Baalu turns to old friend

Union Transport Minister T R Baalu may have managed to push through a series of National Highway upgradation projects in the Cabinet ahead of elections,but he hasnt had much luck with one of his Cabinet colleagues. Recently,he approached Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh,seeking extra funds for building houses for the poor in flood-affected districts in Tamil Nadu. While Baalu sugarcoated the request,referring to Singh as Dear Professor and old friend,it did not cut much ice with the latter. Singh is learnt to have offered no more than discretionary powers to the state Government for the regular allocation under the funds from the second stimulus package. Singh also suggested that Baalu take up the matter with Home Minister P Chidambaram,who too hails from Tamil Nadu and is part of the high-level committee that grants funds for calamity relief.