BJD’s course correction, BJP’s complacency
When it comes to election strategy, no political party seems to match the BJD in Odisha. With what margin the party won the Bijepur by-poll is not the issue, but how they did it is rather more subjective and interesting. As the top rankers among the students remain thoroughly prepared for their examination well in advance, the party’s seriousness was evident from the beginning in its selection and announcement of the candidate.
The idea was to get the sympathy vote for Ritarani Sahu, the widow of former MlA Subal Sahu. When the election got delayed for one reason or the other, the sympathy factor was pushed to the back seat and ‘vikas’ became the main issue for which the CM himself had to hold the centre stage and assure the voters that he himself would take the responsibility of development for the Bijepur constituency. This change in strategy seems to have worked for the party. Secondly, the party after losing to the BJP in the PRI polls searched for reasons and tried to address those issues. Panchayats were chosen as the medium and huge amount is said to have been pumped both officially and unofficially to lure the voters towards the party. The BJP on the other hand could not read into this course correction strategy due to complacency that prevailed after the ZP polls.
The 92,000 odd votes they polled in this constituency were considered enough to provide them a smooth launching pad. But it wasn’t! It failed to fuel the anti incumbency factor as the ruling entity, in its 18-year rule, had never bothered for least development of the area. So in hindsight, the victory of the BJD can be assigned to two reasons. The voters have either been lured by painting of a rosy picture on the development canvass by the CM or influenced by money power. In case of the latter, Bijepur will still remain backward up to the next general elections because all other factors will be thrown to the winds. Only the mode of disbursing money should keep on changing by keeping the Opposition at a sniffing distance.
Biswal washes Cong's dirty linen in public
Former CM Hemananda Biswal’s shocking revelation has put the Congress in jeopardy. The sooner the grand old party stops washing its dirty linen on the street, the better. Biswal accused the party in and its Bijepur candidate in particular of fixing the poll battle with the BJD three days before the date of voting. Selection of Pranaya Sahu in place of Ripunath Seth was also a blunder, he said. During the PRI polls, according to him, Pranaya had fixed up with the BJP to retain his block chairman post and now with the BJD for reasons best known to him, said Biswal.
This no nonsense statement has raised a slew of questions regarding the party’s future in Odisha. It is to be seen whether the party will reveal its present position in the State Assembly or put up a united fight to checkmate the BJP’s rise. Against the backdrop, the recent developments, particularly after the Bijepur results, the future of Congress is said to have been sealed. As on date, BJP’s claim for 120 + seats in Odisha Assembly seems to be a tall order but its prospect of becoming the main Opposition in the State Assembly is almost taken for granted as the 2019 poll is all set for a close fight between the BJD and the BJP.
Govt slack on implementing rules for pvt clinics
A rally in Rourkela under the banner of the Private Hospital Owners’ Association (PHOA) was significant as more than 100 doctors took part in it which was taken out from the IMA House in the Rourkela Government Hospital premises led by Dr Yogesh Patel, owner of Vesaja Patel Nursing Home and Dr Monu Patnaik of Shanti Memorial Hospital. They submitted a memorandum to the ADM, Rourkela demanding protection of private doctors at work and hospitals from mob violence.
They also urged the Government to refrain from taking hasty actions. They stated that private clinical establishments were willing to comply with the statutory norms and urged the authorities to provide them sometime till the new CE Act comes into force. But questions are raised as to the existence of such clinics in residential area in clumsy space.
These clinics are a challenge for the administration to implement the Act in its letter and spirit. In most of the cases, the hospital or the clinic has to be demolished if fire fighting and pollution control mechanisms are put in place. Of the clinics, the most critical one from fire point of view is the Shanti Memorial Hospital which is squeezed within a clumsy residential area with hardly any motorable road for small cars, let alone the fire brigade vans. What kind of a compromise the Government can make with such hospitalsIJ
No effluent monitoring system in Paradip yet!
Non-installation of on-line emission and effluent monitoring system has been a predicament for the Paradip port town as resentment is brewing among residents, industrialists and trade union leaders.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had directed 17 categories of highly polluting industries to install the on-line system for strengthening monitoring and compliance through self-regulatory mechanism. These included common hazardous waste incinerators, biomedical waste incinerators and common effluent treatment plants (CETPS). Five out of the 17 categories have installed the system. Two air quality monitoring stations have been installed in Talcher and Jharsuguda to check pollution in the area but there is no such facility in Paradip where pollution level has touched alarming level. Meanwhile, instructions have been issued to the PPT to cover railway wagons and trucks with tarpaulin to avoid air pollution. This apart, the plant management has been asked to take up major sprinkling in and around loading and unloading areas. The Paradip Port handles about 70 million tonnes of iron ore. But due to lack of effluent treatment mechanism, there are profuse fugitive dust emissions from handling of iron ore in the port, railway wagons, trucks transportation and loading and unloading of iron ore in vessels.
