Naveen’s pidgin

Launching a BJD “padyatara” from a Bhubaneswar slum on October 2, chief minister Naveen Patnaik sought to connect with the people using a curious mixture of Oriya and Hindi. Naveen’s pidgin drew smiles as he explained to the audience the benefits of his government’s Rs 2 a kg rice scheme and its cost to the exchequer. He also underscored the need for an upward revision of mineral royalty so that state could earn more revenue to fund welfare schemes. At the end of his spiel, Naveen asked the audience with a smile: “Mun kan kahuchi samajh rahe hain na?” (Do you understand what I am saying?). There were amused giggles though most nodded in agreement.

Good mood

The scribes covering the chief minister’s “padyatara” on the Gandhi Jayanti realised quickly that he was in a particularly happy frame of mind. He was being expansive and smiling a lot while sharing the problems and concerns of people and trying to explain to them how the state government was doing its best to raise their standard of living. When byte-seeking television journalists sought his comments on how the programme had gone, Naveen told them with a smile: “Arre jao jao, thoda araam karo, thak gaye hoge.” (Go and have some rest. You must be tired!) Some took the advice literally and retreated.

Samal comment

Initially, tourism minister Prafulla Samal’s statement about selling Orissa’s flood misery to foreign tourists had appeared to be a costly slip of tongue. But the minister has sought to rationalise it and there can be no two opinions now that it was a conscious statement. Samal, in fact, prefers to call it “calamity tourism”, a new entry in the tourism lexicon. The statement has sparked an expected furore with the Opposition taking potshots at the minister who cannot but repent his hasty action at leisure now. The Biju Janata Dal leadership, too, is reported to be cut up with Samal for having shot his mouth off at such an inopportune time.

Cong boost

Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik is jubilant. The party’s sustained campaign on the alleged mismanagement of Hirakud reservoir, which was responsible for floods in the state’s coastal plains, has yielded results with governor M.C. Bhandare seeking a report from the government on the issue. The Opposition had picked up the issue after the media highlighted it but it was the Congress which actually built a campaign. The party had demanded that allegations about the violation of the rule curve governing the management of the reservoir should be inquired into by a team of experts. That seems likely in the wake of governor taking note of the controversy.

Not concerned

Last week’s fire in the agriculture department’s Heads of Department building, popularly called Nautala, has triggered concern about the safety of old government buildings. Most of these buildings either do not have a proper fire safety mechanism or have become outdated. Such issues, however, hardly bother agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy. He did not even appear concerned about the fire dismissing it with typical insouciance. “The fire only destroyed evils and misfortunes. The department has not suffered in any way because of this,” the bearded minister, who owns a mobile theatre group, said pompously.

Babusan at it again

Oriya film industry’s “brat” Babusan’s movies may be sinking without a trace at the box office but this has failed to curb his off-the-sets antics which only earn him bad publicity. Not long ago, he had found himself in the midst of an unsavoury controversy following a brawl that also involved some of his friends. The incident, however, seems to have had little impact on the actor’s unruly behaviour. He did it again the other day, this time shocking a female scribe with his alleged uncharitable remarks near a shopping mall. One hopes the actor picks up some manners soon.