atna Diary VIP arrival after canine signalalling a VVIP to a function can mean anxious moments. The organisers are left guessing if he or she would finally turn-up. “One has to wait for the canine signal to be assured that the VVIP will actually come,” remarked a seasoned event organiser pointing out that even if the venue is full of security men it does not assure the VVIP’s presence. e was apparently referring to the sniffer dogs at the venue before the start of the event. The sniffer dogs come in when there is a message from the signal that the VVIP is awaiting clearance to proceed to the venue, he remarked. You can take a sigh of relief when you find a dog sniffing around the venue along with a policeman. essage to the Thomaseshe decision of the Supreme Court holding the appointment of P.J. Thomas could not have come at a better time for chief minister Nitish Kumar who has been insisting on public declaration of assets by all state government employees, except the grade IV ones. Four senior IAS officers have expressed their reservation over public declaration as it could lead to security threats. Kumar was quick to welcome the decision and in the process overrule the objections of the IAS officers. “Everyone will have to declare their assets,” he said. “It was a clear message to the doubting Thomases who thought that the chief minister may reconsider his decision,” a senior official said.o time for monkey business JP MLA Bhagirathi Devi was trying to make a point in the Assembly. The speaker did not respond and nobody understood what she was agitated about. The MLA was trying to point out that terror created by monkeys in her constituency. “The males have to stand guard with a sticks to ensure that the women in the house cook their food,” she said. Apparently for Bhagirathi Devi it is an issue where her voters expect her to act. But the house does not appear to have time for any monkey business. ait for the council post n Thursday, the only minister who is not a member of either the Assembly or the Legislative Council filed his nomination papers for a seat in the council. He was the human resource development minister P.K. Shahi. Though there is still a long time before 18 more seats of the council are to be filled —Shahi’s nomination papers have sparked off speculations about who would be the lucky 18. The names of several politicians are already in the air. One of the most prominent names doing the rounds is former chief minister Rabri Devi. With strength of 22 in the lower house, the party will be able to send only one MLC to the upper house. There is a strong section in the RJD who believes that its party chief Lalu Prasad would not indulge in the folly. “Every politician who has been rejected by the people loves to go to the upper house as it is a seat which gives all the perks without any responsibility to the people,” remarked a seasoned politician of the RJD. He pointed out that during the party’s hey days it had passed a resolution that it would not send any defeated leader to the upper house.