GRAPEVINE

Why no bidders for coal gasification?

Govt’s much hyped Rs 40,000 crore-worth coal gasification project failed to attract any bidders. No private bidder from the steel and coal industry has submitted a bid, and the last date is September 7. The Government is consulting public sector company heads to save face and asking why none is interested. The grapevine is that most of the tender norms are not suitable for the current scenario in the coal gasification project.

GDP vs disgruntled former finance secretary

In the past few days, panic has been seen in the Government to find apt persons to challenge the data presented by former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. Many retired top Finance Ministry officials decided not to challenge the retired colleague questioning the GDP data. At last, serving officials were pressed into service to support the Govt’s claims on a GDP increase of 7.8 per cent.

Restless secretaries

The restlessness within the top bureaucracy seems to have resurfaced. A couple of months ago, major changes were effected as in one case the Minister was annoyed with the working style of his Secretary, while in another the Secretary had complained against his Minister. The tug of war led to even the repatriation of top IAS officers to their respective States. Now, the grapevine has it that two Secretaries at the Centre have conveyed to their reporting boss a request for a change in their departments/ministry as both of them expressed their inability to perform under their Ministers, which includes a woman. Amongst the two Ministers in question, one of them was taken to task in the review meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by the Prime Minister in May 2026.