The Hindu : No stopping Khurana, `darbar' to begin on Feb. 9

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Sunday, Feb 01, 2004

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No stopping Khurana, `darbar' to begin on Feb. 9

By Our Staff Correspondent

JAIPUR, JAN. 31. The Rajasthan Governor, Madan Lal Khurana, has decided to go ahead with his much talked about plan to hold a "darbar'' for people living below the poverty line despite misgivings about it expressed by several quarters. The unique hour-long event will begin at Raj Bhavan here on February 9 morning.

Mr. Khurana intends to listen to the grievances of people in the darbar and ensure that the benefits of the Centrally-sponsored schemes and other projects for the BPL families reach the eligible people and the field machinery dealing with the poor is made more responsive.

The Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, will accompany the Governor during the daily hearing sessions, even though the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's high command had recently disapproved of Mr. Khurana's plan of action. The party feels that the Governor should desist from embroiling himself in the day-to-day affairs of governance to avoid the allegation of helping out the ruling party.

However, the `darbar' concept seems to have affected the Ministers in the BJP-led Government as well, as they have started holding people's hearings in the BJP's State headquarter here ostensibly to help the common man. The Ministers sit in the party headquarter on the days fixed for them and issue directions on the spot to the officials concerned.

The Pradesh Congress Committee, which had spoken in murmurs against the Governor's move, has protested against the trend gaining ground and termed it as a stunt ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The principal Opposition party says that these darbars are benefiting only the BJP cadres and have revived the feudal past of princely states.

However, an official statement issued here today quoted Mr. Khurana as saying that the event would be termed "Ghareeb Sunwai Kendra'' (hearing for the poor). He affirmed that naming the exercise as darbar would defeat its very purpose and deny the benefits to the targeted people belonging to the BPL families.

A permanent cell -- comprising representatives of the Governor's office and Chief Minister's office -- would be established in Raj Bhavan to listen to the grievances of visitors to the hearing centre. It will contact the officials concerned for disposal of complaints and submit progress reports to both the Governor and the Chief Minister.

Mr. Khurana has instructed that those coming to the hearing should bring with them their BPL cards to prove their identity. Priority would be accorded to the grievances of individuals rather than the complaints lodged by delegations of people. Significantly, the hearing centre would function even if the Governor and Chief Minister are engaged in other commitments.

Though Mr. Khurana had announced his plan after assuming office to launch the special arrangement for hearing from the first week of February, the darbar will begin on February 9 because of the Governor's absence from the State Capital. He will be in New Delhi from February 2 to 4, in Udaipur on February 5 and Alwar on February 8.

About 23-lakh BPL cards have been issued in Rajasthan. Of them, 5.59 families of very poor category are entitled to get wheat at the rate of Rs. 2 per kg and rice at Rs. 3 per kg under the Antyodaya foodgrain scheme. The official statement pointed out that the main objective of the hearing was to ensure that the facilities like this were not misused.

It remains to be seen how far the Governor's hearings would help the ordinary people. Amid the accusations against Mr. Khurana of attempting to misuse the Governor's largely ceremonial office by assuming an administrator's role, the issue is likely to be raised in the Assembly during the extended sitting of its first session beginning on February 4.

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