The announcers are said to be carrying out the threat that they had issued two months back to the Directorate General and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The release said that while the pay hike has been granted to transmission executives and program executives, the announcers, who are in the same scale, have not been granted the hike. The National Executive of the association also announced that it will meet on February 10 in New Delhi to decide the further course of action if the parity was not restored.

ICAR scientists demand better pay
Agitating ICAR scientists have threatened to go on a fast unto death from February 16 if their demands are not met. The scientists have been demanding the implementation of the revised UGC pay-scale. About 800 scientists of ICAR working in more than 13 ICAR institutes located in Delhi and adjoining states held a rally from Jantar Mantar to the Prime Minister's residence. Though the rally was stopped at the Parliament Street police station, a delegation carried on to hand a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

These scientists had presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister on January 18, seeking his intervention in the issue. The Prime Minister is also the president of the ICAR.

More than 150 scientists have been on a relay hunger strike since January 20 in front of the Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan on K.S. Krishnan Marg.

11th national games for the blind
The 11th National Games for the blind were inaugurated by Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister of Delhi, at the National Stadium here today. The meet has been jointly organised by the Blind Relief Association and the Indian Blind Sport Association and is being attended by 300 blind sportspersons from 14 states and 30 Blind Associations.

Cables stolen, phone services affected
Two underground cables of 800 pairs on the Outer Ring Road opposite Savitri cinema were cut and stolen on February 3. One thousand and fifty telephone numbers of Chirag Delhi, Sheikh Sarai Phase I and II, P.S. Enclave S Block, P.S. Park, Savitri Nagar, and the GK-II area will be effected. The restoration work is going on and services are likely to be restored in two days, a release from the MTNL said.

PWD to construct school rooms
The Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi will construct semi-pucca structures with asbestos sheets in schools which need extra rooms by June 30. This was announced by Narendra Nath, Ninister of Education, Industry and Power, in a press release today.

New DTC route
The Delhi Transport Corporation has introduced a new route, no. 88, which will ply between M-block, Shastri Nagar and Anand Vihar Terminal on an experimental basis. The bus will cover Subhadra Colony, Gulabi Bagh Chowki no. 11, Shasti Nagar (Nagia Park), Kamla Nagar, Bunglow Road, Malka Ganj, Ice factory, New Court, ISBT, New ISBT Bridge, Shyam Giri Mandir, Dharam Pura, Seelampur, Welcome, Dilshad Garden, GT road, Shahdra Border, Ram Prasad fly-over and Anand Vihar Bus Terminal.

NCC cadets to represent India
Four cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) left the Capital today to represent India at the Royal Nepal Army Day celebrations in Nepal. This is a part of the Youth Exchange Programme with Nepal, a defence ministry spokesman said today. The cadets will meet the Chief of Army Staff and other senior officers of the Royal Nepal Army. Lt Gen B.S. Malik, Director General, NCC, said that the exchange programme that was till now non-reciprocal had been made reciprocal.

Nath said that the PWD has assured him that it will construct the requisite 1232 rooms and will hand these over to the principals of the schools well before schedule. Already 3914 such rooms have been constructed by the PWD and handed over to the principals.

Rail mela
The Railway Women's Welfare Organisation is organising the Rail Mela '99 in the Karnail Singh Stadium, Paharanj, for two days starting tomorrow. The mela is to be inaugurated by the Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and will be open for the public from 1.00 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and on Sunday from 11 p.m. to 8 p.m.