Lokpals Bill

While Anna Hazare has kept the government in a bind over the past few weeks,he was recently confronted with some uncomfortable questions by a senior BJP leader.

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Lokpals Bill

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While Anna Hazare has kept the government in a bind over the past few weeks,he was recently confronted with some uncomfortable questions by a senior BJP leader. Spotting Anna at the airport,the leader asked him why he was in crumpled clothes. To which Anna replied that he was a fakir. The leader then took a dig at his expense saying fakirs dont travel by air and a train journey would be more suited to him. When Anna explained that the flight had been paid for by someone else,the leader in a tongue-in-cheek remark advised him never to repeat that to anyone,lest the financiers role would come under question,given the strong media attention on him and his colleagues.

Young priorities

While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave ample opportunity to young leaders by inducting them in the Union Council of Ministers,many of them seem to have other priorities. While Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has got three deputies,including young leaders Pradeep Jain and Agatha Sangma,none was there to assist him at the annual meeting of district project directors of the Rural Development Ministrys schemes at a local level. Jain,who has been entrusted with the department handling the NREGS,was again in his constituency when the apex NREGS monitoring body met the next day.

Sonias speechwriter

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh likes to walk the talk but he is facing flak from his party colleagues for his boastful nature. While he is known to flaunt his proximity with Rahul Gandhi,his latest is the list of sacrifices that he claims he makes to write Congress president Sonia Gandhis speeches. He has been telling party colleagues that he has to often skip official responsibility to write Sonias speeches. He was said to be referring to Sonias recent visit to Banswara in Rajasthan. Most Congressmen are not impressed or amused.

Building blocks

Efforts to shift the National Investigation Agency NIA office in the heart of the national capital have hit another roadblock. The agency currently functions out of an office at Sarita Vihar and efforts have been on for some time to move it to a more central location. The agency had put in a request with the Ministry of Home Affairs after which it was decided to give it the recently vacated Central Bureau of Investigation building that is located in the CGO complex. However,the Ministry of Urban Development now says that paramilitary forces,which have also requested for some more space,have to be dealt with on a priority basis and the NIAs requirement will be accommodated later.

Jet propelled

With Indias decision to shortlist two fighters for its 10 billion Medium Multi Role Combat MMRCA aircraft contract taking the defence world by storm,one of the shortlisted companies has gone to town to drive in the point that it made it to the next stage despite intense pressure from the US. A European company whose aircraft has been shortlisted has made the MMRCA decision the theme of its presence at the ongoing Paris Air Show. To advertise its worth,the company promos says shortlisted for the MMRCA program,seeking to attract other big buyers from across the world.