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Round The States
New Delhi, 4 November 2016
SIMI
Encounter Row
MP COMES
UNDER FIRING LINE
By Insaf
A fresh controversy has erupted over
the reported encounter of eight undertrials of Students Islamic Movement of
India (SIMI) in Madhya Pradesh. The killings have aroused suspicion with the
Opposition parties accusing BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan government of staging
the ruthless murder. Worse, Congress former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has
given a communal slant to the encounter by raising queries asking why are only
Muslims killed! Other parties too have joined the bandwagon and say a video
shows the cops firing from point blank range and others saying that the SIMI
students were unarmed. They are demanding a judicial probe. Meanwhile, the
National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh
Government, police and the prison authorities over the activities so-called
escape from Bhopal’s
Central jail. Not a few policemen allege that this was revenge killing for the
students gunning down a head constable during their run away bid. Underscoring
the fact that each Parties agenda is linked not so much to the SIMI activists’
murder but garnering the Muslim vote bank in the forthcoming elections in five
State Assemblies.
* * * *
Kudos
AP, Telangana
Post the acrimonious split of united
Andhra Pradesh into two States —Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, surprisingly both
have together topped the 2016 All-India chart vis-a-vis the ease of doing
business. Interestingly, it has pushed Modi’s Gujarat
to the third place. Importantly, four of
the seven States with the lowest income levels in the country, including
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan have come in the top ten.
This is not all. Others like poor Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and BIMARU Bihar showed
an implementation rate of over 75 per cent on the 340-point business reform
action plan. Indeed, this is heartening coming as it does on the heels of India going up
just one notch to rank to rank 130th in the global charts on the
ease of doing business. Notwithstanding, Prime Minister Modi’s worldwide forays
to many countries. Perhaps, Chief Ministers would fare better going across the
globe!
* * * *
J&K
Proxy War Intensifies
The ongoing low-intensity conflict
between India and Pakistan in J&K State has resulted in not only the Kashmir
Valley continuing to being under a blanket of indefinite curfew for over three
months, following the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani, but has resulted in
residents fleeing from border areas even in Jammu region and thereby rendering
them homeless. Worse, the proxy war now encompasses young minds. Consequently,
the collateral damage in this crossfire has resulted in terrorists setting
aflame over 27 schools in the Valley and border districts during this period.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has accused the separatists of being
hand-in-glove with Pakistan in ensuring that young minds are brainwashed
against the Indian State as it wants a generation of uneducated youth as
stone-pelters. An upset judiciary too has picked up the gauntlet and directed
the State government to take all necessary steps to ensure that more
educational institutions don’t go up in flames. While the Army and the local
administration struggle to bring about normalcy, the Central government has
released over Rs 1000 crores towards restoration of the damaged infrastructure
in the State. How much more will it have to shell out?
* * * *
Kerala
Drought-Hit
As Kerala, “God’s own country,”
gears up for the tourist season, the State is facing an acute water shortage,
following a deficit in rainfall during the South West monsoon. Left with no
option, the CPM Government has declared drought in all 14 districts. Towards
alleviating the misery of the people, the administration has taken steps to
make drinking water available in areas facing shortage. The government is
contemplating a moratorium on all loans on famers and the District Collectors
have been given a 26-point guideline for drought relief measures. Chief
Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has taken a leaf out of Prime Minister Modi’s book
and plans to hold video conference with the DCs to ensure that relief measures
reach the common man. Following this, the State will soon knock on the Centre’s
door for more financial aid. Will Delhi
oblige?
* * * *
Judges
Famine In States
Justice delayed is justice denied
can’t be better underscored than in our country. Shockingly, 24 High Courts
have a total 43 per cent judicial vacancieseven as the Supreme Court and the
Centre indulge in a slugfest over anointment of new judges. In the south,
Andhra leads with 62 per cent vacancies in judicial posts, followed by
Karnataka 58 per cent as against its sanction strength of 62 judges, and in the
north, Punjab and Haryana 46 per cent and 39 vacancies. As against the approved
strength of 1079 posts, as many as 462 posts needed to be filled. Allahabad
High Court alone has 83 posts accounting for 52 per cent of its approved
strength. Importantly, Chief Justice Thakur has put the onus on the
“Executive’s indifference” and on sitting on recommendations by the Collegium.
However, the Government counters by asserting there was no abnormal increase in
vacancies. In this war of words, poor litigants bear the brunt. With rarely any
court case to battle with our politicians are sadly in no hurry to resolve
logjam.
* * * *
Pat for
Haryana, Chhattisgarh
Two BJP-ruled States Haryana and
Chhattisgarh have reason to be upbeat. Both earned a pat on their backs from
the Prime Minister on their respective Foundation Days. While inaugurating the
new capital Naya Raipur and declaring two districts and 15 blocks as open
defecation free, Modi was all praise for the Raman Singh Government making a
small State with a large population, a cut above its rivals, raising many
eyebrows. He specifically lauded the administration for taking major strides
viz viability of agriculture on one hand and building infrastructure to combat
vagaries of nature on the other. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar too
would be jumping with joy with the PM visit. Here too was praise, as Modi was
pleased with the administration for improving the female sex ratio at a fast
pace, stopping the practice of female infanticide and taking forward his pet
project beti bachao, beti padhao. Khattar has other reasons to feel glad given
that seven rural districts have been declared open defecation free and eight
districts kerosene free. Will other States follow suit? ----INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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