I am the best…I am the best
Few days back, Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi had an informal interaction with mediapersons at a five star hotel in Chandigarh. Before starting the interaction, he announced ‘today is my day and you people will not ask any question, it is not a Press conference but an informal interaction’. Then he started playing his one-hour-long DVD, in which he had compiled several events, his speeches and his strategy for lok Sabha elections, 2014. He also patted his back and claimed that he was more popular than INlD chief Om
Prakash Chautala’s son Ajay Chautala and Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s son Deepinder Hooda on social media. He claimed to have more ‘likes’ than Ajay Chautala and Deepinder on Facebook. When he saw more hits of Chautala than himself on a slide show on a screen, he termed these as “fake hits”. Who will tell Bishnoi, the electoral partner of BJP that likes and hits on social networking sites are not a barometer of the success of a leader, more so in Haryana.
Building bylaws—a troubling issue
The changes in building bylaws that the UT Administration proposed are now an albatross around its neck, inviting criticism from all corners. After the city residents and senior architects, the new critic joining them is the former railway minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal. In its first ever meeting with UT top brass, the local MP raised several questions on the existing and proposed building bylaws in the city and periphery villages. Adding to UT’s trouble, he directed them to review the building bylaws in interest of general public.
Health not a healthy affair in the tri-city
Doctors in the Tri-city are upset with the state-of-affairs at the Health Department. When medical science has made huge progress in the last few decades many in the Tri-city still die of diarrhoea, malaria and other vector-borne diseases, which can easily be controlled. The records with the PGI show that most people both from the affluent and weaker sections approach a doctor only when the patient gets into serious trouble. A doctor with PGI says that it is a matter of shame that when we have treatment for cancer and other serious health issues people till die of diseases of antiquity.
E-waste a threat for the city beautiful
Chandigarh is fast becoming a centre in India where e-waste is being produced at a very alarming rate. The CII took an initiative of collecting e-waste through its volunteer organisation — Young Indians — but this year it has not been started. On the other hand with the penetration of gadgets to almost every house hold, e-waste generation has increased in the vicinity of the city beautiful and within it. However, both the Government and the public lacks proper knowledge about the disposal of e-waste which in turn may hamper the environment, if e-waste is not managed.
Squabble over Sugar
Sugar has virtually turned sour in Himachal Pradesh with State failing to deliver it to over 16 consumers through public distribution system for past three months, due to earlier bureaucratic and politico tussle and later only politico tussle. Situation came to such a passé that in the last Cabinet, two senior Ministers even had a verbal duel over the issue with Minister concerned of the department asking not to ‘interfere’ in the issue. Finally Raja Sahib Virbhadra Singh had to interfere to pacify the annoyed Ministers and resolving the issue.
Insecurity driving Babus to become ‘yes man’
When the career is at stake, even the strongest man becomes ‘Yes Man’. This is the story unfolding in Himachal Pradesh bureaucracy. One senior Minister who once vied for Chief Minister’s post and annoyed over the functioning of the Government, says that in his department in past six months, three directors have been changed for not bowing to the pressure. “By the time, one starts learning the nitty-gritty of the department, he gets transferred,” he said, pointing to one top babu, saying he has been made so scared of being removed from the top post and brining other official back from central deputation that he has now become virtually a ‘Yes Man.’
(Contributed by Bhupinder Sharma, Nishu Mahajan, Nitindra Bandyopadhyay and Manohar lal)