Monday Mirchi : Buzz over Sajjanar’s trips to home state

Trend-setting IPS officer V C Sajjanar’s recent trips to his home state Karnataka have created a buzz among official circles. A little bird told us that Sajjanar might be having political aspirations. He is already popular not just in Telangana but across the country and is often compared to the protagonist in Singham. Sajjanar comes from a district in Karnataka that is not very far from Telangana’s border with that state. Officials are now discussing if the officer, better known for meting out quick, dramatic punishment to rapists, might contest from the just-launched yet-to-be-registered Bharat Rashtra Samiti or another party.

Is Harichandana getting intezaar ka phal?

It appears that among administrative circles it does not matter if an official is asked to report to the General Administration Department (GAD) and left without posting for months on end. But singling out such an official for what is believed to be a plum post, at a time when several bureaucrats are awaiting transfers, can raise eyebrows.The recent displacement of Harichandana Dasari has created a buzz around her next posting, though some see it as intezaar ka phal. The 2010 IAS officer wanted a posting in Hyderabad, after having served as Collector of Narayanpet for more than three years. The officer is likely to get a posting in Hyderabad, most likely in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Bureaucratic circles are discussing how the officer lucked out, while they have remained in the same post for years. Curiously, that she was not given any posting long after being asked to report to GAD does not seem to be an issue among officers.

Three cheers for vacation again

Determined babus can afford to hibernate or aestivate as long as they want once they make their options clear. For most of the senior bureaucrats, going on a vacation even once a year is a big deal. But Viswajith Kampati, 2013 batch IPS officer, seems to be an exception. He will go on a vacation around Diwali. A little bird told us that the chief of the Directorate of Enforcement, Vigilance & Disaster Management (EV&DM) would be going on a vacation for the third time this year. Bureaucratic circles are discussing how this IPS officer is ‘exceptional’ in many things, considering that his approving authority is different. Viswajit has long back expressed his desire to move out from EV & DM post and has kept a very low profile for nearly a year now. The buzz is that for a person who was on a roll in the initial days, it is now time for aiming at a bigger post in the Police Department.

What next, after homecoming?

The thrill of homecoming in the case of a senior babu who has been unsuccessful in switching to the private sector or sticking to either state or central services cannot be described. Nevertheless, his peers may be anxious to know how he would fit in the new scheme of things. The prolonged suspense over Praveen Prakash’s explorations in career advancement has at last resulted in a happy ending. In all probability, he will head back to Andhra Pradesh. A little bird told us that his return has been approved by the Chief Minister. As reported in these columns, Prakash had faced rejection after rejection in his attempts to get a suitable post. He had tried to join IBM. But with the private company seeming not so suitable, he had hoped for important positions in Delhi. After more than a year of hopping around, it is joyful homecoming for Prakash. On the flip side, bureaucratic circles are now discussing the post he might get.

When beliefs outweigh legalities

When widespread beliefs and inveterate traditions trigger transgressions of law, those in authority cannot help looking the other way. On Dasara this year, overzealous officials brought a caged palapitta (the Indian Roller bird or Indian Blue Jay, which is the state bird of Telangana) to Pragati Bhavan — the official residence of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.They did that in furtherance of the strong belief in Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha and other states that spotting palapitta on Dasara would bring good fortune to the beholder. However, under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it is illegal to capture, hunt, or trade in the bird.The Chief Minister and his family members prayed to the palapitta.That is, the poor caged state bird became an object of reverence, though its captors went unpunished.