Delhi Confidential: Awaiting EC Nod

The one nation, one election committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, had written to the Election Commission earlier this year, seeking time for a meeting to hear its views on simultaneous polls. The commission didn’t allocate time for the meeting and instead sent its response in writing. According to sources, this decision was made because the poll panel’s stance on the matter hasn’t changed over time, and hence its earlier responses to the Law Commission on the matter were reiterated in the reply to the Kovind committee. Now, the committee has once again written to the EC seeking time for a meeting.

Transfer Surprise

The transfer of Kerala-cadre IAS officer Manoj Joshi from Secretary, Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, to Secretary, Department of Land Resources in the Rural Development Ministry, on Monday left many wondering if more rejig may be in the pipeline ahead of the LS polls . The surprise transfer came just days after Joshi, at a press meet on February 29, announced the ministry’s first-ever Pey Jal Survekshan Awards, which were to be given out by the President on Tuesday. He had said that out of the 485 cities from where water samples were taken, only 46 had a 100% pass rate. Just two days later, the Ministry announced the awards would be rescheduled.