Life In The Ias: My Encounters With The Three Lals Of Haryana

On 1 November 1966, India Saw The Birth Of Its 17Th State, Haryana, Carved Out Of Punjab. Two Years Prior, Ram Varma Had Graduated From The Prestigious Ias Academy And Was Allocated To Punjab. He Was Then Transferred To Haryana, Which Was A State In Turmoil And Had Within A Year Infamously Been Stamped As A Land Of Political InfidelityAya Rams And Gaya Rams.
Having Served In Various Capacities From Subdivisional Magistrate To Chief Secretary, Ram Varma Relives The History Of Haryana In The First Three Formative Decades. An Ambitious Work, It Covers The Whole Range Of The StateS HistoryIts Inception, The Chief Ministers At The Helm, The Bureaucracy, The Infrastructure Reconstruction Programme, Including The Innovative Lift-Irrigation Projects And Much MoreAs Captured Against The NationS History Which Too Was Crafting A Resurgent Identity.
The Book Pivots Its Central Narrative Around The Portrayal Of The Three Lals Of HaryanaBansi Lal, Devi Lal And Bhajan LalWho Dominated The Scene. Barring A Few Years, Haryana Was Ruled By The Lals, Who Chased Each Other In And Out Of Office. The Author Has Watched This Fledgling State Grow During Their Respective Reigns, Had Keenly Observed The Workings Of Each Chief Minister And Was A Witness To The Fascinating Drama Of Its Transformation From A Poor, Resource-Less State To A Progressive, Front-Ranking State During His Tenure.
Packed With Interesting Anecdotes, Tongue-In-Cheek Observations, Behind-The-Scenes Political Happenings And Personal Recollections, Life In The Ias Captures The Extraordinary Journey Of Haryana, Its Three Towering LeadersThe LalsAnd Author Ram Varma Who Takes The Ups And Downs Of His Distinguished Career In His Rollicking Stride, Experiencing Thrills And Triumphs, Trials And Tribulations.