Delhi Underground

Unforeseen opportunity
Being locked out of their office by protesting members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad may have left some Delhi University officials miffed. But for others, it presented the perfect opportunity to take the afternoon off and enjoy the winter sun or finish pending errands. While some decided to go home and rest, others could be seen sitting in the university lawns basking in the sun. “There is nothing we can do about it, so why not  just sit back and enjoy the break? It is a great day to be outside,” a senior official was heard telling a colleague.

Siesta at work
The Aam Aadmi Party’s new address for holding press conferences has turned out to be a huge hit among journalists. Since the house, allotted to Member of Parliament Dharamvir Gandhi, is located in the quiet lanes of North Avenue, it has become the afternoon resting place for mediapersons. While the AAP largely calls for press conferences in the afternoon, many journalists are seen lazing around on the lawns from the morning itself, ostensibly on the hunt for titbits of information. Sometimes even when no leader is in the flat.

Old is not gold
Officials of Delhi Transport department are trying to rack their brains on how they can implement the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order which directs that vehicles older than 15 years be taken off Delhi’s roads. A day after the tribunal passed the order last Wednesday, Transport officials were still wondering whether they should deliberate over legally challenging the order or implement it. “We have just downloaded the order from the NGT website and are trying to understand it,” an official said, adding that they were clueless as to how to apply the NGT order to vintage cars.

Faux pas
Earlier this week, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung were invited to flag off the Delhi-Kathmandu bus service at Ambedkar Nagar Bus terminal. While organisers requested all officials concerned, including Gadkari to make a speech, they forgot to ask Jung. To add to the embarrassment, Gadkari signalled the organisers to hand the mic over to Jung, which the latter accepted and politely said “OK” to the faux pas. Jung then spoke for less than a minute beginning his speech with “Gadkari ji ke bolne ke baad kisi aur ko bolne ki zaroorat nai padhti (There is no need for anyone to speak once Gadkari has spoken)”.

A shot at popularity
Getting photographed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become a style statement for those in the national capital. Leaders in the city who managed to get shot with Modi quickly updated their profile photos on social media websites. From Delhi unit chief to the district president, leaders can be seen shaking hands or presenting bouquets to the prime minister in their profile pictures.

In disguise
During a heated question-answer session at a conference held to announce Delhi Health department’s achievements, it emerged that a patient had made his way inside. He interrupted the conference with questions and comments about doctors and other staff at a Delhi government hospital where he was being treated for diabetes. The dialogue with officials continued for good 10 minutes during which the patient began to identify hospital staff. Only then did officials sitting at the rear of the room realised he was not a journalist and stopped him.

PUC problems
A week before the Environment department was set to issue notices making it mandatory for all vehicles to present a PUC certificate for refuelling, a senior official said, “I don’t think we’ll make this deadline, or the next. The Traffic department has voiced concerns as have petrol dealers. The problem is that the Transport department is trying to rope in others to do their work. But no one has the man power to implement this.”

Value in all things
During the raid at the house of Yadav Singh, a former chief engineer with Noida Authority, an income tax officer came across a cage of pigeons. Confused, the officer said, “You think we should set them free?” A senior officer promptly told him to take notes and not release the birds, “They might be valuable,” he said.