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Round The States
New Delhi, 6 April 2012
Prime Land Scam
MAHARASHTRA MORTIFIES CONG
By Insaf
Maharashtra and its politicians are
set to take the lead in land scams, with the ruling Congress embarrassed pink.
In the thick of the Adarsh Housing Society scandal, the Party is now riddled
with a CAG report which nails down high-profile ministers in the State for
cornering prime public land for a pittance. The report, leaked on Wednesday
last, has the opposition training its guns on at least one big fish-- Union
Minister for Science & Technology Vilasrao Deshmukh. The former Chief
Minister got prime land in Borivili for his charitable trust for a trifle-- Rs
6.36 crores against the market value of Rs 30.37 crores. This apart, he got a
hard rap from the Supreme Court for showing undue favour to Ghai by giving 20
acres of land for a “paltry sum” in 2004. Shockingly, for over two decades the
Government has been doling out favours by allotting prime land to institutions
run by ministers, including for Public Works, Chhagan Bhujbal, for Industries,
Narayan Rane or their relatives, without thinking of the State exchequer! The
Congress says it will respond once the CAG report is tabled in the Assembly. It
would do far better if its government does what the Supreme Court asked Ghai to
do-- return the land and participate in fresh bidding.
* * * *
‘Weak’ Odisha
The Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha has got security
agencies on tenterhook. Its decision to release 27 Maoists prisoners in
exchange of the two hostages, abducted MLA and an Italian tour guide, has
instilled a nagging fear that any weakness shown would make the extremists more
bold. And, this would weaken the Centre’s strategy to fight the Reds. While the
Home Ministry is learnt not to be involved in the current negotiations the
Chief Minister has held with the Maoists, the Centre is worried that the
inability of the State to take a tough stand will encourage more repeats—of the
Naxals abducting prominent people to extract their pound of flesh. Recall that
last year too, the State government had agreed to the naxals 14 demands
including withdrawal of cases against top CPI (Maoist) leaders for the release
of the Malkanagiri collector and a junior engineer kidnapped by them.
Apparently, it seems the Maoists are taking full advantage of Patnaik falling
prey to pressure tactics. This, despite the fact that Central forces are
“adequately deployed” in the State to launch operations. Will it be worth changing strategy. Time for
Patnaik to give it a thought.
* * * *
Punjab Militancy Relief
The dark years of Punjab
militancy were revisited this week. After decades-long wait, the families of
victims however, got some relief finally. On Tuesday last, the National Human
Rights Commission after getting two committees reports recommended Rs 27.94
crore monetary relief to the next of kin of 1,513 deceased, whose bodies could
be identified in the ‘Punjab mass cremations’ case. Sadly, it took the NHRC 18
years to investigate the illegal killings and disappearances which culminated
in the crimination of 2,045 bodies in Amritsar,
Majitha and Tarn Taran districts between 1984 and 1994. While 532 bodies
remained unidentified, families of 194 victims who reportedly died in police
custody were entitled to get a compensation of Rs 2.50 lakh each. The other
1,051 identified deceased persons whose bodies were cremated by the State
without following the Punjab police Rules, the
NHRC has awarded relief of Rs 1.75 lakh each to the affected families. The
Punjab Government has no option but to pay up as the Supreme Court in its order
dated 12 December 1996 while referring the case to the NHRC had stated that any
compensation awarded by it shall be binding and payable. The big question how
much longer will the families have to wait?
* * * *
MP Coal Bail Out
The ‘coal crisis’ is putting pressure on the Centre to ease
rules for captive block holders, at least in Madhya Pradesh. Two coal blocks in
the State, Chhatrasal and Mahan, under the CAG scanner are expected to get the
Environment and Forest Ministry’s clearance following a meeting of Group of
Ministers last week advising revision of its earlier decision. Not only had the
allocation of the blocks to corporate groups given the latter an undue
multi-crore benefit as per the CAG, but was in clear violation of the Forest
Conservation Act as these are located in rich forest belts. However, with
summer setting in and 75 per cent of the construction work for the linked power
projects being completed, the Ministry will need to do away with ‘no-go areas’.
Currently, the country requires 690 million tonnes (mt) of coal a year to fire
plants, primarily in the infrastructure sectors of power and steel. However,
domestic production which was originally slated to touch 680 mt by March-end
has been scaled down to 554 mt at present, creating a 136 mt gap between demand
and supply. Though easing of rules is going to be a drop in the ocean, the
Centre will need to review the working of Coal India Limited and consider
restructuring and modernising coal mining.
* * * *
Delhi In Poll Mode
Delhi is in the thick of hectic campaigning. With municipal
corporation elections round the corner, April 15, both the principal parties,
Congress and BJP are going all out to woo the voters. While the former, under
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is banking on its State development report card,
the latter has chosen to make corruption its main agenda. On Tuesday last, the
BJP battling dissidence, released a booklet “Dilli mein ghotalebazon ki sarkar”
(Government of scamsters in Delhi—scams and more scams) which runs into 95
pages listing 35-odd scandals-- Commonwealth Games, power and water
privatisation, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, procurement of DTC
buses et al. Dikshit, however, has cleverly decided to turn it around stating
that the BJP was trying to hide its own failures as the ruling party in the MCD
for the past five years. Instead of focusing on local issues, it was raising
national and State issue, she lambasted. Her team is talking about development
and offering better roads, storm water drains, green parks, schools flyovers
etc if voted to power. Will the voters take the bait? ----- INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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