Round The States

New Delhi, 9 June 2011

Centre-States Feud

‘RESTORE FEDERAL POLITY’

By Insaf

The BJP has done at long last what was solely needed for long. It has spotlighted the undermining of the federal structure in the country over the years, pushing it towards what appears to be a one party Central rule. At its National Executive meeting in Lucknow last week, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s resolution lambasted the Centre for “usurping” the powers of the States. Importantly, the resolution sought to unite regional parties facing “step-motherly treatment” at the hands of the Congress-led UPA Government and affirmed:  “We shall stand up in solidarity with any non-Congress States attacked or discriminated against.” The list of breaches to the federal dharma, included Governors being used as political agents (as seen in Karnataka) and Central laws encroaching on States domain and finances. The message was loud and clear: It’s time to implement the Sarkaria Commission recommendations on Centre-State relationship.  

Modi had obviously done his homework and cited the plight of BJP-ruled States: At the top was his own State, wherein he lamented that the UPA was refusing to clear the Gujarat Organised Crime Control legislation for many years, even though it had been passed by the Assembly twice. Ironically, an exactly similar law (MCOC) was allowed in Congress-ruled Maharashtra! Worse, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh too were awaiting this law to be cleared. This apart, the Centre was using constitutional provisions to make laws relating to items in the Concurrent List, but was refusing to pick up the bills. A case in point was the much-touted Right to Education Act and the National Food Security Act, wherein the States had to shell out more expenditure without any Central aid! Accordingly, the Lucknow meet rued: "Non-Congress ruled States are raising voice of disapproval from all over the country.” Sadly, it appears to be falling on deaf ears!

Mamata’s Gorkhaland Deal

Peace may finally return to Darjeeling following a bipartite agreement between the West Bengal Government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). The initiative was taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resolve the Gorkhaland problem hanging fire for over a decade as she begins a new innings in Kolkata’s Writer’s Building.  According to the pact, the GJM will assume power in Darjeeling, with its three MLAs being inducted into the Board of Administrators that would run the affairs of the hills till a new Hill Council is formed through elections to be held later. Significantly, Mamata has kept the Union Home Ministry in the loop about ‘the settlement’ whereby a tripartite agreement would be signed later. It remains to be seen whether Mamata’s ‘magic formula’ will bear fruit and ensure that violence is given a burial once and for all in the salubrious hills.

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

UP’s Mid-Day Meals Scandal

UP may boasts of a Dalit Messiah in Chief Minister Mayawati, yet it has not changed the deep seated caste bias in schools in the State. Most scandalously, a Lucknow University report has exposed that mid-day meals (MDM) cooked by Dalits go waste in 40 per cent schools in three districts. The teachers refuse to taste the meals and students reject it since the cooks belong to the lower caste. This is not all. In Urban areas too, in 80 per cent schools there is a difference between the number of actual students present in the class and the number that are shown to be availing of MDM and that 95 per cent children bring their own utensils. A concerned Centre has asked the State Government to look into the matter and give its report by July-end. Needless to say a voluble Mayawati nonchalantly remains tight lipped.

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Fissures in Left Front

Post the drubbing in the Kerala and West Bengal Assembly polls all is not well within the 34-year-old Left Front. Deep fissures have emerged with the CPI and the All India Forward Bloc threatening to quit the Front. Both have put the onus of defeat squarely on the shoulders of the CPM and its arrogant and “egotistical former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattcharjee and wants a leadership change. In fact, the bad blood between the Front, which had first surfaced in 2007 over the Nandigram firing incident along with the acquisition of multi-crop land in Singur was papered over. But as subsequent events are now showing this was only superficial. Clearly, the days of the alliance seem to be numbered. Adding to the CPM’s woes, its Lalgarh unit has also upped the ante of forming a break-away party, CPM Lalgarh. All eyes are riveted on General Secretary Prakash Karat’s next move.

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

Jaya Snaps DMK Cables

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s ‘vengeance’ on her predecessor DMK patriarch Karunanidhi knows no bounds. She delivered a body blow on her arch rival by bringing Tamil Nadu’s lucrative Rs.900 crore private cable TV network under State control. That too on his birthday, knowing full well that half the network is owned by Karunanidhi’s nephews the Maran brothers --- Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi and Kalanidhi. Coming on the heels of Jayalalitha cancelling the construction of her arch rival’s pet project of a Rs-1000 crore secretariat and ordering an enquiry into alleged irregularities has only added to the DMK’s woes. The AIDMK supremo has also scrapped the Kalaignar insurance scheme. Undoubtedly, hell hath no fury as a rival scorned!

*                                               *                                               *                                       *

MP’s Munna Bhai

Munna Bhai MBBS reel life played out on real celluloid in Madhya Pradesh. In one of the biggest admission scandals in the country, over 150 medical students got admission in to Government medical colleges after someone else appeared for them during the pre-medical entrance examination. The scam came to light when authorities stumbled on a miss-match of photographs between those who had appeared for the entrance exam and students currently studying in the course. Shockingly, most of the students belong to the 2009-2010 batch and have already got into the second year while some belong to the current batch, and will soon appear for their First Year examination if they survive the scandal. Needless to say, the State Government is in a quandary. Unlike the film a jaadu ki jhappi would not suffice in curing the malady of medical impersonators!---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)