Change Is Difficult, Power Broker, Language Problem, Officer’s Efforts & More

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):

Change is difficult

A senior officer has been trying to get rid of the additional charge of a department for several days. A few months ago, he was given the additional charge of a department. He wants to get out of it. He has made efforts through his clout at various levels. But there are reports that it will be difficult for him to free himself from the additional charge. When a discussion was underway over the transfer of officials, the department, which the senior officer wanted to toss out, figured in the meeting. The higher-ups decided to keep such an important department only under a senior officer. Other than this department, Sahib is heading two others. He may be asked to hand over one of two departments. The government is yet to find an officer to handle the department that the officer wants to surrender. Earlier also, there was a tussle over this department, as the officers were averse to being posted there. The problem with this department is that the real power of running it lies with someone else, but the officer posted there deals with the problems. Thus, the senior IAS officers take little interest in being posted there.

Moody

A former chief minister of the state is so moody that it is not known who she will be angry with and who she will be pleased with. She has recently blown up at an IAS officer. Though it was a petty issue over which she was annoyed with the officer, it made him shiver. The former chief minister was to meet an important leader. The officer was given the task of coordinating between the former CM and the politician. The officer phoned her twice or thrice so that she might reach the politician before the scheduled time of meeting. Sahib had no inkling that she would fly off the handle for calling her up thrice. As soon as she met the politician, she wanted to know the name of the officer who had called her up. She tore into the officer in the presence of the politician for calling her up so many times. Even many senior leaders fear her. So, the officer tendered an apology to her for calling her up several times.

Power broker

A senior IPS officer s proximity to a power broker in the state capital has become a matter of discussion among the people in the corridors of power. The power broker is always seen with the IPS officer. He has access to the officer s house. The place where the IPS officer is posted is important for the government. Sahib has a clean image. There is no blot on his career. Those who have seen the power broker with the officer are cooking up many stories. The IPS officer s closeness with the man is not new. He has been associated with Sahib since the days of his posting in different places. The power broker, a businessman, has been active in the place where Sahib is posted. The man used to lobby for an officer during his posting in this place. His proximity to the Sahib has generated the same kind of discussions as used to happen during the tenure of the former officer in the department. Under the present government, it is not easy to remain in the place where the officer is posted for a long time. There are discussions that lest the man should cause trouble for this Sahib, too.

Language problem

The head of state has recently fumed at a senior IAS officer. The officer has been trying to please the head of state for a long time. His efforts yielded results. But a minor error on his part enraged the head of state. A dispute over an important issue cropped up in a case. The government was trying to solve it. The government finally gave in to an organisation. The government resolved the dispute and issued an order. But the language of the order angered the organisation. The language of the order was so difficult that few could appreciate what the government wanted to say. Ambiguous language of the order infuriated the organisation again. Now, the government is trying to quell their anger. The head of state got angry after the dispute restarted. A few officers have tried to calm him, but he is unhappy with the dispute that happened without any reason.

Officer’s efforts

Bade Be-Aabru Hokar Tere Kooche Se Hum Nikle” (with more humiliation, I have left the street where you live).This line of Ghalib aptly describes the situation in which a secretary-rank officer has applied for deputation to the Centre. The government has sent the application of this officer to the Central Government. Now, whether the Centre will take him or not will be decided in a few days.

The officer tried for his posting to an important place. After the formation of the government, he got an important position, but he could not keep it for a long time. The officer was removed after his involvement in a dispute. Afterwards, Sahib was posted to the loop line. He has been trying to join an important department since his posting to the loop line. He knocked at the doors of several officers and politicians for posting in a department of his choice, but he could not get it. Now, he wants to go on deputation. The main problem with this officer is that although the government has given its nod for his deputation to the Centre. But his entry into the Central Government will not be easy. A few cases against him may come in the way of his deputation to the Centre.

Set to go on deputation

A secretary-rank officer is set to go on deputation. The name of the officer to be posted in his place has been almost finalised. An officer who has returned from deputation will be posted in place of the officer. The officer has already had a posting in the department. Similarly, several days have passed since it was decided that the officer would be deputed to the Centre. In such a situation, this officer was posted in the department precisely because after a junior officer s deputation to the Centre, his senior counterpart would be shifted there. The departments where these two officers are working are considered important for the government. Both are efficient. Thus, the government has no problem exchanging the places of posting. When a bureaucrat came to know that the officer would go on deputation, he began to lobby for posting there. But he stands no chance to join the department.