Hail to the chief
Babus in the J&K secretariat are reportedly unhappy with the new chief secretary, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, who took over after the breakup of the BJP-PDP government. He is a hard taskmaster who uses social media to keep the pressÂure on. He has made a WhatsApp group where offÂicers have to give regular progress updÂates. Officers are also belÂieÂved to be unhappy that Subrahmanyam convenes meetings of administrative secretaries over weekends. This prevents senior IAS officers from flying to Delhi on Fridays, as most were wont to do on some pretext or the other. He has told them that if there바카라™s an emergency meeting in Delhi, they must Âreturn at the earliest. They were unaccustomed to such cracking of the whip under popular rule.
The curse of anugraha
New ministers moving into government accommodation surely can바카라™t be newsworthy, but in Karnataka it is. Generally, the curiosity begins with the chief minister바카라™s official residence, 바카라˜Anugraha바카라™바카라”the bungalow, it바카라™s believed, doesn바카라™t usually appeal to incumbents. It바카라™s the Vaastu apparently, or so goes popular lore. In any case, it바카라™s been a while since a CM occupied the place (the previous incumbent, Siddaramaiah, stayed at the bungalow next door). But there바카라™s more. Recently, reports had it that Opposition leader B.S. Yeddyurappa too had reason to grouse. He hadn바카라™t been allotted his 바카라˜lucky바카라™ bungalow바카라”the one he stayed in when he first ascended the CM바카라™s chair a decade ago. Last week, the buzz was about whether the modifications being done to the bungalow allotted to PWD minister H.D. Revanna were to do with Vaastu. The minister, whose faith in these matters is well known, pooh-poohed the suggestion.
Demographic Diplomacy
Former Intelligence Bureau chief Asif Ibrahim is tipped to be India바카라™s next ambassador to Saudi Arabia, replacing ex-MaharÂashtra DGP Ahmed Javed. Saudi Arabia may be the only country where India in recÂÂent years has sent ex-cops as ambassadors, and that too back-to-back. Questions have also arisen among diplomats on the need to send Muslims as ambassadors; a Muslim consul-general in Jeddah can oversee the Haj. GovÂerÂnÂmÂent sources say a Muslim cop is ideal for Riyadh, showing that India wants stronger intelligence sharing. Ibrahim has been active in the region as the PM바카라™s envoy on 바카라˜countering terrorism and extrÂemism바카라™ with a charter to liaise with governments of West Asian countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
