1. The Anaconda Is Here!
The Anaconda is here, courtesy the Indian Railways! It's the latest initiative.
It is a combination of 3 goods trains, linked one after another, 2 km long with 177 wagons, 3
engines and 3 brake vans. The lead engine in the front, controls the other two engines using a
technology involving radio waves.....no cables are involved. Its average speed is 80 kmph.
The railways is using the Anacondas for quick transfer of essentials during the lock down.
May the Indian Railways come out with more innovations to serve the people!
2. The Latest Controversies In Kerala!
The Kerala government's decision to utilise the services of the US company Sprinklr Inc to
analyse the state's public health data has roiled into a huge political controversy. The IT firm,
Exalogic Solutions owned by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter and based at Bangalore,
had been connected with the formalising of the deal. But ever since the data controversy has
broken out, Exalogic Solutions' website has been withdrawn and the Sprinklr India website has
been masked!
To make matters worse, the state's IT Secretary has gone public on a Malayalam news channel
that the advice of the government's legal department - a must in such policy decisions - was not
taken as he was 'convinced' that the deal was perfect! Shorn of all niceties, the IT Secretary has
taken the entire blame on himself! To save whom, is the moot question!!
The chief minister's first reaction is that he treats this allegation with the 'contempt that it
deserves'. He has gone on further to say that the opposition, UDF, was jealous with the wide
acceptance of his government's actions on the Corona virus pandemic! The CPM and a few of
the ministers have taken on 'explaining to the people' on similar lines. The government has also
made a statement that it will cancel the agreement!! (The government's spokespersons have also
claimed that the chief minister's hour long evening press briefings have high TRPs and that, this,
too has riled the opposition!!!). As a mute spectator, one can only laugh at all these claims.
As the above controversy has been raging, today the Pinarayi Vijayan government has got into
another muddle by appointing a recently retired judge as the Chairman, Kerala Real Estate
Appellate Tribunal. The judge had retired in Sep '19 and is known to have given the judgement
favourable to the chief minister by delinking his involvement, as the state's power minister, in
2017 while going ahead with the remainder of the infamous SNC Lavalin Case!
See the paradox. Sitaram Yechury and the CPM have been bad mouthing Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on having the former CJI, Mr. Ranjan Gogoi nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha!
The coming days are gonna be interesting for us, common citizens, to hear the politicians'
arguments and counterarguments on the issues. They have a poor opinion of our memory as well
as our intelligence!
Tailpiece.
Was up at our usual time as Suma had fetched up by 0800 hrs. Was late, in the morning, by about half an hour. The oppressive heat continues without any change in intensity!
The Anaconda is here, courtesy the Indian Railways! It's the latest initiative.
It is a combination of 3 goods trains, linked one after another, 2 km long with 177 wagons, 3
engines and 3 brake vans. The lead engine in the front, controls the other two engines using a
technology involving radio waves.....no cables are involved. Its average speed is 80 kmph.
The railways is using the Anacondas for quick transfer of essentials during the lock down.
May the Indian Railways come out with more innovations to serve the people!
2. The Latest Controversies In Kerala!
The Kerala government's decision to utilise the services of the US company Sprinklr Inc to
analyse the state's public health data has roiled into a huge political controversy. The IT firm,
Exalogic Solutions owned by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter and based at Bangalore,
had been connected with the formalising of the deal. But ever since the data controversy has
broken out, Exalogic Solutions' website has been withdrawn and the Sprinklr India website has
been masked!
To make matters worse, the state's IT Secretary has gone public on a Malayalam news channel
that the advice of the government's legal department - a must in such policy decisions - was not
taken as he was 'convinced' that the deal was perfect! Shorn of all niceties, the IT Secretary has
taken the entire blame on himself! To save whom, is the moot question!!
The chief minister's first reaction is that he treats this allegation with the 'contempt that it
deserves'. He has gone on further to say that the opposition, UDF, was jealous with the wide
acceptance of his government's actions on the Corona virus pandemic! The CPM and a few of
the ministers have taken on 'explaining to the people' on similar lines. The government has also
made a statement that it will cancel the agreement!! (The government's spokespersons have also
claimed that the chief minister's hour long evening press briefings have high TRPs and that, this,
too has riled the opposition!!!). As a mute spectator, one can only laugh at all these claims.
As the above controversy has been raging, today the Pinarayi Vijayan government has got into
another muddle by appointing a recently retired judge as the Chairman, Kerala Real Estate
Appellate Tribunal. The judge had retired in Sep '19 and is known to have given the judgement
favourable to the chief minister by delinking his involvement, as the state's power minister, in
2017 while going ahead with the remainder of the infamous SNC Lavalin Case!
See the paradox. Sitaram Yechury and the CPM have been bad mouthing Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on having the former CJI, Mr. Ranjan Gogoi nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha!
The coming days are gonna be interesting for us, common citizens, to hear the politicians'
arguments and counterarguments on the issues. They have a poor opinion of our memory as well
as our intelligence!
Tailpiece.
Was up at our usual time as Suma had fetched up by 0800 hrs. Was late, in the morning, by about half an hour. The oppressive heat continues without any change in intensity!
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