Elusive DG, Information
The recent bureaucratic re-jig has landed Information Department being looked into by the Chief Minister Harish Rawat himself in a piquant plight. Following the transfer of then DG Ravinath Raman as the Dehradun DM, there is no one at its helm for the past one week or so. The State Government appointed PWD secretary Arvind Singh Hyanki as the new DG. But things compounded after Hyanki refused. Mention worthy, Hyanki was the person who, during his stint as the DG, had laid the foundation stone of Information Department’s own building on Raipur Road. Things remaining stuck in a bind, the CMO is literally scrambling to find one to be foisted. For, the department, being instrumental in bringing the State Government’s policies and decisions to the reach of the people through advertisements or hoardings, holds importance in the governmental scheme of things. Boxed thus in an unenviable condition, the CMO is considering the names of three former DGs- Dilip Jawalkar, Akshat Gupta and Vinod Sharma. Probed, it was found that one of them was divested of the post after it was found that he was reporting things right to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi behind the back of the then CM Vijay Bahuguna. In case the CMO finally zeros in on him are we to suppose that he has sworn not to repeat his feat of endearing himself to the paramount leader of the State’s ruling party, leaving thus her chief lieutenant in the State in the dockIJ
Superannuation muddle
Inspired by the norm prevalent in Central Universities, the State Government increased the retirement age bar of the college faculty to 65 from 62 around one and half years back. Its stance was clear-there should be no discrimination between the faculty of CUs and State-run colleges on this count. However, in tune with the ministerial and bureaucratic laggardness, the nitty- gritty of things is yet to be fixed. With the State Higher Education Minister Indira Hridayesh dithering on how to present things, the faculty members who celebrated the Government’s with sweets are now keeping their fingers crossed. Things are mired in uncertainty with files in myriad departments gathering dust for the past many months. The more optimistic among the faculty are, however, convinced that madam’s indecisiveness would end well before the term of the present Assembly ends in 2017. They have logic behind them. The election would prove a touch and go for the ruling party, one of them reasoned.