When citizens envied VIPs the most

The almost week-long torture that the residents suffered on account of snapping of water and power supply in the state capital here had many envying the VIPs most of whom were well taken care of against all odds. With sub zero temperatures, those having electricity supply became target of neighbour’s envy. In some cases showdown took place with angry neighbours questioning the selective special treatment being meted out to these so-called VIPs. In fact, there were so many glaring examples where select houses got electricity while the rest of the colony was in pitched darkness, leaving the residents to freeze.

It’s time we in Indians learnt a lesson from countries like the USA, Canada or even the UK where everyone, including the President or the Prime Minister, live like commoners and do not seek extra-special treatment.

‘Urja mantri’ ditched the powerless

“Powerless and water-less” residents in Shimla had expressed their outrage against top bureaucrats and HP state electricity board top brass for posting their selfies on Facebook or partying in cozy rooms during weeklong crisis created by the heavy snowfall on January 7.

But the residents’ new target is Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania, who did not hold even a single meeting with the HP State Electricity Board Power Department to bail the city out from the crisis.

Though Pathania is known for his integrity and simplicity supporting his characteristic long bending Rajput moustache, netizens lambasted him for his casual approach. ‘Urja mantri’ preferred to be with Chief Minister in Kangra and left the city power-less.

Hectic day, CM watched ‘Dangal’

Chief Minister Virbhadra is not the one to let even the biggest of tribulations bother him from carrying on his normal routine or share lighter moments with family and friends. It was amidst his hectic winter sojourn of Kangra district that he took out time to watch the much acclaimed Dangal film by Amir Khan. With the scheduled programme at Nurpur getting over early, he headed straight to the E-max cinema hall in the town with Ajay Mahajan, the local legislator, and other Congress leaders. He watched the entire film from 7 pm to 9.30 pm.

A day later he celebrated Lohri along with Agriculture and Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania, performing the proper rituals that are observed on this festival.

Congmen’s cup of woes

The recent winter sojourn of the Chief Minister to lower Himachal areas saw traditional Congressmen in Indora pitted against independent MLA, Manohar Dhiman. Dhiman, who won as a BJP rebel candidate in last Assembly elections, has been supporting the present Congress regime and is an Associate Member of Congress Legislature Party (CLP). During the visit of the Chief Minister to Indora this week Dhiman hijacked the show leaving Congressmen sulking. Even the posters displayed on the occasion carried photos of Dhiman and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The Chief Minister also was more than benevolent towards Dhiman as he declared a welfare board for Dhiman community and SDM office in Indora. What added to the misery of Congressmen was that the CM while responding to queries from newsmen said that winnability would be the only criteria for selection of candidates in the Assembly elections later this year.

Little credible info to convey

BJP might have created an elaborate team of spokespersons all across the state, but how many are well-informed about the happening was amply reflected in the recent three-day BJP Conclave at Baddi where such office bearers had little credible information to convey. While favourites have been adjusted as spokespersons not many had managed to articulate the party's view in the last one year with not even a single press conference to their credit. Media persons had to make strenuous efforts to gather information with spokespersons failing to do justice to their posts. One wondered why such posts had been doled out to inapt people having neither the aptitude nor the will to do justice to such posts.

(With inputs from Pratibha Chauhan, Kuldeep Chauhan, Lalit Mohan, Ambika Sharma)