Sinister designIJ
Close on the heels of the MlA lalit Farswan and Additional Chief secretary Rakesh Sharma getting embroiled in acid-dripping wordy duel, seemingly heading towards fisticuffs, another MlA from Dehradun district staged a sit-in outside the office of a senior bureaucrat on March 31. However, the astute Babu acted with alacrity to de-fang the livid MlA. The public-spirited MlA relented after the Babu rolled out assurances. The Babu might have spared the State Government further embarrassment. But it spawns questions. Why MlAs are going to such lengths to have development works done in their constituenciesIJ Their voice is not being heard unless they bare fangs. This, despite the fact that the government has made many of the MlAs either parliamentary secretaries or chairpersons of different committees.Maybe, the Chief Minister’s writ does not run when it comes to deal with the Babudom. Or maybe, the reverse is true. The state government is intent on scuttling many projects using the pliable Babus the intended way-to face the heat on the ground. Interestingly, MlA Farswan raised harangue over stalled development projects announced by none less than the former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. The question is-is there any substance in the charge that Bahuguna often trades against the incumbent regime that the developmental announcements dished out by him are being singled out to be stonewalled as per a malicious designIJ
Public-spirited Governor
Uttarakhand Governor Dr KK Paul, who had endeared himself to the people at large by addressing them immediately after taking oath on January 8, has sent the message straight to all concerned that he would not allow the gubernatorial office to remain a mere ornamental one. The initiatives he has taken over a few days after assuming the charge would go a long way in helping the esteemed educational institutions of the state to rid themselves of the curse of red-tapism, scuppering their normal academic functions. GB Pantnagar agriculture university, which played crucial role in green revolution and was running without a regular vice –chancellor for long, has got one, thanks to the Governor who is also the chancellor of the varsity. He is equally active to appoint regular VCs for other universities too. His public-spiritedness manifested itself again when he asked the principal secretary Transport to be pro-active to control road mishaps that keep on taking their tolls of human lives, particularly in the hills of the state.
Idiosyncratic DM and weeping MlAs
A district magistrate is standing rock-like in the way between the Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s developmental announcements and their executions on the ground. Whenever the officials send files containing compilation of the CM’s myriad announcements asking for decks to be cleared for their prompt execution the DM almost invariably replies that things would be decided through proper inquiries. The state government has landed in a soup with the DM proving incorrigible in his doggedness to sit on the CM’s announcements, citing pending viability inquiries. The embarrassed officials say that the DM is muddling announcements with recommendations. As far as recommendations are concerned, the officials are bound to have their efficacies verified. However, for the announcements, they are bound to execute. But the DM has perhaps his own arguments. The CM can announce largess indiscriminately being cajoled or coerced by the MlAs. But their feasibility must be checked before the administration plunges headlong to implement them. The MlAs who get exulted over the CM bending backwards to homour them by way of rolling out pompous promises are literally in the dock with the idiosyncratic DM playing the spoilsport. “We would face the public wrath if nothing happens by way of the CM-promised projects. We would be booted out in 2017 election,” said an MlA, recounting his predicament.