11-12-13, gone!
It’s a retirement the corporate world is anxiously awaiting. On December 11, Justice GS Singhvi of the Supreme Court will demit office. To his credit goes the smooth trial of the 2G scam, for which he has earned the ire of the corporates, who were forced to visit court day in and day out. last week, Singhvi fixed this date for hearing of a case relating to setting up green benches across the country, for which he was mainly instrumental. “It is coincidental that this date is 11-12-13,” he said, hinting at his
retirement date.
Khirki to nowhere
Congress spokespersons are feeling handicapped these days. Directions from party vice-president Rahul Gandhi - to conform to party line and take the help of social media site Khirki created for AICC functionaries for this - have them in all sorts of trouble. Meem Afzal had to buy a new mobile handset to get constant updates from Khirki, as his old phone could not open the application. But it appears that Khirki is not providing fast information at all. When reaction was sought from Bhakta Charan Das about Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, he refused to oblige mediapersons. Instead of taking help from Khirki, he preferred to wait for a copy of the letter before reacting. In the past, Das was reprimanded for revealing to the media that Rahul wanted more women included in AICC office-bearers.
Tough cop, good cop
IPS official RP Meena, known for his tough style of working, was so frustrated at his ‘failure’ to break nepotism in the corruption-ridden Medical Council of India (MCI) that he threatened to quit the post of Secretary a mere couple of months after joining. Not bothered that the action would have affected his future prospects in the Centre, Meena threatened to go back to his parent cadre (Odisha) within the deputation period if his request was not heeded. It is learnt that the Ministry has now called him back to serve in its vigilance division.
Unsung ‘tiger’ heroes
On the occasion of Global Tiger Day recently, concern was raised over the “silent heroes” of tiger conservation - the forest guards at reserves. In functions organised in various tiger reserves in the country, officers and experts sang paeans to forest guards and distributed international cards and appreciation letters that had come from as far as Australia, the UK and the US. However, the forest guards remained largely unimpressed. “When will our own country truly acknowledge our services in tiger conservationIJ The least it can do in appreciation of our efforts is to ensure that we get salaries on time,” quipped one of them.
Following the leader
The BJP headquarters is suddenly abuzz with activity. Chairman and members of the 20 sub-committees related to the Narendra Modi-led Campaign Committee are burning midnight oil to prepare draft of the party’s strategy for the national election. The leaders do not lose the opportunity to call up journalists after every meeting for adequate coverage of their exercise. “The race to be in the good books of Narendra Modi has just begun,” a top BJP leader quipped.
Media-free sanctuary
The main complex at the renovated BJP headquarters has been put out of bounds for journalists. Grapevine has it that the new arrangement has been put in place on instructions of a general secretary, who was peeved at the “unauthorised accesses” to the offices of Central leaders. A senior BJP leader joked, “There is so much turbulence (in the party). We need to be at peace, somewhere.”