Delhi Underground

We are like this only

In the aftermath of the air ambulance crash in Faridabad last week that killed 10 persons,the locals expressed their anger against the late rescue operations and the poor state of management of the authorities,including the police personnel. When asked about the delay,a senior police officer present at the crash site casually remarked,“Itna time to lag hi jaata hai. Though the crash took place at 10.45 pm,our control room received a call at 11. Baaki to 15-20 minutes lag hi jaate hain pahunchne mein.” Locals,however,said the police reached a good 45 minutes after the incident.

Getting facts wrong

A minister in the Haryana government had recently gone to pay his respects to the victims of the air ambulance crash in Faridabad. At the cremation ground,when asked if the government will provide compensation to the victims,the minister said Rs 6,000,as well as benefits from certain central government schemes,will be given to the kin of each victim. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda later announced a compensation amount of Rs 2 lakh for the victims. So much for knowledgeable ministers.

‘Private’ collection

As they step in,visitors to the Sahitya Academy Library in the city face a curious situation. The first book shelf placed right at the entrance is locked,and is from the ‘collection’ of a person whose name is written in bold letters on the shelf. The next shelf is also locked. As they move on,over two dozen shelves they get to see next are all locked and part of the ‘collection’. The iron shelves have been there for over a year,and no staff of the library knows if the locks are a permanent feature on the shelves,or why these shelves occupy crucial space in the premises if visitors are not going to be allowed to borrow these books,ever.

Last man standing

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee’s fall from grace is pitiable. While once upon a time not so long ago,the OC was dealing with projects worth several crores,now people are queuing up to demand pending payments amounting to a few thousands. Last week,a former IAS officer from Sikkim came to Jarnail Singh to demand the Rs 60,000 allowance that was due to him for the three executive board meetings he had attended. Initially he tried the “civil services” card to plead with Singh. When that didn’t work,he insinuated that he will sue OC,like the others. Singh,who is by now used to the hysterics,stoically mouthed the oft-repeated line,“I will look into the matter.”

Lost on the crowd

Additional Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Ajay Chaudhary has a poetic side to him. Recently,during a skit organised to highlight the problems of domestic violence in Jaitpur area near Sarita Vihar,the officer also presented sher for the gathering. Presented in pure Urdu,it was uncertain whether his officers or the locals gathered there understood even a word of it. His juniors,however,gave him an enthusiastic round of applause,maybe an effort to appease their boss.

For the worse

On his first visit to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital since he took over three weeks ago,Health Secretary Anshu Prakash was reportedly “overwhelmed” by the crowds at the hospital. Sources who accompanied the official on his visit to three main hospitals in Northeast Delhi,informed that Prakash said he last visited the hospital about two decades ago,on a previous posting,and the number of patients appeared to have multiplied by hundreds since then. He was also “shocked” at the state of the PWD’s repair work,and said the building had seemed so much “stronger” when he last visited .

In times of RTI

The admission season has begun,and powerful people who have not-so-brilliant children have become a fixture in Delhi University. A prominent politician was seen entering the Vice Regal Lodge of the University — which holds a number of important offices — just before the Vice-Chancellor’s press conference on admissions last Wednesday. A top officer of a private bank did his best to convince the principal of a North Campus College to admit his son. “Nothing can be done. We live in times of the RTI,” was the reply of the principal.