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INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK

By show casing Sikkim as the ultimate Eco Tourism destination & by launching new projects efforts are being made to augment flow of inbound tourists round the year, said G.P.Upadhyaya Commissioner & Secretary Tourism to Sikkim Government.

In an interview to <whispersinthecorridors.com>he unveiled how the Sikkim was doing aggressive marketing to ensure constant traffic of tourists.Upadhyaya said even setting up of casinos is on the anvil. According to G.P.Upadhaya "Government has also permitted running of casinos in 5-star hotels by law to attract investment in 5-star hotels. We have received offers from reputed groups who have evinced keen interest in setting up such properties with casino." Replying to a question he said "Sikkim is giving tremendous emphasis to promotion of adventure and eco-tourism." Here goes his interview:

1/What are new projects that Sikkim tourism is contemplating to take?

A-The new projects planned are- 95 ft tall metal statue of Lord Buddha, World's largest metal bell weighing 100 tonnes, hanging bridge on a cliff, amusement parks, mono rail, Ropeways and various trekking trails through dense and virgin forests. I also envisage flow of tourists through Nathula trade route between India and China in next 2-3 years. Sikkim has taken several initiatives in the recent past to create several new tourism products. Notable among them are 135 ft. high statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse, beautification of a large number of water falls of stunning beauty, ropeways at various places, rock gardens and river bank developments, view points and way-side amenities, a large number of trekking trails through dense and virgin forests, several lakes with boating facilities and a several eco-friendly resorts. Projects in the pipeline are a 95ft high metal statue of Lord Buddha, World's largest metal bell weighing around 100 tonnes, Jurassic park, amusement park at the river bank, hanging bridge, underground laser show in abandoned mining tunnel, cultural village and several other ropeways. Sikkim is being helped generously by Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of DoNER (Department of Development of North Eastern Region) along with the state govt. All this is being done while preserving the ecology and environment of Sikkim by banning plastic bags and fitting all commercial vehicles with dust bins.

2/What steps are being taken to have constant traffic of inbound tourists from India & abroad?

A-Creation of new tourist attractions and products helps us to keep interest alive in Sikkim. Further, Sikkim's peaceful atmosphere (perhaps the most peaceful place on earth) and political stability also helps. We are indulging in aggressive marketing of Sikkim both in India and abroad for wide publicity by regularly participating in tourism fairs and festivals and ads and articles in print/electronic media. Sikkim is giving tremendous emphasis to promotion of adventure and eco-tourism. A big leap in this direction is being taken by SAATO (Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators) who are holding their third annual convention at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 13to 15 Aug. All the North Eastern states are supporting this initiative of SAATO and they have all been invited to attend this convention and discuss the possibility of forging meaningful partnerships with adventure tour operators of South East Asia. Sikkim has been able to create the infrastructure of an Institute of Adventure and Eco-Tourism at Chemchey in South Sikkim with the help of Ministry of Tourism and we are now planning to make it operational with the help of SAATO and IAATO.
Further, Sikkim is also planning to host the 5th National Rafting Championship in river Teesta during May 2008 with the help of Indian Rafting Association (IRA). Efforts are also afoot to establish a rafting school in Sikkim with the help of IRA.

Despite its best efforts, heavy concentration of tourists during the months of April-June and Oct-Dec seems inescapable, especially because of school holidays and scorching Indian summer. Nonetheless, Sikkim Tourism is trying to disperse the tourist concentration by offering deep discounts coupled with showcasing attractions of different moods of nature during monsoon months (July-Sep) and winters (Jan-Feb).

3/In what way your tourism policy is different from other states in the North East? Please elaborate.

A-Our policy is creation of tourism infrastructure in the public domain and creation of tourism trade infrastructure in the private domain. In addition, our people are very warm and hospitable and Sikkim's peace and stability also helps. Government has also permitted running of Casinos in 5-star hotels by law to attract investment in 5-star hotels. We have received offers from reputed groups who have evinced keen interest in setting up such properties with Casino. Sikkim Tourism is planning a major cycling expedition during Oct. 2007 covering almost all parts of the state. It is expected that more than 300 domestic and international participants would be taking part in this. This event would be covered by the national media in a big way which will put Sikkim at the center stage of tourism and adventure activities.
To showcase its floriculture potential, Sikkim is organising an international floriculture exhibition at Gangtok from March 14 to16 2008. There would be an amazing variety of orchids and flowers at display during this mega event. Sikkim would be inviting international travel writers of repute to cover this event with the help of Ministry of Tourism and Air India.

4/ Do you intend to take up projects in collaboration with the private sector?

A-We are keen to take up projects under Public Private Partnership (PPP) under various models. This includes hotels, ropeways and other tourism infrastructure. The state government is also actively encouraging investment in tourism sector on PPP model (mostly BOOT which stands for Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) for creation of tourism infrastructure.

5/What new things are being done at hill stations? Do you intend to start some kind of festivals?

A-We are very passionate about maintaining our ecology and environment. Honourable Chief Minister Mr.Pawan Chamling has placed tremendous thrust for plantations and green mission and Sikkim's forest cover has gone up from 41% to 43%. Sikkim boasts of dense and virgin forests, gurgling rivers and beautiful falls. We celebrate various festivals coinciding with local festivals of three main communities of Sikkim, viz, Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis.

Next world war to be in cyber space

God forbid but whenever next World War takes place, it will be fought in cyber space.

Corruption amongst bureaucrats in Russia
As many as 8,848 cases of bureaucrats seeking bribes have been registered in Russia since January. Among the cases is a senior Karelian official recently charged with receiving a down payment of 22 million rubles on a bribe of 46 million rubles ($1.85 million) for a single natural resource license.

Pak Foreign Secretary to get extension
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan is said to be getting an extension in service.

Manral is Ambassador to Central African Republic
The Ambassador of India to Democratic Republic of Congo, HVS Manral, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Central African Republic with residence in Kinshasa.

Srivastava is Ambassador to Czech Republic
DP Srivastava presently Ambassador of India to Libya, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Czech Republic.He is 1978 batch IFS officer.

Rao resigns from Delhi Metro

C B K Rao Director Projects and Planning in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has resigned.

39 Females HC judges
In 21 High Courts of India there are 39 female judges while their male counterparts are far more in numbers with a tally of 556.Delhi & Bombay High Courts(HCs) have five female judges each. However, HCs in states like Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim & Uttarakhand have no female judges.

Chugh proceeds on one year leave
Acting Chief Secretary of Jharkhand A K Chugh has proceeded on one year study leave.1974 batch IAS officer, Chugh, had been acting Chief Secretary of the state for the last five and half months.

Mohapatra to return
P K Mohapatra is returning to the parent Orissa cadre from his deputation to the FCI . He is 1988 batch IAS officer.

Is AP officer trying to leave Prasar Bharti ?
Is a Prasar Bharti Andhra Pradesh cadre officer trying to get out of the list of wrong doings of the top bosses ?.Try to find out in the Prasar Bharti Headquarters.

Power infrastructure revamp in Punjab

The Punjab Government headed by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has decided to revamp power infrastructure in the state.The Badal regime will spend Rs.2000 crore to streamline power supply and distribution.Of this Rs.203 Crore alone will be spent in border areas.Under this plan, 301 new substations of different capacities would be set up.In addition, 47 existing sub stations would be upgraded.More than 12,000 circuit km distribution lines across the state would also be modernised and strengthened to evacuate the enhanced power load.

Golden Jubilee of 1957 batch IAS next month
Golden Jubilee of 1957 batch IAS officers will be celeberated in Mussorrie on September 18 and 19.

IDAS transfers
Mayank Bisht Joint CDA Chandigarh is going to DAD in the UN Mission Sudan. Krishnakant Singh will move from Patna to DAD Cell in the UN Mission Congo. Anil Kumar has been moved from Jabalpur to Chandigarh. RP Singh who is presently in Sudan is posted in Delhi as ACGDA.

Proficiency test in Tamil next month
Proficiency test in Tamil for all India service officers and other state cadre is being conducted by the Tamil Nadu PSC on September 20 and 21.

Laskar is Director Personnel
N I Laskar has joined as Director in the Department of Personnel and Training. He is 1992 batch Indian Ordinance Factory Service officer.

New arrangement in NDTV
Sanjay Ahirwal and Manish Kumar have been assigned the job earlier looked after by Dibang.

Pradhan transferred to Central Railway
Manish Pradhan, SAG/IRSME/West Central Railway, has been transferred to Central Railway in the same capacity.

Addl charge to 5 CCIT

As many as five Chief Commissioners of Income Tax(CCITs)have been given additional charge.S.P.Singh CCIT Indore gets additional charge of CCIT Raipur while D.Das CCIT Nasik has got additional charge of CCIT Pune.Others are T.K.Chatterjee CCIT II Kolkata gets CCIT Shillong,K.K>Pande DGIT(Inv)Lucknow to take care of CCIT Lucknow & A.K.Dasgupta CCIT IV Kolkata to take care of CCIT XI Kolkata,till further orders.

Roshan Sahay is IRS officer
Roshan Sahay who has joined the ADB in Manila is an IRS (IT)officer of 1979 batch. He has joined ADB as professional staff. He was earlier OSD to FM Yashwant Sinha.

IAS postings in Haryana
Fateh Singh Dagar has been appointed MD of the Haryana Energy Development Corporation.Saket Kumar and Deep Singh Brada will be SDOs of Panchkula and Hansi respectively.

Tamlong to head DGHC again
D T Tamlong former IAS officer is again being appointed Head of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

IPS officer shot at
2005 batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Himanshu Shukla has been shot at in UP.

FORUM

1988 batch CSS still Under-Secretaries

Discrimination in CSS: Not to talk of 1983 CSS Section Officer only an Under Secretary today, there are some 1981 Select List of Section Officer still Under Secretaries.

Pradeep

There should be more such collaborations

Indian civil servants going to Kabul is good news. The selection of officers too is from a broader spectrum rather than from within the usual hallowed preccints of IAS. The group must give an excellent account of itself so that the country's prestige is enhanced and we are perceived as friends in need by the troubled neighbour hood. DOP&T should chalk out more such collaborations for the other neighbouring countries. We can even think of an exchange programme of civil servants with our neighbours. It could bring about a healthy change in the way we perceive each other

N N Ojha

This is regarding K R Gatti's Discrimination in CSS.

Tell him to join hands with TES Group Officers of DOT who do have met the same fate in the hands of ITS Officers in Department of Telecom. The DRs have become Joint Secretaries while the promotee officer is still struggling on Adhoc STS only.
After formation of BSNL, the options of ITS Cadre are still pending but ITS are regularly getting their promotions whileas TES Group B Promotions are being held up on the pretext that ITS absorption process is incomplete.
WHAT A HEIGHT OF DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA.

Surinder

I agree with Mr.A.Singh "Have a heart for IAS'.The campus selected leftist leaders like Yechuri can be included in the list.

N Krishnan

Aaj Ki Aawaz

Some very serious allegations have been made against ex CJI Sabharwaal!!!!
As per the allegations he's aided his sons in raking in a lot of maal!!!

So in case the charges are proved will there be in 'doubtful' cases a retrial????
Because then his judiciousness will be on trial!!

And some politicians need to worry because a retrial could be ordered in their cases too!!
It would indeed be a judicious thing to do!!!

If the charges are proved India's Judiciary will recieve a body blow!!!
Judiciary's image will sure hit a low!!!

Commies are barking but will not bite!!!
The minute it comes to biting they'll close their jaws tight!!

But they'll continue barking and whining!!!
And by UPA for the Commies there's bound to be a lot of wining and dining!!!

Georgie Porgie says that had Manmohan been in China he would have been executed!!!
Congress will say had Georgie been in China post Tehelka by guns he would have been muted!!!

Bardhan says Left UPA honeymoon is over and Left's ready to file for Divorce!!!
UPA Allies are married and Left is just having an affair from outside so divorce it can't enforce!!!

What a funny marriage….. the marriage is being supported by the girlfriend!!!
Anything is possible in Kalyug and very soon this could become a trend!!!

However now Karat says marriage which in actuality means affair will not end!!!
What message does this send?????

Rest assured all that Commies will do is push …..to pull (out) they don't have the guts!!!
All that they'll do is threaten with ifs and buts!!

If this Deal falls Manmohan will resign!!!
Resignation letter is ready and all that he has to do is put the date and sign!!!

VP Ansari faced the politicking in Rajya Sabha!!!
He found it difficult to control the 'hai tauba'!!!

MPs feel he's getting on the job training and will soon be trained!!!
Like Somnath Da hope he'll not keep on saying 'I'm pained'!!!

Somanth Da why do you feel pained if MPs protest???
Somanth Ji for you why is every Opposition MP a pest!!!

But then as an MP also he treated those opposing him with contempt and scorn!!!
Had there been no coalition compulsions to make him Speaker 'question would not be born'!!!

VP Ansari should not end up being a Speaker like Somnath Chatterjee!!!
Who many MPs say behaves more like an angry bee!!!!

Bollywood is in a tizzy after Salem 's Narco confession!!!
Many famous names are in tension!!!

But Monica will feel a twinge in he dill!!!
Because as per Salem 's narco confession he loves her still!!!

Sanju Baba in jail has everything crossable crossed!!!
Hoping that out of the jail by SC he'll be tossed!!

Some say he's suffered enough and some say he must pay the price for his crime!!!
Some say he should remain in jail and some say he's served his time!!!

And Madam Ji Sonia Ji Gandhi Ji has said that Congress stands behind Dutt Junior!!
This Congress feels is their way of repaying Dutt Senior!!

Madam Ji don't you feel that justice should be served!!!
From your statement it sounds that justice because of loyalty should be swerved!!!

Q is back in Milan ….. but he crying about his freedom's Legal Cost!!!
Q says that in fighting CBI a lot of money he's lost!!!

Some would say this is a 'retribution tax' that he's being made to pay!!!
Now to save himself and India money hope within Italy 's borders he'll stay!!!

Bharat Kumar
Aaj_ki_aawaz@yahoo.com

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CORPORATE

NBCC posts record profit of RS.126 Crore

The National Building Construction Corporation(NBCC)of which Chairman cum Managing Director(CMD) is Arup Roy Choudhury has posted a record gross profit of Rs.126 crore for the financial year 2006-07.After wiping out its accumulated losses, the NBCC has joined the select band of dividend paying Central Public Sector Undertakings for the first time since its inception in 1960.Announcing the remarkable achievements during the annual general meeting of the Corporation on August 17, 2007, CMD Arup Roy Choudhury informed that NBCC had achieved the highest ever turnover of over Rs. 1514 crore for the financial year 2006-07 and improved its gross margin by 149%, gross profit by 166% and net profit by 189% over the previous year and also wiped out all its accumulated losses. According to B.Bhattacharya NBCC's Public Relation Manager Roy Choudhury also stated that by virtue of its improved financial performance, the Corporation would be paying its maiden dividend to the Government of India(GOI). Recognising the contribution of construction sector in the country, Roy Choudhury mentioned "NBCC has projected a turnover of Rs. 4500 crore in the year 2011-2012 and its endeavour would be on development of adequate business in potential areas such as real estate and power sector apart from strengthening traditional areas". He further mentioned that the corporation was also actively involved in construction/up-gradation of rural roads under the Bharat Nirman in states of Bihar and Tripura and implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) schemes of urban infrastructure and basic services for urban poor in Haryana. Roy Choudhury also added that due to sincere efforts of the entire spectrum of the employees of the Corporation, NBCC was maintaining a clear lead as the largest PSU in the construction Sector. It may be stated here that the NBCC is a PSU under the Ministry of Urban Development of GOI.

Rajat Diwaker joins Pepsi

Rajat Diwaker, son of retired 1971 batch MP cadre IPS officer R K Diwaker, has joined the Pepsi to look after NCR Region in Delhi.Earlier he was with the GMoney in Mumbai.

Kochat is Executive Vice President DTDC
DTDC Courier has appointed Kochat Narendran as its Executive Vice President who would be responsible for operations and freight business.

Major reshuffle in Satyam Computer Services

S V Krishnan will lead Human Resources.Pavan Kumar has been made Chief Technology Officer.Vijay Prasad will now be Chief Information Officer.Hari T will lead Global Marketing and Communications.

Aarti drugs director resigns

Aarti Drugs MD Satish P. Nachane has resigned as Director of the company with effect from July 30.

Mehra is CEO of Essar Steel

Jatinder Mehra has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Essar Steel Holdings Ltd.

TCIL & Sudan Technology city(STC) join hands

Telecom Consultant India Limited (TCIL) and Sudan Technology City (STC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for award of feasibility study of STC and its implementation to TCIL. The MoU was signed during the visit of a high level STC delegation led by the Sudanese Minister of Science & Technology Abdel Rahman Saeed to India from August 13 to 16, 2007. The MoU was signed by R.K. Upadhyay Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)TCIL & Gamal M. Hassanien President & CEO of STC. Saeed had a meeting with the Indian Minister of Communications and Information Technology A. Raja in Delhi.

IIT Kharagpur to have Steel tech.centre

The Institute of Technology(IIT) Kharagpur will have a steel technology centre(STC) at a cost of Rs.20 crore . Related proposal was cleared during a recent meeting of Empowered committee of the Steel Ministry that met under Chairmanship of Indian Steel Secretary R.S.Pandey.The Centre will play a catalytic role for higher learning and research in the field of steel making. The proposed STC would be run according to the rules and regulations applicable to such centres that already exist at IIT Kharagpur.

A Palace on wheels in Karnataka too

The Karnataka government is going to run a luxury tourist train on the line of 'Palace on Wheels' from . The train which is likely to become operational in tourist season 2007-08 has already been approved by the Indian Railway Ministry.The tentative itinerary of the proposal is Bangalore - Srirangapatna - Mysore - Shravanabelagola - Hassan - Hospet - Gadag - Vasco/Dabolin - Bangalore.

TravelSpice.in> India's 1st loyalty driven travel site

The <TravelSpice.in> is a CTS (Centralized Travel Services) agency, which will cater to an extensive range of travel services confined not only to flight reservations, hotel booking, car rentals, customized travel packages and holiday packages, but also foreign exchange, passport assistance and travel insurance.TravelSpice.in will provide travel assistance to family/leisure and business travelers across 5000 big/small cities via the portal and call center on 24x7 basis.Its a unit of AKR Trishna Technologies Pvt. Ltd.which will be operational in January 2008.