Three bureaucrats made responsible for monitoring Commonwealth Games finances

THE government has set up a three member sub-committee to oversee all financial matters related to the progress of the Commonwealth Games, 2010. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, minister of state for youth affairs & sports Pratik Prakashbapu Patil disclosed it. The members of the committee are urban development secretary , sports secretary and additional secretary /special secretary (expenditure) of the ministry of finance and Chief Executive Officer, Organizing Committee (OC) . The Committee will scrutinize in particular, all the decisions that are placed before the executive board of OC for approval, the minister said. In fact, the total budget earmarked for the conduct of Commonwealth Games for the OC has been enhanced by the government from Rs 767 crore to Rs 1620 crore, as projected by the Organizing Committee, CG – 2010. The government has so far released a total amount of Rs 591.56 crore. Action Out of Power Corridors

Ambassador Kalam? Yes, you are right! Former president of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has been selected by children of the country as Bharat Ka Paryavaran Ambassador, meaning India's Environment Ambassador. Dr Kalam will be felicitated today in New Delhi by the ministry of environment and forests. The vote for India’s Paryavaran Ambassador Campaign to generate awareness on climate change and sustainability issues was launched by President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil on World Environment day, 2008. An initiative of environment ministry, it was implemented by Center for Environmental Education (CEE) in partnership with ArcelorMittal. The timing of the selection is interesting as the world leaders have begun to deliberate on climate change in city of Copenhagen. Any individual could be voted as the Ambassador to lead the movement. And Action Within... a) Dr Kaushik Basu, a noted economist and Cornell University professor, joined the government as Chief Economic Advisor in finance ministry on Tuesday. He will hold this post in the rank of secretary to the Government of India. After doing his graduation in economics from St. Stephen’s College under Delhi University, Dr Basu completed M Sc and Ph.D in economics from London School of Economics. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2008 and National Mahalanobis Memorial Medal in 1989. Dr. Basu has been a Fellow of the Econometric Society since 1991. b) Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya, Judge of the Madras High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, with effect from the date he assumes charges of his office. c) Justice Tankeshwar Prasad Sharma, Additional Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, has been appointed as Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court. ...if I were the chief secretary! Whereas senior bureaucrats in Gujarat had to go for a morning walk with chief minister Narendra Modi in just-concluded Chintan camp held in Rann of Kutch apart from having mandatory attendence of an hour-long Yoga session for four days, junior IAS officers had to participate in a competition in which the officials were asked to speak on the theme --- "If I were the chief secretary...''.And yes, there were prizes too. Dr Sandhhya Bhullar, a 2003 batch IAS and district development officer (DDO) Panchmahals, won the first prize, PK Solanki, DDO Amreli, clinched the second, according to reports.