Extra burden

A number of serving Secretary-level officers are being given additional charges these days as the government awaits the final empanelment of 1978-batch IAS officers as Secretaries.

A number of serving Secretary-level officers are being given additional charges these days as the government awaits the final empanelment of 1978-batch IAS officers as Secretaries. The most recent one to get an additional charge happens to be Civil Aviation Secretary Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi,who has been given the charge of Secretary,Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs as well for a period of three months. Incidentally,the minister-in-charge for both these ministries is also the same Vayalar Ravi. It is not certain whether the additional charge to Zaidi was given to facilitate smooth coordination between the Minister and the Secretary.

Strained Alliance

The Congresss tie-up with Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal party for the upcoming UP elections is still facing some roadblocks. A section of the Congress leaders from the state are learnt to have been raising queries about the fact that Ajit Singh has been strongly supporting Team Annas agitation. Their other concern seems to be that Congress opponents might come up with Ajit Singhs photographs and posters with BJP leader Narendra Modi. The RLD had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP,and Ajit Singh and Modi have been present together at some events.

Quote Unquote

There is enough in this world for everyones need but not for everyones greed,is a quote that is invoked very often these days. So when a UNDP official quoted it again at a function to release the Human Development Report,there was hardly any surprise. Except for the fact that Jairam Ramesh,who spoke later,came up with an important revelation. Ramesh claimed that the quote did not belong to Mahatma Gandhi as is normally attributed to him. He said he had checked with Gandhis grandson Gopal Gandhi who had confirmed that the Mahatma had never said this,but it fitted so well with his philosophy that it has got associated with him. Sensing that he had embarrassed his hosts,Ramesh then claimed that another line attributed to Gandhi Be the change you want to see was also never said by the Mahatma.

Wrong Medicine

The Enforcement Directorate has nixed the plan of businessman Manoj Punamiya to get parole for six weeks on grounds that he needed medical treatment in Mumbai. ED officials probing the money laundering case against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and Punamiya found something suspicious in Punamiyas request and moved him to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences instead. The report given by the head of department said that the operation required to be conducted on Punamiya can be performed at AIIMS itself. Punamiya had complained of spinal injuries and wanted to undergo treatment for six weeks at a Mumbai hospital.

Date Adjust

This seems to be the latest trick of officers of All India Services to avoid being penalised for not declaring details of their immovable property on time. The immovable property returns filed by many officers has been found to be signed without dates,making it extremely difficult for the officers scrutinising them to confirm the exact date of submission of the returns. This has prompted the government to issue an order asking all the officers to mention the date on which they were filing their returns.