And Hooda does not like to criticise!

The last week brought bad news for the ruling alliance partner,BJP,in Punjab. Its MLA Raj Khurana was arrested in a bribery case and senior ministers Manoranjan Kalia and Chaudhary Swarna Ram summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning. The bad omen for the party started from April 30 when the false ceiling of the room,where senior state BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon was putting up at the Amritsar Circuit House,came crashing down around 1.30 am,when he was in deep sleep. A furious Tandon met Punjab Chief Secretary S C Aggarwal and demanded an inquiry. He told the CS that he could not find anyone outside at that time and spent the rest of the night on the sofa in the room. After the turn of events this week,Tandon is not complaining. Speaking of omens,there was also talk of jinx. First Akali MLA and chief parliamentary secretary Sohan Singh Thandal was convicted by a court,and two days later the CBI raided and later arrested CPS Khurana — both residents of houses on the same row in Chandigarh’s Sector 39. Who are the others in the row?

‘Work’ starts at home

If you think managing work and home are too much to ask for,Haryana’s Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary,Public Relations,K K Khandelwal has shown a greater feat — managing home from workplace. Khandelwal seems to be using his department for all “in-house” publicity needs. Within days of managing a media blitzkrieg for the release of a book of poetry authored by his wife Dheera Khandelwal,a senior IAS officer in the state,came a press note issued by the public relations department for his son Sidharth Khandelwal. It announced that Khandewal junior had become the editor-in-chief of his college magazine. Wait for update on others in the family.

Media ‘adviser’

After his ‘technology selection’ trip to China,Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal opted for ‘media selection’. When approached by a reporter with queries on the purpose of the trip,his team managers decided to finally hold a media interaction with a chosen few. The PR department was handed a list of the select few. By the evening,a press note had Sukhbir talking of a biomass power revolution through technology in China. On being contacted,the CM’s Media Adviser Harcharan Bains had a piece of advice for the reporter. “You won’t blame him (Sukhbir) for not getting back if you meet the personal assistant of Sukhbir. You contacted the wrong man,” he said. Sukhbir did not get back even after the ‘right’ man (Bains) was asked to arrange for a response.

Haryana’s creative babus

Punjab may be credited for producing great writers,poets and singers,but when it comes to creative bureaucracy,Haryana wins hands down. Many babus in top positions in the state are avid poets,writers,photographers or are those raring to unveil their creative side. Vijay Vardhan,Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary,Environment,recently authored a book,a collection of Haikus in English. Pradeep Kasni,a joint secretary in the home department who has already authored two books,is now working on his third collection of poems,this time on the khap panchayats. Among women officers,Dheera Khandelwal,Principal Secretary,Higher Education,released her book of poems last month. Also on the creative officers’ list is Election Commissioner Sumita Misra Singh,who too has released a collection of her poems. Now you know what babus do with that long list of government holidays.