Andhra Pradesh

Excitement, hoopla grounded

The news that the new international airport at Shamshabad will not immediately take flights as scheduled earlier did leave some with a tinge of disappointment.

Passengers were excited at the prospect of landing at a glistening new airport and perhaps later narrate to others about the new facility. Some of them were eager to be bracketed as being among the first to have arrived here. At the same time, ther e must be some who must have heaved a sigh of relief at not having to drive the not-in place stretches to the airport. For them, it was the good old Begumpet that was to be the destination. And perhaps the feeling of the last bunch to bid adieu to the decades old airport.

It has been quite an anti-climax for the much publicised take off of commercial operations of Shamshabad international airport last week.

Though there were misgivings about the burden on air travellers because of user charges and other dampeners, everything was set aside with a firm signal to the new airport operator to go ahead. Thus the postponement came as a huge surprise. The is sue in a way reminds one of Prasadz Imax and the misgivings one had about its success given the exorbitant ticket fare.

But Prasadz became an enticing experience for all age groups and sections despite the cost factor. People apparently do not mind paying for the experience. So it proved. Will it be the case with Shamshabad airport too ?

One could understand the agony of Ayesha’s parents. The police investigations have literally ended in a cul-de-sac. Whoever is believed to be a suspect is subjected to a DNA test and of course the narco analysis test. But things appears to be a bit stretched now. A demand has been made to subject the Vijayawada Police Commissioner C.V. Anand to the narco test. But the ever-ready-for-a-quip Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy had further complicated the issue. Believed to b e a satirical tone, Mr. Reddy accepted the demand for subjecting the police officer to the narco test. Not just the police officer, but also journalists, he added.

Come to think of it, why not subject some of these politicians who make tall promises on anything and everything, to the narco tests. And the narco analysis should be telecast live.

T. LALITH SINGH,

M.L. MELLY MAITREYI AND K. SRINIVAS REDDY

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