Polar bears may get more attention

SILCHAR

Construction of National Highway Development Project (NHDP) could come to a halt in three months if adequate steps are not taken by the government to address problems caused by the rising prices of inputs like steel and cement, the highway builders warned. "In three months, if nothing is done National Highway Builders Federation (NHBF) will have to stop construction work,' said coordinator of NHBF V C Verma after a meeting of the federation members with PM Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

A Singapore-based company made a presentation on a 43-km elevated road around the city at Writers' Buildings on Tuesday. The proposed ring road will start and end on Strand Road. Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty, finance minister Asim Dasgupta and senior officials watched the presentation. "The company gave us a clear idea about its plans,' said Chakraborty. The Singapore firm and five other companies are conducting a feasibility study of the proposed road.

Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh today constituted a joint committee, headed by the Secretary, Planning Satish Chandra, for effective monitoring of Centrally-sponsored schemes. The committee will have a senior official of the Finance Department and an official of the department concerned. This was decided in a meeting held today. The Indian Express had highlighted the differences between the Finance and the Planning departments over monitoring of the schemes in these columns yesterday.

it's usually believed that climatic factors like temperature and rainfall have a big say in birds selecting their breeding and feeding ranges. But a new aspect of bird behaviour has come to light

The Ministry DoNER has sanctioned two projects including upgrade of Jyoti Chitraban Film and Television Institute and Bodoland Indigenous Tribal Art and Cultural Complex-cum-Studio, Kokrajhar at an estimated cost of Rs 18.42 crore. The target date for completion of the two projects is December 2099, said Union information and Broadcasting Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi in reply to a question by Narayan Borkotoki.

State fire and emergency services department will set up ten new fire station across the state in the current financial year. State fire minister, Mr Pratim Chatterjee, anno-unced this on the sidelines of a "Fire Services Week' programme at Gouri Bari Fire station.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked construction agencies and officers associated with infrastructure development projects to take the fullest advantage of the existing coordination between the central and the State governments leading to liberal funding and implement schemes in the shortest possible time for the benefit of people in all areas of the State.

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is under pressure from a corporator of the Mumbra Ward Council (MWC) for taking action against those involved in violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) guidelines all over the city. Mahendra Kumurlekar, an independent corporator supported by the Congress, has undertaken a step to protect the city's creek coastlines.