A ‘stranger’ in the Upper House

With calamities and mishaps striking Mumbai, Pramod Mahajan spoke highly of the Centre’s deft handling of the situation after devastating rains crippled the city, and the rescue operations after the Mumbai High accident. It earned Mahajan thanks from the UPA ministers. As he rose to open the debate, Mahajan said: ‘‘Che saal mein pehli baar bolne ka mauka mila hai (this is the first time in six years that I have got an opportunity to speak).’’

NRI centre

The government has decided to establish an NRI centre in Delhi, MoS for Overseas Affairs Jagdish Tytler told Lok Sabha. In a written reply to a question, Tytler said the centre would be operational in about three years.

Sidhu’s googly

Cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Siddhu was in full form in the Lok Sabha, taking on the Punjab govt and the Centre for allegedly ignoring ‘‘all-round’’ development of Amritsar. Referring to the creation of a special economic zone in Amritsar, he said told Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath: ‘‘There cannot be any fruit without a root…Sir, you may have 40 million reasons for failure, not a single excuse.’’ The state government, in turn, he said, is ‘‘like a hen sitting on a bonechina egg which would never hatch’’. He followed that up with: ‘‘Minds are like parachutes and do not function unless opened.’’

Medical quota

The government plans to enact a law to regulate the fee structure and quotas in medical colleges before the beginning of next year’s admissions. In Lok Sabha, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said pending the enactment of such a law, states are empowered to decide on these matters. Chaos broke out in the House when Ramadoss, while replying to a supplementary by Mohan Singh of Samajwadi Party, said ‘‘nobody is allowed to take capitation fee in any medical or dental college. This is illegal’’. Several members including Singh, Suresh Kurup of CPI(M), Raghunath Jha of RJD and Ramdas Athavale (RPI) challenged the minister’s claim.

What’s in a name?

Mumbai or Bombay? Two Maharashtrians slugged it out in the Rajya Sabha. The tussle erupted when BJP leader Pramod Mahajan objected to Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s repeated references to Mumbai as ‘Bombay’. Mahajan even suggested that Patil pay a fine of Re 1 each time he ‘‘wrongly named the country’s commercial capital’’. Skirting the issue, Patil merely remarked: ‘‘It is unnecessary to change the names of cities. If you change them, respect them.’’