 |
|
|
Cong stakes claim to rural job scheme
News Analysis |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Left concerned at US offer to curb Naxal menace
Roundtable served no purpose: BJP
NHRC for thorough study of quota issue
Mulayam announces protest on June 13
Shahabuddin case: SP, two more senior cops face action
Notorious criminal Sadhu shot dead
|
|
Cong stakes claim to rural job scheme
New Delhi, May 26 Dr Singh and Mrs. Gandhi said since Opposition-ruled states have coopted this programme as their own, it has become imperative for the Congress cadres to tell the people in no uncertain terms that it was only the Congress election manifesto which had pledged to bring in such a pro-poor programme and it was the UPA Government which had delivered on this promise. “I appeal to you to tell the people that they have been given this right to employment by Mrs Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party,” Dr Singh said while addressing an AICC convention of district presidents of 200
districts where this programme is being implemented. He said partymen must clarify that 90 per cent of the funding for this programme is borne by the Centre which has set aside Rs. 11,000 crore for the scheme this year. Mrs Gandhi, who inaugurated the party convention, said since 60 per cent of the districts covered by this programme are in Opposition-ruled states, the Congress cadres should keep a special vigil and even resort to an agitation if they find that the programme is not being implemented properly. “It is important that the correct picture is placed before the people,” Mrs Gandhi said while the Prime Minister suggested that the party set up vigilance committees in the districts to monitor the implementation of the programme. Today’s convention, staking ownership of the rural job guarantee programme, comes at a time when there is a strong undercurrent in the Congress that the UPA Government has failed to deliver on its pro-poor promises. Congress managers are hoping that today’s convention, focussing attention on this flagship scheme, will help galvanise its cadres and reaffirm the party and government’s commitment to the aam admi. At the same time, the
Congress is also hoping that by propogating this programme as its “baby and brainchild”, it will be able to recover its lost support base among the rural poor and weaker sections, especially in the Hindi heartland where the Congress has been making valiant attempts to revive itself but to little avail. Mrs Gandhi urged partymen to get involved in the implementation of this programme, describing it as a historic and revolutionary scheme. The Prime Minister, on his part, maintained that while the rural job guarantee programme was the UPA Government’s real success story, the ruling combine had also initiated several other schemes for the poor, weaker sections and minorities which, according to him, will change the face of rural India.
|
|
News Analysis
Hardcore skeptics in Jammu and Kashmir who had written off the second Roundtable conference as an exercise in futility were in for a rude shock. They have been compelled to sit up and take note and the separatist Hurriyat Conference can find itself increasingly marginalised. The moderates as well as the hardliners among them who steered clear of the Roundtable have been compelled to rethink with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's determination to move forward.
Considering the complexities of the situation in the sensitive border state and the people overwhelmingly for peace and ending the mindless bloodshed of the innocent for nearly two decades, the Roundtable has facilitated the mainstream political parties and civil society to come forward with suggestions for solving the Kashmir tangle. Every section is acutely aware that there are no quick-fix solutions but the Roundtable has shown agreement and risen above party concerns in national interest. There are, however, vested interests who want the fear psychosis to continue even though militant activities has shown a marked decline. Interestingly, poverty in J and K is in single digit of about 3 per cent compared to the national average of 27-28 per cent. The militants’ attack on soft targets, including tourists from other parts of the country flooding J and K , is indicative of their
growing frustration. The myth that the Centre is pussyfooting and not keen on resolving the Kashmir issue has exploded. Akin to the Indo-Pak peace process, Dr Manmohan Singh has proposed a step-by-step approach and is hopeful that the separatist coglomerate will still come forward with concrete proposals and suggestions. Significantly, the Prime Minister has not closed the door on anyone or group for dialogue. The only pre-requisite for the militant groups divided among themselves is that they should shun the path of violence. For J and K former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and PDP Chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, the issue of autonomy and self-rule, remained uppermost. Tempers ran high at the Roundtable with the NC and PDP accusing each other of being the stooge of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. The Roundtable agreed to set up five Working Groups of which the one dealing with strengthening relations between the state and the Centre will take up autonomy and self-rule for J and K. This Working Group will also deliberate on the special status of J and K within the Indian Union, effective devolution of powers among different regions to meet regional, sub-regional and ethnic aspirations and methods of strengthening democracy, secularism and the rule of law in the state. The other four Working Groups will deal with confidence-building measures encompassing an effective rehabilitations policy and issues relating to the return of Kashmiri youth from areas controlled by Pakistan, strengthening relations across the Line of Control inter alia expand people-to-people contact by promoting pilgrimage and group tourism as well increasing goods traffic and opening up new routes such as
Kargil-Skardu, overall economic development with balanced regional and sub-regional development and ensuring good governance which brings in its fold zero tolerance for human rights violations and providing adequate security to all segments of society, particularly the minority communities. Panther’s Party chief Bhim Singh raised the issue of regional federalism mentioned by the Prime Minister at the first Roundtable conference held in New Delhi in February. Reorganisation of the state also came up for discussion because of the cultural, linguistic, geographic and historic identities of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Mr Bhim Singh suggested that the concept of regional federation entailing reorganisation of the state should be discussed, which was supported by PDP’s Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He called for equitable empowerment of all three regions of J and K politically and financially. This is imperative for resolving the raging internal conflict. He opposed demilitarisation and allowing the Hurriyat Conference leaders to take part in the Roundtable as some of them had allegedly committed heinous crimes. He was emphatic that the 1975 Indira
Gandhi-Shiekh Abdullah accord should be the model for discussing self-rule in Jammu and Kashmir as the contours of the Centre-J and K relations had already been thrashed out. Insisting that the LOC is not sacrosanct, Mr Bhim Singh observed that the Prime Minister must consult the 25 lakh residents of J and K. Simultaneously, he suggested that the
aspirations of the people in Pakistan -Occupied Kashmir must be ascertained. The Prime Minister has set the ball rolling and taken a firm but meaningful step forward to arrive at what he described as an understanding and consensus on what needs to be done. Without minimising the difficulties that lay ahead, he has every reason to believe that the second Roundtable conference has made a good beginning and a substantive contribution. The political parties and civil society are a trifle disappointed with the slow pace and want the process to be speeded up. Incremental as the process may seem at present, Dr Singh's theme is to keep chipping at finding practical and pragmatic solutions to the problems with a humane face.
— TNS
|
|
Left concerned at US offer to curb Naxal menace
New Delhi, May 26 “The US has no business in involving itself in internal security and law and order issues,” the CPM politburo said in a statement. The CPI demanded that a warning be issued to US Embassay officials saying India was capable of tackling such issues on its own. It said the Centre should convey to the US Embassy that such involvement in politics and internal security matters of India were “unacceptable.” The UPA government should also ask the Chattisgarh Government to desist from such activities. “The attitude of the BJP state government in Chattisgarh is condemnable as no state government has the right to involve foreign countries in internal security matters,” it said. Reports quoting a senior Chhattisgarh Home Department official had said that the state government had welcomed the offer, made during the visit of two American officials to Raipur, to fight naxalism. The CPI(M) also condemned yesterday’s terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir and said the state government and the administration “have been unable to take effective steps so far to check these attacks”. It also asked the Centre to assist the Jammu and Kashmir Government to help security forces identify and crack down on the terror network. Meanwhile, the CPI today opposed the Centre's plan to offload government stake in Nalco and Neyveli Lignite Corporation, saying such a move would violate the Common Minimum Programme The government proposes to divest 5 per cent stake in NALCO and 10 per cent in NLC. “The UPA government should realise that PSUs, the public sector banking industry and insurance industry are the strength of our economy. Making them weak and vulnerable is not in the interest of the country and its economy,” the party said in a statement here. The UPA government should look at raising resources through ways other than disinvestment , the CPI said.
|
|
Roundtable served no purpose: BJP
New Delhi , May 26 “We initially thought that the whole Kashmir conference because of its poor attendance would be a futile exercise. Now it appears it has become a counter-productive exercise because the group discussing special status may actually become a launching pad for debating greater autonomy and eventual self-rule,” party General Secretary and spokesman Arun Jaitley said here. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP had boycotted the conference questioning the government's sincerity in fighting terrorism in the wake of the recent killings of Hindus in Doda district.
|
|
NHRC for thorough study of quota issue
New Delhi, May 26 The commission is of the view that the government should ensure a balanced and orderly development of all sections of society while implementing its policy. Expressing concern over denial of health care facilities to the sick due to strike in government hospitals, the commission has appealed to doctors to resume their work. It has expressed concern over the deteriorating health of students and doctors who are on fast in protest against the proposed increase in reservation quota in higher education institutions.
|
|
Mulayam announces protest on June 13
Lucknow, May 26 Addressing the party’s women wing at the SP headquarters, Mr Yadav wondered why the state government’s ‘anti-farmers’ policy was being targeted when the UP farmer was today in a bargaining position and refusing to sell his wheat at unprofitable rates fixed by the
Centre. Without naming V.P. Singh’s new political outfit Jan Morcha, the Samajwadi Party chief lashed out at the morcha calling it “directionless and idealess” , suggesting it was soft on the Congress. Substantiating his charge, he said “instead of targeting the Centre’s anti -farmers’ decision of importing huge amounts of wheat at exorbitant rates to demoralise the Indian farmer, the morcha was targeting the state government which had given farmers such a good price for the farmers’ sugarcane crop that they were in a position to hold back their wheat crop”. Charging the Congress government with singling out his party for harassment, he said that a case was immediately registered against his brother and minister Shivpal Yadav when during the election campaign in Rae Bareli he had promised more development to the voter if they voted for his party. In contrast, no action was initiated against the Union HRD Minister who had announced OBC quota for institutions of higher education on the eve of Assembly elections to five states, pointed out Mr Yadav. Getting into election mode, he urged the large women cadres to spread the good work done by his government that had “scared all Opposition parties to align against them”. He called them as the “ears and eyes” of the party.
|
|
Shahabuddin case: SP, two more senior cops face action
Patna, May 26 The Home Department ordered the proceedings against them for allowing
Md. Shahabuddin to travel in a luxury AC car by violating the official norms. The initial probe into the issue had revealed that the Jail Superintendent had hired the vehicle without checking owner and papers of the
car. The car belonged to Jharkhand general secretary of the RJD Ashok Yadav, who was a relative of party MP from Banka Giridhari Yadav. The incident involving the Jail Superintendent of Bhagalpur is, however, not a case in isolation. As many as 743 men of Bihar police are named in 465 criminal cases. This was revealed through an affidavit filed recently before the Patna High Court by none other than the police headquarters only. Ironically, it also contained the name of 78 police personnel of the Vigilance Bureau, the wing meant to check corruption. A senior police official posted in HQ argued that if one considered 743 cases, it obviously was a large number. Out of 743, about 120 of the policemen facing criminal charges were in the railway police . Sources in the police headquarters claimed that it has already submitted chargesheets against 369 of them and the final report on another 65.
|
|
Notorious criminal Sadhu shot dead
Lucknow, May 26 Thirtyeight-year-old Sadhu was killed just four hours after he had threatened the jailor of the district jail at gunpoint near the main gate of the Varanasi district jail yesterday. After that he escaped with three of his associates in a silver-coloured Bolero. After the jailor alerted the police, they sealed the borders and were on the lookout for the criminal. When cornered Sadhu and his associates started running and shooting at the police. According to police sources, in 2001 this hardened criminal had shot and severely injured the then jailor of the central jail in Varanasi, Mr Suryanarayan Chubey, rendering him physically disabled.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
With Opposition-ruled states running away with credit for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today showcased the scheme as the party’s initiative and the UPA Government’s major achievement while urging cadres to get across this message to the people.
Videos
