Gujarat confidential

Fever hitch

Additional Director General of Police P P Pandey is leaving no stone unturned to avoid arrest in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. As he has got relief from arrest till August 6,he is appearing before a CBI magisterial court everyday on a wheelchair straight from the hospital where he has been admitted to. He has been accompanied by several of his family members,including his son Vivek,well-wishers and supporters. Recently,during one such appearance before the court,Pandey’s son said that for him his father’s legal battle was not as much a cause of concern as the latter’s ailment. “We will fight it out in the court. I believe that the Indian judicial system gives enough space for one to get justice. And we are confident of getting the same,” Vivek said. “The cause of worry for me is my father’s fever. For the past three days,it is not going. We are unable to find the reason and that’s quite worrisome,” he added.

Attrition alert

The state government has come up with a unique explanation for certain negative points made in the media reports based on National Commission for Protection of Child Rights officials’ visit to the state in July. It has clarified that the staff was not inadequate in district child protection committees as reported,but in district child protection units. It goes on to say that only around 24 per cent staff shortage existed in these units. The staff shortage,the government says,is due to the mobility of contractual staff who move elsewhere for career prospects,an indirect admission of the government’s failure to retain employees by offering permanent posting.

Model disappointment

The model roads in Ahmedabad have proved to be a model disappointment during monsoon. This is contrary to people’s expectation. There may be beautiful model road on the surface,complete with fortified railings and hawker-free footpaths,but the (under)ground reality tells a different tale of poor workmanship which can be a result of corrupt practices of officials and contractors. Cave-ins on these model roads,even on the BRTS route,stand testimony to what could have transpired among the “people concerned” during the execution of the road and the drainage projects.

Wage war

It’s been a month since Sai InfoSystem’s CMD Sunil Kakkad went absconding. A section of his 1,400 employees have been furtively finding ways to get back their salaries that have been pending for nine months. An anonymous blog started by some of the disgruntled employees recently put up a post asking employees to gather at a venue on Saturday to march to the Sachivalay at Gandhinagar with placards on the injustice meted out to them. But rains played spoilsport as the motley group that had gathered began to fizzle out. With not even an FIR against their missing boss in place,it looks like the employees have a tough fight ahead.