BHOPAL: The Kamal Nath Government of Madhya Pradesh has made three important moves having far-reaching implications on the administration and politics of the state. The three decisions include associating private persons with governance, modification in the order scrapping the pension of MISA detainees and formal launching of farmers’ loan waiver scheme.
It may be mentioned here that former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a policy decision under which any individual can be appointed on contractual basis and made part of administrative machinery. Just on the eve of the elections he made some appointments in this manner. Taking advantage of this decision, Kamal Nath has picked two private persons and made them a part of his office, which is known as CMO. These two persons are R. K. Miglani and Bhupendra Gupta. Miglani is associated with Kamal Nath for more than forty years. He has been given the designation of adviser. The other appointee is Bhupendra Gupta, who has been named officer on special duty (OSD). Gupta, a Congressman, was the deputy chief spokesperson of the Congress. He perhaps impressed Kamal Nath with his excellent performance during the elections. There are indications that he would pick more private persons and make them part of his secretariat.
The second decision relates to pension to MISA detainees. Earlier, it was decided to scrap the pension scheme for them. But on Tuesday the state government modified its earlier order. According to the new order passed by the General Administration Department (GAD) and sent to divisional commissioners and district collectors, all MISA and DIR (Defence of India Rules) pensioners will be physically verified.
“MISA pension was disbursed by the BJP government to its own party members and RSS workers like so many sweets” said Shobha Oza, chairperson of the state Congress media committee. “Our findings are that may people drawing this pension were probably seven or eight years old when MISA was promulgated and could not have been detained. The Congress government has no intention of stopping the scheme but only wants to scrutinise the list and ensure that those getting benefits are genuine MISA detainees” she explained.
Beneficiaries were given a pension of Rs. 25,000 per month under ‘Loktantra Senani Samman Nidhi” scheme launched by the former Shivraj Government in 2008. Soon after coming to power on December 29, the Congress government circulated an order, instructing district administrations to suspend disbursement of MISA pension until a through scrutiny was completed. The circular says that there was ‘overspending’ of MISA fund than what was allocated in the budget. Chouhan and Union minister Thavarchand Gehlot are among MISA detainees. Chouhan was just 17 when he was imprisoned under MISA.
GAD’s order on Tuesday says revenue inspectors will carry out physical verification of the beneficiaries. BJP is seeing red. State party vice-president Vijesh Lunawat said. “The Congress government will have to withdraw this decision, like they made a U-turn on Vande Mataram issue. This is not pension but an honorarium paid to those veterans who fought to save the democracy”.
Farmers’ loan waving scheme was formally launched in all the districts of the state. Waiving scheme was launched by Chief Minister in Bhopal and by ministers in districts. After launching the scheme in Bhopal, Kamal Nath said “We are working on the issue of the loans from private money lenders and what action can be taken”.
Only loans taken from public sector banks and cooperative banks are eligible for the waiver. Of the five farmers who committed suicide in the past month, it’s believed that to had taken loans from private money lenders. Thanking Mayawati for her concern over the Sahukar loans issue he said “We want to put an end to the tradition of Sahukari. Some people may not like it, but we will do it”.
By February 5, all beneficiaries will have submitted their application forms for loan waiver, Nath said, adding that 55 lakh farmers will benefit from the scheme. “The total burden of Rs. 50,000 crore on the state exchequer will be the government’s investment’ to increase purchasing power of farmers and strengthen the state’s economy” he remarked.
Most of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP are largely rural. Even constituencies like Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur have significant rural assembly segments.
The Kamal Nath government is racing against time to get things in place before the model code of conduct is announced. The government is running on loan, which is far less than the Rs. 50,000 crore required to implement the agri-waiver scheme.
