Minister-bureaucrat collision course
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s ouster in the run-up to the Presidential election is seemingly a body blow for bureaucrats in North Block. Before Pratibha Patil emerged a last-minute Congress nominee, the officers were congratulating one another in whispers. Not because their political boss was then the lone Congress name for the august office, but in anticipation of being spared the onerous task of having to work with a non-functional minister. But it was not to be. Their delight soon turned into despair.
Amendments pertaining to protection of witnesses under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), necessitated by witnesses turning hostile in the Jessica Lal and Priyadarshni Mattoo cases, are to come up in Parliament. The Police Reform Report prepared by Soli Sorabjee has failed to reach Parliament.
Now the officers are worried that, with a complacent minister at the helm, their tenure will end without any achievement worth the name and this will naturally cast a shadow on their Confidential Reports.
When Patil’s name was almost certain for the office of President, the bureaucrats looked forward to Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde taking over the vacant portfolio in North Block. They had already started secretly meeting the result-oriented Shinde and developing personal rapport with him. These moves boomeranged after intelligence agencies reported the goings-on to Patil.
Now, an embittered Patil has decided to teach the babus a lesson by indulging in more procrastination on all important matters!
Mayawati’s iron hand at work
Terror-struck officers
No calls to the Secretariat regarding transfers and postings—this was the diktat issued by Mayawati to her party MLAs and workers immediately after taking over as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Fearful of her wrath, no one disobeyed and the CM’s office became “no calling zone”. The staff, that has always found tackling desi netas a tough job, heaved a sigh of relief. The bureaucrats too read between the lines and refrained from contacting her office.
But there is one quarter from where the calls keep coming. Executive Engineers, Assistant SDOs and Junior Engineers are a different breed with a different mission. They keep enquiring about the likelihood of Mayawati visiting the areas under their jurisdiction. Since this does not relate to transfers and postings, her staff readily gives out the dates of her scheduled visits.
A day prior to the CM’s visit, the concerned Executive Engineer, Assistant SDO and Junior Engineer can be seen travelling in a car along crucial roads. Their car is followed by a truck loaded with powdered lime, cement and charcoal. Wherever the team feels the ride is bumpy or notices potholes on the road, a repair is carried out. The road is also treated with powdered lime. The contingent then moves on. Dazed onlookers say the scene is reminiscent of a specialized army unit detecting land mines! Behind it is Mayawati’s reputation for suspending even District Magistrates for lapses on her flying visits.
Amethi’s Machiavellian Gandhi
Plot-and-scheme Rahul
Kishori Lal Sharma of Ludhiana has been Sonia Gandhi’s political representative in Amethi for the past eight years. After she and son Rahul contested successfully from Rae Bareli and Amethi in the last parliamentary polls, Sharma was entrusted with responsibility for Rae Bareli too. Another Sonia favourite is Manoj Mattoo, development representative for both constituencies. Sharma and Mattoo run their office in the Munshiganj Guest House in Amethi.
However, Rahul wants them moved to Rae Bareli so that he can replace them with his own trusted team in Amethi. But, since Sharma enjoys the patronage of Priyanka, he realizes that such a move will annoy both mum and sis. To avoid a direct confrontation in the family, he is cleverly creating a situation which will automatically ensure the duo’s exit from Amethi.
The process has already begun with the formation of a core group of about 2000 of his loyalists in Amethi. The group is supposed to monitor various developmental schemes. Ramkrishna, a former security staffer for Rajiv Gandhi, is the new man in charge of this group. His assistant is a lady, Vijaya Murti. Besides developmental work, their job is to keep a watch on political developments in Amethi and send daily reports to Rahul. This new power centre in Amethi operates from 4, Munshiganj and the traffic of party workers has noticeably diverted to this address from the guest house!
Raja mugs tech terms
Bureaucrats warm to greenhorn chief
After Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran – son of the late Murasoli Maran and grandnephew of DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi – had to make an ignominious exit following a family feud back home, A Raja took over. But the new incumbent, who had come from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, is apparently having sleepless nights over the highly technical ministry that he now heads. Apparently, the mere thought of meeting the Secretaries of the Departments of Telecom, Posts, and Information Technology, as well as senior BSNL and MTNL officials, and the media to boot, makes him break into a sweat. Raja, who is far from techno-savvy, was nervous over terms like GSM, WLL, broadband, NGN, USO, ISP and number portability.
Fearing comparision with Maran – a high-profile man well versed in communication technology – and anticipating becoming a laughing stock, Raja first chose to speak in general terms. Next, he asked his trusted lieutenants in the new ministry to give him a crash course in communication terminology. So a group of brilliant officers of DGM-level are taking turns in giving him lessons. And they warmly feel he will stand up to scrutiny in the monsoon session of Parliament. This is one instance when a minister’s lack of knowledge and compulsion to learn has endeared him to bureaucrats.
