Boozing Babu
Love for liquor of an officer heading an important government department dealing in one of the basic services has become subject of juicy talks among his staff. The grapevine has it that in one meeting held in a swanky hotel in Mussoorie, the Sahab was so high in spirits that instead of attending the meeting he went on his boozing binge in his room. He reportedly embarrassed other officers of the department by venturing out of the room in an inebriated state in his undergarments. Taking advantage of his affection for the alcohol, some of his smart subordinates have wisely become his drinking buddies and in the process are getting their works done. On the days when these buddies are not around, the benevolent Sahab who lives alone in his government accommodation invites his driver to give him company. Ironically the boozing and tobacco chewing officer heads the department which also raises awareness on the ill effects of substance abuse.
New Boss?
Visit of a very senior IAS officer of Uttarakhand cadre at present holding important assignment in centre, to the state has set rumour mills running in the bureaucracy. It is being said that the highly efficient officer who is close to the central leadership of BJP could well be sent to lead the bureaucracy of the Himalayan state when the incumbent decides to move to centre. Previously the names of Additional Chief Secretary ( ACS) Om Prakash and Radha Raturi were making rounds for the coveted post of state bureaucracy with the later being cited as obvious choice. Her induction into the CM’s secretariat was viewed as part of the exercise to elevate her to the helm as another ACS Om Prakash’s name got embroiled in sting CD case. With crucial Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the union government would naturally be keen to appoint someone who can efficiently lead babus to ensure that the central schemes are implemented on ground and the senior officer presently in New Delhi fits the bill.
Pitiable party
On umpteen number of times many leaders of Congress in Uttarakhand have admitted both in private and public that the coffers of the party are empty since the party is on wrong side of power both at centre and the state. An example of this sorry state of the party which till recently was synonymous with wealth was witnessed recently when the counting of votes for assembly elections of five states was in progress. At the time when almost everyone with even an iota of political awareness was glued to TV sets watching live election trends, the TV sets installed at Rajiv Bhawan, the state head office of Congress party played truant. Someone explained that the cable operator who was not paid dues of many months cut the line to deprive Congressmen of the latest trends. In such a scenario, senior Congress leaders were seen asking journalists for election updates before expressing their views on elections.