What people say about us !

Recently, a friend of mine referred me to this website.I am also a journalist working for Mid Day, Mumbai based in Delhi. Interesting work. I must appreciate your effort.... and that too for free....Informative websites generally charge a huge amount. But I believe that your stories are good and that too sitting in Bhopal.That is what is call good journalism.Keep it up.
M K Tayal

Pradeep Singh is Additional Secretary I & B

Pradeep Singh has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He is 1974 batch IAS officer of UT cadre.

Vijay Sharma is Addl.Secretary Cabinet Secretariat

Vijai Sharma currently in the cadre has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat. He is 1974 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Consul to join USOF

Shantanu Consul currently in the cadre has been appointed as Administrator, Universal Services Obligation Fund, Department of Telecommunications, in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.He is 1974 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Baswan to retire

Secretary Education in the Government of India, B S Baswan, is superannuating on June 30. He is 1967 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.

FM, his deputy at loggerheads

The Union Finance Minister and the Minister of State for Finance are said to be at loggerheads. Reason - While the Minister of State wants to remove DG (Investigations) Sreedharan, the Finance Minister is against the idea.

Katwal is ahead

R P S Katwal is now ahead in the race for the post of DG Forests in the Government of India. He is 1968 batch IFS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

Sarat Chandran gets CS rank in Orissa

Dr U Sarat Chandran has been given Chief Secretary rank in Orissa. He is 1974 batch IAS officer.

`Retirement is akin to death'

Retirement is akin to death (Retirement maut ke saman hai). These recent comments of the outgoing Bihar Chief Secretary KA Subrahmaniam has created a flutter with every rumour mill predicting the meaning in its own manner and according to its suitability.

TN Collector invited by US

A Collector in Tamil Nadu, Dr J radhakrishnan, has been invited by US Education department for talks on Tsunami disaster. He is 1992 batch IAS officer.

IAS quota in UP increased

IAS quota in Uttar Pradesh has been increased by 68. With this, the state will be having the maximum number of, 535,
IAS in the country.

Vacancies in central services

The number of vacancies reported by the GoI this year for IAS, IFS and IPS is 91, 20 and 88 respectively, for the Central services Group `A' 235 and the Central services Group `B' 19.

It's all about CES

In a precedence of sorts promotion of 1974 (Exam) of CES (Central Engineering Services) officers to SAG Scale has clocked one and a half years from the date the panel was sent to the UPSC. These officers have put in 30 years of Class I service!!

CVO post to fall vacant

Post of CVO, Bharat Bhari Udhyog in Kolkata is falling vacant in the last week of June. This is Director level post comes under the Ministry of Heavy Industry.

Verma's transfer, violation of rules

In what is being considered as a clear cut violation of rules, IT Commissioner, BS Verma has been transferred from Ahemdabad to Silliguri. He is left with just two years of service.

Still waiting for postings in Rajasthan

As many as four IAS and three IPS officers in Rajasthan are still said to be waiting for their postings.

Did Bihar police book IPS officer ?

Rumour mill says that the Bihar police has recently booked a Gujarat cadre IPS officer .

IMAGINARY INTERVIEW
OTTAVIO QUATROCHCHI

I was seated in a Café in Kuala Lumpur and on a table diagonally opposite was a gentleman with a very familiar face. I tried to jog my memory and just as the Waiter served me my order of Pizza Napolitine , it struck me that the gentleman was none other than the famous Ottavio Quatrochchi.

I think he got an inkling that I had recognized him and he beckoned me to his table.

Ottavio: Where are you from?
Me: I am from Delhi.
Ottavio: (sighing) Oh! Meri Delhi ( in an accent that is now very recognizable)!!!!
Me: Your Delhi…….. do you miss Delhi that much???
Ottavio: I spent a major portion of my life in Delhi…….. Delhi's aromas are still ingrained in my senses.
Me: But you are only a hop step and jump away from Delhi…so why don't you go to Delhi???
Ottavio: Delhi for me a year back was as far as the sun and equally hot and absolutely inhospitable……but yes today Delhi looks closer…….friendlier or you may say hospitable!!!

The waiter serves Ottavio his order………. Butter Chicken and Rice ( it is a multi cuisine sit in Food Court) .

Me: You are very close to the Gandhi family???
Ottavio: If you say so!!!
Me: Well I understand that at present you are being considered as the missing link……
Ottavio: (aggressively) Why do I look like an ape???
Me: No …no…….in the Bofors case!!
Ottavio: (pushing his plate away) You've spoilt my appetite!!!
Me: Sorry I did not mean to do this………. but this is what I read in the Indian Newspapers on the Net today!!
Ottavio: You know when things were still very raw I remember a barber used to visit me at my home to give me a haircut. Now whenever he would start cutting my hair he would start mentioning Bofors…..now one day I caught him by the scruff of his neck and questioned him as to why did he mention Bofors time and again…..well he said that he did not mean anything but, whenever he mentioned Bofors my hair would stand up and this made my job easier!!!
Me: Well Sir neither am I a barber nor do I have a sadistic streak…. I was just making small talk!!
Ottavio: (exclaiming) Small talk…….just feel my arm….the hair is still standing up!!!
I call the Waiter and ordered some Garlic Bread and Pasta and Ottavio orders Rasmalai.

Me: So while in Delhi you must have really been doing the Cocktail Circuit??
Ottavio: ( with a reminiscing look in his eyes) You bet…..the wife and I were the toast of the circuit…….you know one day I was in a reminiscing mood and I realized that during my last few years in Delhi the wife and I had never had a meal at home!!
Me: Aap ki popularity ka raaz…the secret of your popularity!!!
Ottavio: Raaz…… I understand the language and the drift…….well the wife and I were popular because we were gracious hosts and so people responded ditto!!
Me: No other reason???
Ottavio: What other reason could there be???
Me: Like your proximity to the Gandhi Family???
Ottavio: Yes people may have added two plus two …because Sonia was an Italian!!!
Me: The way you put it is like saying two plus two make twenty two……because there were so many Italian couples in India during that time….none have received the same attention!!!
Ottavio: Happens …what can I say……….this is providence…karma!!!

The waiter serves me my order and Ottavio orders a Masala Tea

Me: You were the head of Snamprogetti in India……so how come they linked you with Bofors???
Ottavio : Yes Snam is an Italian Engineering giant and specializes in Pipelines.
Me: Maybe they felt you engineered things in the armament deal or provided the required pipeline???
Ottavio: This was what the Media tried to pin on me…… that I undertook the middleman Project on turnkey basis and right from engineering , procurement to execution….. I did it all!!!
Me: Yes this is what the Media has been saying!!
Ottavio: Tell me one thing…..knowing that I was so close to the Gandhi family do you think I would have ventured to do such a thing or would have the Gandhi's let me do such thing???
Me: Proximity breeds trust …….in such cases familiarity breeds power!!!
Ottavio: What about the conjectures people would draw…..this was simply too easy!!
Me: They say you were a power center!!!
Ottavio: If that was the case why did Snam loose the prestigious HBJ Pipeline order!!!
Me: You have a point……but you cannot deny that you were a power center!!!
Ottavio: Bah…… both in the Office and home there were power cuts for hours and you call me a power center???
Me: I know you know what I mean???
Ottavio: Mind reader……… tell me what is in my mind???
Me: You are mentally kicking yourself for beckoning me to your table!!!

We pick up our individual tabs , pay up and walk out.

Me: But don't you feel that you should come to India and clear up matters???
Ottavio: For the last year or so I have been having the urge to do just that…… and twice I did practically embark on the trip ….canceled at the last minute because of an allergy that flares up without any notice!!!
Me: I remember you had offered the CBI that you were willing to meet them in Kuala Lumpur….. what happened??
Ottavio: Yes the interview was set up……. and that very day in the elevator I got a bad allergy attack…… I even sent them my medical certificate. In fact my throat was so badly affected that the Doctor advised me not to speak for the next month.
Me: Surprising in India the rumor was that your Lawyers had asked you not to talk to CBI…… maybe this Doctor of yours also had a Law Degree …..to fight malpractice suits!!!
Ottavio: Mama Mia……. a sense of humor!!!!

We cross the street and walk towards The Petronas Twin Towers.

Me: I hear now the Courts in India have given a burial to Bofors??
Ottavio: Hearing it from you………. but, I am very skeptical!!
Me: Did not know that you were such a pessimist!!!
Ottavio: This Bofors is jinxed……. the gun backfired and then so many of those accused or associated have gone to the happy hunting grounds!!
Me: One reason for this is the investigation just went on and on.
Ottavio: Funny thing is that they have spent 250 crores on this investigation…….. to uncover a rat hole they have spent what it takes to build a palace!!!
Me: Governments do not look at this with a profit or loss attitude….. here the Law of the land is what matters!!!
Ottavio: Beats logic!!!!

We reach the Petronas Towers and Ottavio looks bewildered.

Ottavio: How come I landed here???
Me: Well from the Restaurant you walked with me……seems you got engrossed in the discussion.
Ottavio: Crafty guy……… must take a note of this lest the CBI sends someone like you and he gets me totally wrapped up in a discussion and the next thing I know I am on my way to India.
Me: I do not think CBI works in that way…… not like the French Investigation Agency which use these ways……remember Day of the Jackal???
Ottavio: So my friend let me bid you adieu …… I will not say see you!!!
Me: I'll just say bye………. I believe in providence…..karma!!!

Bharat Kumar

- Whispers --- Corporate World -

Narainswami to be CMD of IOB

K S Narainswami is taking over as CMD of the Indian Overseas Bank in a couple of weeks. He is presently CMD of the Andhra Bank.

ONGC gets award

The World Environment Foundation has conferred the prestigious Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award 2005 on Ahmedabad Asset of ONGC.
The award was decided by a jury headed by Dr. S Z Quasim, former member of Planning Commission.

Joseph is Regional Director RBI

F. R. Joseph has taken over as regional director of the Reserve Bank of India for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Sadyal is CVO SJVN

K.C Sadyal,1986 batch IPS officer of the Himachal cadre is joining as CVO of the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited on deputation.