Call to be just on punishing cops

The suspension of a junior police officer posted at Nalanda at the behest of chief minister Nitish Kumar for misbehaving with an elderly person has triggered a demand from senior officers to discipline the cops in Patna also. Nitish should look into the rude behaviour of junior inspectors posted in Patna. They are so rude that most citizens fear going to police stations. Many of them are not fit to be constables, let alone officers in charge of police stations,” said an IPS officer frustrated over receiving complaints about the behaviour of junior cops posted in Patna. A lady police officer had demanded money from the kin of a high court judge for giving her clean chit in police verification, mandatory for passports. “If it can happen to a kin of a high court judge, just imagine the plight of the common men,” said the IPS officer, stressing that the Bihar chief minister may take away airport, medical college, engineering colleges and other institutions to his home district, but he should be judicious in punishing rude and ill-behaved cops in Patna also.

Only days of observation

Two functions were organised at the state Congress headquarters Sadaquat Ashram on Tuesday to observe the death anniversary of the first chief minister of Bihar Sri Krishna Sinha and that of former Bihar minister Vidyakar Kavi. “It was the same ritual followed in the two programmes - the same speakers, almost the same words and the same set of listeners. Only the photograph was changed,” said a Congress worker, stressing that the activities at Sadaquat Ashram was currently confined to observing birth and death anniversaries of the deceased leaders. “The worst part is that senior leaders have stopped participating in the functions. In their absence, juniors deliver the speeches without having much knowledge on the deceased leaders,” said the party worker.

Papa out, son shines

When papa (father) was a minister, he turned into a contractor, lapping up bids issued by the department headed by the papa. After papa’s removal, the son is not jobless. He has opened two showrooms at the state capital's only mall. “After being kicked out of the Nitish ministry, the father is relatively jobless. But the son appears to be doing fine,” said a senior JD(U) leader, admitting that the son knew how to take advantage of his father's position. “But why only this son, kin of many politicians have taken advantage of their father and got into business. It will be interesting to find out how many of the new business establishments opened in Patna belong to the kin of politicians,” he added.

Private talk

Land reforms minister Ramai Ram recently showed reluctance in meeting a former Union minister of the BJP “alone”. The moment the leader’s visiting card was given to him by his secretary, Ram said: “The man has not come for any public issue. He wants some of his own work done from the department.” Ram asked everybody in his chamber to be seated. The former Union minister came in and started talking about birds and bees. Later, he told that he wanted to talk to Ram in “private”. Ram gave a wishful look at others sitting in the room and took the former Union minister to an adjoining chamber. He, however, did not say what the former Union minister wanted him to do.