Will Chhagan Bhujbal join BJP?
Ajit Pawar’s decision to keep out senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal from the Maharashtra cabinet has sparked political tension. While Pawar aimed to appease the Maratha community and avoid parallel leadership, Bhujbal is restless due to his exclusion. Bhujbal showed his strength through worker demonstrations and met CM Devendra Fadnavis. CM promised a resolution within 8-10 days. Speculation grows over whether Bhujbal might join BJP, as the party could benefit from his OBC appeal. Currently there is suspense over his political strategy.
Raghuver Das likely to rejoin active politics?
Outgoing Governor Raghuver Das may re-enter into active politics. One should not be surprised if he is inducted into the Modi cabinet. All BJP stalwarts have lost election in the recently held assembly polls in Jharkhand and the state has no representation at the Centre therefore his chances are good.
BUREAUCRACY
IAS Vivek H.P.’s Dream to Make Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, Plastic-Free
IAS Vivek H.P belongs to 2016 batch AGMUT cadre and is currently posted as Deputy Commissioner of lower Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh. His vision for the district focuses on converting challenges into opportunities, fostering livelihoods and promoting sustainability.
One of his initiatives is ‘Plastic Free Ziro’ aimed at eliminating single use plastics in the district. As part of this effort, a cloth bag manufacturing unit has been set up in an unused government school hostel “This unit will be managed by women’s self-help groups who, apart from stitching cloth bags, can also use the unit for manufacturing other garments,” Vivek said.
Under his leadership the manufacturing unit not only tackles plastic pollution but also provides employment and opportunity for economic empowerment. Additionally to add a touch of local identity and to promote environmental awareness the cloth bags are designed with messages. “These cloth bags are featuring local Apatani tribal motifs and messages such as clean and green Ziro and Plastic Free Ziro to raise awareness and instil a sense of pride in the community.” he explained
To ensure widespread adoption,Bazaar committees in the district have been brought on board “As an incentive to discourage the use of single-use plastic bags, cloth bags are being distributed free of cost for an initial period . Afterwards, they will be supplied to the committees at a subsidized price to ensure their continued use.” He added
The initiative, planned to launch in January aims to make a significant impact “Currently, the district consumes around 8,000 kgs of plastic bags annually. This effort aims to eliminate single use plastic and create meaningful livelihood opportunities,” Vivek emphasized.
In addition to this, to increase tourist inflow, a direct flight service from Ziro to Guhawati was recently launched at a nominal price of ₹1,400 per ticket. This service aims to make ziro more accessible to travellers “Ziro is a prominent tourist destination, and this initiative will significantly enhance its tourism potential,” he explained.
Speculations in bureaucracy: Centre has bigger plans for Manipur?
After the appointment of the new Governor and the transfer of the Chief Secretary in Manipur, speculation is on rife in Delhi and Imphal bureaucratic circles whether the Centre has some bigger plans to restore normalcy in the state. A day after Centre appointed former Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Manipur Governor, it called state Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, a 1992 batch Manipur cadre officer, to Delhi. Joshi was sent to Manipur on May 7 last year- just 4 days after violent clashes rocked Manipur. Joshi was picked for the challenging assignment as he knew the system, having served in senior positions in the state. He was also known to have a good working relationship with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, having served as his Principal Secretary in 2017 for a year. Now over a year-and-a-half since violence erupted in the Northeastern state, he has been called back, giving room to the speculation.
Ms Rachna Shah appointed as Secretary, DoPT
Ms Rachna Shah, Secretary Textiles, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). She is a 1991 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.
Arunish Chawla appointed as Secretary, Revenue
Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Pharmaceuticals, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Revenue with additional charge of Culture. He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.
Vineet Joshi appointed as Secretary, Higher Education
Vineet Joshi has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Higher Education. He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre.
Sanjay Sethi appointed as Secretary, NCM
Sanjay Sethi has been appointed as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities (NCM). He is a 1992 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.
Ms Neelam Shami Rao appointed as Secretary, Textiles
Ms Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary, NCM, has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Textiles. She is a 1992 batch IAS officer of MP cadre.
Amit Agrawal appointed as Secretary, Pharmaceuticals
Amit Agrawal, CEO, Unique Identification Authority of India, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals. He is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre.
Ms Neerja Sekhar appointed as DG, National Productivity Council
Ms Neerja Sekhar, Special Secretary, I&B, has been appointed as Director General, National Productivity Council in Secretary rank. She is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.
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