Till he was in service he was known for his arrogance, whims and fancy, and subjecting his subordinates to ill-treatment. Time changed post-retirement. Now, the officer who retired as an additional chief secretary feels insulted by a junior engineer who is constructing an imposing building in his neighbourhood in the state capital. To make matters worse, another junior officer is constructing a building on the other side. The retired officer scolded the coloniser as to why he sold plots to ‘such a low rank’ officers in his neighbourhood. But damage has been done.
MoS UNDER SCANNER
A minister of state (MoS) is under scanner due to alleged fake voting in his own village. He would not have attracted so much attention due to the fake voting had it not been in favour of his relative who contested panchayat elections. Allegation by the rival candidate is that it was all done at the instance of Mantri ji. Much to his discomfiture, a video was shot and made viral in social media of a woman casting her in the election despite the fact she doesn’t belong to the village. This is the same Mantri ji who showed people how to locate water sources- Practising a ‘Totaka’ while holding a coconut in his hand.
CHANGING BRITISH SYSTEM
The revenue courts of collectors and commissioners are designed in such a way that the officers and his staff occupy chairs on an elevated platform while those whose appeals are being heard take chairs on the lower side on the floor. This arrangement in the officers’ quasi-judicial courts is perhaps to maintain superior stature of the officers as we see in the main courts. However, IAS officer B Chandrashekhar who happens to be commissioner, Jabalpur ordered a different sitting arrangement i.e. all the chairs and tables placed at the same level. The officer thus tried to send out a message that everyone in society is equal. Let’s see if others follow the suit.
BHAI-BHATEEJAWAD
The defeat of transport minister Govind Singh Rajput’s nephew who contested panchayat polls while aspiring to become a zila panchayat member has come as a big shock to his camp not only because of big margin of defeat but also because of the fact Mantri ji himself had canvassed for him extensively. What worries Mantri ji’s camp further is that this defeat may come in the way of his elder brother becoming president of zila panchayat, Sagar, who was elected unopposed earlier as a zila panchayat member. Mantri ji’s detractors within the party and in Bundelkhand are really amused.
EXPENDITURE ON LIQUOR
Chhindwara district administration made it clear that it’s a clerical and human error that a circular was issued regarding candidates in local bodies polls being allowed to show expenditure on liquor as a part of their expenditure on election campaign. Like sale of liquor soon rumours made rounds across the state that the state election commission had allowed such an expenditure to be shown. We all know how liquor plays its role during the elections. But, anyway, this can’t be legally allowed. An officer quipped- There should be an inquiry to find out if the circular was issued by someone in a state of intoxication.
BETWEEN THE LINES
Political atmosphere in Madhya Pradesh is so much surcharged after Jyotiraditya Scindia, now a union minister, defecting to the BJP along with his follower-MLAs and ministers that people in political circles start drawing inferences on any development related to Scindia at the drop of a hat. This time, the matter relates to the additional portfolio of the ministry of steel being given to Scindia. Of course, inferences are on different lines that suit the different groups in the ruling party and the Opposition and the same is more pronounced in Gwalior region.
