Oman cold, Russia warm for CM

HAVING recently been cold-shouldered by Oman, which issued an ad saying it never invited Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a state guest, the CM embarked on a three-day visit to Russia on Sunday for World Energy Week, with a high-level industry leaders’ delegation in tow to scout for investment to Gujarat. This follows a consistent, embarrassing denial of visa from the USA. A warm reception from Russia might reduce the effect of the various brush-offs.

To brighten up towns, a colour code

TAKING a cue from the Pink City, the state government has come up with a directive to all the local bodies to ensure that public and private buildings be coloured as ordered by the Urban Development Department. The aim, it is surmised, is to brighten up the sleepy towns and cities to cheer people up in these economically troubled times. The move comes a year ahead of civic elections in the seven municipal corporations. Former urban development minister I K Jadeja’s “mission pink” for his Dhrangadhra constituency, for one, had not exactly cast a rosy glow all around. Instead of changing the colour of their buildings, the people had changed their chosen candidate in the 2007 Assembly elections.

Now, PCB cleaning up website

THE state is well-reputed all over India for its e-governance initiatives and online applications, besides the effective Gujarat State Wide Area Network. But red-faced officials at the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) are having a tough time explaining their website going bust as it developed a technical snag on October 24. Experts are busy controlling the damage and have already removed more than 200 files affected by a malicious virus. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam had once aptly said that it was one thing to launch a website and quite another to keep it updated.