NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Committee has censured the Railways for ``ad hocism and half-hearted approach'' in finalising and implementing the modernisation of projects of rail workshops resulting in huge time and cost overruns. The standing commitee on railways, in its 14th report presented in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, ``the committee cannot but conclude that the modernisation of these workshops was taken up without proper indepth study, perspective planning and even without anticipating near future requirements.''

Agitation against pay panel

NEW DELHI: Employees of Field Operations Division of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) on Tuesday held a lunch-hour demonstration at their offices across the country demanding implementation of upgraded pay scales. Sporting black badges and raising slogans, the demonstrators demanded immediate implementation of the upgraded scales as recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission.

Delhi network for citizens

NEW DELHI: Key departments of the Delhi Government will set up a network to provide common facility electronic kiosks to citizens of the capital for getting information relating to those departments, Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna said on Tuesday. ``The kiosks will have common facilities like computer terminals and video facilities to help the citizens get the data they require,'' he said. Sales tax, house tax, Delhi Development Authority and the electricity board could be some of the key departments to be linked in the network.

Demand to include Konkani areas

MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party leader G Y Bhandare has demanded inclusion of Konkani-speaking areas in Karnataka into Goa and sought Goa's participation in discussions if the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute is reopened for talks. ``This (boundary) issue now does not remain confined to these two states only,'' Bhandare said on Monday.

Basu faces black flags

SILIGURI: NINE persons, including a woman, were arrested for showing `black flag' to West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu on Monday. The persons, belonging to A naxalite faction led by Sridhar Mukherjee, were protesting against launching of satellite township in Chandmoni tea garden.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.