Jaspal Bhatti as poll brand ambassador; how an ex-IAS remembers him

Bhatti with wife

“Hope in swarg, mahaul theek hai! Will miss you Jaspal Bhatti.” This is what former IAS and ex-chief election commissioner Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi wrote in a social networking site after the tragic news broke out that satirist Jaspal Bhatti died in a car accident in Punjab on Thursday morning. Everyone remembers Bhatti for his cult comedies such as Ulta Pulta and Flop Show, but BoI here reproduces…
Quraishi’s description of Bhatti as a crusader in weeding out evils on the eve of the last assembly elections in Punjab, and how the satirist appealed voters to participate and ensured the highest ever poll turnout in Punjab’s history. This is what Quraishi talked about Bhatti’s role prior to the last Punjab elections.
• Jaspal Bhatti was our chief protagonist in all our TV and press campaigns during Punjab Assembly elections.
• Bhatti’s appeal to citizens esp youth to register in electoral rolls had significant impact. Bhatti’s appeal to voters to exercise their franchise led to a turnout of 78.57 percent - highest ever in Punjab history.
• Bhatti also conveyed in his inimitable way the importance of ethical voting. Citizens helped up in seizing Rs 12 cr cash and 53 kg heroin.
• 3.6 lakh litres of alcohol and 1500 kg of poppy husk was also seized. Bhatti's role in people’s participation will be remembered for long.

Cabinet Reshuffle: A babu’s expectations
“Impending Cabinet reshuffle must radiate with young faces. We need young politicians with vision + dynamism to drive India”, writes 1980 batch IAS Amitabh Kant of Incredible India fame in Twitter.

Action and Appointments
a) SB Agnihotri, a 1980 batch Orissa cadre IAS, presently additional secretary and financial adviser, department of agriculture and cooperation, has been appointed as Director General (Acquisition) under the ministry of defence in the rank and pay of additional secretary in place of Vivek Rae, a 1978 batch UT cadre IAS.
b) Afzal Amanullah, a 1979 batch Bihar cadre IAS, presently in the cadre, has been appointed as additional secretary, in the department of consumer affairs in place of Pankaj Agarwal, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS.
c) Ashok Sahu, a 1975 batch IES officer, has been appointed as Secretary General in National Human Rights Commission in the vacancy of Rajiv Sharma, a 1976 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS who has retired.
d) The ACC has cancelled orders of appointment of Arun Kumar Jain, a 1977 batch Nagaland cadre IAS and adviser in Inter State Council Secretariat under home ministry, as Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission.