ISHAN KARAN
Ranchi, July 29: Today let us get acquainted with a ‘Pope’ of the most talked about department in Jharkhand. For the last two months, the corruption stories of this department are ruling the front pages of almost all the newspapers after the Secretary of the said department had to go to jail and is still languishing there. While most of the top brasses are on the radar of a central agency, one senior officer cleverly managed to keep himself away from the radar. This gentleman is the self-proclaimed ‘Pope’ of the said department.
The aura of this gentleman at the headquarter level as well as the field level is worth watching. He has been in the department from its inception. He openly claims that these IAS guys cannot run the department without him. And his bragging is not without justification. He was once removed and sent into oblivion. But within a few months, the secretary of the department (now residing in Hotwar) reinstated him with full honour. He acted as a conduit between the head and the field officers. The field officers and the field offices have always been in awe of him as he has a great say in his transfers and postings because of his proximity to the heads of the department. If someone goes to the department for some work either at the field offices or headquarters, he is advised to contact him. In the previous regime, this officer was very close to the Secretary who was also holding the top post in the highest office of the State. He is also said to be very close to some very powerful politicians. If any secretary would dare to challenge his influence within the department, he would pass some damaging information to the politicians and thus keep the head of the department in check. This was his modus operandi of maintaining the ‘balance of power’.
The recent ongoing turmoil in the said department has hardly affected his “shop”. He is still calling the shots from his palatial house situated in the most famous, posh and controversial colony of Ranchi. The gentleman in question is no doubt the “Pope”, the ultimate power behind the scenes. His retirement is early next year but people doubt that they will see the last of him in the department. He may be appointed on the contractual basis in the very same department due to his clout amongst the officials and politicians. Who Knows?
