Round
The States
New Delhi, 29
November 2012
UPA-II’s
Relief
UP,
TN PARTIES COME TO AID
By
Insaf
Political parties of two States,
Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have come to the rescue of a beleaguered
Parliament and the UPA-II. Sadly, however, they have exposed the double
standards they can adopt with impunity. On Thursday last, the Lok Sabha was finally
able to transact business after four agonising days of adjournment following
the Government conceding the Opposition’s persistent demand for a debate on FDI
in retail under rule 168, which entails voting. While the Government had
already got the support of UP’s warring parties—the SP and BSP, it is only
after the DMK agreed to go with it that it relented. For now, it would be in a
comfortable position of sailing through the required vote of 273 in a house of
545. However, the UPA-II is perplexed with the SP, who has stated that it would
vote against it in the Rajya Sabha, when the discussion takes place. Though the
final picture will emerge only next week, what is rattling is how the three
parties can change their stance. Recall that they had openly opposed FDI in
retail and had participated in the bharat
bandh called against it. Only time
will tell, what made them change their minds. Any guesses?
* * * *
Modi Upbeat
Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi is rightly exuding confidence. Reports emanating
from poll-bound State suggest that he is all set for a hat-trick victory this
December. Among the various factors going in his favour, two clearly stand out.
One, there is no alternative to him and the BJP as the Congress is a severely
divided house, as problems in finalising its list reveal. Two, the ghost of
2002 riots is no longer part of the Congress campaign as the party has realised
that it shall only harms its prospects with the Hindutava vote further
solidifying with Modi. The Congress, thus, has instead been hitting out at
Modi’s claim to the State having made major development strides under his
leadership. On his part, a confident Modi has ensured that his loyalists get
the party tickets. In the second list of candidates released by the Party on
Wednesday last in New Delhi,
Modi’s controversial Home Minister Amit Shah, accused in an alleged fake
encounter finds a place. In fact, the Chief Minister’s entire Cabinet and
nearly all junior ministers have been given tickets, confirming that none other
than Modi is in the driver’s seat.
* * * *
Haryana
Visitor Scanning
Travel to Haryana by road will be
cumbersome soon. The Congress government of Bhupinder Singh Hooda believes that
a percentage of crimes in its State are committed by outsiders. Thus, it has
decided to set up check-posts at 30 places bordering Uttar Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab
and Rajasthan wherein vehicles would be stopped at random and fingerprints of
visitors scanned. The scanners have been loaded with the database of wanted
criminals with the help of the National Crime Records Bureau and in case fingerprints
and faces match with it, the persons will be arrested. The check-posts, called Pehchan Kaun, (Whose Identity) will get
cracking from December 10. The Haryana
State Crime Records Bureau is hopeful that the check-posts will help it recover
stolen vehicles as well as minimise crimes related to property, 20 per cent of
which are committed by those from other States. It’s confidence emanates from
the positive results the Pehchan Kuan PCR vans have yielded by way of
apprehending 500 people in just five months.
* * * *
Rajasthan’s Quota Dodge
Rajasthan’s Congress Government has by hook or by crook sought to
resolve the Gujjar’s demand of reservation. On Wednesday last, Ashok Gehlot’s
Cabinet cleared 5 per cent quota in Government jobs for the community under the
Special Backward Classes (SBC) category. But it did this after cleverly adding
Gadaria/Gadri (community of shepherds) to this category. The purpose being that
it would try to convince the High Court that the increase in quota from the
permissible level of 50 per cent to 54 per cent in the socially backward
communities, is because the addition of this new group and should be allowed
under the provision of “special circumstances.” Recall that the previous BJP
government had given 14 per cent reservation to the Economically Backward
Communities, but it was stayed by the High Court as it had exceeded the cap of
50 per cent. Ironically, the Gujjar’s for whom the Gehlot government has
brought about these changes, has turned down the formula. Their fear that it
would not pass the legal test of surpassing the 50 per cent cap may not be
unfounded. And, the Government may find itself back to square one.
* * * *
Bihar’s Great Robbery
Bihar is the latest
State to be bitten by the corruption bug in the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS). In a report titled “The Great MNERGA Robbery” a
Delhi-based NGO has alleged that the State has been robbed of a whopping Rs
6,000-odd crore over the past six years! In its survey conducted on 2,500
households in 100 Dalit villages of 10 districts, the Centre for Environment
and Food Security, found that 73 per cent of the funds distributed in 38
districts during 2006-07 to 2011-2012 had been “embezzled by implementing
authorities.” It drew this conclusion by
comparing the Centre’s figures for the scheme and what the beneficiaries
actually got. An embarrassed Nitish Kumar government has ordered an inquiry in
the said districts. However, not much should emerge as the probe will be to
dispel the scam figure of Rs 6000 crore.
* * * *
J&K On The Roll
Times are indeed changing in Jammu & Kashmir. Two developments, one
on the political front and another on security are a pointer. The J&K National
Conference patriarch and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah has made up with his
estranged elder sister and President of the Awami National Conference Khalida
Shah. The latter has agreed to merge her party (formed by her late husband,
Ghulam Mohd Shah, who was Chief Minister for 11 months) with the NC, thus
bringing an end to the three-decade old feud. The announcement made on Tuesday
last, should put the NC on a better footing viz the Opposition PDP in the
run-up to the 2014 elections as well as poll ally, the Congress. The other good
news is the falling levels of militancy in the Valley and the drastic reduction
in the killings of terrorists from across the border--from 35 last year to nine
till this October 31. Peace and
political stability have both got a welcome boost.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|