Foul is fair
People in the corridors of power are keeping an eye on each other’s properties, since the election is close at hand. The politicians and the bureaucrats have amassed a huge quantity of assets, and, like his colleagues, An IAS officer is also planning to build a shopping mall. In trying to execute his plans, this Sahib has set an eye on two cities, and he is talking to a few property dealers. Once he has carried out his plans before his retirement, he will be free from all worries. Someone close to him is working on the project. Since he cannot come to the front, he is using his relative. Because the officer is considered a fine schemer, he gets everything done by fair means or foul. In the past three years, the bureaucrat has made a lot of hush money, besides he had old carrots. Ergo, he wants to make a big investment in properties to insure his future.
Money and minister
A man does everything to make money, and a minister is following this maxim in letter and spirit. The minister has fallen for money that he needs for the ensuing election. He has been making efforts for it for a long time, but an officer is not letting him do so. He recently requested a senior officer of his department not to get in his way, because the election is nearing, and he has to spend more money in the ensuing polls than he did previously. Thus, there should not be any problem in carrying out his projects. The minister has got a big scheme, but the officer has become a hindrance to the minister’s plans to carry it out. For this reason, the minister is trying to woo the officer. About the minister it is said that he has already taken money from a few people in advance to get their work done, but because of the minister’s conflict with bureaucracy, he could not carry out his plans, and they have lost their money.
Sahib’s anger
A promotee IAS officer’s efforts to quell the anger of his Sahib have fallen through. So, despite all efforts, he is not able to return to the mainstream of administration. During a recent administrative reshuffle, the officer has been shunted off from one loop line to another. He has been trying to return to the mainstream for a long time, for which he has used his political clout, too, but because of Sahib's anger, all his efforts came to naught. When the officer was the collector of a district, he told a mining contractor to give him Rs 25 lakh and to make his brother a partner of his business. A complaint about it had reached his Sahib who ticked off the officer as well as removed him from the district. Afterwards, the officer spared no effort to get a plum posting, but he could not succeed.
Rebel without cause
A minister of the MP government, whose sole purpose is to make money through underhand dealings, has displayed dissidence against the government. There are whispers in the corridors of power that unless he gets to grips with a bundle of currency notes in the evening, he cannot not sleep at night. The minister has succeeded in carrying out his plans; yet, he is not able to get as much brass as he wants, although he is handling an important department. To make a huge amount of dough at one go, the minister sent two proposals separately to the higher-ups in the government, but both the proposals got gummed in the maize of files. The minister is trying his best to make some old payments, but success is eluding him. For this reason, the minister has begun to speak out loud against bureaucracy, especially against a particular officer. Although the minister is loyal to a senior politician, he has revolted against his own government. The minister is telling his supporters that anyone can open a front against the government.
Corridor politics
Many people have kept an eye on the incident of collapse of idols in Mahakal Lok corridor. An inquiry into the case has begun . Besides sifting through the media reports on the collapse of idols, a person is taking feedback on the case from various people. It is heard that Sahib wishes to probe the entire case. He was not getting concrete information about the incident, but after the incident, he has laid his hands on some clues. A complaint about the corridor had been lodged a long time back, and now, Sahib has got an opportunity to target the government. Sahib has a parallel information system in the city where the incident of collapse of statues occurred. He has been getting information from there. On the other hand, a retired officer, who is also taking interest in the case, told many people to raise the issue. The retired officer, angry with the government, also advised his friends to file a petition in the court.
All for survival
Political parties conduct surveys before every election. A retired officer’s office is conducting a similar survey. After his retirement, Sahib has been rehabilitated in an organisation which is conducting the survey. He is collecting information about the progress of the government’s schemes and about its work, and the issues that the people have in their mind for the upcoming polls. He is posing questions to people about various welfare projects launched by the government. On the one hand, the people have not shown their anger against the government. On the other hand, they have not said anything in favour of the government. Since the style of functioning of this officer is different from others, he is not openly working for the survey, but he is gathering reports. Sahib is worried about the reports he is getting, because his staying in the department depends on the present ruling dispensation. He wants the present government to return to power, so that he may continue with his assignment.
