Capital Crunch
There are multifarious disadvantages of being out of power but the State unit of Congress party in the Himalayan State is using them to its benefit in the ensuing elections of urban local bodies (ULBs) as an alibi for not having funds. The party has told the ticket aspirants in no uncertain terms that they should not expect any monetary support from it and they have to manage their election expenses on their own. This stand of the party to expose its empty kitty just ahead of the crucial elections has made the Congress ticket seekers recalculate their election strategy. In such a scenario, some of the party heavy weights are said to be reluctant to throw their hat in the ring for the municipal elections. It remains to be seen how the grand old party whose political fortunes appear on an upswing after touching nadir in last year’s assembly election would take on the formidable BJP which is flushing with funds in upcoming polls.
Privileged Adversary
Heartburns are occurring among the enterprising lot of BJP leaders over continuing largesse of their Government on son of a prominent congress leader. In the latest, a piece of a prime land located in Dehradun city was given to this gentleman at a throwaway price. This land held captive by a district Cooperative Bank was auctioned clandestinely purportedly on the instructions from higher ups at less than one fourth of the market rate. It took an inquiry by the Registrar Cooperative Societies to expose the matter. To everyone’s surprise, this entrepreneur whose father used to call shots during the reign of Harish Rawat is mysteriously cornering many lucrative projects in the present regime. The youngster caught attention few months ago when a cricket league organised by him was supported by many departments of Uttarakhand Government with big sponsorship money.
Changing tenor
The State Government which till ten days ago was wooing entrepreneurs showcasing the strengths of the State for investments during the Destination Uttarakhand–Investors Summit-2018 quickly changed its tune to project the State as the one suffering badly by its geographical constraints and environmental restrictions before the visiting 15th Finance Commission. The State pleaded for payment of Green Bonus and sought special package for it in lieu of its environmental services rendered to the nation and compensation of loss incurred to it by policy mandated restrictions on various projects from the Finance Commission.
It looked as if the members of the commission appeared impressed by the presentation of the State Government as in a rare gesture, the Commission’s Chairman patted the back of State Government for presenting the case of the State emphatically. The people of the State would be watching with crossed figures to see how much the 15th Finance Commission whose five year term is starting from the year 2020, accommodates demand of Uttarakhand reeling under the sloppy treatment meted to it by the 14th Finance Commission.