Family Ties

The daughter of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,Saima Wazed Hossain,is in New Delhi these days in connection with a workshop on autism

Family Ties

The daughter of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,Saima Wazed Hossain,is in New Delhi these days in connection with a workshop on autism. A prominent campaigner against autism,Saima had invited Priyanka Vadra to accompany her mother Sonia Gandhi when she had visited Bangladesh in July this year. Though Priyanka was unable to make it,Saima had played a key role in organising Sonia Gandhis trip. In keeping with the close ties that the two families share,Hasina was one of the first foreign leaders to have reached out to Sonia Gandhi during her recent ailment and wished for her speedy recovery. Now that Saima has come to Delhi,it was therefore natural that she calls on Sonia. Saima is scheduled to meet Sonia on Thursday.

Meira tells LS Sectt to look into Dasmunsi issue

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has intervened to ensure that the treatment of former Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi,who is admitted in a private hospital here for the past three years,is not affected because of non-payment of hospital charges.

The Indian Express on Monday reported his medical bills of Rs 50 lakh have not been paid since April this year as the LS Secretariat wanted a clarification from the Health Ministry on full reimbursement of the medical claim.

On Wednesday,Kumar said she had asked the LS Secretariat to ensure no inconvenience is caused. Asked about the financial aspects,she said I have asked to do everything.

Veterans Threat

WHILE the Defence Ministry has closed the chapter on the one rank one pension demand,an ex-servicemens organisation that has been very vocal so far continues to highlight the issue. The latest release by the Indian Ex Servicemen Movement IESM threatens that things will take a violent turn if its demands are not met. It seems that the government yields only to non-peaceful agitations. The defence veterans are getting restless now and their patience is running out and before some misguided and volatile elements resort to unacceptable methods,the government should grant their justified demands, it says.

Derailed Visit

IT is Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedis way of pacifying Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri who is miffed at not being invited for a railway function in his state. Trivedi is learnt to have told Khanduri that he would soon come to his state with his officials to discuss railway projects in Uttarakhand. While that is likely to placate the sulking chief minister,many in the Railway Ministry were wondering what the fuss was about. They pointed out that Khanduri was duly invited for the function four days ago but his office had said that he was not free.

North-East Focus

Story continues below this ad

CONGRESS general secretary Rahul Gandhis efforts towards strengthening the youth wings of his party has taken him to the North-East this time. Rahul is on a trip to Tripura and Nagaland. Many were expecting that he might take this opportunity to pay a visit to poll-bound Manipur as well,especially since that state has just come out of a crippling highway blockade. While that has not materialised,Rahul did utilise his presence in Guwahati to pay his last respects to legendary Assamese singer and composer Bhupen Hazarika who died recently.

Helping Hand

WITH the heads of state of all eight SAARC nations present,security issues have been paramount in Maldives,especially considering that the island state got a scare last year after Somali pirates ventured into its area. Not taking any chances,Maldives requested India,with which it has a security cooperation agreement,to help secure the seas. While details are classified,the Navy has deployed a significant number of assets,including surveillance aircraft,on patrol duty to safeguard the island nation.