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State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-07-2005
Siddaramaiah calls Gowda Hitler, not to join any party
August 06, 2005 18:43 IST
Terming his ouster by Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda as an "act of vendetta and undemocractic," sacked Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday, categorically ruled out joining any party, including the Congress.
Pouring out his anger against Gowda, a day after he was sacked as the deputy chief minister, he accused the former prime minister of being "a dictator, no less than Hitler."
Coming down heavily on his dismissal and of two ministers loyal to him, Siddaramaiah said the party supremo's action was "bereft of any reason" as none of them faced any charges or were incompetent to handle ministries. "I am in Janata Dal (S). I am a Janata Dal man. It is my house," he said in a press conference, categorically ruling out joining any other party.
Siddaramaiah said Gowda rejected the CM's post to JDS only to prevent him from becoming the chief minister. He claimed that his efforts were responsible in bringing the support of backward classes, dalits and minorities for the party, which helped it win more seats in the last assembly elections.
"I am committed to secularism and social justice. I need not take lessons from Gowda on these issues. Has Gowda not attended caste based programmes," he asked. Gowda has insulted BCs, dalits and minorities, he alleged and said he would acccept his dismissal as a challenge and fight for the cause of oppressed sections.
Siddaramaiah asserted that he brought in financial soundness in Karnataka and was a more pro-farmer leader as he gave them interest waiver and low interest farm credit.
Meanwhile, National Democratic Alliance Convenor and Janata Dal (United) leader George Fernandes met Siddaramaiah, in an apparent move to wean him away to his party.
After the meeting, Fernandes declined to comment on the discussions he had with Siddaramaiah. "He (Siddaramaiah) is a wise person. He knows what exactly needs to be done in a certain situation," Fernandes said to repeated queries on whether he invited the rebel JDS leader to join JDU.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/06rebel.htm
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-07-2005
Why they had sacked Siddaramaiah ?
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-07-2005
Mudy, from the article:
"Siddaramaiah was sacked on Friday as an upshot of his soured relations with party supremo H D Deve Gowda."
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/06prakash.htm
Don't know the exact reason.
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-08-2005
AP sounds flood alert in 5 districts
Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad | August 07, 2005 17:15 IST
With both the Krishna and Godavari rivers in spate due to the heavy inflows from the neigbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Andhra Pradesh government has sounded a high flood alert in 5 districts in the state.
With record inflows into the Krishna in 7 years, floodwaters entered the low-lying areas of Vijayawada city as the outflow into the sea from the Prakasam barrage reached 3 lakh cusecs on Sunday afternoon. The outflow is expected to double to 6 lakh cusecs by evening.
Authorities warned that a flood threat, which could be bigger than what was witnessed in 1998, loomed large over Krishna and Guntur districts. About 27,000 people were evacuated from the banks of the Krishna river.
District officials said people living in low-lying areas as well as encroachments on river banks had been shifted to safer places.
Similarly, people from 6 villages in Thotlevalluru and 9 villages in Diviseema at the mouth of the river were evacuated as their settlements faced the threat of submergence.
As there was likelihood of breaches at some places, Irrigation Department officials mobilisedthousands of sandbags and placed them for reinforcing the
embankments. "Though the outflow at Prakasam barrage is expected to reach 6 lakh cusecs, we have taken precautionary steps to face the situation even if it crosses 7 lakh cusecs," the Krishna district collector said.
The flood situation turned grim along the banks of the Tungabhadra as the inflows rose to 1.6 lakh cusecs. Backwaters of Tungabhadra inundated the low-lying areas in Kurnool city. The Joharapuram bridge across river Handri in Kurnool was submerged in the swelling waters.
A 22-year-old youth, Shahnawaz Khan, was washed away in the backwaters.
There was no let-up in the heavy floods in the river Krishna, with many of its tributaries such as the Bhima, Tungabhadra, Ujjain and Ghatarabha in spate.
Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams in the state registered record inflows and outflows which were comparable only to the levels registered on October 14, 1998, when the Srisailam right bank power house was submerged.
There was a steady outflow from the Almatti and Narayanpur reservoirs in neighbouring Karnataka. Hence, the inflows and outflows at the Jurala project in AP reached a peak. Consequently, the inflows into Srisailam dam touched 7.64 lakh cusecs on Sunday.
Keeping the water level in the dam at 874 feet as against the full reservoir level of 885 feet, the authorities were releasing 6.88 lakh cusecs through all available outlets.
The downstream Nagarjunasagar dam received inflows of 6.77 lakh cusecs. The authorities were letting out 6 lakh cusecs into the downstream Prakasam barrage.
Godavari and its tributaries such as the Penganga, Pranahita and Indravati were also receiving heavy inflows from the upstream state of Maharashtra. Flood waters crossed the danger mark at Eturnagaram in Warangal and Bhadrachalam in Khammam district. The authorities have evacuated scores of families from low-lying areas in the two districts.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/07aprain.htm
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-14-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Relief and Rescue activities by RSS workers during Mumbai & kokan floods
-RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH-- JANAKALYAN SAMITI â
Help provided by RSS workers for first 8 days after the 26th July deluge to flood devastated people of Mumbai and Kokan Region.
________________________________________________
Mumbai
1. Help Centres : 22
2. Hamlets : 76
3. Helped Families : 80,000 people of 17,000 families
3. Cleaning & Conserving : 35 Dumper Garbage cleaning. 22 hamlets - Cleaning / fumigation and water purification
4. Emergency Housing : For 2 days - 10 places
For 6 days - 6 places
5. Distribution of Grains : 20 tonnes
6. Supply of plastic sheets: 400 families
7. Mats & Bedsheets : 2000 people
8. Medical Help : Medicare centers for 5 days - one 4 days - one
Medical camps - 8
âChlorovatâ for water purification â 3,000 bottles (1 per Family)
9. Food Supply : 2000 people for 5 days
Biscuit Packets - 1 gross Bread - 4,000 loafs
Tea & Sugar - 135 kg. Milk - 4,000 Litre
10.Volunteers : 1,200 Swayamsevaks
11. Other Highlights :
⢠Removal of debris, boulders & muck at Sakinaka land slide site
⢠Similar removal of debris at Mandala (Chembur), B.A.R.C. Labour colony.
⢠Safe passage provided to 250 commuters from Ghatkopar to Thane by Vikroli Nagar Secretary from his own vehicle.
⢠Providing boarding & lodging in Swayamsevaks own houses for 500 people of Prabodhan Nagar & Unnatnagar whose houses had submerged.
⢠Provision of boarding & lodging for 200 people belonging to Aappa Pada-Malad by Harishchandra Yadav, Nagar Sanghchalak at his factory and at his house both of which had submerged in the flood.
⢠10 families of Mahakali Shantinagar were looked after at swayamsevakâs residence.
Thane, Raigad & Ratnagiri Region
1. Help Centres : 31
2. Villages provided with help : 135 villages, 34 hamlets & 13,152 families.
3. Food Supply : 77,250 people for 2 to 3 days.
Food packets for 600 travellers of âMangala Expressâ.
4. Distribution of Grains : Grains - 25 tonnes Oil - 2,000 kg.
5. Mats & Bedsheets : 6800 people
6. Clothing : 17,000 people
7. Utensil Kits : For 2,000 families
8. Cleaning & Conserving : Cleaning & fumigation at Thane, Kalyan, Dombivali & Chiplun.
14 Truck load of Garbage. 45 volunteers Cleaned & sweeped the mud filled Mahad Market area Chiplun areas for 3 days.
9. Medical Help : 26 villages â 11,650 people
17 doctors worked for 2 to 3 days non-stop
Water purification â 8,000 bottles of âChlorovatâ
10.Volunteers : 1,315 Swayamsevaks
11. Other Highlights :
⢠Help to Govt. surveys at Kalyan, Dombivali
⢠Rajaram Patil, Sangh Swayamsevak single handedly saved many women and children from Kalyan (East) Chawl & provided succour at his own residence.
⢠Cremation of 30 bodies at the request of Kalyan-Dombivali Police by Swayamsevaks.
⢠Opening of fair price shop at Titwala to overcome price hikes by local shopkeepers.
⢠At Ulhasnagar, Taluka Secretary though not knowing swimming saved a woman and her two children from 8 ft. deep gorge.
⢠At Badlapur 65 people were saved from watery grave who were drifting in a flood current.
⢠At Dudhani landslide Matheran hill locale swayamsevaks climbed by rapling with the help of âNisarg Mantri Mandal' & gave initial help.
⢠At Veldur Tal. Guhagar â Two Muslim Fishermen Societies brought 130 family kits consisting of utensils, mats, bedsheets to RSS Office. They requested that the distribution of these material should be undertaken by Sangh workers only. The first 10 families were given these kits in their presence. The workers of the fisherman societies offered further help whenever necessary.
⢠At Chiplun the Sangh Office was converted in to a Control Centre. The govt. officers and municipal employees were directing all those requiring help to this office saying that, if you require urgent help, contact Sangh Office.
www.rss.org
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-15-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Death toll mounts to 142 in Mumbai, Thane
August 14, 2005 15:13 IST
With 18 more deaths in the metropolis since Saturday night, the death toll due to high fever or suspected leptospirosis and other rain-related ailments in Mumbai and adjoining Thane district has increased to 142, official sources said.
A total of 107 persons died of fever in Mumbai till date following the July 26 deluge, sources said.
Altogether 700 persons with complaints of fever were admitted to various hospitals in the city in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Sunday compared to around 1,000 on Saturday, the sources added.
With this, the total number of persons getting admitted to hospitals due to fever since July 27 has gone up to 5,010, the sources said adding, many of them have been discharged.
The figure of fresh admissions in Thane district was not available, official sources said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had visited V N Desai hospital on Saturday and interacted with patients while urging the state government to take all possible efforts to tackle the situation.
A central team headed by Director General (Health), Dr S K Agrawal had also visited Mumbai on August 12 and toured the affected regions, besides holding a meeting with the chief minister. The team also brought along diagnostic kits for leptospirosis as there was no such facility available in Mumbai.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/14fever.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-15-2005
<!--emo&:thumbsup--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbup.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbup.gif' /><!--endemo--> [FONT=Times][SIZE=1][COLOR=blue]
<b>This village speaks gods language</b>
S. KUSHALA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005 11:04:57 AM ]
PROUD SONS
Mathoor has produced over 30 Sanskrit professors who are teaching in Kuvempu, Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore Universities, besides many software engineers. Among the illustrious personalities from the village are Mathoor Krishnamurthy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, violinist Venkataram, and gamaka exponent H.R. Keshavamurthy.
Helping themselves
The main source of livelihood in Mathoor is the cultivation of arecanut, coconut and vegetables. The village has a primary health centre, a co-op society, a few provision shops and two schools.
But the residents donât raise a din over lack of infrastructure. In fact, the village is an ideal example of <b>self-governance </b>as it were. <i>They pump water from the river directly and have provided all their houses with separate connections</i>. <b>Last year, when the village lake was filled with hyacinth and the government threw up its hands as the cost of cleaning the lake was estimated at Rs 1 crore, they didnât sulk</b>.
About 70 of them got together, swam through the lake and physically removed the weeds. The task was done in 45 days.
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-16-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Death toll mounts to 233 in Mumbai, Thane
August 15, 2005 15:17 IST
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/15rain.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-16-2005
Why there is no criticism from Sonia Gandhi? She should take out her leather whip against her own Chief Minister. <!--emo&:bcow--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_cowboy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_cowboy.gif' /><!--endemo--> She was very quick to open her mouth against Modi.
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-16-2005
I saw her on Zee tv she was visting gujarat and only thing she can speak is cach doles are not given to people.
In Mah. CM is preparing the relief package.
No word about why did it happen, how can we improve... not that I doubt her 'Skills' but I have always seen her waving hand like Indira in white saree while touring India and speaking about relief money like she is a santa....
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-17-2005
<!--emo&:devil--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/devilsmiley.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='devilsmiley.gif' /><!--endemo-->
While v r engaging with Pak, what is this happening at home :
Caught someoneâs eye: CM skips âJai Hindâ
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
Posted online: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 at 0347 hours IST
Jammu, August 16: After months criticism on functioning of the coalition government, the Jammu and Kashmir Nathional Panthers Party supremo Bhim Singh has found yet another reason to criticise the Chief Minister. Singh has now objected that Chief Minister skipped word Jai Hind in his Independence Day address.
In a statement here today, Bhim Singh said that ââthe stances of the Chief Minister and his MP daughter who smack of distance from mainstream should not be taken non-seriously by the Central governmentââ.
He said that this is an open defying Constitutional obligation to wish Jai Hind to the people on national days, more so on Independence Day. ââIt was Sayeed who persuaded the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to skip Jai Hind to conclude his address to the public at Srinagar on April 18, 2003,ââ said Bhim Singh.
Singh said that his party has also taken serious note of PDP president for condemning the Army, paramilitary forces and demanding their replacement by state police. ââLapses by the Chief Minister and the PDP chief are not good signal for strengthening nationalistic forces in the state,ââ said the JKLNPP supremo.
He said a meeting of the party it has also been decided to take up the matter with the President, Prime Minister and the Congress president and seek action against the Chief Minister and the PDP president.<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Optima'> Link Please</span></span>
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-17-2005
This is the link:
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=52866
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-18-2005
reason behind Mr Siddaramaiah sacking
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The decision of Mr Siddaramaiah to attend an apolitical rally of the Backward Classes, Dalits and Minorities (BDM) last month at Hubli, had led to his sacking because his Janata Dal (Secular) party chief and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda had opposed the Hubli rally. </b>
With the sacking of Mr Siddaramaiah, the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) Government was on the verge of collapse, as Mr Deve Gowda had not taken kindly to some of the Congress leaders backing the Hubli rally, which was actually a show of strength by Mr Siddaramaiah.
Mr Deve Gowda met Congress President Sonia Gandhi twice after the Hubli rally to get an undertaking from the latter that Congress will not back the proposed BDM rallies planned under the leadership of Mr Siddaramaiah, who still technically continues to remain in the Janata Dal (Secular). However, <b>Mr Deve Gowda has not got any such assurance because efforts are on to wean away Mr Siddaramaiah to the Congress.</b> <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->link
State News And Discussion - II - Bharatvarsh - 08-18-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Andhra Pradesh government re-imposes ban on Maoists
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/17ap1.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-23-2005
<b>Gujarat BJP rebels, Congress in secret pact</b>
KP is a biggest fool on earth.
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-24-2005
He is fuc*ing Jai Chand, mothe*fuc*, Being a patel my self I don't like this old fart... he should retire before he screaws up Gujarat when it's economy is looking up.
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-24-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/nation/2005/august/116905.htm
<b>Rebels want Modi out for personal reasons </b>
August 24, 2005
By: Deepak Lokhande
While gunning for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modiâs head, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Keshubhai Patel, Kanshiram Rana and Suresh Mehta have more than just public interest on their minds. Each of them is driven by personal reasons.
Keshubhai Patel, who is the most vocal of them all, wants Modi removed at any cost because the Modi government suddenly hiked the premium on de-reserved land meant to be utilised for commercial purposes.
This hurt Patelâs interests. His son Bharat and son-in-law Mayur Parikh were affected by it. <b>The hike forced property rates to balloon up, leaving investors, most of whom support Patel, in the cold.
As a result, over one-and-half lakh flats in Surat are lying vacant with no buyers</b>. <!--emo&:lol:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='laugh.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Similarly, commercial complexes in Surat, Vapi, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, most of them built by the Patel-supporter buildersâ lobby, are awaiting buyers, who turned away after the rates had to be increased by over 100 per cent to meet the hike in the premium by the Modi government.
The Patel camp insists Modi did this to hurt Keshubhai. Modi also played similar mischief with the diamond traders from Surat, who till recently backed Patel. A one per cent sales tax was levied on the diamond industry.
This was removed by Modi after the representatives met him, but only after an assurance that they wonât support Keshubhai any more.
Modi threatened them with reintroducing the sales tax and levying additional cess if they did so. There is little surprise then, that Keshubhai wants Modiâs head to roll.
Suresh Mehta was promised a constitutional development board for Kutch region by Patel.
Losing five out of six parliamentary seats in this region and most of the panchayats to Congress, a development board is the only option for Mehta who is seeking political resurrection. But Modi is yet to clear the proposal that was set in motion over five years ago.
Kanshiram Rana is the least affected party of the three. He wants an affidavit from the Gujarat state government that will tilt the balance in his favour in a case against his South Gujarat Medical Education Trust.
Modi is dillydallying for a long time. As the top BJP leadership is aware of the personal reasons for the revolt against Modi, it has so far not removed him. ââReports from Gujarat are in favour of Modi, as far as governance is concerned. So why remove him?â sources asked<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-25-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Babu's petty game </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Pushed to the margins of politics in Andhra Pradesh after Telugu Desam Party's disastrous performance in last year's Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu appears to be driven by an all-consuming desire to be seen as politically relevant although, for the moment, he counts for nothing on his home turf.
Hence his desperate bid to forge a rag-tag alliance of losers of various shades, each one of them an ardent champion of regional aspirations but blind to India's national interest.
It is at best amusing to watch Mr Naidu, once a poster boy of institutions not known for espousing regionalism and a permanent fixture at Davos where the world is celebrated as a seamless market, trying to forge a "Third Front" along with Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Mr Brindaban Goswami and Mr Omar Abdullah.
<b>Mr Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal is still licking its wounds after being ruthlessly mauled by the Congress earlier this year, Mr Goswami's Asom Gana Parishad is one of the many factions and groups that claim to represent the real party and Mr Abdullah's National Conference hopes to grab power if the Mufti's regime in Srinagar falls. </b>
Such then are the leading lights of Mr Naidu's dream alliance that aspires to take charge of the cockpit of governance in India; in his desperation to gain some semblance of relevance, he has not bothered with the fact that the aggregate of the so-called regional aspirations represented by Telugu Desam Party, Indian National Lok Dal, Asom Gana Parishad and National Conference is not equal to India's aspirations.
If he is aware of this reality but has chosen to ignore it, then he lacks the vision of a true leader; on the contrary, notwithstanding his posturing as a visionary that fetched him accolades during the years he was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, he is worthy of nothing more than his current status that does not merit definition.
In the past, India has suffered enormously on account of regional parties forging an alliance of convenience and grabbing power at the Centre. The two disastrous years when the United Front, of which Mr Naidu was the chairman, ruled India are still fresh in public memory and few have forgotten the pathetic performance of either Mr HD Deve Gowda or his successor, Mr IK Gujral.
Thankfully, that experiment of vesting power without accountability in what is touted as the "Third Front" of Indian politics imploded under the assault of contradictions that defined its constituents.
Those contradictions still exist because without them these bit players in India's complex democratic passion play would lose their distinct identities. Mr Naidu is welcome to his regional chauvinism and parochial politics, but he should spare today's resurgent and new India the burden of his folly as also that of his allies-in-the-making.
Hopefully, wisdom shall prevail over the Left parties and they will steer clear of Mr Naidu's deplorable politics; equally hopefully, Mr Parkash Singh Badal will not squander Akali Dal's enormous goodwill.
<b>If in Mr Naidu's perception the Congress is a 'rock' and the BJP a 'hard place'</b>, and neither really suits his party, then <b>he should perhaps seriously consider getting rid of the baggage of regionalism and begin to think big - as opposed to dreaming big - so that he can aspire for a place in national politics.</b>
Or else he might as well reconcile himself to being nothing more than a footnote of Andhra Pradesh politics.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
State News And Discussion - II - acharya - 08-25-2005
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Will SC save the act of Bhagirath(i) : 1st engineer of universe
Will Bhagirathi go the Saraswati way? SC notices Centre
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, August 11, 2005 at 1501 hours IST
New Delhi, August 11: Will upper arm of river ganga, the Bhagirathi, go underground like the mythological Saraswati and wreak havoc in Terai region due a to non-release of water from the controversial Tehri dam?
Taking into account this concern raised in an application filed by CMDR Sureshwar Sinha, which is also shared by noted scientist Prof M G K Menon, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Y K Sabharwal issued notices to the Centre and Uttaranchal government indicating that the issue needed to be addressed urgently.
Giving six-days to the governments to file their responses and steps contemplated to meet the feared catastrophe, the bench, also comprising Justice B N Srikrishna and Justice P P Naolekar said, "if any steps were to be taken immediately, the governments could initiate them without even taking the leave of the court."
The court also issued notice to Tehri Dam Management Authority on the application which said the dam on the river Bhagirathi was not performing as expected, with most of its water finding its way into a deep aquifer due to low release of storage water on the river for surface flow.
"There is now a distinct danger of the river disappearing underground," it said adding that when the dam's last tunnel is closed in October-November the flow of the river water into the deep aquifer would increase substantially reducing the surface flow.<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'><span style='font-family:Arial'></span></span>
State News And Discussion - II - Guest - 08-25-2005
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Panchayati Democracy Flouishes in BJP ruled Rajasthan
India Explained, India Empowered: a special series
Thar village mines its own business
SANDIPAN SHARMA
Posted online: Thursday, August 25, 2005 at 0215 hours IST
JAIPUR, AUGUST 24: Like several other villages in Thar Desert, Kharantia Panchayat of Barmer is facing its ninth consecutive drought this year. But its sarpanch, Kirta Ram, is not a worried man.
Though the golden-brown fields in his village are barren and the ponds are fast drying up, Kirta Ram is confident that his village will not have to ââbeg in front of the governmentââ for relief and survival this year.
ââWe are no longer at their mercy. Our izzat,ââ he says tapping his colourful Marwari paag (turban) ââwill now remain in our hands.ââ
Kirta Ramâs confidence comes from a piece of paper pasted on the noticeboard of his panchayat.
On June 6 this year, barely a few days after he mastered a wavy, wind-shaken signature, Kirta Ram put his name in bold below a declaration that could rewrite the future of his village.
The declaration, made unanimously by the panchayats, gives them decisive rights over the only natural resource in their villageâthe mines.
For years, the minersâ lobby has exploited the large reserves of limestone and masonry material here, without giving anything in return to its people. But starting this winter, miners will have to pay a hefty tax to the panchayat.
The resolution passed by the panchayat says:
⢠Fifty per cent of the royalty earned from the mining licences will be passed to the panchayat. The villagers will utilise this money to develop local infrastructure.
⢠There will be a clearly demarcated area for mining in the masterplan of the villages.
⢠Mining for village welfare
⢠Minersâ lobby has been exploiting large reserves of limestone without giving anything in return to villagers
⢠Now fifty per cent of the royalty earned from mining licences will be passed to the panchayat
⢠Villagers to use money for infrastructure, drought relief work
The mining lease will be given with the consent of the panchayats.
⢠Miners will plant trees and pay for their maintenance in the area identified by the panchayats to compensate for the loss in biodiversity in the area.
⢠Machinisation will not be allowed. Instead, locals will be employed as mine labour.
With the mining royalties fixed between Rs 60 and Rs 30 per tonne, the villagers hope to earn around Rs 25 lakh every year through the new tax. This money, though small, will help the panchayat give employment to its people and start drought relief work, something that was, till recently, the prerogative of the government.
The resolution has swept through the Thar like a duststorm. Already six other panchayats in Barmer and JaisalmerâJethwai, Sanu, Joga, Sanfa, Raghva and Sarnuâhave passed similar resolutions. And many more are likely to follow.
ââNow we will become masters of our own fate,ââ says Kana Ram, chairperson of the Jethwai cooperative society which will regulate local mining and raise taxes in their panchayat.</span>