TSR’s Masterstroke
The cracking of whip by Chief Minister TSR in the NH-74 scam which resulted in unprecedented suspension of two officers of elite IAS cadre-Pankaj Kumar Pandey and Chandresh Yadav--has silenced his detractors both within and outside the party. The move came at a time when hackles were being raised within the State saffron roost over the lacklustre performance of the Government with the attack being trained on the CM. It was clear that the detractors were being incited by a redoubtable leader-an MP-to go berserk against the CM. Now, the table has been turned on them as the TRS-helmed Government dared to take on the mighty IAS lobby through suspension of two senior Babus. The loyalists flaunt the move to buttress the point that CM’s ‘zero tolerance on corruption’ rhetoric is real and not flippancy. The crux is that the carping critics are silenced for the time being.
Bade’s rancor, Chote’s relish
Unprecedented action against two Babus has shaken the Babudom here out of its wits. Dark clouds are now hanging over the Babudom in the aftermath of the ignominy of suspension of the duo. This despite the Babu lobby having tried to arm-twist the CM with telltale threats. However, the punitive action on the crème de la crème of the Babus has elated those lying along the bottom of the bureaucracy. The same is true of the promotee IAS officers. The Chote Babus always have a grudge lurking in their minds about the pompous air the higher-ups assume. The suspension and subsequent arrest of seven Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers in the same scam as contrasted with the Government’s connivance with the Bade Babus kept on festering in the mind of the less fortunate members of the elite cadre. Now, the group of Chote Babus is happy. They are waiting for more while enjoying the impotent rage of the Bade Babus.
Boozy Business
Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness’ goes an old saying but one can be sure that there is no madness but a definite method in the State Cabinet’s decision to reduce the annual license fee of the Bar of Uttaranchal Press Club. In a gesture to keep the friends of media fraternity in good humour, the cabinet decided to reduce the license fees for the Bar from existing Rs 3 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. With crucial elections of Lok Sabha slated next year, it remains to be seen whether the journalists would return the favour bestowed on their press club or conveniently forget the largesse.