CM puts performance tag on officials

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Monday made his intention known to start first phase of administrative reforms by forming three different committees that will review performances of IAS, IPS and IFS officers of Jharkhand cadre those who have completed 15 and 25 years of their service.

Munda ordered the formation of committee in the wake of amendment in section 16 (3) of the All India Service Act by Central government in January where it proposed review of the performances of officials under said cadre after 15, 25 years of their service or if they have attended 50 years of age. After the amendment officials can be removed from the service if found incompetent following the review of their service.

“It is a landmark decision of the state government and a good opportunity to start administrative reform. Chief Minister on many occasions has taken steps to make administration responsive and sensitive towards public welfare and development,” a top CMO official said.

Munda has precisely defined mandates for the committee to “hold an objective review of the performance of officials whether satisfactory or unsatisfactory…state government will take suitable decisions within provisions of the Act.” Provisions of the Act say that such officials could be removed from the service by serving them either three months notice or three of salary.    

Asked whether committees have been given a timeline by which it need to complete the review, sources termed it a continuous process believing that assessments will be made on the ground performance rather than Annual Confidential Report of an official concerned. Sensing that flocks of these three elite service have inbuilt tendency to save skin of each specially if they happen to belong to same state cadre; the government ensured that one out of four members of review committee must not be from Jharkhand cadre. Government further ensured that the said member in no case should be the resident of Jharkhand. While Chief Secretary is set to head the committee, at least one member of the committee must be an SC or ST category official.

A four men committee headed by Chief Secretary will review performance of IAS officials of Jharkhand cadre. An SC, ST official of Principal Secretary’s rank will also be the members of the committee besides Principal Secretary or secretary of Department of Personnel will be the member of the committee. In case of the review committee for appraisal of IPS officials Director General Police will be the part of the committee besides Principal Secretary/ Secretary Home as another member. Chief Forest Conservator and Principal Secretary / Secretary Forest will the member of the committee meant to review performances of officials of Indian Forest Service.

In a state like Jharkhand where officials are notorious for dereliction of duty the step has widely been welcomed. “I don’t want to get indulged in a debate whether the government voluntarily took the decision or directed by the Centre to constitute such committees. I simply say it is a good decision. It will make officials responsive towards their duty. But we need a tough appraisal of their performances otherwise the whole idea will collapse,” former Chief Secretary of Jharkhand A.K. Singh said.

Singh said that he never heard any official of these cadres being removed from the service on the ground of incompetency. “Now you are prone to be eliminated from the service if you don’t perform. There has been a set procedure that with the beginning a financial year each official is given certain task to perform which is reviewed at the end. Often their Confidential Record shows them as one of the best performers even if they performed quite badly. It will have an impact now,” Singh said.

Menu of mistrust on Mishra’s platter

BJP organisational secretary Prasanna asked to take charge of Odisha

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Clueless state BJP bosses are decoding subtle message behind sudden shift of Prasanna Kr. Mishra as organisational secretary of the state BJP amid ongoing organisational elections of state unit.

Top sources in the BJP confided Mishra has been shifted to his home state Odisha following a decision taken by central BJP bosses in consultation with party’s national organisational secretary Ramlal, on late Monday evening.

His repatriation was kept under such a high level of secrecy that the state BJP leaders refused to admit it. State BJP president Dineshnanda Goswami parried to reply repatriation of Mishra. 

State BJP in-charge Harendra Kumar, however, accepted Mishra has been given the charge of Odisha BJP. Kumar refuted Mishra has been removed as organizational secretary of Jharkhand BJP. “He has been given dual assignment. Party felt his service is required to tone-up Odisha unit of the BJP,” Kumar said.

But top BJP sources claimed Mishra has been asked to pack-up and proceed to Odisha for a new assignment. Unofficially Mishra has been asked to stay till organisational elections of Jharkhand BJP are over by the end of December 10. It is yet not cleat as to who will replace Mishra.

 “It sounds unusual that an important functionary of the party is removed all of a sudden amid ongoing organisational elections which is a critical part of impending election of the state party head. It seems Delhi is not happy with organisational health and factionalism in the state unit. He had done his best but one can’t perform beyond a point in such a situation,” a top BJP leader said.

In the BJP, post of the organisational secretary does not come with a fixed tenure. The decision of appointment and removal of organisational secretary is taken after prior approval of the RSS because as per set tradition organisational secretary happens to be the RSS pracharak. Serving party for around three years in Jharkhand before he served West Bengal and Sikkim as well, Mishra is considered to be quite malleable and moderate unlike Ranjan Patel who was disliked by a large section of the party.

But he largely failed to strike coordination among different factions. “It probably remained one of the biggest drawbacks of his tenure,” said a senior party leader.

Mishra may be the right man to repair cracking and crumbling Odisha unit. He long wished for Odisha assignment when central BJP dispatched him to Jharkhand against his wishes. Asked to leave job in Jharkhand midway; an upset Mishra is learnt to have communicated his feeling to central bosses. Odisha BJP is a chronic case of factionalism and organisational dishevelment and Mishra is not sure whether he will be able to deliver a humdinger in short span.

Bhagwat seeks special law on Ram Temple

Strap: Urges minority support for peace and harmony

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Refreshing his appeal over contemporary India’s most divisive tangle — Ram Janmabhumi issue — the RSS boss Mohanrao Bhagwat asked Parliament to pass a law for the construction of Ram Temple and sought support of the Muslim minority.

“Though the matter is pending before the court, I appeal Muslim brethrens to sink their difference and come forward to support the move of national integration” Bhagwat was speaking during an interactive session over ‘Role and Responsibility of RSS’ on Thursday.

He was speaking in the background of the Allahabad High Court ruling of September 2010 which left the temple claimants triumphal but it also gave a toehold to mosque protagonists by three way split division of disputed land.

“Constructing temple is not the issue of prestige or disgrace…fissiparous forces have been creating a divide between two communities for their petty political end. Constructing Ram temple at Ayodhya is a matter of national pride and confirmation of our faith in pluralistic society. Indian Parliament should make law in this regard and political parties should ask their MPs to support this,” he said.

Terming Ram Mandir movement as the only movement where the RSS directly participated, Bhagwat said that the RSS restricted itself in the work of character and society building. Speaking over campaign against corruption Bhagwat urged: “All those who are fighting against corruption in the country should stay united. RSS has always supported movement against corruption and such,” he said.

Repeatedly removing anti-Muslim tag attached to the RSS Bhagwat said the notion was created by some so called secular parties who are on the job of demonizing RSS. “Muslims of Nagpur has no such confusion about RSS because they watch us every day. Come and join RSS. Stay with us. Your notion will be changed. Muslims are seduced into conspiracy of Muslim separatism which they should understand,” he said.

During hour long interaction Bhagwat replied to around 15 questions which were previously selected by the organizers. On being asked whether RSS runs and controls the affair of the BJP; Bhagwat said that RSS has never been HR manager of the BJP. “It is true that top slots of the BJP are occupied by people of RSS background. But we have nothing to do with internal matter of the BJP. Politics is not our mien because it divides the society,” he said.

Those who sought his attention towards RSS as an organization that that refuses changes its ideology and dress sense according to time and an organization whose base is fast eroding; Bhagwat made an elaborate reply.

“When I was in-charge of Bihar affair on average six to seven lakh Swayamsevak used to attend regular shakhas of the RSS. Now this number has swelled around 12 lakh. We are not shrinking. We have our presence in around 60,000 villages across the country,” he said.

He also disputed that numbers of pracharak have gone down in the organization. “Pracharak is a very tough job. Right now we have 2300 fulltime pracharaks. Changes are slow. But over the years we have made changes in the dress code except half pant and nikkar which are adopted for all practical purpose. RSS takes decision on consensus basis,” he said.

Sources said that some of the questions with explicit political overture were left out of discussion during screening those related with ongoing political tussle in the BJP for Prime Ministerial post. Even if Bhagwat answered any political prodding it was ideologically high sounded. 

King is quite, claimants of Hatia create clamour

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

The Ratu royal family maintaining studied silence over Hatia assembly by-election; has kept two potential contenders in the fray — Ajay Nath Sahdeo (JVM) and Sunil Sahay (Congress) clueless about the leaning of the Palace.   

King – Lal Chintamani Saran Nath Shahdeo (80) hardly made any public appearance after the death of his son Gopal Saran Nath Shahdeo in 2010, who twice represented Hatia assembly as Congress candidate. Left without any heir-apparent to take over royal title and one who could carry on the political legacy, Palace was least interested that Priyadarshani Sahdeo, widow of Gopal, should join politics when the State Congress had approached Chintamani with that request, last year.

Though, the Palace has maintained detachment as distinction in any of the elections but it has considerable hold over people and even whispering appeal from Palace is enough to tap electoral balance at least in Ratu area.  Though, Palace is not the hub of the election but it is crucial a notch because of vast number of Ratu raj loyalists. Silence is being interpreted as a kind of support which both Ajay and Sahay camp have been claiming.

Ajay is associated with one of the branches of vast family tree of the Ratu royal family and was closely associated with Gopal. A regular visitor of the Palace and the king, Ajay is not only claiming himself as unchallenged flag bearer of Palace but also as legitimate political successor of Gopal and family.

“Maharaja (Chintamani) blessed me with success and morally encouraged me to fight election. I start my campaign after taking his blessings and return to him in evening to brief him,” Ajay said during the campaign. He holds two sets of identity: one as Deputy Mayor of Ranchi Municipal Corporation who has grown on popularity index by making himself available anytime and anywhere and secondly as scion of the royal family. Seeking votes he invokes his said identity as per mood and sentiment of audience, that too area specific.

He admitted: “Whenever I meet people they recognize me as their son and bother one who has made himself available for them. Many associate and identify me as the scion of the glorious royal family which has been serving people from centuries. It is especially in Ratu area. They have placed so much of faith in me.” Ajay said that his title and association with the family will help him in Ratu area if not everywhere.

But Palace and king are quite unlikely to come out of their grand isolation to help Ajay. Chintamani had not come out and even desisted from issuing any public appeal when Gopal was contesting election. In fact, Ratu Palace has often been reluctant in displaying political loyalty. In the 50s Chintamani contested as Independent from the Ranchi Assembly constituency (Hatia was part greater Ranchi constituency till 1974.) Later on, Chintamani was elected in Bihar Legislative Council as Congress candidate.

Congress feels the claim of Ajay politically incorrect, not ready to allow him to en-cash popularity of late Gopal Sharan and the royal family. “Association of royal family with the Congress is an established fact. Late Gopal Saran was the Congress legislator. JVM candidate can’t claim to carry on unfulfilled tasks of our late legislator just because he holds royal appendage…It is for the Congress party to do. Many members of the royal families across the country have different political association have any of them tendered same logic,” State Congress spokesperson Sailesh Sinha retorted.

If Ajay kicked off his campaign with royal blessings Sahay had also knocked the gate of the Palace. Amid preparation of electoral battle in Hatia set on June 12, Ratu Palace is still mourning the death of its bright scion and it does not want any flag or poster on its premise. 

He banks upon his voters, not on his bank

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

He flung a simple notion into Hatia’s fiery electoral battle that elections can be contested without money also, all too aware about public forecast and personal foreboding that he has least chances to win.

To a people torn between such high-voltage campaign and powerful candidates he merely decided to say: “I don’t have any party, I don’t have flags. I don’t promise beyond the point that I am your servant.”

Virendra Bhagat has truly been a nightmare for political parties and candidates those who are aware of his hold over rural voters. He is contesting as an independent against all the power and resources of parties like the Congress, AJSU and the JVM. Contesting 2009 assembly election from Hatia as the JMM candidate he remained on fourth position by netting 22,173 votes.

The JMM denied him ticket in this by-election as the party decided not to field any candidate. Bhagat, a popular face among tribal knows how to win hearts and votes. “Jo paise ka khel Hatia me ho rahaa hai uske khilaf log aage aa rahe hain. Mere paas paise nahi mere paas public aur unka support hai. (The people are coming forward against use of money in the election. I don’t have money but I have support of the people.)” Many call him a maverick and wonder about his dream to contest election and win it without spending even a single penny. But they, too, appreciate the way the man has carved his constituency and followers.

“While rest of the candidates has pumped money ensuring all comforts for people campaigning for them but youths campaigning for Bhagat doesn’t require these. People even bring food from their home and even invest their own savings,” Mahaveer Gupta, owner of a garment shop at Ratu said.

Bhagat exhausted his personal savings to put into his campaign. But that sum was gone even before he could begin to count it, so he went to the people. But his supporters and people of his area started filling up his coffers with fivers and tenners, and a couple of odd hundred-rupee note, too. He is sure to reflect poorly upon poll expenditure sheet of the Election Commission but he is getting impressive response.

His candidature and claims are being discussed at roadside tea stalls and eateries, one who has consolidated his hold over tribal voters in parts of Itki, Ratu, Naya Sarai, Kute and Nagri area. “He is a unique candidate who is seeking vote along with note,” said one Dinesh Sao. Dinesh wouldn’t mind even wasting his vote for a candidate who is popular but assures no guarantee.

But he has given many sleepless nights to party candidates. The Congress candidate Sunil Sahay has been in disparate bid to gain grounds in the rural area. Bhagat is there to stop him. The JVM chief Babulal Marandi has pulled all stops to make a dent in his loyal vote bank for his candidate Ajay Nath Sahdeo. He returned without getting any convincing assurance. In Naya Sarai youths appeared less obsessed with tantalizing offers and resources of the AJSU Party.

“He is challenging us from the flank. Though, he has no support base in the urban area but in his area of control he is potential contender,” a senior BJP leader said.

Bhagat becomes bit over conscious while talking to journalists and flash of camera. Every time the camera clicks, he halts mid-sentence…“flash dazzles me I am not used to this. His followers at Kute laugh at the discomfiture of their hero. He raises issues that concern his constituents: displacement. But Bhagat appears a man of more courage and conviction than a flashbulb can daunt.

“I don’t have resource but have reason to fight. Many call me vote katwa but I am fighting for people,” he said. He may loose battle but not the cause to it. 

Sita crosses Lakshman Reka

Sita crosses Lakshman Reka

FIR against Sita for abducting CBI witness, agency suspects Police doing hush-hush job

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI 

On Christmas eve JMM MLA Sita Soren amply displayed how she had not yet cut her teeth in political wisdom and had hired wrong advisors. When rest were preparing for Christmas, she allegedly perpetrated a crime to abduct her former aide Vikas Pandey who is CBI’s witness against her in Rajya Sabha horse trading case. It remained three hours jaw opening ‘abduction and rescue drama—Sita’s solo performance of crude satire on CBI’s witness protection mechanism in a case involving dozens of top politicians of Jharkhand.

On her behest her men allegedly lifted Pandey from Ranchi’s busiest place Sahjanand Chowk on Monday evening and kept him in confinement at her residence for hours. He was browbeaten to withdraw as witness. His wife Reena Pandey promptly lodged complaint at the police station.

Even after a battery of media, top CBI and police bosses rushed at her residence, police had a tough time to rescue Pandey. Images rolling on the television screen on Monday night showed her gun totting security men threatening to open fire if anybody dared to enter her official residence.

An FIR of abduction was lodged against Sita (but not against her men) on Tuesday which the CBI suspects a mere hush-hush job. This estranged daughter-in-law of JMM chief Shibu Soren retorted the charges terming it a drama scripted by her rivals. “Vikas and his men were drunk and they barged on my residence. They were not ready to go. I had not abducted him,” she said.

Meanwhile, the CBI has sent detailed reports to its headquarter and quizzed Vikas on Tuesday. Earlier, Vikas had disposed before the CBI and his revelations and evidences produced are the part of CBI’s central exhibit of evidence against Sita.

But the way CBI left one of its top witnesses unattained and unguarded all these months, have left other key witnesses worried. The delay in investigation has opened can of worms for the CBI whether it would be able to keep its witnesses intact amid internal and external threats.

Private assistant of an MLA who provided key details and inside story to the CBI about money game in March 30 Rajya Sabha elections, has been receiving regular threats.

Even a top CBI official admitted it was a mistake on the part of investigative agency not done deliberately: “Even no case of threatening witnesses in Fodder case, CWG scam and 2G scam were reported. Such small time leaders are drunk high on power and threatening witnesses. It is a serious issue of interfering in investigation. We will remain careful towards their protection,” the official said.

Sita is facing serious charges and the episode is likely to bring further legal trouble for her. “We will lose face and receive reprimand from High Court as we mention it before the court. But I can say the lady has actually signed her own arrest warrant. She will face consequences. We have strong doubts about the role of her father Baudh Narayan Manji who is her key advisor also,” the official said.

Vikas in the statement given to the CBI revealed that he had been receiving threat from Sita. She even threatened Pandey to pack off from Jharkhand.

“Sita forcefully obtained his signatures on plain papers and threatened as well. She is twisting the story. Vikas is CBI’s witness. It is case of abduction, wrongful confinement, tampering with evidence and lot more. We are investigating the case,” CBI DSP AK Jha who is investing RS poll case said.

Sleep no more

Vijay Deo Jha 

Ranchi

They came, they yawned and they slept. But they are hardly likely to conquer this way. Something about the itinerary of the political class of Jharkhand makes them soporific more often than not. Thursday was a fine case in point.

State HRD Minister Vaidyanath Ram, Agriculture Minister Satyanand Jha Batul, Congress’ MLAs Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mannan Mallik and former Minister Sudhir Mahto were captured on camera dozing and sleeping for an hour during the 13th Foundation Day ceremony of Jharkhand Assembly.

They occupied the front row, earmarked for Ministers and mandarins, but found themselves in the league of dozing politicians when morning dispatches came with a crisp news note.

Blushing at being caught so strategically, they rushed in with explanations and excuses, simultaneously putting the blame on a lack of adrenaline and a surfeit of workload. They cursed the legislative and public responsibility that made overloaded beasts of burden of them.

A couple claimed they were not sleeping. They were using the time to muse over the state of affairs when the dignitaries occupying dais — Governor Syed Ahmed, Chief Minister Arjun Munda and Speaker CP Singh, among others — were at their verbal best on ‘Jharkhand: Past, present and future’, replete with flowery quotes and thoughts.

Sample this: Batul said, “I was ill, so I could not overcome drowsiness.”

“Why do you believe pictures? My eyes were closed but I was in serious thought over Jharkhand while hearing stale talk of promises of the ruling party towards people of the State,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed accepted that politicians sleeping during a public programme showed badly in the eyes of the public.

Nonetheless, there are around a dozen politicians who are photographed, talked about and seen as frequent dozers, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and Dumka MP Shibu Soren. In fact, he is referred to as ‘Jharkhand’s very own HD Deve Gowda’ for his frequent siesta moments during public programmes.

Old people often face this problem due to a reduced level of sodium in the body.

Senior psychiatrist and RINPAS director Dr Amol Ranjan and neurologist Sanjay Kumar offer medical and psychological explanations that might help to understand the reason that forces public figures to nap in full public glare.

“People tend to sleep when tired, over-stressed or not having proper sleep. The other
reason could be they find the programme uninteresting or unimportant enough to stimulate and certain biological and psychological factors kick in, lulling them to sleep,” said one.

But then, was the Foundation Day discourse so boring, as to cause them to sleep? It may have been.

On the other hand, a couple of other legislators and Ministers — Health Minister Hemlal Murmu, Simon Marandi (JMM), Sajay Yadav (RJD) — can afford a sound sleep even during surcharged Assembly debate.

“Mauka milte hi ye log dugdugi bajana shuru kar dete hain. Kabhi kabhi toh Speaker tok bhi dete hain (The moment they get chance they start mild snoring. Sometimes, the Speaker has to awaken them),” a senior MLA quipped.

Other than flash sleep, medicos explain another two types of sleep — non-REM and paradoxical sleep.

But they have as yet been unable to explain what causes the State’s politicians to bumble so — is it “to sleep, perchance to dream”?

!http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/110910-sleep-no-more.html

Vijay Deo Jha

Vijay Deo Jha

Thus unlamented, let me die...

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Figure this. What could be common among AK Roy, Chhedi Ram, late Sitaram Shastri, late Lily Chakrvarti and likes? For those who confuse them as random picks from state’s new ‘Who’s Who’ or the part of assorted gallery of state politicians they need refresher course in contemporary history of Jharkhand and country because people and politicians have forgotten their distinguished role in freedom struggle and movement for separate statehood of Jharkhand, and, left them in lurch—dead or alive.

When the government will unfold a lavish five core show of thanksgiving ceremony on Thursday to celebrate ‘13^th foundation day’ of Jharkhand, their names will hardly be mentioned among contributors or a place in the gallery to save time and space.

Roy, a former parliamentarian of Dhanbad and diehard Marxist had initiated major labour movements for colliery workers and was among those who started statehood movement for Jharkhand along with late Vinod Bihari Mahato. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was not a political outfit that time when Roy and Mahato had formed it. Disom Guru of Jharkhand movement — Shibu Soren — happened to be a small figure that time when Roy had brought him and entrusted him a vital role.

Roy, a veteran of Marxist Coordination Centre (MCC), now in his 78s, leads an isolated life in Dhanbad where few visit him. “If Roy had hankered for money and privilege he would not have taken decision to donate the pension amount as parliamentary to President’s Fund. He would not have been leading a lonely life in a thatched dwelling where there is no electricity. We forgot a man who had fought for us,” MCC leader and MLA Arup Chatterjee.  

The man never expected State or people to honour or sympathize with him. He would not talk much about himself because bout of nostalgia and ideology often make him sad. “I am happy what I am. Why should I seek returns of my contributions?  There are many unknown face those who died unnoticed,” he had told the Pioneer. Roy did not say history is actually full of hearsay, but he meant so.

Sitaram Shastri who had dedicated his life and savings for the movement of separate statehood died unsung when he committed suicide last month. His death was hardly noticed and funeral hardly attended by those who were his comrade-in-arms now leading a cozy life. Couple of reasons was attributed behind his death — convenient and speculative — the man suffered from incurable throat cancer, hence, he decided to end his life. But factor largely remained responsible was that he was deep in debt and people had turned their face on him.

But 100 years old Chhedi Ram and his wife Chamni Devi (86) from Godda have not stopped their fight to get recognition as freedom fighter. He served as a sepoy in the Azad Hind Fauz of Subhash Chandra Bose and took part in the freedom struggle. From last three decades the couple have been petitioning, pleading and even protesting before the governments to at least recognize them as freedom fighter if the establishments have problem to pay them paltry pension. They had staged fast-unto-death demonstration near Governor’s House last year.

State government sanctioned Rs 700 for each as pension and sent a proposal to Ministry of Home to consider their claim. Returning to the archive Ram shows a tattered paper as proof. “Establishment wants him to furnish more proofs. An old man is virtually begging to get due respect and we are so insensitive,” Arun Pandey, National president of ‘Senior Citizen Forum,’ said. Noted freedom fighter Lily Chakraborty has similar history of neglect. Involved in the Chitegaon Armoury she was not accorded state honour when she died. Their life ended and probably will end in searching answer to: For whom did you fight? Why did you do it? Who do you think you are?

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/108789-thus-unlamented-let-me-die.html

Munda concludes his trips, Hemant wonders how to begin

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

There is a strong central view in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) that Chief Minister Arjun Munda is subtly surveying and strengthening political and electoral prospect of his party—the BJP— by undertaking frequent tours across the State.

JMM insiders confessed the party bosses have reasons to remorse since their wake-up calls arrived quite late because by this Munda has already completed more than six legs of tours of districts in last one year. Munda on Wednesday returned Ranchi after completing four days of Johar Yatra hinting further trips in making. 

JMM is an alliance partner in Munda led BJP-JMM-AJSU- Janta Dal (United) and has four ministers including Hemant Soren who is deputy Chief Minister.

The fear in the JMM has made considerable delay in preparing grounds for upcoming elections and Munda has outshined the JMM in this regard. The JMM insiders accepted that Munda through such trips has certainly improved his party on political and electoral index which ultimately will barricade the prospect of the JMM. JMM chief Shibu Soren, insiders said, roughly prodded Hemant to come out of cozy conform of his plush office and ministerial bungalow in Ranchi and undertake similar tours and reviews and assert his authority as deputy CM. In the last couple of days Hemant’s office remained busy in chalking out detailed itinerary of official trip to Dhanbad and adjoining districts where he will review government projects.

“Baap-bete ke beech ka mamla hai, (This is between father and son,)” a top JMM leader said adding: “But they (Sorens) have realized and learnt quite late to encash the performance of government for the party…while Mundaji played masterstrokes he (Hemant) was collecting the ball on the fence” a close Soren aide put it.

 Nevertheless, Munda deliberately banished party flags at any such public programmes during trips. He kept it a mixture of coalition conglomerate and even inviting Opposition. He never took sloe credit of what so ever the success coalition government has achieved so far, but he carried a larger sense of having put his best efforts and visions to bring best for the people out of government’s kitty. Aware of the fact running a coalition government is a risky and uncertain enterprise Munda made best use of these occasions to tone-up party organization to secure an incremental constituency.

Trouble has just erupted on the coalition front and surface bonhomie between coalition allies have turned into shadow boxing. Senior Soren has been signalling to the BJP leadership to hand over CM’s post to the JMM after January next year. Munda will respond JMM’s call in the right time, as he told the media. Munda may not have opportunity to decide his next trip but Hemant must be wondering how to begin.http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/107573-munda-at-finishing-line-hemant-yet-to-start-goodwill-race.html 

BJP bamboozled over JMM rotational rhetoric, Congress secretly smiles

Congress secretly watches JMM move to fish in troubled water

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

To report Chief Minister Arjun Munda and his coalition government these days is to often wonder whether he is clueless about his important bedfellow, the JMM, in trying for a secret affair with the Congress. 

JMM has started quarreling with the architecture and arrangements of power sharing in the coalition government saying that they agreed and signed an understanding to share CM’s post on rotational basis: 28 months each.

Couple of days back JMM Chief Shibu Soren fired fresh though familiar salvo of rotational formula and threatened to pull out of the government if CM post is not handed over the JMM. His son and deputy CM in the government, Hemant Soren, quickly but partially disputed senior Soren’s ‘casual’ remark expressing his unawareness about any such agreement during government formation negotiation in 2010. Rebuffed publicly by senior Soren for overriding his jurisdiction as party president, junior Soren came with fresh clarification and commitment to toe his father’s line if he (senior Soren) wishes disengagement from the BJP and the government.

The BJP's riposte to such revelation has been blunt. State BJP president Dineshnanda Goswami disputed Soren’s claim of a written agreement on Thursday. State BJP in-charge and national organizational secretary Dharmendra Pradhan has already stated party’s position over dispute: “Munda to continue till the government lasts.”

Soren is known for making and retracting such statements in the past, often to exert pressure on the government to extract few concessions. But this time he has jangled nerves of BJP bosses who tut-tutted Soren sounding conspiratorial this time. “We are not aware of any such agreement. We will certainly negotiate over this matter. But we are quite unsure,” a senior BJP leader said. If there exists such an agreement, then Munda will be completing 28 months in the office in January, next year.

There exists a section in the JMM that is nudging Soren to sunder the alliance  mainly consisting of Disgruntled leaders elements long been shunted on the flank in the coalition government arrangements have jumped to the core of the debate frantically setting agenda of fresh political turmoil. “No logic left now to continue in the government,” JMM MLA Simon Marandi said. And the right time is widely suspected after Dipawali festival is over. This group has often been raising bogey of irreparable loss of party’s core constituents including tribal and Muslim if the party continues allying with BJP.   

Behaving presumingly like an uneasy bedfellow who picks points to quarrel for a divorce the JMM has come with catalogues of complaints which read like charge-sheet which are often flimsy.

Sample these: Munda runs administration and decides affair of the state sans JMM. “Even he was in the bed for three months following May 9 chopper crash, he continued running the government whereas JMM wished him to allow junior Soren to act on his behalf till he recovers,” said a senior party MLA.

“He never refers to us in the matter of governance, not even in the remove of privacy; he gives us cause of anxiety,” he said.

The Congress will watch JMM-BJP tussle silently till it turns into a full blown skirmish. A top JMM insider confided about junior Soren’s recent Delhi trip to explore future political arrangements.

Theories tactile, unattributed and speculative are running like viral fever which even BJP leaders did not dispute that the Congress may employ dirty trick departments to disturb and dislodge the government anytime after Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly elections. The Congress needs an ally in Jharkhand to fight next general election and Soren is the only option left. Soren is caught in a couple of legal cobwebs—more may be in store, and Congress knows how to make best use out of these. Owing to Soren’s precarious and opportunistic political position even BJP leaders refrain to believe that he spoke casually this time too.

VIJAY DEO JHA

Pix of Vijay Deo Jha

Vijay Deo Jha with JMM chief Shibu Soren

Balmuchu hapless in defence

Jharkhand Congress MP and State party president Pradeep Balmuchu assumed the mien and argument of a Coal Minister to defend the UPA Government and Union Minister Subodh Kant over controversial coal block allotments and subsequent reports of the CAG. He did it quite poorly though.

Balmuchu, who is said to be lobbying for the Coal Ministry, defended the UPA and Sahay from a factually erroneous premise at a Press conference on Friday. “The BJP has stalled the Parliament over the CAG report on coal block allotments…and the authenticity of the report is still to be verified. The BJP’s decision to stall Parliament is under question because all such recommendations for coal block allotments were made by non-Congress and BJP-led State Governments. The Coal Ministry merely approved these recommendations,” Balmuchu said.

While BJP sought to force Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign, Balmuchu demanded that CMs of BJP-ruled States resign on moral grounds for making coal block recommendations to companies, on the basis of which the Ministry allotted them.

“The screening committee rarely turns down recommendations made by State Governments. BJP-ruled States made maximum recommendations. The Central Government allocated all these coal blocks on auction basis. It was done in the economic interest of the country since most allocations were for power, steel and cement. A total of 57 blocks were allocated under this process,” he claimed.

Questioning the CAG report and its estimated Rs 1.86-lakh crore loss to the exchequer out of such allotments, Balmuchu was at his best with arithmetic and political fallacy.

“Where does the question of loss come? Out of 57 coal blocks, exploration of only one block has been started. The BJP does not want to discuss these things in Parliament. If they have facts, they must place it before the country,” he said. 

What Balmuchu said was truth in inverted form, or he probably went horribly wrong in understanding an auction and recommendation. Out of 70 coal blocks allotted during 2006 and 2009, the Centre did not follow process in 57 cases. The BJP has been alleging that the Centre allotted blocks on recommendation basis against the advice of the Union Law Ministry.

To prickly posers from mediapersons about Coalgate, Balmuchu begged off and summed up, saying he relied on the best of his information. He claimed a clean chit for his party and the Government, which have both been passing through one of their worst political phases.

However, he then had to defend his political rival Sahay, who is now at the centre of the controversy, for keeping the PM and his office in the dark while writing a letter of recommendation for coal blocks to SKS Ispat & Power, where his younger brother Sudhir is a stakeholder.

“The Delhi High Court has already disposed of this matter. It gave a clean chit to Sahay over the allegation that he had connections with SKS Ispat. Recommending any company is not wrong because he is a public representative. It can’t be proved that the said company got coal block just because of the Minister’s recommendation. I am not aware whether he or his brother has any connection with the company.”

Meanwhile, Sahay, in Delhi, accepted that Sudhir was honorary executive director of the company, a fact which he had been denying. Both Sahay and Balmuchu underwent a rigorous media grilling, causing deep discomfiture. But there may be a silver lining in it for Balmuchu — his political bête noir landing in a crisis.