In the reconstitution of the FTII society, noted film director, Sai Paranjpye, director of directorate of film festivals, Malti Sahai and joint secretary in Ministry of Food Processing, Debdas Chhotray, have been appointed experts in individual capacity representing the Central Government.

Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan, told reporters that Naseeruddin Shah, Amol Palekar, Mani Ratnam, Vani Jairam, Padmini Kolhapure, Pradip Rawat, Kiran Karnik and Vir Sanbhvi have been made ``persons of eminence'' on the society.

Om Puri, Renu Saluja, Deboo Deodhar and Daman Sood would be the representing the alumni of FTII on the society, he said.

Mahajan thanked Karnad for accepting the presidentship of the society, which is ``grappling with several problems.''

IAF defers road closure but...
Residents of Lohegaon and Wadgaonshinde have been given a month's respite as the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) buses and other vehicular traffic will be allowed on the stretch from Air Force station.

The authorities had banned vehicles including PMT buses on the road passing through the Air Force station for `security purposes.' Though the road closure was to take immediate effect from February 1, the decision was deferred by a month.

When contacted, PMT general manager P M Bayas said a month's time was not sufficient to resolve the vexing issue. Both Municipal Commissioner Rajiv Agarwal and Bayas had objected to the decision questioning their right to effect such a closure as the road falls under the jurisdiction of Public Works Department (PWD).

The Lohegaon-Dhanori-Vishrantwadi road had been suggested as an alternative route. However, the PMC had claimed that the road was incomplete and would take several months to be completed. Bayas in his letter to the Air Force has urged it to resolve the issue instead of deferring the ban by a month.