ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 30 July 2009

Omar’s Resignation  Drama

KASHMIRK ON BOIL AGAIN

By Insaf

One sex scandal, four deaths have kept Jammu & Kashmir on the boil for over two months. With a relentless PDP-led Opposition making NC-Congress Chief Minister Omar Abdullah life hell leading to his resignation early this week. It all started with the rape and murder of two young girls in Shopian allegedly by police forces, followed by the reported harassment of a Muslim woman by CRPF personnel and the death of four protestors by the CRPF in Baramullah. Barely had the Administration come to grips with this that the separatist declared a strike call which paralysed the State. The crowning glory was when the former Dy Chief Minister and now MLA Muzaffar Beig charged Abdullah of being  “accused No 102” in the infamous sex scandal that rocked the State in 2006 involving senior politicians and bureaucrats. All hell broke loose with an emotional Abdullah in keeping with the best traditions of probity and morality quit. Said he, “normally under law a person is innocent till proven guilty.. but no expunction from the Assembly records or a clean chit by the Home Ministry can erase the blot on my character. I stand accused till proven innocent. I hereby resign.”

In the ensuing pandemonium NC MLAs tried hard to dissuade him but to no avail. The Governor NN Vohra cancelled his trip to Delhi and rushed back from the airport as did his father and Union Cabinet Minister Farooq Abdullah. The Governor prevailed upon the 38-yer-old Abdullah to continue in office and promised an early enquiry in to the entire episode. Even as the CBI and Union Home Minister Chidambaram gave him a clean chit. But matter didn’t end there. In fact, they grew uglier with the NCP and PDP fighting pitched battles both in the Assembly and on the streets. The PDP President Mehbooba Mufti tore up the CBI report giving the Chief Minister a clean chit. The NCP retaliated by accusing the “perpetrator MLA Beig of being involved in illicit relationships”. The drama continues even as many wonder whether Abdullah is being made a soft target or is crumbling under pressure.

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Relief Bonanza For Drought-Hit States

Happy days are here for the States. Before they could ask the Central Government for drought relief measures, the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has prempted the States’ demand. By calling for the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) be empowered to take final decisions regarding drought relief and relaxation of norms depending upon specific need of States. So far, only Manipur has declared drought in the entire State while Assam and Jharkhand have done so in 14 and 4 districts respectively. Bihar which sought relief too has been asked to send specific details regarding affected regions to facilitate the Central inter-ministerial team to assess the situation. Not only that. The States have got another bonanza coming there way whereby farmers are likely to get diesel subsidy for the Kharif season once the modalities are worked out.  Further, Pawar hopes that the Power Ministry would grant 100 MW additional power from the Central pool to Punjab & Haryana farmers as also extend the 100-day employment guarantee scheme under NREGS to labourers.

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HC Sets Aside Muslim’s Minority Status

The Muslims of UP have reason to rejoice following the Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court setting aside a single judge order of 2007 whereby it was ruled that Muslims were not a minority community in the State. The C23ourt held that the single judge “erred in law and had traveled beyond pleadings and issues that had actually arisen between the parties. The question regarding the status of minority and its meaning were neither basis of the writ petition nor were raised for consideration”. Further, it pointed out that the petitioner, a college had merely sought direction to the State to consider the claim of the college to bring it on the grant-in-aid list. Recall, the single judge order had caused a flutter across the nation and was challenged by the State Government the very next day and the same was stayed by the Division Bench. All now are heaving a sigh of relief.

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Patna Molestation Case

Women continue to bare the brutal brunt of male hawas. Be it in the Union Capital Delhi, UP’s Lucknow, Karnataka’s Mangalore, Maharashtra’s Mumbai and now Bihar’s Capital Patna. In a most shocking incident a 22-year-old woman was assaulted and molested in broad day light on one of Patna’s main streets on Saturday last. Worse, none of the by-standers came to her rescue, happy to watch the dastardly act and the woman’s misery. Even as the arrested culprit professed innocence by stating he had only called her for a job, but she snatched his phone resulting in the ensuing melee. The police, on its part, suspect a sex angle as the woman was staying alone in a hotel. And the MLAs did what they know best --- create pandemonium in the Assembly. The National Commission for Women has served a notice to the State Government and asked the Chief Minister to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. Indeed, history repeats itself. What else is new?

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Gujjar’s Revive Agitation

The Gujjar agitation is back with a bang in Rajasthan, albeit ‘peacefully’ this time. Via a Gujjar Mahapadav (sit-in) in the State’s Karuali district since Sunday last to put pressure on the Ashok Gehlot Government to accord five per cent reservation to the Special Backward Class, which also include Gujjars and 14 per cent reservation to the Economic Backward Class. Given that this was passed last year by the then Vasundhara Raje led BJP State Government which is now pending with Governor SK Singh. Towards that end Col Kirori Singh Bainsla, who spearheads the agitation is camping in Jaipur with 50 members to force Chief Minister Gehlot to accept their demand for reservation. Asserted Bainsla, the Mahapadav would be withdrawn once the Gujjars are accorded their “reserved status.” It remains to be seen if this ‘Gandian’ stir yields dividends!

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Karnataka MLAs Give Themselves Hike

The ‘greed’ of our polity never ceases to amaze. Trust the Karnataka legislators to give themselves a big fat hike in salary and perks. From an impressive salary of Rs 20,000 as pay, phone, constituency and postal allowances the MLAs have almost doubled it to Rs 39,000. Besides, other entitlements including free train travel and sitting fee. The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2009 has hiked the monthly salaries from Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 and the telephone allowance from Rs 7,500 to Rs 10,000. But the bonanza lies in the constituency allowance which has been increased to Rs 15,000 per month from a paltry Rs 3,500. More. The MLAs can expect better life, post retirement. Pension has been enhanced to Rs 15,000 per month from a mere Rs 5,000, besides pension for life would be made to the MLAs dependents. It is a moot point whether their work output would be commensurate with the salary hike!---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)