This Article is From Jun 17, 2009

Ministers get vaastu savvy

New Delhi:

If it was astrology that our politicians turned to before the elections well after the verdict it's vaastu for many of those who made it.

Perhaps to ensure that their tenure is not short-lived. So, Kumari Selja's urban development office is getting a new face strictly according to vaastu guidelines while she operates from her new office at the tourism ministry.

Kumari Selja has specific demands in this office, she says she wants a bookshelf here and it's not just any bookcase the minister's staff want a heavy bookcase in the south west corner of this room.

Across the corridor, Selja's newer colleague in rural development Pradeep Jain has also sent CPWD shopping. He wants a fountain for good vibrations in his room.

But that's not proving to be as tough as moving the toilet from behind his desk. The demands have become so frequent that the government now conducts regular vaastu training for CPWD officials.

Sometimes though even the healing powers of vaastu aren't enough.

A room in Shastri Bhawan has been the sports secretary's office for the last four decades. But after the last two secretaries died of a heart attack, the top bureaucrat moved to the next floor. It's now a conference room that's hardly ever used.

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