Babus ‘hanging fire’
TSR Government refraining from ordering a bureaucratic reshuffle even on completing one month in office has left the babus sluggish and edgy. With the sword of transfer hanging over their heads, they are now just clearing routine files, reluctant as they are of taking initiatives. One of the babus explained their peculiar plight by an apt analogy. He said that their condition now is like that of a tourist waiting for the train or flight to depart. The Government conspicuously sitting on the matter, the tortured waiting seems endless, the babu said. According to him, the Government should end the suspense by either announcing the reshuffle or declaring that it would not go for the reshuffle for the time being or saying that the transfers would be based on merit. Such clearing of stance would help them breathe easy and focus on their works. Things would prove difficult for them too if the Government chooses to keep the reshuffle in abeyance. This is because the babus already cleared their hands off the departments they were taking care of following the regime change, sure as they were of being shunted to new places. Now, the conceited babus are staring at a queer uncertainty with the Government seemingly enjoying their plight of hanging fire.
Watery austerity
The austerity drive launched by the Trivendra Singh Rawat Government is being reflected in the change of mode of slaking thirst. Previously, the guests thronging the Chief Minister’s office used to be served bottles of water. Now, they are being served water in glasses being brought for them by the staff members as asked for. For that purpose, water campers have been installed. Summer now being at its scorching worst, the guests need gallons of water, something that costs the State Government a lot of money. To curtail the cost drastically, the State Government has just changed the mode of serving water. The Government’s logic is clear. It costs a great deal to slake the thirst of the huge number of the Government employees. And add to it the cost of helping the guests quench their thirst with bottles and the amount is too much for the austerity-charged Government. It has been learnt that the money thus being saved is over one lakh per month. So far so good. But many opine that the high-profile babus working with the CM must be stopped from gulping water from bottles at the Government’s expense. Unless this comes about the guests would feel sighted and discriminated against, something that would reduce the image of the Government as babu-friendly.