Sir,
This has reference to the Editorial in the DE Dated June 5 in which you have expressed the utmost inner feelings of the Gazetted employees and put the finger on the right pulse. Virtually, the Govt played fraud with the employees in the name of launching a welfare health-care policy wherein the targeted beneficiaries were never to be benefitted. Identification cards have not been issued by the Insurance Company to all till date. The hospitals are not known to all. Morever, these hospitals are not in the list of known, reputed and fully equipped hospitals. Also, there is the dearth of staff and good doctors in such hospitals.
The highly educated gazetted class of employees very well understands the interior “motives” behind launching such fundas in the guise of welfare schemes. These are nothing but the tentacles of economic exploitation of employees and forcibly squeezing more than Rs 6000/= from each employee with zero gain but total loss. The policy benefitted only the top class in the establishment (Negotiaters) and the Insurance Company, but not the insured employees-the targeted beneficiary. Again, by making it mandatory (which should have been entirely optional), the Govt inflicted a great blow when the spine of the gazetted staff was already broken by the high rates of income tax (30% + 3%). It was a highly painful experience to undergo, such fundas of overt and covert corruption cause anguish and resentment against the Govt and all these grievances find expression when the forcibly exploited people stand before the EVMs to press the button. All such policies of the present Govt were responsible for its debacle in Lok Sabha polls.
Yours etc…
Sharma, AR
“Satyamev’’ Bani
Flawed Mediclaim Insurance Policy
Need of hour Well being of people
P K Mam
Aftermath of Parliamentary elections in country and the new Govt having taken over reigns in centre, the state will now gear up the task of conducting the Assembly election to elect a new Govt in coming Nov-Dec. All political parties will canvass for fulfilment of election manifesto for well being of people. After all, the role & goal of any responsible Govt is measured in terms of providing efficient administration for well being of people to ensure hassle-free basic services like uninterrupted power & water supply, safety of citizens against militancy or terror menace, job avenues for youths, de-congestion of heavy traffic in overcrowded areas particularly old cities, dealing sternly with anti social/national elements who indulge in scams e.g land usurpers, extortionists; control on prices, timely completion of developmental projects, etc.
Anyhow, from numerous reports published in prominent papers almost on daily basis, on subject of public importance, we come across instances on the part of functionaries of Govt. Depts who have neglected to meet long felt needed developmental goals set for the well being of people, especially in 2nd decade of 21st century. Not that nothing has been done, but we are way behind in achieving important objectives for improving quality of lives of masses. To illustrate, few relevant instances as reported are, as below:
“First and foremost; the Govt depts. have not yet introduced performance management Division guidelines on Result Frame Document (it was launched in Dec 2012) Uncertainty prevailing over Rs 1008 crore Chenab water project in Jammu. CAG detects unfruitful expenditure, and non compliance of other earlier audit reports. Basholi Bridge in Ravi unlikely to meet sept 2014 deadline Union Urban Development ministry returns DPRs of 9 projects worth Rs222 crore to J&K. Jammu Sewrage Project delayed by 5 years.
Indeterminate electric metering and failure to provide uninterrupted quality power to consumers
Uncertain Water Projects.
Delay in completion of construction work and slow progress of modernisation of Jammu Airport.
Liability of Rs314.21 crore by RDD under MGNREGA scheme to labourers/workers in Jammu alone by various BDO”
Further, the authorities also seems to be underestimating the importance of media reports which are source of enormous inputs, feedback by way of headlines, editorials, articles; readers write columns, on matters of developmental needs, unlike earlier times when responses/ comments/ recommendations/ explanation/ inquiry on such reports were essentially sought by authorities to strengthen connectivity with people with utmost promptness and finding solution to keep image of institutions in repute.
Likewise, the political bosses and top bureaucrats who invariably display enthusiasm, speed, efficiency at the time of conducting discussion, interaction and finalisation for sanction of annual plan or non-plan funds either from Finance commission/ Planning commission or other agencies etc. , do not show same spirit & seriousness at the stages of implementation of schemes / meeting commitments / adherence to financial discipline/ even attending to audit observations to check frauds, irregularities in a definite time bound schedule for achieving results on ground. In fact, it calls for strict accountability/ punitive action against incompetent, delinquent, complacent authorities who fail to come up to expectation and do not work for public interests for which they get remuneration.
Importantly, there is also a need to reverse the message of state being interested in drawing of funds only from central resources/ tax payers money but not taking appropriate steps to ensure its proper end-use or formulate policies towards state achieving self-sufficiency, turning around functioning of public sector undertakings viz. Power dev. Corporation and others , as trend of non- adherence to financial discipline by resorting to unethical means viz. political blackmailing, corrupt practices, costs escalation to cover up incompetence retards both development of state and interests of common man as well.
Needless to add, good governance depends on Public Perception; the latter depends on work on ground, how efficiently authorities are made functional and accountable for planning and timely implementing policies, projects and programmes by Govt. like so, how effectively the complaint redressal mechanism works. Action taken must speak louder than words. Complacent policy makers perhaps need to jolt themselves and authorities concerned into action. We are afraid that if no serious measures with result- oriented approaches are taken; it may take an eternity to get things done in state.
Remember, the society has 3 classes of people. One; those who are influential/ VIPs, they manage to get work done with ease. Second; those who use muscle or lungs power to get work done by hook or crook. Thirdly; the common man, who is still an exploited lot and depends upon middlemen/ brokers above all on vagaries of nature for relief and delivery of services. For them, it is a gamble!
“We get up in the morning and turn on bathroom tap. Will any water come or won’t? We turn on the light switch, will the light come or won’t because there is power cut? We go to work or school or travel. Will we come back home safe or get run over by a hit in run / get chain snatched/ get mugged or ……If there are pot holes developed on road, will the job entrusted for repairs as per specified standards will be executed or shall manage to get payment of bills by manipulation etc, in absence of effective supervisory checks! We have educational institutions; health centres etc at different centres, whether qualified staff/ proper & adequate infrastructure is provided to impart quality education/ treatment! We lodge a complaint for inadequacies of basic services, whether complaint redressal mechanism works effectively, we won’t know! !
Lastly, this is a time when the present Govt must do introspection on the ground reality for the performance achieved so far and should prioritise and plug the loopholes even in the interim period wherever lacunas in administrative functioning for development of state and well being of people are highlighted by media or any other channels. In turn, it will save Govt against exploiting anti-incumbency campaign, as happens on genuine grounds at such occasions and will get pretty good dividends in months to come. Let the Govt bridge the gaps for well being of people before election begins.
Choosing between America and China
Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala
US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal is visiting New Delhi as I am writing this column. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be in India on the same dates. India appears to be getting pulled between these two powers in the ongoing tug of war between them. Historically India has been pro-US and anti-China. The US is the centre of the world economy and engine of frontier technologies. We need both money and technology hence affinity towards the US is only natural. One the other hand the 1962 war with China has sown deep seeds of mistrust between India and China. We do not also have pressing economic interests with China. But this ground reality is fast changing. On stake is the economic and technological prowess of the US.
Consider a loss-making company. It can take a loan; it can give discounts and sell its goods in the market; it can hire more workers to produce these goods even though they are sold at a loss. Vendors of the Company would also be happy at the increased demand for their products. But such growth is unlikely to sustain. The losses will mount and the Company will not be able to repay its debt. Soon the Banks will come calling and the Company will go bankrupt as it happened with Kingfisher Airlines. An altogether different scenario may emerge if the same loss-making company invests the borrowed money to install new high-tech machines and to buy frontline technologies. It will soon be able to produce goods cheaper and bounce back in the market. Its earnings will increase and it will be able to repay the debt.
The US has borrowed huge amounts not only after the 2008 recession but during the last two decades. Especially, the US Federal Reserve Board has pumped in huge amounts of money since 2008. The key question is where has the stimulus money been deployed? If it has been deployed in superficially covering up the structural weaknesses of the US economy then it will go under as the loss making company selling goods at discounts. On the other hand, if the money has been invested in building infrastructure and undertaking frontline research then the US will bounce back like the loss making Company that makes productive investments. So let us examine how the stimulus money has been deployed.
Within the US, the main lending has been to the housing sector. People have borrowed to buy houses. This has generated demand for construction materials. Some of these are imported. That has led to the growth effect spreading throughout the world economy. The Chinese company making modular kitchens is making profits on the back of the US stimulus package. Chinese workers have got jobs in building these goods. So far so good. But housing does not generate a new stream of income. It is like a loss-making company taking a loan to build a multi-storey office in a prime commercial locality. The office is comfortable but, by itself, it does not generate income. So housing-led growth in the US economy will not enable it to repay the debt.
The second venue of deployment of borrowed money has been Government expenditures. The size and shape of US Government remains bloated. The military excursion in Afghanistan and against North Korea continues. The military and consumption expenditures of the Government do not generate a new stream of income. Welfare expenditures such as in food stamp program also continue to grow. There has been very little, if any, investment in improving infrastructure that would help US companies face global competition. Airports in the US today bear a dilapidated look in comparison with those in Delhi, Dubai or Hong Kong. Grants for research are also being reduced. Many major technological advances made by the US such as nuclear energy and internet have been financed by the US Government in the past. Reductions in such investment will not provide the competitive edge to US companies which they have enjoyed in the past.
The third place of deployment of borrowed money has been overseas investments by US companies. Funds have been borrowed in US at near zero rates of interest and the money has been invested abroad. These companies have repatriated their profits and this has brought a new stream of income to the US. There is fear in India that tapering of the stimulus will lead to exit of FIIs from the country. This indicates that FII investments in India are financed substantially from the stimulus money. This is ‘productive’ from a global standpoint because the FII inflows into India ultimately find their way into investments by Indian Companies. But this investment is unlikely to help the US repay its debt. The interest rates will rise as soon as the stimulus is withdrawn; US companies will exit from overseas investments and this stream of income will come to an end.
Part of this money has been invested by US companies in new technologies. A doctor friend of mine tells me that new generation of surgical parts such as those for knee replacement have started coming from the US. The US supremacy in high-tech items like routers and servers remains intact. This investment will truly help the US generate a new stream of income and repay the debt.
Whether the US- and the global economy grows in the coming years or it collapses will depend upon whether the part of borrowed money deployed in productive works like foreign investment and technologies that will generate a long term stream of income. I am bearish on this. Only a fraction of the stimulus money has been utilized productively. It is quite likely that the US economy will come under pressure as the withdrawal of stimulus works itself out and it is likely to collapse as soon as it become difficult to raise new loans.
The situation of China is exactly the opposite. It has the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world. It is the largest purchaser of US Treasury Bonds. It has very high rates of domestic savings. The Chinese Government is using these savings to buy US Treasury Bonds. The weakness of the US and strength of China are two sides of the same coin. There is little chance of the US economy growing at such pace that it may be able to repay the huge debt. In consequence it is likely to continue sinking under more debt. The choice before India, therefore, is whether to join hands with the big debtor or the small creditor. I would vote for the creditor because the future belongs to it, not the debtor.
(The author was formerly Professor of Economics at IIM Bengaluru)
Afghan problem and India a fresh thought is needed
Arun Bajpai
Let there be no doubt that the jehadi terror attack on Indian consulate in Herat on 23 May, days before the swearing in ceremony of the Narendra Modi Govt in India on 26 May was the handy work of the Pakistan based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba. This was conducted at the behest of ISI with an express aim of taking hostages, thereby embarrassing Modi Government and putting a spanner in Pakistani Prime minister Navaz Sharif proposed visit to India for this swearing in ceremony. This fact has been confirmed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai. On 3 Jun, an Indian origin aid worker Father Kumar Alex has been abducted in Herat only. This should give us an idea of things to come against our assets in Afghanistan.
American and NATO Forces have commenced their withdrawal from Afghanistan from May this year. By the year end they will leave Afghanistan leaving behind a residual force of about 9800 troops. This too will withdraw by 2016. It is a truism that after leaving aside some western countries, India is the only country in the world which has invested 2.3 Billion dollars for development of Afghanistan. This soft diplomacy of building roads, schools, agricultural infrastructure and parliament building and all has earned India tremendous good will even among Pushtuns who earlier were not supporters of India.
In Afghanistan, India traditionally enjoys support in areas north of Kabul where Hazara, Tajik and Uzbeck tribes are housed. These tribes form 48% of Afghan population. From South of Kabul to the Durand line which is the 2200 km long Afghan-Pakistan Border and further south in areas including North West Baluchistan, Khaibar- Pakhtoon Wala Province of Pakistan and Tribal Areas of Pakistan are all Pushtun dominated areas. In Afghanistan the Pushtun population is 52 % while in Pakistan it is about 30%. Durand line maybe the Pakistan-Afghanistan border but with same set of people living on either sides of the border the daily movements across just cannot be stopped. Sometime back there was a demand that these areas falling in Afghanistan and Pakistan may be joined together to form a separate country called “greater Pakhtoonistan”.
In 2001 when America attacked the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, Pakistan quietly facilitated the Afghan Taliban Government of Mullah Omar to hide in Quetta town of its Baluchistan province.ISI created the Haqqani network from this afghan Taliban which is the fighting arm of Mullah Omar’s Afghan Taliban. They hide on own side of Pakistan border and sally across to launch terror strikes in Afghanistan and against American and NATO troops. Of late L-e-T, the India specific Punjab based jehadi organisation created by ISI to operate against India has also become active in Afghanistan. Pakistan is very confident that once American troops leave Afghanistan it will be able to again install the Afghan Taliban on the throne of Afghanistan. Pakistan just does not want Indian presence in Afghanistan.
We in India must understand that for the last two years or so the decline that we have seen in Pakistan sponsored terror attacks in India including perceptible reduction on cease fire violations on LOC in Kashmir after the retirement of General Parvez Kayani the erstwhile Pakistani Army Chief then, the main reason for this decline was the involvement of Pakistani Army in a no holds barred insurgency operations against Tehrik-e-Pakistan Taliban. This Taliban which is of Pakistani origin pushtuns is fighting Pakistani Army to gain control of Pakistani throne itself. These people have created havoc in Pakistan by their terror and human bomb attacks. In addition Pakistani Army was also involved in providing logistical and other help to haqqani network against American troops operating in Afghanistan. So the Pakistani Army kept its border with India comparatively cool. We could have taken advantage of this Pakistani weakness by creating our own incidents on LOC and making their life hell, but we did not thanks to the weak kneed Government of Dr Manmohan Singh and American pressure on us.
Afghan president Hamid Karzai is a friend of India and for his entire 10 years term he has been pro India. The new Afghan president elect Dr Abdulla Abdulla is again a staunch friend of India. However the presidential poll results have yet not been declared in Afghanistan. In 2012 president Hamid Karzai had concluded a Defence and strategic treaty with India. In 2013 he had asked from Indian government the supply of heavy weapons and helicopters for Afghan Army and its training. While India is imparting training in a limited way to the officers and men of Afghan Army on Indian soil in Indian military training institutions but it is not enough. As for heavy weapons the previous Manmohan Singh government was procrastinating and undecided.
Now the Modi Government is in place and the time for Afghanistan is ticking away. After having spent billions of dollars in development of Afghanistan and garnering tremendous good will there, we just cannot let go all the gains that we have made in last decade plus. Afghanistan is strategically very important to us. Till we have a friendly Government in Afghanistan the Pakistani Army will be forced to look after its front with India and its front with Afghanistan. In other words it gets squeezed between the two with limited space for manoeuvre. Our Afghan policy must be bold, proactive and for long haul. We must quickly decide how we want to train and equip Afghan army. We must send our military training teams to Afghanistan. We also must isolate Pakistan by striking an understanding with Iran and Russia to once again revive Northern Alliance. We must keep Pakistani Army continued to be in involved with Tehrik-e-Pakistan Taliban by following the basic principal of war that an enemy to our enemy is our friend. We will have to keep Pakistan unsettled. If we do not take early steps now and Pakistan gets hold of Afghanistan then next target of Jehad will be India with very difficult consequences for us.
(The author is a Brigadier, He is Defence and Strategic Analyst)
Ladakh projects languishing
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has been rendered paralyzed owing to either reduced funding for developmental projects or delayed release of funds with the result that even original investment may go down the drain. We have information through dependable sources that a large number of Centrally sponsored projects for the district of Leh are languishing for want of release of adequate funds. These have never been brought to completion though their inauguration has as usual been announced with great élan. Ladakh has not kept pace of development with other hilly areas in the country though there is provision of special assistance for the north eastern and north western hilly states.
Authorities of LAHDC have put the finger on the precise spot where the malaise lies. They say that the authorities do not take into account that for six months of the year, Ladakh remains cut off from the rest of the country. Owing to snow and bitter winter, the number of work days is drastically reduced. It is meaningless to apply the work days formula of plains of India to Ladakh. Additionally non availability of adequate labour force is another problem. Ladakh is sparsely populated. Youth both male and female are generally leaving Ladakh and seeking admission in different educational institutions of the country to pursue their education and make their career. This is because satisfactory facilities for further studies or professional studies are not available in Ladakh. So it has adverse impact on availability of labour. Therefore those who plan for the developmental projects or infrastructure for Ladakh must find a way out so that Ladakh is not driven with the same stick used for other States. During past several years more than 83 crore rupees have been invested by LAHDC on various projects all of which are lying incomplete because funds for bringing these to completion were not released or delayed. Obviously, when a project is left half way for a number of years, its utility diminishes and it becomes counter productive. One begins to think that the amount invested only half heartedly is a waste to the public exchequer. It is very unfortunate that an area which is backward in many respects and is handicapped by closure of road for six months and forced to remain isolated should not be given priority but left to negligence. Funding comes from the Centre and, of course, through the channel of the State Government. Assessment of progress is conducted by the Central team. Why are funds held up, one fails to understand? Is there communication gap between the State Government functionaries and the Central Government departments somewhere so as to create obstructions for completion of projects. Various Centrally sponsored projects under different schemes like PMRP, 13th Financial Commission, Special Task Force, NABARD, AIBP, Border Area Development Programme etc. have been successfully carried forward in various states of the country but the story of J&K is different. These are all lying incomplete. Way back in the year 2000, a sum of Rupees 1207 lakh was sanctioned by the Centre under PMRP scheme for Leh district for constructing Hill Council infrastructure. Till date it has not been completed and the reason given is that funds were not released. Twelve building under construction of R&B have not been completed despite seven long years of work on them. And for completing incomplete projects the Council needs 1656 lakh rupees said a knowledgeable source.
LAHDC has now approached the 14th Finance Commission for sanctioning one time grant to the tune of Rs 163 crore in order to complete these languishing works. We are not in a position to say whether this request of the Council will be granted or not. But of course the point is very relevant that if a huge amount of 83 crore rupees has been invested so far on various projects, should these be abandoned and left half to let the invested amount go down the drain? That is not the exact answer. The exact answer is that funds should be provided and released with a surety that the pending projects will be completed within stipulated time. But before we go on to support the request a few points need to be raised for future guidance. In the first place it should be determined why there is a break in the flow of funds for not one or two but all the centrally sponsored projects? It is important to identify the malaise where and why and then find a solution. Secondly, if there is a delaying system in place, it has to be removed at all costs. Any system that tends to delay release of funds has to be replaced by a quicker and less stereotyped management. At least in the case of Centrally sponsored schemes and funding, a new mechanism should be evolved in which there is no third party between the donor and the recipient. What does the word autonomous means? It means that it shall be entitled to receive direct funding from the Centre and the Centre will also exercise control as well as supervision on the progress of the project. This is a changed module and has to be experienced. This does not mean curtailing the authority of the State Government. More than the authority of the State Government, the development of economically weaker sections of society and region is more important and urgent to be addressed. The State Government shall have to develop resilience in dealing with the autonomous region.
Onus on Revenue Deptt
Central Government’s Ministry of Rural Development sanctioned 17.38 crore rules for two projects in the State pertaining to State Revenue Department. One was National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) and the other was Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records for which an amount of Rs 1509 lakh was released to J&K since the inception of this scheme. The purpose was to computerize the entire land record of the State and streamline the Revenue Department and bring it on modern levels. For several years the State Revenue Department has not been able to spent even 30 per cent of the sanctioned amount. It has been making lame excuses for default. The Union Ministry for Rural Development has taken the lapse seriously and asked the State Government to refund the unspent money immediately because under rules no fresh grants can be released unless unspent grants are refunded. It indicates incompetence of the Revenue Department and thus it stands answerable to the people. The State Government, having no qualms of conscience, has asked the Union Government to revitalize the sanctioned amount but the Centre seems not prepared to make any concession. The State Government has to learn that it has to deliver and things cannot be taken for granted. Ultimately the loss is of the people who would have liked digitalized revenue records. We can only say that there seems little justification for the State Government to impress upon the Centre that the unspent amount should be revitalized. The functionality of Revenue department is under question.
Lady Gaga sports new wild curly hairdo
LOS ANGELES, June 8: Pop star Lady Gaga has debuted a new wild curly hairdo.
The 28-year-old ‘Applause’ singer looked almost unrecognisable with her wild mane. Gaga introduced her new look to fans on Instagram, reported Ace Showbiz.
“I am my new hair,” she said.
Gaga also stepped out with her new hairdo wearing a leopard printed piece by Dolce & Gabbana.
She later uploaded a photo from the outing.
“Dolce and Gabbana archive as previously worn and owned by Daphne Guinness,” she captioned the snap.
She then added a similar photo with a caption which read, “Missed my New York babies, best babies there are.”
It is unknown whether Gaga’s new hairdo is a wig or real. (PTI)
Sia Furler engaged to director
LOS ANGELES, June 8: Singer Sia Furler is engaged to American documentary director Erik Anders Lang.
The 38-year-old ‘My Love’ singer showed off her diamond engagement ring and also wore a simple gold ring on the same finger. Her fiance was also spotted wearing the similar simple gold ring, reported Ace Showbiz.
The newly-engaged couple were attending Wayuu Taya gala at SoHo, New York. Wayuu Taya is a not-for-profit foundation, which helps a Latin community in the US.
Sia’s mother, Loene Furler, confirmed the engagement and said that the couple would get married soon. Just last month, Sia revealed that she contemplated suicide after suffering from depression and getting addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Back in 2010, she made an attempt to kill herself by consuming drugs and writing a suicide note.
In the same year, Sia wished to marry her musician girlfriend, JD Sampson, but later the couple split. The bisexual singer was reportedly not in any relationship recently before she got engaged to Erik.
The Australian singer became addicted to alcohol and suffered from depression after her boyfriend died in an accident when she was about to meet him in London.
For that reason, she got close with ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele whose boyfriend Cory Monteith died of alcohol and heroin overdose.
Sia collaborated with Lea on the actress’ debut album and wrote Lea’s recently released song ‘If You Say So’. (PTI)
Truck driver charged in Tracy Morgan crash
LOS ANGELES, June 8: A Georgia truck driver has been charged in connection with the wreck on the New Jersey Turnpike that left comedian-actor Tracy Morgan in critical condition and another man dead.
In a statement released by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, it said that Kevin Roper, 35, of Jonesboro, has been charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto after the tractor-trailer he was driving crashed into the limo bus carrying the comedian and others, reported CNN online.
Initial reports indicated there were seven people injured in the crash, but the prosecutor’s statement put the number at four.
Morgan’s condition was not expected to change, publicist Lewis Kay said. “His family is now with him and he is receiving excellent care.”
Morgan, 45, was a regular on ‘Saturday Night Live’ for seven years and received an Emmy nomination for his role on ’30 Rock’, in which he played Tracy Jordan, an exaggerated version of himself.
The wreck occurred on Saturday on the turnpike in Mercer County, said Sgt. Gregory Williams of New Jersey State Police.
A limo passenger, 63-year-old James McNair of Peekshill, New York, was killed and three people besides Morgan were taken to the hospital, authorities said.
The prosecutor’s statement said Morgan and two others, whose identities have not been formally released, remain hospitalised in critical condition. The remaining passenger was treated at the hospital and was released, the statement said.
Four other vehicles subsequently were involved in the crash, the prosecutors said.
Morgan performed a comedy tour act Friday night at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Dover, Delaware, the venue said.
The actor received messages of support and concern on Twitter. “Wishing a speedy recovery to our friend Tracy Morgan,” tweeted SNL Weekend Update.
“Shocked to wake up and read that Tracy Morgan is injured. Love to Tracy and wishing him strength,” said former SNL cast member Rachel Dratch.
“My thoughts are with Tracy Morgan and his family. I hope he pulls through this soon and gets back to making us laugh!” said Joan Rivers.
“Saying a prayer for Tracy Morgan,” said actor-director Jon Favreau. (PTI)
Jeremy Renner returning for ‘Mission: Impossible 5’
LOS ANGELES, June 8: Actor Jeremy Renner has confirmed that he will return with Tom Cruise adn Simon Pegg for another adventure in ‘Mission : Impossible 5’.
In an interview with Yahoo the actor was asked whether he might consider joining HBO’s ‘True Detective.
Renner then pointed out that he had a busy schedule which will prevent him from doing the show, reported the Wrap.
“I’m kind of strapped time-wise doing ‘Avengers 2’ and ‘Mission: Impossible 5’ is rearing its head, and then they want to do another ‘Bourne’ movie,” Renner said.
“Even if I really wanted to do it, which I don’t, I couldn’t,” he added.
The fifth film will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, based on a screenplay by Drew Pearce. Produced by Skydance Productions, the Paramount Pictures has scheduled the sequel for a 2015 release date. (PTI)