A delicious irony of midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters is that both the “perpetrator and the victim” are reeling under its impact. While the prime minister has defended police action, even the lathi- charge, the general impression is that the action has aggravated government’s agony in stead of salvaging it. The question being asked in political circles is that why the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi were keeping mum when party’s senior leader, Digvijay Singh, was calling Ramdev a “maha thug”.
The impression one gathers after talking to politicians of different hues is that both the sides have to learn lessons from this gory episode. As for Baba, eyebrows were being raised over the manner in which huge money was being spent on arrangements at Ramlila Maidan. Not only this. Baba himself had come by a chartered plane to begin his statyagraha. Now, doubts are being expressed in some quarters over the allegations about police atrocities being leveled by Baba and his supporters. Fingers are also being raised at the anti-political stance taken by Baba.
The truth is that the sharing of his platform by known hardliners like Ritambara had led to full- throated backing of the BJP and the RSS. Again, there is enough evidence to suggest that Baba had not done his home work well. He wanted death sentence for corrupt people but already debate is on in the country over the continuance of death sentence. Ideally, taking a cue from Anna who had legal luminaries with him, Baba should have consulted some economists.
There is a lesson for the government too. Observers feel that it should have not acted in such a hurry. After the contents of Acharya Balkrishan’s letter were made public, the sting in Baba’s agitation had been diluted. His protest could have lost its steam in a day or two. By resorting to police action, the government gave it a fresh lease of life. The government also failed to realize the fact that if it had allowed Baba’s fast to continue, the Anna camp, which is now united with him, would have broken away.
The government has also to realize the fact that the role of civil society players is going to increase as one after the other scam is getting exposed and the government is not able to tackle the fallout. The result is that, the moral outrage against the government is growing fast.
Showing posts with label Nation News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nation News. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
After Ramdev Baba episode, Lokpal bill is in dire straits
The government on Monday rejected Anna Hazare group's demand for televising proceedings of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee, asserting that it was ready to go ahead with the Bill with or without participation of the group in future meetings.
It also took offence to abuses heaped on Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, saying this kind of discourse is not expected from someone claiming to represent civil society. (Swami Ramdev had called Sibal a liar and accused him of conspiring and cheating.) " We reject in the strongest possible terms these allegations.
This kind of language is just not acceptable. We also deal with civil society but never experienced such abuses. We hope that in future this kind of discourse will not be conducted in public," Sibal told a press conference after attending the Lokpal drafting committee meeting, held here despite the group's boycott. He also took on record BJP President Nitin Gadkari's observations questioning how a few nominated members of civil society were riding roughshod over Parliamentarians' rights.
Gadkari had further asked the government not to undermine the Constitution and institutions of democracy by involving the civil society in drafting the Bill as " laws are to be made by Parliamentarians." Rejecting the five issues raised by senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, co- chairman of the Lokpal committee, as " extraneous" to the drafting job, he said drafting of the Bill can not be done by posing questions and answers and that is why the committee was constituted to resolve issues through discussions.
However, if the group continues to boycott the meeting, the five ministers on the committee will continue to work on the draft, make it ready by June 30 and bring it before Parliament in the monsoon session, irrespective of the group's participation, he said.
The panel's next sitting is on June 15 and it is up to the group to attend or not, he said. Sibal taunted the group, saying that, on one hand, it wanted to complete the drafting by June 30 and, on the other hand, it tried to delay the drafting by boycotting the meeting. " The committee's mandate is to sort out issues and give a good draft and not keep exchanging letters," he asserted.
As regards many parties and chief ministers resenting the committee chairman Pranab Mukherjee seeking their views on some ticklish issues on the Lokpal Bill, the telecom minister said the government does not take opinion of parties while drafting Bills. It had done so only because it felt that this was an important legislation and hence why not seek their opinion, since the government was already taking into account the civil society's views.
It also took offence to abuses heaped on Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, saying this kind of discourse is not expected from someone claiming to represent civil society. (Swami Ramdev had called Sibal a liar and accused him of conspiring and cheating.) " We reject in the strongest possible terms these allegations.
This kind of language is just not acceptable. We also deal with civil society but never experienced such abuses. We hope that in future this kind of discourse will not be conducted in public," Sibal told a press conference after attending the Lokpal drafting committee meeting, held here despite the group's boycott. He also took on record BJP President Nitin Gadkari's observations questioning how a few nominated members of civil society were riding roughshod over Parliamentarians' rights.
Gadkari had further asked the government not to undermine the Constitution and institutions of democracy by involving the civil society in drafting the Bill as " laws are to be made by Parliamentarians." Rejecting the five issues raised by senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, co- chairman of the Lokpal committee, as " extraneous" to the drafting job, he said drafting of the Bill can not be done by posing questions and answers and that is why the committee was constituted to resolve issues through discussions.
However, if the group continues to boycott the meeting, the five ministers on the committee will continue to work on the draft, make it ready by June 30 and bring it before Parliament in the monsoon session, irrespective of the group's participation, he said.
The panel's next sitting is on June 15 and it is up to the group to attend or not, he said. Sibal taunted the group, saying that, on one hand, it wanted to complete the drafting by June 30 and, on the other hand, it tried to delay the drafting by boycotting the meeting. " The committee's mandate is to sort out issues and give a good draft and not keep exchanging letters," he asserted.
As regards many parties and chief ministers resenting the committee chairman Pranab Mukherjee seeking their views on some ticklish issues on the Lokpal Bill, the telecom minister said the government does not take opinion of parties while drafting Bills. It had done so only because it felt that this was an important legislation and hence why not seek their opinion, since the government was already taking into account the civil society's views.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Demands increasing to cease the minister quota in MHADA scheme
No response for the elected representatives quota in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery have fumed the housing activists of the city and they have now demanded scrapping of the quota and the same should be made available to general public.
MHADA had kept 78 flats reserved under the elected representatives quota that includes the current or former MPs, MLAs and MLCs, however only 14 flats received 30 applicants, while 64 flats remained unsold.
Out of that two leaders have won two houses so they would be forfeiting one house each thus leading to a surplus of 66 flats and raising questions on the reserved quota for them. Housing activists of the city have expressed their displeasure over the same claiming that the city is in desperate need of affordable housing and such reservations should be done away with.
"There is no need to have a special quota for the elected representatives and it should be scrapped immediately and also is any member of the family of an MP, MLA or MLC has a flat in the city, their application should be disqualified" said social activist Medha Patkar. Some activists have also targeted the increasing assets of the MPs and MLAs and hence demanded that they don't require any cheap house as they could afford expensive houses as well.
"The elected representatives do not deserve any special quota as most of them already have flats, even if not in their names but in the name of their kin" said Krishnaraj Rao, an RTI activist. He has alleged that they are already being given many privileges and pampered by the government. " I have came across a research that showed 400- 500% increase in assets between the time of two elections, hence they don't need an affordable house" added Rao.
Meanwhile MHADA would be consulting their legal department, as there is no clear directive in the MHADA Act, 1976 about what should be done in such a scenario.
MHADA had kept 78 flats reserved under the elected representatives quota that includes the current or former MPs, MLAs and MLCs, however only 14 flats received 30 applicants, while 64 flats remained unsold.
Out of that two leaders have won two houses so they would be forfeiting one house each thus leading to a surplus of 66 flats and raising questions on the reserved quota for them. Housing activists of the city have expressed their displeasure over the same claiming that the city is in desperate need of affordable housing and such reservations should be done away with.
"There is no need to have a special quota for the elected representatives and it should be scrapped immediately and also is any member of the family of an MP, MLA or MLC has a flat in the city, their application should be disqualified" said social activist Medha Patkar. Some activists have also targeted the increasing assets of the MPs and MLAs and hence demanded that they don't require any cheap house as they could afford expensive houses as well.
"The elected representatives do not deserve any special quota as most of them already have flats, even if not in their names but in the name of their kin" said Krishnaraj Rao, an RTI activist. He has alleged that they are already being given many privileges and pampered by the government. " I have came across a research that showed 400- 500% increase in assets between the time of two elections, hence they don't need an affordable house" added Rao.
Meanwhile MHADA would be consulting their legal department, as there is no clear directive in the MHADA Act, 1976 about what should be done in such a scenario.
Chidambaram in line of fire for changes made in the arms licensing
The government is empowered to promulgate Ordinances to tackle urgencies without waiting for the time taken in Parliament amending or enacting an Act. Instead, Home Minister P Chidambaram resorted to an executive order to tighten the arms licensing policy bypassing a Bill or Ordinance.
His ministry has been pulled up by the home ministry-related standing committee, headed by BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, for the directives issued to states "in the garb of advisories" to enforce the regulations months before two enabling amendments were tabled in Parliament.
It asserted that implementation of a new policy through advisories "amounts to exercise of power by the executive beyond the constitutional mandate." It accused the ministry of enforcing the new policy without amendments to the Arms Act, 1959, and the Arms Rules, 1962. The advisories contained an 11-point list of instructions to " come into force with immediate effect."
" The committee deprecates this attitude of the ministry of home affairs in general, and the home minister in particular ignoring a six-decade-old parliamentary practice and convention of first laying policy documents in Parliament and then making them public." The changes brought in the arms licensing had come in criticism and Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh even led a delegation to the Prime Minister to protest at the arbitrary decisions of Chidambaram.
The policy was finalised on April 5, 2010 while the budget session was on, but it was not brought to Parliament till May 7 when the session ended. In between, on April 6, the ministry issued the advisories on "grant of licences for acquisition/ possession of arms." The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 25 while the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2010 were tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 10, 2010, and in the Rajya Sabha the next day.
His ministry has been pulled up by the home ministry-related standing committee, headed by BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, for the directives issued to states "in the garb of advisories" to enforce the regulations months before two enabling amendments were tabled in Parliament.
It asserted that implementation of a new policy through advisories "amounts to exercise of power by the executive beyond the constitutional mandate." It accused the ministry of enforcing the new policy without amendments to the Arms Act, 1959, and the Arms Rules, 1962. The advisories contained an 11-point list of instructions to " come into force with immediate effect."
" The committee deprecates this attitude of the ministry of home affairs in general, and the home minister in particular ignoring a six-decade-old parliamentary practice and convention of first laying policy documents in Parliament and then making them public." The changes brought in the arms licensing had come in criticism and Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh even led a delegation to the Prime Minister to protest at the arbitrary decisions of Chidambaram.
The policy was finalised on April 5, 2010 while the budget session was on, but it was not brought to Parliament till May 7 when the session ended. In between, on April 6, the ministry issued the advisories on "grant of licences for acquisition/ possession of arms." The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 25 while the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2010 were tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 10, 2010, and in the Rajya Sabha the next day.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Grand arrangements made, Baba Ramdev satyagraha begins today
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev appeared cracking up as a negotiating senior Union minister claimed signals from him to convert his indefinite fast from Saturday into one or two days of ''Satyagraha'' to register the nationwide revulsion against corruption and then wind up.
He has sought a "face-saving" government package of concrete and time- bound written assurances to put before the mass of people arriving here to join his mega demonstration to take their vote, the minister said. After a Congress core group meeting at the PM's House chaired by Sonia Gandhi approved a draft document as response to his demands, senior ministers huddled at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's residence for two hours to discuss how to bail out the Yoga guru, without damaging his credibility.
Their prime concern is that the Anna Hazare- led civil society group is trying to close ranks with the Baba, defeating the government's strategy to divide them after the group back- stabbed it despite the government yielding to sit with it to frame the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
The importance accorded to the Baba with what he sees as "positive" responses has moved him to consider rolling back the pressure he has built on the government, but he conveyed that he would consider limiting the show to one or two days instead of calling it off, particularly when thousands have set off for Delhi and he has already spent lakhs on the paraphernalia.
The document readied by the Prime Minister and senior ministers and approved by Sonia Gandhi at the core group meeting on Thursday evening may not meet Ramdev's demands "100 per cent" as he wants and yet the government does not want to antagonise him by saying that his demands in the garb of fighting corruption are completely irrational.
The senior ministers meeting at Mukherjee's residence discussed how to convince Baba that the document is the proof of the government's commitment to tackle the very issues he had raised. Subodh Kant Sahay, who has emerged as the key negotiator owing to his long equations with the Baba said the government's difficulty is that his demands involve a host of policy issues unlike the specific demand Hazare put for a joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill that could be accepted.
Ramdev, who is spending the night at the Ramlila Grounds close to New Delhi station, has made grand arrangements for the people joining his massive show.
He has sought a "face-saving" government package of concrete and time- bound written assurances to put before the mass of people arriving here to join his mega demonstration to take their vote, the minister said. After a Congress core group meeting at the PM's House chaired by Sonia Gandhi approved a draft document as response to his demands, senior ministers huddled at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's residence for two hours to discuss how to bail out the Yoga guru, without damaging his credibility.
Their prime concern is that the Anna Hazare- led civil society group is trying to close ranks with the Baba, defeating the government's strategy to divide them after the group back- stabbed it despite the government yielding to sit with it to frame the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
The importance accorded to the Baba with what he sees as "positive" responses has moved him to consider rolling back the pressure he has built on the government, but he conveyed that he would consider limiting the show to one or two days instead of calling it off, particularly when thousands have set off for Delhi and he has already spent lakhs on the paraphernalia.
The document readied by the Prime Minister and senior ministers and approved by Sonia Gandhi at the core group meeting on Thursday evening may not meet Ramdev's demands "100 per cent" as he wants and yet the government does not want to antagonise him by saying that his demands in the garb of fighting corruption are completely irrational.
The senior ministers meeting at Mukherjee's residence discussed how to convince Baba that the document is the proof of the government's commitment to tackle the very issues he had raised. Subodh Kant Sahay, who has emerged as the key negotiator owing to his long equations with the Baba said the government's difficulty is that his demands involve a host of policy issues unlike the specific demand Hazare put for a joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill that could be accepted.
Ramdev, who is spending the night at the Ramlila Grounds close to New Delhi station, has made grand arrangements for the people joining his massive show.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
MHADA lottery winners eligibility to be thoroughly examined
The 3849 lucky winners of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery houses will now have to wait for the eligibility test to make sure their dreams of having an affordable home in the city come true. The banks would now be sending letters to the winners and the winners would have to submit the required documents between July 15 and July 30.
"As soon as the winners submit the documents to the bank, the bank would submit the same to MHADA and we will scrutinize it further and the final list would be returned to the bank," said Amarjit Manhas, chairman, Mumbai board, MHADA. Once the eligibility is proved the winners of the readymade flats would have to deposit pay the entire amount in 90 days.
The time period would be extended by another 45 days, however after that the application would be disqualified if he is not able to pay. While for the people who have won under construction houses, the payment would be done in installments.
The applicant would have to pay 10 per cent of the total amount after winning the flat, pay 40 per cent after the concrete construction of the home is ready, pay 25 per cent after the entire project is complete and pay 25 per cent final installment while taking the possession.
While for the losers the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) would be returned within a week by the electronic clearance system. The bank will have to take the permission from the Reserve Bank of India and then they will return the amount.
"As soon as the winners submit the documents to the bank, the bank would submit the same to MHADA and we will scrutinize it further and the final list would be returned to the bank," said Amarjit Manhas, chairman, Mumbai board, MHADA. Once the eligibility is proved the winners of the readymade flats would have to deposit pay the entire amount in 90 days.
The time period would be extended by another 45 days, however after that the application would be disqualified if he is not able to pay. While for the people who have won under construction houses, the payment would be done in installments.
The applicant would have to pay 10 per cent of the total amount after winning the flat, pay 40 per cent after the concrete construction of the home is ready, pay 25 per cent after the entire project is complete and pay 25 per cent final installment while taking the possession.
While for the losers the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) would be returned within a week by the electronic clearance system. The bank will have to take the permission from the Reserve Bank of India and then they will return the amount.
Pakistan follows China laid path on Siachen issue
Much to the shock of the Indian delegation, Pakistan played the China card in the Defence Secretary- level talks on Tuesday, wanting Beijing included in further talks on the Siachen dispute. The talks ended without any breakthrough.
In a "non- paper" placed on table on the second and last day of the talks, Pakistan argued that the northern part of the 2600- sq km Siachen glacier abuts the Shaksham valley under the Chinese control and hence the need to take Beijing on board. A " non- paper" in diplomatic parlance is an unofficial presentation of the stated policy of a government.
Defence Minister Pradeep Kumar is reported to have immediately rejected the demand to inject China in the talks over Siachen, asserting that "it is just not acceptable." He was quite forthright that India can not accept such a suggestion since the mountainous Shaksham valley of 5800 sq km is part of Jammu and Kashmir that had been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1948 along with other parts of the state and ceded to China in 1959. The Indian side was expecting the Pakistan document to visit the extent of agreement both sides had reached until the dialogue broke down because of 26/ 11 as never before Pakistan had ever tried to involve China in resolving the dispute.
The Siachen Glacier is under India's control since April 1984 when its troops had beaten the Pakistan Army by a day to occupy the icy heights ranging from 16000 to 22000 feet along the Saltora range of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in the area from November 2003, Pakistan has been insisting on India pull out from the glacier heights to demilitarise the area. In the last round of talks over three years ago, the dispute had narrowed down to both sides agree for the pull- out but India wanting first authentication of the 110- km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) and it was on this point that the talks broke down.
In a "non- paper" placed on table on the second and last day of the talks, Pakistan argued that the northern part of the 2600- sq km Siachen glacier abuts the Shaksham valley under the Chinese control and hence the need to take Beijing on board. A " non- paper" in diplomatic parlance is an unofficial presentation of the stated policy of a government.
Defence Minister Pradeep Kumar is reported to have immediately rejected the demand to inject China in the talks over Siachen, asserting that "it is just not acceptable." He was quite forthright that India can not accept such a suggestion since the mountainous Shaksham valley of 5800 sq km is part of Jammu and Kashmir that had been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1948 along with other parts of the state and ceded to China in 1959. The Indian side was expecting the Pakistan document to visit the extent of agreement both sides had reached until the dialogue broke down because of 26/ 11 as never before Pakistan had ever tried to involve China in resolving the dispute.
The Siachen Glacier is under India's control since April 1984 when its troops had beaten the Pakistan Army by a day to occupy the icy heights ranging from 16000 to 22000 feet along the Saltora range of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire in the area from November 2003, Pakistan has been insisting on India pull out from the glacier heights to demilitarise the area. In the last round of talks over three years ago, the dispute had narrowed down to both sides agree for the pull- out but India wanting first authentication of the 110- km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) and it was on this point that the talks broke down.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Penal action looms over AMCs
A possibility of penal action looms large over two Assistant Municipal Commissioner's (AMCs) in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) who had been given out of turn promotions during the last several years.
It should be noted that four senior clerks including Kesarinath Mhatre, Vijay Patil, Sanjay Gokhale and Swapnil Sawant were promoted to the post of AMC's by the civic
administration in the year 2006. The lower ranked civic employees were promoted to higher ranked posts despite the fact that they were not eligible for the posts in terms of educational qualification (in this case the posts requires qualification of graduation).
As per the provisions in the civic services rule- 2005, such type of conditional out of the turn promotions gives an opportunity to the employee to clear the requisite examinations from a recognized institution and submit the certificate within five years of the inception of the service rule.
However, Vijay Patil and Sanjay Gokhale, who have studied only up to the II standard, and holding plump positions of Chief Tax Supervisor and Personal Assistant to the civic chief respectively, failed to clear their graduations, following which the State Urban Development ( UD) department sought a clarification from the municipal administration in this context.
In the wake of the recent directions to the civic chief to comply with the order of the UD secretary, the beneficiary officers are likely to be stripped of their illegal benefits.
Even as civic chief Shivmurthi Naik was unavailable for his comment, it is learnt that the administration in its reply to the UD has confirmed that the concerned officials had failed to fulfill the eligibility criteria and were bound to face penal action.
It should be noted that four senior clerks including Kesarinath Mhatre, Vijay Patil, Sanjay Gokhale and Swapnil Sawant were promoted to the post of AMC's by the civic
administration in the year 2006. The lower ranked civic employees were promoted to higher ranked posts despite the fact that they were not eligible for the posts in terms of educational qualification (in this case the posts requires qualification of graduation).
As per the provisions in the civic services rule- 2005, such type of conditional out of the turn promotions gives an opportunity to the employee to clear the requisite examinations from a recognized institution and submit the certificate within five years of the inception of the service rule.
However, Vijay Patil and Sanjay Gokhale, who have studied only up to the II standard, and holding plump positions of Chief Tax Supervisor and Personal Assistant to the civic chief respectively, failed to clear their graduations, following which the State Urban Development ( UD) department sought a clarification from the municipal administration in this context.
In the wake of the recent directions to the civic chief to comply with the order of the UD secretary, the beneficiary officers are likely to be stripped of their illegal benefits.
Even as civic chief Shivmurthi Naik was unavailable for his comment, it is learnt that the administration in its reply to the UD has confirmed that the concerned officials had failed to fulfill the eligibility criteria and were bound to face penal action.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
JPC on 2G scam keeps Cong on tenterhooks
The announcement of the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) to probe the 2G scam has brought peace in Parliament but its constitution is posing a big problem.
While the head has yet to be appointed, a controversy has broken out over the nomination of Jaswant Singh and ashwant Sinha by the BJP. The Congress has said that it would lodge a protest against their nomination at the very first meeting of the JPC as they were finance ministers in the NDA Government.
Party's Rajya Sabha member, Abhishek Singhvi, who was among the candidates the Congress wanted on the JPC, has opted out. Singhvi's contention is that he had appeared for a telecom company in a court.
The Congress is likely to cite Singhvi's clash of interest plank while seeking withdrawal of Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha.
Meanwhile, talks with some senior Congress leaders reveal that, unlike the JPCs in the past, the JPC on 2 G scam, can make things uncomfortable for the Congress. Since the composition of the JPC will be decided on the basis of the strength of political parties in Parliament, this JPC will have a fair sprinkling of members of the Opposition parties. And this would lead a lot of confrontation between the Government and the Opposition.
Old- timers recall that at the time of the JPC on Bofors, the Congress had an easy time as it had a brute majority. Packed with Congress MPs and headed by a senior minister, Shankaranand, it bulldozed the Opposition and was able to exonerate everybody.
Congress leaders say that since the scope of the JPC on 2G scam pertains to 1996- 2009 period which also had tenures of the NDA, there will be a lot of sparing. " The recent spat between BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj and telecom minister, Kapil Sibal, in the Parliament is a foretaste of the battle ahead", said a Congress leader.
While the head has yet to be appointed, a controversy has broken out over the nomination of Jaswant Singh and ashwant Sinha by the BJP. The Congress has said that it would lodge a protest against their nomination at the very first meeting of the JPC as they were finance ministers in the NDA Government.
Party's Rajya Sabha member, Abhishek Singhvi, who was among the candidates the Congress wanted on the JPC, has opted out. Singhvi's contention is that he had appeared for a telecom company in a court.
The Congress is likely to cite Singhvi's clash of interest plank while seeking withdrawal of Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha.
Meanwhile, talks with some senior Congress leaders reveal that, unlike the JPCs in the past, the JPC on 2 G scam, can make things uncomfortable for the Congress. Since the composition of the JPC will be decided on the basis of the strength of political parties in Parliament, this JPC will have a fair sprinkling of members of the Opposition parties. And this would lead a lot of confrontation between the Government and the Opposition.
Old- timers recall that at the time of the JPC on Bofors, the Congress had an easy time as it had a brute majority. Packed with Congress MPs and headed by a senior minister, Shankaranand, it bulldozed the Opposition and was able to exonerate everybody.
Congress leaders say that since the scope of the JPC on 2G scam pertains to 1996- 2009 period which also had tenures of the NDA, there will be a lot of sparing. " The recent spat between BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj and telecom minister, Kapil Sibal, in the Parliament is a foretaste of the battle ahead", said a Congress leader.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Enumeration work over
Census work is nearly cent per cent complete and the civic administration is now conducting the review program from till March 5, involving filling up left over details of people, inclusion of additional details regarding new birth and death figures across the city, said official.
" We have nearly completed enumeration across the city however, the review process is crucial for updating the figures," said Dr Ambe, Executive Health Officer.
He further said the help- line which was started by the civic administration to offer solution to queries have received less number of calls this time. " As there are numerous advertisements across all media like newspaper, television etc, there are less number of queries on the help- lines," added Ambe.
The task of conducting enumeration for the 15th National Census had been given to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which deployed 25,500 people, mostly teachers, who along with other civic and state government officers went door to door gathering details of every resident of the city.
On Tuesday midnight the civic administration, along with its 998 enumerators, conducted a count of homeless people in the city across all 24 wards. The all- night exercise, which continued till morning, counted the homeless in the city at 698 different spots and 146 vehicles were on the spot for enumerators to commute.
" The enumeration of the homeless was completed successfully," said Ambe. He further said the report of total compilation of the count after review process will be submitted at the end of the week and primary teachers who were roped in for enumeration will resume work at school from March 7.
Apart from collating information on literacy level, marital status, employment level, the compiled report will cover an estimated 28 lakh households, enumerated in 20 days, even covering details pertaining to migration, marital status and woman's fertility. The report will also have count of people in jails, hostels, hospitals etc, under the category of institutional households.
" We have nearly completed enumeration across the city however, the review process is crucial for updating the figures," said Dr Ambe, Executive Health Officer.
He further said the help- line which was started by the civic administration to offer solution to queries have received less number of calls this time. " As there are numerous advertisements across all media like newspaper, television etc, there are less number of queries on the help- lines," added Ambe.
The task of conducting enumeration for the 15th National Census had been given to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which deployed 25,500 people, mostly teachers, who along with other civic and state government officers went door to door gathering details of every resident of the city.
On Tuesday midnight the civic administration, along with its 998 enumerators, conducted a count of homeless people in the city across all 24 wards. The all- night exercise, which continued till morning, counted the homeless in the city at 698 different spots and 146 vehicles were on the spot for enumerators to commute.
" The enumeration of the homeless was completed successfully," said Ambe. He further said the report of total compilation of the count after review process will be submitted at the end of the week and primary teachers who were roped in for enumeration will resume work at school from March 7.
Apart from collating information on literacy level, marital status, employment level, the compiled report will cover an estimated 28 lakh households, enumerated in 20 days, even covering details pertaining to migration, marital status and woman's fertility. The report will also have count of people in jails, hostels, hospitals etc, under the category of institutional households.
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