Sense of humour

The new state Congress president, Niranjan Patnaik has a good sense of humour. Addressing the media recently on the occasion of the Youth Congress’s membership drive, he invited journalists to take the opportunity and join the party. “Even you are welcome to become members,” he told the assembled journalists with a disarming smile before they could start firing questions at him and Orissa Congress affairs in-charge Jagdish Tytler, who was also present on the occasion. An equally media-friendly Tytler then took over from Patnaik and briefed the media about the party’s future plans in the state. Before the interaction drew to a close, the former Union minister, in his now familiar fashion, came up with a few more posers for chief minister Naveen Patnaik to answer.

Rout’s tirade

It seems former agriculture minister Damodar Rout is pushing his luck. Unfazed by the suspension of Bari MLA Debashish Nayak from Biju Janata Dal, he has launched a relentless tirade against Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra with whom he has crossed swords several times in the past. The latest outburst, widely reported by the vernacular media, revolves around the much-debated Posco project that continues to face protests at the site. Rout apparently thinks that his bête noire, Mohapatra, has something to do with this. However, Rout’s attack on the bureaucrat-turned-politician is bound to embarrass the chief minister who has been harping on the importance of self-restraint among party leaders

What Naveen wants

The buzz in political circles is that chief minister Naveen Patnaik is keen on making Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo the youth wing chief of Biju Janata Dal, which badly needs to refurbish its image in the wake of a series and scandals. Naveen is apparently not happy with the present incumbent, Sanjay Das Burma, the MLA from Brahmagiri who seems to have been outdone by his Congress counterpart Nowrangpur MP Pradeep Majhi. The chief minister thinks that blue-blooded MP from Balangir can lead the BJD youth brigade much better infusing a new life into the organisation. However, party sources say that BJP second-in-command, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra was strictly against the coveted job being assigned to Singhdeo, which is why Das Burma still continues to be in his place.

Not too high

The joke about “high level” government meetings is that there is nothing high about them except the fact that they are either held on the top floor of the state secretariat or chaired by the chief minister whose office is located on that floor. “Most of these meetings fail to produce anything substantial. The government, of course, has been spending a lot of money on the tea and snacks supplied to the participants during these interactions,” said a critic angry that the journalists still choose to call them “high-level” meetings. “That seems to be a journalistic compulsion. The expression perhaps adds to the weight of the copy,” he argued. May be, he has a point.

Poor results

With the pass percentage in this year’s matriculation examination plunging to a disappointing 66.75 per cent, many are wondering if this had anything to do with the ego clash between the school and mass education minister Pratap Jena and secretary Aparajita Sarangi over the dress code for teachers, which might have affected teaching in schools. Dress code had caused severe resentment among the teachers who had to grin and wear it as defiance might have cost them their jobs. The debate over the code continued for a long time distracting teachers from their job, which must have affected studies in schools. No wonder people are speculating that the controversy has been reflected in the results this time.

Clash of titans

In the capital’s political circles, it is common knowledge that there is no love lost between planning and coordination minister A.U. Singhdeo and the ruling Biju Janata Dal eminence grise Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.
Singhdeo, the Doon School mate of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, resents his friend’s growing dependence on Mohapatra in the matters of the state. Mohapatra, too, is believed to be keeping a watchful eye on the minister, the scion of Balangir royal family, lest he might try to poison the chief minister’s ears against him.
The war between Singhdeo and Mohapatra has intensified with the former trying to promote his family members in politics, something the Rajya Sabha member is vehemently opposed to.
The rest of the BJD is eagerly awaiting the final outcome of this clash between the titans.