Raipur, June 1 (IANS) A high-profile event under the “Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah Yojana” in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara surfaced on social media platforms after state Assembly Speaker and former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh publicly reprimanded top district officials.
The event, captured in a video now circulating rapidly online, was organised at the Rest House in the presence of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and the state cabinet, following a total collapse of arrangements during a mass marriage ceremony.
The ceremony was intended to be a grand celebration for the couples, but a severe storm and heavy rainfall reduced the venue to chaos. As the administrative preparations fell apart, essential protocols for stage honours, felicitations, and ground-breaking rituals were abandoned.
The situation deteriorated so significantly that the Chief Minister’s planned blessing ceremony and several inaugurations had to be cancelled entirely. During a subsequent meeting, a visibly incensed Dr Raman Singh did not mince words while addressing the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police.
Asserting that the mismanagement was an affront to the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office, he noted that in his entire political career, he had never witnessed such a lack of basic administrative understanding.
He pointedly questioned how the administration could remain so unprepared when the state’s top leadership was descending upon the district.
In the aftermath, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addressed the media in Raipur, attempting to balance the situation.
While he acknowledged that he had personally approved the venue after consulting with the Collector, he admitted that the sudden weather shift made a transition to the alternative “Maheshwari Bhawan” unfeasible due to time constraints. Taking the Speaker’s displeasure seriously, the Chief Minister has now ordered a formal inquiry through the Divisional Commissioner, stating that further actions will depend on the findings.
The episode has also drawn sharp political commentary. Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao emphasised that Dr Singh’s vast experience as a former Union Minister and Chief Minister means his rebukes must be taken as serious lessons by the bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel took a jibe at the current administration, suggesting on social media that Dr Singh’s anger is a symptom of a deteriorating government where the Speaker is forced to lecture the "caregivers" of the state.
--IANS
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