River politics sans dependable info
AAt least on two counts BJD is on the back foot. One is the Polavaram and the other is the Mahanadi water row. As far as Mahanadi water dispute is concerned, the Government did not have full information which is evident from the fact that the Government had sought information and suggestions from various sections on the Mahanadi issue before the Chief Minister attended the tripartite meeting in New Delhi. This means there is an information deficit even after the fact finding team submitting its report on the eve of the scheduled meeting at the Secretariat. The fact-finding team took nearly a month to submit its report. The report culled out by an RTI activist of Balangir will be perhaps more relevant and authentic than the one submitted by the fact finding committee as it has more armory in the store. Whether the executive and the legislature responsible to ensure good governance for the State take note of such legally valid information or not being a pertinent question, how can they expect the general public to react and feed information vis-a-vis a questionable state of transparencyIJ
Polavaram stir to block TDPIJ
Odisha is now between the devil and the deep blue sea. On the one side is Andhra Pradesh’s Polavaram project and on the other, it is Chhattisgarh’s unilateral construction of barrages on the Mahanadi upstream. An early settlement of the Mahanadi issue would have been possible, if any positive result had emerged in the tripartite Delhi meeting on September 17. But, as the meeting was a failure, whether the issue will be resolved amicably or not is a matter of conjecture for the moment. So also is the issue of the controversial Polavaram irrigation project against which the BJD is determined to up its ante. Increase of height of the Polavaram dam about which the Government of Odisha had raised objection was clarified by Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti recently. What are the other issues related to the project that will affect the interest of Odisha are still not clear. The Government is also not clear as to how many tribal villages of Rayagada and Malkangiri districts will be sub-merged after construction of the dam and how many families will need rehabilitation are yet to be calculated in real termsIJ Meanwhile, the Centre has pressed the panic button by declaring Polavaram as 100 per cent centrally funded project. BJD has decided to launch a series of agitation, including demonstration before the Collectors, in seven south Odisha districts. But going by the BJD Government agenda of politicising every issue on earth to get political mileage, one can wonder if the agitation in south Odisha districts is to block the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) which is trying for a foothold in the southern part of Odisha to get a national party tag.
liquor: Dama calls a spade a spade
When Excise Minister Damodar Rout throws a pin on to the ground, the sound becomes louder. Recently, he is reported to have commented about anti-liquor movement by women during Bijubabu’s rule. By this he has in the first place complimented late Biju Patnaik during his centenary celebration observed in a unique way by adopting various event management techniques. The State which witnessed an anti-liquor movement by women during Biju Patnaik’s rule is now experiencing a new trend. It has jumped from the territory of tribal women folk of the villages to urban region of the State. The Excise Minister said, “liquor consumption is posing a stumbling block for the State’s development despite huge revenue collection. It is time the Government made a review whether the anti-liquor protests are automatic or
sponsored”. He also recalled how during the rule of Biju, the country liquor was banned in the tribal dominated regions following massive protests by tribal women. If Damababu’s version is a reflection of Bihar-like ban on sale of liquor in Odisha, most of the people would perhaps welcome. If it is for consumption of the voter’s gallery, even then the statement has a point to prove. It is not for the first time he has commented on sale of liquor in the State. One who is following his statements can reach to a conclusion that should he be given the authority, he would prove another Nitish Kumar! Before that will he be advised to assert himself as second- in- command in the Naveen CabinetIJ
No colony, no job for ex-Servicemen!
Once upon a time, they were fully alert at the border spending sleepless nights so that we slept peacefully. Now, they are moving from pillar to post but the ungrateful nation ignores them and their social security aspects are endangered. No house for them, no job where they can be accommodated to eke out a living for their families, let alone the educational expenditure of their children. Had it been Rajasthan, the retired Servicemen would have got 17 per cent reservation as against a mere 3 per cent in Odisha. The story is related to unsung heroes of Odisha who want to settle in Rourkela. The less said about their plight, the better. The local administration has no time to listen to their grievances, let alone address them. A delegation which wanted to meet the local ADM recently was asked to wait for hours only to get an advice for filing a PIl in the High Court. The steel plant is not concerned with their recruitment despite the reservation policy binding on them. After prolonged silence from 1997 to 2013, the RSP authorities advertised to fill up 63 vacancies in 2014 but only three were absorbed. The local administration doesn’t have a list of ex-Servicemen which could be around 2,000. In other cities of the State, there are colonies built for such people, whereas the proposal for such a colony to be built at Rourkela by RDA is lying in cold storage. Can it be acceptable by a civil society of any countryIJ