Round The States

New Delhi, 3 February 2011

Election Commission Proposes

UTTAR  PRADESH  DISPOSES

By Insaf

Uttar Pradesh has much to preen about. Specially, after it earned kudos from the Election Commission over its Jhansi model of grievance redressal. Known as the Jhansi Jan Suvidha Kendra, people can register their complaints relating to the election process through mobile or landlines phones from anywhere in the district 24x7. Not only do they get a quick response but the grievance is disposed off within a set deadline and the complainant is regularly informed about the progress of action on his complaint through SMS and phone calls. This model of grievances is all set to be immortalized in the Election Commission’s annals by replicating it all over the country.

On the other hand, Ulta Pulta Pradesh has vetoed the Election Commission’s suggestion to disqualify candidates who have been charge-sheeted for an offence, punishable with five years imprisonment from fighting elections. Voicing her disagreement at the Regional Consultation for Electoral Reforms, Chief Minister Mayawati asserted that only conviction should be the barometer for candidates. She also mooted the idea of a need to ban exit an opinion poll which tended to influence the electorate and demanded a review of the anti-defection law whereby a Party President should be empowered to recommend to the EC cancellation of MPs and MLAs membership. One wonders if Mayawati’s outspokenness has something to do with the fact that UP has many criminal-politicos where horse trading is rampant.

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Orissa District Evokes Pride

Orissa’s Kandhamal district has turned a new leaf. From being dubbed grisly to shining in two years. The journey hasn’t been easy after the gruesome murder of the 80-year old revered Swami Lakshmananad Saraswati which led to communal violence. Happily, today, the district evokes national pride. By being one of the top ten districts which have implemented the UPA’s flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). According to the Rural Development Ministry, Kandhamal spent Rs. 64.20 crores in 2009-10 whereby 7305 families were given 100 days work. Indeed, compared to the dismal national average of 23 per cent, the district notched a score of over 56 per cent under the NREGS.  Its make-over as numero uno is all the more creditable as it was at the bottom of the development pyramid even prior to the 2008 riots. Clearly, the State Government needs to be complimented.

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AP Chief Minister Apes YSR

Andhra’s rising political star Jaganmohan Reddy has got competition from the State’s Chief Minister Kiran Reddy. Taking a leaf from problem-child Jagan’s political dictionary of evoking his late father YSR’s memory, the Chief Minister too is using his predecessor’s larger-than-life image to win over MLAs and leaders loyal to Jaganmohan. Significantly, to counter Jagan’s Odarpu Yatra, the CM has undertaken a Rachcha Banda, a mass contact programme, and got many of Jagan’s loyalists to participate. YSR’s photos and cut-outs are being displayed prominently to underscore that whatever the late leader achieved was thanks to Congress support. The Chief Minister’s yatra is seeking to ensure that the pro-poor programme reach the beneficiaries without hindrance. The ball is in now Jagan’s court. All eyes are on his next move.

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States To Be More Liberal

The States are busy grappling with an issue close to Gen-X. All busy vetting a proposal whether to permit 16-year olds consensual non-penetrative sex and 18-year old teenagers’ penetrative sex. The proposal mooted by the Union Women and Child Development Ministry has been sent to the States in a draft format, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2010. Earlier the Ministry had proposed bringing down the age of consensual non-penetrative sex to 12. However, this was rejected by various child welfare groups on the grounds that 12 years was too young an age for children to have sex. On the obverse, child activists argue that the decision to lower the age of consent for minors was aimed at decriminalizing sexual exploration by children.  Can Gen-X look forward to sexual freedom now?

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Goa Mining Scam

In this season of scams, the latest State to be caught in its swirling vortex is tiny Goa. Which is in the midst of grappling with a major mining scam. Whereby iron ore worth over Rs 200 crore was exported out of the State without paying the mandatory royalty. Not only the Opposition but ruling Party MLAs lashed out at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who is also Mines Minister for this royalty evasion. More scandalous was the fact that out of nearly 100 mines, 75 mines did not have water and air sanctions thus giving a free run to the mining mafia to rule the roost in illegal mining.  So far 287 cases have been assessed for royalty evasion and a mere pittance of Rs.9.48 crore recovered from the guilty parties. It remains to be seen how Kamat settles the dust over the mining quagmire!

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SIM Cards Ban In N-E States

In an age where everything is a phone call away, three insurgency-hit North-eastern States, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya have sought a ban on prepaid mobile services citing security concerns. At the Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security called by the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday last, the representatives from all three States wanted a J&K-type ban on prepaid SIM cards due to lack of proper verification of subscribers by the service provider or vendors. More so, as the States share porus’ international borders with China which provides easy access to militants to cross-over. The States also demanded opening of additional border outposts (BOPs) and sought helicopters for better policing.  Will Chidambaram oblige?

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Kerala Agog Over Sex Scam

Political heat in Kerala has gone up several degrees ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections thanks to fresh disclosures in the 1997 ice-cream parlour sex scandal in Kozhikode. Whereby, businessman KA Rauf, once the Man Friday of the main accused Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) General Secretary and ex-Industry Minister PK Kunhalikutty reiterated his allegation that two former judges had a role in Kunhalikutty managing to slip out of the sex case. Recall, the ice-cream parlour served as a facade for running a sex racket. While the CPM is relishing the ice-cream scam, there is uneasy calm within the IUML. For the Congress-led United Democratic Front, looking forward to a lip-smacking victory the ghost of the sex scandal is threatening to blow up on its face. Going by the juicy details pouring out, this looks like a mere vanilla serving. What next? ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)