Round The States

New Delhi, 29 January 2015

‘Corruption-Free India’

GOA BELIES MODI’S AFFIRMATION

By Insaf

The BJP-led Government in Goa should be a cause of embarrassment and worry for the Centre. It has put a big question mark on Prime Minister’s promise of making India “corruption-free”. While many at home would have taken it with a pinch of salt, there may have been takers overseas. However, it isn’t the case, at least in London. According to a report, a debate in Westminster Hall of House of Commons on Tuesday last, dealt with the harrowing experience of 300-odd British citizens who had acquired property legitimately in Goa and had started businesses, but were now at the centre of demands for “bribery and inquiries,” on grounds that it had been “acquired illegally’! The problem, states the report seems to be “quite widespread…. The situation is proving to be a nice little earner for the government in Goa, and various government officials are pretty brazen in demanding money to make the problem…We seem to have the Goan equivalent of the mafia!” Not just this, but the MP even named two officials of the State’s Enforcement Directorate and stated that he had raised the matter with the Goa Chief Minister, the Indian High Commission and even Union Finance Minister. Hope the report has been taken note of by the PMO. Not only should there be damage control but action taken should be sent back to   

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Popular Govt In J&K?

Jammu and Kashmir may well have a popular government in place. Strong signals of the PDP and the BJP eventually coming together and revocation of Governor’s rule are emerging. The first such signs were available with the two parties, ideologically apart, working out an arrangement for contesting the four Rajya Sabha seats—two each, slated for February 7. This apart, leaders of both parties met Governor NN Vohra separately on Wednesday outlining a broad framework of reaching an agreement on contentious issues, including Article 370 and the Armed Forces Special Protection Act. Reports suggest that a common minimum programme has to be inked before the final call is made. Efforts of both the National Conference and the Congress to keep the BJP out by forging an alliance with the PDP have obviously proved futile. The latter apparently realises that communal polarisation of the State by not respecting the people’s verdict for the BJP in Jammu would make the going tough. Thus, it’s now only a question of time when the two together stake claim. Soon after Delhi elections are over?

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Kerala Bribe Case

Kerala’s bar licence bribery case is getting murkier. With Finance Minister K M Mani denying the charges and lamenting he was being singled out by the bar hotel owners, the latter have released another audio clip reportedly suggesting that four other Congress Ministers had been given bribes! Recall the bar owners have accused Mani of taking big money and not keeping his promise of issuing them bar licence way back in April. However, with the issue turning hot with the Opposition demanding Mani’s resignation following a vigilance inquiry, the Oommen Chandy UDF government has had to rethink its liquor policy, which envisaged closure of all bars below five-star category. For the time being, eligible applicants among the 418 bars shut would get ‘wine and beer’ licence. But the bar hotel owners association is not terribly enthused. It proposes to keep the four ministers’ names under wraps, till the opportune time.

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Andhra, Telangana On Call  

Warring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana share one common ailment. Apparently, they don’t have safe and clean toilets in schools, inviting the wrath of none other than the Supreme Court. “You cannot have innovative ideas to construct a structure, christen it as a toilet and thereafter forget it…” was the advice by the two-member bench. Recall the Court had set up a committee to visit schools across the country and file a status report viz its judgement of 2012 asking all schools-- both Government and private to provide toilets, drinking water, sufficient classrooms as well as teaching and non-teaching staff. Accordingly, it was informed that while there were structures in place in some schools, conditions were “totally unacceptable.” As the two States are the first to be taken up, secretaries of school education department have been told to submit their schemes and be present on March 10. The two governments would do well to gear up their energies in this direction and not at each other. Importantly, other States should take cue and get their schemes in ‘functional’ order.

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North-East Connectivity

Hope glimmers for the North-Eastern States. Run-down highways and poor road connectivity should become passé eventually. Fingers will be crossed for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to achieve its first goal to develop and widen 3,600 km road with a whopping investment of Rs 34,300 crore. It has launched its vision of the first ‘e-PSU’, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation to fast-track road construction in under-developed N-E and border areas, read tough and difficult terrains. Besides, it proposes to expand 500 km of roads in north Bengal and N-E region to improve connectivity in the international trade corridor. While the eventual goal is to develop 10,000 km of highways, the concerned States too must have their wish list well documented, as the Ministry concedes that progress of work in North-East was “not satisfactory.” After a recent visit to Nagaland and Manipur, Insaf too hopes the Corporation will address their grievances of ‘wretched national highways’ and pathetic roads or worse no roads at all. It’s high time the region looks forward to Prime Minister Modi’s promised ‘achche din.’

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Delhi’s Obama Hype

President Obama was Delhi’s flavour of the week. For some it left a good taste, while for many others the way it panned out may have been unpalatable. The Modi Government can pat itself that there were no glitches in the red carpet treatment. However, the media, both print and electronic should consider whether they stretched the coverage a bit too far. Not only did the two have page after page or 24x7 coverage reeled out on all his engagements and movements (unlike in the US), shockingly they even relegated President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day to the inside pages or as a short clip! As for the common man, the two-and-a-half days’ visit of the ‘most powerful man in the world’ was a security nightmare. Road blocks on his travel route had turned the city into a fortress. And, while the Delhi police can heave a sigh of relief that it passed the most difficult security test, a Whatsapp message needs a mention: “Daily rapes nobody cares. Uncounted murders, crimes nobody cares. Just one day Obama visits India and rape city (Delhi) got 15000 CCTV installed! Proud to be an Indian?” Worth introspection, thanks to Obama. --- INFA

 (Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)