Poll-time gimmick

CPM leader and president of All India Democratic Women’s Association,Subhashini Ali,while slamming the Haryana Police for blocking her way,said that the policemen were the fattest she had ever seen. “These policemen support the death of unborn daughters,murderers of lovers and killers of Dalits,” she added. The officers,though responded angrily to the barbs,could not do anything about it.

Strange argument

“Who would believe that an amount of only Rs 15 lakh was to be paid to a Cabinet minister? Yeh bohat chota amount hai (It is too less an amount),” said a defence lawyer during arguments,bringing smiles on the face of CBI officers and all those present in the court room. The contention was raised by a defence lawyer opposing the police remand demanded by CBI for questioning Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary Raj Khurana,who has been arrested on corruption charges.

Cruelty indeed

The Mayor,who these days can be heard making attempts to address the grievances of the residents over the air waves,offers some peculiar solutions to some issues. Recently,on being questioned about the menace of stray dogs in the city — while putting the blame on animal activist Menaka Gandhi — he said that she interferes in all such issues including “Animals for Cruelty Act”. The Act in question was the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

‘VIP crazy’ V-C

Panjab University Vice-Chancellor Professor R C Sobti,already popular for his knack of pleasing “eminent” personalities with an ease,has done it again. This time,it is honouring Khushwant Singh as PU conferred the DLitt degree,honoris causa on him,at a special convocation held on May 6 at his Sujjan Park residence in New Delhi. Not only did he travel to Delhi but also took his “comrade” of Senators,Syndics and several other senior PU officials. Earlier,it was announced that Khushwant Singh was to be honoured at the PU convocation on February 14,but he could not travel to Chandigarh on account of ill health. One question for the V-C — What is the fault of more than 200 university toppers,who continue to wait for their gold medals,also to be awarded at the convocation function? The medals are nowhere in sight,as yet.

Strange objection

Strange are the ways of the functioning of public sector offices. While some scams worth crores may go unnoticed,at times,it makes an institution answerable for even a single penny. Take for instance PGI’s latest audit report. It had raised audit objections on salary given for an entire year to a langoorwallah,who the PGI authorities hired to shoo away monkeys. The authorities had hired the services of the languor owned by a langoorwallah and in turn,paid him Rs 14,000 per month during the last fiscal. The report also points out that the problem of monkeys was not a persistent one and anyways,the UT Administration’s forest department was taking measures to tackle the menace. They too have hired the services of langoorwallahs,stated the report. Then where was the need for PGI to spend nearly Rs 1,40,000 on his salary throughout the year,asks the report.