New Delhi, Feb 11 : The DDA today faced some tough questions in the Delhi High Court which sought an explanation from it for allotment of flats, meant for the reserved category, to SC/ST applicants from other states.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah directed the housing body to clarify how SC/STs from the neighbouring states were allotted flats by it in a draw held in December last year.
The Court asked the Counsel appearing for DDA to give the break-up on how many SC/ST applicants belonging to Delhi and other states was allotted flats in the draw.
The Bench passed the order on a petition filed by Prem Chand alleging that the housing body had illegally allowed applicants under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category from other states to participate in the draw.
Chand, who failed to get a flat in the draw, alleged that under the DDA Act the housing body is not entitled to accept applications from residents of states other than Delhi.
The DDA's draw for allotment of 5,000 flats had run into a controversy as a complaint was registered alleging irregularities in the draw. The Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police's Crime Branch is investigating the matter.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Pollachi: Mini Kodambakkam in Tamil Nadu
POLLACHI: On Monday, the bus terminus at Kaaliapuram village in Pollachi Taluk was teeming with action. Apart from the usual crowd, the film-shooting team under ‘Vidathu Karuppu’-fame Naga was busy fixing scenes for his new movie ‘Anandha Purathu Veedu’. In the nearby Thirumurthy Hills, Captain Vijayakanth was winding up the shooting of his latest film ‘Mariyathai’. Elsewhere in the same taluk, ‘Mirugam’ movie-fame Samy had only then started shooting the Adhi-starrer ‘Charithram’.
Pollachi town, which is 40 kilometres from Coimbatore, is picture perfect for the nomenclature — Mini Kodambakkam. Though prominently known for cash crops, coconuts and second biggest ‘sandhai’ (market) in the country, the town has now become famous for cinema shootings and consequently a huge tourist attraction.
A green town, it has all that it takes to make an ideal location for a village-themed movie and song sequences — mini towns, rivers, hills in the background, red lands, black soil and good weather conditions.
Industry sources estimate around 1,500 movies must have been shot in Pollachi taluk. The number would be as high as 5,000 if songs or village scenes are considered. In addition to regional movies, the taluk also attract Bollywood, Bengali and Sinhalese film-makers.
Last year, the town saw a flurry of activities with the climax scene of ‘Kuselan’ shot at Amaravathy Sainik School in Pollachi. Tamil super star, Rajnikanth stayed for four days and 3,000 junior artists and 1,500 school children were mobilised for the movie. The A portion of its Hindi-remake —‘Billu Barber’, now changed to ‘Billu’ — has also been shot at a matriculation school here. The presence of actor Shah Rukh Khan was a visual treat for the locals.
"Big directors, including Manirathnam and Shankar, find this a very lucky place and they schedule at least two days of shooting here for all their films," said a location manager.
Even Malayalam superstar Mammooty has a special attachment to Pollachi. In 2008, two his of his movies — Maya Bazaar and Annan Thampi — were shot here. Director Manirathnam is expected to shoot few scenes for his forthcoming film ‘Ashokavanam’ here.
A film shoot also substantially boosts the taluk as local infrastructure like lodging, mess, vehicles, vegetables, meat, milk, mineral water and local junior artistes would be utilised. The presence of even a small film unit contributes to at least Rs 1.5 lakh per day. "If a crew of around 80 to 100 members halt at Coimbatore for a movie shooting, then the town gets to earn more than Rs 2.5 lakh per movie," said industry sources.
GD Gopalakrishnan, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pollachi said film shooting had upped the tourist inflow. "The town has become popular more because of the films that are shot here. The Sarath Kumar-starrer ‘Suryan’, shot at Top Silp, was a trendsetter and people still remember that movie when they visit that spot," he said.
"Though the place is not dependent on cinema, it can be developed as an excellent alternative for Chennai’s Kodambakkam. It being a small town makes it convenient to shoot without disturbances," film director Naga (LS Nagarajan) told ET. About 10% of Tamil movies are shot at various locales in Pollachi.
He suggested that since the town has easy access to Coimbatore, post-production facilities could be set up there. "This place can be developed as a second Kodambakkam. Coimbatore has modern facilities and ideal climatic conditions," he added.
Starting from MGR’s ‘Malai Kallan’ in 1956, the town had seen shootings of various movies that include Bhagha Pirivinai (Sivaji), Muratu Kalai (Rajni), Kizhakku Vasal (Karthik), Chinna Gounder (Vijayakanth), Devar Magan (Kamal) and Bombay (Arvind Swamy).
"Earlier, studios were mainly present in Coimbatore (Central & Patchi Raja) and Salem (Modern). Even leading play writers including Karunanidhi travelled to Pollachi and wrote scripts here," said a source.
Ad film-directors and television serial markers too have started making a beeline to Pollachi. Aircel, Airtel, Hutch, Chennai Silks, Three Roses, Brooke Bond, Air Deccan, Tata Indicom, Chandrika Soap, Pepsi are some of the commercials shot here. "There are two to three commercial shootings every month," said a source said.
Among the leading actors, the region has seen the likes of Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Manisha Koirala, Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Mahesh Babu, Siddharth, Balakrishnan, Junior NTR, Mohanlal, Aiswarya Rai, Anupam Kher most Tamil stars.
Pollachi town, which is 40 kilometres from Coimbatore, is picture perfect for the nomenclature — Mini Kodambakkam. Though prominently known for cash crops, coconuts and second biggest ‘sandhai’ (market) in the country, the town has now become famous for cinema shootings and consequently a huge tourist attraction.
A green town, it has all that it takes to make an ideal location for a village-themed movie and song sequences — mini towns, rivers, hills in the background, red lands, black soil and good weather conditions.
Industry sources estimate around 1,500 movies must have been shot in Pollachi taluk. The number would be as high as 5,000 if songs or village scenes are considered. In addition to regional movies, the taluk also attract Bollywood, Bengali and Sinhalese film-makers.
Last year, the town saw a flurry of activities with the climax scene of ‘Kuselan’ shot at Amaravathy Sainik School in Pollachi. Tamil super star, Rajnikanth stayed for four days and 3,000 junior artists and 1,500 school children were mobilised for the movie. The A portion of its Hindi-remake —‘Billu Barber’, now changed to ‘Billu’ — has also been shot at a matriculation school here. The presence of actor Shah Rukh Khan was a visual treat for the locals.
"Big directors, including Manirathnam and Shankar, find this a very lucky place and they schedule at least two days of shooting here for all their films," said a location manager.
Even Malayalam superstar Mammooty has a special attachment to Pollachi. In 2008, two his of his movies — Maya Bazaar and Annan Thampi — were shot here. Director Manirathnam is expected to shoot few scenes for his forthcoming film ‘Ashokavanam’ here.
A film shoot also substantially boosts the taluk as local infrastructure like lodging, mess, vehicles, vegetables, meat, milk, mineral water and local junior artistes would be utilised. The presence of even a small film unit contributes to at least Rs 1.5 lakh per day. "If a crew of around 80 to 100 members halt at Coimbatore for a movie shooting, then the town gets to earn more than Rs 2.5 lakh per movie," said industry sources.
GD Gopalakrishnan, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pollachi said film shooting had upped the tourist inflow. "The town has become popular more because of the films that are shot here. The Sarath Kumar-starrer ‘Suryan’, shot at Top Silp, was a trendsetter and people still remember that movie when they visit that spot," he said.
"Though the place is not dependent on cinema, it can be developed as an excellent alternative for Chennai’s Kodambakkam. It being a small town makes it convenient to shoot without disturbances," film director Naga (LS Nagarajan) told ET. About 10% of Tamil movies are shot at various locales in Pollachi.
He suggested that since the town has easy access to Coimbatore, post-production facilities could be set up there. "This place can be developed as a second Kodambakkam. Coimbatore has modern facilities and ideal climatic conditions," he added.
Starting from MGR’s ‘Malai Kallan’ in 1956, the town had seen shootings of various movies that include Bhagha Pirivinai (Sivaji), Muratu Kalai (Rajni), Kizhakku Vasal (Karthik), Chinna Gounder (Vijayakanth), Devar Magan (Kamal) and Bombay (Arvind Swamy).
"Earlier, studios were mainly present in Coimbatore (Central & Patchi Raja) and Salem (Modern). Even leading play writers including Karunanidhi travelled to Pollachi and wrote scripts here," said a source.
Ad film-directors and television serial markers too have started making a beeline to Pollachi. Aircel, Airtel, Hutch, Chennai Silks, Three Roses, Brooke Bond, Air Deccan, Tata Indicom, Chandrika Soap, Pepsi are some of the commercials shot here. "There are two to three commercial shootings every month," said a source said.
Among the leading actors, the region has seen the likes of Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Manisha Koirala, Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Mahesh Babu, Siddharth, Balakrishnan, Junior NTR, Mohanlal, Aiswarya Rai, Anupam Kher most Tamil stars.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Chin traditional Bamboo dance
This is Chin Bamboo dance.The dancers dance among the bamboo poles which are constantly hitting each other. This dance is very difficult, requiring a very coordinated timing between the dancers and the bamboo holders. One wrong move and your ankle will be hit hard with a bamboo pole.
Bamboo dance is not unique only to Chin people. Karen (Kayin) people also has the similar kind of dance with different style. The bamboo dance from karen is more famous in Myanmar but the Chin Bamboo dance is relative unheard of. This was the first time I saw this dance during my visit to Hakha in 2007.
Bamboo dance is not unique only to Chin people. Karen (Kayin) people also has the similar kind of dance with different style. The bamboo dance from karen is more famous in Myanmar but the Chin Bamboo dance is relative unheard of. This was the first time I saw this dance during my visit to Hakha in 2007.
Fire claims building at CCTV Beijing headquarters
By Ben Blanchard
BEIJING : Fire consumed a building in Beijing that formed part of Central China Television's new headquarters, as residents launched fireworks throughout the city to celebrate the Lantern Festival Monday evening.
Flames 20-30 feet high shot out of the building, just north of the landmark CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The flames were reflected in the tower, which itself appeared to be untouched.
"The upper fifth is on fire, multiple floors. Debris is falling and flames are coming out in all directions," Edie Marshall, a Beijing resident, told Reuters.
No-one appeared to have been in the building, a policeman on the scene said, adding he had no immediate knowledge of any casualties.
Hundreds of people watched and took photos amid an acrid smell as fire trucks sprayed streams of water on the building. Armed police moved the onlookers beyond a cordon as paramilitary troops moved in on the building.
The fire department did not immediately comment on the suspected cause of the blaze, which occured as the city was bombarded with fireworks on the final day of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The destroyed building housed the Mandarin Oriental hotel in eastern Beijing, which was supposed to open in 2009. It was also designed to include a theater, recording studios and cinemas, while CCTV's main production and broadcasting units were to occupy the main building next door.
BEIJING : Fire consumed a building in Beijing that formed part of Central China Television's new headquarters, as residents launched fireworks throughout the city to celebrate the Lantern Festival Monday evening.
Flames 20-30 feet high shot out of the building, just north of the landmark CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The flames were reflected in the tower, which itself appeared to be untouched.
"The upper fifth is on fire, multiple floors. Debris is falling and flames are coming out in all directions," Edie Marshall, a Beijing resident, told Reuters.
No-one appeared to have been in the building, a policeman on the scene said, adding he had no immediate knowledge of any casualties.
Hundreds of people watched and took photos amid an acrid smell as fire trucks sprayed streams of water on the building. Armed police moved the onlookers beyond a cordon as paramilitary troops moved in on the building.
The fire department did not immediately comment on the suspected cause of the blaze, which occured as the city was bombarded with fireworks on the final day of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The destroyed building housed the Mandarin Oriental hotel in eastern Beijing, which was supposed to open in 2009. It was also designed to include a theater, recording studios and cinemas, while CCTV's main production and broadcasting units were to occupy the main building next door.
Maoists call for shutdown in Ranchi
Ranchi, Feb 9: Ranchi came to a standstill on Monday after a shutdown call by Maoist in the region.
The Maoists called for a shutdown in Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal after the death of tribals in clashes with cadres of a regional political party in West Bengal.
The tribals and the cadres of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Lalgarh area of West Bengal came to blows over the alleged killing of a CPM leader by the tribals, snowballing to the death of three tribals.
The schools, the colleges and other business establishments including shops remained closed in compliance with the shutdown call given by Maoist Coordination Committee (MCC).
"I have to travel around 35 kilometers to reach Ranchi for my classes, but my coming here was in vain. Due to the shutdown call given by the MCC, the classes had been cancelled. Such shutdowns have become quite common here and it seems as if the people had become accustomed to them," said Santoshumar, a student.
Vehicular traffic was also affected and even many trains, passing through the Maoist infested areas were cancelled, leaving stranded many locals and passengers.
The shutdown also dried up affected the earnings of the bus owners and other such daily wage workers.
"No vehicle is plying today, whether local or intercity. Even the autos are not plying in the city. The staff of our buses who do the night shift refused to take the passengers for the fear of the Maoists and even the passengers themselves are afraid of venturing outdoors," said Guddu, aus driver.
According to the police, the people themselves have been abstaining from venturing outdoors due to the fear of the Maoists.
Despite security provided by the police, the people prefer to stay indoors and comply with the shutdown calls.
"Most of the times, people who own businesses or shops themselves decide to conform to the shutdowns in order to save themselves from the rebels." said S.N. Pradhan, Inspector General, Jharkhand Police.
The Maoists called for a shutdown in Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal after the death of tribals in clashes with cadres of a regional political party in West Bengal.
The tribals and the cadres of Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Lalgarh area of West Bengal came to blows over the alleged killing of a CPM leader by the tribals, snowballing to the death of three tribals.
The schools, the colleges and other business establishments including shops remained closed in compliance with the shutdown call given by Maoist Coordination Committee (MCC).
"I have to travel around 35 kilometers to reach Ranchi for my classes, but my coming here was in vain. Due to the shutdown call given by the MCC, the classes had been cancelled. Such shutdowns have become quite common here and it seems as if the people had become accustomed to them," said Santoshumar, a student.
Vehicular traffic was also affected and even many trains, passing through the Maoist infested areas were cancelled, leaving stranded many locals and passengers.
The shutdown also dried up affected the earnings of the bus owners and other such daily wage workers.
"No vehicle is plying today, whether local or intercity. Even the autos are not plying in the city. The staff of our buses who do the night shift refused to take the passengers for the fear of the Maoists and even the passengers themselves are afraid of venturing outdoors," said Guddu, aus driver.
According to the police, the people themselves have been abstaining from venturing outdoors due to the fear of the Maoists.
Despite security provided by the police, the people prefer to stay indoors and comply with the shutdown calls.
"Most of the times, people who own businesses or shops themselves decide to conform to the shutdowns in order to save themselves from the rebels." said S.N. Pradhan, Inspector General, Jharkhand Police.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
MTNL rolls out 3G services in Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 5 State-run telecom major Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) Thursday launched its third generation (3G) mobile services, Jadoo, in limited areas of Delhi on an initial investment of about Rs.4 billion (Rs.400 crore).
‘We have spent Rs.300-400 crore (Rs 3-4 billion) on the 3G services roll-out so far,’ MTNL chairman and managing director R.S.P. Sinha told reporters here on the sidelines of a conference.
The company can currently support around 150,000 subscribers on its 3G infrastructure, he said.For activating Jadoo, one needs to pay Rs.500 plus taxes as activation charges and a monthly rental of Rs.599.
A voice call on MTNL’s own network will cost 60 paise per minute, where calls to other networks will cost Re.1 per minute.
The domestic and international long distance (STD and ISD) call tariff will be as per the budget plan.
An MTNL-to-MTNL video call will cost Rs.1.80 per minute, while such calls to other networks will cost Rs 3. The voice STD will cost Rs.3.75, and the voice ISD remains as high as Rs.30.
These tariffs are promotional offers from the company, which will be valid for three months.
Sinha said the entire city will be covered in two to three months and the roll-out in Mumbai will happen in six months.
Asked about private players’ complaints that the public sector company was receiving undue advantage, he said: ‘Private operators had got undue advantage in 2G services, so why are they getting restless now. It’s just a matter of a few months where we have received the spectrum before them.’
Private operators had got the spectrum for 2G services in 1995, where the state-run companies had got it in 2000.
Sinha added that MTNL was looking for tie-ups with 3G handset makers.
Asked about spectrum charges, he said: ‘We should be charged money when we get spectrum for the entire city.’
New NE airlines company in offing
Imphal, February 5 : A new airlines company called North East Airlines has been proposed to start operating in the NE region shortly.
A press release of the promoter of the new company, Ch Jaichandra said that the company will purchase two aircrafts of 50-70 capacity ATR (Turbo Prop Aircraft) .
He further added that if the proposed airlines company comes through, the board of director of the company will be represented from each States of NE and opportunities will be given to local firms to work as ground handling agent of the concerned town/city.
The promoter further said that the company will request the Airport Authority of India to open the NE airports at 5 am as sun rises early in the region.
It would also request to close airports as late as 9-10 pm so that people returning business trip or religious functions need not worry for overnight stay, he added.
A press release of the promoter of the new company, Ch Jaichandra said that the company will purchase two aircrafts of 50-70 capacity ATR (Turbo Prop Aircraft) .
He further added that if the proposed airlines company comes through, the board of director of the company will be represented from each States of NE and opportunities will be given to local firms to work as ground handling agent of the concerned town/city.
The promoter further said that the company will request the Airport Authority of India to open the NE airports at 5 am as sun rises early in the region.
It would also request to close airports as late as 9-10 pm so that people returning business trip or religious functions need not worry for overnight stay, he added.
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