Belated celebration

Rashtrapati Bhawan had an extended Diwali celebration this time.

Belated celebration

Rashtrapati Bhawan had an extended Diwali celebration this time. While President Pratibha Patil was busy receiving VIP visitors on the day of Diwali,she made it a point to throw a special Diwali reception for the employees of Rashtrapati Bhawan and their families a few days later. Almost 2,000 people turned up to greet the President and continue the Diwali celebrations. This was the first time that the President had hosted such an event for Rashtrapati Bhawan employees on any festival.

Unmanned Post

COASTAL security has been receiving a lot of attention in South Block these days with Defence Minister A K Antony holding regular meetings to take stock of the modernisation efforts. A major emphasis has been on strengthening the Coast Guard. Amidst all the activity,it is strange that the post of Director General of Coast Guard remains vacant. The Defence Ministry is yet to decide on the successor to Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra,who took over as the Eastern Navy Commander this month.

Defence Offensive

MINISTER of State for Defence Pallam Raju was in Lucknow on Tuesday to inaugurate a residential colony for soldiers living in the citys cantonment area. The minister also found time to meet officials and representatives at the cantonment area that has a large civilian population and a significant number of retired personnel. Lucknow Cant,incidentally,happens to be the Assembly constituency of UP Congress Committee chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi,and the uniformed personnel,retired and serving,form a considerable chunk of the voters.

Taking the Cake

PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh will become the first foreign dignitary to address the Maldivian parliament,the Majlis,during the upcoming SAARC summit. He is slated to make a speech on Saturday. What is interesting is that the Parliament building was financed by the Pakistan government and built by the Chinese. That has led South Block officials to gleefully remark that New Delhi was enjoying the cake that has been made with China-Pak collaboration.

Wrong Moves

CABINET Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth seems to have made his first wrong move in office. Some ministers are learnt to be upset with him for suggesting the formation of a Group of Ministers to decide on the findings of the Shunglu Committee on the Commonwealth Games. At its very first meeting,the GoM,under the chairmanship of Defence Minister A K Antony,realised that most of the issues before it were either under investigation or sub judice. It has held three meetings so far,without much result. In fact,at the third meeting,all it could decide was to extend its tenure,since the GoM cannot fold up prematurely without fulfiling its terms of reference.