Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):
Sangham Sharanam Gachhami
A man pulls out all the stops for personal gains. The same thing is happening to an IAS officer. He is sparing no effort to get an important position. After making efforts through a powerful politician, he is using other sources to remain in the race for the post. Through a person, he has tried to meet an important functionary of the RSS, and he succeeded. But the functionary did not give him any assurance. Someone has told the officer paths lie before him to reach the target, and one such way passes through the RSS office. For this reason, he made efforts to achieve the target. Despite his best efforts, nobody seems to be in favour of posting him to the position. Neither the Delhi Durbar nor the head of state supports him. He has, however, not given up his efforts.
Minister-officer tie-up
A slightly strained relationship generally exists between the ministers and the officers. Even if they maintain better ties, they do so because of the departmental work. But the minister and the secretary of a department have developed friendly relations. The minister barely takes any interest in the work and pays attention to his region. The secretary, too, takes little interest in work. He loves to make money and spend it, so both have really clicked. They often sit together and discuss various problems, but only 10% of those issues pertain to the department, and 90% relate to other things. Even if they talk about the department, their conversations revolve around how to make money through underhand deals. People in the corridors of power say the secretary has developed friendly relations with the minister s son, too. The minister s son pays more attention to the department. The agents associated with the department also reach the minister for any work through his son. In this situation, the secretary and the minister s son formulate plans to make money. They engage in other ventures, too.
Major conflict
A minister and a secretary have befriended each other in a department. But in another department, a woman minister and her secretary fight like cat and dog. They barely agree with each other on any issue. Because of their rivalry, the department runs at the mercy of God. They also fought over the transfer of employees in the department. The secretary set aside most of the transfer cases recommended by the minister. Now, the promotion process in the department has also stalled. The minister wants the officer to dispose of the cases of the employees who either got notices or faced investigation before starting the process for promotion. On the contrary, the secretary feels the department should not promote those facing inquiry. Their failure to reach a consensus over the issue has halted the process for promotion. The projects have also met with the same fate, driving the department into an abyss.
Making money
A promoted IAS officer has begun to deal in land. Some time ago, the government posted him to a place that looks unimportant, but Sahib has moulded the system according to himself. He has opened the files relating to land disputes and made money in the name of solving them. His old network is also concrete. Many people visit him to solve the old disputes. People in the corridors of power say he hardly disposes of any file without taking bribes. He has made many big deals in a few months. Sahib also pals up with his bosses. He befriended his old boss and sent the latter s share of carrots. His new boss, soon after joining the department, spoke to him about the underhand deals. He has developed friendly relations with his new boss, too, and both make money through underhand deals.
Not his cup of tea!
An IAS officer wanted to join a division as commissioner. But the government shifted him to a more important position than the one he had craved for. He has also got an important assignment, but people in the corridors of power say he feels uncomfortable with both jobs. Sahib thinks both tasks have bound him, but he still wants to join a division as commissioner. Because the government has posted an officer to the place where he wanted to go, he longs to join another division. Everyone likes the officer because of his simplicity. In this situation, he wishes to go to a division as commissioner after handling his present position for some time. The officer always remains in the mainstream administration, and it hardly matters whether the government goes or a new head of state assumes power.
Officers terror
Once the word 'collector' evoked fear, but times have changed. Now, even the junior officers have stopped taking the collectors seriously. Against this backdrop, two women collectors have created an atmosphere of terror in their districts. Regarding one of the collectors, people say everyone must carry out Madam's orders without fail. None of the officers dare to say no to her. Another woman collector strikes the same kind of fear. Forget about the officers; even the public representatives keep quiet before her. Madam dresses down any officer at any time. Because of their fear, many officers pray for their transfer. Because of these two women collectors, many officers got themselves transferred to other places.
Nitendra Sharma
