End of the line

B.S. Lalli, the controversial chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati, survived many attempts to dislodge him but two weeks after President Pratibha Patil’s assent to a Supreme Court-led inquiry against him for various administrative and financial improprieties, the government has finally acted and suspended him. The 1971 batch

Indian Administrative Services officer, who has been indicted by the Central Vigilance Commission for his various crimes and misdemeanours, caused serious divisions within the public broadcaster during his tenure, but primarily due to his style of functioning and controversial decisions. Former chairman of Prasar Bharti Arun Bhatnagar quit after accusing Mr Lalli of wrongdoing, and even present chairperson Mrinal Pande has voiced concern over Mr Lalli’s actions. Even with Mr Lalli out of Prasar Bharati, there is still a bigger question mark against the country’s largest public broadcaster and its future. This may be a good time to address it.

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Maya acts fast
The appointment of retired senior Indian Administrative Services officer M. Ramchandran as the new adviser to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati took many in babudom by surprise. Mr Ramchandran, a former babu of the Uttarakhand cadre, retired as secretary, urban development, but was also in the race to become Union Cabinet secretary, but lost out when the government gave a two-year extension to incumbent K.M. Chandrasekhar. He maintained a stoic silence and remains the low-key brilliance he always has been.
Mr Ramchandran has been away from Uttar Pradesh for more than a decade, after being assigned the Uttarakhand cadre in 2000. The Uttarakhand government was even considering him to head the power regulatory authority, but Ms Mayawati’s quick move has clearly paid put to any such plans. The way babudom sees it, Mr Ramchandran is unlikely to fade away as many ex-babus tend to do after retirement!

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CIC’s troubles
The overwhelming presence of former babus in the Central Information Commission (CIC) has long been a bone of contention with Right to Information (RTI) activists. The appointment of Satyanand Mishra, former secretary in the department of personnel and training, as the new chief information commissioner will only revive the debate. While RTI activists say that babus’ reluctance to part with information is incongruous with the demands of this job, the government has thought otherwise. Mr Mishra’s immediate predecessor A.N. Tewari and Wajahat Habibullah were also babus. Interestingly, Mr Mishra’s last assignment was as secretary in department of personnel and training, where he stridently opposed Mr Habibullah who insisted that file notings be brought under the RTI Act!
Now that mr Mishra is on the other side of the fence, many wonder how he’ll handle his new role.