Round The States
New Delhi, 25 October 2012
Himachal Corruption
Tar
BJP, CONGRESS
SMEARED
By Insaf
As Himachal Pradesh’s
high voltage election campaigning enters
its last lap, both the ruling BJP and rival Congress are entangled in
corruption sleaze. For the former, the recent revelations against Party
President Nitin Gadkari on several ‘suspicious transactions’ between his Purti
group and a businessmen while he was PWD Minister in the Maharashtra Government
along-with allegations of Gadkari's driver, peon and other household employees
being shown as directors in 18 ‘front companies couldn’t have come at a more
inappropriate mportunate time and is a major embarrassment. Worse, not only has
it complicated matters for the Party as it comes amid attempts to paint the
Congress corrupt but has also dented the till-now clean image of incumbent
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Pertinently, it has also put a big question mark over Gadkari getting a second
term as President. Even the RSS, which till yesterday backed him, has made
plain its abhorrence against dishonesty.
For the Congress, reeling under a surfeit of scandal
including revelations about Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert
Vadra’s real estate assets at the Centre, the charges against the Party’s Chief
Ministerial candidate Virbhadra Singh are also ill-timed as it was hoping to
wrest the State from its rival. The
former Union Minister and erstwhile Chief Minister stands accused of forgery,
money-laundering, bribe taking and income tax evasion on his orchard income et
al. Undeniably, for the Party a win in
this small State would come as a major boost to its flagging morale and
fortunes in the crucial Lok Sabha elections in 2014. Either which way, both
Parties have its fingers crossed that the voter turns a blind eye to the sleazy
tales!
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Maharashtra Irrigation Projects Hit
Caught in the whirlpool of raging irrigation
scandals, various projects continue to languish in Maharashtra.
Shockingly, over 87 major and medium irrigation schemes remain stalled leading
to cost over-runs or shortage of funds, from an estimated of Rs 21,938 crore to
Rs 55,991 crore, an escalation of 155%. This is not all. Also delayed are 755
minor irrigation projects out of the 1,310 that were included in a special
“accelerated” program. Not by a few years but some by to as much as 40 years!
Importantly, the ‘defunct’ projects are not only symptoms of corruption but are
depriving farmers of life-saving water for crops, weakening food security and
pushing them to the brink of pauperization. So much for providing succour to
farmers who continue to commit suicide.
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States In Red Over
Green Energy
Many States are in the red when it comes to green energy,
namely renewable energy. Pertinently, while Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat nearly met their targeted solar power
requirements last year, their compliance vis-à-vis
the non-solar segment is negligibly woeful. This is not all. The States have
also failed to meet their renewable energy purchase obligation (RPO) for
2011-2012. The culprit? Poor policy enforcement and lack of awareness. According
to the India Energy Exchange, while solar power is costly and suffers from
supply shortfall, non-solar sources of energy (wind, biomass) have few takers
due to lack of steady returns. Meanwhile, even as the Central Government wants the
State Electricity Regulatory Committees (SERC) to penalise defaulting
distributions companies, the Central Electricity Regulation Commission (CERC)
advocates a wait and watch policy. Questionably, for how long?
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Kashmir Unveils New Hospitality
Buoyed by its ever-burgeoning tourism and record footfalls,
the Kashmir University has launched a Masters
programme in Travel and Hospitality to churn out trained professionals for the
tourism industry. Pertinently, the course which was in the pipeline for the
past three years but it was only after the State recorded over 1.5 million tourist
this year alone, that the University decided to go ahead. Also, with pleasure
seekers exploring new vistas other than the golden triangle of Gulmarg, Pahalgam
and Srinagar
there was need of trained professionals in the industry. Additionally, the university,
has recorded a first in the country by launching another two-year course,
Masters in Craft Management and Entrepreneurship. Needless to say, not only
will this measure give a much needed impetus to bridge the yawning gap of lack
of trained and professional manpower, has the potential to become one of the
largest employers in the beautiful State and also help streamline the State’s tourism
policy.
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Odisha & Goa
Mines Tangle
In a harbinger of curbing the rot in mining, the Odisha
Government has amended the mining theft rules by levying a charge of Re 1 for
each tonne of mineral extracted by miners as “user fee” recently. Under the
modified Orissa Mineral Prevention of Theft, Smuggling and Illegal Mining and
Regulation of Possession, Storage, Trading and Transportation Rules 2007, the
miner would have to deposit the fee at the time of issuance of the e-permit
which would go towards installation of CCTV cameras, high mast lights and payment
to security guards manning check-gates. That it means business was made plain
when the State’s mines department cancelled applications for renewal of leases
made between 1987 and 1994. Meanwhile,
in Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is busy trying to find a solution to the
mining maze after the Supreme Court halted extraction and transportation of iron
ore pending inquiry report from the Centrally Empowered committee (CEC probing
mining illegalities totaling a whopping Rs 35,000 crore loss to the exchequer
in the last 12 years recently. In the
continuing uncertainty, the miners too have threatened to sue even as Parrikar
hopes for a miracle.
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Gujarat’s ‘Nympho’ Lioness
Believe it or not, Gujarat which boasts of a bachelor Chief
Minister, has a “nymphomaniac” lioness in its Savarkundla forest in Amreli
district. The 10 year old yellow-black cat called Varol is busy turning the
heat on the lions and is seen mating with them very frequently, an abnormal
behaviour according to wildlife experts. Unlike normal lioness, which do not mate for 12 to 18 months after
the mating season, this lioness comes into the heat regularly and is seen in
the ‘act’ every fortnight. The last such behaviour was spotted in a lioness was
at the famed Gir forest in 2003. Wildlife enthusiasts are busy tailing this
lion devouring diva! ----- INFA
(Copyright India News & Feature
Alliance)
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