Duping farmers
As a result of the unprecedented property boom in the National Capital Region of Delhi, NOIDA and Greater NOIDA in UP have become notorious as the happy hunting grounds of private builders and politicians alike. Court cases and rulings, crimes, land scams and even the Chief Minister’s personal interests in posting of officers are the area’s claims to infamy.
Haryana is not far behind – its adjoining areas are veritable gold mines for private builders. But the modus operandi of the political master of this state is a little different from Uttar Pradesh. Sources say the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has joined hands with the real estate sharks. Aware that farmers don’t want to sell their land, he has come up with a novel method to force them to do so.
A notification is served to the farmer, saying his land is to be acquired soon. As the official rates
for land acquisition are far lower than the prevailing market rates, the poor man panics. After the notice is served, the private builder eyeing the land contacts the farmer and offers a price marginally higher than the official rates.
The farmer accepts out of compulsion. Voila! The land is purchased through an agreement. Once this is done, the Chief Minister withdraws the notification. This happened in Manesar, Gurgaon where farmers lost 900 acres to a private builder from Uttar Pradesh.
PC turns into Prince Charming
What’s cooking?
Some of Delhi’s business journalists were pleasantly surprised to find Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram an exceedingly charming and polite host at a recent do at his official residence. The occasion was Pongal, and Chidambaram had invited all the journalists who cover his Ministry to lunch.
And, instead of the aloof Chidambaram that they were used to, they found him attending to each journalist personally – to the extent of ensuring that no one went without dessert. It was only after everyone had finished eating that he had his meal.
The delighted guests were not only embarrassed but also a little suspicious at this new avatar of the Minister. And there was some speculation as well: was it due to the fact that the present term of the Lok Sabha is drawing to an end, that the annual Budget is to be presented shortly amidst public discontent about rising prices, that Rahul Gandhi is reportedly unhappy with the way the economic predicaments of the common man are being handled by the Finance Ministry, that Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has been eying his portfolio? In short, Chidambaram wants media support to consolidate his position vis-à-vis South Block and 10 Janpath.
Rise of a munshi
Braj nandan, hotline to maya
After Satish Chandra Mishra emerged as the most trusted lieutenant of (and, consequently, the best conduit to) UP Chief Minister Mayawati, the powerbrokers were disappointed when they found him inaccessible. Mishra has his own excuses for being inaccessible: he is touring the country to build the BSP’s organizational set-up in every state by simulating state-specific social engineering models.
So the powerbrokers began to search frantically for someone who could lead them to Mishra. The search engine finally threw up Braj Nandan. When Mishra began his practice in the High Court of Uttar Pradesh decades ago, he had employed Braj Nandan as his munshi. Over the years, Braj Nandan proved an able assistant. After the BSP’s capture of the Assembly in the last polls, Mishra made him Chief Officer on Special Duty to Shashank Shekhar Singh, the
Vice-Chairman of the state Planning Commission and the first non-IAS Cabinet Secretary of the state. Braj Nandan operates from three places — Mishra’s residence, the fifth floor of the UP Secretariat housing the CM’s and Singh’s offices, and the office of the Planning Commission. Mishra entertains only those files and recommendations that reach him through Braj Nandan. Braj Nandan is to Mishra what RK Dhawan was to Indira Gandhi.
Bruni breaks Kamal Nath’s heart
Banquet plans
The man most upset by the news that Carla Bruni, the former model and girlfriend of French President Nicholas Sarkozy, was not coming to India after all was Kamal Nath. Though South Block went into a tizzy over the issue of protocol, unable to decide how to treat the unmarried companion of the guest of honour at this year’s Republic Day parade, and was mighty relieved at the news, the Union Commerce Minister found his plans shattered. He had planned a banquet for her at one of Delhi’s top hotels.
Whenever heads of state visit India, our bigwigs with business interests in their countries lay out the red carpet for the accompanying wives. It is an easy and certain way to safeguard their investments abroad. Kamal Nath, known to be a lavish host, is believed to have made large investments in real estate in France through his friend, Lakshmi Mittal. Steel tycoon Mittal also has huge business interests in France. The Minister lost all interest in the Sarkozy visit and went abroad on Republic Day.
