Anti-climax

Food Minister K V Thomas was so sure that the Cabinet would approve an ordinance to implement the proposed food security programme

Food Minister K V Thomas was so sure that the Cabinet would approve an ordinance to implement the proposed food security programme that he canceled a scheduled visit to his home state Kerala on Wednesday. Thomas was to accompany Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on a visit to a remote tribal hamlet in Palakkad district where a spate of malnutrition-induced infant deaths has recently been reported. The ministers optimism was not misplaced. He had last week been sounded out about the governments intention to take the Ordinance route and was asked to keep a Cabinet note ready for the purpose. Thomas,who as Minister of State with independent charge is not required to attend Cabinet meetings till an issue concerning his ministry is to be discussed,was invited for Tuesdays meeting. He attended the meeting only to realise that the Cabinet was not yet ready to take a call on the Ordinance proposal.

KEEPING DISTANCE

WITH his children having strong corporate links,Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna never tires of explaining how he has kept a distance from companies employing them. For instance,he claims that since his son Saket,a lawyer,has been working for Indiabulls for about 12 years,his government has not dealt with the company. His second son,also a lawyer,is employed with ONGC. His daughter,a British citizen,works with Vodafone while his son-in-law is associated with McKinsey.

POWER CRISIS

SOME of the biggest names in the establishment had a first-hand experience of how powerless the Capital really is now. At the inauguration of the new Maharashtra Sadan,electricity went off twice first when Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was making his speech and second time when President Pranab Mukherjee was about to begin his address. Mukherjee had to wait for about four minutes for power to be restored to begin his address.

ALTERNATIVE DIPLOMACY

VED Pratap Vaidik,who is a close aide and advisor of Ramdev,is missing from action in Delhi. Vaidik,who heads an outfit called Council for Indian Foreign Policy,is in Lahore to meet Pakistans Prime Minister-designate Nawaz Sharif. Vaidik describes himself as an old friend of Sharif,and claims to have had heart-to-heart discussions with him. Apart from sharing old memories,they apparently also discussed the latest political situation in both countries,wherein the Pakistan PM-elect apparently assured Vaidik of very constructive and positive attitude towards India. South Block insiders must be taking note.

RIGHT CHORD

HOME Secretary-designate Anil Goswami on Tuesday visited the CRPF headquarters in Delhi as part of his efforts to familiarise himself with his job requirements. The CRPF officials are learnt to have been impressed with his keenness to know the functioning of the organisation,and were charmed by the polite conversations he struck with them,addressing even the junior officers with an affectionate janaab. Some officers could not help but compare Goswami with his boss,Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde who has never visited the force headquarters in the nearly one year that he has been in his job. Unlike Shinde,his predecessor P Chidambaram was seen quite often at the CRPF headquarters.