry saw a "safe"
year with four "minor"
accidents involving small
airplanes
of
nonscheduled air operators,
though the operations of
scheduled airlines and
helicopters have remained
completely accident-free
in 2014, latest official data
showed. No accident
occurred in the scheduled
commercial air transport

since 2011 after the Air


India Express crash in
Mangalore on May 22,
2010 that claimed 158
lives. DGCA officials said
the
regulatory
interventions
and
heightened
safety
surveillance carried out
by the aviation regulator
during the year had led to
such a result. Almost 70
heightened surveillance
inspections were carried
out on aircraft and
choppers of various types
of operators this year.
However,
they
expressed
serious
concern
over
the
"exponential" growth in
incidents relating to birdhits or animal strikes at
various airports, which
included a buffalo hitting
a taxiing SpiceJet plane
severely damaging its
engine. The number of
such incidents, including
those of stray animals in
the operational area, rose
from 302 in 2009 to 378 in
2010, 621 in 2011, 683 in
2012 and 736 in 2013. PTI

Live TV coverage
of anti-terror ops
may be banned
NEW DELHI, DEC 31/-/ Live coverage of anti-terror
operations by television channels is likely to be banned
soon as the Home Ministry has asked the Information and
Broadcasting Ministry to amend the rules to stop such
telecast. Citing the unpleasant experience during 26/11
Mumbai terror attacks when news channels broadcast NSG
operations live, the Home Ministry told the I&B Ministry
to amend the Programme Code under the Cable Television
Network Rules so that no terror-related operation is telecast
live in future.
In its letter, the Home Ministry said such live coverage
not only affects the secrecy and effectiveness of the
operation but also puts the safety of security forces,
common people and jour nalists in jeopardy, official sources
said. However, the I&B Ministry is yet to respond to the
Home Ministry's request sent about a month ago. After the
26/11 Mumbai attacks, the National Broadcaster
Association put out a set of rules, including restriction on
live reporting of terror situations, as part of a self-regulation
exercise on the part of private broadcasters. However, so far
there is no official ban on live coverage of anti-terror
operations. The Home Ministry is asking for more changes
to the 15-point Programme Code prescribed under the Cable
Television Network Rules, 1994 for this purpose. The rules
were amended in 2009 when private broadcasters were
brought within the ambit of the Cable Television Networks
Rules.
During the Mumbai terror attacks, television channels
had broadcast live images, including the moves by
security forces, para-dropping of commandos, which led the
authorities to intervene and stop it. PTI

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