Chidambaram misses his second great photo-op

CABINET NOD TO SIXTH PAY COMMISSION'S AWARD

History turned a full circle today when Finance Minister P Chidambaram was seen standing outside the Press Information Bureau hall in Shastri Bhawan while Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi announced one of the biggest financial decisions of the UPA government — the 6th Pay Commission award.

This was not the first time Chidambaram missed the chance to address the large pool of government employees on such an important day.

Earlier, when he was the finance minister in the IK Gujral government, the pay commission announcements were made in his absence. He was also not present at the Cabinet meeting that took the decision.

 

This time too, many were surprised to see that the I&B minister announced the awards while the finance minister was waiting outside and later came to make public the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The official explanation is: Dasmunsi, according to the norms, was assigned to brief the Cabinet decisions to the press while Chidambaram would brief on the CCEA.

As the Sixth Pay Commission was on the agenda of the Cabinet, Dasmunsi didn’t leave the prime announcement for the finance minister. Even as the finance minister waited outside, Dasmunsi was assisted by Expenditure Secretary Sushma Nath in replying to further queries.

Perhaps this arrangement suited Chidambaram as well. Being the finance minister, he is the man to arrange for the extra money for the consolidated fund of India to pay the enhanced salaries!