Efforts continue
A senior IAS officer covets an important department. To get a posting there, he has used the clout of a senior politician – who is powerful. If he takes interest, the officer will get a desired posting. At present, the officer works in a department connected to the place where he wants to go. But the tricks he plays in the department hinder his plans. The officials of the other department disagree with Sahib's way of functioning. The way the officer works may spark trouble for him as well as for his colleagues in the coming days. So, the officials of the other department cautiously deal with the files sent by him. The obstacles on his way have forced him to think that he should remain in both departments to carry out his plans.
In the name of Abhiyan
Many interesting stories have started surfacing about an Abhiyan launched by the state government. The Abhiyan seems to trouble many officers posted near the state capital. There are several districts adjoining the state capital where officials can easily travel there in the morning and return home in the evening. These districts have been under a heavy burden over the past two weeks. Initially, when the government launched the campaign, most of the officers from Bhopal visited these districts. So, it was natural for the officials in the districts to remain present during the visit of their bosses from the state capital for their services. They had to follow their bosses' instructions. In this situation, the Abhiyan pinches the officers of these districts. There are some districts associated with tourism. So, a few officers visited these districts to enjoy the weekend. They worked for half a day and enjoyed the weekend for two days. Some officers from the state capital have called up the collectors of certain districts to know if there are nice tourist spots in their districts to plan the next tour programme there as part of the campaign.
Officer’s dadagiri
Some people feel fed up with the bossism of a senior IAS officer. A few days ago, Sahib shifted into a large government house. Politicians live around it. Many people often visit the residences of these politicians. Sahib has deployed security guards around his house. They do not allow anybody to park their vehicles around the place where Sahib lives. When some people visiting politicians talk to one another, the security guards tell them to stand outside the minister's house. The department, where the officer works, pays for the security guards. Furthermore, the officer issued the MP government's identity cards to the security men to make them appear more powerful. He has also made his office look like his home. The officer has deployed security men around his office since the day he joined the department. About this moody officer, people in the corridors of power say he can say anything to anyone and do whatever he feels right.
All about nameplate
A nameplate outside a room in Mantralaya draws everybody's attention. The nameplate displays the name and designation of an officer who now holds an important position. Although he holds a higher position, the name plate still shows his name and designation outside the office room. In Mantralaya, everyone considers the room auspicious. After Sahib's elevation to an important position, the government has not allotted it to anyone. So, nobody dares to remove the nameplate. An officer, considered powerful in the government, sat in this room for a long time. He customised the design of this room according to his tastes. After he quit the job, the nameplates of three officers had been put outside the room, but none of them remained there for a long time. The principal secretary of the department to which the administration has earmarked the room has not given it to anyone in the past one and a half years.
Bid to return to mainstream
A principal secretary (PS) posted in the loop line wants to return to the mainstream. The government shifted him from Mantralaya to an unimportant position after a dispute. Now, the dispute has blown over. The officer with whom the PS had a dispute also locked horns with a senior IAS officer posted in the department after the PS’s transfer. Now that the government appointed the senior IAS officer to an important position, the PS wants to get out of the loop line through him. He remains on good terms with a few politicians, too. Against this backdrop, Sahib pulls out all the stops to get the command of a department in Mantralaya. Yet, a hurdle lingers on his way to the mainstream administration. For the government, it is difficult to transfer him from the office where he works until an influential person approves it. Thus, the PS makes all efforts to please him.
Connections behind selection
The government has appointed retired officers to an important authority. The retired officer's appointment to the authority has surprised the bureaucrats. People in the corridors of power consider him reserved. He never lobbies for anything. So, his selection has surprised many bureaucrats. The three officers appointed to the authority have links with the head of state. When he happened to be the minister of a department, the officer worked there as an additional chief secretary. During this period, both maintained friendly relationships, which came in handy for him in getting the position in the authority. Among two other officers appointed to the authority, one worked as commissioner in the hometown of the head of state. So, his nearness to the head of state helped him. The other officer worked as an additional district magistrate in the hometown of the head of state. So, he has got the benefits of his acquaintance with the Big Boss. Thus, their connections with the head of state remain the main reason behind their appointment to the authority
Nitendra Sharma
