Babus overburdened in Nitish’s absence

Several top bureaucrats in the state are overloaded with work. Their situation worsened after some officers went on leave as soon as chief minister Nitish Kumar left for China. ealth department principal secretary Amarjit Sinha has gone on leave. Industries department top boss C.K. Mishra is looking after his department. When the home department principal secretary Amir Subhani, with additional charge of the excise department, went on leave for around two weeks, his departments were distributed among already overburdened officials. “It is maddening. Even if I go through routine files I have to dispose of over 400 of them every day. I cannot afford to let the files lying because every officer has to write a note on them if they remain on my table for more than three days,” an officer said. The overworked officers are wary of the fact that once the chief minister returns from China, their work will increase with the meetings he convenes every day.

Tour teaser

The JD(U) leaders are livid over the LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s jibes at chief minister Nitish Kumar and his China tour while staging a dharna in protest against the police firing in Forbesganj. Paswan had said: “The state is in turmoil. People are being killed in firing and Nitish s enjoying himself in China.” Reacting to it, a JD(U) leader said: “Paswan should know that Nitish has gone on a goodwill visit cleared by the Union ministry for external affairs. The external affairs ministry wanted him to go because they know that he is the ideal politician to showcase to China. Showcasing politicians like Paswan and even Lalu Prasad would have sent the wrong message.” The party leaders pointed out that even when Nitish went to Maurtius the Opposition made it sound like if it was a pleasure trip. Lalu and Paswan themselves went abroad several times. “But we never said that they had gone on pleasure trips,” he added.

Desi call

A JD(U) leader while addressing a meeting of the party was speaking volumes about his experiences while visiting Malaysia. The party workers did not appreciate it and looked bored. Finally, a section of party workers began to jeer him. “You either speak on issues related to the party or the chief minister Nitish Kumar. Come away from Malaysia. Nobody is interested,” shouted a party worker. The JD(U) leader relented and came back to ground zero to talk bout Bihar and the DA government.

Bihari pride forgotten

The hype created during Bihar Divas appears to have died down sooner than one had hoped. There is only a solitary billboard at the IT roundabout declaring that Bihar is young at 99 years (next year the tate will be celebrating its 00 years of inception). The other billboards have given way to political events having istrict and caste leanings. During the mega Bihar Divas show it was announced that a series of events would be organised in the run-up to the state’s centenary celebrations. “Apparently, the politicians would like to remember their caste first and than the state they belong to,” a senior olitician said.