Brought to earth

Relations between former President APJ Abdul Kalam and the Government recently hit a turbulence. This happened after the Government turned down the request of Kalam8217;s staff for a special plane for the former inhabitant of Rashtrapati Bhavan, who needs to travel frequently within the country. The matter, it is believed, even reached the PMO and top officials had to intervene to explain the rules to Kalam8217;s staff. Meanwhile, eyebrows are being raised at the some top South Block officials using the VIP Embraer jets to visit religious places, often under the guise of official trips.