Corruption is an issue that is still rocking our nation. We have seen stormy scenes in Parliament and a lot of public money wasted as virtually no business could be done in the previous session of Parliament due to the Opposition's insistence for a JPC into the 2G Spectrum scam. But wasn't this the same party that had seen it's party president caught accepting bribe on camera and finally on national news networks. A that time, the same BJP had requested the Opposition (Congress) not to stall Parliament with their insistence for a JPC. The Congress had agreed keeping in mind the loss of public money due to Parliament not running.
But of course it's foolhardy to expect the same courtesy from the BJP as they conveniently forgot the recent past and ensured that despite a PAC headed b their own senior leader, they arm twisted the Govt into a JPC which is headed by a senior member of the Congress ! But what's important to note that this 2G Spectrum case in not just a UPA phenomena, but it has it's roots way back in 1998 when the NDA was in power. Allegations have been made against senior BJP leader and then Telecom Minister, the late Pramod Mahajan for getting shares of the bidding telecom companies at Re1 which are now worth in thousands per share !
Take the case of Karnataka where the ruling BJP has been embarrassed no end, yet they keep silent on BS Yeddyurappa's resignation. Allegations have been made that illegal mining of iron ore during his tenure alone is worth Rs 5000 crores. While they hold Parliament to ransom on the 2G Spectrum issue, yet they remain mute spectators to corruption in Karnataka. Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is soon going to bring out is second report on illegal mining and then we shall know how clean the BJP and it's leaders are. The BJP is already jittery as Justice Hegde revealed that three top BJP leaders approached him six months ago to drop Yeddyurappa's name from his report. What more proof is required of his complicity.
Let's move to BJP's favourite state, Gujarat. We have heard rumours of how figures have been inflated during the MoU's signed in Vibrant Gujarat. Then comes the CAG's report of 2008 in which it has slammed the state Govt for irregularities in planning and execution of the controversial Sujalam Sufalam project. State PSU, GSPC had to suffer a loss of Rs 106 crores due to short recovering of liquidated damages from it's contractor, Essar Oil Lmited. Also the spending of almost Rs 10 crores for consultancy by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd which remained unfruitful. The list is endless, with farmers protesting against their lands being acquired forcefully to panchayat officials taking bribes. Gujarat remains just another state with corruption rampant. What puts the Gujarat Govt in the dock is the fact that there has been no Lokayukta for the past six years !
Here's an interesting fact about corruption in Chhattisgarh also. Dring the last assembly elections in 2008, Congress had declared a bonus of Rs 250 per quintal on paddy in it's election manifesto. The BJP made a promise of Rs 270 per quintal on paddy and to provide rice at Rs 3 per kg. But what followed next after the BJP won was the great paddy scam. 2008-09 saw a drought in at least 50 tehsils of the state, but paddy procurement from these drought affected tehsils was at an all time high ! Paddy was bought from neighbouring states like Orissa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh and sold to the Chhattisgarh Govt at a bonus of Rs 270 per quintal resulting in a loss of Rs 1400 crores to the state. Land records showed productivity figures of 100 to 200 quintals from just 1 to 2 acres of land in some areas during this period.
Move over to Mumbai where the Shiv Sena BJP combine is ruling the BMC. Congress has just attacked them on 12 points, mostly on corruption. Allegations of handing over contracts of major car parking projects to firms associated with Sena or BJP leaders is already in the public domain. Water distribution remains the same poor self despite Rs 700 crores being sanctioned and 100 percent cost escalations in the much delayed Mithi redevelopment project just goes to prove that all their claims of being better than others on corruption is just a myth.
No wonder former BJP ideologue Govindacharya said about the party " It should find out in it's own ruled states that now many note counting machines have been purchased by which minister. Six BJP ministers have Lokayukta reports against them in one of the states ruled by the party". He also took a dig at them being a responsible Opposition saying "Civil societies are in a proactive role because there is a failed Opposition. The Opposition is more responsible than the ruling party for the civil societies' uprising".
One can't help but feel for the people of Uttarakhand after reading what Mr. Himmat Singh had to say for the ruling party. A former serviceman, Mr Singh has been associated with the BJP for the past 25 years and had this to say " The local media would not show anything against the CM no matter how strong the evidence is of wrongdoing. I was pleasantly delighted when two national news channels exposed two cases of corruption but unfortunately they did not pursue them to their logical conclusion. Was it because Uttarakhand is too small to be shown on National TV or is it because of what the people close to the CM are saying that they managed the national media also".
Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan too is under fire just now for his Govt's wheat procurement scam to the tune of Rs 500 crores. So all BJP CM's ranging from Yeddyurappa to Chouhan have some taint or allegation to deal with. But there is no action being taken against any of them. Congress led UPA asked Telecom Minister A Raja to resign, apart from him in jail is Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi for alleged corruption in Commonwealth Games. Ashok Chavan was asked to step down as Maharashtra CM when his name cropped up in the Adarsh Housing Society controversy. Corruption is a sad reality of our times and no one is denying it. But one has to take swift action to ensure that credibility remains in public offices. We have seen the Congress take some at action against offenders, high time the BJP did something about it.
But of course it's foolhardy to expect the same courtesy from the BJP as they conveniently forgot the recent past and ensured that despite a PAC headed b their own senior leader, they arm twisted the Govt into a JPC which is headed by a senior member of the Congress ! But what's important to note that this 2G Spectrum case in not just a UPA phenomena, but it has it's roots way back in 1998 when the NDA was in power. Allegations have been made against senior BJP leader and then Telecom Minister, the late Pramod Mahajan for getting shares of the bidding telecom companies at Re1 which are now worth in thousands per share !
Take the case of Karnataka where the ruling BJP has been embarrassed no end, yet they keep silent on BS Yeddyurappa's resignation. Allegations have been made that illegal mining of iron ore during his tenure alone is worth Rs 5000 crores. While they hold Parliament to ransom on the 2G Spectrum issue, yet they remain mute spectators to corruption in Karnataka. Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is soon going to bring out is second report on illegal mining and then we shall know how clean the BJP and it's leaders are. The BJP is already jittery as Justice Hegde revealed that three top BJP leaders approached him six months ago to drop Yeddyurappa's name from his report. What more proof is required of his complicity.
Let's move to BJP's favourite state, Gujarat. We have heard rumours of how figures have been inflated during the MoU's signed in Vibrant Gujarat. Then comes the CAG's report of 2008 in which it has slammed the state Govt for irregularities in planning and execution of the controversial Sujalam Sufalam project. State PSU, GSPC had to suffer a loss of Rs 106 crores due to short recovering of liquidated damages from it's contractor, Essar Oil Lmited. Also the spending of almost Rs 10 crores for consultancy by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd which remained unfruitful. The list is endless, with farmers protesting against their lands being acquired forcefully to panchayat officials taking bribes. Gujarat remains just another state with corruption rampant. What puts the Gujarat Govt in the dock is the fact that there has been no Lokayukta for the past six years !
Here's an interesting fact about corruption in Chhattisgarh also. Dring the last assembly elections in 2008, Congress had declared a bonus of Rs 250 per quintal on paddy in it's election manifesto. The BJP made a promise of Rs 270 per quintal on paddy and to provide rice at Rs 3 per kg. But what followed next after the BJP won was the great paddy scam. 2008-09 saw a drought in at least 50 tehsils of the state, but paddy procurement from these drought affected tehsils was at an all time high ! Paddy was bought from neighbouring states like Orissa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh and sold to the Chhattisgarh Govt at a bonus of Rs 270 per quintal resulting in a loss of Rs 1400 crores to the state. Land records showed productivity figures of 100 to 200 quintals from just 1 to 2 acres of land in some areas during this period.
Move over to Mumbai where the Shiv Sena BJP combine is ruling the BMC. Congress has just attacked them on 12 points, mostly on corruption. Allegations of handing over contracts of major car parking projects to firms associated with Sena or BJP leaders is already in the public domain. Water distribution remains the same poor self despite Rs 700 crores being sanctioned and 100 percent cost escalations in the much delayed Mithi redevelopment project just goes to prove that all their claims of being better than others on corruption is just a myth.
No wonder former BJP ideologue Govindacharya said about the party " It should find out in it's own ruled states that now many note counting machines have been purchased by which minister. Six BJP ministers have Lokayukta reports against them in one of the states ruled by the party". He also took a dig at them being a responsible Opposition saying "Civil societies are in a proactive role because there is a failed Opposition. The Opposition is more responsible than the ruling party for the civil societies' uprising".
One can't help but feel for the people of Uttarakhand after reading what Mr. Himmat Singh had to say for the ruling party. A former serviceman, Mr Singh has been associated with the BJP for the past 25 years and had this to say " The local media would not show anything against the CM no matter how strong the evidence is of wrongdoing. I was pleasantly delighted when two national news channels exposed two cases of corruption but unfortunately they did not pursue them to their logical conclusion. Was it because Uttarakhand is too small to be shown on National TV or is it because of what the people close to the CM are saying that they managed the national media also".
Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan too is under fire just now for his Govt's wheat procurement scam to the tune of Rs 500 crores. So all BJP CM's ranging from Yeddyurappa to Chouhan have some taint or allegation to deal with. But there is no action being taken against any of them. Congress led UPA asked Telecom Minister A Raja to resign, apart from him in jail is Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi for alleged corruption in Commonwealth Games. Ashok Chavan was asked to step down as Maharashtra CM when his name cropped up in the Adarsh Housing Society controversy. Corruption is a sad reality of our times and no one is denying it. But one has to take swift action to ensure that credibility remains in public offices. We have seen the Congress take some at action against offenders, high time the BJP did something about it.
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