Missing Name
People clinging to the glory of one’s name, a huge shock was kept in store for Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) chairman. To be a proud part of the Chief Minister’s inauguration bonanza, he travelled a long way from Sahastradhara helipad to reach Kedarnath by sporting a stylish hat on Wednesday. He seemed almost frozen in shock after he found his name missing from the CM-unveiled giant foundation stone. He took time to come to the grip of the reality as he found many names-all carrying glory-like those of the state urban development minister Pritam Singh Panwar, agriculture minister Harak Singh Rawat, Kedarnath MlA Shailarani Rawat, chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, NIM director Col Ajay Kothiyal and many others glorifying the stone. His shock was justified as Kedarnath comes under BKTC’s command. He might have asked himself why the names of a galaxy of worthies figured in the foundation plinth while his name was given a sad miss. However, the organizers have ready answers. Panwar is a cabinet minister in charge of Rudraprayag while Harak Singh Rawat and Shaila Rani Rawat are MlAs of Kedarnath and Rudraprayag respectively. Others whose names are embossed on the plinth deserve the honor too, they argue. But the reasoning, however, justified, might not have redeemed the injured ego of the name-wronged dignitary.
Sandwiched Secretary
A secretary, who is acclaimed as young and energetic, has found himself in the dock. Former chairman of a college had given bank guarantee of Rs two crore to a council by way of official norms. later, he sold the college and subsequently, the council concerned refunded the bank guarantee amount to the state government. Now, the amount is lying trapped in the state government account. Seeing the former chairman striving hard to get back the amount, a crafty CA, engaged in auditing few departments of the state government, chipped in. He asked him to shell out ten percent of the amount. He assured things would be cleared soon as he was having good rapport with the secretary whose signature is required to release the money. The matter coming to the notice of the secretary, he sounded stunned. His point is that he could not be held responsible for what the unscrupulous CA had done. However, things are tricky for him, as the CM has been informed of the ‘deal’. CM being squeamish over the Babus getting entangled in a controversy is likely to ease the secretary out, say those who are privy to CM office.