Overheard In Bhopal: Soured Relations, Bade Sahib Angry, Keeping Eyes & More

Soured relations

The reports about the embittered relations between a minister and an IAS officer have begun to emanate from the corridors of power. Once both maintained a friendly relation. The minister’s son and the officer together ran the department. Besides managing it together, they became brew buddies. They orchestrated shady deals to add more carrots to their coffers, but a chasm has appeared in their relations for some time now. The minister’s son and the IAS officer rowed over some offstage deals. The minister’s son took sweeteners in advance, but the officer felt the case might entangle him. As a result, he withdrew himself from the deal. When the case reached the minister, he favoured his son. Afterwards, the minister and his son pulled up the officer. He began to make efforts to go out of the department after the incident.

Bade Sahib angry

The head of the state bureaucracy remains cross with an IAS officer these days. The incidents, taking place in the department headed by the IAS officer, have deepened difficulties for the government. Bade Sahib vented his spleen at the officer in a recent meeting. At the meeting, as the department started counting the work it had so far done through a presentation, the head of state remained silent, but the head of the bureaucracy flagged the errors. He contested the department’s actions. The way Bade Sahib raised questions left everyone fumbling for an answer. Because of the chaos in the department, Bade Sahib wants to shift the officer, but the head of state has a soft corner for him. So, he opposes transferring the officer. People in the corridors of power also say if any further controversy crops up in the department, the officer will be out.

Sahib ki reel

Several IAS officers work for the government, but a few focus on work as well as on making reels. The same has happened to some police officers. A few officers have flouted the police chief’s guidelines regarding the use of social media. The government has recently transferred an IPS officer from one district to another. The shifting of officers from one place to another remains a regular affair in the administration. But those close to Saheb portrayed the transfer in such a way, as though a messiah were leaving the district. They made her departure from the district viral on social media. They also glorified her tenure in the district. When her inner circle continued to extoll her achievements, the close aides of a politician launched a campaign against the officer. They made posts on social media against the IPS officer. The place, where the government posted her, has also hogged the media headlines these days. Nevertheless, such publicity has enraged many senior officers.

Keeping eyes

The government may transfer a principal secretary of an important department in the upcoming administrative reshuffle. Talks about his transfer continued for several days. But the government removed his name from the transfer list for one reason or another. The department under the PS remains in a state of flux, but the officer keeps away from the heat of the hustle and bustle. Keeping in mind the possibility of the PS’s transfer, a few officers have set their eyes on the department. A principal secretary desires to go there. The PS makes efforts through an important person for his posting in the department. He tried for his posting in an important department several times, but his efforts fell through. Besides the PS, the name of another senior officer remains under consideration for posting to the department. People in the corridors of power say that, other than the under-considered names, the government may transfer some other officer there.

Six years

A woman IAS officer has recently retired. Madam worked in the same position for six years before her retirement. After the government assigned the post to Madam, it changed four chief secretaries, but her position remained unchanged. An important person tried to transfer her to an important place from the department where the government had posted her. Efforts made to post her as a commissioner to a division also failed. The government set aside all recommendations for transferring her.   After her retirement, people in the corridors of power say Madam possesses secret information about some officers, which may cause difficulties for them. In contrast, some people also say she never harmed anyone in her career. So, it remains highly unlikely that she will act against anyone after her retirement.

In a jam

A senior IAS officer may encounter more difficulties in the coming days. He has been working on a position for a long time without an order from the government. The post remains important for the state. A few people have become active regarding the work done by Sahib and the decisions made by him without a directive. An officer appointed to an organisation after his retirement and an activist have also opened a front against him. Because both have joined hands, the officer may confront more troubles. He may soon face court cases for working without an order. The senior IAS officer courted controversies several times in his career. People in the corridors of power say whenever a dispute cropped up on some previous occasions, the officer prevailed over others. But for the first time, others seem to have an upper hand on him.