The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Larger than life interest!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Larger than life interest!

ONE WONDERS why the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) is showing extraordinary interest in the I-Max theatre project to be set up by a private party at the old central prison land despite strong opposition to it from the public. It insists that the I-Max theatre be located in the heart of the city to make the project viable. But loss or gain is the concern of the private individual and if only the Government took similar interest in the public sector, the fate of the BHPV or the Hindustan Shipyard would not hang in the balance as is the case now, observes a senior citizen.

Another important aspect is that the proposed I-Max theatre would certainly occupy more space than four acres as claimed by the VUDA. It is said to have six huge screens. But in Hyderabad where the I-Max theatre has only five screens, it still has occupied more than six acres of land with a shopping mall, parking lot etc., observes the vice-president of People for India-Visakhapatnam Forum, B.L. Narayana. He fears that the project, along with similar shopping complexes and food courts, parking lot etc. would consume a lion's share of what is left of the 27-acre land after making provisions for the very wide 160-ft roads all around the site.

Also, about 1,000 cars are likely to visit the I-Max theatre on a day, emitting that much more smoke and add that much more to environmental pollution which has already reached alarming levels. "They take all health hazardous steps like this one on central prison land, and more wine shops bars and restaurants under the new Excise policy. This is perhaps the reason why they also are very keen on constructing the superspeciality hospital,'' commented another senior citizen.

* * *

WHAT'S THE best way to get free publicity? Organise a free medical camp and distribute medicines free of cost to the poor. It is preferable to hold the camps in a slum or a weaker sections colony. Sounds interesting?

That's what some `voluntary organisations' are doing and they are getting cheap publicity and also winning the appreciation of the public. Sometime ago the Drugs Inspector, R. Uday Bhaskar, disclosed that even some reputed firms had organised free camps and distributed `physicians samples' after roping in the support of doctors.

Many Government doctors would volunteer to extend their services for the benefit of the poor. If you fail to garner the support of Government doctors, there are several private practitioners who are ready to do so. Worried about the procurement of drugs? No problem! Stockpiles of free "physician's sample'' are accumulating at the clinics of private practitioners and there is no dearth of drugs.

Never mind if the drugs have outlived their utility. The slum dwellers are neither aware of the dangers of using expired drugs nor interested in seeing the `expiry dates' on the packing.

Recently, a `voluntary' organisation held a free camp and kept the expired drugs for distribution to gullible patients. When confronted by media personnel the organisers had the audacity to say that some of the drugs were `harmless' even after the expiry date. Later, they changed their stance and said that the drugs were only being sorted and the expired ones would not be distributed.

But there are many who believe in the maxim `prevention is better than cure'. Whose health is it anyway?

* * *

HAVE YOU heard of Euro-I, II and III standards? Did you wonder why Euro has been replaced with Bharat-I, II and III standards by the automobile companies?

Not only the cars, even petroleum companies have also started claiming Bharat Stage (BS)-I, II and III branding. Wondered why? On an enquiry with a senior official of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, it was revealed that after Euro was made the currency of the European Union, there was lot of confusion regarding `Euro standards.' Hence, instead of Euro, the oil majors, automobile manufacturers and others are claiming their standards on par with BS-I, II and III. Intelligent move, isn't it?

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Larger than life interest!

Clash over rehabilitation issue, 15 hurt

Water crisis: BJP threatens stir

VUDA chief allays fears of fishermen

Pig-rearer found murdered

`Chalo Assembly' planned

BJP demand

Elocution contest

Bhagavata Saptah

Man's body found in gunnybag

Around the City

In Visakhapatnam Today