Zone of discomfort

The wave of protests over the SEZ in Singur and Nandigram has forced the Prime Minister to announce a more humane resettlement and rehabilitation policy within three months, and the PM and his officials are working overtime to keep their promise. Only last week, the Dr Manmohan Singh convened a meeting of the PMO and the Rural Development Ministry at his residence to read through the fine print of the draft policy. And what caught the attention of the PM was the welfare of marginal farmers and landless labourers who derive their livelihood from SEZ land. Funny, it is one of the crucial issues protestors in Singur and Nandigram have raised.

On the move

Nirupam Sen has just been given a six-month extension as India8217;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. A Left-leaning babu, the extension naturally set off rumours the Left parties used their influence in government to do Sen a favour. On the other hand, things are not really rosy for Ronen Sen, India8217;s ambassador to the United States, who has also been the force behind the Indo-US nuclear deal. He is now on his way out and the high profile position will be going to Kamlesh Sharma, Indian High Commissioner in London. Although Sharma is liked by the Congress high command, he could be upstaged by former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, who will be Special Advisor. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, India8217;s envoy in Kathmandu, will take Sharma8217;s place in London, while Jayant Prasad will go to Nepal. Incidentally, Prasad has a Nepal connection: his father Bimal Prasad, a former JNU professor, was once Indian ambassador to Nepal.

Post marked

More on postings, this time on the domestic front. T.K. Kutty Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, has decided to call it a day and will be leaving the PMO soon. His position will be taken over by Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi, who enjoys an extremely good relationship with the PM.

No full stops for Rajnath

The recent controversy over the appointment of his team members appears to have left BJP President Rajnath Singh, untouched, or so he would like everyone to believe. His message to his detractors: the unflattering comments on the composition of his team is water off his back. Singh and his supporters have been trying to convince everyone that dropping Narendra Modi from the central parliamentary board was a matter of principle, as the board considers issues pertaining to states, and it would be inappropriate for a chief minister to be part of it. But Singh is known to be effective in cutting people down to size. The way he handled his bete noire Kalyan Singh, and restricted him to Uttar Pradesh politics, is a case in point.

Pre-nuptial jitters

The beauteous Devyani Rana of Nepal and Aishwarya Singh, grandson on Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh, are finally tying the knot after almost a year and more of a much discussed courtship. The marriage is to take place in Delhi on February 23 and the erstwhile kings and queens of Rajputland and current political maharajas are expected to be in attendance. But bad health seems to be plaguing the family8212;the bride has suddenly taken ill with a severe case of meningitis and is admitted in a hospital. We hope she gets well soon and makes it to her wedding.

Leak front

The Left Front seems to be having a problem with keeping secrets. And it is the CPI M that is worried the most about its allies in the Front leaking notes sent to the government to the media even before the final draft is ready. The budget note is the latest example. Even before it was finalised, the media had it. So, to cover up for its flock, the CPIM made some changes in the wording in the draft it sent to Finance Minister P Chidambaram to make it look different from what appeared in the media.

Slow coach derailed

Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is on an image makeover spree and he will not tolerate any tardiness in his ministry. A Railways8217; Information Officer IO was sent packing off to his home bureau following his slowness in rebutting allegations made against Lalu by DU leader and former RJD spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari. Tiwari8217;s allegations of corruption against Yadav in the appointment of the MD of Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation, got the Railways to issue a reply in Patna, but with the heat reaching Delhi in no time, the Railways top brass quizzed the IO for his sluggish approach. The IO8217;s explanation that his orders came late did not convince them and he was shunted out for 8220;failing to salvage Lalu8217;s image in time.8221;

TAILPIECE

BJP Rajya Sabha member Devdas Apte, had this to say at the coronation of Jharkhand party chief Pashupati Nath Singh: 8220;There have been three Naths masters before, but none has been able to save you.8221; He counted them all8212;Rajnath Singh, former central party in charge of Jharkhand and now party president, Hridaynath Singh, state general general secretary organisation, and Yadunath Pandey, former state chief. With Arjun Munda still calling the shots because of his powerful patrons in Delhi, the wait for a saviour is unlikely to end.