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Lokayukta Refuses Post: MAJOR EMBARASSMENT TO MODI?, By Insaf, 8 August, 2013 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 8 August 2013

Lokayukta Refuses Post

MAJOR EMBARASSMENT TO MODI?

By Insaf

 

Gujarat Government appears to have unwittingly had its way over the contentious Lokayukta issue! But should it be happy? On the face of, it would rather be smarting under the rebuff it has got. On Tuesday last, the Gujarat Lokayukta Justice (Retd) R A Mehta shot off a letter to Governor Kamala Beniwal declining to assume office, despite the Supreme Court rejecting thrice Narendra Modi government’s petition challenging his appointment. Mehta’s basic argument being that a Lokayukta who is unwanted by the powers-that-be will not get necessary support and cooperation; that with his objectivity and credibility under question by both the government and public functionaries how could he carry out the responsibility and function in the crucial post; and that his findings and recommendations would always be under a cloud. Undoubtedly, he is upset over the Government’s adamant and unacceptable behaviour—challenging his appointment not once but thrice and worse showing reluctance to notify the selection in the State gazette. As of now, Mehta occupying the seat looks very distant, as the office he says has “lost all grace and dignity”. The post has bene lying vacant since 2003 as Modi and the Government have been embroiled in an unsavoury controversy over who shall be the State Ombudsman. The Opposition Congress has taken up cudgels with the Modi Government over Mehta’s stance. It has accused Modi of “suffocating constitutional institution and murdering democratic traditions”. It has demanded that the Chief Minister to apologize to the Governor and urged Mehta to change his decision. Will Mehta oblige is worth a watch. Modi, at least will be doing so.

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Monsoon Havoc In Kerala

Monsoon has played havoc with Kerala.  Unprecedented rains this week took the people and the State administration by surprise, especially in Idukki district and Kochi. While 17 persons died in landslides, the Kochi International airport had to be shut down for 29-hours sending flights and passengers into a tizzy. Besides, for the first time in recent history, the Athirappilly waterfalls, known as India’s Niagra falls were restricted to tourists with the water level at the Chalakkudy River rising menacingly. An unprepared Oommen Chandy Government called an all-Party meeting on Tuesday last, and shall petition the Centre for adequate financial assistance under its natural calamity relief fund. Till then, it has doubled the compensation for houses completely damaged from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh and for partially damaged houses from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000. However, Insaf in Kochi shockingly learnt that though New Delhi had sanctioned a National Disaster Response Force battalion way back in 2009, the State is only now going to provide five acres of land to station the unit! When will our leaders learn that knee-jerk reactions are no solution to handling disasters?

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TN Going UP Way?

Is Tamil Nadu going the Uttar Pradesh way? Reports from the capital, Chennai do give such an impression. The AIADMK government on Tuesday last, transferred the Tuticorin District Collector Ashish Kumar as Deputy Secretary, Dept of Social Welfare and Nutritious meal programme. While no reason was attributed, the timing gives a menacing clue. Kumar was shunted out “hours” after he ordered a raid on sand mines in the area. It does resemble what happened in UP, where Sub-divisional magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal stands suspended for cracking down on the sand mafia in Noida. While Nagpal’s has become a national issue, Kumar has accepted his transfer. Obviously, much to the delight of the mineral mining and export firm company learnt to be ‘influential’. The raids revealed that the firm had been indulging in large-scale violations—while it had a lease to excavate sand on four hectares near the beach it was active in over 20 hectares of government land! While the Opposition is up in arms, there is little that it would be able to achieve, in the backdrop that Kumar will take up his new assignment. What is worrisome is how many more officers shall pay the price for honesty?

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Big Shock To Manipuris

Manipuris have been led down, and that too shockingly. Both the Central and the Manipur Governments have asked the Supreme Court to scrap a judicial panel report of former judge Santosh Hedge, which had indicted the Armed Forces for fake encounters and AFSPA’s gross abuse. In their affidavits they have argued that the panel had embarked on a faulty procedure i.e. the security personnel were asked to prove their innocence whereas the law stated that the complainant had to prove his case. Therefore, they claimed that the panel’s six sample cases of “not genuine encounters” were incorrect and the action of the forces “well justified”. Additionally, the panel’s observation that maximum force was used was too trashed, by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Recall that the panel was formed early this January to examine six of 1,500 cases of fake encounters as claimed by the Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association and the Human rights Alert which had moved the Supreme Court.  What will be the court’s verdict will throw more light on the case. However, till then the Manipuri families affected can only pray and keep their fingers crossed.

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Andhra Blessed Sans Protests

The Lord has indeed showered its blessing on Andhra Pradesh. Notwithstanding the pro and anti-Telangana protests recently and in the past, the State has been billed as the top most tourist destination in the country. And, it is all thanks to the Tirupati Balaji temple, in the hill town of Tirumala near Tirupati in Chittoor district. It has recorded 206.8 million domestic tourists last year, with Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh following suit with 184.1 million and 168.4 million domestic tourists respectively. The statistics as given by the Tourism Ministry also show that the Lord Venkateswara temple, attracts more tourists than those to Taj Mahal in UP and the Ajanta-Ellora caves in Maharashtra. However, the latter turned out to be a great hit with foreign tourists with 5.1 million people recorded, with Delhi (2.3 million) foreigners and UP with 2 million next in line. Guess, the State Government should consider praying to the Lord Venkateswara. His blessings may help it ensure a smooth transition to Telangana.

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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