Time to celebrate but no time for introspection
VIJAY DEO JHA
RANCHI
Rahul Gandhi, Jharkhand Congress calls your attention for an urgent housekeeping: your party is lurching to a cold and tearful end in Jharkhand.
Gandhi twice visited Jharkhand in 2009 and 2010 to recruit young and youthful in the party and its party’s youth wing and instructed immediate membership drive.
The drive netted less members and courted more controversies for forging a fraud list of membership. Only the number of leaders has grown but not workers, far and few left in a forced hibernation. And its staunch supporters are wheezing on expired emotion, too unattached and anaemic even to talk about the party today.
“We have deserted old tradition of Congress. Full timers have been replaced by part timers. We need a serious review,” Arun Pandey who took retirement from active party politics observed. Pandey does not shy in going so straightforward because he has nothing to lose because he has already played his innings in the party. “But we can’t speak. Ideologically and organizationally we have made lapses. Sorry part is that nobody even takes cognizance and the Centre is too indifferent,” a senior party functionary said. It gets worse than that funereal lament.
When Congress actually severed ties with party tradition and the masses that matters? It was probably after the end of popular era of Satyadev Narayan Tiwari and Jagganath Prasad Chaudhary who had called a many public stirs and kept the party organizationally robust and mobile.
The pity for the Congress is which its spokesperson Sailesh Sinha denied strongly. “It is the oldest party having its root in the mass. We regularly raise public issue in Jharkhand. It is the strength that helped the party to survive and grow from the last 127 years. Our shares in vote have leaped in double digit,” he said.
It is hard to remember the last time the Congress as a credible opposition actually courted any mass agitation to show its organizational mobility, never mind sporadic and splintered show of protest here and there aiming to secure media space.
State Congress in-charge Sakil Ahmed has specially arrived to take part in 127th foundation ceremony of the Congress to be held in Ranchi on Sunday. “I am sure when the pamphlet of spectacular achievements of the Congress will be read Jharkhand will blush them. There isn’t much left for Congressmen in Jharkhand. All the messes and culture adhocism in party here has been created by central leadership. Some of the district and block presidents will be felicitated for their good performance on this occasion for all that they have not done. This is a deeply divided Congress where everybody is loyal to somebody. Our meetings end with fight…what more,” a senior leader courted anonymity.
That cost party dearly in Jamshedpur parliamentary by-election. It lost because of open differences among seniors like state party president Pradeep balmuchu and Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay. Party discipline has been tossed in air. The much hyped report of the committee of KN Jha over party indiscipline during and after Jamshedpur was shelved that believed to have passed serious stricture over Balmuchu and some other leaders.
Organizational elections are an unscheduled affair and a full time elected president is an old demand. Balmuchu overstayed beyond his tenure otherwise he had to be replaced after 2008 state organizational election. Three years later slumbering central Congress leadership granted him one year of extension leaving large section of party grudging. Why to blame Balmuchu alone, rests are equally responsible including central leadership for killing the spirit of party workers,” retorted one.
The people like former Congress MP Gayanranjan, Tiwari are not among the list of mourners. That’s how lonely your party’s Jharkhand cortege is, Rahul Gandhi.

Munda accepts responsibilities; shifts half blame on Centre

Munda accepts responsibilities; shifts half blame on Centre

VIJAY DEO JHA

Palamu/ Garhwa

After three days of ground searching of the development and deprivation of the Palamu division it is time to make promises and blunt blame game, too.

Before taking chopper ride to Ranchi after completing three day road visit of Palamu division Chief Minister Arjun Munda, on Friday, assured to gush the region with development.

“By the end of March Palamu power grid will be connected with Hatia grid to end power blue. The government will explore the possibility of establishing power plant. All of its pending irrigation projects within the division will be completed top priority basis,” Munda told the media in Garhwa before leaving to Ranchi.

Other than decade long negligence and the lack of robust executive will in bringing development here Munda sprang a third angle if Jharkhand got an unalloyed infamy for its bad roads specially in the Palamu division.

Munda spent two and half days travelling along the roads of Latehar, Palamu and Garhwa. He was clearly in no mood to waste or waffle; his bag of unrequited grouses, in fact, lay unpacked during the journey, old whine in new throttle. “I have seen the condition of two of the National Highways—75 and 98 which don’t deserve to be called as road. The Centre has been prejudicial towards Jharkhand. Our repeated demands have fallen in the deaf ears,” Munda said. The CM was not letting the demands of politeness tone down his thrust or temper.

Sources in the CMO confided that after taking stock of pitiable conditions of two highways the government mulling a PR offensive against the Centre. “Things needed to be brought before people. The Opposition often blames the government even about bad condition national highways whereas state government is nowhere responsible. Best thing is to make video footage of these roads send it to the Centre as a proof and upload it on government websites,” a senior CMO officer said. The Centre on its part has often been heard claiming that the state failed to utilize funds.

Munda held scores of public and party meetings from one stop to another-- Belchampa,Chetna, Meral, Ramna, Nagar Untari and Bhwnathpur in Garhwa. He was ringing signature tune of development; dexterously hemming social development with economic one that pleased many. But that often got distracted amid the chorus of decade long unfulfilled demands of development. Fate of proposed Mandal Dam project Kanhar Dam project (proposed in 1974) and others are in limbo. Scheme of urban water supply in Daltonganj has not fetched even a glass of pure water though the administration is talking about the second phase of its expansion. Roads have lost in potholes and craters. Palmau survives on merely 35 mw of electricity supplied by Bihar; too little to fight the darkness leave talking anything surplus to power any plant or project.

Those who called his visit an expansive political show sans any administrative orientation under elaborate security arrangement; he called their attention towards his dedication for development. “I will make visit after three months once again to see changed ground. It is my responsibility,” Munda told the pioneer.

Sources in the CMO confided that government has already formed a ‘Direct Monitoring Unit,’ for a direct monitoring of the development projects. “He can achieve his target provided he tighten and tame bureaucrats who are critical notch in his fancied delivery mechanism,” a former bureaucrat said. At least Munda was not under any misconception about systematic failure of administration in this naxal hit belt specially to mention Palamu.

Palamu remained on the radar of the government despite pretty polished Palamu DC Puja Singhal tried to cover-up unbrushed realism.

VIJAY DEO JHA, during a meeting of the Internal Security challenges Group meeting

Vijay Deo Jha during a meeting of Internal Security Challange Groups meeting in Ranchi

Balmuchu’s extension runs in crisis

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

State Congress in crisis is everyday’s story unceasingly told and written. But the crisis this time is more confounded with state party unit developing a dangerous fault-line over community issue following the decision of Central Congress leadership to continue Pradeep Balmuchu as state president for another one year. The announcement made on Friday angered scores of party leaders who privately told that Balmuchu belonging to a particular religious community was the only merit that helped him to continue on this post.

It is despite majority of state leaders and workers, in the past, rose to rebellion against his style of functioning with countless numbers of petitions sent to the central leadership pointing his failed leadership in the past six years.

“It is not because we failed to convince central leadership. Delhi is aware of the way Balmuchu messed the party, electorally and organizationally. It is a very motivated kind of decision that is not going to motivate the party,” a senior party leader angrily said. Sources in the party confided that Balmuchu has the support of powerful Christian lobby in Ranchi and Delhi. Name AICC general secretary, Oscar Fernandes; they will quickly refer you quite popular buzz in the party, “Oscar kaa haath Bablmuchu ke saath, (Oscar who hands protects Balmuchu),” to refer the kind of support Balmuchu has been enjoying.

“We had met Oscar sahib last time to apprise him about the condition the party has faced during the tenure of Balmuchu. He had promised us a change in a week…a new president for state unit he had assured. We were fooled. We feel cheated,” a senior Muslim leader of the party said.

A miffed display of displeasure may not wait for a long to turn into an open rebellion as another prominent Muslim leader cautioned. “We are assembling on November 15 during co-ordination committee meeting in Ranchi. We will not remain silent. We will lodge our protest. Private and sectarian interest have been given precedence over composite nature of the Congress,” the leader said. Though, top Muslim faces of the party —former Godda MP Furkan Ansari, former Pakur MLA Alamgir Alam and Gandey MLA Sarfaraz Ahmed—tactically remained silent but they are believed to be representing disgruntled group.

Disgruntled leaders said that the continuation of Balmuchu will further alienate Muslims and Saran tribals from the party.

“The state party had authorized national president Sonia Gandhi to take a decision over appointment of state president. I can’t comment over the merit of the decision,” Alam said. Nevertheless, Central Congress leadership snubbed the controversy saying that state president post is not a kind of permanent kind of thing and Balmuchu has given extension for a year, no more. So was a party leader supposed to be close to Balmuchu who said that the central leadership took the decision to end any confusion among the party workers at a time when the schedules of the Mandu assembly by-election has been announced.

Some of the party insiders questioned the very rationale. “Central leadership many times promised to change him during and after parliamentary and assembly elections. Nothing happened,” one said. Balmuchu finally resigned after Jamshedpur debacle and the central leadership remained tightlipped to relieve him finally. In a badly divided state Congress, central leadership, probably, faced the problem in choosing a president one who could be acceptable to all. For time being it decided to keep Balmuchu and let controversy goes on.

Advani manages to speak only for 15 minutes
Sunday, 23 October 2011 00:37
Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi
A grand welcome show has often been a tantalising political prospect for a leader but not in the case of BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani who disliked the huge motorcycle rally the party arranged to escort him from Birsa Munda Airport to Morhabadi Ground on Friday for Jan Chetna Rally. Advani already late on schedule hardly spoke for 15 minutes, even less, during the rally. Even after, the State BJP could have managed another 20 minutes for him to speak provided it would not have messed up his journey from Birsa Munda Airport to Morahabadi Ground in the motorcycle rally."We would have spared another 20 minutes more for Advaniji to speak. In fact precious 45 minutes were wasted from the airport to the rally ground as his cavalcade was sandwiched in a huge motorcycle rally," a senior party functionary said.Advani coming from Kolkata to Ranchi by air was already late on his schedule against the pre-announced programme of 11.30 am. He reached the rally ground around 12.45 pm, started his speech at 12.52 pm and ended it at 1.05 pm. Advani also sought apology for his brief stay here in Ranchi saying that he was scheduled to address another rally in Nicobar for which he needed to move fast as we would not be permitted land after 3.30 pm as per the rule of the airport authority of Nicobar airport.Party insiders said that the idea of a grand welcome of Advani by escorting him to the rally point by motorcycle rally was the part of the plan of to offer him an impressive show of support. "But once he arrived late the plan should have been dropped. In fact his cavalcade was caught in a traffic chaos created by motorcycle-borne party workers who were deputed welcome Advaniji," source said.One of the leaders, who was part of the team deputed to escort Advani to the rally ground, admitted that Advani in hurry to reach the ground even expressed concern that such a huge show might cause delay to him.As per the schedule, the State leadership had planned around 45 minutes for Advani's speech. Ravishankar Prasad and Anant Kumar, one out of two Central leaders accompanying him were also scheduled to address the rally besides Chief Minister Arjun Munda and State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami. Munda had to finished his speech in less than two minutes. Goswami got no time even for a customary welcome speech. In terms of arrangement the rally was a marked improvement on the two previous rallies of Advani in Ranchi. What dismayed State BJP and workers was the point that they got less time to hear the senior leader.

Jharkhand’s Jana Sangh old boys to meet Advani

VIJAY DEO JHA RANCHI

BJP veteran LK Advani and old-timers of the Jana Sangh in Jharkhand will share some nostalgic moments on October 21, when the former will felicitate them as part of his Jan Chetna Yatra.
A special status invitation has been sent to them and a gallery prepared at the venue of the rally, Mohrabadi Ground, only for them.
Gumla district and the adjoining areas, which remain a Jana Sangh stronghold, are expected to cart the maximum number of Jana Sangh ‘old boys’. For instance, 95-year-old Ganpatlal Sahu of Gumla, former associate of BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is expected to arrive. During 1967, Vajpayee, Vijayraje Scindia and others used to stay at his residence during party programmes.
Haricharan Goyal (85) and Mohan Oraon (80) are two such faces who were associated with Advani during the Jana Sangh days.
For Oraon, it will be an occasion to refresh his association with Advani from the time he had campaigned for Oraon, who was contesting as a Jana Sangh candidate from Gumla. Including Girija Prasad Sharma and Sukra Oraon, Gumla has a fairly long list of old Advani associates. Channu Ram Rajak (85) has now lost both his legs as a result of an accident and doesn’t see too well.
But he was an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and closely associated with some senior leaders of the Jana Sangh.
The list from Palamu includes Shyamnarayan Dubey, a well-known name in the team of Vajpayee and Advani during their south Bihar visit.
Dubey, along with Ramjilal Singhaniya (70) and Ramvilas Ram of Chhatarpur, was among the dedicated workers who took part in the JP movement. “The date of the rally coincides with foundation of Jana Sangh. All of them have contributed to formation and development of the Jana Sangh and the BJP as a credible political alternative,” said State party secretary Anant Ojha.
“Around five of them will be directly felicitated by Advaniji for their contribution. But he (Advani) will meet of all of them after the rally,” Ojha added. Party district units are searching for such old and forgotten faces, checking fact files and archives, to bring them to Ranchi.
Om Prakash Goyal, member of State BJP Working Committee said, “Most of them are in their 70s and even beyond…they are no more in active politics. We are trying to reach to them. Resourceless they were, but they had the resource to public support and commitment to a cause which drove him to work for the Jana Sangh. Honouring them is a small gesture for their big contribution.”
According to a rough estimate, 500 people associated with Jana Sangh from all over Jharkhand will be felicitated. “But the number could be much lower,” said a party leader.
“Not more than five to 10 old-timers are expected to attend from each district. Most of them are old, frail and ill. Some of them have expressed their inability,” he added.
The party has decided to put young party workers on duty to ferry them from their districts to Ranchi comfortably. “They are special to us and we have made special arrangements fore their visit,” said State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami.

jharkhand's jana Sangh old boys to meet Advani

Jharkhand’s Jana Sangh old boys to meet Advani
Thursday, 20 October 2011 00:59
VIJAY DEO JHA RANCHI

BJP veteran LK Advani and old-timers of the Jana Sangh in Jharkhand will share some nostalgic moments on October 21, when the former will felicitate them as part of his Jan Chetna Yatra.
A special status invitation has been sent to them and a gallery prepared at the venue of the rally, Mohrabadi Ground, only for them.
Gumla district and the adjoining areas, which remain a Jana Sangh stronghold, are expected to cart the maximum number of Jana Sangh ‘old boys’. For instance, 95-year-old Ganpatlal Sahu of Gumla, former associate of BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is expected to arrive. During 1967, Vajpayee, Vijayraje Scindia and others used to stay at his residence during party programmes.
Haricharan Goyal (85) and Mohan Oraon (80) are two such faces who were associated with Advani during the Jana Sangh days.
For Oraon, it will be an occasion to refresh his association with Advani from the time he had campaigned for Oraon, who was contesting as a Jana Sangh candidate from Gumla. Including Girija Prasad Sharma and Sukra Oraon, Gumla has a fairly long list of old Advani associates. Channu Ram Rajak (85) has now lost both his legs as a result of an accident and doesn’t see too well.
But he was an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and closely associated with some senior leaders of the Jana Sangh.
The list from Palamu includes Shyamnarayan Dubey, a well-known name in the team of Vajpayee and Advani during their south Bihar visit.
Dubey, along with Ramjilal Singhaniya (70) and Ramvilas Ram of Chhatarpur, was among the dedicated workers who took part in the JP movement. “The date of the rally coincides with foundation of Jana Sangh. All of them have contributed to formation and development of the Jana Sangh and the BJP as a credible political alternative,” said State party secretary Anant Ojha.
“Around five of them will be directly felicitated by Advaniji for their contribution. But he (Advani) will meet of all of them after the rally,” Ojha added. Party district units are searching for such old and forgotten faces, checking fact files and archives, to bring them to Ranchi.
Om Prakash Goyal, member of State BJP Working Committee said, “Most of them are in their 70s and even beyond…they are no more in active politics. We are trying to reach to them. Resourceless they were, but they had the resource to public support and commitment to a cause which drove him to work for the Jana Sangh. Honouring them is a small gesture for their big contribution.”
According to a rough estimate, 500 people associated with Jana Sangh from all over Jharkhand will be felicitated. “But the number could be much lower,” said a party leader.
“Not more than five to 10 old-timers are expected to attend from each district. Most of them are old, frail and ill. Some of them have expressed their inability,” he added.
The party has decided to put young party workers on duty to ferry them from their districts to Ranchi comfortably. “They are special to us and we have made special arrangements fore their visit,” said State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami

Noted Maithili writer and scholar Dr. Ramdeo Jha

Doyen of Maithili literature Pandit Chandra Nath Mishra 'Amar' is being conferred the Fellowship of Sahitya Akademi at a programme in Darbhanga.

IAF choppers set to fly in Jharkhand's ‘Red zone'
Wednesday, 05 October 2011 01:25
VIJAY DEO JHA RANCHI

The IAF will dispatch two of its Mi-17iv helicopters to the Jharkhand Government for logistic support in State-wide anti-Maoist operations being jointly conducted by police and the Central security forces.
“There is a request for deploying two more choppers in Ranchi. We will have a total of six helicopters in these operations,” head of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne was quoted by news agencies.
The forces have two Dhruva helicopters donated by the BSF to back up their operations.
It is for the first time that the IAF will provide choppers to the State Government. “We had made a request for choppers. These will be made available to us following maintenance work. We have already pushed back the Maoists. The IAF choppers will give us a decisive edge,” State DGP GS Rath said.
The Centre has denied reports that the new choppers will be used exclusively to airlift and drop jawans from the operation area and will not be directly involved in the offensive. It is yet to be known whether or not these will be fitted with light machineguns since the IAF had asked the Centre to allow for retaliatory action in case its helicopters are attacked by the Maoists. “The Centre will take a call (on the matter),” said Rath.
The decision to provide more choppers to Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and other States in the Maoist corridor was taken last year by the Central Government during a crucial meeting with top officials. The Centre had promised to provide as many as 23 choppers to these States.
Giving priority to Jharkhand over other States such as Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal that demanded a unified command to coordinate such operations, the Centre chose it for the unified command last year.
Aware of the shortage of the IAF choppers since a good number of these were deployed in the UNO mission in Congo, the Centre also mulled the proposal to hire them from private players and initially made a provision for 13 choppers to ferry troops and supplies to Maoist zones under operation, reducing the figure to six later on.
The twin-engine bullet-proof Mi-17iv choppers can carry up to 25 persons including the crew. It can fly and make sorties in the dark, giving the forces an edge in evacuation and rescue

Parties slam Plan panel’s BPL status report

VIJAY DEO JHA

THURSDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2011

| RANCHI

What ‘welfare’ Governments in the last six decades could not achieve to lift poor out of poverty line; Planning Commission of India did it overnight by an affidavit in the Supreme Court; swearing people spending Rs 32 in the urban area and Rs 26 in the rural area don’t deserve BPL status.

But the States like Jharkhand having shocking statistics of poverty, the political class has strongly opposed the very redefining of the BPL. The Congress chose a close guard language to seek a review while the BJP painted the Congress- led UPA Government as anti-people and anti-poor.

“Report and its recommendations are yet to be accepted by the Central Government. It is not final we have been told by the Central leadership. So there is no cause of concern,” State Congress spokesperson Sailesh Sinha said. Wary about the Congress getting anti-poor tag everyday Sinha accepted the criteria set by the Commission was illogical.

Former Finance Minister and BJP MP Yahswant Sinha termed it a fine act to blur the line between poor and peer. “The Government is removing poverty in the papers by changing its definition. It has become obvious now that the Government considers poor as a liability and doesn’t want to spare resources for their upliftment,” he said.

He refused to believe Congress and the Government confused over the BPL issue. “The Government has always refused to accept actual figure of the BPL families in the country even if after the reports of various commissions appointed by the Government,” he said.

The Left Front has too joined the chorus. MLA Vinod Singh of the CPI (ML) and Arup Chatterjee of the Marxist Coordination Committee registered their strong opposition. “Well, policymakers should be given `32 per day as sustenance cost and than ask them their experience of hardship. Only then they will know poor and their pain,” Chatterjee said.

JVM Chief and MP Babulal Marandi deployed three adjectives ‘cruel’, ‘casual’, and ‘sad’, to thrash the Centre and the Commission. “It would have been good on the part of the Government to take some radical steps to end poverty but not by this way. People are getting alienated and they are one who to face the burnt of price hike. Pittance has been pressed into the whole discourse to redefine poverty three times less than minimum wage,” he said.

JMM, AJSU control bid over boards/corps gains steam

Vijay Deo Jha

THURSDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 201

| RANCHI

Pressure politics of disgruntled JMM and AJSU MLAs to secure boards/corporations in Jharkhand is gaining ground since the State Government is reported to have asked various departments to furnish details of boards/corporations where the posts of chairpersons are lying vacant.

There are around 40 board/corporations out of which around 36 are waiting for the appointment of a chairperson. The exercise has taken place after the disgruntled MLAs formed a solid coalition to push their interest. Just a week before the Monsoon Session of the Assembly in August, these MLAs had set a deadline before their respective party chiefs to settle the matter without delay and even met Chief Minister Arjun Munda in this regard.

Sources in the Government confided that departmental secretaries have been asked to submit details of the board/corporation for the likely appointment of chairpersons. But the group has now come up with a fresh demand to replace existing chairpersons of the remaining boards and corporations.

“What is the logic behind keeping a person as a chairperson for a decade, why Government appointed an IAS as the chairperson of the State Pollution Control Board,” JMM MLA Sita Soren asked.

Keeping a person for a decade, lady Soren did not refer Jharkhand Khadi board chairperson Jainandu, but she meant so. Janinadu is the man who has charisma on his side to keep bosses of political parties and Chief Ministers in good humour, an essential maneuvering mantra that kept him at the helm of affairs despite change of Governments.

But the coalition partners are trembling with the trouble in deciding shares in the board/corporation, especially plum one. For instance both JMM and the BJP are eying for State Pollution Control Board, Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited, Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority and others.

The AJSU is also keen for Pollution Control besides State Housing Board. There is at least seven to eight such boards/corporations like Mineral Area Development Authority, Ranchi Industrial Area Development Authority, Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation, Jharkhand State Agriculture Marketing Board, State Housing Board, Jharkhand Hill Area Lift Irrigation Corporation, Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Ltd etc which are in the wish-list of every party.

The problem does not end with a convincing and agreeing sharing formula that is under discussion right now. Last time when similar voices were raised the Government had appointed JMM MLA Seshank Sekhar Bhokta and BJP MLA Barkuwar Gagarai to find the number of board/corporations. But the swelling number of competing clamour in the JMM forced the party chief Shibu Soren to shelve the matter for the time being. “Every MLA of the JMM wanted board and corporation as compensation for not getting ministerial berth… everybody wanted plum board… and beside them there is a long queue of party leaders who persuaded for their rehabilitation. It was not easy. Soren took an easy way to defer it,” a senior party MLA said.

Like the JMM, the AJSU is also humming with dissonance. Nevertheless, the aspirants in the BJP including its MLAs have not gone overboard in the JMM and AJSU fashion but party insiders sounded enough caution on this count.

“The party does not consist only of MLAs. There are competent and dedicated people who have served the party whom you cannot ignore.” The only difference is it is an open rebellion in the JMM and AJSU while it is a controlled epidemic in the BJP,” he said.

Two crore to sign in favour of special status for Jharkhand

SaTURDAY 17, 2011

VIJAY DEO JHA

The State BJP has reiterated its outstanding demand for the special status for Jharkhand. The party will launch a signature campaign from September 25. About two crore signatures would be collected from across the State which would later be sent to the Central Government.

Chief Minister Arjun Munda, who has been raising this issue at every opportune occasion, would be the first signatory. “It will not be a token protest or humble submission. The protest will gather momentum in the towns and villages of Jharkhand which are the worst victim of the Centre’s apathy,” Munda told The Pioneer.

Powered by the active support of the party rank and file, about two crore signatures would be appended to the petition addressing the Central Government.

“We will target around two crore people out of the 3.31 crore population of Jharkhand for their signatures and active involvement,” State BJP president Dineshananda Goswami said. “We will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with the petition,” Goswami added.

The demand for special status is new. Munda may even appear to follow in Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar footsteps who had launched a similar signature campaign a few months back to pressure the Centre.

Noted economist Prof. Ramesh Sharan said that the demand for ‘special status’ for Jharkhand has a solid basis and a history.

“In the days of undivided Bihar, the Jharkhand Autonomous Council was constituted to address the underdevelopment in this area with special economic assistance. There was demand to declare the areas falling under JAC as a Union Territory, which could not happen leading to the creation of Jharkhand as a separate State in 2000. But in terms of development, it has remained underdeveloped in all spheres, thus presenting a strong case for its special status,” he said.

Special status to Jharkhand won’t come easily and the Munda establishment is aware of this fact, experts, however, said. Munda has placed this demand before the Centre and special status for Jharkhand has become a political issue.

“I am merely echoing the public voice that will ring across New Delhi. The Centre will have to pay heed to our demand. We are like a colony of the Centre that exhausts our mineral resources to develop the rest of India,” Munda said.

“As many as 10,500 villages of Jharkhand are extremely backward. We get less royalty on minerals and resources. We own mines and minerals but are forced to beg before the Centre for our own requirements,” he added.

Prof. Sharan, meanwhile, argued in favour of a special package for Jharkhand State.

“If the rest of India is shining, it is due to States like Jharkhand that supplies minerals and other resources. These States are, however, destined to remain undeveloped and face the brunt of displacement and deprivation. Jharkhand receives less allocation from the Finance Commission only because of its higher per capita income while one half of its population lives below poverty line. But nobody bothers to know if the per capita income information is fallacious. Poverty should be the criteria for allocation and Jharkhand at least deserves special package for another 10 years before its socio-economic development gets off the ground,” he said.

The rules for granting special category status - that brings a slew of economic and tax-related relief measures for the States- lie clearly defined by the Planning Commission forming part of the guidelines of the National Development Council. They are usually States with hilly and/or inaccessible terrain, low population density or a sizeable tribal population, strategic location or sharing international borders, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of finances. Eleven States enjoy special status and these include Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the North-Eastern States.

Baffling silence

Two minutes of silence for Sonia!

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu exhausted his quota of common sense in sheer excess of loyalty towards the Nehru-Gandhi family and observed a ‘two-minute of silence’ for the speedy recovery of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Sahu used a public occasion, the foundation laying ceremony of a school at Simaria in Chatra, to display his loyalty towards Madam, a day back. On his call hundreds of his faithful bowed their head in silence with frustrating freeze on their tongue. But many kept wondering, questioning and whispering about his baffling act.

A local Congress leader part of that silence session intelligently lifted a part of the quote Mani Shankar Aiyar about the ‘Congress party like a circus and every party member has to join’, to narrate the incident.

“As though we were the animals of the circus company and he was the ring master he suddenly asked all of us to observe silence and we had no time to correct him. He refused to realise the mistake even when he was told about this later on,” the leader said.

It was too late for the liquor baron Sahu to realise that a two-minute silence is meant to mourn the death not to wish longevity of a person who has not died. “My intention was not bad. It was a prayer meeting for the speedy recovery of Soniaji. She is our party chief and guardian too,” he defended later on. None in the Congress came to defend him; Sahu too withdrew in silence after the episode. But his adversaries have ensured that the party general secretary Rahul Gandhi must be briefed about this with added pepper and spice.

“It is a serious matter not the prank and frolic of a baby to laugh. He is an MP after all. He thinks that such acts will give him the access to the 10 Janpath Road. Dukhad hai dukhad hai,” said one of the party seniors. Sahu is not the only State Congress leaders who have funnily attempted to get direct access to the Congress chief and Rahul Gandhi and to catch their attention. “Most of us make regular visit to Delhi and mostly return without getting an audience of the party chief over Jharkhand. We laze and roam there,” confided a former party MLA. Back to Jharkhand they claim having met Madam.

The tradition of flattery of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is not new in Jharkhand. Rahul Gandhi is referred with honorific title Yuvraj (prince) and Yuva Hridaya Samrat officially. Since there is no prescribed limit of the degree of loyalty they go overboard often creating controversy. Some Congress workers led by Ajay Rai had celebrated the victory of Italy in 2006 in FIFA ‘World Football’ by hoisting Italian flag not out of sportsman spirit but Sonia being the native of Italy. The matter was patched-up.

But Sahu’s faux-pas cautioned many in the state Congress who wanted to rewrite their insipid CV of their loyalty towards the party and its chief. So why the fax machines of media houses are least troubled these days by their press release seeking speedy recovery of Sonia Gandhi. “Initially I too wished to issue a press release but dropped the idea since only few statements have been issued by important leaders of the Opposition and the Congress. Let not hype it,” a senior party office bearer said. State Congress President Pradeep Balmuchu has announced to organise Mahamritunjaya to seek the blessing of divine for her good health. A Sarv Dharm Prathana Sabha was held on Monday for Sonia and her health. Thanks heaven it remained a prayer meeting not a point to prove loyalty.

State to share river mining revenue with panchayats


Malay/Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi

It was a small step but one seen as a landmark one that will go a long way in empowering panchayat bodies. The State Government has decided that panchayat bodies will be a major stake holder in the auctioning of the work of quarrying of sand from the river beds of Jharkhand.

As per the proposal agreed upon, mining of sand will be decided by an open tender involving the panchayat body. The significant part of the proposal is that the panchayat body will have a major share of the money generated out of the tender at 80 per cent. The remaining 20 per cent will go into the State coffers.

Close on the heels of this decision, panchayat bodies of two districts Godda and Dhanbad have been provided with sums of Rs four and five crore, respectively, against the bandobasti of sand quarrying.

The Government took this step after various rounds of consultations with different bodies. The proposal is very much on the lines of the Panchayat Act which says that the local body should have the right over minor mineral resources including water.

This is the second such move of the State Government in the last two months and it will allow the local body a major say in critical issues. Barely two months ago, Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda placed a bar on the industrial houses from direct purchase of land for establishment of industry. He made it amply clear that the consent of the local body should be taken and the local people taken into confidence before acquiring land for industry.

The Government has said the step will be one of the biggest sources of finance for the panchayat body. Government sources said the panchayat body could be given preference in sand quarrying if it so wishes.

"This is an innovative project from the Government's side and is a win-win situation for such panchayat bodies as well," Secretary Mines AK Sarkar said.

The system is working effectively in other BJP-ruled States such as Chhattisgarh where the panchayat body has been vested with rights to manage minor mineral resources. Even if the move has been described as "innovative", it follows the Central Government guideline issued to State Governments asking them to empower local bodies to put an end to complaints of alienation among the tribal populace. Last year, the Central Government had accepted the right of the locals and tribals over minor forest products and even directed the State Governments to withdraw minor cases of theft of forest products against them. Governor K Sankaranarayanan had ordered the withdrawal of 11,000 such cases in Jharkhand.

Involving the panchayat as share holder in the sandbank may upset stakeholders who have been controlling this unorganised yet profit-making business. Hemant, holding the charge of the Department of Mines and Minerals, said: "No doubt, it is going to end the tussle between sand miners and the people of the area who are the natural stake holders. Additionally, it will prove to be a source of revenue for the respective panchayat bodies."

But this step will not benefit all panchayats of Jharkhand. "It's quite natural since a river cannot be forced to flow through every panchayat," Sarkar said. But then it is a minor step that will usher in major change, he added.

Oppn to corner Govt despite curtailed Monsoon session
August 13, 2011 11:34:07 PM

VIJAY DEO JHA | Ranchi

Even if the nine-day long Monsoon session of the Assembly gets reduced to five working days due to intermittent holidays the Opposition will make best use of the time to grill the Arjun Munda Government.

The Opposition's strategy will be revealed only after the joint meeting of the united Opposition on July 18 but a section of the Congress MLAs can even propose to boycott the session.

“The Government does not want to face the Opposition over public issues so why it deliberately chose short duration of the session. I am of the view that the Opposition should boycott the session if the Government does not accept a month-long Monsoon session,” Congress MLA KN Tripathy said.

And Tripathy is even going to place this proposal during the meeting as he said: “Many of my party colleagues have a similar opinion that the Opposition should boycott the session since the five working days are of no use.” His proposal may face flank of the JVM since the party is mulling some bigger assaults on the Government and placing no-confidence motion against the Government could be one of these.

“Some of the MLAs of the coalition Government are speaking in a pattern that echoes their distrust against the Government. They had open spat during the Jamshedpur by-election. The JMM chief has already made his displeasure known towards the Government for ignoring the minorities. The people would like to know whether the Government enjoys support of the majority," leader of JVM legislative body Pradeep Yadav said.

Yadav clearly stated what he meant: “We can even bring a no-confidence motion against the Government.” Both Tripathy and Yadav favoured extreme steps but even the milder one will be enough to smother the Government on various issues.

The House will boom with Opposition's noise over poor results of the Class XII affecting thousands of the students of the State who became the victim of JAC's inapt handling and subsequent failure of the HRD Minister and the Government to find a solution.

“It is top on our agenda since it involves the future of the students. The Government has the tendency to avoid a problem even if the public anger boils,” CMI (ML) legislator Vinod Singh said. On the issue of anti-encroachment drive also Chief Minister Arjun Munda and the Deputy Chief Minister Hemant Soren will have to face angry show of the Opposition. “Our strategy will revolve around eviction of the poor in the name of anti-encroachment drive and the failure of the Government to resettle them. I know what this Government is going to parry this issue by issuing a nonsense statement but that will not work,” leader of RJD legislative body Annapurna Devi said.

Hemant will have to face most of the lethal attacks of the Opposition since his Urban Development Department is a key to the anti-encroachment drive and rehabilitation policy. Left with less time the department is working overtime to give final shape to the rehabilitation policy likely to be tabled before the House. But confusion and chaos continues over some of the key issues