New Delhi: Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the Manmohan Singh ministry yesterday, triggering speculation that more ministers may follow suit to take up new roles in a likely party rejig ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. “I expressed my desire to work for the party in view of the Lok Sabha elections, at what level is for the high command to decide,” Natarajan said. President Pranab Mukherjee accepted her resignation. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily has been given additional charge of the environment and forests ministry. With a party rejig high on the agenda of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, more ministers may resign in the coming days and weeks to play different roles in the party as it gears up for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled in April-May. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Home R P N Singh, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot and Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia are the others likely to go Natarajan’s way, said party sources.
Five lakh ‘likes’ for
Mamata’s Fb page
Kolkata: Within a year-and-a-half of opening her official page, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has amassed five lakh ‘likes’ on social networking website Facebook. Banerjee has used the forum to extensively not just to express her disapproval of central government’s policies and to vent her ire at the opposition, but also to announce developments of the state and pay tributes to prominent figures, the most recent being anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. Followers are encouraged to opine, but the use of profanities are not allowed. Her online journey began June 15, 2012.
CPM leader’s widow threatened
Kozhikode: K K Rema, widow of former CPI-M leader T P Chandrasekheran, said yesterday that she has received two letters threatening her with murder if she does not stay silent about her husband’s killing. The letters were received on Friday. While one of the letters was sent from Aluva, the other was received from Kozhikode. Speaking to reporters here, Rema said that she has received two letters and both threatened that if she did not keep quiet, she and her family would be killed. “I suspect that those behind these letters are the very people who master-minded the killing of my husband. I have been asked not to speak against the accused, who are now in jail,” Rema said.
Healthcare TV channel launched in Kerala
Kochi: Medi BizTV, said to be the world’s first 24-hour healthcare television channel, was launched here yesterday. The channel will be available in 130 countries across Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. It is being uplinked through the APSTAR-7 satellite. Sohan Roy, a marine engineer by profession who directed the movie DAM 999, is behind the project. Medi BizTV is being promoted by the BizTV network, which also owns the world’s first maritime channel — Marine Biz TV. Roy said some of the programmes in the new channel will be on motivational and spiritual aspects of life, lifestyle diseases, healthy eating habits, fitness, baby care and yoga besides a medical news bulletin.
IANS
