Healthy Interest

The state goes to polls early next year

Healthy Interest

Notwithstanding his indifferent health,Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma,who has been admitted to AIIMS for over a fortnight now,remains just as passionate about the mission to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. That explains why Beni secretly moved out of AIIMS to attend a meeting called by Digvijaya Singh to prepare for Sonia and Rahuls rally in Varanasi later this month,which will launch the partys poll campaign against the Mayawati-led BSP government. The state goes to polls early next year. In fact,Verma is learnt to have visited AICC thrice in the last one week even as he recuperates at AIIMS.

Justice Denied

Even as she was battling charges of corruption,Justice Nirmal Yadav,who retired from the Uttarakhand High Court in March this year,sought a post-retirement job for herself,but was turned down. Justice Yadav had applied to become one of the judicial members of the recently constituted National Green Tribunal,that will henceforth hear all environmental matters. Her candidature was rejected by the selection panel. She was chargesheeted by the CBI on her last day in office in the famous cash-at-judges-door case.

Shifting Priorities

More than three months after his upgradation in the last Cabinet reshuffle,Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay finally inaugurated and moved into his office in Transport Bhawan on Thursday. Sahay with tilak on his forehead he had a pooja at home before reaching the ministry entered his swankily done office with an entire retinue of ministry officials waiting on him. That an elaborate evening tea was laid out,courtesy the Ashoka Hotel,which the Tourism Ministry controls,was an added incentive. The ministers office,in fact,has a separate pantry section manned by employees of the Ashoka Hotel for serving tea and snacks to visitors. There is now speculation about who may have footed the bill for the extensive renovation of the ministers office and the obvious finger of suspicion is on a PSU under the ministry. However,with talk of another Cabinet reshuffle in the air,what remains to be seen is whether Sahay will be able to enjoy this plush office or not.

Inroads to Facebook

The National Highways Authority of India NHAI is without a chairman for almost six months now. While the government continues to drag its feet,an online poll has appeared on the NHAI Facebook page over whether it should appoint a technocrat or a secretary-level bureaucrat at the helm. In fact,the NHAI poll gives the choice technocrat and bureaucrat. Further,comments have been invited over what qualifications the technocrat must possess in order to be a suitable candidate for the post. The latest log showed overwhelming support for a technocrat,but then again,not too many babus bother to visit NHAIs Facebook page.

Birds of a feather

While the corporate honchos accused in the 2G trial have to be content with the Tihar jail food,their families united on Friday at the Patiala House court complex to eat kaathi rolls together. Eyewitnesses relate that the family members,who had come to attend the special court hearing,took time off the court to form a closed group around the dhabas at the court complex to prove that they were united,at least as far as food was concerned.