Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on his first official visit outside New Delhi after taking office in May, visited the drought-affected districts of Andhra Pradesh and announced several sops for aggrieved farmers, thousands of whom have committed suicide over the past six years.

Singh, who visited two parched villages, promised to do everything possible to revitalize agriculture and asked several state-run banks to help provide employment to at least one member of each of the families of farmers who had committed suicide. An estimated 3,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state.

Vajpayee set to vacate house

A.B. Vajpayee

With former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee set to vacate 3 and 5 Race Course, a part of the prime minister’s official residence, Manmohan Singh is now expected to move in by the middle of July.

And unlike many of his predecessors, he is unlikely to wait for an “auspicious” time to do so. Convenience is more likely to guide the pragmatic economist.

Sonia tops list of invitations

Sonia Gandhi

Having put in place a coalition government that she could have headed, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi is getting invitations from various countries. In a reflection of her perceived status as the de facto head of government, Gandhi has received invitations from nearly two dozen countries across the globe.

With the opposition attacking Gandhi for allegedly being “super prime minister,” the government is trying to organize the trips around specific events that would raise less questions on diplomatic propriety. Gandhi could thus address lectures and visit key places as her tour itinerary. Since she is the chairman of the United Progressive Alliance and enjoys cabinet rank as the chairman of the National Advisory Council, Foreign Ministry officials may also accompany her.

This is perhaps the first time that someone outside the government is being invited by so many heads of state and government.

Dilip Sinha is new spokesman

Dilip Sinha, the deputy chief of mission in the Indian embassy in Dhaka, will be the new spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs. He will take over from present spokesman Navtej Sarna later this month. Sinha had previously served the External Publicity Division as director as well as in the Prime Minister’s Office as an officer on special duty.

Naidu, Oscar in Rajya Sabha

M. Venkaiah Naidu

Sarna, a disarmament expert, will take over as joint secretary (disarmament) at South Block. Central minister Oscar Fernandes of the Congress Party and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M. Venkaiah Naidu were among the nine candidates elected on June 28 to the Rajya Sabha in biennial elections in which 56 candidates were elected unopposed. However, the nine seats in the three states where voting was held were keenly contested.

Others elected included Congress nominees B.K. Hariprasad and M.A.M. Ramaswamy.