Round The States

New Delhi, 17 December 2010

War Against Corruption

BIHAR SHOWS THE WAY

By Insaf

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is creating waves across the country in his battle against corruption. In two significant measures, Kumar decided in principle to scrap the Rs 1 crore Local Area Development Fund allocated to MLAs and MLCs. Also, the State Government is resolute on confiscating property of bureaucrats accused of bribery and converting them in to schools. Already, the court has confiscated the house of an official under the Bihar Special Courts Act, 2010. This is not all. Come April, it would be mandatory for the CM, his ministerial colleagues, bureaucrats and officials, down to Class III Government employees, to declare their assets. In addition, during the Budget Session, the Chief Minister is hoping to see the Assembly pass a Right to Service Bill to ensure time-bound service to citizens. Importantly, the Local Area Development Fund has been tweaked primarily as the MLAs are prone to cornering 30 per cent of the 1 crore allocated. The Legislators would now only have powers to recommend work in their Assembly segments. The fund would be routed through the districts and the DMs alone would decide the executing agencies for the works.

But what is good for Bihar may not work in infamous Jharkhand. Unlike Nitish Kumar, State Chief Minister Arjun Munda has ruled out scraping of the lucrative MLAs Local Area Development Fund. Shockingly, the MLAs in the State get a big fat Rs.3 crores of which over 40 per cent is cornered by them via their self-appointed contractors. However, like Bihar, Munda made plain that the State MLAs too would soon lose the discretion to appoint contractors for development projects. All job orders henceforth would be awarded through open bids. What is scandalous is that all the legislators had ganged up in shouting down their CPM colleague who wanted the Fund to be abolished. It remains to be seen if the other States will root for Bihar or Jharkhand model to fight corruption.

TN-Delhi Ties Stretched

Unlike Bihar, ex-Union Minister Raja’s telecom corruption juggernaut now threatens to singe the DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s family in Tamil Nadu. Along-with raising a question mark on the Party’s ties with the Congress-led UPA Government. Needless to say, the partnership has virtually reached breaking point following CBI raids on an NGO and people close to Karunanidhi’s daughter MP Kanimozhe.  True, the DMK is silent on the issue and the Congress harps on “mutual trust” with its allies. Both need each other. The DMK Government in the State is dependent on Congress MLAs, UPA’s survival too is in the hands of Karunanidhi. However, with the Supreme Court now monitoring the CBI on the scam, it remains to be seen whether the fragile ties can withstand the corruption maelstrom!

Highways In Naxal States

The Naxalites-infested States have much to be pleased about. The Centre has finally given the nod to provide road connectivity in 33 Naxal-affected districts. Aware of the danger that lurks, the highways to be built have been divided into Category 1, 2 and 3, based on the intensity of Naxal activity. So delighted are the eight States in the ‘red corridor’ (Andhra, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) where these 5,477 km road projects worth Rs 4,942 crore are underway that they are queuing up for more. All have written to the Union R T and Highways Ministry asking that the project be extended beyond the first phase to include more areas. Only time will tell whether ‘Operation Road Project’ will help eradicate the terror scourge!

Inundated with requests from other States the Ministry has passed it to the Home Affairs for a final call

Maoists-North East Links

To deflect the “inroads” being made in the Red corridor to nail the Naxalites, the Maoists in West Bengal have now linked up with secessionist groups in the North-East. In fact, the Naxalites in the State received a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Manipur’s People’s Revolutionary Party of Kanglaipak (Prepak) which was also distributed in Jharkhand and Orissa. This shocker was revealed during interrogation of a Maoist military strategist. This is not all. Maoists have forged an alliance with Assam’s outlaw ULFA, Adivasi Peoples Army (APA) and the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF) of Manipur among others. Primarily to make inroads in tribal areas and tea gardens where tribal population is high. Despite Assam’s Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi raising an alarm at the National Development Council, and soliciting critical infrastructure development schemes, the Centre continues to play deaf and dumb!

MP’s Baby Steps

The Madhya Pradesh Government has now taken baby steps to prevent swapping of new-born children. A fall-out of the State’s popular scheme to promote institutional deliveries which resulted in infants being changed. Now, instructions have been issued to take footprints of the babies and tag them, provide identity bands for the mother and child bearing the mother’s name and deploy security guards in neonatal wards. The babies will can only be taken out if the tags of both mother and child match. A register would also be maintained to keep a record of every visitor and purpose of visit. Recall, the Janani Suraksha Yojna, launched a few years ago, gives cash assistance to pregnant women and accredited health workers as incentive to promote institutional deliveries. Leading to a marked improvement in the maternal mortality ratio, up from 26 to 80 per cent. But has every successful scheme shows, it has stretched the infrastructure of the hospitals. All eyes on how the State Government overcomes this hurdle.

 Kerala’s Women Power

Kudos to the Kerala for again coming out in full support of women power. In a bid to ensure that the fair sex is not unduly harrassed or put down by their disgruntled husband and other family members, the State Government has decided to venture into domestic management. It will now train husbands and other family members to manage their domestic and emotional affairs in a manner so as to help their spouses perform well in their new roles. Recall, over 50 per cent of the 21,162 seats in three tier bodies and half of the governing positions were set aside for women in last month’s polls in the State. For the first time hundreds of women from orthodox families saw themselves in elected positions. It remains to be seen whether this domestic management will prevent marital discords and give the Government a chance to boast ---- they lived happily ever after! ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)