Journalism of Courage
Going off track
The annual day celebration of the Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEN) was attended by former Central Railway General Manager Subodh Jain,a member of the Railway Board. Also present were several retired senior railway officialsfrom the silver jubilee batch of the IRICEN. In his speech,Jain praised the contribution of the institute to the Indian Railways and detailed how the IRICEN alumni have gone on to become the backbone of change in the engineering department of the Railways. While praising the institute,Jain said,Thanks to the technological advances brought in by IRICEN alumnus,Indian trains are moving fast and there has been a considerable improvement in their safety. Aaj Railway nayi oochaaiyon ko chhu raha hai… (Today,Railway has reached new heights). To his embarassment an elderly former senior official who was sitting in the front immediately taunted,Tarakki ki nahi Railway corruption ki nayi oochaiyon ko chhu raha hai. (The Railways has reached new heights not of progress,but of corruption) Several serving officers were taken aback by this. They couldnt hide their smiles as they secretly agreed with the veteran.
Elected representatives in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are so obsessed with power that they think that nothing can be done without their approval. The civic administration had two weeks ago tabled a proposal before the standing committee regarding an appointing agency for implementing an e-governance project for the civic body. It had clarified that the proposal was to only inform the committee as the civic administration had appointed the agency for the project at no cost.
The members of the standing committee have found it so difficult to come to terms with the civic administration move that it twice postponed discussion on it. We will take it for discussion in the next meeting, said Vishal Tambe,chairperson of standing committee,when asked on the lack of dicussion on it.
Cops go green
All the senior police officers,including the senior police inspectors (SPIs) of police stations and the officers above the rank of ACPs,meet a large number visitors in their offices everyday. Tea is the staple beverage offered to everyone. Of late,a large number of officers have shifted to green tea. My wife has bought three to four different flavours of green tea which I keep in my office. It is refreshing and is without the calories that I used to take in through sugar and milk, said a DCP to this reporter. As visitors come in,the first question I ask them is which flavour they would like to have. he added. We have now gone green,at least when it comes to tea, said another senior officer.
PCMC phobia
A TOP NCP leader in Pimpri-Chinchwad has constructed a bungalow in the industrial area which is being described as one of the expansive and expensive ones. Going by the growth of trees and other shrubs in the premises,the bungalow work has apparently going on for three or four years. If his close aides are to be believed,the NCP leader took great pains to ensure that the construction was legal,meaning he did it with due permission from the PCMC. The way the PCMC chief Shrikar Pardeshi is going against illegal constructions,the NCP leader ensured that his bungalow did not have even one single inch of illegal construction. And that exactly is the reason why it took time for completion of the bungalow, said a close associate. The bungalow was apparently ready last year,but some quick modifications were carried out a few days after the Pardeshi administration decided to go hammer and tongs against illegal constructions belonging to whoever it might be,including the high and the mighty. Last but not the least,the NCP leader kept PCMC officials at bay when he hosted parties for his well-wishers!
(Atikh,Ajay,Sushant and Manoj)
