Friday, 06 September 2024 | Gajendra Singh Negi
In Action
Piqued by the spurt in the cases of crime in the State and criticism emanating from different quarters, the chief minister Puskhar Singh Dhami is learnt to have given a severe dressing down to the senior officers of police and State administration. In a series of steps which involved large scale raids in the liquor shops across the State on complaints of overrating and other irregularities and a surprise visit of the CM to the police headquarters where he directed the police to put its act together in acting against the criminals, the CM seems to have conveyed his strong displeasure on the current state of affairs. Dhami followed up these actions on ground with a late-night major reshuffle in the bureaucracy of the State on Wednesday. In the rejig, portfolios of 39 IAS, one IFS and five PCS officers were changed. As many as six district magistrates, including that of Dehradun and Hardiwar were changed and the highly influential officer R Meenakshi Sundaram was shunted out from the CM secretariat. A reshuffle in the responsibilities in the police setup is also on the anvil.
Assertive TSR
After the end of Monsoon session of the Parliament, the former chief minister and Haridwar MP Trivendra Singh Rawat is keeping the political observers of the Himalayan State engaged with his assertive outbursts.TSR was first to question the sensational claim made by the independent MLA Umesh Kumar on the floor of the State Assembly that the powerful Gupta brothers are keen to topple Pushkar Singh Dhami government and they have set aside a sum of Rs 500 crore for the purpose. Rawat said that the comment should not be taken lightly both by the government and the Assembly Speaker and also questioned the silence of the 70 legislators on the accusation levelled in the house. Later, the former CM pulled up the State police for deteriorating law and order situation and a spurt in crime against women in the State. Continuing his assertiveness,TSR has now advised the Dhami cabinet to follow its Dharma in taking a decision on the issue of a disproportionate asset case involving a powerful cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi. The assertion and actions of the former CM are being closely watched with bated breath by CM Dhami’s camp followers.
Cabinet’s call
The future of the powerful cabinet minister Ganesh Joshi appears to be in the doldrums with a special vigilance court waiting for the response of the State cabinet to start proceedings in a disproportionate asset case against him. The fate of the formidable minister now hinges on what decision Pushkar Singh Dhami’s cabinet takes on the permission sought by the Vigilance. Given the political astuteness and maturity exhibited by CM Dhami ever since he took over the reins of the State, it is very likely that he will take the central leadership of the saffron party into confidence before taking a call on the subject. It will be interesting to watch the stand BJP top brass will take since the ‘Shaktiman’ fame minister is said to have good contacts in Delhi.
