Personal Policies

Minister of State for Finance A V Adsul wanted his loyal political worker Anwar Ibrahim Qasi to be appointed as his assistant personal secre...

Minister of State for Finance A V Adsul wanted his loyal political worker Anwar Ibrahim Qasi to be appointed as his assistant personal secretary. But the Shiv Sena minister was thwarted by the Department of Personnel which turned down his candidate on the grounds that at 60 he was past retirement age. Besides he does not have a typing speed of 100 words a minute, which is the requirement for the job.

MoS Civil Aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy was more persistent. He brushed aside the department8217;s objection to his appointing IAS officer Pratyaya Amrit as his private secretary on the ground that two complaints were received against Amrit from the Bihar government. Rudy personally wrote a page-long explanation vouching for Amrit8217;s efficiency and integrity and dismissing the allegations as 8216;8216;frivolous and non-specific.8217;8217; The bureaucratic procedure calls for first setting up an inquiry to establish the man8217;s innocence and not for the minister to declare it unilaterally!

Kiss of death

George Fernandes8217;s move for incorporating several NDA allies into one party is protective cover at the behest of the BJP. The ruling party is conscious that the NDA members have a legitimate grievance. While the BJP8217;s clout has increased over the last four years the influence of its allies has steadily declined.

Mamata Banerjee is still waiting for a ministerial portfolio and consequently refuses to accept a minister8217;s salary. Meanwhile, the Trinamool8217;s popularity has plummeted over the last four years and party leaders openly defy 8216;8216;didi.8217;8217; The DMK and other southern partners are even worse off. Not only has the DMK been humiliated at the polls but Jayalalithaa has been slapping criminal and POTA cases against its leaders with impunity. Biju Patnaik8217;s BJD parliamentary party split. The Janata Dal was further emasculated with the departure of Ram Vilas Paswan. The Samata Party divided into three groups.

Probably the one ally who prospered thanks to the alliance is the Shiv Sena, which has been able to dictate terms to the ruling party and not vice versa.

Chip of old Bloc

The joke in Chhattisgarh is that the state is run by one-and-a-half persons. The half is a reference to Chief Minister Ajit Jogi8217;s son Amit, who not-so- so-covertly orders the administration around. Ever since the news broke that Amit was guilty of violating the law by sitting for the IAS exam without declaring that he is in fact an American citizen, he has been keeping a low profile. Amit, who failed the IAS exam, stays mainly in Delhi where he is a post-graduate student. But his troubles are not over. The CBI is planning to file a case against him for false declaration of both his citizenship and tribal status.

Incidentally, Sonia Gandhi was alerted by Prime Minister Vajpayee before the first CBI case was registered against his father, Ajit Jogi. But though the Congress would have liked to replace Jogi, the CM made it clear that he would not go without a fight.

Two more for 100

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For a month after he assumed office Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had a Cabinet of only six ministers. But then the ministerial strength shot up to the unprecedented figure of 98. The modest number initially was not because of constitutional proprieties as claimed, but because of the dilemma in deciding who would get the coveted public works department portfolio. Ajit Singh of the RLD wanted it for his close lieutenant, Anuradha Chaudhary, and Kalyan Singh wanted it for his protege Kusum Rai. The latter won. Though Kalayan has fewer MLAs, Mulayam figures he is more important as a long-time poll ally. Chaudhary had to settle for the second-best portfolio available, irrigation.

The speculation in UP is that Mulayam has appointed 98 ministers rather than a round figure of a 100 because he is waiting for the release of the jailed stalwarts, Raja Bhaiyya and Amar Mani Tripathi!

Self-goal

Finance Minister Jaswant Singh remarked in an interview that his ministry lacks experienced officers. Even the Finance Secretary D C Gupta is soon to move out. Curiously the blame for this lacuna rests squarely with the minister himself who has given his nod for the appointment of new secretaries who do not possess the necessary financial expertise. The buzz in North Block is that Rajasthani roots and thakur blood is a bigger qualification than relevant work experience.

Budget preparations begin around this time of the year with the economic affairs secretary meeting financial advisers from various ministries. But for the last four months the key position of EA secretary has been vacant. Small wonder that the old trouper Economic Adviser Vijay Kelkar is calling most of the shots.

Untying the knot

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The Congress-SP tie-up is slowly unwinding. The partnership will be put to the test when Mulayam appoints nominees to the 36 council seats for the UP assembly. The Congress, which has not accepted any ministerial berths, is demanding eight to 10 seats, but it is unlikely that Mulayam will oblige. Another bone of contention is Mulayam8217;s plan to lease the two dozen state sugar mills to private parties.