The performer

When he was appointed one of the interlocutors in the Naga talks,Oscar Fernandes had used his prowess at the harmonica to break the ice with Naga leaders.

The performer

Congress president Sonia Gandhi,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of Cabinet ministers were regaled with Christmas carols and a solo performance on the harmonica by AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes on Thursday at a Christmas party at the Ashoka Hotel. Co-hosted by Fernandes,minister of state Vincent Pala and South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha,the party turned out to be an occasion to unwind after the tense and tiring day in Parliament where Congress managers had a trying time in introducing the Lokpal Bill. Sonia stayed for almost an hour,enjoying the evening. When he was appointed one of the interlocutors in the Naga talks,Oscar Fernandes had used his prowess at the harmonica to break the ice with Naga leaders.

LUCKY STARS

The Congress has been claiming that the stars are on its side for the forthcoming UP assembly elections. The removal of at least one possible scheduling irritant might be an indication that the party may be not entirely wrong. Allahabad is all set to host the Kumbh Mela in January. But thanks to the Hindi calender,only one of the five major congregations are falling next year. The other four would happen only in January-February of next year,2013. The Kumbh requires massive security arrangements and would have ruled out polls in February as the Congress wants had all the congregations happened next year only. Thanks to the stars,at least that hurdle is out of the way for the Congress.

PROMOTION PAIN

IPS officers from 1992 batch who are currently on deputation at the Centre are a miffed lot. The Ministry of Home Affairs had fixed the deadline for promotion of these officers as September 15,2011 but the matter has been long pending as some of the IAS officers from that batch are yet to be empanelled as joint secretaries. Every time the matter is taken up by MHA for empanelment of the IPS officers,the IAS lobby is said to have introduced a query to subvert the process.

NEIGHBOURS ENVY

INDIAN Railways may be struggling to make both ends meet,but across the border,in Pakistan,it is being cited as a role model for its Railways. In its Annual Report on Pakistans economy and infrastructure,the Central bank of Pakistan has presented a formal comparison of the two transport utilities finances. It has shown that the number of passengers handled per employee is much higher in Indian Railways,which uses only 57 per cent of its revenue base on staff expenditures as opposed to Pakistan Railways,which spends 87 per cent of its money on salaries. The message being,watch and learn from the big brother.

INDECENT PROPOSAL

A PERSONAL aide of one of the members of the National Minority Commission is having an extended stay in Kerala. The aide had accompanied the member on an official trip of Kerala where he is reported to have sent some inappropriate text messages to a lady liaison officer the state government had designated for the member. The lady officer complained and the aide was arrested. While the member is now back in Delhi,the aide is still cooling his heels in a jail in Kerala.