Surya wary

Having been drawn into controversy more than once, revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro is now wary of talking about his former ministerial colleague Damodar Rout. “Don't drag me into all this,” he pleaded when journalists recently waylaid him in the secretariat trying to get a quote from him on Rout's plans to float a new forum. The revenue minister knows only too well that any comment from him would elicit an angry reaction from Rout and spark off a new controversy. The Biju Janata Dal can ill afford this at a time when dissidents are working hard to garner support both within and outside the party.

 

Badri comment

Higher education minister Badri Narayan Patra’s reported advocacy of Oriya as the medium of instruction for higher education to make it easy for students from a non-English background, has failed to amuse a lot of people. The minister batted for Oriya during a recent trip to Berhampur citing examples of countries where the native tongue was being used to teach even technical subjects. In the context of Orissa, he suggested that both Oriya and English could be used as the medium of teaching at the higher education-level to make it easy for students. Though the minister did not try to belittle English in any way, his comments had sparked a debate with critics pointing out that encouraging Oriya at higher-level would result in graduates with poor knowledge of English and little value in the job market.

 

Oram upset

State BJP president Jual Oram is upset over the arrest of former MPs Fagansing Kulaste and Mahabir Bhogora in connection with the cash-for-vote scam. Oram is unhappy not because the MPs happen to be from his party but because of the fact that both of them are tribals. Oram, who was Union tribal affairs minister in the Vajpayee government, firmly believes that tribals neither lie nor indulge in corrupt practices for personal gains. Hence, the two tribal MPs, who, he said, were actually whistleblowers in the case, should not have been equated with “conspirator” Amar Singh and arrested. Oram is certain that the tribals of the country would avenge the arrest of Kulaste and Bhagora.

 

Cracks showing

The absence of planning and coordination minister A.U. Singhdeo at the just-concluded collectors’ conference has set tongues wagging. Sources said Singhdeo, one of the seniormost ministers of the government and chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s schoolmate, did not get invite for the conference where the presence of senior ministers was normally sought. People in his office had no idea about what was going to be discussed at the conference though the agenda for such events is supposed to be circulated among departments. Whispers in the power corridors suggest that Raja Saheb, as Singhdeo is popularly known among his colleagues, has begun to drift away from the chief minister following the latter’s growing dependence on Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.

 

Naveen concern

With panchayat elections due next year, chief minister Naveen Patnaik is keen to ensure that his government’s welfare schemes have made the maximum impact on people. Since district collectors implement these schemes at the field level, the chief minister spent a lot of time with them when they gathered at the secretariat recently for their annual conference. He was seen listening to their problems intently while exchanging notes on implementation and suggesting remedial measures where necessary. While many were impressed by the sincerity displayed by Naveen in trying to understand problems of the district heads, others wondered how he found so much time for the collectors.

 

Rout forum

The proposed Biju VicharManch of former agriculture minister Damodar Rout has set the cat among the pigeons. Their apparent bravado notwithstanding, the Biju Janata Dal leaders are said to be jittery about the possible fallout of its launch on October 2. Most of them know all too well that despite Rout’s claim that the Manch would be a non-political forum aimed at uniting the followers of late Biju Patnaik, father of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the real purpose behind its formation was to bring together the forces opposed to the growing influence of Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra in the party. For Rout, who was dropped from the ministry a few months ago following a bitter feud with Mohapatra, there could be nothing sweeter than revenge against his enemy.