THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Had the walls of the State Secretariat sported fingers, they would have become tired of giving ‘same pinch’ to thousands every day. The gentlemen who flock in thousands to the administrative headquarters of the State wear the same colour - pure white - as that of the Secretariat. Ever since the new Government took over, the Secretariat has become the most happening place in the city. "It was so during the last days of the previous UDF government. Now, that mood is back. Our party wants to give the public a feeling that this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people,’’ said Manoj, a Youth Congress leader from Kottayam, whom ‘City Express’ met at the Secretariat on Friday. ‘’Now, anyone can visit any Minister at any time and convey his/her grievance,’’ he added. The sprawling two-acre campus of the Secretariat has not an inch of vacant space to park a car on a regular day. The parking lots have been re-arranged to accommodate more number of cars after the Oommen Chandy government took over. But, each of the marked parking space seemed to be waiting to share the tale of a proud incumbent - Mercedes Benz, Skoda Octavia or BMW. The situation is no different around the Central Stadium, where people used to park cars. You have to circumambulate the campus twice or thrice before finding a parking space for your car. "But, there are negative sides too. If you examine case by case, it can be found that each petitioner is accompanied by at least 15 people. The ‘mandalam’ president, block secretary, panchayat member and so on. They hire a vehicle and come to Thiruvananthapuram from as far as Kozhikode and Kasargod,’’ said Rahim, a city-based journalist who covers the Secretariat beat. He pointed out that most of these groups stay back for a day or two and visit Kovalam and Museum before returning. Of course, there are some positive elements too for this trend. The sale in hotels, juice parlours and bunk shops has increased manifold. Customers have to wait in queues to find a seat in all hotels around the campus during lunch time. "We used to buy 20 packets of milk every day till a month ago. Now, 25-30 packets of milk are needed. From Monday to Wednesday, the demand will be high,’’ said a tea shop owner. Wednesday being the day of the Cabinet meeting, Ministers stay back in the capital till then from the beginning of the week. The same is the case with lodges in and around Statue. Bookings are full days ahead and latecomers will have to search for a room by knocking at every door. The people’s revolution has already upset the pucca security arrangement that had been in place. The all-powerful security personnel who used to block anyone at the Cantonment gate are now toothless. Anyone can get in, day time or night, and roam around the corridors of power. Thanks to the 24X7 office of the Chief Minister.
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