Unhealthy Workload
Union Health Minister J P Nadda has a unique problem on his plate. The health ministry has nearly 28,000 employees, from top officials to messengers, who have to declare their assets each year. As per rules, these need to be submitted to the minister. Nadda, a stickler for rules, is worried how he will go through all the files. Last heard the ministerial staff had written to Department of Personnel & Training for clarification.
Unique Gift
BJP’s Darjeeling MP S S Ahluwalia, who is from Punjab, had a special gift for minister Radha Mohan Singh when he was to take charge as MoS in the Ministry of Agriculture. He presented Singh with a traditional Sikh siropa from Gurdwara Patna Sahib. Singh, who is from Bihar’s Champaran, was overwhelmed by the minister’s effort of giving him a present from his state.
Police Power
Rohini and Dwarka will get their police district tags very soon. Delhi Police has planned to add the two areas to the existing 11 police districts, including the one exclusively for Lutyens’ Delhi. The proposal, presently with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, is likely to be approved after Independence Day.
Two Swords in One Sheath
The Ministry of External Affairs is going to be an exciting place with journalist M J Akbar sharing the workload of General (retd.) V K Singh, who had given the dubious encomium of “presstitute” to journalists. The former editor has been known for being a critique of General Singh. Thanks to the digital media, Akbar’s 2012 article questioning the code of honour of the former Indian Army Chief went viral as soon as Akbar took over as MoS.
Jinxed Ministry
Choudhary Birender Singh, who has just been shifted to the Ministry of Steel from the Ministry of Rural Development, could console himself that the reshuffle was not his fault. None of the former Rural Development ministers in the recent past—including C P Joshi, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Gopinath Munde and Jairam Ramesh—could sit in the chair for a good stretch. There is something wrong with the ministry, it seems.
Sweet Rejig
So relieved was Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya after the Cabinet reshuffle that he distributed sweets in his ministry. Dattatreya retained his post despite not being in the good books of the PM, thanks to his RSS roots, said the sweets are for welcoming newcomers in the Cabinet.
Fall of the Iron Wall
When Smriti Irani led the HRD ministry, one of the corridors in her office connecting other departments was closed, much to the discomfiture of the CPWD. The matter was raised with the ministry, but she remained unmoved. The iron door came to symbolise the clout she enjoyed in Shastri Bhawan, home to several ministries. And then the Cabinet reshuffle happened. The door’s unlocking the next day was marked with mixed reactions, but perhaps best described as the “fall of the iron wall” by a senior officer.