Overhead In Bhopal: Honey Trap Echoes Shake Bureaucratic Circles

Honey Trap Part II

Honey Trap Part II has stoked a political storm, and the name of a much-talked-about woman has figured in the case again. She possesses documents related to many important people. Thus, her arrest has upset a senior IAS officer who is trying to join an important department. He is hopeful of getting the position he is vying for in the coming days, but after her arrest, the stories about the woman and the officer are in discussion. The relationship between the officer and the woman is old, and when Sahib was the collector of a district, people used to talk about their closeness. During his posting, Sahib assigned work relating to her NGO, so after her arrest, his fear is writ large on his face. 

Fierce fight

Two IAS officers in a department are fighting. The conflict has started since the duo joined the department. Now, the conflict has reached its climax. It was recently revealed that an IAS officer leaked information about the senior officer. Similarly, on an earlier occasion, someone from the department revealed information about the senior IAS officer regarding a much-discussed case. The officer wants to run the department on his own, and the senior officer wants the department to function according to his wishes. For this reason, the tension between them has turned into a major conflict. The  officer has wooed everyone. This is the reason that nobody can harm him, despite his open challenges to his boss. But a few employees, who stir up conflict between the two officers, are taking advantage of the quarrel. 

Searching for businessman

An IAS officer with an important position is searching for a businessman to invest his money that he made through underhand dealings during his posting in an important position. Because the officer was in want of a loyal person, he kept the money somewhere outside the state capital. Now, he wants to invest the money. He recently held a meeting with a businessman, which continued for a long time. At the meeting, Sahib indicated he wanted to invest a hefty sum. The officer and the businessman, however, could not make a decision at the meeting. The information about the officer’s intention was out because even after the meeting with the businessman, his search for a businessman for investing his money did not end. The problem with the officer is that he cannot discuss the issue with anyone. Now, Sahib is talking to another businessman, who has invested the money of other officers.

Foreign tours

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to avoid spending holidays abroad has worried a few bureaucrats in the state. A senior IAS officer has finalised a plan to go abroad. People in the corridors of power say the officer is going abroad to meet his daughter. After the PM's appeal, he is trying to remove hurdles from the way of his foreign travel. A female IAS officer is also encountering the same problems. She wants to go abroad for work related to her son. Because of cacophony over foreign tours, she fears lest the government should cancel her application. The same is the condition of another officer who has also submitted an application seeking permission for a foreign tour. Because of the prime minister's appeal to avoid foreign tours, the officers fear that the head of state might cancel their applications. This is the reason why the officer is requesting the higher-ups to approve his application for a foreign tour.

Collector’s attitude

A collector is displaying authority after his transfer from one district to another. The officer initially picked a fight with the employees, with whom he became strict soon after his posting there. The employees of the district are considered politically powerful. The confrontation with the staffers began because of the collector's attitude. As a result, employees created an uproar, which, though calmed down, Sahib is not on good terms with the other officers. Some kind of conflict takes place daily. The collector wants to run the district on his own, which is not possible because of the political importance of the place. For this reason, the officer is confronting everyone. The collector enjoys the patronage of the head of state and that of the party organisation. So, he wants to keep everyone under his control in the district. People say the collector's attitude may cause a major problem in the district any day.

Attempt to return 

An IPS officer wants to return to the mainstream administration. Though after the government formation the IPS officer held a powerful position, he could not manage it for a long time. He was away from the mainstream administration after an incident, which also ended his relationship with the higher-ups in the government. He is not interested in the work he is doing and wishes to get back his power. He is vying for a position from which a senior officer is going to retire. As the time for the retirement of the senior officer is nearing, people in the corridors of power are speculating about his appointment to the position. For the IPS officer, the position is important. There are, however, speculations about whether the government will depend on him or not. In this situation, the IPS officer is trying to win back the government’s confidence. Because he has many detractors in the police department, it may not be easy for him to return to the mainstream administration.