At present an area of 200 acres had been acquired, but steps, he said, will be taken shortly to acquire the additional 800 acres. The site of the Capital will be the present agricultural farm at Tejgaon. The Provincial Government, he said, has already agreed to release the necessary land for the purpose.

Besides the National Assembly building, the hostel for the M.N.As, bungalows for the Speaker, Deputy Speakers and other officials of the Assembly, the Second Capital Project will also include a block of apartments for the Central Ministers, a Central Secretariat, regional offices, as well as a school and a Central Government hospital.

A house will also be constructed in the area for the President.

It is also under consideration that a Supreme Court building and residential accommodation for Supreme Court Judges should also be constructed there.

There will be a diplomatic enclave in which land will be allotted to those Foreign Missions who wish to construct their offices.

Provision has been made in the current year’s budget for Rs 1.64 crores. It is proposed to obtain supplementary grants this year.

The construction of the Second Capital will be in phases and is likely to spread over several years.—Staff Correspondent

Man in space MOSCOW: The Soviet Union today put its third spaceman into orbit and asked the United States to refrain from nuclear tests while his flight continued.

Maj Andrian Nikolayev, [a] 32-year-old former lumber-jack, is circling the earth once every 88-1/2 minutes amid unconfirmed reports that he may stay in orbit for three days.

Unmarried Maj Nikolayev thus became the first “space age bachelor” when he was launched at 08.30 GMT today in Vostok III.

He lunched and relaxed for an hour after completing the first part of his research programme aboard the spacecraft, “Tass”, the Soviet news agency said. —Agencies

Work permits For the past few months Pakistani nationals working in Iran are being refused extension of their work permits by the Iranian Labour Ministry even though their employers are “most willing to retain their services.” —Staff Correspondent