Round The States

New Delhi, 31 October 2013

SC On Civil Servants

KEY TO GOOD GOVERNANCE

By Insaf

Bureaucrats across all States have good reason to be upbeat. None other than the Supreme Court has come to their aid and shown them the way. On Thursday last, Governments both at the Centre and States were directed to pass an order within three months to give fixed tenure to civil servants, which will “promote professionalism, efficiency and good governance.” Importantly, without mincing words, the court agreed with the petitioners (83 former top bureaucrats who had filed a PIL) that the deterioration in the cadres’ functioning was due to “political interference.” Therefore it empowered top bureaucrats to put on record oral instructions given to them by their political bosses. Their notings on the files can help ensure they are not hounded later for a particular decision, besides ushering in the much-needed transparency. The verdict rightly has been hailed as landmark by one and all as it has renewed hope that transfers, disciplinary actions, postings and promotions etc will no longer be decided on the whims and fancies of the political class. The bottom line being as put by a former bureaucrat: Public servants are not Private servants! Will the era of transfers and suspensions of officers such as Ashok Khemka (Haryana) and Durga Sakhti Nagpal, (UP), which hit the headlines, come to end? Both bureaucrats and politicos will need to walk hand-in-hand. 

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NOTA, New Maoists Diktat

A lull before the storm! As the country reverberates to Diwali fire crackers, in Chhattisgarh, the Maoists are getting their arsenal ready to emblazon the forthcoming State Assembly polls next month. In a fresh missive they have issued a diktat asking villagers to boycott the elections or in the worst case scenario affix their vote on “none of the above” (NOTA) candidate option in the EVMs. Further,  the red brigade intends creating a security situation by attacking security forces to keep away the local from going to polling booths, notwithstanding that over 56,000 CRPF personnel have been deployed to sanitize the routes and roads in the Naxal-affected areas. However, the naxals must keep in mind that pressing the NOTA slot is going to make no difference to a candidate getting elected, as the voter doesn’t have the “Right to reject.” At best it only helps the voter to express his anger against those contesting. Thus, if NOTA exceeds the numbers of votes a candidate/s get, the latter will be declared elected—it could even be with just a single vote! It remains to be seen who comes up triumphs in the ‘I dare you game’.

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Bihar’s Dangerous Sparks 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has a lot more on his plate than he can chew. Beleaguered by the serious security lapse in Patna at friend turned foe, Narendra Modi’s massive rally in Patna, on Sunday last, where five were killed and 90 injured, Nitish has to watch out for a revolt simmering within the JD(U). For starters, MP Shivanand Tiwari and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh have started questioning Nitish’s functioning and voiced their concern over senior leaders “being sidelined” within the party. Worse, Tiwari in full public view, sought to rubbish Nitish’s claim of there being no “Modi wave”, and urged the leadership to accept that Modi posed a serious challenge to the party. While, Nitish supporters see the developments as the two trying to extract their pound of flesh before 2014 polls, Nitish needs to put his house in order before it’s too late. Already he has had to suspend two MPs and a minister for “anti-party activities.” With his eyes on a bigger role for himself at the Centre, the CM would do well by the idiom: charity begins at home.         

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UP Gets Tricky

The general elections might be eight months away, but Ulta-Pulta State (read Uttar Pradesh) is literally getting to be jig-saw puzzle for ruling Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh, eyeing the 80 Lok Sabha seats. While he is trying to pull out all stops to draw mileage from the recent Muzaffarnagar communal riots by playing on his traditional Muslim vote bank sentiments, the district was on the boil again on Wednesday last with fresh riots which claimed four lives. Rather than taking political mileage out of the riots, the chief should put his house in order. A day before, at his first election rally in Azamgarh, a Muslim stronghold, he took strong umbrage to Congress shehzada Rahul’s statement of ISI weaning the youth hit in the carnage, and criticized the Congress, demanding  an apology for hurting the minority community. However, shouldn’t he be putting pressure on his own shehzada-- son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, to ensure normalcy in the district and improve law and order? More so, as the party has to ensure Azamgarh magic works again in its favour. Recall, in last year’s Assembly poll, it got nine of the 10 Assembly seats. Even as Mulayam considers the district his Dharkan (heartbeat), one wonders whether it will beat in synchronization with the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

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Kerala Creates History

Kerala has created history. Kannur shall be on the country’s map as its first “zero-landless district.” In all 11,118 people, including 85 belonging to Schedules Tribes would be in possession of title deeds, as the district administration earmarked 500.81 acres of land for distribution, which includes 485.13 acres of excess land and the remaining 15.68 acres Government land in Kannur and in Thalassery and Thaliparamba talukas. The Centre, particularly the Union Ministry for Rural Development, is obviously ecstatic as it is confident of meeting its target of making Kerala, which already enjoys the distinction of being the most literate State, a “zero-landless State” within two years—by 2015. Accordingly, the State government would earmark land and distribute it to the landless families as it has done in Kannur (3 cents each per family and the STs one acre each). Other States will do well to take a cue, to add a feather in their caps too.

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States Alerted On Crackers

Diwali fire crackers are a cause of worry for the Centre! No kidding. All State governments have been put on alert for the “Made in China” fireworks, following reports that these are expected to be smuggled into the country through ports including Kolkata, Tuticorin, Kandla or Mumbai. Apparently, the crackers contain potassium chlorate, an explosive chemical, which is banned in India since 1992, as it “can ignite or explode simultaneously when mixed with a combustible material.” However, the number of such fireworks will be marginal—about 600 containers, is the Union Home Ministry’s information. Nevertheless, it has further asked all district officials to curb the sale of these crackers and even warned of action against those caught with these. The big question which emerges is: why can’t the Home Ministry be as vigilant in matters of internal security and in its fight against terrorism? ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)