Bangalore:
The newly sworn-in ministers are yet to get their portfolios but the
lobbying for rooms in Vidhana Soudha and for ministerial bungalows in
Bangalore is on in full swing...
The preference
does not end with Vaastu and there is numerology too. Almost all ministers
have opted official cars with registration number totalling nine.
While
most ministers preferred to visit their constituencies on Saturday,
their personal staff were seen roaming the corridors of Vidhana Soudha
seeking the best and Vaastu-compliant rooms.
Rooms
facing west and those in the same corridor as the Chief Minister’s
chambers are the most in demand. Rooms facing east are preferred next,
followed by those facing north.
A few
enterprising personal staff of the ministers had brought Vaastu experts
along with them on Saturday for their expertise in room selection.
Room no 314
The hot
favourite is room no 314. This particular chamber is considered
lucky as former minister R V Desphande occupied the room for ten consecutive
years as Industries minister between 1994 and 2004 - first in the undivided
Janata Dal Government and then in the S M Krishna led Congress government.
Minister K S Eshwarappa is said to have opted for the room this time.
B Sreeramulu
is the only minister among the 29 sworn-in on Friday, to have opted
a room in Vikasa Soudha. Even Dr V S Acharya who preferred to work from
Vikasa Soudha during his first stint as minister, has opted his chambers
this time in Vidhana Soudha.
While
the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) is incharge
of allotting rooms, the chief minister will have the final say, sources
said.
Bungalows
Likewise,
there is a similar demand for ministerial bungalows. The seven ministers
quarters on Chowdiah Road, the bungalows next to Hotel Taj West End
and the bungalows on Crescent Road are the most sought after.
‘Krishna’,
the CM’s home office and ‘Anugraha’ the CM official residence
are designated bungalows. ‘Cauvery’, the bungalow next to Anugraha
is usually allotted to the Speaker. Of course, no minister so far has
asked the government to allot “Cauvery’.
Personal
favourites
There
are some personal favourites. For instance, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa
held on to his residence on Race Course Road allotted to him during
his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister even during the interim period of
seven months of President’s rule by paying a hefty rent.
Number
nine
When it
comes to cars, its Lancers and number nine. All cars allotted to the
ministers soon after the swearing-in ceremony on Friday have registration
numbers that add up to nine. The number 9999 is again the hot favourite.
Not only the number is all nine, it also adds up to nine. (9+9+9+9=36
= 3+6 = 9).
DPAR officials
now have found a way to meet the demand. “We have decided to register
all cars with the RTO with a request that the registration number adds
up to nine”, DPAR sources said.
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