Prime Minister Manmohan Singh constituted a Group of Ministers to brief Media on the day-to-day affairs of the UPA 2 with P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ambica Soni and Salman Khursheed as its members.

On the first day of the interactions with the media all the four ministers conveyed that one of them will come to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) briefing hall to interact with the media. Unfortunately, on the third day the petrol price hike was announced, and each of the four leaders washed their hands off from appearing before the TV channels. It was left to Soni and she quietly passed the buck to Chidambaram. But the home minister was to make his first visit to the northeaste that day and he left for the airport. Finally it was decided to ask Jaipal Reddy to brief the media, as he is the petroleum minister. But then he too was travelling to Hyderabad.

Finally PMO had to intervene and issue a press release through the ministry of petroleum.

Neelam Kapur, the principal information officer who attends the union cabient, is cut up with this GOM. The media advisor to PM, Harish Khare, is also fed up with GOM arrangements.

With this scene the UPA is celebrating its eighth successive year in office with grand dinner at 7 Race Course Road on Sunday May 22.