Language of modernity

It may be all about the village, but a little hi-tech will surely help. At least this is what Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar appears to have in mind as his ministry looks for reputed service providers for event management and coordination tasks for the forthcoming three-day convention of presidents of Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in April. In addition to making boarding and lodging arrangements for 10,000 people attending the meet, Aiyar’s ministry also wants service providers to erect a convention hall at Delhi’s Burari grounds, equipped with simultaneous interpretation facilities in 8-10 languages. Having seen the meet fail to take off last winter for a variety of reasons, Aiyar, it seems, is not in a mood to take any chances this time.