Kartik Lokhande's blog

(Graphics by Rammurti Nerlay, Text by Kartik Lokhande)

16-05-14 For the first time, BJP-Sena combine bags all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha region, which was considered a Congress bastion so far as the party had won all seats in five elections held previously By Kartik Lokhande  Well in tune with the national mood, Vidarbha also gave a clear mandate to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena alliance. It’s historic clean sweep for BJP-Sena in Vidarbha, which was assumed to be a Congress bastion. The alliance has won all 10 seats in the region. If one takes a look at Lok Sabha election history of Vidarbha, Congress had swept all the seats in 1951, 1957, 1980, 1984, and 1998. Congress and its allies including various groups of Republican Party of India dominated the results tally till 1998, barring 1996, elections of Lok Sabha. In 1996, for the first time, BJP-Sena alliance bagged nine out of total 11 seats in the region while Congress could secure only two. However, BJP-Sena could not keep up the stellar perfo

16-05-14 NEWS ANALYSIS By Kartik Lokhande “My idea of governance is a ‘P2G2’ formula— pro-people proactive good governance: Narendra Modi.” This tweet of Modi a couple of days before counting of votes, speaks about what has appealed to the voters in the country. Fed up with the politics of ‘Secularism Vs Secularism’ and veiled or direct appeals for voting on the lines of caste or religion, the voters in the country this time have preferred the promise of development and good governance over the so-called threat of communalism or secularism. The Lok Sabha election this time proved to be historic for a variety of reasons -- non-Congress Government coming to power with thumping majority, charisma of a man called Narendra Modi working wonders for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like never-before, almost all exit polls proving true in predicting win of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), young and educated voters coming out to vote in big numbers with commitment to effec

14-05-14 So far, 421 Naxalites have surrendered under the scheme By Kartik Lokhande  Maharashtra Government has given another extension to the Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme for Naxalites. This time, the scheme has been extended till August 28, 2015. So far, a total of 421 Naxalites have surrendered under the scheme. To encourage the Left Wing Extremists to shun the path of violence and join mainstream by way of participating in the developmental process, Maharashtra Government had introduced the Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy for Naxalites in 2005. On August 29, 2005, the Government launched the Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme. After the initial problems like inadequate financial provision, creating awareness about it; the scheme evoked a good response. Since its inception in 2005, the Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme for Naxalites has got several extensions. Its first extension came on April 17, 2006. Later on, it got extensions in the years 2006, 2

15-05-14 By Kartik Lokhande  A few days after the Naxalites killed seven C-60 commandoes and left two injured in Chamorshi tehsil of Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra Government has cleared hike in monthly ‘commando allowance’. The proposal was pending with the Home Department. C-60 is the main fighting force that has successfully reined in the Naxalites in Gadchiroli and other Naxal-infested districts. It is known for highly trained tribal personnel, who are familiar with the terrain. It is also known for fearless patrolling in the deep forests in day as well as night, in search of the Left Wing Extremists. C-60 squad has carried out many successful operations in which several Naxalites were killed or nabbed. The Government had approved of Rs 1,500 per month special allowance to commandoes in C-60 squad on October 18, 2006. The allowance was made applicable since September 1, 2006. Considering its impressive track record, hike was proposed for C-60 commandoes. The of

13-05-14 Conclave recommends setting up of overarching authority for edn sector By Kartik Lokhande Maharashtra Government, on Monday, took the first step towards enhancing participation of private sector and academia in education sector in State to focus on improving employability of the youths. In the first-ever ‘KG to PG Conclave’ organised at the initiative of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, the participants recommended setting up of an ‘overarching authority’ for education sector. Shedding more light on the deliberations in the first-ever conclave, Chief Secretary J S Saharia told ‘The Hitavada’ that the industry sector stalwarts like Chairman of Godrej group Adi Godrej and Chairman of Tata Sons group Cyrus Mistry also were present in the meet. They assured to extend full co-operation to the State Government in further development of education sector. The main objective was to ensure mutual co-operation between education sector and industry to equip youths in Stat

11-05-14 NEWS ANALYSIS By Kartik Lokhande  Seven cops killed, two injured in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Chamorshi tehsil of Gadchiroli district. The news came on Sunday morning. More details like names of the deceased jawans, shifting of two injured cops to Nagpur, intensification of combing operation by Gadchiroli Police etc emerged by the evening. However, one thing was missing sorely -- condemnation of the killing of these seven individuals. The so-called civil society and intellectuals and scholars who talk of ‘human rights’ of hardcore Maoist/Naxal cadres, whenever the cops arrest or kill or injure them in encounters, went mute when ‘human beings’ serving in the capacity of policemen were killed in landmine blast by the outlaws. These intellectuals, who take pride in devising the deceptive expressions like ‘Gandhians with guns’, went mute when the news of these killings was all over. It is not that the English-speaking elitist scholars and writers ha

11-05-14 Padma Vibhushan Dr Raghunath Mashelkar has been appointed as the Co-Chairman of the Council By Kartik Lokhande  On the lines of National Innovation Council, an initiative taken by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Maharashtra Government also has constituted Maharashtra State Innovation Council. The Council, which is said to be an initiative of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, has been formed to give a boost to research and development in the State. Prithviraj Chavan Chief Secretary has been appointed as Chairman of the Council while globally acclaimed scientist Padma Vibhushan Dr Raghunath Mashelkar has been appointed as Co-Chairman. Dr Rajendra Jagdale, Director General of Science and Technology Park, Pune, has been appointed as Member Secretary of the panel. The members include Secretary of Department of Science and Technology of Government of India, Nominee of National Innovation Council, President of MCCI, President of CII, Director of IIT-Powai

11-05-14 For Vidarbha region, ‘large’ sum of Rs 16,000 has been distributed to authorities for disbursement in cases of farmers’ suicides in financial year 2014-15 Staff Reporter Outrageous! This is the only word that can best describe the shocking decision taken by the Democratic Front (DF) Government as far as allocation for distribution of compensation to kin in cases of farmers’ suicides. The Govenment has allocated Rs 40,000 only to be distributed as compensation in cases of farmers’ suicides in the entire State of Maharashtra in the financial year 2014-15! Previously, the Government granted an aid of Rs 1 lakh to kin in every case of farmer’s suicide. Over the years, the Government claimed that the farmers’ suicides in the State had come down. However, the activists did not support the Government’s claim. In the financial year 2013-14, the Government ‘continued’ the scheme for payment of compensation in cases of farmers’ suicides. For the year 2014-15 also, the Go

07-05-14 By Kartik Lokhande  Even as the Democratic Front (DF) Government is bracing up to face Legislative Assembly polls scheduled a few months from now, it is staring at a problem. Most of the posts of senior officers in Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) are lying vacant. “With many posts of senior officers lying vacant, how can one expect DGIPR to carry out the mammoth task of unleashing a publicity campaign for the 2009-14 tenure of DF Government?” asked an officer in the department. According to sources, the problem is compounded given the introduction of various working platforms including print copies of press releases, coverage of events lined up before Legislative Assembly elections, video coverage, audio coverage, special features, e-material etc. According to sources, of a total 33 posts of District Information Officers (DIOs) in equal number of districts in the State, as many as 16 are lying vacant. These include Raigad-Ali

04-05-14 Maharashtra Government brought down the targets of revenue recovery for all administrative divisions except Pune a couple of days prior to end of financial year 2013-14 By Kartik Lokhande  As a large chunk of the Government officers and employees was engaged in election duty, Maharashtra Government revised the revenue recovery targets for all administrative divisions in the State merely a couple of days prior to end of the financial year 2013-14. Despite elections, revenue collection in Nagpur Division still touched 97.29 per cent mark compared to the revised target. Every year, the State Government sets target of revenue collection under various heads to various administrative divisions and some major revenue-yielding departments. The major heads for administrative divisions are Zilla Parishad (ZP) cess, Gram Panchayat cess, non-agricultural (NA) cess, Nazool charges, revenue from minor minerals, entertainment tax, revenue recovery certificate (RRC), recover

29-04-14 Though the sale of country liquor was down between April 2013 and March 2014, it registered an increase by 1,03,529 litres in first seven days of April 2014 By Kartik Lokhande  The official report forwarded by State Excise Department to Election Commission of India (ECI), reveals that liquor worth Rs 13.07 crore was sold in first seven days of the month of April, that is till three days prior to polling for Lok Sabha seats. Every time, the elections are held, people talk about sale of liquor and transfer of cash. This time, Election Commission of India (ECI) had kept a close vigil on both, which resulted in seizure of liquor and cash both across the country. This time, polling for 11 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha was scheduled on April 10. The administration had declared ‘dry days’ on April 8 on account of ‘Ram Navami’, and on April 9 and April 10 on account of pre-polling and polling day. In these three ‘dry days’, the official report does not reveal any sale

25-04-14 By Kartik Lokhande  Centuries ago, the planners and the rulers favoured settlements closer to the water bodies. Now, planners and rulers are thinking regularly to bring more and more water from distant bodies/rivers to suffice the ever-rising demand in cities. What has led to things changing to this extent? The only answer that comes to one’s mind is -- purposeful neglect of natural and man-made water systems! The most unfortunate part is that the neglect has continued for years together in many cities across the country including the present-day city of Nagpur. Though the authorities concerned may perform their duty by denying such neglect, the fact remains that Nagpur city is getting water supply from far-away Pench reservoir through projects like Pench Phase-I, Phase-II, Phase-III, Phase-IV... Also remains the fact that lakes and rivers in the city are polluted and converted into nullahs or open gutters. This also highlights that at some point in history,

26-04-14 * Meeting held on Friday sets deadline of March 2015 for achieving the goals * NEERI to prepare a concept paper on Nag river rejuvenation * NMC to prepare a Master Plan, to take up the task of Red and Blue markings By Kartik Lokhande  Various agencies came together on Friday and deliberated upon the actions to be taken to rejuvenate Nag river and taking proper care of city’s water system components including Futala lake. Laying the foundation of scientific approach, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) Chairman Ravi Budhiraja asked National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to prepare a concept paper on the issue. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) was asked to prepare a Master Plan regarding rejuvenation of Nag river, and also to take up the task of Red and Blue markings so that constructions did not come up in the river bed or in the vicinity of the river. Some more important suggestions included installation of CCTV cam

24-04-14 * As against the supply of 15,000 litres of milk daily to Nagpur, now ‘Aarey’ brand supply has come down only to around 6,000 litres a day and that too from Wardha * Non-homogenised ‘Aarey’ milk is being supplied at higher price to Nagpur since April 1 By Kartik Lokhande  One’s adversity could be another’s opportunity. This is proving true in case of milk supply. Since the handing over of Government Dairy at Nagpur to Mother Dairy from April 1, the supply of ‘Aarey’ brand of milk to Nagpur has been affected. And, this has proven to be an opportunity for private suppliers. In October 2013, Maharashtra Cabinet had decided to provide about 10 acres of land of Government Dairy at Nagpur to Central Government’s Mother Dairy on 30-years lease to increase milk output. Accordingly, from April 1, Government Dairy at Nagpur closed down. However, sources said, Mother Dairy is yet to start production. With ‘Aarey’ brand of milk going out of supply, and Mother Dairy brand

19-04-14 Cotton Federation opposes the move and wants the Government to let it explore avenues other than cotton procurement to become financially viable again By Kartik Lokhande Maharashtra State Co-operative Cotton Growers’ Marketing Federation Limited (MSCCGMF or popularly known as Cotton Federation), which has been hitting the nadir in cotton procurement over the last few years, is facing a new challenge now. Maharashtra Government is considering the proposal to merge Cotton Federation with Maharashtra State Marketing Federation (Markfed). However, Cotton Federation has opposed the move and has requested the Government to let it explore other avenues of revenue generation than cotton procurement. Formed in the year 1984 to implement the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme (MCPS), the Cotton Federation has been procuring cotton from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). According to the officials, cotton procurement at MSP has protected the farmers from selling

17-04-14 A SUNDAY SUNDAE Feature  Usually, one associates smaller towns with rural feel and imageries of narrow roads, open drains, slow citizen services etc. If one talks of schools run by the local bodies in such town, others perceive those to be not-so-clean environs and lack of proper learning facilities for students. However, Katol Municipal Council in Nagpur district has taken a great leap ahead in changing these perceptions about smaller towns. It has launched various initiatives with e-governance modules. Let us know more about the initiatives and the results... By Kartik Lokhande Faster citizen services, online property tax assessment, building permission, well-prepared website, closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in office, LED street-lights... One may associate these sophisticated features with bigger municipal corporations. But, Katol Municipal Council has proved this notion wrong. For, it has adopted e-governance with such zeal that all the above fe

15-04-14 The pilot project is to be implemented in total 150 hectares spread over Nagpur, Amravati, and Wardha districts By Kartik Lokhande  Oranges and Vidarbha are inseparables. In fact, Nagpur is also known as Orange City because of orange cultivation and export of oranges to other parts of the country and abroad. However, over the years, things have not remained the same as far as quality and productivity of orange fruit is concerned. Considering this, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) Directorate at Nagpur has decided to undertake a novel project. The MGNREGS Directorate has chalked out a plan to implement a pilot project on orange cultivation under the widely popular scheme in three districts of Vidarbha. The project is proposed to be implemented in Nagpur, Amravati, and Wardha districts. In each district, 50 hectares of land will be covered under the project. At present, Vidarbha region has 1.48 lakh hectares of area under orang