Is it faux pas of fax or DC misleading facts?

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Monday, December 15, 2008

It is not a case of fa(u)x pas of the fax that led two of the top officials of the State Government to lock their horns. Let Deputy Commissioner Ranchi, Rajiv Arun Ekka claim having not received any fax from the office of the former Cabinet Co-ordination Secretary PK Jajoria to accord 'State honour' to the former Minister and Jharkhand Party leader N E Horo but his office seems to have received the copy of the fax on 6.41 p m on last Thursday.

His office not only received the fax copy but the DC is learnt to have marked it to Nazarat DC for appropriate action on the same date- December 11. The Pioneer is in the possession of the copy (in the picture) which bears the seal of the office of DC, confidential section (top on the left), along with his initial below.

Now as a damage controlling exercise the State Government decided to pay tribute to N E Horo near the Project Building (State secretariat) on Sunday. But the damage has already been done. Earlier Chief Minister Shibu Soren had announced national mourning but the last rites of this late octogenarian leader were performed without State honour. Both the State Government and its top officials are left with a task to cover this classic erroneous mistake with a fine blame game. For these officials it was not as serious as termed by the media. One such official said: "What the hell if the copy was not received, Koi pahar to nahi toot gaya. DC is not supposed to be the fax operator."

On being informed that The Pioneer was in possession of a copy bearing the following particulars mentioned above which contradicts his claim Ekka said: “I did not receive any such fax or communication in this regard.”

Spurning the claim of the official Jajoria said: “That day alone we sent five such faxes to his (DC) office and action was taken. Now how can one claim having not received 'this fax of important nature', we have the confirmation report of the receiving of the fax,” he added.

Interestingly the copy of the letter to accord 'State honour' to Horo was sent to DCs and SPs of Ranchi, Khunti and Simdega simultaneously but all of them declined to have received it. After Ekka the DC of Simdega and Khunti said that they did not receive the copy. The axe finally fell upon Jajoria who was removed from his office after the State Government was criticised for not giving due respect to Horo.

The leaders and officials of Jharkhand would pay tribute to Horo in a glowing term as an institution that spearheaded the movement for a separate Jharkhand. But that a hero like Horo really deserves such treatment that needed to be answered by the State Government which is still caught between fax and faux pas.