Power decentralised
Two officers, working under a bureaucrat posted in a department important for the government, are in discussions these days. Sahib has handed over the department to them. Whosoever comes to the department to meet the boss is sent to one of the two. People in the corridors of power say the two officers make all the deals on behalf of their boss. These officers tell anyone who visits the department for work about the nitty-gritty of the backhand deals. Once the deal is done, the files related to the work move further. Or else, the officials stonewall the files on one pretext or another. When other officials of the department objected to giving more powers to the two officers, Sahib involved another in his underhand deals. But Sahib, soon after his posting to the department, sidelined the officer who he has now handed over some work. He is also considered an expert in amassing sweeteners. Sahib’s family members have also become active in the department. The officer is making offstage deals through various means.
Behind the curtain
The higher-ups in the government are discussing an underhand deal done by a senior IAS officer. He is an expert in handling such affairs. Sahib, who gathers sweetener in his department, has recently brokered a shady transaction of another department through an agent. The department concerned with education was to do the deal. A broker close to Sahib became active. The agent lobbied for the purchase through Sahib. The officer received a huge amount of kickback in the deal. In the process, he played a trick on some people by taking a huge amount of cut in collusion with the broker. Many people had been previously involved in the affair through which Sahib had received the sweetener. Now, they are revealing the truth about the trick the officer has played on them. The offstage deals done by Sahib are being discussed in the corridors of power.
Wife’s department
The husband of a woman officer looks after the accounts of her department. The department where Madam works does purchases and other transactions. The officers and suppliers have understood they should discuss the department-related affairs with Madam, and for other things, they should talk to her husband. Sahib is an old schemer. He is also an expert in handling offstage financial deals. Sahib holds meetings for such deals in a farmhouse near the state capital. He solves any problem related to Madam’s department sitting there. The department where Sahib is working does not offer enough scopes for underhand deals. So, he pays more attention to Madam’s department than he does to his place of work. This is the reason that more people from Madam’s department meet him than those of his department. Sahib is a master of the art of handling such work. On earlier occasions, too, he used to control the departments where Madam was posted.
Upset officer
A promoted IAS officer caught in the cycle of time is upset. After the formation of the government, this officer was considered powerful. To meet the head of state, senior bureaucrats used to call him up. The Big Boss shifted him to a corporation to avoid any controversy. He went there at his own discretion. Because the officer was misusing the names of many senior people, he was shifted from the corporation to the loop line. Now, the officer wants to be the collector of a district. He is lobbying for it through those who are close to the head of the state. After the SIR, the collectors of some districts may be changed. Sahib wants to get a chance when such changes take place. Sahib does not have much work in his present department. Besides, because of the strict nature of the department’s principal secretary, he often gets a dressing-down. So, the officer is trying to get the command of a district through his old clout.
Eye on posting
Many officers have set their eyes on the posting of two IPS officers who have come back to the state from deputation to the centre. Both are considered efficient. They are well-connected with the higher-ups in administration as well as in politics. They have worked in different places. Thus, people in the corridors of power want to see where they are going to be posted. The name of one of them is being discussed for a position in an important post. The name of the other officer is doing the rounds for another post. Some people in the corridors of power are interested in ensuring that he gets the position which the IPS officers consider important. His caste equations are also helping him. There are possibilities that if they are posted in the police headquarters, they will get important work. On the other hand, some officers are worried about their comeback. They think once the duo come to the headquarters, their importance will decrease.
Search underway
The government is searching for an IAS officer for a coveted position in the department. The officer holding the position wants to go out of the place. He requested the higher-ups several times to shift him from there. But because the government did not find an alternative to this officer, it could not shift him. The name of an officer was almost finalised for the position. The well-wishers of the officer also began to say that he would get the plum posting. But because of some fresh equations, he is facing difficulties in posting in the department. Now, the government is unable to decide the name of an officer to be posted there. The name of an officer close to the head of state was discussed for posting in the department. But the Big Boss does not want to shift him. Seeing a flurry of activities for posting in the department, two more officers have swung into action. One of the officers has contacted a place considered the power centre to achieve his goal.