Cops’ woes, Champion’s gain
With tension smouldering in communally sensitive landhaura, one thing has come to light. The political boss of the state was present in Haridwar district when things flared up over the alleged desecration of a holy book of a particular community. The government machinery plunged headlong into suppressing the thing. But it leaked out all the same. An irate mob attempted to storm into the residence of the ex-MlA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion and torched several vehicles. Sources say that police busy in giving security to the visiting leader failed to chalk out a proper plan to douse the fire. They just gave a knee-jerk reaction and did what later turned out to boost Champion who recently switched to BJP from Congress. They confined him in a Government building as part of precautionary measures and deployed 10 companies of PAC and IRB in Haridwar. The clumsy reaction of the cops helped things polarize on the communal lines aside from making the Gurjar leader the real ‘champion’ of the cause of his extremely pride-sensitive community. Now a large number of police personnel remaining deployed a week after the incident happened is considered to be another bungling on the part of cops. It indicates that the communal tension is still palpable. The more such an impression is made to benefit the Gurjar leader would reap to turn into the supreme ‘champion’ of his community to the electoral woe of the ruling party.
Nightmare of transfer
The babus are under tremendous stress. It is since the re-installation of the Harish Rawat Government through the May 10 floor test. The politicians both from the Congress and the PDF who helped Harish Rawat sail through the crisis have been demanding their pounds of flesh. This is in the form of the transfers of the babus they detest and their replacement with the pliable. Things are understandable as the crucial Assembly election is drawing near. As part of the transfer spree, Udham Singh Nagar DM Akshat Gupta was transferred at the behest of a politician. Unfortunately, he died of cardiac arrest before he assumed his new charge. It is said he died having failed to absorb the mental shock he received in the form of the transfer. Other babus are also facing the nightmarish prospect of being shunted. Take for instance an MlA who had voted for the Harish Rawat Government during the floor test. He overtly challenged a Secretary to have a retired teacher re-employed. When the secretary refused the leader warned to take things to the CM residence through a sit-in if the secretary did not bend enough to comply. The babus are in real quandary. They can hardly displease the ruling party MlAs
with the spectre of transfer hanging over their scared heads. They at the same time can hardly annoy the Opposition lest they come to power to harass them with such summary transfers. A manipulative babu has hit on a novel plan to keep the people’s representatives, demanding transfers and similar favours, at bay. He has had a notice pasted outside his office that says that those coming for transfers and the like had better keep off.
Officer’s exit, workers’ worry
The arm-twisting by the politicians who have stood by Harish Rawat through the days of his trials and tribulations seems to be going to fantastic heights following the Government’s reinstatement. Reminding the CM that he is still vulnerable, they are exerting pressure on him to have their whims fulfilled. For instance, two ministers, one from the Congress and the other representing PDF, forced the state government to change
senior administrative and police officials. There the matter did not end. One of them made the State Government to appoint him as the MD of a particular nigam. The fact was that the Minister was already the boss of the nigam in the political sense prior to his appointment as the MD. Previous to the appointment, an IAS officer was serving the nigam in that post. The officer is known for his unimpeachable dedication and efficiency. The memory of his initiatives to provide all present during the November session of the Assembly at Gairsain with tasty food is still vivid. He even got into the kitchen to supervise things there. Such an officer’s exit from the helm of the nigam has left the workers worried. This is natural.
They used to receive salaries at the right time for the past several months with the officer taking extra care on the count. Now, the minister occupying the post, they are wondering over whether their salaries would be released on time or they would return to the old grooves of uncertainty. However, the question why the minister had wrested the post from the IAS is interesting. Is it because the nigam has turned a milk cowIJ It set the tongues wagging.