The Profligate UPA.

The Profligate UPA.

Indian citizens have to thank Surjit S.Bhalla for pointing out the profligacy of UPA/Congress in the last few years ( Rajiv Gandhi lessons on the food bill,IE,July 27). According to the statistics of the government, we have 250 million poor with a per capita monthly expenditure of Rs. 709 and the poverty line is Rs.893, the difference being Rs.184 per month. The 250 million poor could have been uplifted by an expenditure of Rs 55,000 crore. But the government has spent an amount of Rs.105,000 crore on NREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and food subsidies in 2011-12. The difference of Rs.50,000 is the leakage ( theft, waste due improper warehousing and supply to non-poor). With proper supervision this could have been avoided. That money could have been used to provide water and sanitation, and improve the quality of life of the poor. The government should involve NGOS and the corporates to ensure proper supervision of of its schemes to reduce, if not eliminate leakage. Poverty cannot be removed without honesty and integrity.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rajiv-gandhi-lessons-on-the-food-bill/1147214/0

July 27,2013.

****

Modi Mania.

Modi Mania

Your edit, Modi Mania (DNA,July 25), is a reasoned analysis of the issues involved in the case of US visa for the CM of Gujarat and the letter that was written to the President of USA by some members of our parliament. India has adopted a Constitution which guarantees liberty, equality and fraternity to every citizen. The Constitution provides for an elected parliament to legislate, a Supreme Court to review legislation and guarantee the rights of every citizen. Every citizen has a right to appeal to the Supreme Court to protect his rights. The Supreme Court has dealt with the cases of murder and arson in the 2002 Godhra case and some have been punished. No court has indicted the CM of Gujarat. In spite of it, the US administration, in its wisdom, has denied a visa for the CM. However, this did not prevent Narendra Modi in giving good governance to the people of Gujarat, and get elected with overwhelming support from the voters three times, and now there is a clamour for his model of development all over India. It is demeaning that some members of the parliament have written to the US President to continue his policy of denial of visa to the CM. That also means that they do not have faith in the Indian Parliament, the Indian Judiciary and the Indian Constitution. The least they should do is to resign their seats. Their act is also the contempt of the parliament and the Supreme Court. They deserve to be punished for demeaning India and the Indian Constitutional institutions.

 http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/1865294/editorial-dna-edit-modi-mania

July 25,2013.

*******

UPA has failed to empower the people.

UPA has failed to empower people.

Not all the rhetoric of Shashi Tharoor (IE,July 23) can hide the fact that UPA has failed the people.As Pratap Bhanu Mehta has pointed out (IE,July11) roads building has almost stopped, power is still a scarce commodity, education sector has become a money-making business, manufacturing industry is not growing and the Indian businessmen are looking abroad for opportunities to invest, farmers are committing suicide and inflation is raging. Instead of improving infrastructure, reviving industry and supporting agriculture (with irrigation,credit,marketing etc),UPA has busy with 100 days of work, right to education, and now with food security. UPA's right-based strategy will not eradicate poverty but fatten the pockets of middlemen, bureaucrats and politicians. UPA has not heard the famous Chinese proverb that it is better to teach fishing to people than give fish. Can we build our country on doles ?

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/note-to-upabashers/1145174/

July 23,2013.

******

The midday deaths.

The Midday Deaths.

With the death of 23 children in Gandman primary school in Chhapra after eating the meal prepared in unhygenic conditions ( grains were kept next to a sack of fertilizer with no proper space for kitchen), one of the most important social development schemes has come under the cloud.( Is this food security?DNA July 18) . The school-going children in many parts of the country have fallen ill and even died due to negligence on the part of the school. The scheme had great response from the poor farmers and farm workers. Instead of coming out with new schemes every now and then, the state and central governments could have spent more resources to make this great scheme a success. The scheme requires proper management – a clean room or even a shed to keep rice,wheat,vegetables, oil etc and to provide space for a proper kitchen. It also requires proper supervision by the parents of the children and a local NGO. All this was missing in the primary school where this tragedy occured. The government should ask some of the leading chanbers of commerce and industry to adopt these schools as part of their corporate social responsibity. Akshay Patra Foundation has been providing healthy meals to lakhs of students in various parts of the country. It could be asked to run similar kitchens to other schools of the country as well. We have to find a solution. Blame game has no meaning.

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=48917&boxid=30268&ed_date=2013-07-18&ed_code=820009&ed_page=1

July 18,2013.

********

Dalrymple is wrong.

Dalrymple is wrong.

Dalrymple in his eassy, A deadly triangle – Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, has endorsed the old Anglo-American thesis that solving the Kashmir problem to the satisfaction of Pakistan is necessary for the peace in the Indian sub-continent. Now, Dalrymore has added Afghanistan to the mix. When Chinese attackted India in 1962, UK & USA tried to force India to compromise on Kashmir. Pandit Nehru did not bend to their will. As Rajiv Dogra (DNA,July 17) has pointed out, India has been helping Afghanistan in its economic development without getting involved in the fight between the government of Afghanistan, NATO countries and the USA with the Taliban. It is the Pakistani government which is seeking to dominate Afghanistan to fulfil its desire for ' strategic depth', and it is well-known secret that Taliban is the creation of ISI. The Pakistani military has used the bogey of India to gather power for itself most of these years since the establishment of Pakistan. It is very difficult to predict the stability of the present civilian government. The elite of Pakistan blame America, India and Isreal for its ills, says the famous Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid in his book, Pakistan on the Brink : The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Dalrymple's essay looks more like a ploy to pressurise India. We have to be beware. 

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/1862092/column-dalrymple-conjures-up-a-dangerous-triangle

July 17,2013.

******** 

Food Security or Poll gimmick ?

Food Security or Poll gimmick ?

Ashutosh Varshney has missed the point which the opposition is making with regard to Food Security Ordinance in his philosophic essay on the subject (IE, July 12).Nobody in his right mind has any problem with any scheme of providing subsidized food grains to the poor especially when the food-grains procured are rotting in the open in government's godowns. Many states have similar programme, especially in the BJP-ruled Chattisgarh state which monitor food-grains trucks with GPS and sends sms to the ration-card holders. What is opposed is the hurry with which the UPA government wants to do it with an ordinance when Monsoon session is not far away. The coverage of the scheme is also problematic – 50% in urban areas and 75% in rural areas. This also means decades of Congress rule has not dented poverty in spite of many slogans such 'garibi hatao' and 'amm admi' just before the elections in the past decades. Just before the last parliamentary election, UPA government came out with two other schemes - guaranteed 100 days of work for one adult in a family and waiver of farmers loan which has not helped most of the farm workers and the farmers. Fact is UPA has no achievement to show-off. It has just coined a new slogan for the next election.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-costs-of-no-food-security/1140754/0

July 14, 2013.

*******.

Good governance through the courts.

Good governance through the courts.

The three recent decisions of the Supreme Court - Instant disqualification of MPs /MLAs, if convicted (IE,July 11); Autonomy for CBI ( directive given while monitoring the Coal Allotment Case); Control over freebees ( a suggestion given to the Election Commission) – would promote good governance in the country. An over-whelming number of citizens have welcomed them. It is a sad commentary that these initiatives for good governance have not come from the political establishment, but from a constitutional body. This shows there is a communication gap between the elected and the electorate, and our representatives are not in tune with the public sentiments. Our democracy has been distorted by electoral politics – getting elected by hook or crook, not providing good governance. This must change.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mps-mlas-will-be-disqualified-as-soon-as-they-are-convicted-sc/1140361/0.

July 11,2013.

********

Reconstruction of Uttarakhand.

Reconstruction of Uttarakhand.

The suggestion made by Shri Ashok V.Chowgule, Working President(External),VHP (Organiser,July 14) that temple funds in various states should be used for the reconstruction of Uttarakhand is to be welcomed. It would be a good idea if VHP can bring all Hindus together under the auspicies of an Association of all Matadhipatis & Shankarcharyas to reconstruct all temples which are affected by the floods, especially Kedranath Temple. It can collect donations from people all over the country and build the temples according to the Agama Shastra and customs. Deva Bhumi should be kept as Deva Bhumi.

As far as the rehabilitation of people and villages are concered, it is the duty of the Uttarakhand and the Union Governemnts to do so – rebuilding schools, hospitals, roads, guest-houses and other infrstructure. In view of the fragile nature of the hills and mountains, reconstruction must be environmental-friendly. The Uttarakhand government should promote pilgrimage rather than tourism to safeguard delicate flora and fauna of the state. The Uttarakhand tragedy was created by a over-enthusiastic industrialization, hydro-power dams, and urbanisation ushered in the state after its creation. Man succeeds only when he acts in tune with the nature, not against the nature.

http://organiser.org/Encyc/2013/7/8/Use-temple-funds-for-Uttarakhand-reconstruction--VHP.aspx?NB=&lang=4&m1=m8&m2=m8.24&p1=&p2=&p3=&p4=&PageType=N

July 9, 2013.

*******

Clean politics.

Clean Politics.

The CIC's ruling stating that the six political parties to be subject to RTI as they are 'public authorities', as pointed out by Rajeev Gowda (IE, July 6), is a window of opportunity to clean up our political system. If we want a clean administrative system we have to start from political system. Lok Nayak Jaya Prasad Narayan had said long ago that election is the "gangotri" (source) of corruption. Every elected representative starts his career with a big lie – his election expenses. One politician has already confessed it recently, and others want to punish him but silent on the expenses they have incurred. Some form of state funding is imperative to clean up our democratic system and open the doors for the young with new ideas. Now politics has become first choice of the rich, the famous and the even the criminals. There is also a need to ensure internal democracy in the political parties, and auditing of their accounts through a proper legislation. 

  http://www.indianexpress.com/news/who-will-pay-for-clean-politics-/1137803/

July 5, 2013.

************

Banking & Post Office.

Banking & Post Office.

Your edit, Banking Options (DNA,July 3), gives an idea of the staggering network of post offices in the country – 1.55 lakh post offices including 1.4 lakh in rural areas mobilising Rs.1.9 lakh crore through 26 crore savings accounts. It is a mystery why the GOI and the RBI never thought of modernising its operations and upgrading its recruitment policy until now. It should have been the instrument for financial inclusion which is being proclaimed by the GOI/RBI for years now. The Private Banks were nationlised almost 50 years to help the poor and the marginalised but they have not been able to cover even the 50 percent of of our people. The Post Office should be the first get the banking license among 26 who have applied for it.

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/1856215/editorial-dna-edit-banking-options

July 3, 2013.

*******