Complaints list

The Hyderabad House joint media appearance threw a surprise Tuesday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Vietnam counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung came to the large ballroom on the first floor. Instead of sitting together side by side for media statements, there were two lecterns from which they could address the media. While this gave an uninterrupted line of sight for the photo-journalists, this new arrangement meant that there was no signing of agreements since there was no place to sit and sign. Instead the officials, who signed the seven pacts, exchanged the documents. It also offered an awkward position for the customary handshake of the Prime Ministers with the officials, each time there was a signing of documents.

DUTY, OFF DUTY 

It was a Diwali gift that got withdrawn just a day after the festival. On October 22, on the eve of Diwali, Poonam Natrajan, chairperson of the National Trust, a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, was given an extension to continue in her post till December 31. This, despite the fact that the Appointments Committee of Cabinet had expressed displeasure over the process of her appointment and repeated extensions granted to her since 2006. Natrajan, who held the rank of a Secretary, had, incidentally, resigned on October 1, sensing the mood in the government regarding appointments made by the previous regime. But ignoring her resignation, the ministry granted her extension. However, in an inexplicable turn of events, Natrajan was relieved from her post on the next working day, October 24.

STICKING POINT

While the BJP finalised its candidates for majority of constituencies in J&K about two months back, its choice for seven constituencies in the Jammu region — all of which it won in the 2008 Assembly elections — remains the sticking point. The party is in a dilemma as to whether to repeat the sitting MLAs in light of the fact that they were suspended for cross-voting in favour of a National Conference nominee in the Legislative Council elections. While the suspension was later revoked, the general consensus in the party’s state unit is that it would send a wrong signal if any of these MLAs is nominated again. However, the final decision has been left to the central leadership.