What is the Guarantee here?
In today’s world of liaison in Maharashtra, a lot is happening in there. Change is inevitable, and so does in this profession too…People who are at the top here nowadays have started accepting white money. Yes, in cheque is received against ‘consultation’ services and money is received in account directly which gets taxed. So, in a way liaison work too has been rechristened as a “white collared” job. A MLC close to the top brass of the BJP has a Man Friday by the name Jain. So whosoever approaches him for getting any transfer’s work, or getting fibre optics tender passed from Ministry, this Jain is brought in the picture and he then enters in a MOU or an agreement which is notarised, on behalf of the MLC. Hold on a second, not all of the money that is decided has to be in cheque. There is a cash component too. The token amount, is to be compulsorily paid in cash. Then the money is received as per the stages of work that is mutually agreed. So when the the cash is paid, and if due to any reason, the work gets stuck or the file is rejected the cash component is never returned. The “entry” is returned though. Such is the modus operandi in liaison business these days. Now many times, due to ill commitment of the liaison, parties break the agreement. They don’t want to go ahead in their work. What does the liaison do now? If he is very powerful, he straight away “threatens” to the person that the money that was decided of the deal will be paid even if the business man is not getting his work done through him…Crazy isn’t it? In one of the biggest redevelopment project of Mumbai in Kandivali, the liaison had promised his services (again with some other person in front) to the developer from Kolhapur & for 1.5 year now, nothing has happened… but since the developer has backed out (due to no movement of file), the liaison is threatening to pay him his fees (in hundred crores) even if the developer gets his work done from anywhere else.
Met a top liaison person for coffee last week. A interesting story was told to me…Thought of sharing it…Don’t know the authenticity, but when you listen to things what’s happening in the corridors of power, you tend to believe the gossips or murmurs too…Sharing it…
Now the story is of a top IAS officer, currently in the system. This IAS officer wanted a plum posting in Mumbai, after his retirement which was due in 3 months then. A liaison was approached and the above procedure of entering into an agreement was done. The liaison took the top bureaucrat to Nagpur and another “big contact” was introduced to him at Hotel Radisson Blu. The bureaucrat was also accompanied by a known builder from Mumbai, as it was him (the builder) who was going to finance the whole “project of transfer”. But a message was given to the big contact that this posting requires an affirmation from “Aapda Bhai” in Delhi. For those unknown, there is a lot of pressure from “Aapda Bhai” on the CM especially when it comes to plum postings like SRA, Cidco, works at SRA and so on… Everyone flew to Delhi and a deal of Rs. 54 crore was struck. Yes, this was the figure of transfer. The builder who was the financier of the bureaucrat agreed and everyone returned to Mumbai. Now, the builder who was financing the project could arrange only for Rs, 35 cr and not Rs. 54 cr as decided. Obviously the IAS officer shunted this builder. Now another financier was arranged overnight by the IAS officer. Now a financier is never arranged overnight. A few promises, few dream projects are shown by the bureaucrat, which obviously some of the promises will be kept. The new Mr. money-man agreed tp pay a token of a crore to the liaison at the popular joint Jazz by the Bay at Nariman Point. What happened no one knows till date, but suddenly 15 minutes into the meeting one of the liaison’s person came and immediately & in actual words “evacuated” the IAS officer and the liaison leaving behind the new Mr. Money Man. Guess what friends, after 10 minutes a team of Anti-Corruption sleuths were in Jazz by the Bay. The new Mr. Money Banks had tipped them to get this IAS officer and liaison arrested. Don’t know what was the agenda, but friends, that IAS officer got extension, but not the post he was dreaming off, and heard “Aapda Bhai” has been left high & dry….
So be careful on your sources…Not everyone approaching you are necessarily your best friends….
Vikrant Hemant Joshi
