Ahead of Sharad’s visit state JD (U) grapples with problems
VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI
Things have long been bad for the JD (U) in Jharkhand but they have never been so bad as now. It has already lost precious counts of number in the Assembly to save face as a recognised political outfit in the tally of the Election Commission of India. It has of course a jilted state president, Jaleswar Mahto; who is more prone to promote factionalism to save his post rather to take some urgent steps to address organisational follies before the party gets more faceless in Jharkhand.
Factionalism has affected the party down the line: it has more leaders and less of the workers. Only last day two of the party seniors Bhagban Singh and Ramesh Singh acted like macho-man holding each others’ collar at a press conference rather to show maturity. It happened just a few days before when the party national president Sharad Yadav is on an urgent house keeping job in Jharkhand on July 26.
And before you begin to wonder whether Yadav will be able to discipline his unruly house in Jharkhand and energize his cadres; things that wonder party leaders the most, whether they can converge even a modest gathering of thousand workers for the conclave.
“I do not believe that we will be able to gather even a thousand workers to attend the party programme. Many have joined other parties, many have gone dormant and many others have lost interest because the party organisation was deliberately made defunct,” a party senior warily told.
The party in the past offered a poor score card of its presence through demonstrations, regular meetings and others. The Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar had famously announced an ambitious plan to expand electoral and organisational base of Jharkhand JD (U) on the line of Bihar. During last assembly election Nitish had deputed three of his trusted lieutenants Sharavan kumar, Bhim Singh and Ravindra Singh for electioneering and to diagnose the problem of the state unit. Nitish had peppered Jharkhand with many chopperstop visits, addressing a good number of high-voltage meetings. He was the spike-points of this campaign that bagged his party only two MLAs: Raja Peter and Sudha Chaudhary.
Nitish furiously dumped his plan soon after. Jharkhand was not his cup of tea, nevertheless state leaders regularly continues to pay him a visit for his benign look.
“People in Jharkhand rejected us because we could not perform up to their expectation. We were not competent. We delivered exceptionally well in Bihar against Jharkhand where delivered a dud. We need to address urgent and core issues,” Shravan Kumar told The Pioneer over telephone.
The core issue, many in the party think needed to be addressed on urgent basis; is the removal of Jaleswar Mahto who is facing flanks from all sides.
“Even Nitishji and Sharadji are not in the favour of retaining him. But they have different choices and difference about the selection,” a leader said who did not want his name to be quoted. Nitish wants a Kurmi face as state president. Sharad prefers a tribal leader to lead the party. Nitish is facing a predicament of peculiar kind. State JD (U) has no such Kurmi face to fit in his design. Nevertheless, the state JD (U) has one popular tribal face, Raja Peter who is not only young but also has considerable mass following. Many in the party accept Peter as the future face of the party. Peter is the minister of Disaster Management and Excise Department in the Arjun Munda led coalition government. “He is not only ministering his political fortune but the fortune of his party also. He has proved himself as a good administrator and has caliber and courage to expand the base of the party,” a leader of the state JD (U) executive committee said.
The burden to Nevertheless, party’s lone popular face and minister in Arjun Munda led BJP coalition government Raja Peter. But Mahto has known disparage against Peter to that extent where he used all tricks and excuses to stop Peter from becoming minister in the cabinet.
A bereft state headquarters of the JD (U) resounded with the severity of multifold crisis, leaders looked desperately for explanations they could not afford to air publicly. But they said enough to understand: “We hope his visit may not like yet another drops of passing rain that barely even seeds the ground, much less create a harvest.”

Munda seeks patience over performance

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Amid ominous grunts of the coalition partner and his party over not so satisfactory performance of the government Chief Minister asserted his was a development oriented government and placed before the media ‘plans’ and ‘priorities’ of the government at a press conference, on Monday.

Munda hinted the government will bring three important bills related with corruption, service act and IT. The purpose of this press conference Munda said: “People have the fundamental right to know as to what the government is doing. The Ministers of the government will now hold regular press conferences to let the people know about government and governance. We want the social audit of the performance of the government.”

Claiming law and order situation in Jharkhand has improved Munda said that his government was keen to bring transparency, accountability and zero tolerance towards corruption.

“The purpose of bring a bill regarding IT is that, it will add transparency in the government works. We will form law to deal with corruption and the law related with service act so that people get right service at the right time,” he said. Though, Munda did not explain much about the nitty-gritty of proposed bills.

Munda veered around key words like ‘accountability’ ‘responsibility and communication gap’ just to add on to his muffled acceptance of the failure of his government to meet the expectation of the people. He did not make any pointed reference but his target group was the officials who had occupied the first row of the press conference. Even Munda during the press conference was repeatedly reminded and complained by the media about his unresponsive bureaucracy that acts as a roadblock to let the information related with development work to pass on to public domain.

Munda answered: “I have started this initiative to ensure our accountability and responsibility.” For the next two weeks; Munda has ensured his government as the rallying point of media attention since the government has planned a slue of press conferences of the ministers from July 25 to August 8.

Munda discussed the key sectors where the pace of infrastructural development has been accelerated. In the power sector we have drafted plans for 6000 MW of power generation by the next year. Jharkhand where the power generation capacity of its vintage and defunct power plants has never crossed 1000 MW limit, statistics of the State Energy Department were readily made available according to which the total power production of its total four units is 2520 MW
.
“We are upgrading power plants. We have plans to turn Jharkhand into a power hub. New transmission lines have been established. Now we are aiming around 1200 villages of Jharkhand which is bereft of electricity,” he said.

Munda informed that government has decided to grant 85 per cent subsidy for CFL project in Jharkhand involving elected local body for its execution. Munda said that his government was committed to involve local elected body in governance adding that his government was bound to bring the development to the last people.

A patient Munda asked patience till the time his long term projects come into shape. “It may take some time for the result to come. Roads, electricity, social security are the major thrust area of the government. We have involved noted economists who are working with us to draw plans for the integrated development of Jharkhand.”

Munda replied quite philosophically to some of the pointed poser at a time when the alliance partner in the government, the JMM is not so impressed with the government and governance. Munda shifted blames on the coalition compulsion without buying any direct confrontation.

“During election we too ask people for a complete majority. But then we are running a coalition government by forging some common grounds and political will. Development is not the responsibility of a government only…the Opposition, MLAs and people are too responsible. They should know it.”

Switched off ministers of Munda cabinet
Want a public voice to know Ministers’ mind

VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI
The cabinet ministers of the Arjun Munda government who often wear detachment as distinction -- the absence of a designated voice is probably not being missed.

As mark of minimum flaunt, most of his ministers including deputy chief ministers, Sudesh Mahato and Hemant Soren switched off their official cell phone the day they took charge as minister. They reportedly have switched over to some secret numbers with only a limited number of people having the privy to dial him for a deal or a dialogue.

Even rookie in legislative politics and ministerial job — first time MLA and minister from the BJP Satyanand Jha Batul, joined the snob class of ministers. The only exception is Disaster Management and Excise Department minister Raja Peter of the JD (U) who promptly responds calls and even calls backs. “Why should I keep my mobile phone switched off? Why should I ask my private secretary to speak on my behalf? I am a people’s representative and people have the right to talk to me directly to seek any information,” he said over telephone.

Wonder happens with switched off cells of these disconnect ministers. Sometimes its rings too if called but soon gets switched off or turn to busy mode even if the minister is not busy. But this is too rare an occasion and you are too lucky if your effort indeed buzzed his mobile: Hemant Soren for instance on Thursday evening.

But it is indeed tough to point out as to when Sudesh last operated his official number. Munda’s both deputy CMs are burdened with the responsibility of plum departments. They are ministering the fortune of Jharkhand. Want to talk Hemant then dial Pintu, his private assistant, with a request. Most of the times the requests are turned down with tailor-made pretext: ‘Minister is busy’. Want to talk to Sudesh call on Himanshu if you are in his good book and phone book.

Health Minister and senior JMM leader Hemlal Murmu chose politically clever line that neither defended nor denounced his cabinet colleagues. “How can I say as to why they keep their phone switched off? Ask them directly. It is up to them,” Hemlal reacted. He also belongs to the tribe of ministers who picks less and selective calls.

Yours’ truly and trusted aides of these ministers have their point to argue if the minister does not pick call or keep it switched off. “Calls keep coming and if he responds every call he will be less a minister and more as telephone operator. People often call him for favour,” a close aide of HRD Minister Baidyanath Ram defended.

Nevertheless, Munda is aware that the communication gap of government with the media and the mass has proved too costly for the government. His plan of the interaction of his ministers with media at a regular interval of three months is the part of the strategy to bridge that communication gap. Munda began this exercise only a few days back when he faced the barge of questions over key and critical issues and complaints. It included his non responsive departmental secretaries and ministers who are either inaccessible or refuse to share even normal details of day to day administrative affairs or developmental projects.

“Secretaries are not authorised to speak to the media. They brief their minister and minister in turn are supposed to brief the media and people,” Munda had responded to this complaints. But then, Munda has no such mechanism or mesmerism to make the ministers media and people oriented; much in the line of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.

Munda is in an ambitious drive to let information flow on the public sphere has even planned to bring an IT law for the smooth flow of information. Munda after taking oath as CM last year had planned to hold day to day briefing of the departments that could not graduate beyond some media columns.

“CM may be busy but he regularly communicates and wants his ministers to maintain constant communication with the media and people that is the part of effective governance,” a CMO source said. Munda is easily accessible not his switched off ministers.