The Hindu : Uma reverses many Digvijay decisions

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Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

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Uma reverses many Digvijay decisions

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, JAN 14. The Madhya Pradesh Government has kept its options open and is prepared to seek a vote-on-account instead of presenting a regular Budget in the State Assembly if there is an announcement to go for early Lok Sabha elections. This was announced by the State Minister for Public Works Department, Kailash Vijayvargiya, while briefing newsmen about today's meeting of the State Cabinet, presided over by the Chief Minister, Uma Bharti.

Mr. Vijayvargiya told newsmen that the Cabinet has cleared an ambitious employment scheme for 89 tribal blocks in the State. Under this scheme, 180 days of employment would be guaranteed to at least one member of each landless family residing in the tribal areas. Till now only 50 to 60 days of employment was being provided to these sections through various employment generation schemes, Mr. Vijayvargiya said, adding that the Chief Minister has asked the wings of the State Government concerned to prepare an Action Plan for mobilising Rs. 258 crores that would be needed to implement this scheme.

The PWD Minister dubbed the previous Congress Government's order to impose a collective fine on the people of Rajgarh district and Dhar district as a "Tughlaqi and Nadirshahi'' order and said that the State Cabinet has decided to issue administrative orders to cancel the community fine imposed on the villagers.

Mr. Vijayvargiya told newsmen that the Cabinet has decided to start from February 1 the process of reinstating thousands of daily wage Government employees, who had been summarily dismissed from service by the previous Government. The retrenched workers, who have not received any compensation, would be reinstated after submitting a special proforma with proof of service. Those who have been compensated by the Government would also be eligible for reinstatement but they would be required to fill the same proforma and pay 20 per cent of the compensation while the remaining amount would be deducted by the Government in instalments. Even those who had gone to court contesting their dismissal would be eligible for reinstatement, Mr. Vijayvargiya informed newsmen.

Regarding the State Government's decision to disband the district Governments, the Minister said that the State Cabinet has issued instructions to ensure normal functioning at the divisional level. The Cabinet has decided that the status quo, as it existed before the setting up of the district Governments, should be restored.

The Minister further informed that the Cabinet has also approved the plan for amending the Stamps Act to pave the way for accepting challans instead of the stamp papers in special cases. This decision has been taken in view of the findings linked with the Telgi scam, he added.

Mr. Vijayvargiya parried questions when several journalists asked whether it was the considered policy of the State Government to promise post-retirement perks and high offices to top-level bureaucrats who were on the verge of retirement. The journalists queried the Minister on this issue without directly referring to the recent State Government decision to shift the Chief Secretary, A.V. Singh and appoint him as the Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority for a three-year period although he was on the verge of retirement. Mr. Vijayvargiya's response was that the Government has the powers to use its discretion and utilise the services of capable officers.

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Uma reverses many Digvijay decisions