Journalism of Courage
Caught in MCI chief web
Dr S K Sarin,head of the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India kept vice-chancellors of medical universities from various states in good humour during his brief interaction with them at Yashada on Friday. One from Tamil Nadu,however,was upset with the MCI for not calling a separet meeting of V-Cs to discuss the Vision 2015 document on medical reforms. When the VC said no advertisement had been placed either in papers about the reforms. How can you say the MCI involved all V-Cs, the educationist asked. At this,Sarin apologised for not calling a separate meeting,which seemed to pacify the V-C from Tamil Nadu. The MCI chief,however,added,Please do check our website. We register 12,000 hits daily and yes,feel that V-Cs are well informed about the reforms.
Evasive mayor
The usually easy-to-reach mayor on Wednesday turned unreachable all of a sudden. Even as news of him meeting the chief minister was announced,the media was not sure whether he would rush to Mumbai after addressing a meeting in the morning at PMC. Even as the media tried to contact him,he remained unreachable. When this reporter made a final attempt towards the end of the day,the mayor said he was standing outside the CMs office. This led to a commotion among reporters. Some said he was still in Pune and others stated the meeting was not scheduled on Friday. A good hour after the last call to the mayor,he was reachable again for the entire media to announce a new full-time municipal commissioner soon.
Court and bowled
Member secretary of the Pune District Legal Services Authority,who had taken charge four months back,was promoted by the Bombay High Court and will assume his new charge on June 6. When asked the reason he was transferred within four months,he cited the example of his predecessor who was promoted as assistant sessions judge. This post (member secretary of PDLSA) has become a stepping stone to get into the league of district and sessions judges. Therefore,I am making way for my seniors who are probably vying for the post, he said.
No info,no entry fee
A reporter visiting a new bookstore found it empty barring two attendants. She leafed through the books for a good half-an-hour before summoning the manager. He arrived with a flurry of apologies. The interview with him was brief and ended with his confession that his stint was only three days old and he lacked any detailed information on anything related to the store. The reporter fished out her wallet and the manager said in an apparent attempt at humour. Are you paying for the entry? He realised from her puzzled expression that he had slipped. She had got the money out to pay for two books she had picked up. More apologies followed.
Gossip room comfort
A two-room structure adjacent to the traffic control branch is the meeting place of reporters covering the police commissioners office,their source of crime news. They were shifted from the main building two years ago. Since then,there have been demands for a better-equipped press room. The new press room is ready for inauguration. A senior officer was given its responsibility. The new press room near the main entrance to the CP office will have all modern communication facilities and will be well furnished and comfortable. It will have an LCD TV. said an officer. It will be a place where you reporters will feel like sitting for long and gossip. he said with a poker-face.
(Contributed by Anuradha Mascarehnas, Nisha Nambiar,Aaditi Jathar Lakade,Shruti Nambiar and Sushant Kulkarni)
