Snob value

The residence of the Indian high commissioner in Britain, 9, Kensington Palace Gardens, has been under renovation for the last three years. The accumulated bills for repairs of this crumbling heritage building reportedly total around three to four million dollars. The phenomenal cost is because all work on the building — whether fixing leaking ceilings or fitting new pipes — can be entrusted only to the few approved firms authorised by the Crown, since the property belongs to the Queen of England.

A decade ago, when the lease was renewed many questioned whether the huge cost of retaining the Kensington Palace address for another 40 years was worth the expense. Nobody calculated that in addition to the millions we have paid for extending the lease, we would have to bear such a high cost in repairs alone. And while the Kensington Palace bungalow is being re-done, the Indian government has rented a super luxurious apartment overlooking Regents Park. The last occupants before our high commissioners moved in were the star couple, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Small wonder that some one has filed a PIL pleading that we charge the Brits a comparable amount for the Rajaji Marg bungalow, which has been home to the British high commissioner in Delhi since independence. The sprawling Lutyens bungalow with outhouses and more than an acre of garden is surely a better bargain than a decaying double storey with a pocket handkerchief back garden in London. It seems that the Indian government is being billed not so much for the size of the Kensington Palace house and miniscule lawn, but the privilege of the exclusive address!

Horse sense

Senior BJP politicians tend towards obesity or diabetes and are not normally shining examples of physical fitness. Defence cum External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh is the exception. The 63-year-old Singh is an enthusiastic horse rider and he regularly takes a trot around the Parade Grounds in the early mornings. Not, however, on the two steeds gifted by the Saudi Arabians since they are still only ponies. Incidentally, Singh bought the ponies from the government since according to the rules all gifts costing over Rs 5,000 have to be deposited with the tosha khana.

New-look office

As a wealthy businessman Subbarami Reddy adopts a style not in sync with the Congress party’s socialist pretensions. As the AICC secretary in charge of media relations, Reddy redecorated the media office at 24, Akbar Road in five star fashion courtesy an interior decorator, who installed imported wood panel flooring, matte concrete finish on the walls, glazed glass on the window panes and Swedish modern furniture.

Proud of his efforts Reddy issued written invitations to journalists to come and admire the newly renovated room. Some of his colleagues in the media cell are unhappy over the transformation and complain privately that Reddy seems to have appropriated the room for himself. To be fair to Reddy he has made no such proprietorial claims, in fact, his invitation makes clear it is not just his space but belongs to everyone in the media cell. Still, with all the backbiting, plans for renovation of the outer room where the clerical staff and visitors sit have been put on hold.

Hobson’s choice

Last week, Jayalalitha summoned Petroleum Secretary P. Shankar and inquired whether he was willing to return to Chennai as chief secretary of Tamil Nadu. Most bureaucrats would have quaked at the offer. Tamil Nadu’s imperious first lady has within the first fortnight ordered the transfer of the home secretary, police chief, director anti-corruption cell and half a dozen public sector heads. She is now calling for wholesale changes at the local administrative level. Besides Shankar cannot have forgotten that during Jayalalitha’s earlier stint as chief minister he himself was a victim of her whimsical conduct and was transferred thrice in a short span.

In Delhi, Shankar enjoys an excellent equation with his minister, Ram Naik. And he had a good rapport with his previous bosses including the DMK’s Murasoli Maran. Probably the low key bureaucrat realises that the petroleum secretary is as hot a seat as Tamil Nadu chief secretary, after all there have been four petroleum secretaries during Vajpayee’s government and none of them has completed even a year in office!

Shaky stepping stone

Since his stormy exit from the BJP, Kalayan Singh has failed to make any headway politically. Last week, he flew down to Mumbai to announce a poll pact between his Rashtriya Kranti Party (RKP) and a most unlikely ally, Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The two have little in common. Thackeray has no clout in UP and is anti-reservation, whereas as a kurmi leader, Kalayan’s strength lies in OBC politics.

A deep throat claims that the RKP-SS tie-up is actually a stepping stone for Kalyan’s eventual return to the BJP. Kalyan has been holding secret parleys with the pro-Advani camp and the BJP in deep trouble in UP on the eve of assembly elections is clutching at every straw. But is there any future for Kalyan in the party after the way he hit out at senior BJP leaders including Vajpayee before quitting?

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