Posts office

Rashtrapati Bhavan was never so well manned and one wonders now whether President APJ Abdul Kalam may have overworked during his tenure. Pratibha Patil has gathered around her a brigade of bureaucrats that makes Kalam’s secretariat look understaffed with just one secretary and one joint secretary assisted by a couple of director-level officials. Compared to that Patil has one secretary, four joint secretaries and a military secretary. Last heard, her secretary from the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur was also moving in as additional secretary. That makes six senior officials and at least four other junior bureaucrats. And don’t forget, she also has the services of her old aide, an Air Force officer, who is now attached as OSD despite protests.