Overheard In Bhopal: Rehabilitation Plan; Next Posting; Plum Posting; Losing Money

Next posting

The next place of posting of a few officers in the state administration has already been fixed. If nothing unusual happens, it is almost decided where they will go from their present place of working. The government is set to appoint a collector of an important district as the commissioner of a key division. The higher-ups have already made their intentions clear by handing an important assignment to the officer. Now, the government is discussing two names to post one of them in place of that officer. One of them is ahead of the other in the race for the job. An officer holding an important position in Bhopal may be sent as collector to the important district. Many people in the corridors of power are taking a lot of interest in posting of this officer to the district. The officer is close to a few powerful people. The government is also mulling over the name of another officer for the assignment. He is considered the choice of senior officers. He has been the collector of a few districts. This officer is also close to several powerful people. The Sahib has recently tried to woo the head of state. The officer’s name is also doing the rounds for posting to an important district.

Mere coincidence!

It is a great coincidence with two IAS officers in the state that they have become each other's successor in their third consecutive posting. Two and a half years ago, the government transferred one of them from a religious city and posted the other to this important place. After the formation of the government, the top officials shifted the officer from the religious city and transferred him to the state capital by giving him an important position. When this officer was sent as the collector of a district, the same officer who was transferred from the religious city at that time was posted in his place. The story continued. Now the Sahib has been transferred from the district and again made the collector in the religious city. Similarly, the officer who was posted in Bhopal has been sent as the collector to the same district where his colleague had worked. Such a coincidence has kicked up a buzz in the corridors of power that before the assembly elections, the Sahib may get the command of the religious city as the successor of his colleague.

Rehabilitation plan

Every IAS officer yearns for rehabilitation to any department after retirement. They lobby for it. But in one case, the government has decided to rehabilitate an officer even before his retirement. The head of state is pleased with this officer, who finishes as many assignments as he gets and keeps away from interfering in anybody’s work. Because he maintains a low profile, he never raises any controversy. Ergo, the government may adjust him to any department after retirement. There is another reason behind the government’s plan to rehabilitate him. A close relative of the officer is highly influential. He has links with the bureaucrats as well as with the politicians. The relative’s efforts for the officer’s rehabilitation will yield results. Moreover, as he does not aspire to join an important department, his rehabilitation will be easy.

Plum posting 

A principal secretary (PS) may get an important department in the administrative reshuffle in the coming days. The officer has been trying to get charge of an important department. He pulled out all the stops through several people to meet his purpose. The higher-ups in the government have positive views about him. A powerful officer likes him. This is the reason that he is set to get a plum posting. At present, a big department is functioning under him. But it has a little importance to the government. However insignificant the department may be, working there causes tension. So, the Sahib wants to go to another place. The Sahib’s name is doing the rounds for a department of his choice. The government, unhappy with the style of functioning of the officer posted there, wants to carry out some changes. There are reports that the government may send the PS to that department. But the problem with the officer is that he is unable to stay at one place for a long time.

In the soup

A secretary-rank IAS officer is up the creek. A probe agency has registered an FIR against him. There was a complaint against the officer when he had been working in a place. The probe agency registered an FIR against him along with some other officers after a preliminary inquiry. The officer came to know of it after the registration of an FIR. He has been sparing no effort to get rid of the case ever since then. The officer is retiring next year. If the secretary is unable to get rid of the case before retirement, there may be a difference in the pension amount. He sought the help of some senior officers. But they are unable to help because of the case against him. The officer is more or less simple; besides, there are fewer corruption cases against him. Yet, he is in a tight corner before retirement.

Losing money!

An officer is about to lose money after a probe agency’s raids at some places. The agency attached the properties of a man after the raids at his official and residential premises. The officer invested money in the properties of that person because he had to park his black money somewhere. The property owner used to do transactions with the officer. The man advised the officer to invest money in his properties. The officer was, however, unable to invest money in his name. So, he purchased land in the name of a friend of the property owner. Now, the agency has attached the properties. But the Sahib cannot say to anyone that he has invested money in properties. Moreover, the chances that the agency will release these properties are thin. As a result, the officer is very tense. The Sahib's way of working indicated that his troubles would increase.