The Hindu Business Line : World Bank’s vintage wine

That consultants get all information from the companies and Government officials working in a particular space and charge hefty amounts for presenting the same information in a well-organised format is a common grudge in the Capital. But sometimes this can backfire. One instance was at a recent World Bank workshop. It was releasing a 10-month old report on highways when an invited speaker decided to correct certain numbers in the Report by providing what he called ‘u pdated data’. The usefulness of the whole Report, presented with so much fanfare, came into question as a result.

Read on, McDuffs

While not fighting against corporate greed and ‘vulgar’ salaries of promoters, the Corporate Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader, Mr Salman Khurshid, dons his other hat — that of the Minority Affairs Minister. In a bid to garner support for his pet project, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Minister recently urged a gathering of several corporate hot-shots to read The Idea of Justice, the latest book by the Nobel prize win ning economist, Dr Amartya Sen, to understand the philosophy behind the proposal to set up the Commission. Wonder what the Minister will have to say on Sen’s recent comments that “I am on the Left and if the Left want me I’m delighted.”

Keep guessing

Last Sunday, the aircraft arrival display boards and the TV displays at the IGI airport shut down in the afternoon and remained off well into the evening. Those paying the steep Rs 80 entry fee to get into the waiting lounge were also left high and dry as there was absolutely no information on the flights that had landed. There were no announcements either, adding to the misery. Those waiting to receive passengers were left to guess from the baggage tags of the latest arri vals as to which flight had arrived.

Clear off, you natives

Last Thursday’s decision by the Delhi Police to close off some roads between 8 am and 7 pm, so that delegates from the 71 member countries for the Commonwealth Games could have a smooth ride to the venues under construction, shows how, when it comes to colonial-style governance, like the Bourbons, our governments have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. One very irate Dilliwalla wants to know whether they will shut down the whole city for two wee ks when the Games commence next October.

Jemima’s story

Talk about hard-sell. The pre-publication publicity for a kiss-and-tell-all book by Jemima Khan has already begun for a book that may come out a year from now. It seems she is writing about the decade she spent in Pakistan as Mrs Imran Khan.

Tailpiece

India now has three prime ministers — the one in office, the one in waiting, and the one who is actually trying to run the country, Pranab Mukherjee. Result: A government that stands still.

OUR DELHI BUREAU