Amid protests by the Cockroach Janta Party demanding his resignation, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan paid a day-long visit to Kurukshetra, but the media was kept at arm’s length. He attended programmes at Vidya Bharti Sanskriti Shiksha Sansthan, chaired a review meeting at the National Institute of Technology and paid obeisance at the Bhadrakali Temple. However, all events were held in a low-key manner, with media access restricted.
Website frozen in time
More than nine months after being suspended by the Election Commission during the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll, IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal continues to be listed as SSP on the official Tarn Taran police website. Her successor Surinder Lamba has long taken charge. The outdated information has once again highlighted poor maintenance of government websites and raised questions about the accuracy of public-facing portals.
Sukhbir’s political spin
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal has sought to reinterpret Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the Akali Dal. Sukhbir claimed the PM’s remarks were aimed at rival Akali factions, not the SAD led by him. At a recent rally in Jalandhar, Modi had said the Akali Dal was “engrossed in its own interests”, effectively ruling out a renewed BJP-SAD alliance and calling the BJP to fight on its own in Punjab.
Ex-babus dominate Trust CEO race
Former bureaucrats are dominating the race for the CEO of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which will meet on July 22 to finalise a name. Sources said the pool of over 3,000 applicants is led by former babus. The Trust, while inviting applications, had put “Ram Bhakt” as a primary consideration.
Surprise shake-ups in Delhi
Power corridors in Delhi are abuzz with talk of sudden shocks the government is delivering. First came the removal of four staffers from the office of Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, followed by the surprise exit of Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha. In both cases, the orders came out of the blue. Golcha had in fact participated in an ongoing tree plantation drive just minutes before he was replaced.
DSP faces identity mix-up
A shocking case of mistaken identity has put Malout DSP Jaspal Singh in the spotlight. Following the release of the film “Satluj”, his photograph went viral on social media with false claims linking him to the convicted former DSP Jaspal Singh involved in the 1995 Jaswant Singh Khalra disappearance case. The officer said he was only an under-training ASI at the time and has now decided to take legal action against those spreading misinformation.
Punjab’s SIR maze
Peculiar things seem to be unfolding in Punjab during the ongoing SIR exercise. Children go to school only to find their teachers absent. The teachers, deployed as booth-level officers (BLOs), are out searching for the children’s parents. The parents, meanwhile, are busy trying to trace their own parents’ names in the 2003 electoral rolls. Is that not that strange?
Solan donation theft
A Congress leader spearheading the party’s protest over an alleged donation theft in Solan found himself facing uncomfortable questions from locals, who pointed to his own history of defaulting on loans worth crores. His presence at the protest prompted many to ask whether he was in a position to speak against theft when, according to critics, he had used his influence to delay both the repayment of dues and the auction of his properties, even as the Baghat Urban Cooperative Bank grappled with financial distress and the threat of liquidation.
A case of bad timing
For reasons best known to the government, the HP Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) seems to witness key transfers at the most inopportune moments. Last year, its Managing Director was shifted just ahead of the apple harvesting season. This year, as the season got underway, the General Manager was transferred. This is precisely when HPMC undertakes the procurement of cull apples and citrus fruits under the Market Intervention Scheme — a complex exercise involving multiple stakeholders. An official who has overseen the exercise and understands its intricacies would naturally be better equipped to ensure a smooth rollout than someone still finding their feet in the organisation.
Contributed by Nitish Sharma, Pawan K Jaiswar, GS Paul, Aditi Tandon, Archit Watts, Ravi Dhaliwal, Ambika Sharma and Subhash Rajta
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