Calmer clime

WHILE several Andhra ministers hailing from Coastal Andhra and Rayalseema regions built up suspense all through Friday over their offer to resign from the Council of Ministers in the wake of the Congress party’s decision to create Telangana state,giving the story away was their focus in carrying out official responsibility and even preparing for days ahead. HRD Minister Pallam Raju,for instance,took a review meeting with officials on Parliament questions and related matters,which are likely to come up on the first day of the Monsoon Session Monday. His close associates maintained that the minister had offered to quit and was prevailed upon by AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh who dissuaded them from doing so. Incidentally,none of the Union ministers who chose not to deny speculation about their offer to resign had given anything in writing either to the PM or the Congress president.

STANDING UP

AS the IAS Association takes up the cudgel on behalf of suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal even approaching Union Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy,who is in charge of DoPT,for intervention,UP cadre officer Sanjay Bhoosreddy,Joint Secretary in the Animal Husbandry,Dairy and Fisheries department of the Government of India,is emerging as a face of bureaucratic resistance. In his capacity as the secretary of the IAS Association,Bhoosreddy has gone public defending Nagpal even while skirting queries about the role of politicians in the entire affair. The bureaucracy’s decision to finally stand up to political bosses is said to be driven by growing victimisation of IAS officers in UP where every regime change is marked by “shunting” of a section of bureaucrats. Post-1990,out of about 200 IAS officers suspended across the country,105 are from UP alone.

HEADED FOR NHRC

WITH one post of Member in the NHRC falling vacant following the completion of the term of Justice B C Patel,the government has started searching for a retired Chief Justice of a High Court to fill the spot. The front-runner is said to be former Delhi HC Chief Justice Darmar Murugesan,who retired last June. Unlike the protests and notes of dissent from the Opposition when the process of selection of two members was initiated,this time around,the government hopes for a smoother run. As a judge,Justice Murugesan maintained a low profile with a pro-poor image.