Times group’s zoom to be launched later this year

MUMBAI, June 12: The times group will launch a non-fiction 24-hour Hindi pay channel in the third quarter of this year to cater to the age group of 18-34 with its unique content, according to Mr Arun Arora, president of Bennett, Coleman and Co Ltd.

Addressing a news conference along with Ms Apoorva Purohit, head, Times television, he said after the launch of ‘zoom’ the group will start a spiritual channel which will be followed by a business channel.

Mr Arora said all the three channels will be unique in many respects and over time would emerge as market leaders. A lot of research had been carried out and the group will deploy the latest technologies and well-researched content to suit the needs of the viewers, he said at the meet here yesterday.

Stating that ‘zoom’ would be a premium Hindi non-fiction channel, Ms Purohit said "there are several soap operas and enough of fiction.". The proposed channel would be a "complete new category" and will have music, chat shows, talks and interviews.

While 50 per cent of the content will be outsourced, rest 50 per cent would be in-house, she said and asked about the name ‘zoom’, added that "we have been reading the hearts and we are ready to zoom into it."

Times group publishes several newspapers like ‘The Times Of India’, ‘Economic Times’, ‘Maharashtra Times’, ‘Nav Bharat’ and magazines like ‘Filmfare’ and ‘Femina’.

Ms Purohit clarified that from day one the channel will be a pay channel and would provide "premium entertainment." It will not be a news channel, said both the Times group officials, who pointed out that the content would be "beyond movies and beyond soap-operas". "It will be a visual delight. It will be a viewers’ delight," they stated.

In this separate TV division, more than 70 people are currently working. However, both of them refused to divulge the financial part of the project.

"We have been discussing the project for the last over seven to eight years. We have now now decided to come in an electronic format. And we have invested a lot of time, a lot of resources and money also," said Mr Arora.

Asked about the spiritual channel, he said, "it will serve the sprititual needs of mind, body and soul. It is not not going to be a religious channel." This is also going to be unique in many respects, he noted and added that already the group is into spiritual music. "There is lot that is required in these times of stress," he pointed out.

Asked about the business channel, he said, "as you all know ET has its own strength. There would be lot more analysis and indepth reporting. We will go all out to break even fast." (UNI)

Badal attends all party meet called by CM on SYL issue

CHANDIGARH, June 12: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today called an all party meeting which discussed the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue and resolved that the State Government should take all possible administrative and legal measures to safeguard the state’s interests and protect it from the damage likely to be caused following the recent Supreme Court order for completion of the SYL canal in Punjab’s territory.

The meeting was significantly attended by the main opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and other parties including the BJP, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and different Akali and Leftist factions.

Addressing a press conference after the three-hour long meeting, the Chief Minister said the representatives of the parties had authorised him to take certain steps to safeguard the Punjab’s rights on its river waters.

He said the State Government would file a review petition following the Supreme Court’s order to the Centre to get the SYL canal completed in Punjab territory through a central agency.

Capt Singh said, if needed, the State Government would also go for a curative petition.

He said all the parties had assured him cooperation on the issue.

The meeting was mainly attended by SAD president Parkash Singh Badal, senior SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Punjab Congress president H S Hanspal, Punjab BJP president Avinash Rai Khanna, Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, state CPI secretary Dr Joginder Dayal, state CPI (M) secretary Balwant Singh, Communist Party Marxist (CPM) state secretary Mangat Ram Pasla, leaders of the splinter Akali factions including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Ravi Inder Singh, Jaswant Singh Mann and Attinderpal Singh and Balwant Singh Ramoowalia of Lok Bhalai Party.

The Punjab Chief Minister said he would like to take an all party delegation to New Delhi to urge upon Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to safeguard the rights of Punjab on its river waters.

The resolution passed at today’s all party meet stated that unfortunately the allocation of Ravi-Beas waters have been affected by ad-hoc decisions and agreements, dictated by prevalent circumstances, rather than by the internationally recognised principles of the Riperian states.

The resolution further stated that nearly nine lakh acres of Punjab would go dry if its river waters were allowed to flow into Haryana through the SYL canal, adversely affecting around 15 lakh agricultural families and farm labourers.

"Providing water to one set of farmers by depriving the other of its existing resources is neither going to help nor serve any national cause and it will, however, surely add to the woes of the Punjab farmers," the resolution said. (UNI)

No starvation death in Amlasol

MIDNAPORE, June 12: In a U-turn, CPI(M) member of Banspahari Gram Panchayat in west Midnapore district Kailash Mura, who had earlier been quoted in the media as reporting five starvation deaths in Amlasol village, today said "no death, directly caused by starvation, has taken place."

"My only intention was to bring to the administration’s notice the lack of development in the area where people had use drinking water from ponds. No death, directly caused by starvation, has taken place in the area," Mura told a visiting PTI correspondent.

Pradhan of the Jharkhand party-run Panchayat Laxmi Soren said no starvation death was reported to the Panchayat authorities from Amlasol village.

Soren, whose JP got majority in the Panchayat last year, said "though acute poverty exists in the area, no starvation death has been notified with the Panchayat."

Zilla Sabhadipati Dr Pulinbihari Baske, who also visited the area, said though he did not think there were starvation deaths in Amlasol, it was true that local people were deprived even of the basic amenities as citizens. A task force would soon be formed to ensure the area’s economic development and essentials like rice and wheat would reach people properly.

District Magistrate Chandan Sinha who paid a second visit to the village today accompanied by the Block Medical Officer reiterated that he has no knowledge of any starvation death.

CPI(M) district secretary Dipak Sarkar who visited the village said fruits of development had not properly reached the people of the remote area.

Meanwhile, the opposition nationalist Trinamool Congress and Congress today criticised the West Bengal Government for its alleged failure in giving basic healthcare facilities to people of Amlasol.

An NTC team, including MLAs Nirbed Roy and Tapas Roy, after visiting the area expressed shock at the "total lack of basic healthcare facilities" in the village where people had to drink pond water and depend on petty jobs for livelihood.

Asked whether whether there were starvation deaths, they said they would send their report to the party leadership.

"The pitiable condition of people in Amlasol, many of them suffering from tuberculosis, amply shows starvation is not a unusual thing among them. And death is the ultimate result," the NTC leaders said.

Alleging that the centrally sponsored Annapurna Annaydaya Rice Scheme did not reach the poor people in the area, they expressed shock that the ruling CPI-M "did little to build roads, sink tubewell, set up school in the area despite being in power in the Panchayat till last year."

A Congress delegation, consisting district president Nirmal Ghose and three MLAs, also toured the area and interacted with the locals and launched a broadside against the ruling CPI(M) for showing such "criminal neglect" to the area where all amenities have virtually ceased to exist and people forced to starve.

The flurry of activity in the village, which has apparently never witnessed so many officials and politicians visiting the area around the same time, rekindled hopes of development among locals. (PTI)

Bhitarkanika mangroves under threat from Rengali project

BHUBANESWAR, June 11: The world famous mangroves of Bhitarkanika in the Orissa coast could be affected with the completion of the Rengali irrigation project.

Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) secretary Biswajit Mohanty claimed that "severe ecological effects are foreseen once the irrigation canals of the project start operating from Samal barrage."

The barrage, he said, would act as a major water reservoir which would reduce the water flow in river Brahmani and divert a huge quantity of water for irrigation.

The stretch of Brahmani, flowing through the coastal plains of cuttack and Kendrapada districts, would be deprived of its normal flow of fresh water which would obviously affect the salinity levels of Bhitarkanika creek, Mr Mohanty claimed.

The situation, he said, would be worse during summers when water level would go down. The saline ingression is expected to occur up to 75 kms upstream, affecting the local flora and fauna.

The rich mangrove forests, spread over 200 sq kms, have a high level of bio-diversity. It is also the habitat for the largest saltwater crocodile population in India and breeding grounds for fish, crabs and shrimps.

The WSO Secretary said due to the Rengali dam, the water flow in Brahmani is being regulated since the last 20 years.Constant fresh water flow throughout the year has resulted in ecological changes.

He said the Sunderbans mangrove forests have been drastically affected after Farraka barrage was commissioned.

The same situation was also feared to occur in Bhitarkanika once the water starts flowing in the canal of the Rengali irrigation project.

This apart, the estuarine crocodiles, found in the Bhitarkanika creek, might leave the core sanctuary area and migrate upstream since saline water areas would increase all of a sudden.

The crocodiles, Mr Mohanty said, might also extend their territory right up to Indupur near Pattamundai as was the case prior to the construction of Rengali dam.

This would ultimately lead to a rise in man-animal conflict since these areas are heavily populated and the rivers are used for multipurpose activities.

Mr Mohanty said there would be a change in the composition of aquatic fauna in the area and several valuable commercial species of prawns and fishes would disappear from the areas due to the influx of saline waters.

The fresh water lobster and the ‘Bhekti’ may not be found at all in these areas leading to drastic loss of livelihood for thousands of fishermen depending on Bhitarkanika.

The WSO Secretary further said there would be drastic changes in the cropping patterns of Aul, Raj Kanika and Rajnagar blocks of Kendrapada district.

Thousands of farmers, who were benefitted after operation of Rengali dam, would be affected due to saline ingression once the Samal barrage starts releasing water into the canals.

The farmers, he said, would not be able to raise rabi crop as is being done presently since the salinity of water would rise all of a sudden.

He said the wso has been suggesting to the State Government since the last four years to undertake a detailed study of the likely effects on the mangroves and crocodiles of the Rengali project and plan for appropriate mitigation measures.

The society, Mr Mohanty said, had also suggested that upstream islands where specific species could thrive should be used for plantation to compensate for the loss of the Sundariand associates.

"However, the State Government is yet to take serious note of the upcoming situation and prepare a detailed management plan for the mangroves," he regretted. (UNI)

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