Round The States

New Delhi, 24 December 2016

TN Ch Secy Sacked

BABUDOM UNDER WATCH?

By Insaf

Babus across the country will need to scurry for cover. This against the backdrop of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao being sacked after coming under I-T department’s scanner. Raids at his home, office and relatives netted Rs 30 lakhs in new currency of Rs.2000 and five Kg of gold and undisclosed income of over Rs five crores. That too after he visited Delhi along with Chief Minister Paneerselvam to seek additional funds of Rs 22,000 crores for cyclone relief from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Ironically, Rao holds additional charge of vigilance commissioner and administrative reforms, posts to which he was appointed only in June. His dismissal post haste is a clear signal to the bureaucracy that the States like the Centre will brook no nonsense post demonetisation. As it stands over the last few days government officials in Bihar and UP have been found with their hands in the till. In ulta pulta Pradesh and engineers of the district irrigation department in Meerut was found with over Rs 2.5 crores in the banned Rs 1000 currency and Rs 17 lakhs in new notes and 30 kg of silver. In neighbouring Bihar, a senior IAS officer and 15 others were booked in the scholarship scam to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes pursuing technical education. Undoubtedly, babudom did not heed the warning signals following a crackdown on bank officials who had connived with businessman and hawala operators to rake in big bucks after the November 8 notebandi. Fore armed is fore warned. Will the bureaucracy heed?    

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UP Poll Shenanigans

Uttar Pradesh continues to make electoral news incessantly. At one end Prime Minister Modi and Congress leader slug it out at the other Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav merrily goes around on project releasing, totalling over Rs 900 crores. Caught in the crossfire and trying to find a foothold between the national parties is Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh along with JDU’s Sharad Yadav, ostensibly to strike a hard bargain for seat-sharing either with the SP or Congress in the forthcoming mega polls. Interestingly, the RLD hopes to cash in on the legacy of Jat strongman and former Prime Minister Chowdhary Charan Singh. Yesterday, natural heir Ajit Singh made it plain that he could emerge as a spoiler in Western UP, which has majority of Muslims and Jats. In the hope that Mulayam Singh would ally with him for the Jat votes. Clearly, the RLD is looking for a political revival in India’s heartland. Will SP or Congress bite?

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Manipur Crippled Again

Beleaguered Manipur is gravely miffed with New Delhi. Communal violence and the prolonged economic blockade by the United Naga Council has again crippled the north-eastern State. This, after the State government created seven new districts, which have divided the Nagas inhabited areas. Congress Chief Minister Okram Obobi Singh, however, has accused the Modi government of playing politics. The Home Ministry, he claimed has not intervened and sent adequate paramilitary forces in time to help restore order, when it could. Remember, the UNC is the frontal organisation of the NSCN-IM, with which the Centre is having peace talks and has brazenly breached the ceasefire agreement it signed. Sadly, with both the Meiteis and Nagas resorting to counter-blockades of national highways and indulging in large-scale violence against protestors and security forces, the common man is put to hardship again. Worse, the timing seems sinister with Assembly elections due early next year. Which side will gain from it, is anybody’s guess.  

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Chandigarh Gives SAD-BJP Hope

Interpretation of Chandigarh civic elections gives renewed hope to the ruling SAD-BJP combine in Punjab. With elections for State Assembly due in February, the fear of losing power may have eased a bit for the team for now. Of the 26 seats in the municipal corporation, the party won 20 (up 5 seats) and the SAD one of the four it contested (one seat gain), the Congress four (down by 5) and one independent. The BSP, contesting 17 seats failed to open score (down by one). Clearly, notwithstanding the demonetisation drive putting the common man through hardship, the anger has not percolated down to the vote for the BJP, which also won in Maharashtra. Further, the SAD has made an entry even if it’s a solitary seat and the Congress has fared worse. This leaves the AAP factor as being critical to upstaging the alliance in power in Punjab for past 10 years. Will these civic polls embolden the parties or will the jubilation be nipped by AAP. Time will tell.

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Uttarakhand Clamour

The BJP is busy burning the midnight oil in Uttarakhand. Demanding stalwart leaders and former Chief Ministers are a handful to handle for the headquarters. With State Assembly elections in February-March, pressure is being put to either give tickets to their kith and kin or project them as the Chief Ministerial candidate. The ‘trouble makers’ are: Major General (Retd) B C Khanduri demanding a seat for his daughter from Garhwal; Bhagat Singh Koshiyari wants to run for the top post an is unwilling to campaign in his stronghold, Kumaon region unless obliged; Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank youngest among them wants to lead the party and Vijay Bahuguna who crossed over from Congress is seeking tickets for his group of MLAs who switched over with him. Time is running out for the BJP. It would need to find a win-win situation soon. Else face the threat of rebellion, which will come in the way of getting closer to its ‘Congress-mukt bharat’ gaol.

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Kerala’s Inspiring Tale

Kerala does indeed turn out to God’s own country for a young resident Muslim woman. Suffering from kidney ailment, Kairunnissa had been running from pillar to post for a kidney donor for the past three years but was gradually losing hope. Luck changed one day. A Kerala Christian priest Shinu Yohannany in Wayanad, who had registered himself with Fr Chiramel’s Kidney Federation of India, turned out to be ‘god sent’. With his kidneys matching hers, he donated one and the transplant was successful on Wednesday last. Interestingly, he is said to have got his inspiration from Davis Chiramel, the first priest in the State to donate a kidney to a stranger five years ago. Clearly, charity has no religion and there can be hope that this chain of inspiration carries forward across borders.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)