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Bihar Battleground: SOPS SHOWERED ON VOTERS, By Insaf, 20 August, 2015 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 20 August 2015

Bihar Battleground

SOPS SHOWERED ON VOTERS

By Insaf

 

It’s raining projects in Bihar. With the Election Commission close to announcing the dates for the Assembly elections, both Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are trying to outdo each other in wooing the voter with tall promises and ribbon-cutting. After the debacle in Delhi, Modi desperately needs to win this battle, which is getting murkier. And even though he may roar at the rallies, his extraordinary Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the State reveals a nagging unease and nervousness in the BJP camp. The bonanza announced covered everything--farmers’ welfare, education, electricity, rural roads, highways, railways, airports et al with thousands of crores to each sector. While the big question is when and how the package would be budgeted, it sent Nitish into a spin. He rubbished it as ‘repackaging of old projects’, and went on his spree of inaugurating projects and laying foundation stones. This apart, he went to Delhi to participate with Kejriwal in Bihar Samman Sammelan for the Poorvanchalis vote. Indeed, for team JD(U)-RJD and Congress it is a do-or-die battle. With the stakes high this poll for both contenders, the gimmickry may well bemuse the voter, wondering if only the term of the Assembly was shorter the poll bonanzas would ensure Bihar wouldn’t have to go with a begging bowl for special status!

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Gujarat Stir

Gujarat is in the throes of an agitation sending the BJP government into a tizzy. The youth of Patidar community which uses the surname of Patels are demanding OBC status and 27 per cent reservation in government jobs and higher education. The stir which started last month by the Patidar Ananat Andolan Samiti is growing menacingly, notwithstanding Chief Minister Anandiben being a Patel and the Government having about half a dozen Patel Ministers! On Monday last, a crowd of over 4.5 lakhs had gathered in Surat and a bigger rally is planned next week in Ahmedabad. Though the Patels, around 20 per cent of the State’s population are economically and politically influential, the youth claim that a vulnerable section has for decades suffered due to reservation for other communities. They demand the same and their leader Hardik Patel warns: “Patels can make and break governments.” Which of the Patels—in Government or on the streets-- will blink first? Or will it be a win-win situation for both? Much depends on how the high-level committee set up to look into the demands pans out.    

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Delhi’s Power Theft

Delhi discoms’ jugglery may well open a Pandora’s Box. The CAG’s audit report on Monday last is damning for the three private power distribution companies, including Relaince. It states the firms inflated their dues by nearly Rs 8000 crore to be recovered from consumers! The audit which was ordered by the previous Government of Arvind Kejriwal on allegations of inflated and unjustified tariffs has vindicated his stand, and this time around it can go all out for drastic cuts in tariff ‘with good reason’ and not as per whims and fancies. The companies are accused of manipulating consumer figures, buying costly power, suppressing revenue and giving undue favours to group firms—actions which make the consumer see red. While Delhi is rearing to rectify the grave anomaly, the CAG’s report should send electric shocks across the nation. In all probability there would be demands for similar audits in other States. The Government agencies and private companies had better put their house in order.

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Manipur’s ILP Stir

The Congress-led government in Manipur would need to think out-of-the-box. A solution to the ongoing agitation for introduction of the Inner Line Permit system continues to elude it. Rather it finds itself in a Catch 22 situation. The people in the Valley, the Meiteis are insisting on its implementation to protect ‘identities of the indigenous people’ and halt entry of the outsiders, particularly labourers, whereas those in the hills, Nagas and Kuki are vehemently opposed to it. And, just when the Valley was limping back to normalcy after a month-long siege by the Meiteis following a student’s death in police firing during the protests, the hills are on fire. The Hill Tribal Council of Moreh, Indo-Myanmar border town, opposed the rally called by the Meitei Council on Wednesday last, which led to clashes between the two communities. Fear is the agaitation would further widen the rift between the Hill and Valley people. Will the 13-member committee of all political parties, be able to reach out to the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System, spearheading the agitation? An early resolution looks difficult, locals told Insaf in Imphal. Sister States of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have implemented the IPL system, so why not here, is the big question. 

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Aswachcha Bharat Mission

Prime Minister Modi’s much hyped pet project of Swachch Bharat seems to have hit a dirty snag notwithstanding his tall claims of building toilets in every school in the country from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day.  An internal assessment by the Union Urban Development Ministry reveals the filthy and grimy side of urban India whereby 14 States and Union territories have yet to start construction of toilets. Nitish Kumar’s Bihar, Mamta’s West Bengal, Gogoi’s Assam alongwith three other North-eastern States are among others who have yet to start building, household and community toilets. This despite the Centre having released the first tranche of funds towards that end. Till date only 4.35 lakh toilets have been constructed in urban areas. The less said the better of rural India. So much for ingraining cleanliness, personal hygiene and making India open – defecation free by 2019.

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Think Rape, Think India

It has been over two and half years since the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape case happened. Alas! nothing has changed in Mera Bharat Mahan India wherein a rape occurs every minute. Shockingly, the Union Capital has been officially declared as the country’s ‘rape capital’ with nearly 1900 cases last year of a total of 36700. Add to this, another 2300 cases of gang rapes across the nation. Leading the pack is Ulta Pulta State with over 570 cases in 2014. More scandalously, instead of increasing vigilance and making the safety of a woman paramount in the State, the Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh pooh-poohed  these brutal statistics by asserting that rape by four persons was ‘not practical’ as only one man could commit rape but four are named to ‘settle scores’. Earlier too, while opposing capital punishment for rape he sparked outrage by stating “ladke, ladke hain...galti ho jati hai (boys will be boys...they commit mistakes).” In fact, this is the only tip of the iceberg as many youngsters and women do not report cases for fear of social stigma and ostracization. Indeed a sad reflection on India’s law and order alongside underscoring that respect for women is at an abysmal low.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

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