Done in a minute

The much-hyped new conference of chief minister Naveen Patnaik to announce the names of the BJD’s Rajya Sabha candidates on Friday barely lasted a minute. In the style that has become typical of him now, Naveen, who had been closeted with party leaders since the morning, walked out to the verandah of Naveen Nivas, his plush residence near Biju Patnaik airport, to the waiting reporters. As TV journalists pushed and jostled to adjust their booms, the chief minister stood with an amused look on his face. Once the booms were in place and photographers had taken their positions, Naveen made a one-line announcement about the three BJD leaders having been picked up for the Rajya Sabha and walked away before anyone could ask him any questions.

Filmy blues 

Perhaps the only person unhappy about with the much-hyped re-union of former minister Raghunath Mohanty’s son Rajashree and his estranged wife Barsha Swony, was well-known Odia filmmaker Sanjay Nayak. The veteran did have a reason to feel let down while the couple fed each other sweets at a Bhubaneswar hotel and gave bytes to TV channels. Sources said Nayak was supposed to make a film on the life of the couple who had a bitter parting in 2013 after Barsha brought allegations of dowry torture against her husband and in-laws. The script for the film was ready and Barsha had even agreed to act in it. The re-union, however, dashed Nayak’s hopes. The latest buzz in the local cine industry is that Nayak may change the script and still try to make the film if the couple agreed. 

Hollow claims

Bhubaneswar mayor Ananta Narayan Jena never tires of praising the municipal corporation for its efficient disaster and crisis management. The hollowness of his tall claims was exposed last week when a nor’wester hit the city leaving a trail of uprooted trees and electric poles obstructing the flow of traffic on the roads. The corporation office was a mess with a big tree uprooted on its premises and power lines snapping. The corporation, which has the responsibility of cleaning up city in such situations, struggled to clean up the mess on even its own premises. While power in its office could be restored only late that night, the debris was cleared the next day. 

No co-ordination

The commissionerate police and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) are supposed to act in sync while carrying out demolition drives in the city so that the public is inconvenienced the least. However, the ground reality seems different. The BMC recently carried out a demolition drive at the busy Jayadev Vihar without any concern for the traffic on the main road. The bulldozer being used occupied almost half the road and the entire pavement. Commuters had a harrowing time and some of them even called up the BMC. But by the time the corporation authorities sought to correct the mistake, the drive was almost over.

Tollgate worry

Transport minister Ramesh Majhi has a problem. He is under tremendous pressure from private bus owners to relocate some of the tollgates managed by the National Highways Authority of India, which, apparently violate the parameters for setting up these tax collections points. The bus owners have reportedly threatened to stop private bus service on these routes unless these gates, one of which falls on the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway, are relocated. Sources close to the minister said he was worried as relocation was not possible in a hurry. 
“The issue has to be discussed with the National Highways Authority of India threadbare before any decision is taken. If bus owners remain adamant, it is going to cause a major crisis,” said an aide of the minister.

FOOTNOTE

Open secret

Factionalism in the state BJP is now an open secret. With the party gearing up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the state, differences among senior leaders have become all too obvious. 
While state party president 

Basant Panda and Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan are working overtime to ensure that preparations for the visit are foolproof, the group, led by senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra does not appear to be too enthusiastic. 

Sources said Mohapatra and his associates are not happy with the way Pradhan has been trying to corner glory and project himself as the future of BJP in Odisha.