Advani switches on to the fast lane

One reason is that the Home Ministry, an inherently political ministry, has at last got a boss who is an inherently political being. Most of his predecessors were lightweights, propped up by insecure primeministers, with loyal upstarts snapping at their heels. Not Advani, he has a clear Number Two slot in the Cabinet and is seen as the most powerful man in the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Taken together, this aura is formidable – and it works. He’s all over North Block, urging officials to speed up things. And things are speeded up. Files, till now gathering dust, are flying thick and fast. The babus have realised that there is office life beyond 5 p.m. and, at times, up to well past midnight.

Advani has his agenda chalked out: the priority areas are Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits and internal security. But of late, the elaborate exercise to carve out new states from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh is his obsession.

Perhaps for the first time, in recent times at least, claims an official close to Advani, the Minister set up a sub-committee (for the three new states of Uttaranchal, Vananchal and Chattisgarh) within seven days of the Cabinet decision on the matter.

Kashmir and internal security are,however, still at the top. Advani has already travelled to Rimkhni and Mana outposts facing the China border and the Wagha border with Pakistan. Next on the agenda are visits to the border areas in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) as well as the North-East.

For the last one month or so, the Kashmir Cell, under Special Secretary MB Kaushal has been working overtime. Interacting almost daily with Army, para-military and Intelligence Bureau officials, the cell has been instrumental in arranging five meetings for Advani and other Central Ministers with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah since May 18: two in Srinagar and three in New Delhi.

Similarly, Special Secretary Nikhil Kumar (in-charge of internal security), Additional Secretary RD Kapoor (working on the finer details of the yet-to-be-carved states) and the officials under them have been burning the midnight oil to keep pace with Advani’s deadlines.

These, in fact, are the three hot-spots in North Block as of now in Advani’s scheme ofthings.

Reorganisation of police forces across the country, in line with the recommendation of National Police Commission (NPC) is next on his agenda. Also on the anvil are zonal council meetings with State Chief Ministers to take up their problems. So far, no meeting has been held. As an official disclosed, "He will concentrate on these two issues at the end of the Parliament session."

Barging unannounced into any office is another little trick Advani has learnt to keep North Block officials on their toes. A fortnight ago, the junior staff in the administrative office dealing with purchase of stationery and other equipment were reminded, rather rudely, by Advani that the premises were terribly dirty.

Not many are complaining. Says a joint secretary: "He is a rare sort of Home Minister, one who exceeds the briefs given to him. Because he is not afflicted by typical linear-thinking and conditioned-response, he often improvises on plans and strategies that we place before him. It is tough to outmanouevrehim or talk him into accepting an obvious flaw."