Just for janata, nothing for party

On the last Monday of every month, chief minister Nitish Kumar holds janata darbar exclusively for the NDA workers. But the actual janata (public) also pour in. The security guards have a tough time convincing people that the darbar on last Monday of the month is not meant for them. The people accuse us of trying to keep them away from the chief minister and hurl abuses at us. They are just not ready to buy that these darbars (on last Monday of a month) are meant only for the NDA workers,” said one of the guards, adding the several instances people hand him petitions for giving them to Nitish. “I had to promise them I will hand them over to the chief minister’s secretariat,” he said. The NDA workers were amused at the plight of the security personnel.

Corporate department

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi was not amused when he heard from a group of computer operators that they were getting different salaries for the same job. Recruited by the forest department, the monthly wages of these operators vary from Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000. An angry Modi summoned the senior officials of the department to ask why the complainants were being paid different salaries. “Are we running a corporate company?” Modi asked the forest department officials. A computer operator said he wished the government ran like a corporate operator. “We would have got much higher pay,” he said.

Cold to warmth

Winter is almost over ut the state government has still failed to distribute blankets to the poor. According to sources t the secretariat, unds were available o purchase the blankets. “But they were not bought because an fficial went on leave,” said an employee. hat is amazing is that whole scheme collapsed in the absence of an fficial. The fund will now be used to purchase dhotis and saris for he poor. “Hope winter s not back by the time the dhotis and saris re purchased,” the mployee added.

Beacon blues

The siren of VVIP convoys signals impending trouble for motorists. First, they have to stop midway and later negotiate a chaotic traffic. Of late, the agony of the commuters has increased with a rejig in the movement pattern of the chief minister’s cavalcade. “I have had to stop thrice because of the chief minister’s convoy recently. I noticed I had to wait long after the jeep passed blowing its siren,” said a motorist. Police officers pointed out now the jeep moves at least half-a-kilometre ahead of the chief minister’s car to ensure its smooth passage. “In the previous arrangement, the siren jeep used to move just a few metres ahead and the chief minister used to get stuck in traffic jams. It led to a dressing down of the police force responsible for the traffic movement,” said the police officer sheepishly.