Overheard in Bhopal: Minister in trouble and Mr 30 per cent!

Overheard in Bhopal: Minister in trouble and Mr 30 per cent!

A retired IAS officer has become a property broker. There are whispers in the corridors of power that the retired IAS officer is looking after the investment of a few bureaucrats in properties.

NITENDRA SHARMAUpdated: Monday, May 29, 2023, 12:06 AM IST
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Fight over funds

Relationship between an additional chief secretary (ACS) and a head of a department has soured. Although both of them never fail to display their bonhomie in public, they spare no effort to harm each other when they are off-stage. It is said that the funds received in the department have sown the seeds of bitterness between them. Both crave for using the funds on their own. From the suppliers, both also take feedback on how each of them uses the funds. There are reports that the head of the department holds meetings with the suppliers and, for this reason, the conditions of tenders issued by the department are changed. For the first time, it has happened in the department that one cannot get one’s work done without greasing the palm of the officials. The minister of the department is no different. He barely returns a file unless a supplier sweetens his pot. Ergo, the suppliers are fed up with giving a backhander to everyone in the department.

Angry politician

A senior leader of the BJP has recently got angry with a principal secretary (PS). Although the officer was not at fault, the leader of the party organisation dressed him down. Since the PS is a gentleman, he kept mum. A case related to the party organisation has been pending for a long time. When the politician came to know of it, he hauled the officer over the coals on the phone. The politician even said if he had to face such a problem in getting something done, what would happen to the common man. The PS tried to justify the cause of delay in the case but failed to soothe the angry politician. Now that the politician has fumed at the bureaucrat, the issue may be resolved. What enraged the politician was that the matter had reached the party’s top brass. Nevertheless, this did not happen for the first time when this politician railed at a bureaucrat. He came down hard on many of them.

Property broker

A retired IAS officer has become a property broker. There are whispers in the corridors of power that the retired IAS officer is looking after the investment of a few bureaucrats in properties. This Sahib, who has booked plots of land worth crores of rupees by paying money in advance, is advising the officers to invest in them. He has also ensured that the names of the officers buying lands remain secret. He has a team that makes agreements for land by making advance payment and, when he gets a good price, he sells it. He gets the benefits and helps other officers to make a huge amount of lucre. His business is flourishing so much that the number of his clients is increasing with each passing day. Since Sahib had been on field postings for a long time, he is acquainted with the higher-ups in the administration as well as familiar with the land-related rules.  Sahib is rolling in money these days because of his expertise in property-related matters and underhand dealings.

Mr 30 per cent!

A young officer posted in a district as collector has become “Mr 30 per cent.”  There are two officers in the district, and Sahib gets everything done through them. He takes 30 per cent of commission for doing each work. Those who are close to the collector clearly tell the suppliers that other than giving commission to the Sahib not a single penny has to be given to anyone. The agents of those who are close to the collector are telling the public that they can get anything done through Sahib. There are reports that besides making dough through suppliers, Sahib and his associates are dealing in properties. The officer thinks he may not get a chance to remain collector in the coming days. Ergo, he wants to make as much brass as possible. It has, however, spawned anger among the lower-rung officers whom the collector has denied commission, keeping all the bucks with him.

On agencies’ radar

The probe agencies may come down hard on a few people before the election in the state. A list of a few people, who are collecting the funds for the opposition, is being prepared. The agencies are searching for those who are collecting funds for the opposition in Bhopal as well as in other parts of the state. The probe agencies have tightened their noose around a few people in Indore. There are reports that the name of a businessman associated with the education sector has hogged the limelight in collecting funds. The businessman is very close to a former chief minister. Apart from that, a builder in Indore, close to a former minister, is also on the probe agencies’ radar.  The agencies are also keeping an eye on a retired IAS officer who is an expert in finance. The agencies may take action against these people before the election to cut off the “pipeline” through which the opposition gets funds.

Minister in trouble

A minister is worried about the money he has taken in advance from some people. He has gathered a huge amount of dosh through his assistants in the name of allotting work. The minister thought the money he had collected would solve his problems in an election year. It has been heard that the director of the department has stopped all the work for which the minister took money in advance. By putting pressure, the minister sent a file to a corporation, but it too, has refused to do the work. The situation has come to such a pass that although the minister has taken the payola in advance, the file is moving from one place another, and those who have paid the money are pulling strings to get their work done. These people fear that they may incur losses because of the ensuing rainy season and the election. There are underhand dealings in the department, but the director wants to keep away from them. On the other hand, another IAS officer in the department avoids taking any action because of the upcoming polls.

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