Himachal Confidential

Operation job hunt

Forget retired or retiring bureaucrats lobbying for post retirement jobs in the government,it now seems that even top Army officers want a share of the pie. After Major General (retd) C M Sharma was chosen by the BJP government to head the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission some years back,another high profile soldier is on a post-retirement job hunt. The gentleman is often seen at evening parties socialising with the who’s who of the town and frequently meets top government officials — considered close to the powers — to convey his desire to serve the state. Recently,a babu,called over by the Army man for a cup of tea at his office,was at pains in explaining to the officer that he actually didn’t have any say in getting him a job.

Dhumal’s ‘love’ for golf

If Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s response to golf bodies is an indication,he seems to love the game. So far,Dhumal has never declined any request from golfers,sponsors and golf bodies to preside over prize distribution functions after annual golf events. He,however,despises the game being played at Shimla’s Annadale ground. And it seems to be a family view. His son,Anurag Thakur,BJP MP and the president of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA),had led a mass signature campaign to pressurise the Army and Ministry of Defence to hand over the ground to the government. Thakur says that the HPCA will invest around Rs 100 crore and develop the ground into a world class sports stadium. “ What strategic importance does this ground really have. It’s only a few of our own officers playing their daily game there . Isn’t it a ridiculous argument ? “,Dhumal asked a media troupe while rejecting the Army’s opposition to the transfer. Well,it seems an indirect signal to the other golf-boys — IPS,IAS and others to check their boots.

Winners and losers

Why did the Congress choose to abstain from the debate on the Lokayukta Bill ? There is an interesting story doing the rounds on why the Congress bunked proceedings in the House while the debate was on. CLP strategists say the party wanted the Bill to be passed rather than being sent to the Select Committee of the House — an offer the chief minister had made a day earlier. “ Had the Congress been present in the House,Dhumal would have been happy to send the bill to the House panel and get it passed smoothly later. But,we made him pass the bill as Team Anna is already doing our job (as Opposition) by describing the Bill as being toothless and weak. Let Team Anna do what it did against the Congress in Haryana ,UP and elsewhere during the polls,” says G S Bali,a Congress MLA.