A boy died in Kanpur this month as he could not be given timely medical treatment allegedly due to the roadblocks created as part of security measures that go with the prime minister's visit. This, of course, was not the first time the PM's visit to a city lead to allegations of inhumane security.

The incident and the bad PR that came after it has rattled the Prime Minister's Office. PMO has directed the Cabinet Secretariat, which monitors the Special Protection Group (SPG), to be extra cautious about the PM's travel plans so as not to cause much harassment to the common man.

In a direction to the cabinet secretary, PMO has sought a periodic review of the security system keeping the citizens in mind.

PMO wants finance ministry to keep quiet

The finance ministry is not too keen to press for parliament's ratification of the IRDA-SEBI ordinance thanks to internal contradictions within the UPA II.

Senior PMO officials are seeking advice of Leader of Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee who is also the finance minister to quietly allow the ordinance to lapse.

The BJP too may not support the bill and it is evident that CPI-M would oppose it. The PMO is not showing any keen interest in following it up and has preferred to put the ball in Mukherjee's court.

Short list of EC candidate prepared

PMO has shortlisted four names, including those of Sushma Nath and Shanta Sheela Nair, as candidates for the post of election commissioner for the vacancy to be created after Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla's retirement later this month.

Before appointment, as a routine courtesy, PMO might discuss the matter with the chairperson of National Advisory Council. Expect an announcement by Wednesday.

PMO bureaucrat undergoes eye surgery

M N Prasad, secretary to PM, underwent an eye operation. He has taken five days medical leave to rejoin next week. Prasad was a student of Manmohan Singh in Delhi University in the late 1960s and topped the 1972 IAS batch.