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Orissa has been the battleground for many an environmental fight in the last two years.

Written by Express News Service

May 2, 2011 03:55 AM IST

4 min read

Orissa has been the battleground for many an environmental fight in the last two years. So when Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh decided to make an official trip to the state the first after the high-profile decisions blocking the POSCO and Vedanta projects in August last year it had generated quite a bit of interest. It was expected that he might decide to visit some of the project sites. Demonstrations had even been planned by anti-POSCO agitators in case he did,but uncharacteristically,Jairam kept his visit low-profile,confining himself to a trip to Bhitarkanika national park where he unveiled a report on the status of Orissas shoreline. Only at the last minute,was a meeting fixed with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Testing Times

It is now believed that the frequent question paper leaks from the National Board of Examinations NBE are a thing of the past. The NBE building has recently fitted CCTV cameras in the examination halls and the system was also inadvertently tested when one of the officials reported that her keys were missing. A day later the official was asked to open her purse and presto! the keys were discovered among the other stuff in her bag. After the missing keys were reported,a look at the video footage taken the previous evening clearly showed that the official had put her keys in her purse along with her other possessions,a fact that she seemed to have forgotten till the missing object was found.

Envoys Plans

US ambassador Tim Roemers decision to quit before his tenure ends may have come as a surprise to many,but his intention to leave in June this year was quite well known in diplomatic circles. A British diplomat recalled how the US ambassador had hosted the July 4 reception,the US Independence Day,in the US embassy in February itself. Apparently,the day chosen was US Presidents Day,celebrated every year on the third Monday of February this year it was on February 21. When those attending the reception enquired why it was being held in February instead of July,Roemer had replied in a pretty straightforward manner: that he would be leaving in June. However,the US embassy will not abandon the Fourth of July reception and it will be held as usual this year,possibly under the new ambassador or the deputy chief of mission,who will be the charge daffairs.

Air Pocket

It is a reflection of the declining clout of the beleaguered national carrier Air India that was once respected internationally. The airline which is beset with a number of problems recently threw a gala reception at a leading Dubai hotel for tour operators,agents and potential business partners in the region as an image makeover exercise for which it took special government clearance. Invitations went out to over 300 people but less than 150 actually turned up. And that too with the Civil Aviation Minister attending the reception to help add to the profile. Clearly,the airlines image has taken a nosedive.

Shift in Time

Despite being the first to be lodged in the lockup of the new CBI building on Lodhi Road,Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi,arrested in the CWG scam case,had to be absent for the official inauguration of the building last Saturday. With the Prime Minister himself inaugurating the building on Saturday and expected to speak out on taking on corruption,the CBI thought it prudent to shift Kalmadi to its old headquarters in the CGO complex along with the two other arrested CWG officials.

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Delhi Confidential Jairam ramesh