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This is an archive article published on May 17, 2010

Himachal Confidential

Congress leader from Kangra district Kewal Singh Pathania,formerly known as ‘helicopter Pathania’ for his frequent air trips with former chief minister and Union minister Virbhadra Singh...

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‘Steel Pathania’
Congress leader from Kangra district Kewal Singh Pathania,formerly known as ‘helicopter Pathania’ for his frequent air trips with former chief minister and Union minister Virbhadra Singh,has now got a new name — ‘Steel Pathania’. The reason,again,is his proximity to the minister. Pathania has been nominated to one of the committees of the steel ministry. The ‘jumbo-size’ ID card given to him from the ministry attracts attention of many as it never fits his shirt pocket.

Change of name
“What’s in a name?” So had said William Shakespeare. But not many agree with the great writer and among them,it seems,is BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Shimla Bimla Kashyap. She has recently declared it formally to have changed her name to Bimla Sood. When one of the senior leaders asked her the reason,she reportedly told them that people in Delhi confused her to be a family member of Lok Sabha MP from Shimla Virender Kashyap. Kashyap’s name had hit the headlines in recent CD expose,in which he was shown to be allegedly accepting money to get a work done.

Missing warmth
For the last many years,the IAS officers’ Association in Himachal Pradesh has maintained a healthy tradition of organising family get-togethers. A strong family bond among bureaucrats used to be the biggest strength behind such gatherings,which now seem to have become more of a ritual with the old tradition of warmth and rejoice missing. A few blame it on the weakening “family bonds”,while others cite “political and ideological” divisions as the reason. Last week’s get-together and dinner party was not something to write home about. Many bureaucrats consciously decided to skip the event on different pretexts.

Surprise,surprise!
Himachal tourism department’s performance in the Arabian Tourism Festival was noticed by the international media,but the officers representing the state at the festival got to know about it only during their flight back to India. One of the officers saw a Sikh gentleman reading an article about Himachal tourism in Khaleej Times. The officer was in for another surprise when he asked for the paper. The Sikh gentleman turned out to be former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

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