Round
The States
New Delhi, 30 August 2012
Gujarat Verdict?
BLOW TO MODI’S AMBITION
By Insaf
Three cheers for the Special Court
investigating the 2002 Gujarat riots. On
Wednesday last, its verdict in the Naroda Patiya massacre of 97 people in
Ahmedabad, convicting a former minister in the Narendra Modi government among
31 others was hailed by the victims’ families and activists. For them, not only
was justice finally delivered but that the verdict can play spoilsport to
Modi’s outright denial of his Government having a hand in the riots. Worse, the
verdict could not only destroy Modi’s chances of winning the December Assembly
polls for a third consecutive term but may even impact his aspiration of being
a prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 General elections. On the other hand,
while it’s obvious that the Congress both in the State and the Centre shall go
all out to use the verdict as ammunition against the BJP, it should tread
carefully. For its hands too were not clean in Delhi’s infamous 1984 riots post Indira
Gandhi’s assassination. Justice here is clearly delayed but hopefully like Gujarat may not be denied.
* * * *
Delhi Keeps Promise?
Kudos to the Delhi
Government. It has finally woken up to its poll promise made way back in 2008.
On Tuesday last, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced regularising 917 of
the 1,639 unauthorised colonies in the Capital, which would provide some relief
to about 40 lakh people. However, the
rest would have to wait their turn with only provisional regularisation
certificates in hand so far. But Dikshit has assured them that not a single
colony would be demolished! The opposition BJP views the announcement as
preparation for the Assembly polls due in 2013 as well as the Congress learning
from its bitter poll debacle in the Municipal elections early this April. The defeat, in fact had pushed the Congress
to expedite the regularisation process, but it still has an uphill task of
providing basic amenities such as roads, schools, drainage, streetlights in the
917 colonies. Where are the funds, is a question doing the rounds? Moreover,
how soon will good news follow for those left out? Surely, Dikshit cannot
afford to make the regularisation process a “poll gimmick”, as described by the
BJP. After all the residents of these colonies form a major chunk of the
Congress vote bank and others too are
keenly watching.
* * * *
West Bengal Land Ceiling
Rural West Bengal heaves a
sigh of relief. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured the rural folk that
her Government would not do away with the land ceiling. This means that
households would continue to be entitled to retain 12 acres of irrigated land
and 17 acres of non-irrigated land, and less than an acre in the cities,
notwithstanding the pressure to do away with it. While many States have gone
along with the Centre’s wishes of repealing the urban land ceiling, to make
available urban land in the market, Mamata has decided to oppose it like her
predecessor, the Left Government. The real intent, however, is in question:
whether didi is doing it for the love
of the rural poor or to keep her vote bank intact for the ensuing panchayat
elections.
* * * *
Odisha Model
States can take a cue from Odisha for the safety of both
public and private sector enterprises against vandalism. On Tuesday last, the
Naveen Patnaik government passed the Odisha Industrial Security Forces Bill on
three counts. One, the State was making rapid progress viz industrialisation and vital installations,
two it did not want a repeat of the 2009 Maoist attack on its aluminium PSU,
NALCO and three that the existing police force was overburdened to meet the
industrial establishments requirements. The Bill entails that the Force shall
have over 1,000 armed personnel headed by a police officer of the rank of an
IG; that officials can arrest without a warrant anyone who threatens to use
force against company employees and that PSUs or private firms that seek its
services will need to bear the costs. While it will be a while before the
Force’ feasibility is known, other Naxal-affected States could at least for
starters study the Bill.
* * * *
Cong Eyes HP Polls
The Congress is putting its house in order in Himachal
Pradesh. Former Union Minister and five-time Chief Minister of the State,
Virbhadra Singh, who threatened to resign from the party, finally had his way
and got anointed the PCC President, on Tuesday last. Obviously the High Command
in New Delhi had the ensuing Assembly elections on mind and chose not to commit
the same mistake—of keeping the stalwart out of the reckoning last time. While
Singh’s task would be to bring the party back to power by defeating the BJP
government at the hustings, he has a bigger and tougher job ahead. The
factionalism in the Congress has been at its worst, stronger than ever before,
which Singh admits. The big question doing the rounds is whether he would be
able to deliver and put up a united front for the polls. For starters, there is
hope as his home coming on Wednesday last saw party workers giving him a
rousing welcome in capital town of Shimla.
* * * *
Kerala’s Drinking Problem
Can Kerala control the heavy drinking habit of its people?
Perhaps, if only the State Government gives it opinion in the affirmative to
the Kerala High Court’s suggestion that the sale of liquor in bars be allowed
after office hours. Shockingly, bars in the State have since 1953 remained open
from 6 a.m. to midnight! Though the Congress government had changed cut down
the hotels’ bar opening timing by three hours to 9 a.m., a hotel licensee
played spoilsport and got a stay from a single bench of the HC. Following an
appeal, a division bench has asked the Congress to consider changing bar
timings from 5 p.m. to midnight. This
accordingly would help bring down liquor sales, which saw a 9.9 per cent
increase in revenue and ensure people don’t drink during work. Well, September
10 is by when the Government is to give its opinion, which would reveal its
intention of curbing the drinking menace or not. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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