K isn’t the only word in couch potatoes’ dictionary in Ahmedabad. Chief Minister Narendra Modi has just added another: M. Of late, local cable channels here have been regularly airing video clippings extolling the achievements of Modi and his government in 111 days. Multi-Service Operators (MSOs) in the city say the Collectorate gave them the VCD and asked them to telecast it. Since there was no talk of money, the clipping is being shown for free. Depending on the area, MSOs usually charge between Rs 7,000 and 10,000 for showing a 40-second clipping per month. This one is being shown six times a day in many areas — free of charge. Agenda unclear, Mayor off to Honolulu for ‘interesting’ meet Ahmedabad: Come June and City Mayor Aneesabegum Mirza and Municipal Commissioner P. Panneervel will head for Honolulu for the Mayors Asia Pacific Environmental Summit organised by the United States Asia Environmental Partnership. They will not be the first ones. In May 2001, a four-member Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) team had visited Honolulu for the same reason. However, two years after the event, the team has neither bothered to submit a report on the convention nor has the trip resulted in anything positive for the AMC. One can’t expect anything better this time round. Mirza admits she does not even know what the agenda for the summit is. ‘‘I am not aware of what the summit is about, or who takes care of the expense. However, these conferences turn out to be interesting,’’ she says. An AMC official admits such conferences not only an add burden but they also never bear positive results. Palak Nandi Incidentally, no department is willing to take credit for the idea. Pinakin Vin, who heads operations of MSO In Cablenet in Gujarat, says: ‘‘The instructions were that the compact disc must be shown free of charge. Since the Collectorate handles entertainment tax and other matters, the compact disc was sent to all control rooms from there.’’ When asked if In Cablenet will charge money for showing the compact disc, he said: ‘‘Who will go and ask the Collectorate for money? The instruction from the Entertainment Tax Department was that it should be shown free of charge for about 10 days.’’ MSOs say about a week ago Mamlatdar (Entertainment) N.S. Vankar sent the CDs to various control rooms instructing them to show it. Incidentally, it’s this very office which is responsible for collecting entertainment tax from cable operators. District Collector Sunayana Tomar, however, denies the Collector’s office gave the CDs to MSOs. ‘‘It must have been given by the Information Department. The Collectorate did not issue them,’’ she said. But V.S. Gadhvi, Director of Information and State Entertainment Commissioner, too denied any role in the affair and passed the buck back to the Collectorate. The VCD depicts a clock, and every time it ticks, the achievements of the Modi government are displayed. The CM is shown talking to children, addressing people, watching Narmada water arrive etc. Siticable control room workers said that they have been showing the compact disc (of about 17 minutes duration) four times a day and have no instructions on when to discontinue. Siticable, with four control rooms in the city, has the largest reach in the city with around 175-odd operators attached to it. Ahmedabad Cable Operators’ Association president Pramod Pandya said: ‘‘I was told that the MSOs were given the CDs by the Entertainment Tax Department, and asked to show them. No MSO will ask the government for money.’’ He added that operators do not come into the picture as they have been receiving these signals from MSOs directly. In Cablenet has four control rooms in the city, and around 150 cable operators are connected to this MSO. All these have been showing the compact disc three times a day on the in-house channel. Partner of Nine Plus Network Qayyumbhai Ajmeri is quite direct. ‘‘That compact disc has been sent from the government. If we ask for money or do not show it, they will threaten us, saying that the network will be shut down.’’ Ajmeri said that the collectorate office gave instructions that the compact disc must be shown for a month. ‘‘Around 70 to 80 cable operators have been showing this six times a day,’’ Ajmeri said. Siticable chief Ashwin Punjabi denied there was any pressure from the government to show the compact disc free. ‘‘It is being shown free but there is no pressure from the Collectorate. The official just said that they are sending the compact disc and that it should be shown. After all, we also show religious functions and appeals in public interest free of charge,’’ he said.
