Kolkata confidential

The purpose behind the installation of spy cameras inside Writers8217; was to enhance the security of the state government8217;s headquarters. But now makes the police top brass jittery.

Big brother is watching

The purpose behind the installation of spy cameras inside Writers8217; was to enhance the security of the state government8217;s headquarters. But now makes the police top brass jittery. Reason: now that their job has been taken over by cameras, the security personnel seem to have lowered their guards. Instructions have been issued to the cops that no slackness will be tolerated and vigilance will be maintained on them too 8212; probably through the very same cameras!

An axe to grind

The state government is attributing last week8217;s transfer of Ashok Banerjee, Assistant Commissioner, Writers8217; Buildings, to illness. But the grapevine has it that the transfer of the top cop was a sequel to the October 28 clashes between the CPM-affiliated Coordination Committee of State Government Employees and the other employees unions affiliated with the Opposition. Banerjee was apparently regarded as a complete failure, since he failed to do much about the clashes that have almost become a daily feature at the Writers8217; Building.

Is anybody listening?

In order to inculcate traffic safety awareness among its citizens, the Kolkata police have put up large digital boards with slogans on them. But last week, one of the boards developed a glitch. Result? The citizens received advice of a rather contradictory nature with the board boldly displaying, 8216;Obey no traffic rules8217;.

Foot in the mouth

The recent spate of malaria has often caught the Member, Mayor-in-Council, health, Subodh Dey, off his guard. Last week, during a gruelling media conference, when reporters claimed one Jhunuri Sahani had died of malaria, KMC officials present insisted that she had died from illness that stemmed from her addiction to alcohol. But they promptly had to backtrack when the reporters told them that Jhunuri was a sixty-year-old woman and a teetotaller. Throughout the verbal skirmish, Dey sat mum.

Sting in the tale

As the city reels under the impact of vector disease menace that has already claimed 18 lives, Chief Municipal Health Officer Deb Dwaipayan Chattopadhya has become a butt of jokes among the citizens. An SMS doing the rounds currently reads: 8220;To kill mosquitoes, use DDT. And to kill men, there is DDC the officer8217;s initials8221;.

8216;Fished8217; off

Former Pakistan human rights minister Hamid Ansar Burney8217;s desire to taste Bengali cuisine during his day-long visit to the city remained somewhat unfulfilled. After a rigorous schedule that involved meeting with various officials and Pakistani nationals looking for a way home, Burney and his son Fahad were famished. Late in the afternoon, they settled down to a lunch ordered from a prominent Bengali restaurant, only to find that the main dishes were all fish, something they8217;re not fond of at all. In fact, there were three types of fish, but Burney refused to try any and managed with rice, dal and vegetables. His son only picked at fish for the sake of politeness. Both, however, did tuck into the rosogullas with relish.