Round The States

New Delhi, 3 July 2015

Centre-State Tiff

Digital India Pipedream

By Insaf

From E-governance to M-governance, nee mobile, Prime Minister Modi’s pet project of empowering people by providing governance and service on demand in areas like health, education, agriculture and banking seems to be in for a long haul and is unlikely to be completed by December 2016. Linked to this, broadband connectivity in panchayats, Wi-fi in schools and universities and public wi-fi hotspots in cities in all likelihood too would not meet its 2019 completion target. Thanks to surging delays by various States in the National Optic Fibre Network’s (NOFN) flagship Digital India initiative to bridge the rural connectivity gap. Primarily, the hitch is because States refuse to waive off right of way charges, thereby, making it incumbent on the Centre to ask the concerned Chief Ministers to actively intervene in getting the project back on track. Not a few like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu along-with Prime Minister Modi’s Gujarat have made their intervention conditional to them getting to take up their leg of the project entirely on their own, instead of the NOFN.  Besides, trust BSP’s Mayawati to play party pooper, she queried, where is the promised 24x7 electricity first? All eyes are on the Prime Minister on how he solves this Centre-States logjam.

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New Yadav Uprising In Bihar

Bihar, slated to go to the polls later this year is witnessing a new Yadav uprising to take on the Janata Parivar and defeat the RJD-JD(U) combine.  The initiative was taken by expelled RJD leader Pappu Yadav who floated his Jan Adhikar Party along-with ex-Chief Minister Manjhi’s Hindustan Awami Morcha. Calling themselves the Mandal Vichar Manch the duo were joined by former Union Minister and Lalu erstwhile colleagues DP Yadav, Ranjan Prasad Yadav and social activists. Adding to Lalu’s discomfiture estranged brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav too has formed his own outfit proclaiming he was no pushover. All have one agenda: Turn the tables on the ruling JD(U)’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Yet, unspoken is the real motive, tired of playing second fiddle the new Yadavs dispensation want to register their poll presence. Will they succeed?

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Nitish’s Dastak

Notably Nitish Kumar has begun his electioneering for a third stint as Chief Minister. Towards that end he has taken a leaf out of friend-turned-foe Prime Minister Modi and compatriot Kejriwal’s electioneering book: unleashing a Ghar Ghar Dastak campaign. Already, he has knocked on dozen households in Patna to garner feedback on his eight-year rule and his party workers have fanned across the State making mass public contact. Pertinently this campaign has been conceptualise by citizens for governance, the group behind Modi’s bid for premiership in 2014. Not to be outdone the Prime Minister is set to lead the counter charge by addressing a rally in Nitish’s domain. Plans are afoot to woo the electorate by offering a fat package in the hope of blunting door to door campaign. Understandably, the stakes are high for the BJP have in bite the dust in Delhi. All have their fingers crossed.

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Kejriwal, A Spendthrift?

The Aam Admi Party’s spending is certainly not aam. Shockingly, so much for being a people’s messiah. Shockingly, Chief Minister Kerjiwal has notched up a Rs.1.36 lakh electricity bill for his residence which boast of 30 air conditioners. Against the daily power consumption of 400 units the Delhi Chief Minister has consumed over 456 units. Add to this he has been overdrawing electricity by more than 50 per cent of the sanctioned load. If this is bad news worse followed. The AAP has bracketed Rs.526 crores towards its radio advertisements in the current financial year. Purportedly Kejriwal intends apprising Delhites abot the developments works. Undeniably, the tagline of jo kaha, so kiya is to counter better noir Modi’s Mann Ki Baat. Any which way, the people’s Messaiah who preaches frugality does not believe in practicing it.

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KCR Gets 5-cr Mean Machine

Telengana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao has taken leaders fetish for fancy mean machines to the next level. By ordering an Rs 5-crore bulletproof ‘vanity’ bus fitted with state-of-art technology which can withstand any attack on the fallacious plea of having a moving office and touring the State. Sic. It also boasts of in-built bedroom, rest-room, small meeting hall, internet and stairs to the rooftop of the vehicle. Predictably, the Opposition led by Congress called it a waste of money and pointedly asked, “Rao toured the State prior to elections too, why a five crores bus now”?  Raising a moot point: Won’t a helicopter sufficed? And the money better spent on betterment of the poor?
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Split In Assam Congress

The Congress High Command is desperately busy trying to stave off a revolt it its State unit in Assam. With elections due early next year, Party rebels led  by Himanta Biswa are hell bent on dislodging Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi-PCC Chief Anjan Dutta combine and have served an ultimatum of July 18. Alternatively, they plan to float a regional outfit and could ally with Congress ally-turned-foe Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front. Adding to the Party’s angst, the threat seems real on two counts. One, four senior State Congress leaders have already quit the Party. Two, Sarma under the CBI scanner in the Saradha chit fund scam has offered to turn approver. Unsurprisingly, the AICC is busy fire fighting given that Assam is one of the few remaining major States governed by Congress. What gives?

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Scam Byword For Motherhood

Three times pregnant in four months. This can only happen in Ulta-Pulta State UP. An audit report has exposed this mother of all scams: Janani Surakhsha Yojana which guarantees new mothers better food and dole has been swindled of crores. Over two hundred cases of this heist were unearthed in villages falling under Bareilly district whereby fake names and births including women who had not conceived for twelve years were delivered honorariums of Rs.1400 by the Health authorities. The modus operandi was simple: women would get a pittance; the rest would be pocketed by officials. So much for upliftment of ‘mother’hood! ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)