Delhi Confidential: Flag Meeting

A TMC delegation led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet Election Commissioners in Delhi on Monday to raise complaints regarding the ongoing SIR exercise in the state. This will be the third TMC delegation to meet the EC on the SIR matter. Party sources said Mamata most likely will raise issues regarding the alleged wrongful deletion of voters in the state and the issue of “deaths due to the SIR”. Sources said a high-voltage drama can be expected outside the EC office after the meeting.

Tribal Flair

At a cultural programme for tribal guests who were in the Capital for Republic Day, Union minister Jual Oram regaled the crowd with stories about the time he became the country’s first ever tribal minister. Relating to his rise from humble origins, he urged the guests to be ambassadors of the work being done for tribal people when they return to their villages. Oram shared that he has held the post of Tribal Affairs Minister thrice and learnt the tasks initially with handholding by officers.

3D Print Push

The CPWD is all set to explore the option of 3D printing of houses, particularly in border and coastal areas. It is learnt that the Department, acting on the suggestion of a PMO official who visited a 3D printed house at IIT-Madras last September, has asked its regional offices to experiment with the technology. It is also planning to look at the possibility of including 3D printing in its schedule of rates for projects.