Some recent developments would have us believe that Governor Vajubhai Vala’s office has troubled relations with not only the Congress but also the Opposition Janata Dal (Secular).
At a time when the Congress is fuming over Mr. Vala’s objections to non-tabling of the controversial Anwar Manippady report on encroachment of wakf properties and his directive to universities not to confer honorary doctorates without his consent, the JD(S) is upset with the Governor for refusing to meet its supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.
The Governor did not meet Mr. Gowda when he went to hand over a petition seeking scrapping of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The Governor’s office refused him a face-to-face interview, saying Mr. Vala was taking rest. Mr. Gowda retorted by saying he was older than Mr. Vala and had come to meet him braving the scorching sun.
The JD(S) youth wing tried to protest against Mr. Vala’s office by locking the gates of the Raj Bhavan in a symbolic gesture, but was stopped by the security. Both the Congress and the JD(S) have accused Mr. Vala of creating “iron curtain” around the Raj Bhavan.
It has been a long-held grouse of journalists too that they cannot obtain “authentic” information from the Raj Bhavan on passage or rejection of legislation Bills and other decisions.
Kimmane Ratnakar bogged down
The recent turn of events regarding second pre-university paper leakage appears to have left Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar doubting his choice of career.
Addressing students recently, he advised them not to consider politicians as their role models. This is the second time in recent past that Mr. Ratnakar made such a statement. Later, however, he said, “Politicians are restricted to only one field. Youngsters should aspire and aim to do well in more than one field.”
Reporters did not seem satisfied with the answer and asked him whether he was upset with the Opposition members demanding his resignation. He sternly said he was upset with the deeply embedded systemic problems and hoped that the CID inquiry into the paper leakage would put an end to them.
Tenure reduced
With transfer season about to commence, the State government has announced reduction in the minimum tenure for transfer of Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ officers to two years from the earlier three years. The change was brought in as transfer policies put in place in the past have remained on paper and failed to ensure minimum tenure at office from three to five years for officials. The minimum tenure has been reduced to two years for special DCs, assistant commissioners, tahsildars, Dy.SPs, inspectors, sub-registrars, RFOs and RTOs, among others. However, this rule excludes the IAS and IPS cadre.
The thinking is that it will enable officials to speed up work and improve overall efficiency. This would, it is hoped, also reduce the number of officials moving the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal and other courts questioning their premature transfers.
The flip side is that it could lead to frequent lobbying for key posts in departments of education, PWD, police, irrigation, commercial taxes, agriculture, and forestry. It may also affect execution of key projects.
Not funny?
While the Education Minister understandably has his set of woes following the PU question paper leakage, an unlikely person — well-known Kannada film-maker Yogaraj Bhat — too has found himself in a spot over it.
A song that parodies paper leakage, hurriedly put together by him and actor ‘Duniya’ Vijay soon after the scam came to light, went viral. But this left the Minister, who was naturally in no frame of mind to take jokes, reacting sharply to attempts at “trivialising” a grave issue.
That was not all. A couple of people in Tirthahalli, the Minister’s home town, even took the matter to the police for maligning the Minister and belittling the issue. We hear, however, that the police have not filed an FIR.
Freedom of expression seems to be in short supply just about everywhere.
Muralidhara Khajane,
Tanu Kulkarni,
Nagesh Prabhu, and
Bageshree S.
