hear say

NEW  DELHI GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

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Raghu Raman Chief Executive Officer of Natgrid is now a 

dejected personality. He is a former Army personnel  later joined

Mahindra Securities-. He was drawn by P Chidambaram to be the 

CEO of National Intelligence Grid to work out a software to track

terrorists funds. Raghu Raman take home pay per month is tenlakh

rupees. In the recent presentation made by him to the Union Home

Secretary GK Pillai about the tracking of terrorists funds TTF

intelligence officials had gone to sleep. They do not cooperate

with Natgrid. Be it RAW or IB, hence Raghu Raman has taken

up with Home Minister complaining that desired cooperation

is not forthcoming from Secretaries of Home,Expenditure, Finance

Banking and Foreign office. 

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Director SPG (Special Protection Group) is now positioned above

Secretaries to Government of India. Financial power of Director

SPG has since been enhanced from 20 crores to 25. This has upset

many senior Secretaries to Government of India, are empowered to

clear any submissions worth about Rs 20 crores.This is the maximum

limit. But SPG director is given addtional Rs 5 cores. Sushma Nath

Secretary Expenditure is believed to have been overruled, as SPG

protects Prime Minister and UPA2 Chairperson and her family members.

Sushma Nath closed her face with two hands-at Committee of Secretaries

meet where this proposal was approved.

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Shiv Shankar Menon is ruling the roost nowadays. His proposals are

getting approved by PMO. Recently  Prime Minister Ofice has approved 

setting up of a Strategic Programme Staff (SPS)

to function under the National Security Advisor. This unique back up to NSA

will be headed by a Secretary level officer, to be packed with directors and

deputy secretaries as staff members.  Shiv Shankar Menon proposal was rejected by

Ministries of Personnel and Home.

Post of Secretary cannot be created without the approval of the

Union Cabinet that is the view Union Home Ministry has taken.

National Security Advisor Secretariat shall now have a Secretary

status official to head the department. NSA position is becoming too

unweildy according insiders. The IB and RAW do have reservations

about SPS proposal. The reports of IB and RAW will be processed

by SPS before it was submitted to NSA.

During the tenure of MK Narayanan and JN Dikshit as NSA,

the IB and RAW were backing up the office of NSA. But now

with Shiv Shankar Menon in position, is keen to delink

the IB and RAW from NSA.

SPS  basic responsibility is to render assistant to National Security

Advisor. This SPS is a new component has been allocated office accommodation

in different premises at a considerable distance from Sardar Patel Bhavan. 

SPS will also be party reporting to National Security Council Secretariat.

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1977 batch IAS officers should be thankful to a member of the appointments

committee of the cabinet. For simple reason, that said Minister registered

his opposition to approve in situ promotions to 1977 officers as 

Special Secretaries to Government of India. Reason, where are the vacancies

and extra expenditure. Can you guess who would have said such strong

language in English. The two page hand written note of the Minister

was submitted to Prime Minister. In one sentence the PM said

the views of the ACC members if rejected. Shame to the proposal

by the Hon. Minister who is so fluent and proficient in English.

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ends