Himachal Confedential

In safe zone

The bureaucratic reshuffle,ordered by the state government immediately after the Assembly session,was not without some surprises — especially,the posting of P C Dhiman as principal secretary (Home and Vigilance) and principal secretary (PWD) P C Kapoor moving over to irrigation and public health department. Yet,it has left a few IAS officers sulking despite being at one place for nearly three years. On the one hand,another group has got transfer orders three or four times after BJP’s return to power. “It is almost like a running TV shows — few kept in the safer zone and others always in the danger zone,” said a bureaucrat.

Election bug

Transport minister Mohinder Singh enjoys a distinctive political record of having contested and won all his five elections on different party symbols. He does not believe in seeking election on the same symbol twice. Last week,when Congress MLAs mocked BJP’s Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj for his growing worries about the town — keeping an eye on the next poll — Singh was prompt to intervene. “Who is not worried about the elections? Look at my fate. I have more worries than anyone else in the incumbent House,” he said.

Whom do you trust more

Irrigation and Public Health Engineering Minister Ravinder Ravi is the chief minister’s most trusted man in the government and his ranking has certainly improved in the last few months. Last year,he was given the charge of parliamentary affairs. He recently substituted for revenue and PWD minister Gulab Singh Thakur. Though the Delimitation Commission has scrapped Ravi’s Assembly constituency Thural,the minister says he is not worried,as it is up to his leader (Prem Kumar Dhumal) to define his role and find a political slot for him. But it is a well known fact that Ravi’s rise has created more enemies in the party camp than friends in his home turf of Kangra.