SCRATCHING HEAD
A number of IAS officers including several senior ones in Mantralaya may be found these days scratching their heads as they are trying to get a brilliant idea for the state budget ahead of the state assembly's budget session. As per one of such officers, those who come out with out of box ideas particularly amid Covid-19 induced economic constraints to make the state budget a superb one, will be acknowledged by the government and perhaps suitably rewarded. The officers are travelling in the virtual world too through Google to see best practices on budget around the globe. Letís see who wins the race and gets the state a wonderful budget.
PERSONA NON-GRATA
What kept a high-profile Mantriji away from the PM's programme in Indore is being intensely debated in the power corridors. The invite for the programme was a shocker for his camp. The ministerís name was missing despite the fact the programme concerned his department and even junior ministers' names figured in the invite. As the Opposition ridiculed the minister there came an instant clarification from him on Twitter that due to health reasons he was not able to attend the programme. But his detractors say had Mantriji been ailing he would not have been active all the time on his Twitter. The political observers are looking for the actual reason behind this goof-up and the Mantriji's decision to keep away.
PHONE CALLS
A young officer of deputy secretary level is getting too much attention from some of her seniors including even those who are not concerned with her department. Recently, an officer called her up to know if his department was anyway concerned with any scheme being implemented by her department. Of course, the young officer told the senior officer politely that he should talk to her department head but, at the same time, she would also try to get back to him with details. There were some calls with similar†queries from certain other officers too as per those in the power corridor, much to the dismay of the young officer.
TRP IMPROVEMENT
The popular term of television world Television Rating Points (TRP) has its own place in political parlance too to decide growing or decreasing popularity of a political leader. Hence, when there was a sudden decrease in the 'TRP' of a particular Mantriji it was bound to cause concern in his camp. Various steps discussed include an aggressive interaction with media persons on any subject on this earth except, of course, such subjects which fall under other ministers' domain. The suggestions are being implemented one after another. The camp is to review the outcome in the coming days.
HEMA MALINI
The politicians, it seems, are yet to find a better simile than yesteryear Bollywood actress Hema Malini's cheeks to describe the good condition of road(s) since the then railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav hit headlines in 2005 by saying he would make Bihar's roads as smooth as Hema Maliniís cheeks. The latest to make a similar comment is union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste who during a recent visit to Dindori said the roads were made like Hema Malini's cheeks but villagers faced water crisis. If Congressmen have any plan to criticise the union minister on this they must remember words of the Congress MLA PC Sharma when he was a minister.
WRITING AND LOST PENS
Three IAS officersí pens are in the news these days. Tarun Pithode who has been collector Bhopal when Covid-19 was rising its head has penned his experience to share with people through his book 'The Battle against Covid: Diary of a bureaucrat' while another IAS officer Niyaz Khan has taken upon himself an onerous task to do a research on Islam and write a book in two years to negate the 'false image' about the religion created by fundamentalists and extremists. However, another IAS officer Preeti Maithil Nayak lost her pen during a conference. She shared her interesting experience on Twitter as to how she got suggestions on Facebook to look into best deals to buy pens whereas she had merely asked her PA to try to find the pen. Another case of Pegasus? asked an officer in a jovial†mood.
