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Gopal Nair

Justice Bali to be CJ of Kerala High Court !

Grapevine has it that Justice V K Bali of the Rajasthan High Court is being appointed Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Sirohi to be AS & FA - Chemicals and Fertilisers

Raghuvendra Singh Sirohi will be new Additional Secretary and FA Chemicals and Fertilisers in the Government of India. He is 1974 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

Raghu Menon is AS & FA - I & B Ministry

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been promoted to the rank of Additional Secretary in the Government of India. On promotion 1974 batch Nagaland cadre IAS officer, Menon, has been appointed AS & FA in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Panjiyar is Additional Secretary Environment

U S Panjiyar will be Additional Secretary Forests and Environment in the Government of India. He is 1973 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

Maini appointed Additional Secretary Home

Additional Secretary and FA, Chemicals and Fertilisers, J S Maini, is moving to the Ministry of Home Affairs. He is 1974 batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre.
( We said this on October 29 )

Mukhopadhyay is Joint Secretary Lok Sabha

Amitabh Mukhopadhyay is taking over as Joint Secretary Lok Sabha on Monday. He is an IA& AS officer. Prior to this appointment he was Accountant General in Rajkot.

Hitch in preparing minutes of 1975 batch IAS

What is the hitch preventing preparation of minutes with regards to the empanelment of 1975 batch for the Additional secretary level? Is it really the pressure for empanelment of some lady officers as is being talked about.

He is Tiwari -will take charge today

He is known as only Vijay Shankar. Infact, the newly appointed Director of the CBI is Vijay Shankar Tiwari.1969 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, Tiwari, is taking over the reigns of the CBI on Monday.

Pressure prevents panel for JS in DEA

There is so much pressure for a Joint secretary level post in the Department of Economic Affairs that even the panel for the same has not been sent.

Alok Joshi is new JD IB in UP

Soft-spoken Alok Joshi has taken over as new Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau in Uttar Pradesh. He is 1976 batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre.

Pratap Singh to go to Heart

Counsel General in Ottawa Pratap Singh will replace S N Srinivasan in Heart ( C). Srinivasan will be moved to the headquarters.

CBDT Chief to get extension

CBDT Chief, M S Darda, is all set to get three months extension in service.1969 batch IRS officer, Darda, is scheduled to superannuate on December 31.

Tirath Singh shifted to Jalalabad

Tirath Singh, Counsel General US (WA), has been transferred to Jalalabad in place of A K Goswami.

Upadhyay is Home Secretary in MP

Ashish Upadhyay has been appointed Home Secretary in Madhya Pradesh. He is 1989 batch IAS officer. Madhu Handa has been shifted to the Academy of Administration.

PS to PM posted in New York

PS to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Vikram Doraiswami, has been posted in New York. He is 1992 batch IFS officer.

Tenure of Sudhir Kumar expires

Central deputation tenure of Joint Secretary, Science & Technology, Sudhir Kumar, has expired on Sunday. He is 1978 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Tenure of Pradip Kumar to expire today

Tenure of Director Shipping, Pradip Kumar, is coming to an end on Monday. He is 1987 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

IMAGINARY INTERVIEW WITH NATWAR SINGH

I am driving from Delhi to Shimla and en-route I stop at Mayur Dhaba at Karnal, and order my lunch. The waiter brings some freshly cut salad and just then a cavalcade of cars pulls up. I get back to eating my salad when there is some commotion near one of the car's in the cavalcade and out walks Natwar Singh.

Nut literally runs to the loo, seems he has been controlling matters as he has a look of 'desperate urgency' on his face and he runs in to relieve himself. A relaxed Nut walks out and on seeing me comes to my table.

Nut: Haven't we met???
Me: We've met …. if you recall I interviewed you at the Habitat Center!!!
Nut: Oh now I remember you're that crook Bharat Kumar…. I've been wanting to have a talk with you.
Me: About what???
Nut: (threateningly) Parwaana hoo mein…matt le mujh se pangaa…..
Me: Sir let me complete this one for you….. aap ne toh kapde pehne hai parwaana toh hotha hai nangaa!!!
Nut: Nangaa toh ho gayaa hoo, abh kyaa meri khaal bhi uttaro ge Mister???
Me: Khaal utharne ki tayaari mein hai aap ke Pranab, Sibal aur Jairam bhai aur aap ki pyaari Ambika sister!!!

The Waiter comes with my grub and Nut looks at what he's brought for me and dittos his order. I'm having Missi Roti with dollops of white butter.

Me: Tell me one thing… truly…… did you take the Oil Vouchers??
Nut: I did not touch the Vouchers!!
Me: Just like you said that you've not even touched a barrel of oil…. let me make the question more specific….. is there truth in the Volcker Report!!!
Nut: No truth at all…. I've said this in the past also…. Volcker is biased against me because of my standing in the International arena… and he was instructed by the US to frame me as I am anti US.
Me: Aren't you overestimating your importance!!
Nut: I am Kunwar Natwar Singh…. and I know I'm important and that is what matters!!!
Me: Yes in your personal domain you may consider yourself important …. and there too you are going to see some drastic changes…. as I see it your political epitaph has been written….. Kunwar Natwar Singh ex Congress Steering Committee Member and ex Minister of Foreign Affairs who realized factually that Oil is slippery!!!

Nut's food arrives and seems Nut's grease level is down as he tops up his Missi Roti with extra dollops of butter.

Me: Did Jagat and Andy go with you to Baghdad???
Nut: Jagat went with me as the journey was long and I was not keeping too well….. I had been advised by the Doctor to take someone with me!!!
Me: Yea and same Doctor must has prescribed pills that you should take one hour after sleeping and the other lot two hours before getting up!!!
Nut: Very funny…. I can produce a medical certificate!!!
Me: Its too late now…. this certificate should have come from Congress that the Party was aware that Jagat was going with you on medical grounds… what about Andy … did he land up in Baghdad because Jagat was not feeling too well and he had to help him…and what about that Saidi fellow???
Nut: Nothing like that…. actually Andy was there on business and when he met Jagat they both decided to go for sightseeing and this Saidi fellow I understand is a local guide who specializes in Indian tourists!!!
Me: So then what happened???
Nut : On the sightseeing spree they landed up in Tariq Aaziz's Office… and Tariq recognized Jagat and Andy as they had accompanied the Indian delegation…. Tariq recognized Jagat and blessed him as is customary in Iraq, when you meet your friend's son.
Me: Okay so he handed him Oil Voucher meant for you…. but why did he hand Congress's Voucher to Jagat????
Nut: This is humbug ….. Jagat got no vouchers!!!
Me: Okay you deputed him and he deputed Andy…by the way why did you take Andy as a part of the Congress delegation that went to meet Tariq???
Nut: This boy is very obstinate….. when we were leaving for the meeting he threw a tantrum that he wanted to accompany us… and as were getting late I decided to take him along!!!
Me: Anyway Volcker Report is explicit and now the US Senate Probe indicts you.
Nut: Volcker and USA di maa……
Me: Easy Sir there are ladies sitting in hearing distance!!!

The waiter comes with more Missi rotis and I take one whereas Nut declines and orders for a Cola.

Me: Matherani says you gave the green signal to Tariq to give the Vouchers and sent Jagat and Andy to collect these Vouchers!!!
Nut: Matherani …. what a funny man….. he spells his name as Aniel whereas it is actually Anil…. see his mane…. should a Diplomat have such a mane…. the man is a rebel and he's saying all this to get back at me and Jagat….. he simply abhors aristocracy!!
Me: Aren't you his mentor???
Nut: Of course …. but now I realize he abhorred my aristocracy… when all in my inner circle addressed me as Kunwar Sahib he never did… I should have got an inkling then!!!

We've done with the food and the Waiter clears the table and we order Kheer and tea.

Me: Seems your aristocracy penchant has distanced you from your fellow Congressmen… I think in Congress you've got more enemies than friends.
Nut: You see birds of a feather flock together and so I am friendly with my type… the others I just abhor!!!
Me: No wonders when you were chucked out of the Steering Committee and Cabinet there were celebrations in Congress…. tell me one thing why did you back bite so much??
Nut: I have royalty running in my veins… palace intrigues are a done thing with us and so I indulged in this with Sonia …as Sonia is nothing less than a Queen….do you know she's of royal blood??
Me: No …. please elaborate????
Nut: Don't you see when she enters how all Congressis bow down in respect….. only royalty can inspire such respect!!!
Me: No I think its your Congressis who are 'royally' extra subservient!!!

The waiter gets our Kheer and we delve into it….. a heaped spoon of kheer and a sip of tea….. absolutely heavenly!!!

Me: Now what???
Nut: I've got a wonderful family….. now I'll enjoy the small things in life… I'll make tea for Her Highness….
Me: But Sonia's not family…. or are you taking up a job at 10 Janpath???
Nut: No no… my wife is from the Patiala Royal Family…. so I'll make tea for her in the mornings and evenings…. read bed time stories to Jagat….. I've not done all this for so long….. and I'm going to pen a book!!!
Me: Your Biography!!
Nut: No …. that I'll do later….. now I'm just going to write the Chapter where I will tell my side of the story on this Oil matter!!!
Me: Your Biography is going to run into a couple of books???
Nut: Yes… will be something like the Britannica Volumes!!!
Me: So you'll tell your side of the story in this Oil fiasco!!!!
Nut: Yes and I will reveal all!!!
Me: What will be the title of this book???
Nut: 'Oils (alls) well but why I still landed up in the well'!!!

A policeman comes up and 'forcefully requests' Nut that his wife wants him to come to the car immediately. Nut excuses himself and literally runs to the car. I get up to pay the bill. Behind the cashier there is a TV and on it Pepsodent's latest ad is running….. it kick starts a couplet on Nut in my mind.

Golmaal yeh karta phir bhi nahi dartha,
Shayri yeh karta baat baat pe ladhtaa.
Nut darr, Nut darr.
(sung like the Pepsodent ad jingle)

Bharat Kumar

WHISPERS .... CORPORATE WORLD

Power sector to miss 10th plan target?

All the Central Utilities in the Power Sector may miss 10th plan target due to a variety of reasons. However, the prime cause of this situation is the inability of the Union Power Ministry to give timely clearances of various projects/schemes. According to senior officers in the Power utilities, in spite of regular follow up, Shram Shakti Bhawan has not been responding to them.
Even though ambitious plans were finalized and huge funds were allocated to each Corporation, none of them have so far reached even the half way mark. Even NTPC is behind schedule. The same is the situation in the case of REC. However, the worst is the case of all the hydro utilities. If they are finally able to achieve even half the target, it will be an achievement.
10th Plan was projected as a model for power sector growth with RV Shahi, Secretary (Power), in position. However, he has not been able to make much dent. Bulk of the time, according to insiders, was spent by Shahi on Electricity Act. Even the implementation of this Act is being questioned by the professionals. According to power experts, restructuring of the Central Power Utilities is the need of the hour. They feel that a professionally managed organization like NTPC should be made a holding company with other power utilities as its subsidiaries. This will result in more accountability and coordination of the talent available in the power sector. Time to watch more closely, if power riots are to be avoided.

Pashricha to be CMD Oil India !

Director (Finance ), Pashricha, is being appointed new Chairman cum Managing Director of the Oil India Ltd..