|
Round The States
New Delhi, 2 January 2014
Operation Clean Govt
KARNATAKA TAKES A BEATING
By Insaf
Operation Clean Government has taken a severe beating in
Karnataka. It’s been less than nine months since Congress’ Siddaramaiah took
over the reins of power on the promise of clean and good governance and it has
already succumbed to vote bank politics and merrily done away with its moral
high ground. On an eye on the ensuing General Elections, the Chief Minister has
inducted two “tainted” six-time MLAs, D K Shivakumar and Roshan Baig into the
Cabinet, on grounds that while the former has got a stay in all cases against
him, the latter has only a private complaint pending. The real reason, however,
behind their induction is the pressure to win over the Vokkaliga community and
retain the minorities’ faith in the Grand Old Party. For there is no other
explanation, that only a month back a minister was asked to resign because he
was allegedly involved in a mining scandal. Fortunately for the Congress, the
opposition BJP is hardly in a position to go to town about the new entrants.
The reason: it has decided to take back former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa
back into its fold after he was removed following his indictment in a mining
scam. But with the Lingayat strongman making a dent in its share of the votes
in the Assembly elections last year, the BJP is worried about a repeat. With
both the Congress and BJP not concerned about their image taking a beating,
will the aam admi give them a reminder knock? The next quarter should provide
an answer.
* * * *
Bengal Rape Case Politics
Will political parties in West Bengal
spare the ordinary folk of their dirty politics? The question continues to nag
the people of Kolkata as they witness the Opposition and the ruling TMC
government trying to score brownie points over the anguish of parents, whose
daughter was gang raped and then allegedly set afire by the accused. Protests
spilled on to the streets against the incident on Wednesday last, after the
family stopped the police from ‘forcibly’ taking the girl’s body for cremation
against their wishes. The parents chose to wait for their relatives from Bihar. The CPM stepped in and the body was kept in office
of its labour wing, CITU before taking it out in a procession to the
crematorium. The Congress joined the protests and is demanding Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee’s resignation for failing to provide safety to women. While she
chose to remain silent, her party has debunked the protests as political
vendetta and ‘belittling the prestige of the State before the rest of the
country!” Bereft of any compassion, the parties should leave the protest to the
civil society and instead put pressure within Writers Building
and the Governor to get justice for the girl. Sooner the better.
* * * *
Better Nutritioned States
States can start looking forward to improving their dismal
record of malnutrition. As per reports, the Centre is all set to roll out the
Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Programme, recommended way back in 2010 by the Prime
Minister’s National Council on India’s
Nutrition Challenges. This will come as good news specially for Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra
among others, as incidence of maternal and child under-nutrition is relatively
high in these States. For starters, the programme under the National Nutrition
Mission, will take off in two-phases in 200 high-burden districts, with the
cost ratio being shared by the Centre, 90 per cent and 10 per cent by States in
special category, including the North east. For the better off States the cost
ratio will be 75:25. The programme, which will cost Rs 1,213.19 crore, is
expected to roll-out in 100 districts this year and the second phase would be
2014-15. This apart, the setting up of State and District Nutrition Councils is
too envisaged. All eyes, other than the Centre’s would now be on States to see
how best these utilise the Mission.
Shortage of funds can no longer to an excuse.
* * * *
Bihar’s Crorepati Ministers
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should look within his
Government and not the Centre alone to put his State in order. While he
anxiously waits for New Delhi to accord the Most Backward
State status to Bihar,
he would do well to pass the bowl around to his Ministers. As per the
administration’s latest asset, 11 ministers of 17 are crorepatis, including
him. The list includes, Ministers of HRD, Social Justice Minister, Water
Resources, Rural Development, Rural Works and Panchayati Raj, Land and Revenue
among others. All of them have shown property ranging from Rs 1.5 crore to over
6 crore, with houses and land in the State and outside. But the catch is that
they haven’t put the market value on these. For example, while Nitish claims to
have a 1,000 sq foot flat in Delhi’s
Dwarka area valued at Rs 60 lakhs, the price today would be more than Rs 2
crore! Clearly, why can’t those who govern the State look beyond themselves in
improving living conditions of the people. Rather than relying on the Centre,
the Cabinet would do well to have policies in place for the welfare of the
ordinary folk. Is anyone listening?
* * * *
Assam For Separate Time Zone
Can and should the North-East have its own separate time
zone? Why not, could be an answer and worth exploring, according to Assam Chief
Minister Tarun Gogoi. On Wednesday last, he noted that as the ‘seven sisters’
are the first to experience daybreak in the country, the State should have its
own local time. The logic being that this would ensure “optimum use of the
early daybreak, save energy and improve productivity.” This is obvious as the
work time would automatically get advanced with advance in local time. Gogoi’s
assertion has found at least one instant taker. Noted film maker Jahnu Barua
said he was happy as he single-handedly and relentlessly had been campaigning
for a separate time zone (daylight saving time) for the past 25 years for the
region. He told the media that he had even scientifically demonstrated why the
north-east needed such an arrangement and submitted such a proposal to the
Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), in 2010. Upset over the lack of
political will, Barua, has reason to have hope. With the third time Congress
Chief Minister Gogoi opining in its favour, there is good reason for the Centre
to give it a serious thought at the least.
* * * *
Goa New Year Resolution
The Goa Government has given itself a tall order this 2014.
It has a special New Year resolution i.e. to make the State, an international
tourist destination, “free of drugs and prostitution,” Yes, that’s what Tourism
Minister Dilip Parulekar told newspersons on Wednesday last. However, he had
neither the timeframe nor the strategy in place to share. But there seemed to
be a ready excuse if the BJP Government fails. The State, he regretted does not
have enough police force to check the drug menace at present. But there would
no let-up in the raids conducted by the police and anti-narcotics cell against
drug-peddlers in the past six months. Besides, he appealed to well-meaning
citizens to assist agencies with tips on drug-peddlers. While the Government
has made known its zero tolerance for drugs and rave parties, Goa
seems to thrive on it. Recall that not too long ago it had got the notorious
tag of being the country’s ‘rape State’. It’s far from being seen as “safe and
clean family tourism destination,” as desired. But if there is a will, there’s
a way. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
|
Archives 
