Weekly conference of Ministers Deepak Balgobin and Bobby Hurreeram of the MSM yesterday at the Sun Trust building in Port Louis. Bobby Hurreeram, the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, began by talking about the Labour Party’s convention in constituency 8 (Moka/Military Quarter). According to him, the government and Pravind Jugnauth are as popular as in 2019.
Bobby Hurreeram also severely criticised a section of the press, which reports a ‘hit list’ and a climate of terror in the country. Bobby Hurreram also strongly denounced the attitude of those who like and make damaging comments through Facebook.
“Pravind Jugnauth is determined and he is stronger than ever to fight drugs in the country. Let the court do its job,” he maintained.
The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development also pointed out that the Commissioner of Police, Anil Kumar Dip, has allowed some people to hold demonstrations. However, he said, one should follow the laws and not hold demonstrations illegally.
Deepak Balgobin described Joanna Berenger’s statements about the Mauritian satellite sent into space last year as demagogy. In this regard, he strongly denied the MP’s claims that the government spent a lot of money and that the satellite disintegrated. “She said that the government spent a sum of Rs 28 million and did not say anything about the expenditure. However, she does not understand anything about space technology. I personally followed the issue for two years. I had done a breakdown on the expenditure. In 2018, it cost a sum of Rs 16 million. In addition to this amount, a ground station should be built, for the installation of an antenna and software to obtain satellite data. The one in Ebene was still operational,” he said. He also said that the duration of a satellite is 10 to 12 months, after which it disintegrates in space.
On another note, Deepak Balgobin praised MBC’s efforts to broadcast all 64 football matches live for a mere Rs 210. “We can’t defend MBC. But we have to be fair. MBC finne negotiated with New World Tv and won the support of the Prime Minister for whom we appreciated the broadcasting of live matches on television,” he added.
Furthermore, the ICT minister stressed the importance of the contract that the MBC signed with New World TV. “The MBC has respected the clauses of the contract and cannot give the right to others to broadcast the World Cup matches,” said Deepak Balgobin, who deplored the fact that some ‘morons’ wanted to create a controversy and conduct a demagogic campaign on the rights of the MBC.
