Miscalculation lands UT officials in trouble
Just as the UT top brass was heaving a sigh of relief after Nature Interpretation Centre’s inauguration amid much fanfare, they found themselves in the line of fire for sharing incorrect facts about this Centre. The cost of the much-talked about eco-tourism project became a matter of contention. And, the UT officials were flooded with calls for their Press statement that claimed the cost of the project to be Rs 70 crore, the amount much higher than the total annual budget of UT Tourism Department. Finding themselves at the receiving end of criticism, the officials finally had to issue a fresh statement clarifying that the cost of project may be read as Rs 0.70 crore (Rs 70 lakh) instead of Rs 70 crore. So where the point is indeed matters.
Modi’s rally postponed till february
Incredible, but true! NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s much-hyped rally ran into rough weather because of the Met office’s predictions. The weather calculations cast a shadow on his rally by predicting rainfall on the day the rally was scheduled to be held at Jagraon in ludhiana district. The rally, scheduled for December 22, has now been postponed till February. And for all this, it is the Congress which is claiming the credit. Taking credit for anything and everything, the Congress called the postponement of Modi’s rally as its “moral victory”. The party claimed that the SAD-BJP alliance postponed rally as Congress has all along been insisting to disallow Modi to enter Punjab till the time his Government in Gujarat don’t withdrew the case for evacuating the Sikh farmers. Well, whatever any party claims, the people have become wise enough about the tactics of the politicians.
AAP echoes in Haryana
Aam Aadmi Party may be close to Government formation in Delhi but it is in the corridors of power in Haryana, that it is making the right impact.. Bureaucrats are all ears to know the latest about AAP and who is joining the Arvind Kejriwal party. If the names of whistleblowers IAS Ashok Khemka and IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi were not enough, there are several names being taken as possible AAP candidate in forthcoming lok Sabha polls and then the Assembly polls next year. “It seems all retiring bureaucrats would join AAP given the kind of sympathy the party is generating,” said a retiring officer.
For HP Minister it is ‘Shrimati Mahatma Gandhi’
A Himachal Pradesh Minister who has often been seen boasting of his close links with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was asked to reply to a resolution moved by an Opposition MlA despite the presence of No. 2 Minister in the House. The said Minister tried to mislead the Opposition by hitting around the bush and termed father of nation Mahatma Gandhi as Shrimati Mahatma Gandhi. “I was trying to say Shri but said by mistake Shrimati,” said the Minister, smiling at himself. No one was amused except the Minister who became a laughing stock not only in the House but even outside it.
When ministers point to each other
The entire Winter Session of Himachal Assembly was stormy at Dharamshala. An awkward position arose when Opposition MlAs started asking about Vakamulla having hydel power project in the State who had lent money to the Chief Minister and his wife. Some Ministers started pointing towards the Power Minister as Vakamulla’s hydel project falls under his department. The name became synonymous with favour and may soon enter the phraseology in the hill State.
(Contributed by Nishu Mahajan, Monika Malik and Manohar lal)