SAMAJWADI Party (SP) supremo’s reported comment on daughters and wives of officers and businessmen have made the bureaucrats red-faced though none of the officers or their wives are likely to take up the issue at any forums. However, the man who could come close bureaucrats across the country is expelled Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh, who on Wednesday sought intervention of the National Commission for Women (NCW) over remarks of his political mentor-turned adversary.
In fact, Mulayam Singh Yadav who recently opposed the Women’s reservation Bill tooth and nail in Rajya Sabha, reportedly said on Tuesday that if the Bill was passed, “wives and daughters of officers and businessmen who invite whistles from boys” would enter Parliament. Another expelled SP leader and former cine actress Jaya Prada too termed it ‘an insult to women’ hoped that the NCW will take the complaints seriously.
Though many politicians love to insult their bureaucrats and always want them to behave like their private secretaries, this is probably the first ever seriously objectionable remark by a senior politician about wives and daughters of bureaucrats.
Ministers and bureaucrats can fly first class again
Finally, Indian ministers and bureaucrats will be able to break free from “cattle class” experiences in air. A finance ministry order has now said that travel on government account by air, both domestic and international, “may take place by the entitled class”, meaning bureaucrats and ministers will again fly first class for foreign junkets and business class for domestic trips from April 1 onwards.
Though the government still has not allowed first class travel for reimbursing the LTC, the recent move is an indication that there has been an improvement of the economic conditions which got exacerbated after the Lehman collapse. The government last September directed the government employees not to fly first class irrespective of their entitlements. Ministers like Farooq Abdullah, Dayanidhi Maran and Anand Sharma had reportedly protested against the austerity drive, but it was the minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor who came into controversy thanks to his description of the economy class as “cattle class”.
SC verdict to bring cheers to state civil servants
The Supreme Court’s ruling that a government employee has a fundamental right to be considered for promotion and it is mandatory for the Centre and states to carry out cadre review of eligible officers for promotion to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), may bring joy to the families of hundreds of state civil service officers. The apex court further directed the Centre and the UP government to consider the promotion of two, Hemraj Singh Chauhan and Ramnawal Singh, to the IAS.