Round The States

New Delhi, 18 September 2015 

Sulking Allies in Bihar

YET PARROT ‘ALL IS WELL’

By Insaf

Bihar is witnessing a big sulk whereby partners of the two alliances, Nitish Kumar’s Grand Alliance and Modi’s NDA are making evident their unhappiness. RJD’s Lalu and Congress’s Sonia-Rahul’s, LJP’s Ramvilas Paswan and RLSP’s Upendra Kushwaha’s feel they have been short changed in seat allotment by both the JD(U) and BJP. Resulting in Kushwaha and Paswan extolling the Hindutva Party to maintain the “sanctity of the coalition dharma” specially against the backdrop of the BJP announcing its first list of 43 candidates, that to in constituencies represented by its regional partners. Further, muddying waters is Patidari Anamat Andolan Samit’s Hardik Patel who has avowed to hold four rallies in the State demanding reservation.

If the NDA is busy dousing allies fire, both Lalu and Nitish are given heartburn to Sonia. They have refused to share the dais in Rahul’s rallies, a tit-for-tat for the Congress VP abstaining at their public meetings. Adding to the JD(U)-RJD-Congress angst is that the Election Commission has vetoed the discontinuation of the Prime Minister’s radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on the grounds that it did not violate the moral code of conduct. Either which way, the elections has generated international interest as they are crucial for not only deciding on who rules Patna but also vis-à-vis the composition of the Rajya Sabha next year which holds the key to ushering in crucial economic reforms. Yet when push comes to shove all crow ‘all is well! Which way will the wind blow?

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AP’s River Interlinking Project

The much-debated interlinking of rivers project since the early 50s has now finally turned a reality in Andhra Pradesh. Notably, the 174 kms long Pattiseema project will fetch flood water from the Godavari River to the water-starved farmers of Krishna delta. Yet this has led to an unnecessary fall out: a war of words has erupted between TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress’s Jagan Reddy with both claiming credit for the project. While Reddy boasts of the canal being completed during his late father Chief Minister’s Rajshekhar Reddy’s tenure, Naidu rubbishes his contention. No matter that the Godavari and Krishna have been interlinked earlier whereby two of the three major inter-linkages were done during British rule. Will this first inter-State change brighten the lives of farmers in other places?

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Dengue Stings Delhi

It took the death of a seven-year old followed by suicide of his parents for the Delhi Government to wake up from its Rip Van Winkle slumber that dengue had the Union Capital in its deadly tentacles. Already, over 17 have succumbed to the disease in the last one week and according to the Municipal Corporation there are over 2000 cases so far. The culprits are not only private hospitals who are turning away patients on the premise of paucity of beds, but much worse. Shamefully, nothing has been done to prevent the outbreak of vector-borne diseases over the last few years all thanks to an alarming decline in the allocation of funds for prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and chickenguniya. From a high of Rs.50 crores in 2012 the Central Government doled out just Rs.17 crores this year. Consequently, this had a cascading effect whereby the Health Directorate reduced share of funds from 10 per cent of the total expenditure to below 5 per cent. Any wonder that this has crippled the war on disease!

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23 Lakhs Applications For 368 Jobs

That there is rising unemployment in India is a no brainer. But what has come as a big shock to even the rabid cynics is how acute the situation is. Scandalously, underscored by 23 lakh youth applying for just 368 peon jobs in ulta pulta UP. More shocking, for a post which demands eligibility of a mere fifth class pass and ability to ride a cycle the applicants include 250 PhD holders, 25000 post graduates and 1.52 lakh graduates. Indeed, an eye opener to the level of literacy compared to the quantum of berojgari in the State. Forcing the State Government to change the selection criteria: from an interview to a written examination. It remains to be seen if this will put an end to sifarish (recommendation) by the rich and powerful to get their ‘people’ in.

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Four States In Drought Grip

India has been home to crippling drought over the years. But 2015 takes the cake due to the El-Nino effect. Already, it has ensnared four States: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra and Telengana in its vicious grip. Resulting in not only farmers committing suicides but also rural distress, topped by high prices of food items and pulses. Karnataka is the worst affected with 27 districts out of 30 being declared as famine stricken, half of Maharashtra is parched and over a third of Andhra and Telengana. The seriousness can be gauged by the fact that these four States account for nearly a third of the country’s food output. Adding to the Administration’s headache the water levels in 89 national reservoirs are at half their capacity thereby deepening the rural crisis. Will Lord Indra oblige?

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Punjab Jails Small for Addicts

The rampant drug menace in Punjab has become so acute that even jails are overflowing and seeming small to lodge over 26000 inmates compared to the official capacity of 19000 they can house. This is not all. Almost half of the prisoners, 47 per cent are under-trials convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, facing charges of narcotics use, selling or seizure. However, even as the prisons are bursting at the seams, they are simultaneously doubling up as de-addiction centres to make those in jails ‘clean’. But with the drug abuse having afflicted a majority of the State’s youth, it is a moot point whether the numbers of drug addicts will increase or more jails being added? ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)