Corridor Clatter
Chief Minister Harish Rawat who has earned the sobriquet of a mass leader courtesy his frequently and pompously launched mass contact programmes and his inherent penchant to mix with the people across the spectrum now seems to be creating his own exclusive space. He has instructed his liftman to reduce the weight -carrying capacity of the lift which leads to the Chief Minister Office (CMO). Earlier, the lift was carrying 670 kg at a time, but now, in line with the CM’s dictum, it can carry only 400 kg that is four to five persons at the most can go at one time. It implies, the CM would love to see the lift carrying the lift man, his personal security officer and two OSD accompanying him.
Not so subtle
The refrain is that the MlA from Pithoragarh has been raising such demands before the Harish Rawat Government, which, if implemented by any chance, would further shrink space for the people who love to walk for fresh oxygen. MlA Mayukh Mahar, who was once known a prominent member of the Rawat’s charmed circle — he was supposed to keep on spinning shenanigans against former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Rawat’s bête noir in the State politics — had sanctioned a base hospital for Pithoragarh, which would be an exclusively referral hospital. Although the State Government has already laid foundation stone for it at Chandak and spent over Rs1.5 crore the MlA now in the sulking mode insists the hospital be built on a green patch that is known to nurture a more than 100 years old pine tree. Now the question is — if Pithoragarh CHC and women hospital are mere 1.5 kilometre away from the green patch why he is pressuring for the base hospital to come up right on the green patchIJ Is it a part of the wily politician’s stratagem to hog limelight at the expense of his former mentorIJ Maybe, he is bent on grabbing the Congress high command’s attention so as to ensure his name figures in the Cabinet after it is reshuffled.
Hanging Fire
Govind Ballabh Pant Agriculture University, Pantnagar, which had played a monumental role in bringing about the much-touted Green Revolution in the country, seems to be dying. It keeps functioning for several years sans a Vice-Chancellor. Recently, the State Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat has decided to absorb around 2,000 employees, who were working in the university on being outsourced from other agencies, in Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl). The decision if implemented would force the cash-strapped university to cough up an additional amount of around Rs1.5 crore because the UPNl employees are entitled to a string of benefits like Ground Insurance and GPF. Now, the question is- why the Minister is more concerned over the employees than the post of the Vice-Chancellor lying vacant for years on endIJ Does he think the V-C’s role in taking things ahead is spent up in the days of political brinkmanshipIJ