Column By- Ashish Tiwari, Resident Editor ‘Collector’s Sorrow’
He is the collector of a district. He is sad that he did not get a bigger district. After a long wait, the government has given him the collectorate, still he is unhappy. It would have been good if he had seen the faces of those officers, who are waiting day and night for the collectorate of at least one district. Anyway, the collector sahab should read Geeta Saar. He will get some relief from the sorrow. Anyway, the collector is eminent. He has achieved his position by struggling. In this regard, his struggles should be saluted. At present, his desire to get a bigger district has directly attacked his consciousness. He has blamed the columnist of ‘Power Center’ for becoming the collector of a small district. He has been heard saying that the government underestimated his ability due to an article written earlier by the columnist. The collector sahab is raising questions on the columnist, as if God has entered his own character. A poet has written beautifully on this, “People find faults in others a lot, but they look less into their own selves”… Anyway, when the collector sahab was not a collector, he was a man of the ground. He knew how to struggle. As soon as he sat on the chair, he became sky-high. This Chhattisgarhi collector has big dreams. And they should be. I have only one suggestion for him, ‘Travelers with big destinations, do not lose heart’.
‘two percent’
A new player officer has come in a department. In the administrative corridors, this officer is being identified by the name of ‘two percent’. The ‘percentage system’ is not a new system in the government system. From the peon to the head of the department, everyone has been the carrier of this system named percent. They nurture this system that has been in place since ancient times. The fact is that the chair on which the officer is occupying, the work of that chair is only to put a bird on the files. Before this sahab, the sahabs who occupied this chair did not get even a penny. Sometimes, if someone voluntarily gave a small gift, then the day would be made. Since the officer is an expert player, he knows all the ways to put a bird on the bird. ‘Two percent’ has been fixed for every purchase made from the budget sent to the districts. Those running the district are now surprised and also upset that one more sharer has been added to their earnings. Obviously, the officers of the district must be jealous. Anyway, there is an old song, I had to go to Japan, but reached China, you understood. Something similar happened with this officer. When the government changed, there was hope that he would get a good posting. But Babugiri was written in his fate. Now wherever he is, he has found a way.
‘The story of a suit’
When a new government came to power in the state, a leader was confident that he would become a minister. He had even got a suit stitched, but when the cabinet list came, his hopes were dashed. With a heavy heart, he kept the suit in the cupboard. Perhaps with the hope that his turn would come someday! Anyway, the suit came out of the cupboard when he got a chance to hoist the flag in a district on 26 January. Thinking that he would feel the status of a minister at least for a few hours, he took out the suit from the cupboard and wore it. Netaji had got a chance to hoist the flag in another district adjacent to the area from which he was an MLA. The senior MLA of that district did not like this, so he sulked. His chair remained vacant in the function. The matter reached the top. This time when 15 August came, the people at the top were aware that the old mistake should not be repeated. Netaji, who was looking to become a minister, also had to be satisfied, so to satisfy him, he was sent to hoist the flag in another district. Once again Netaji took out the same suit and wore it. Anyway, politics is the only place where one gets a chance to feel the full power of the post even without the post. Even if this chance is for a few hours only. Those close to him say that no one knows when the time will turn in which direction. If Netaji becomes a minister tomorrow, then it is not a big deal. The world is based on hope.
‘boil’
With the intention of tightening the noose on the game going on under the guise of land registration, three registration officers were recently suspended. On the instructions of Minister OP Chaudhary, Registration IG Pushpendra Meena used his pen and the suspension order was issued. Especially, the land traders shed tears on the suspension of one of these three registration officers. The reason was also clear. The registration officer used to take care of the land traders. The government treasury may suffer a loss, but she would never dare to let the land traders suffer even a little. Anyway, on this side, the message of the suspension action sparked anger in the association of registration officers. Meetings were held one after the other. The blueprint of the strike was prepared. Before the strike could happen, a meeting was held with Minister OP Chaudhary. After this meeting, the anger of the officers boiled over twice as fast as it had boiled over. The minister said clearly that there is zero tolerance against corruption. Anyway, the price of every work in the registry office is fixed. The credibility of the government falls at this point. The minister has been a collector. Nothing is hidden. So, just because of the suspension of three officers on his instructions, registration officers of the entire state have become alert.
‘You are under surveillance’
During the tenure of a GST commissioner, a lot of games were played in the name of issuing input credit to businessmen. Years old input credit was issued to businessmen. A huge commission was fixed in return for this. Many other works were also done. All this work was done by the commissioner’s PA. Businessmen could see the real face of the GST commissioner in this PA only. The government changed, circumstances changed. Today, visit the GST office. It is written on the walls of the PA’s office, ‘You are under the surveillance of CCTV cameras. Sound is also recorded on this camera’. Recently, a businessman in the GST office wanted to talk to the PA. The PA pointed towards the information pasted on the walls. The businessman sat quietly rubbing his hands. The new GST commissioner is also meeting people in the crowd. Meetings of officers are being held together. Everyone is involved in all the work. Everyone is in everyone’s sight. There seems to be a struggle to bring transparency in the functioning of the department. The departmental minister of GST is OP Chaudhary. Obviously, he would be expecting better things. That is why a new system is being developed. An initiative of zero tolerance against corruption is being seen. This exercise should not start with hope and end with regret.
‘charismatic personality’
Recently, an FIR was registered against a close aide of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a case of fraud of Rs 15 crore. After the FIR, many secrets are being revealed. The close aide of the former Chief Minister turned out to be a man of charismatic personality. It is said that despite being nothing in the government, he was everything. He used to intimidate people in the name of the Chief Minister. He used to roam around with the Chief Minister, so he had influence, but who knew that there is a limit to the status of an influential person. It is being said that he did not spare even a big Congress leader of the country. He collected a huge amount in the name of getting work done in the state. The leader was big. He had great influence too. He sent his men and recovered some part of the money. Some part is still pending. There were some businessmen who took land in exchange for a huge amount given by intimidation. It is heard that that person, who had a keen interest in worship, had conducted many rituals here and there. With the belief that Congress would return to power. When the government did not come, he remained hiding in the house for many days. Those close to him say that he used to say, “Give me 30 crores and I will give you 60 crores.” Who knows how many more goats must have been trapped in his web of illusion.