The Times of India     21.09.2010

 GURGAON: This should cheer you up if you live in Gurgaon. After TOI published a story last week exposing how the Kingdom of Dreams administration was hiding a special 25% discount meant for residents, the firm managing the entertainment hub said all residents of HUDA sectors can avail of the special benefit from Tuesday.

We have already put a system in place so that residents of HUDA sectors in Gurgaon can avail the 25% discount on tickets to all shows as per our agreement with the authority. But obviously, all of them have to follow the procedure and show their identity cards while booking tickets and also when they enter the place. This is being done to ensure that only bonafide customers get the benefit, said Anumod Sharma, director of the Great India Nautanki Company, the consortium that is managing the entertainment hub. Commercial shows for public will start from Tuesday, said Sharma. He added that as per the rule, people have to book their tickets seven days prior to the shows.

We are disseminating information to make the customers aware of the discount. We will also display it at the booking counter. The lease agreement talks of seven days advance period to avail the discount," Sharma claimed.

However, there are still doubts whether the firm would publicise its show details 7-10 days ahead of screening.They must keep people informed not just by putting up information on their website

but also tell them about the advance booking ride. The fact should be put up prominently at booking counters. The agreement has been made in a manner that gives enough room for the firm to exhaust the 10 per cent reservation done for the seats. How can a customer challenge the claim of the firm if they say they have already sold the seats? HUDA has too keep a watch for any discrepancies, said Rakesh Sharma, a resident of Gurgaon.

The Hindu          21.09.2010

Sparks fly at VMC meet

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY), a new scheme that focuses on slum dwellers and the urban poor, created a ruckus in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) general body on Monday.

Utter chaos

Utter din prevailed at the meeting hall as corporators of the ruling Congress and the opposition parties – the CPI, the CPI (M) and the TDP – entered into heated arguments. Members from both sides shouted at the top of their voices, totally ignoring Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu's repeated appeals to calm down. The members time and again rushed to the podium and picked up argument with the Chair.

The opposition parties later staged a walk-out in protest against the ‘indifferent' attitude of the ruling party. However, CPI (M) members D. Kasinath and B. Satya Babu stayed back in the hall, inviting criticism from the Congress members.

Commotion prevailed in the hall as Mr. Kasinath, former Mayor Tadi Sakunthala and Abdul Qadar cross talked with each other, ignoring the Mayor's pleas.

Mr. Kasinath and Mr. Qadar rushed to the podium once again to make their case. As tempers ran high, members pushed and shoved each other forcing the Mayor to announce a break.

The meeting was brought into order after the brief break. The Mayor asserted that she would not allow any cross talk, and more than one member should not speak at a time.

But trouble broke out once again when the opposition parties questioned the rationale behind the resolution proposed by Ms. Sakunthala, seeking constitution of a committee comprising all those who worked as mayors, deputy mayors, MLAs, MPs and floor leaders to monitor the implementation of RAY as the general body's term would expire in the first week of October.

The opposition parties sought to know whether the State government would not conduct the elections soon after the completion of the term of the general body. They commented that the Congress was afraid of conducting the elections. Congress senior member Samanthapudi Narasaraju retaliated saying it was nonsensical that the parties that ride piggyback on other parties to win two seats were commenting. CPI (M) floor leader Ch. Babu Rao, CPI floor leader D. Sankar, TDP floor leader Y. Ramana and others spoke.