Munda takes oath as CM
September 15, 2010

Vijay Deo Jha | RANCHI | Nation

Arjun Munda was on Saturday sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister heading a BJP-JMM coalition at a simple ceremony. AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto and JMM leader Hemant Soren, son of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren, were also sworn in at the ceremony, which was earlier scheduled at 11 am was delayed by 55 minutes, considered a more auspicious time.

This was the reinstallation of a government whose two major alliance partners had parted ways only three months back and returned to the same boat under certain political arrangements.

For Hemant, it was dream come true. He was the last to be sworn in but scored a first today: the first time MLA in Jharkhand politics; one who directly rose to become number two of a Government.

The front row glittered with top BJP leaders concealing rejoice over the success of their masterstroke in forming the Government. Former party national president Rajnath Singh, national spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal, Fagan Singh Kulaste, Rajya Sabha member MS Ahluwalia, Vijay Goel, Nitish Kumar’s deputy Sushil Modi, Karuna Shukla and many others attended the ceremony.

“After a long discussion, the BJP took this decision. We had straight talk with alliance partners. Jharkhand needs a stable Government for development. And those who try to destabilise the Government will be punished by the people,” Rajnath Singh said on the sidelines of the ceremony.

“This Government will complete its term. It has the blessings of god,” Ravishankar said.

None seemed more delighted than the jumbo size JMM and the BJP contingent, turning in large numbers. Place extreme left down the podium was exclusively marked for the relatives and wives of Munda, Sudesh and Hemant. Mira Munda, Neha Mahato and Kalpana Soren had formed a trio this afternoon greeting each other.

But the person that really attracted most interest and attention was the one that had no podium moment today - JMM boss Shibu Soren. He, of course, blessed the Government.

Later, the Munda Cabinet in its first meeting on Saturday sacked forty ad-hoc assistant engineers on the ground that their service was not “in the interest of the State.”

The new Government also announced implementation of the Sixth central Pay Commission for teachers of universities in the State. The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arjun Munda, Chief Secretary AK Singh told mediapersons.

Munda cheers varsity employees with Sixth Pay Commission

September 15, 2010

VIJAY DEO JHA | RANCHI

Holding the first cabinet meeting after assuming the charge of the Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Saturday took 18 decisions.

The Cabinet decided to implement the recommendation of the 6th Pay Commission for the employees of the universities of Jharkhand. The decision will benefit around 3000 employees.

In another decision the State Government terminated the service of 40 engineers of different departments. Briefing the media the Chief Secretary AK Singh said that there were allegations of financial bungling against them and the matter had been pending from many years.

Munda reflected the intention to fight against corruption. “The State has found that the continuation of their service will not be in the interest of the state, Singh said.

In another decision the State Government increased the amount of the contingency fund from `150 crore to Rs 750 crore. Tackling drought in Jharkhand the Cabinet instructed the administration to undertake the repairing work of defunct water hand pump. Around 8000 such hand pumps will be repaired. The Cabinet has also instructed the administration to endure supply of water. For better monitoring and implementation of projects under NREGA, the cabinet also formed NREGA cell. Munda later on addressed a press conference and listed the priority of his Government. “I will try to give a transparent administration. Controlling drought is our first priority,” Munda said.

Munda sure of winning trust vote
September 15, 2010

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Nation

Chief Minister Arjun Munda will seek trust vote on the floor of the House on Tuesday. Since the Assembly is under renovation, arrangements have been made to convene the special session of the Assembly at the Administrative Training Institute. Assembly Speaker CP Singh surveyed the arrangements made at the venue on Tuesday evening. Later on Singh addressed a Press conference.

“The session of the Assembly will start at 11 am,” said the Speaker, while adding, “separate sitting arrangements have been made for the ruling coalition and Opposition members.”

The House, which had the strength of 82 members, has been reduced to 80 following the death of Congress MLA from Hatia Gopal Nath Shahdeo and nominated MLA from the Anglo-Indian community JP Galstaun. The Cabinet on Tuesday agreed on the name of Joseph Galstaun, the son on late JP Galstaun, as the nominated member.

While the BJP-JMM-AJSU coalition has the support of 45 MLAs, including two JD(U) and another two independent MLAs, the Opposition staggers with 35 headcounts. Three MLAs Ainosh Ekka (Jharkhand Party Ekka faction), Harinarayan Rai ((IND)) and Polush Surin of the JMM are currently lodged in jail.

When asked about the possibility of these MLAs to attend the special session of the Assembly, Singh said that he had no intimation about them.

Surin is facing trial for his alleged involvement in subversive act of Maoists. Ekka and Rai have been in the judicial custody from the past one year after Vigilance Bureau lodged corruption cases against them.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Rajendra Singh held a meeting of the party legislative body on Monday evening. “We will expose the alliance before people. We will expose the BJP during the floor testing,” Congress MLA Sarfaraz Ahmed told The Pioneer.

However, party’s alliance partner JVM has already announced its intention to turn heat on the Congress also. “We will oppose the Government. But how can we forget the Congress which acted as a midwife which helped the alliance partner in the labour pain, we will equally criticise the Congress, as well as the BJP and the JMM,” said JVM leader Samresh Singh.

The Congress believes that the five MLAs of the RJD will stay in Opposition fold. Last time Shibu Soren had took rein as the CM of the BJP-JMM-AJSU coalition Government, the party had extended covered support to the Government when the RJD MLAs walked out during floor test alleging the Congress responsible for the formation of the Government.

Munda is confident to win as he controls the numbers game. “We have support of the parties which want a democratic Government for people’s welfare. We will win the majority and the Government will complete its term,” Munda said on the eve of floor test. In the afternoon, Munda also met party’s organisational secretary Saudan Singh. Munda had staked claim on September 7 to form Government and took oath as the 8th Chief Minister of Jharkhand, along with Sudesh Mahato of the AJSU and Hemant Soren of the JMM, who took oath as deputy Chief Ministers.

The alliance listed the support of following MLAs: BJP (18), JMM (18), AJSU (5), JD(U) (2) and two independents. The strength of other parties is: Congress (13), JVM (11), RJD (5), CPI (MLL) (1), Marxist Coordination Committee (1), Jharkhand Party (Ekka) (1), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch (1) and two independents (Gita Koda and Harinarain Rai).

Pix Malay Kumar




Old wine in a new bottle: Munda talks about changes
September 15, 2010

VIJAY DEO JHA | RANCHI

There is perhaps no better person and place to get renewed promises of changes in Jharkhand than the precincts of its most famous address for four years: Old Jail Road, and its occupant Chief Minister Arjun Munda.

Soon after taking oath as the 8th CM of Jharkhand on Saturday; Munda in an exclusive talk with The Pioneer swore to demolish one idea of Jharkhand as the basket case of India, and the crafting of another.

Can Munda make a difference? Past regimes were not different. It was a free territory overran and exploited by people and politicians of all hues — scamsters and scoundrels, sycophants, in-laws and outlaws, a whole court confederacy that first put establishment out of touch with the rooted reality of the State, and then, out of power.

And 10 years down Munda has again become CM of the State: functionality for famed flair, calibre for celebrated corruption and hope for hollow hype.

“So what, Jharkhand will change,” Munda said gazing at a large portrait hung on the wall depicting natural beauty of Jharkhand. He probably wanted to hint it as the central metaphor of his reign.

Q: You had been in State politics before you moved to the national politics and became party’s national general secretary. Great hope was attached to you. And in fact you had shown right sign. Strange! Why did you decide to make a come back?

A: I am a loyal worker of the BJP. My party assigned me this job. I will take any responsibility as deemed fit by the party. I will deliver best of my capabilities.

Q: Is Arjun Munda different today and than the one in the past?

A: As my understanding and experience is concerned as a party worker, i will make an optimum use to this. I promise to remain bias in performing my duty.

Q: Have you worked out your priorities for the State after you took oath as CM?

A: At present priorities are speaking for themselves: drought, law and order. Good rain could have yielded good crops… solving a major trouble. What I think is that the State require infrastructure. Under a long term plan we need to tap and harness the human resource to enable Jharkhand to compete with global economy. Bijli, Pani sarak (BIPASA) are in priority. Projects must be planned in the light of the demographic and geographical conditions of the State.

Q:And what about corruption?

A:This is a big and serious issue…our priority will be to change the system that breeds corruption. But I think it is not the only issue one should keep himself engaged with. People of Jharkhand are forward looking. People are not concerned with corruption only.

Q: But then corruption eats away the vitals of the development?

A: See this is true it has become gangrene. We need to work together.

Q: Don’t you think the institutes like ombudsman are good and effective tools to crush corruption?

A: Yes, I will think and try all these mechanisms. But I do not believe in propaganda. Our commitment to deal with corruption is more important.

Q: Will you ask your Ministers to declare their properties to stop another Madhu Koda, Ainosh Ekka, Harinarayan Rai and Kamlesh Singh in making?

A: I always ask media what is the level of corruption. Let me ask you what is corruption? How we brand somebody as corrupt. Now tell me what media will offer me on this front.

Correspondent: Media will extend you full cooperation.

Munda: No no. It is not only about support. I personally believe that serious issues require serious deliberations. How many times you (media) questioned the logic behind supporting an independent MLA as CM of this State. What should be the criteria? National parties are responsible for the reflection of democracy and democratic system. There is only partial democracy.

Q: What messages CM Arjun Munda will like to send across scamsters, scoundrels and corrupt?

A: Law will take care of them. They will be punished according to their deeds.

Q: And bureaucracy?

A: Be ready for a transparent and functioning administration. Be responsible towards people.

Q: Maoism will be a big challenge for you to deal with.

A: I had had been raising this issue that how this problem has affected people and the States…but I was taken very lightly that time. Jharkhand is not the only State facing this problem. Can a State address this problem by taking isolated effort? You need to form an elaborate national policy. I do not criticise anybody. I will raise right points at right forums.

Q: What about Operation Green Hunt?

A: Don’t ask me all these. Ask this to Indian Government.

Q: Will you also not talk about all those Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) you had signed as CM in the past that gave you a nickname MoU CM, once. Won’t you look back?

A: Will you explain me please what happened all these four years after I stepped out so that I answer you.

Q: Industrial houses sign MoUs only to fast belt minerals and resources and then they pack off. Do you promise a fair and rational Industrial Policy?

A: Yes, there will people’s policy. Industry will automatically come. Policy will be decided while keeping the interest of the people at the centre of the policy formation.

Q: During your first tenure as CM you took your first decision to grant lifelong freebies to former CMs. What will be your first decision this time?

A: “Iss baar media ke liye karenge (This time I will do for media),” Munda laughs.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/282537/Old-wine-in-a-new-bottle-Munda-talks-about-changes.html

Munda sails through with 45 Ayes

VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI 15 September Front Page Nation

In part, CM Arjun Munda statement during confidence motion debate on Tuesday was marked with frequent interruptions but the central theme of his lengthy statements was loud.

“Everybody wished a government in Jharkhand be it Opposition be it Treasury bench…if you want election,” Munda pointedly told the Opposition, “then what are you doing here you should have resigned earlier.”

Munda had a smooth sail to win the confidence motion: 45 Ayes and 30 No. Even Opposition believed that Munda going to win the trust vote was a fate-accompli but it could have filled the trust deficit; that could not happened since five MLAs remained absent during the debate. Congress’ Yogendra Sao, Arup Chatterjee of Marxist Coordination Centre, Bandhu Tirkey of Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and two independent MLAs in judicial custody — Ainosh Ekka and Harinarayan Rai did not participate in the third special session of the assembly that was convened at Administrative Training Institute.

Munda in his 25 minutes speech took pain to justify as to why his party—the BJP, joined hands with the JMM, AJSU and JD (U) to form government barely three months after it had parted its way.

“In the last ten years Jharkhand has been witnessing fractured mandate. During election all of us campaign for our respective parties but we also ask people to give full mandate to the party they wish,” Munda said.

The decision to join hands with the JMM and other coalition partners, Munda said was the demand of the time. But the major part of his statement, Munda underline the priorities of his government amid constant demand from the Opposition bench to declare entire Jharkhand famine hit.

He announced to hold an all party meeting to obtain a broad view over the drought in Jharkhand and sought the support of the Opposition to deliver a fair, transparent and responsible government ahead to address legions of problems as he said.

“Jharkhand ki janta ke liye hamari ek jaisi pida hai. Is pida ko apni sakti banayen, (We share similar pain for the people of Jharkhand. Let us make this pain our strength).”

It was largely a scene of an insipid Treasury bench matched by another set of uninspired Opposition bench. There were few exceptions in the Opposition occupying the first row, Pradeep Yadav and Samresh Singh who besides grilling Munda and his party; proved that their lungs and vocal cord work quite well.

KN Tripathi of the Congress had done ground work to nail the government and even quoted a portion of the book India in Turmoil written by former Jharkhand Governor Ved Marwah where the latter has leveled certain charges on Munda.

The fear of ongoing probe of the corruption cases by the Vigilance Bureau and the CBI has brought leaders of the alliances together,” Tripathi said.

“The government will not complete its term since the agents and ingredients of instability are still present in the government.” The Opposition provided some momentary relief from monotonous debate with sharp banters hurled at Raghuwar Das of the BJP and others.

But most of the part of the debate stayed over the visit of Munda to Nagpur a day after he took oath to meet the BJP national president Nitin Gadkari and the RSS leaders along with his deputy CMs Hemant Soren of the JMM and Sudesh Kumar Mahato of the AJSU.

“Munda and his ministers forgot Birsa Munda and Chotanagpur. They visited Nagpur instead to seek blessing,” Yadav quipped. Sitting in the back bench the JMM MLA Akil Akthar rose to defend the government but nobody took notice to him.

The Congress was delighted over invectives of its alliance partner, but, it was short-lived. Yadav released payloads of furry and banters against Congress for not dissolving the Assembly even after much demand of the JVM.

“Do not go to RSS. Go to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi straight and flat down. She gave you the time and opportunity to form government.” Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Rajendra Singh in the defence of his party and party chief could only babble: “Congress respects Constitution and its norms.” Singh, otherwise, proved no good speaker today, not even as the leader of Opposition. It was JVM which scored most of the points.

The Opposition wanted Munda’s specific reply over the role of three industrialists (one from Nagpur) in the formation of the government. The poor Hemant was not even able to defend himself as to why he was in so much hurry to unseat his father Shibu Soren as the Chief Minister of the previous government of same composition. “Forget the past. Look ahead,” Hemant hurriedly summed-up.