Scheming politicos, pliant scribes, gasping babu
Some politicians, craving for entry in the ministry or some other bodies, are now baring their fangs on a babu who has willy- nilly become a centre of power following the regime change. It is clear to the discerning that the crafty politicians are targeting the babu to send home the message of their yearning for more power to the right person whose bidding the babu does. A few media persons with axes to grind have stepped into the murky scenario with alacrity having turned ready pawns of the wily politicos. While they are dishing out stories, throwing discriminations to the winds, regarding the intra-party bickering the politicians on their part are mounting pressure on the embattled babu. This is a kind of a two-pronged strategy adopted in view of the two-day state trip of the BJP national president Amit Shah. Those privy to the machinations say that with the state government running on a mammoth majority, it is difficult to cut ice through the conventional means. Hence, the politicos, out to make maximum hay while the sun shines, are focusing on the babu to get their decks made clear, given the latter’s close proximity to the chief minister. They have also unleashed the scribes to have their rivals getting reflected in poor light with Shah’s crucial trip drawing near.
In a ‘freebie’ fix
A Minister has landed in a quandary after he announced distribution of freebies for some girls by one of the departments he is running. What has happened is that enthused by the minister’s freebie spree, countless number of aspirants, including the secretariat’s security personnel, have applied for the same, something that has deepened wrinkles on the brows of the officers who are to manage funds for the fulfilment of the large-hearted minister. To add to their worry, the minister is writing to the heads of other departments under his ministry to open their purse strings enough to meet the mounting freebie expenses. The question is -how other departments can spend money on the function being hosted by a particular department. One of the officials engaged in the fund raising exercise flatly said that the freebie campaign is bound to end up as a damp squib in view of the unavailability of the requisite funds and the imperative of auditing. But would the minister, seemingly adamant on the launching of the freebie campaign, back down in the face of the crumbling exchequerIJ