Delhi confidential: The wishlist

CONNECTIVITY ISSUE

When the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was finalising the names of members of a committee to look into the concerns of people from the Northeastern states, they had a tough time reaching former IAS officer MP Bezbaruah who was chosen to head the committee. Bezbaruah, who was in Itanagar to attend a seminar organised by the Indo Tibetan Border Police force, could not be reached on his phone through the day due to mobile connectivity problems. He got to know about his name only late Wednesday evening when everything had already been finalised. The seminar was incidentally organised to discuss infrastructure and connectivity problems faced by the security forces in the Northeast.

RED CARPET

If French President Francois Hollande’s partner Valerie Treierweiler was the first partner to be accorded the status of the First Lady, German President Joachim Gauck’s wife Daniela Schdt was the latest. Daniela, who is also a former journalist, has been living with him since 2000. The MEA laid out a red carpet for her as she was taken for sightseeing to the Red Fort and Jama Masjid while Gauck was busy with meetings. She also met with some filmmakers at Max Mueller Bhawan, besides interacting with women’s self-help group and street workers.

HOUSE BUSINESS

When Parliament is not able to transact any business due to disruptions even during the extended winter session, the obvious question most people ask is, what purpose does it serve? “Well, it boosts the revenues of both Assam and Bengal,” contends Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar. How? The irrepressible Aiyar has a ready explanation to this too. “Just look at the tea and coffee being consumed (by members without work).”