ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 7 September 2006

CMs Review Security Scenario

TERRORISM SPREADS, INFILTRATION UP

By Insaf

The security scenario in the States has been reviewed at the highest level. At a conference of Chief Ministers in New Delhi on Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has alerted the States once more to the threat of terrorists who have set up bases in some urban areas to target important installations, religious places and army camps. Intelligence reports have revealed that the “extremely inspired and directed” terrorist outfits are being assisted in some States by the local insurgent groups and Naxalites help them create terrorist modules and “sleeper cells” in urban areas. At the end of the day-long meeting, attended by 27 Chief Ministers (other five CMs were represented by their senior Ministers), arrived at a consensus that a Group of Ministers, headed by the Home Minister and comprising some selected CMs, be constituted to check the spread of terror and Naxal menace.

While most Chief Ministers talked of financial constraints, they unanimously supported the Prime Minister’s proposal for decentralization of intelligence gathering at the “thana” level and to bring the “beat constable” into the vortex of counter-terrorist activity.  A massive expansion of the police forces in the States has also been proposed.  The present police-population ratio is very low.  For nearly 8.5 lakh villages in the country, there are only about 12,000 police posts.  In this context, the Centre has asked the States to fully utilize the funds meant for police expansion and modernization.  Regarding the issue of coastline security, raised by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Ministry has worked out a special Rs.500-crore package for the purpose. Another scheme for 17 States having international borders is also being prepared.

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Orissa A Naxal Citadal

Orissa has now become a Naxal citadel. Several forest and tribal areas of the State have turned into safe hideouts for the Naxalites on the run from Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The rebels, previously confined to southern Orissa bordering Andhra Pradesh, are now fanning into several districts like Sambalpur, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul and Jajpur, the State’s new industrial hub.  In fact, out of 30 districts in the State, 14 are Naxal-affected. Most worrisome is that the rebel group has as many as 30 zonal Dalams (battalions) in Orissa with an estimated cadre strength of about 600. Women constitute about 25 per cent of the total strength.   Each Dalam is equipped with an AK-47 rifle, two to three self-loading rifles (SLRs) and several .303 rifles. They also have a few experts to carry out IED blasts.

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Jharkhand Crisis

The BJP-led NDA Government appears to be on its way out in Jharkhand.  Four Independent Ministers had put in their papers to Governor Syed Sibte Razi at the time of writing. The revolt has reduced the Munda Government to a minority, leaving with him 39 MLAs in the 82-member Assembly.  However, unlike Razi’s controversial action last year in inviting JMM Chief Shibu Soren to form the Government, despite a fractured mandate the Assembly, the Governor has been careful not to fault this time.  He has asked Munda to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly by September 15.  With the UPA allies backing the Independent MLAs (JMM-17, Congress-9 and RJD-7), it would be difficult for Munda and his BJP to drum up the required strength within a week. Nevertheless, the stability of the new Government would also have to be watched, given the politics of the State and the composition of the Assembly.

J&K Coalition Gets Breather

The Congress-People’s Democratic Party (PDP) coalition Government in Jammu & Kashmir has got a breather, with the controversial Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig finally resigning.  He had earlier triggered a rift between the coalition partners, when Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad decided to retain Baig as the Finance Minister in his reshuffled Cabinet, ignoring a request by PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti to take away the Finance portfolio from him.  Mehbooba accused the State Congress leaders of meddling in the internal affairs of the PDP and trying to break the coalition partner. Nevertheless, CM Azad was quick to act and convinced both Mehbooba and his predecessor, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, that nobody wanted to break the PDP.  Baig sensed the mood of Azad and promptly resigned.   But the seeds of intra-party differences in the PDP have been sown, as Baig has threatened to quit the Assembly and the PDP.

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Centre-ULFA Talks Impasse

Uncertainty continues to prevail over the direct talks between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Centre, despite the latter’s decision to extend suspension of the army action against the underground outfit until September 15.  After discussing the issue with the Peoples’ Consultative Group (PCG), which has been talking to the Centre on behalf of the ULFA, on Tuesday last, Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said that the “rough edges are yet to be smoothened”.  He warned that the suspension of the army action would be reviewed if the ULFA indulged in extortion, killing or violence.  The Government wants this assurance in writing, while the ULFA leaders want release of their top leaders.  The Government is hoping that the ULFA would communicate before September 15, so that the process of releasing them is started. 

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Bonanza For Amarinder

The Congress-Government in Punjab and its Chief Minister Amarinder Singh have got a bonanza in the run-up to the Assembly elections around mid-March.  The State has been adjudged as the “Overall No.1 State” in the country, following a survey on governance in the States by a leading media group.  The award was presented to the Chief Minister by President Abdul Kalam in New Delhi last week. The State has also been chosen as “Number One” in agriculture, infrastructure, budget planning, prosperity and consumer market planning. The Amarinder Government has been especially complimented for its agriculture and infrastructure development performances during the last five years.  These two have considerably helped the industries to progress in the State.

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MP Fastest Moving State

Madhya Pradesh, until recent known as one of the “BEMARU” (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and U.P.) States for its backwardness and poverty, has been adjudged as the “fastest moving State” in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, overall development, with its maximum growth rate. The State has also been placed second in “good governance”, third in “law and order” and fifth in terms of “physical potentials”. The  media group study had made comparison of the progress made in all the States from 1991 onwards.  The progress of Madhya Pradesh has been found to be much faster during 2002-06, when the State Government gave top priority to the roads, electricity and agricultural sectors.

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Opposition To Delimitation Proposals

As the exercise for the delimitation of constituencies for the State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha continues, protests from various political parties and Governments mount. The latest to oppose the proposals are Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.  As per the Delimitation Commission’s proposal, the Telangana region of Andhra would get an additional 12 Assembly and one Lok Sabha seats. The number will go up to 119 in the 294-member Assembly, while the number in the Andhra region will fall to 123 from 134.  The proposal has been opposed by the ruling Congress. Likewise, in Jharkhand, the Commission has proposed the reduction of reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes in the 81-member Assembly from 28 to 21 seats.  The ST leaders have warned of a social unrest in the State, if the ST seats are reduced. ---INFA

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