Callous beyond redemption

WHAT COULD be more callous than this? The duty in-charge at the LESA’s powerhouse near Aashiana locality had this callous statement to make on low voltage problem in Sector ‘N’ of Aashiana locality on Sunday at 5 pm: “Kahan se karigar launga. Jiski duty khatam ho rahi hai usko to bhej nahin sakta. Jo Sector ‘N’ ko attend karta hai usko char baje aana tha abhi tak nahin aya. Dekte hain kya ho sakta hai. Waise Sector ‘N’ mein to do baje se low voltage problem hua hai pura din to nahin?” (From where do I bring workmen? I cannot send a person whose duty is getting over. The person who attends to Sector ‘N’ should have reported on duty at 4 pm and had not turned up. Let us see what can be done.

Anyway the low voltage problem at Sector ‘N’ began at 2 pm and not the entire day!!”). So if your expensive electronic equipment is destroyed with low voltage problem what do you do?

Had it been Gujarat or Maharashtra, the duty in-charge and his staff would have been suspended immediately and measures taken so that such problems did not recur. But in the capital of Uttar Pradesh the only recourse is to go to the Consumer Redressal Forum and claim damages for damaged expensive electronic equipment caused by the low voltage problem. Are you prepared for that? Probably that is the only way out to wake up the slumbering LESA employees.

Wake-up call
IT WAS a ‘wake-up’ call for a driver on Sunday morning. The driver entered into an argument with a traffic policeman over crossing the stop-line. The cop pulled him up for violating rules. But the driver insisted that it was the cop’s fault for not stopping him before the line, and, therefore, he would not go back. At this, the cop embarrassed him, “Lagte to padhe likhe ho, lal batti samajh mein nahin ati kya (You seem literate, can’t you recognise the red light).” This made the driver reverse his car and save himself from further insult. Moral of the story: Follow traffic rules.

Only in the KGMU
THIS HAPPENED at the KGMU Executive Council meeting. Item number 7 on the meeting’s agenda was referred to the MCI for their opinion. This item was regarding tussle between two faculty members. One was opposing promotion of another faculty member based on a training that the MCI had not recognised.

Thus, it was decided that until MCI sent its opinion, the decision would be postponed. However, the EC members passed another item that demanded promotion of a faculty, based on the same item number 7. The fault was caught but only when the minutes were being made. A rectification was made later.

No entry at LMC
THE LUCKNOW Municipal Corporation officials are in a fix over the ban imposed by the new LMC chief on the entry of outsiders inside the LMC premises after office hours. Insiders say the LMC office turns into a club after office hours.

Many employee unions had grabbed rooms inside the office. Here officials used to party (eat, drink and be merry) till late in the night. Engineers have been the biggest sufferers due to the ban. Now even contractors, who used to sit inside the engineers room, where all the deals regarding the LMC contracts were finalised have been deprived of that comfort. They are now thinking of hiring a room nearby, where they could sit with the contractors and finalise deals behind closed doors.

Green thumb Lucknowites
A BUSINESS has begun to grow as monsoon came in. In the past few years green consciousness has been increasing. And this year, it looks to grow even faster. People are getting into the sapling-buying spree and have started buying them from various spots that sell plants. Though round the year potted plants sell decently, but during monsoon, it’s the saplings that start selling.

One can see people checking out saplings, haggling for prices, carrying them on rickshaws, two-wheelers and cars. And it’s the rubber plant, Ashok and Gulmohar saplings that sell the most.