Kerala   

Mistaken identity

Vinod Bhattathiripad is on the horns of a dilemma because, it appears there is a difference of only a single digit between his cell number and that of the powerful Finance Minister Vakkom Purushothaman. Vinod Bhattathiripad is getting calls on his cell phone that are actually meant for the Finance Minister.

Vinod who has his own circle of admirers as the presenter of the popular radio programme Cyber magic which is broadcast from Akashvani-Kozhikode every week, sums up his feelings thus: The speaker at the other end is often politeness personified. Sometimes they are also Ministers. Without wasting time they begin the conversation by saying "I am "Minister for so and so" and then go on to explain the purpose of the call. This is often for quick release of funds for their projects. As soon as he is told he has dialled "wrong number", the call would be disconnected. The Finance Minister's staff in his office in Thiruvananthapuram however claim the Finance Minister does not use his mobile phone. A change of cell number is the obvious solution to such problems. But then a businessman runs the risk of losing many customers if he changes his telephone number overnight.

R. Madhavan Nair

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