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It seems you have monopolized bureaucratic news. We do not find this kind of information anywhere in print or TV.

M G Rajsekhar

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TOP BRASS

"I foresee Chandigarh as a cosmopolitan city and shall be a major hub of business culture and tourism north of Delhi, as the Chandigarh Administration is taking a keen interest for over all development of the city and in times to come Chandigarh shall also be known as education city as education infrastructure and other facilities are also being set up in an area spread over 100 acres."
These views were expressed by Managing Director of the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO) Jasbir Singh Bir, in an exclusive interview with whispersinthecorridors.com

He said that more direct flights from major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Banglore, Calcutta and Chennai are being started. Answering a question Bir said CITCO is probably the only corporation in India which is looking after the budget tourists as most of the domestic tourists like to stay at well maintained spots with reasonable rates. At the same time MD of the CITCO said that a glass restaurant and static caravan type camping sites near Sukhna Lake have also been planned.
Bir also listed various steps that the CITCO was taking to see that tourists stayed for a longer span of time in Chandigarh. He discussed his plans at length in the following interview:

1. How and what you intend to do for sustaining the existing tourists while augmenting the inflow?

Chandigarh plays a pivotal role in promotion of transit tourism in this region as it is located on the tourism circuit viz. Delhi, Chandigarh, Shimla, Kulu, Manali etc. Being a gateway of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and even Jammu & Kashmir, it is properly linked through an air network and surface transportation system. Chandigarh Industrial & Tourism Development Corporation Limited (CITCO) is promoting tourism in Chandigarh by providing tourism infrastructure in terms of accommodation for all strata of society. Hotel Mountview the only five star property in Chandigarh is for the elite segment of tourists viz. Chief Executive Officers, foreign tourists etc. Hotel Shivalikview has four star amenities and is catering to the needs of the corporate travellers. For budget tourists, we have Hotel Parkview. The infrastructure upgradation is continuously being done in these hotels to provide best of services to our clientele and tourists. Keeping in view the higher influx of domestic tourists who may like to stay in good accommodation facility at reasonable rates, CITCO is going to add another 74 rooms at Hotel Parkview. Apart from above, the facilities at the tourist spots are maintained well and augmented not only to sustain the existing tourist inflow but also to increase the visitors to the city.

2.Do you think that Chandigarh has come of age in terms of infrastructure?

Chandigarh has adequate infrastructure keeping in view the tourist profile . There is all round development in Chandigarh A number of modern and futuristic projects in the city has already resulted in a boom in various sectors like Information Technology and I.T. enabled services, financial and services sector and real estate. Some of the new major tourism projects have been envisaged by Chandigarh Administration are to set up "State of Art - Convention Centre" which would promote M.I.C.E. segment, Education City spread over 100 acres. Recentrly M/s.Unitech has bagged the project of setting up of an amusement park with an investment of over 200 crores in phases under the public private partnership model (PPP Model). M/s. Uppal Orchids & M/s. DLF are setting up deluxe five star hotels in Chandigarh shortly. The Chandigarh Airport is being up-graded to the level of International Airport which would enable Chandigarh to have more foreign tourists as well as non-resident Indian (NRIs) visiting this region.. More direct flights from major metropolitian cities like Mumbai, Banglore, Calcutta and Chennai are being started.

3.Tourists mostly come on their way to Himachal Pardesh. Don't you think that Chandigarh must have more such types of avenues where spill over can be grabbed in Chandigarh?

Chandigarh is becoming a tourist destination in itself. However, the role of promotion of transit tourism by Chandigarh cannot be overlooked as it acts as a gateway to the tourist destination in the neighbouring states especially Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh Administration is taking lot of initiative to broadbase tourism infra-structure in Chandigarh keeping in view its fast emerging image of tourism and business hub, North of Delhi. The tourist's stay on an average is one and a half days and, therefore, it is our endeavour to prolong the stay of the tourists by adding more attractions for the tourists. Son-et-Lumiere- Light & Sound Show is being set up in the heritage building complex of Museum & Art Gallery. Surely, the Light & Sound show shall become a major source of attraction for the tourists as well as the residents of the tri-city region comprising of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, being added to make the city more eventful. Glass Restaurant and static caravan type camping sites near Sukhna Lake have also been planned. Chandigarh is promoting itself as tourist destination by creating more tourism avenues and the recent efforts made by CITCO and other concerned agencies have borne results as there is an increase in the tourist inflow to Chandigarh. The new year festival was celebrated from 26th December, 2006 to 2nd January, 2007.The tourism festivals like Rose Festival, Chandigarh Carnival are very popular in Chandigarh and attract many tourists from outside. All this and more efforts will change the image of Chandigarh as a Transit City to a Tourist destination as newly created tourism products shall be able to create sufficient interest for the tourists and visitors to spend much more time here and also to enjoy the tourist destinations in the neighbouring states.

4.What are the expansion plans of CITCO?

CITCO is a premier tourism organization and is perhaps the only state tourism corporation which is making good profits and is providing services for higher guest satisfaction to its customers / clientage. The expansion plans of CITCO include construction of budget accommodation at Hotel Parkview with an investment plan of over 260 lacs. There are plan for major renovation at Hotel Mountview which is the only five star hotel of Chandigarh. Apart from above, recently CITCO has expanded / upgraded its facility CITCO Da-Vehra has been set up at Baithak Kalagram which is becoming popular with the public as well as tourists due to its Punjabi ethnic entity.

5.What is your vision for Chandigarh by the year 2050?

I foresee Chandigarh as a cosmopolitan city and shall be a major hub of business culture and tourism north of Delhi, as the Chandigarh Administration is taking keen interest for over all development of the city and in times to come Chandigarh shall also be known as education city as education infrastructure and other facilities are also being set up in an area spread over 100 acres. Film city, convention centre and many multiplexes and malls are coming to this region would make Chandigarh a major well known place not only on the national grid but also on the international circuit.

6.How do you woo budget tourists & what infrastructure do you have for them?

CITCO is probably the only corporation in India which is looking after the budget tourists as most of the domestic tourists like to stay at well maintained spots with reasonable rates. Thus CITCO is catering to the budget tourists by having rooms available as low as Rs.350/- per day to Rs.1400/- in the range suitable for budget tourists. Transit Lodge at ISBT is very popular with the domestic tourists and Hotel Parkview also provides necessary amenities and facilities to the budget tourists In all CITCO has nearly 120 rooms available for budget tourist at both these places.

7.How much FDI has been received in Chandigarh owing to the CITCO? What are your projections for the next 15 years?

As CITCO is involved in multifarious activities in the tourism as well as industrial sector, therefore, its reach is felt in all spheres and it touches the heart of the public or tourists in many ways by promoting tourism in tandem with tourism department and other agencies of the Chandigarh Administration. The foreign direct investment is being done under the public private partnership in the IT and the tourism sector. In years to come major foreign players would join hands with the reputed Indian companies to set up projects in sectors like education, tourism, information technology etc which are booming and will also have good growth in the future also.

8.In what manner CITCO's profits were being ploughed back?

CITCO is a profitable state tourism corporation and profits are being ploughed back to its hotels for improvement in the infrastructure and adding facilities from time to time to cater to the needs of the tourists. Over the last one year CITCO has ploughed back more than 500 lacs for upgradation and creation of new facilities in its various units in Chandigarh.
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NAME THE NAMELESS

Who is the Super Boss & Super Cop-name the nameless.

For a change, this is not a whisper. In fact, it's a yell from the housetop. A yell for the year 2007.If our patrons endorse it, this yell from the WHISPERS should reverberate in corridors of all state capitals, besides of course the heart of India-that Delhi has always been and shall so remain all times to come.

These are happening times. You don't do things. They happen. Or you make them happen. Everywhere on the eve of or at the advent of New Year, people were or are busy looking for their Man of the year. Politicians, businessmen, moviemen, sportsmen and social activists are hogging limelight. The civil servants continue to remain the self-effacing names behind the supposedly big names. They run the Rails and the rustic humour of someone Read gets Qudos and Credits. Thats the funny way democracy goes. Interesting, isn't it?

We thought on the New Year Day we should attempt doing the hitherto unattempted and un-done. You and us will make it happen. We are going launch you this year on a thrilling voyage of a discovery. We are declaring that in the Year 2007 all of you would help us discover the Bureaucrat of the Year and also the Super cop of the Year in each of our major states. Besides, New Delhi's 'Supers' which will happen in December 2007.Every month we will be looking for a Super Boss and Super Cop of the Year in a particular state.

We request all those who are interested in our WHISPERS and visit us frequently to send us the names of such individual officers whom they consider as a Super Bureaucrat and a Super Cop in their state. We are putting forth no yardsticks. You judge entirely on your own. The nominations will rest entirely and exclusively on your wisdom. Just E-Mail the name of Super Boss and Super Cop of your state. This flow of nominations will end on the last day of the month.
We will announce the winner on the 7th day of next month. Seven, the numerologists say, is the number of mystery. Therefore, a good day to unfold it.

And Uttar Pradesh is the first state, we are beginning with. Arguably the most appropriate state to discover the undiscoverable or to name the perennially nameless. There is no territorial bar. You can nominate even for an incumbent outside your state. You can be brief or elaborate. As you choose. You don't even have to disclose your identity. We will trust you.
So, here we begin. Just E Mail us on <sureshmehrotra@yahoo.com>A very Happy New Year.

President clears appointment of three SC Judges
President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has cleared the appointment of three new judges to the Supreme Court. They are: the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Justice V. S. Sirpurkar; the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice H. S. Bedi; and the Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court, Justice Sudarshan Reddy.
( We said this only last week)

Insider to be RAW Chief !
It seems that only an insider will be appointed new RAW Chief. Chances of taking over of an outsider are now unlikely.

Ahmed to be CRPF DG !
DG CISF, S I S Ahmed, is likely to move to the CRPF. He is 1970 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre. The post has been lying vacant since December 1.

Das to be DG CISF !
R K Das being tipped to be new DG of the CISF. Earlier the name of Das was doing the round for the post of Special Secretary (Home) in the Government of India. He is 1970 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Will Mehra be SS (Home) ?
Latest information says that Shyam Ratan Mehra is going to be the new Special Secretary (Home ) in the Government of India. 1970 batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IPS officer, Mehra, is presently DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation.

Will Roy move to Delhi ?
Once again the name of Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy has started doing the round for the post of DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation. He is 1972 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

K K Paul to continue !
Under the changed circumstances Delhi Police Commissioner, K K Paul, is unlikely to move to any other CPO. He is 1970 batch IPS officer.

No place for IAS in Railways
Railway Minister Lalu Yadav has made it clear in a TV interview that there is no place of the IAS officers in the Railways.

'No' for BJP in Rajasthan in next elections ---
Even a commoner in Rajasthan can be heard saying that there appears to be a remote possibility about the BJP returning to power in Rajasthan during the next state polls.

IPS changes in Punjab
V K Bhawra will be new IG Faridkot Zone. B Chandra Sekhar has been made SSP Sangrur.Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Shiv Kumar Verma will be SSPs of Gurdaspur and Jagraon respectively.Prabodh Kumar is new IG Crime.

Mumbai CCIT resigns !
Grapevine has it that Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax in Mumbai K Venkatramani has resigned.

FORUM
There was systematic failure
Bhargav has sought to shift the cumulative responsibility of police administration on to the politician. Noida killigs are horrendous, there is no two opinion on it but blaming politician only on such incident amounts to lack of courage among IAS/ IPS and shying away from responsibility. It is easy to castigate politician to shift one's responsibility. This was a systematic failure. Every one including DM, SP, politician, media, affluent people of the area are responsible for unchecked macabre. It is high time to introspect and stop irresponsible statements.
A Ahmad

God save UP
Not surprising for such things to happen in UP when we all know that Police postings right from SHOs to SPs are auctioned. In fact, it is said that the lucrative thana postings are given on a pagree and monthly rent. With such a scenario, business men criminals will have a field day. God Save UP.
Tanmay

Aaj Ki Aawaz

At a Press Conference Mulayam's tongue kept stumbling,
This is on account of mental bumbling!!!

Mulayam seems to have lost it!!!! At the Press Conference he just seemed to be lost and was extremely nervous!!! And Shivpal's utterances at Nithari made the situation worse for him!!!! Nithari was the last nail in SP's coffin and Shivpal's utterances hammered the nail deeper!!!

Mulayam Sarkar needs to be sacked,
Under this Sarkar propriety and probity have been hacked!!!!

UP is today worse than Bihar!!! Goons rule ……. Sarkar is of goons and for goons!!! Mulayam Geeta shows the looniness prevailing in SP……. justifies people saying that SP stands for Stupid Party!!! In Mulayam Geeta , Mulayam is compared to Krishna!!!! Mullah Mulayam a Krishna????? Wonder what roles the two Jayas , Big B and Amar Singh play in Mulayam Geeta????? Asli Geeta is about Nandlal …..Mulayam's Geeta is the story of a Gandlal ( Dirt Lal)!!!!

Bhattal is dreaming of CM's chair,
Getting new suits stitched and new style for her hair!!!

Bhattal has been on a shopping spree in Chandigarh and Delhi for 'business look' suits!!! She's also getting a new hairdo!! And she's got herself leather bags that give her the business woman look!!! All in preparation if in a 'million in one chance' Congress comes into a position to form the next Punjab Government!!! And if Congress does not then the new look will come handy as she plans to start a new business Venture....... she plans to open Boutiques all over Punjab........ Touch of Bhattal!!!! She's planning to market masculinity in Female dressing........ after all she was once known to be the only 'male' in the Punjab Cabinet!!!

Amrinder says that he looks better then Badal……. says the caricatures do not do justice to his looks,
However he is an example that that looks tell you everything about some books!!!

But if you ask people they'll say that the caricatures of Amrinder are very good!!!! The NDTV Double Talk Dummy of Amirnder is true to life…… looks just like the dummy!!!! Seems Team Congress's Captain has given up even before the commencement of the match!!! Nowadays rather then jumping into the helicopter Amrinder spends hours looking fondly at the helicopter……. very soon he'll no longer be travelling via the aerial route…… Punjabis are going to chop his chopper days ........and Raja de Loony knows this!!!!

After kullad now Laloo may make usage of datun mandatory on Railways,
Laloo's dumbfounding ways!!!!

Laloo recently made Railway Officials run helter skelter to fetch him datun to brush his teeth!!! Paapi pett ka sawaal hai…… Railway Officials have to arrange for spittoons, fetch him paans and datuns and bear his flatulence!!!!! In fact Laloo's mood is judged by his flatulence….. the day he's passing gas he's supposed to be in a good mood and when he's not they say he's in a bad mood……. his coterie uses a fart meter to predict his mood swings!!!

Bharat Kumar
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CORPORATE

Eight ED's short-listed
Eight ED's of the nationalized banks have been short-listed for interview to the post of five CMD's. Interviews are scheduled to take place on January 24.

Who will be Director (Commercial) SAIL?
Who will be the new Director (Commercial ) in the Steel Authority of India Ltd.? Tie is said to be between Shoaib Ahmad and Kobi for the slot of Director Commercial. Both incumbents are currently Executive Directors (Marketing) in the SAIL.

Two Directors in NTC
The National Textiles Corporation(NTC) will shortly have two new Directors. They are R K Sharma and Sutaria. R K Sharma will be joining as Director Technical. At present he is Chief General Manager in NTC, Delhi while Sutaria is from the private sector. Sutaria will be Director Marketing.

R Dhariwal CEO in TOI
Ravi Dhariwal who was hitherto Executive Director in the Times of India group of newspapers has been promoted as CEO of The Times group.

Kamath is GM of Corporation Bank
M Damodar Kamath has been appointed General Manager of the Corporation Bank. Earlier he was on deputation to the Indian Bank as CVO.