Year-ender 2024: Citius, Altius, Fortius..!

To get an appointment with the Chief Minister wasn't the easiest of tasks. As he is always on the move, his office staff found it very difficult to fix an appointment with him. However, persistent efforts on my part paid I off. Finally, I got the appointment!

It was the last week of December. The sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds, and it was a windy morning. Ignoring the chill, the Chief Minister was standing on a flyover and looking at the long stretch of road. He was surrounded by a posse of gun-toting security personnel.

Seeing me, the Chief Minister said, "I am in a hurry. Ask your questions without wasting any time.”

"Sir, before I ask you about your opinion on the year that is all set to end, I just want to know why you are standing on the flyover, braving the cold winter morning.”

"Standing on the flyover when no one is around gives me the motivation to work. It helps me set the development goals. The Olympic motto of Citius, Altius, Fortius, Communiter is my driving force. Being actively associated with sports helps me draw inspiration from the motto.

"Sir, I am not getting it."

"Don't tell me you don't know about the profound thought behind the Olympic motto. It means Faster, Higher, and Stronger. From 2021, a new Latin word Communiter has been added, which means Together." And let me tell you, our governance style is based on the thought expressed by the Olympic motto."

"Right, Sir."

"Haven't you noticed? Like Citius, we have taken steps to speed up the development process. We have shed the 'Lahe Lahe tag, which for a long time was used to describe us. Just imagine the speed of development that is taking place. In fact, at times, I find it hard to remember the number of flyovers completed or under construction at full pace in the last few years. Now flyovers have become a euphemism for fast development.

Continuing, the Chief Minister said, "Like Altius, I want to ensure that the State is placed on a higher pedestal. Haven't you noticed the derelict half-wall Assam-type office buildings across the state have made way for new swanky buildings? Moreover, I saw to it that the seismic zone restrictions were set aside. So now the city is dotted with cloud scrapers, if not skyscrapers. The height of the buildings must inspire the people to work towards greater heights in their workplaces as well. In this context, I must say that the Public Works Department is putting its best foot forward to ensure that the state is on a new high. And with the spurt in construction activities across the State, there is a plan to honour the department with the title 'Vishwakarma."

"When you are faster and higher, you're definitely going to get stronger. Look at how the State is on a strong footing now. Along with infrastructure, I have ensured that our party too is strong. The Opposition against us has become a pale shadow of what it was earlier. After all, to command respect, you must be strong.

"Interesting. Sir.

"Like the thought behind the word Communiter, we too are trying our best to bring everyone together. Haven't you noticed the way we are trying to popularize it with the slogan, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas? Now tell me, what else you want to ask." "Sir, will you please elaborate on other achievements of your government?"

"Sure. You must have noticed that the earlier governments had harped on Raijor Podulit Rajjor Sarkar. But nothing happened, and it just remained another empty promise. However, we did what others had failed to do over the decades. Now I hold weekly meetings with my ministerial colleagues in different nooks and corners of the state to take the administration closer to the people."

"Sir, what was your greatest achievement of the year?"

"For me, the greatest achievement of the year has been the creation of new beneficiaries.

By Manish Goswami