Round The States

New Delhi, 2 February 2012

TN Assembly Row

JAYALALITHA TAMES DMDK?

By Insaf

Political rivalry in Tamil Nadu can be quiet devastating, at least for those in Opposition. A day after DMDK chief and actor Vijayakanth had a major pow-vow with Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha in the State Assembly he landed himself with a 10-day suspension order. On Thursday last, the Privileges Committee found his behaviour ‘rude’ and against the ethos of the House. The suspension order noted that he would not be entitled to any benefits meant for an Opposition leader, three days now (session ends on Feb 4) and seven days in the next. The bitter exchange of words between the one-time allies was triggered by the DMDK criticising the AIADMK government for hiking bus fares and milk prices! And at the end, it boiled down to both clashing fiercely over who benefitted from their brief political bonding. As usual, Jayalalitha seemed to have had the last word and warned the DMDK that its good times "have ended and it will now be on a downslide."  Additionally, she dared Vijayakanth to face her party in the Assembly byelection in Sankarankoil, south Tamil Nadu. There is no denying that this one bypoll will be keenly watched.

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Bengal’s Union Rule?

West Bengal is all set to change the rules of the game. Government employees shall no longer have full trade union rights, enjoyed for decades. If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has her way rallies and strikes by these employees would soon be “illegal”. On Tuesday last, the Labour Ministry decided to do away with the previous Left Front government’s amendment to service rules, which gave employees “full” trade union rights. It argued that the amendment contradicts the Trade Union Act of 1926, because on the one hand it gives full rights to workers to form unions affiliated to political parties, on the other State service rules do not allow employees to be members of any political outfit. However, there is more than meets the eye. In a bid to improve its governance, the Trinamool Government hopes to discipline the employees, reduce the influence of political parties on them and importantly seeks to dent the strike called by Left trade unions on February 28. While Mamata is confident to get the Cabinet nod, the decision has triggered trouble. Trade unions are gearing up for a fight and propose to lodge their protest with the Centre. Will they succeed?

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AP Bureaucracy Shame

Andhra Pradesh bureaucracy has been put to shame. Its top IAS office, Home Secretary B.P. Acharya, was suspended on Wednesday last, after he was arrested by the CBI and remanded to judicial custody, in the high-profile Emaar-Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation township scandal. The CBI’s case is that Acharya, as MD of APIIC from 2005-09, had allegedly reduced the Corporation’s stake in the joint venture with Emaar Properties to develop an upscale township in Hyderabad. The plots were reportedly sold at a higher price than shown on paper, the money pocketed by individuals and as a result the State exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 4,300-odd crore! While Acharya is the fourth accused in the case, it is important to note that he was one of the most powerful officers in Late Chief Minister YS Rajshekhar Reddy's regime and could be more bad news for his son and YSR Congress President Jaganmohan Reddy, already under the CBI scanner.  

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Chhattisgarh Gesture

Chhattisgarh has a unique first to its credit. The State has initiated a plan wherein families of prisoners are taken care of by the legal aid clinics in jails insofar as their livelihood rights and assets are concerned. The initiative started by the Legal Services Authority has the sole aim that families of the prisoners, who were the sole breadwinners, should not suffer for want of legal aid. Thus, quick legal assistance, whether civil or criminal, is made available to prisoners who are unable to fend for say family or protect their property from being usurped. The clinics are manned by trained para-legal volunteers and lawyers. Accordingly, an aggrieved prisoner can make a complaint to the jail superintendent who then shall forward the same to the police for necessary action. The legal aid clinics shall pursue such cases and also those involving bail and parole. The service is already in practice in Raipur and Durg and shall be launched in other prisons across Chhattisgarh. Perhaps this noble cause can be emulated by other States too.

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Reprieve For Modi

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi can heave a sigh of relief. On Wednesday last, the Gujarat High Court rejected an application urging that the Nanavati-Mehta Commission summon him. The application filed by civil rights organization Jan Sangharsh Manch, representing riot victims, had demanded that Modi be called for cross-examination in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. However, the bench observed that the decision to summon any person was left to the quasi-judicial body's discretion. Recall that in 2009, the Nanavati-Mehta Commission, constituted to investigate the riots had rejected JSM's plea stating it had not found substantial evidence to summon Modi. The Manch now proposes to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. Both Modi and his party, the BJP have had a calm reaction saying it was on expected lines and that their stand has been vindicated. However, how long will the breather last for Modi is anybody’s guess?

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Domestic Violence 

Maharashtra offers bad news for women. The State tops the list in domestic violence, with 2,433 such cases registered between April 2010 and April 2011. The findings are part of an analysis of orders by magistrates and sessions court which reveals that Andhra Pradesh followed suit with 1,174 cases, Karnataka with 1,013 cases, Madhya Pradesh with 882 and Kerala by 631 cases. The study was conducted in 16 States by the Lawyers Collective Women’s Rights Initiatives with over 7,500 orders being analysed. The highest number of cases was filed by married women followed by divorcees and widows. Apparently, the most common form of domestic violence that these women experienced was “physical violence along with emotional and verbal abuse” followed closely by economic abuse. Obviously, the  State along with others, has a long way to go to ensure that the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 does justice.  ---INFA

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