Wrong number

Economists, policy planners and even RBI Governor D Subbarao have complained about the quality and veracity of data that the government’s statistics office puts out. Only the minister who is in a position to do something about it is conspicuously unconcerned. That’s because Shrikant Jena, who was handed the ministry of statistics and programme implementation portfolio in the last ministerial reshuffle, is deeply unhappy at being denied a cabinet berth. So much so that not only has this unglamorous ministry reverted to its old ways after enjoying a brief revival under Jena’s predecessor M S Gill, but Jena has not held even one press conference since taking charge. Officials say the minister is reluctant to meet even beat correspondents — not because there is no information to give but because he’s simply not interested in the ministry.