Overheard In Bhopal: Tides Have Turned; Two-Fold Setback; Ma’am Is Tense & More

Tides have turned

The maxim – times are changing – has become part of the dialogue of bureaucrats in the state these days. Most of the files sent to the Big Ma’am by the officers before her retirement were approved. Now that a Sahib has come in place of the Ma’am, there is a shift in the tide. He has sent back many files with comments: Discussion. Some of the files were connected to transfers. These files with the tag – top priority – were sent from the CM’s Secretariat. The Sahib, however, sent them back to the departments concerned with the comments: Please discuss. He has clearly told the officers to send transfer-related files to his office, citing proper reasons for shifting any officer. What he means is that the paper work must be error-free. The return of the transfer-related files from the office of the Sahib without his approval has made many officers think lest there should be any problem for them. On the contrary, a few officers think such a scrutiny of the files will at least stop the blunders that crept into the crucial notes written during the tenure of Ma’am as head of the state bureaucracy.

Two-fold setback

There is a two-fold setback for the officers of a department. During the Lok Sabha election, the minister of the department mounted pressure on them to meet his poll expenses. So, money was taken from them during the parliamentary election. Those who were working in the field were given a target for collecting funds. Just as the officers heaved a sigh of relief after the Lok Sabha election. A minister is again forcing them to give money. There are reports that the officers have been told to part with a certain amount of dough for a particular election. But as they are reluctant to give money, a close aide of the minister threatened to transfer them. Fed up with this threat, when the officers narrated their tale of woes to the higher-ups, they, too, kept away from the issue.  About this department, it is said that the officers make money through backhand deals. Ergo, the ministers who take charge of the department only find ways to harvest carrots.  

Ma’am is tense

A madam, who held an important position, is uptight these days. She expected that no sooner had she retired, she would be rehabilitated in an organisation. Even on the day of her retirement, she met the head of the state, hoping that he would inform her about her appointment to the organisation. But he threw cold water on her hopes, saying when she was in office, she did a good job, and bade her goodbye. During their conversation, the head of the state never mentioned that she would be rehabilitated in any organisation. There are reports that the Sahib has decided to appoint someone to the organisation only after deliberations. He is mulling over some other names for appointment to the organisation. Before retirement madam was confident of getting the position, but as the government is taking time to issue an order appointing the Ma’am, her chances of getting the job are becoming dim. Now, she is trying to get the order issued through her clout.

Good days

A few officers in the state bureaucracy feel their good days are ahead. They are posted in such departments as are not considered important, but now, after the change in the administration, they think they will get important positions. As some of them are using their influence to get plum postings, they are trying to please the Bade Sahib. Immediately after meeting the Bade Sahib, one such officer started praising him. Nevertheless, the Bade Sahib had to talk the officer out of singing in his praise. Similarly, another officer is trying to make the Bade Sahib happy by all means. In the state, there are many such officers as the Bade Sahib has never come across. So, he is collecting info about them. A few of them are looking for officers, close to the Bade Sahib, to get important postings.  

High connections

An action, initiated by the government in a case, has scared some officers. They are acquainted with a man arrested for a serious offence. There are reports that the law-breaker has interacted with these officers over phone. Now, after taking the person into custody, the police are inquiring into his call details which are set to disclose the interactions the officers had with the wrongdoer. These officers know if their names are revealed, they will be in trouble. Several officers, belonging to different categories, have got benefits from the person in the past few years. He presented these officers with gifts as well as provided them with other services. After the man has fallen into the police dragnet, these officers are taking feedback on the progress of inquiry. But as the centre, inquiring into the case, is not in the state, these officers are not getting any information about the investigation.  

Caste equation

Caste equation among police officers is being discussed in the corridors of power. An officer, who was in queue for the most important post in the police department, was considered Kshatriya. But, some time ago, he revealed that he belonged to the OBC category. The Sahib called himself OBC, and some politicians, belonging to his caste, recommended his name for the top job in the police department. Same issue with another IPS officer. As he was close to a Kshatriya leader, people thought he belonged to the same caste, and because of his closeness to that politician, he got plum postings. The Sahib’s name is doing the rounds for an important assignment, but there have been discussions for the past few months that the officer belongs to the OBC category, and that too, to a special category of OBC. After the revelation of these officers’ caste, there are discussions that one never knows when the caste of an officer changes with the change of time.