Howrah Bridge to get new lights
Kolkata’s Rabindra Setu, popularly known as Howrah Bridge, is said to be getting illuminated with a dynamic architectural lights system. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge links the two cities of Howrah and Kolkata over Hooghly river. The buzz is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Kolkata on 17 October and inaugurate the fascinating show of dynamic coloured lights. The bridge is expected to now glow in the colours of the Tricolour. This coincides with Kolkata Port Trust’s 150th anniversary this month. The project is being carried out by the Central Public Works Department on behalf of the KPT.
An Indian subsidiary of a famous multinational company that has been given this work for Rs 13.81 is the same which over two years ago illuminated North and South Blocks and the Rashtrapati Bhavan with dynamic lights at a cost of Rs 16 crore. Many leading Indian LED lights manufacturing companies are upset for losing the contract once again in Kolkata. It is being claimed that they would have carried out this project between Rs 8-10 crores.
A Delhi-based Bengali gentleman, Aniket Chatterjee wrote a letter to PM Modi on 20 September alleging that top five Indian lighting companies were not considered by the CPWD in the pre-bid meeting on 17 September. A cartel of some CPWD officials and the “favoured” manufacturer has emerged, alleged Chatterjee, who in his letter has given his Kalu Sarai address and a landline number.
When this writer telephoned him, he said he would call back. After a short while, instead of him, another man called and said he was Chatterjee’s colleague and wanted to know from where I had got the letter. This writer refused to reveal the source. The caller refused to identify himself and Chatterjee. With some efforts we discovered that Chatterjee is an advocate.
Chatterjee in his letter has alleged that the tender’s estimated value is based on estimates called from three contractors of the same maker, instead of calling for estimates from reputed manufacturers of lighting/sound equipment, as is the requirement under the CVC guidelines.
It has been further alleged by him that all such tenders in the past estimation had been done from one manufacturer’s point of view only, due to which Rs 40 crores had been “siphoned off” by vested interests in the CPWD as the procurement rate for each light was “highly inflated”.
These facade lighting tenders, he says, are taken out in a pre-planned way, just one month before the event to show the urgency. The latest example is of a tender in July of Parliament House’s illumination issued by the CPWD, fixing 15 August as the deadline. A similar approach was adopted in subsequent tenders (Varanasi Ghats, Wagah border, etc.), as a result a few select contractors of the “favoured” manufacturers have gained, he has alleged.
Investors’ Meet in HP
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh is excited as PM Modi is expected to open a Global Investor Meeting in Dharamshala on 7 November. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given his consent for attending the event on 8 November. The show will also be attended by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur. The BJP-ruled two-year-old Jai Ram Thakur government is targeting an investment of Rs 85,000 crore in core areas like tourism, housing, health, industry, power and agriculture-horticulture. The CM had led delegations and held road shows in India, Dubai and Germany to woo investors. Himachal offers clean and salubrious environs along with cheap and uninterrupted power supply to the industry.
Kejriwal Was Upset On Dussehra
On Dussehra morning, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was upsetas he was told he would not be able to take a 2 pm flight to Copenhagen to attend the four-day C-40 Climate Summit as his eight-member delegation had been denied “political permission” by the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA reportedly gave clearance to West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim for the Denmark summit which was slated to start on 9 October.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that it would affect India’s image. “I want to know why the Centre is so much angry with the AAP government. Kejriwal was not going on a vacation but to tell the world how Delhi managed to reduce its air pollution by over 25% through its schemes like odd-even vehicles scheme.”
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told The Sunday Guardian that “We give clearances on the basis of the inputs we get from our foreign missions which takes into account the nature of the event, the level of participation from other countries and the kind of invitation that is extended.” Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting said that the Copenhagen meet was of “mayors’ level.” Kejriwal on Friday addressed the summit through a video conference.
Monkeys’ School To Teach Them Manners
Punjab is planning to establish an ultra-modern facility to tame, train, rehabilitate and teach manners to rogue monkeys as they are running riot in villages and cities. The wildlife department is exploring the possibility of starting this India’s first “monkey school” inside Patiala’s “mini zoo”. The plan is to open a 100-monkey “resource-cum-rehabilitation centre”, which will provide “inmates” with medical care and “good-behaviour training to make them less violent and troublesome”.
“We will study in detail why some monkeys are showing an aggressive trend. The shortage of food and water in their living area makes them stir out of the protected area,” principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Kuldip Kumar told The Sunday Guardian.
Man Mohan can be contacted at rovingeditor@gmail.com