Agony uncle

Given charge of Delhi,Punjab and Haryana in the last organisational reshuffle,Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed

Given charge of Delhi,Punjab and Haryana in the last organisational reshuffle,Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed finds himself in the unenviable position of being an agony uncle. With the three state units being faction-ridden,his office at 24,Akbar Road is thronged by party heavyweights from these states complaining about their rivals. But Delhi Congress chief J P Agrawal has,of late,started singing paeans of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Ahmed,like a true Congressman,attributes this new-found bonhomie in the Delhi unit to Rahuljis initiatives. However,he has not had much success in Punjab and Haryana so far. Last seen,Choudhury Birendra Singh and Kumari Selja,both known detractors of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,were calling on him.

Cost Cutting

THE Information and Broadcasting Ministry is considering whether expenditure on public notices,which comprise 60 per cent of government advertising spend,can be reduced. One proposal is to upload all public notices on a designated website. It is now learnt that a committee headed by an additional secretary will initiate consultations with industry representatives and other stakeholders to determine the feasibility of such a move.

Waiting Game

AT a meeting of Indian Youth Congress office-bearers last week,as the wait for Rahul Gandhi was getting longer,an office-bearer stood up and said: My father always told me to meet Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi on my own,without seeking the help of others8230; He died before that could happen. My mother told me to meet Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi,but she too died while waiting for that day. Now,I tell my daughter to take the initiative to meet Rahul Gandhi,but I am worried that I too will die before seeing that day. His remarks were greeted with loud applause as everybody,including those on the dais,looked amused.

Rare Visit

THE Thackerays do not come to Delhi. That has been the usual practice. Bal Thackeray was content to call the shots from Matoshree. His nephew,Raj Thackeray,also chooses to stay away rather than risk a hostile reception in the Capital due to his partys campaign against migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. However,Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has taken a different line. Having already arrived in Delhi,he has a busy schedule ahead. A speech at the Annual General Meeting of the ASSOCHAM on Friday,a string of strategic meetings,including one with senior BJP leader L K Advani,and a press conference are on the agenda.