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Political Notes

	August 29, 2005

Rural jobs Bill approved



Parliament last week gave its approval to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill. It seeks to provide 100 days of assured employment in a year to every rural household in 200 districts of the country. The Rajya Sabha passed the legislation on August 24 while the Lok Sabha approved it a day earlier.



Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said it is a path-breaking legislation and marked a new beginning in the efforts for social equity and justice. Dr. Manmohan Singh expressed the hope that in the next four to five years it will cover all districts in the country.



The Congress has claimed credit for the landmark rural jobs scheme and getting it approved by Parliament. Party President Sonia Gandhi said that the Congress will organise a number of functions in connection with the implementation of the scheme. It has also been announced that the launching will tentatively come on November 14, birth day of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the country.



Another Bill of far reaching significance passed by the Lok Sabha last week was the Bill to Protect Women from Domestic Violence.



The ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament has been extended by two working days and will now end on August 30.





TDP bid to float regional forum



Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu has floated the idea of a regional parties’ convention to be held later this year. He held meetings with leaders of Assam Gana Parishad (AGP), the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Akali Dal in New Delhi last week. He is also planning to meet National Conference president Omar Abdullah in this connection. Reports say that regional parties have responded positively to Chandrababu’s proposal.



TDP sources said they were hopeful that members of the UPA too would join them. Amar Singh, leader of the Samajwadi Party, that is supporting the UPA from outside, also met Naidu and discussed the idea with him.



The smaller regional outfits were tired of the “big brotherly attitude” of the BJP and Congress and wanted to work together in Parliament and outside to protect their interests, a TDP MP said.





Mayawati to face prosecution in Taj Corridor case



The Central Vigilance Commission has said that there are adequate grounds to prosecute former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in the Rs. 175 crore Taj Corridor Scam. The Commission gave its view to the Supreme Court which had asked for it. Its opinion runs contrary to that of Attorney General Milon Banerjee and the CBI which had decided not to proceed against her.



Not accepting the CBI’s stand, the apex court had directed the CVC to scrutinise the CBI material pertaining to the investigation and submit a report.



Meanwhile, the CBI has assessed Mayawati’s assets at over Rs. 100 crore. The agency is investigating a case of disproportionate assets against her.





Chidambaram’s wife as tax counsel : BJP demands FM’s resignation



The BJP has demanded resignation of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram over the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) engaging his wife Nalini as Special Counsel in a tax case in Chennai. The BJP and All India Anna DMK have alleged that Chidamabaram misused his office to get his wife engaged as counsel.



The CBDT has regretted the episode saying that the Finance Minister was not informed of the matter. Nalini Chidambaram also said that her husband had no idea that she had been engaged by the Income Tax Department to fight a case. To this, BJP’s Sushma Swaraj reacted : “If they are husband and wife, how is it that he does not know about it ?”





Inter-state river linking



In a significant move, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have signed the country’s first ever river inter-linking memorandum of understanding. It provides for connecting Ken and Betwa rivers with the objective of increasing irrigation and water supply in the two states. The agreement was signed on August 25 by the Chief Ministers of the two states in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.



The project estimated to cost over Rs. 4,000 crore envisages diversion of surplus waters in the Ken river to the water deficit Betwa basin through construction of a dam on the Ken river as well as a 231 km. long link canal.



Even the Opposition has hailed the agreement. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee described it as a bold and historic initiative set to change the water management paradigm in the country.





Question mark over Fatwa’s validity



The Manmohan Singh Government has told Parliament that Fatwas (religious decrees) issued by Islamic institutions are not valid in the eyes of the law. Union Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj told the Rajya Sabha that the process to be followed by courts in criminal cases is set forth in the Code of Criminal Procedure and Fatwas issued by Islamic institutions do not have any legal backing.



In a related development, Darul-Uloom Deoband has decided not to issue any more fatwas on non-religious matters and those that have political overtones. Maulana Marghoobur Rehman, vice-chancellor of the seminary said in an interview to a national daily that it had been decided that fatwas would henceforth be issued only on matters that are directly related to Shariat.