Himachal Confidential

Homeward bound
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ashwani Kumar — the seniomost Himachal-cadre IPS officer — will retire next week,and is packing his bag to return to the state and stay in a sobre private house in the town. He leaves behind his legacy in the organisation in the form of a few bright young Himachal-cadre IPS officers. They were taken into CBI on deputation at Kumar’s instance. While some of them are handling investigations into the infamous Adarsh Housing Society scam,one officer was ADC to US President Barack Obama during his visit to India earlier this month.

Rap for DC
That Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is very serious about the ban on polythene in the state became apparent once again on Saturday when he reprimanded a deputy commissioner for his failure to enforce the ban. The DC fumbled for words as he was asked: “DC sahib,where are you busy these days? What’s happening to the campaign for collection of polythenes? The CM was addressing all 12 DCs at a meeting through video-conference. On Friday,while travelling through Shimla district,the chief minister had sent an SOS to the DC after spotting polythene bags dumped along hill slopes.

Missing Shanta
As the BJP government in Karnataka faced another crisis,party in-charge Shanta Kumar again remained absent from the scenes. When the government was in crisis last time,Shanta had preferred to stay put in Palampur — his home town. He is on a foreign trip this time. Many in his party say his absence has come as a blessing in disguise for the BJP. Known for his uprightness and taking moral stands,Shanta could have asked Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa to resign following allegations of allotment of plots to his relatives.