Second Female CS Likely
Lady Luck may smile on a female IAS officer. Should nothing come in her way, she would become the next Chief Secretary (CS) of the state by December this year. The extension of services of the present CS ends in November when the model code of conduct for the assembly election will have been in place. Because of the code of conduct, the files connected to the CS’s appointment will go to the Election Commission (EC). So, the senior-most bureaucrat on the cadre list is all set to take over as the CS. Since the two IAS officers, junior to the present CS and senior to madam, are on deputation to the Centre, the EC may put its seal on madam’s name for the coveted post. Besides, because she was once the chief electoral officer in the state, the EC will hardly have any objection to appoint her as CS. Madam is retiring in March next year. If luck does not betray her, she will become the second female CS of the state, though for four months.
Hurdles On Way
There may be a hurdle in the way of a senior IPS officer, trying to contest the ensuing election on BJP ticket, from a neighbouring state. Yet, to contest the election, he has to take into confidence an influential woman politician there. The female politician assured him of all help during his interactions with her. Yet, there is a barrier. A sister of the BJP leader is a minister in Madhya Pradesh. The IPS officer, seeking BJP ticket to contest the election, worked with the minister and had a tiff with her over some issues which soured their relationship. Immediately after his falling-out with the minister, he was transferred from the department. Now, it is believed that she may put hurdles in the way of his getting a ticket. Since Sahib is upright, he cannot chuff the minister for it. Ergo, he is meeting the senior BJP leaders for the purpose.
Puffed With Pride
Having self-confidence is fine, but the Congress seems to have been puffed with overconfidence before the election. A legislator, who was a former minister, has fallen prey to this syndrome. He believes the Congress is going to form the next government and make him a minister. There is nothing wrong in such a thought, but the problem is that he has also chosen the bungalow he wants to stay in after becoming a minister. The legislator has set his eyes on a bungalow where an influential minister of the present government is living. Since the bungalow is big, the legislator craves for it, resolving to stay there after becoming a minister. His close aides are sparing no effort to soft-soap him that he may stick to his guns. The toadies are telling him that during the last Congress rule, their leader did not get a department of his choice, so he will get it this time. There were several such leaders in the state as had their suits stitched for taking oath, but they could not get an opportunity to wear those outfits, because they were deprived of a ministerial berth. People in the corridors of power say lest such overconfidence should weigh heavy on the legislator.
Changing Tune
How the field officers begin to change their tune just before an election has recently been witnessed in a district in the Bundelkhand region. Change in the bureaucrats’ behaviour even startled a former chief minister staging a sit-in at a place in the district. Whenever he had visited the district, the officials were scared of even exchanging pleasantries with him, but this time, the officials were ready to carry out his orders. The superintendent of police seemed to have completely surrendered to the former CM. The collector, too, showed due regards to him and did as the former CM said. The collector even sat cross-legged on the ground before the former CM, and others remained busy serving him as long as he was in the district. None of the officials wanted to make the former CM’s blood boil. A minister even told the officials not to pay any heed to the former CM, but the way the officials acted indicated that the bureaucrats did not want to take a risk, keeping in mind the ensuing election.
Master Plan
The state capital’s yet-to-be notified Master Plan has become a problem for a few politicians and a few bureaucrats. Old plots of some officers are embroiled in a controversy, and the plans of some of them hang in the balance. An IAS officer, who bought a plot with another person a few days ago, is facing this problem. The Sahib wanted to build a resort on the plot, but in the Master Plan, the area has been shown as greenbelt. As a result, the Sahib's plan has fallen through. There are talks in the corridors of power that once the claims and objections are resolved, the Master Plan will be notified before the election. Now, it is clear that the case will remain enmeshed in controversy for a few years. So, the Sahib is worried about the money he has spent to buy the plot. Since it has come under greenbelt, it will not be possible for the officer to get back the dough.
Worried Officer
A secretary-rank IAS officer is fretting about his posting. The bureaucrat was transferred from his department after he had set off a dispute, and did not get a proper posting since the controversy occurred. The officer has spared no effort to get a proper place where he can work, but nobody is listening to him. Since his friends in politics and in administration failed to help him, the officer has plumped for religious means to remove hurdles from the way of his getting a department. There are whispers that the officer recently organised a religious event to get rid of the obstacles. He has been facing problems for a long time, because he often courts controversies. The officer, who wants to transfer to any department, is even ready to go to the loop line. A legislator is trying to help him. Though the law-maker is well-connected to the higher-ups in the government and to those in the political set-up, the administration is not listening to him.
