Dilli Ka Babu
The government, naturally, is cagey about mentioning this, but apparently investigations by the Intelligence Bureau have zeroed in on the bureaucrat who allegedly leaked former Army Chief V.K. Singh’s “top secret” letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the media. The issue had rocked Parliament a month ago with MPs alleging “treason” and demanding stringent action against the person behind the leak.
According to sources, the probe has led investigators to a joint-secretary level female officer in the Cabinet secretariat. Though the government denies that the bureaucrat was responsible for the leak, she has reportedly been repatriated to her parent cadre (which is not IAS or IPS). Further action against her is being contemplated. But there must be sighs of relief in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),
since it was widely believed that the leak had emanated from the PMO.
***
Babus vs ramesh
Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh’s heart beats for the panchayati raj ministry, to the extent that he proposes to allocate one per cent of his ministry’s annual budget, which some estimate at `960 crore, to the panchayati raj ministry to spend on strengthening panchayat institutions. But while the mantri’s heart may be on his sleeve, there are several hurdles he’ll have to cross, observers say.
For one, Mr Ramesh’s announcement is being opposed by his own officials. Babus, understandably, are loathe to lose any bit of their budgetary allocation, especially to another ministry. But the mantri is insisting on going ahead with his plan. So, sources say, rural development secretary S. Vijay Kumar has apparently informed his boss that fund allocation for a ministry can only be authorised by Parliament. Mr Ramesh, however, we learn, is adamant on going ahead.
***
Speed staffing
Prime Minister’s principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee and Cabinet secretary A.K. Seth have been rather busy filling secretary-level spots. Fortunately, for a government which seems to have made “go slow” its governing mantra, this time the slots have been filled rather quickly by babus of the 1978 batch. For example, within a few weeks of former commerce secretary Rahul Khullar taking over as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Chatterjee-Seth duo announced S.R. Rao, one of the most deserving and highly regarded IAS officers, as Mr Khullar’s successor in the commerce ministry. Among the other key appointments in the past few days, Ashish Bahuguna from Rajasthan is the new agriculture secretary, having pipped Gokul Chandra Pati to the post. Mr Pati, an Orissa cadre officer, has been named secretary, animal husbandry and fisheries. S.K. Srivastava, an officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been named secretary, coal.
Post new comment