The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Diplomatic and politically correct too

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Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Diplomatic and politically correct too

Bureaucrats are generally known for their diplomacy while politicians, specially those in the Government are known for being ‘politically’ correct. And one who is both can only be diplomatic and yet politically correct, right?

Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu is one such. His political savvy and diplomacy came to the fore in his speech at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of IRISET. Evading any commitment for the reputed training institution, he looked at S.K. Vij, Member Electrical and Engineering, Railway Board and said, “Training institutions need every input they can get. Please be liberal in your assistance,” evoking mirth in the audience.

And explaining his delayed arrival at the venue, by almost 50 minutes, he said, “When I get back to New Delhi, I will speak to Praful Patel, my Civil Aviation colleague and bring the flight delay to his notice. It would not have happened if I had come by train,” he said, taking a leaf out of his senior, the inimitable Lalu Prasad.

The free legal awareness campaign in the State seems to be paying off OK, but then it is also giving anxious moments to the AP State Legal Services Authority. That was a case of a woman not taking the beating of her husband lying down, as she used to. Armed with awareness and with encouragement from paralegal volunteers, she repaid hubby dearest in the same coin, forcing the ‘mandarins of power’ to press the panic button.

This was revealed by Justice Bilal Nazki, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court at a ‘clinical legal aid and awareness programme’ for the poor at M.S. Makta, a slum abutting the picturesque Necklace Road. There was nary a slum-dweller in the audience though.

D.S.R. Varma, a High Court Judge and chairman, APSLSA, brought cheer among the audience revealing how a young housewife serving lifer for killing her husband, turned a new leaf by becoming a paralegal volunteer with a strong desire to serve society.

As the city celebrated the Children’s Day and the International Film Festival was organised for them, the question of an exclusive complex for the purpose was raised again.

The issue was raised by Union Minister Dasari Narayana Rao at the inaugural and its shadows lingered on till the event concluded. Some rounds of explaining were taken up and in the end, hopes were raised to have the complex by the time, the next editi on of the children’s film festival arrives.

Only time will tell whether the hopes come true.

Such is the state of affairs that every citizen appears to be convinced that no house can be built or construction done without making any deviations. Rules? Oh! Those are meant for small timers.

A senior planning official was in for a shock the other day when a property owner, who voluntarily gave his land for road-widening, came with a poser: “Sir, can you please tell me how much deviation I can do?” For good effect, he even open ed the building map on the table for a full view.

“Please forget about deviations, those days are gone. Even if you have given your land willingly for road-widening we can only give you some extra floor space index or concessions in setbacks,” told the official recovering his poise!

Several development projects in the city are gaining momentum and the projects that are completed are getting high profile inaugurations.

Be it HUDA or the GHMC, the approach seems not to complete the projects alone but also provide a platform for the ruling party to present the good work done by them before the people.

Why not? These are the days of marketing oneself.

But the only sore point in such inaugurations is the time spent waiting for the VVIPs to arrive. At the inauguration of Durgam Cheruvu STP by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, even Minister Koneru Ranga Rao was seen killing his time at the venue. An MLA present at the venue offered a well-meaning suggestion to the Minister, “It helps to check with CM’s Peshi before starting for the venue.”

SURESH KRISHNAMOORTHY, V.N. HARINATH, T. LALITH SINGH, V. GEETANATH & M.L. MELLY MAITREYI

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