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Round
The States
New
Delhi, 3 December 2016
CMs
Committee
WILL IT
BAIL OUT CENTRE?
By Insaf
An ill-prepared Centre now reaches
out to States for better advice--to plan and help promote its concept of a
“cashless” or less cash economy. With the Opposition holding up Parliament since
16 November over the demonetisation scheme causing immense hardship to the aam admi, this latest move of the Modi
government is being seen as a bid to break its ranks. It has sought to rope in
Chief Ministers, backing his currency ban decision and have a “Committee of
Chief Ministers” to examine and encourage the use of digital payment systems
across the country. Expectedly, the panel of the NITI Aayog has close ally
TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu, as its convenor. Other members include Odisha’s Naveen
Patnaik, who from day one has welcomed the pronouncement, BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh’s
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sikkim’s Pawan Kumar Chamling (an ally too) and
Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, while the Aayog says the
panel includes representatives of all political parties, it hardly seems the
case. Keeping out Bihar’s JD(U) Nitish Kumar
has come as a big surprise given he was among the very few Opposition leaders
endorsing the scheme and was reportedly invited. Among the Congress, the panel
chose to include UT Puducherry’s Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. Efforts to include
Tripura’s Manik Sarkar, have however failed, as he turned down the invite. Will
the panel be able to give a “boost to the adoption of digital payments systems
by people at the grass root levels and small businesses”, and promote
transparency as envisaged? Incidentally, the Aayog could pick up a tip or two
from Dwarka temple in Gujarat. With a big dip
in donations, it proposes to start e-wallets, ATMs with deposit facility and
swipe machines to accept cashless donations. In fact, Chief Minister Rupani has
inaugurated a digital donation system at famous Ambaji Temple,
Banaskantha district which will accept donations through debit or credit card
using swipe machines. In another temple, e-payment for the ‘prasad’ too is being accepted. Will the committee undertake a
study tour now?
* * * * *
Scripting
National Anthem Rules
The Centre and States have an
onerous nationalist duty to carry out. They must ensure that people show
respect to the national anthem and that cinema halls across the country play
the anthem before movie screenings. Everyone must rise and all exits are to be shut
during that time, is the task entrusted by the Supreme Court. The national
anthem is symbol of constitutional patriotism and the idea of “any different
notion or the perception of individual rights...is constitutionally
impermissible,” it said while hearing a PIL against disrespect shown to the
anthem. The ruling, however, has raised many an eyebrow. What about fire exits
and emergencies like a fire? Also last year the Home Ministry had issued a
directive to all States that standing would interrupt film screening and “create
disorder/confusion rather than add to the dignity of the anthem.” While the
Centre has promised to implement the rule in 10 days, the big question is who
will monitor? Plus, after cow vigilantes will there be a new breed?
* * * * *
Maharashtra,
Gujarat Thumbs Up
Two States, Maharashtra and Gujarat have helped Modi say a bigger boo to the
Opposition criticising implementation of his demonetisation scheme. In
BJP-ruled Gujarat, the party won 109 of 126
municipal and district panchayat seats in 16 districts where by-elections were
held. The party gained 40 seats from the Congress, which it had surrendered
last year under then Chief Minister Anandiben, beleaguered by the Patidar and
Dalit stir. The win follows Maharashtra giving
thumbs up to BJP also in the civic elections. It made big gains in the 1st
phase bagging 851 of 3,705 seats across 147 municipal councils and 17
panchayats. Importantly, it made inroads into the traditional strongholds of
Congress/NCP, who fought separately this time. Not only were the polls a litmus
test for Chief Minister Fadnavis but the demonetisation was expected to spell
trouble for the party, given that cooperative banks and farmers were hit hard.
Do the results present the mood of the nation—of being with Modi? Time will
tell.
* * * * *
Bengal’s
Paranoia
Well known for her paranoid
histrionics, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is at it again. She has
kicked up a fresh row. Days after her party the Trinamool Congress alleged
threat to her life following her flight being made to hover over Kolkata airport
for half an hour despite the plane reportedly running out of fuel. Mamata has
now accused the Centre of deploying Army in the State, which she alleged was
stationed at two toll plazas on National Highway 2 by the Centre, without any
information to her Government. Claiming that it was an ‘unprecedented and a
serious matter’, Didi proposes to knock on President Mukherjee’s door again and
drive home the oft-repeated accusation of the action being an attack on the
federal structure. She recently marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan against the
demonetisation scheme, despite most Opposition parties against it. Will she get
any support here when she claims that “Emergency had been imposed in the
country without declaration”? The answer quiet obviously will be in the negative.
More so when the defence establishment has maintained there is nothing alarming
about this exercise. It gives an estimate about the number of vehicles passing
through a certain area which could be tapped in case of a contingency. What
next Didi?
* * * *
*
Kerala’s
Anti-Graft Tool
Kerala has come out with a novel
anti-corruption drive. It foresees local libraries playing a critical role in
sensitising the local community against graft. The initiative ‘On-site On-line
vigil visit’, of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB),
envisages regular readers of libraries report about corruption in their areas
to it. The culture of zero tolerance to corruption is expected to be “visible
and felt or experienced by everyone in the State by joining hands with local
libraries”. At least ten of the libraries among 7,900-odd, which are active,
would be identified in each of 14 districts. The plan: a library action group
be formed to interact with VACB team; Posters, urging people to take part in the
drive be displayed in libraries; members utilise ‘Arising Kerala’ or ‘Whistelenow’
mobile apps to document corruption/ anti-corruption practices they observe,
hear or learn during their on-site visits; monitor progress of initiatives carried
out using government fund, in their area etc. Hope the government doesn’t read
too much into the scheme and abdicates its responsibility.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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