The Hindu : M.P. case against ex-ministers revived

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Friday, Feb 06, 2004

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M.P. case against ex-ministers revived

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, FEB. 5. The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has reversed its predecessor Congress Government's decision to withdraw the case filed against two former State Ministers, B.R. Yadav and Rajendra Kumar Singh, under the Anti-Corruption Act, 1988 and issued instructions for retrieval of the application presented earlier in the Special Court for withdrawal of the case and to allow the law to take its course in the case.

This decision was taken by the State Cabinet at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Uma Bharti. The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta had registered a criminal case against Mr.Yadav and Mr. Singh, and the then Additional Secretary ( Environment), R. D. Ahirwar, under the Anti-Corruption Act.

After the investigation, charge-sheets were filed against the two former Ministers in a Special Court here. However the previous Congress Government, at its Cabinet meeting held on September 18, 2003, decided to withdraw this case. Subsequently, in October 2003, the special public prosecutor had submitted an application in the Special Court for withdrawal of the case. The Cabinet approved the new arrangement proposed by the forest department to go for bids and appoint purchasers of tendu leaf (used for rolling beedis) on a competitive basis even before its collection.

It also endorsed the new arrangement for collection of and trade in tendu leaf. Under the new dispensation the Madhya Pradesh State Cooperative Minor Forest Produce Federation (Laghu Vanopaj Sangh) would appoint purchasers of tendu leaf on competitive basis prior to its collection. The Federation would collect tendu leaf through primary forest produce cooperative societies and sell it to the pre-appointed purchasers in "green condition''.

Under the new arrangement, in the absence of buyers in the primary forest produce society areas, tendu leaf would be collected as was being done till now and sold from the godowns of the State Minor Forest Produce Federation.

The Cabinet directed that all steps be taken to ensure that tendu leaf collectors get their full payment and are not exploited. The Cabinet went on to approve the proposal to raise a security battalion with the objective of improving the professional competence of the police personnel/body guards deployed for the security of VIPs. Only competent police officers would be trained and posted in the security battalion for a specific period and no fresh posts would be created for it. After considering a report of the Cabinet Sub Committee, the Cabinet also decided to give up the proposal for winding up the Madhya Pradesh Police Housing Corporation Ltd. Instead, the Cabinet decided that the funds meant for various construction related works under the police modernization scheme would be handed over to the Police Housing Corporation.

On the matter of enlisting certain castes as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the Cabinet decided to write to the Government of India to enlist the Keer, Meena, Pardhi, Panika and Gwari castes as Scheduled Tribes. Similarly, it also decided to make a recommendation to the Centre to enlist even castes like Dheewar, Kewat, Kahar, Bhoi, Mallah, Nishad, Majhi and Majhwar as Scheduled Tribes. It has further been decided to recommend to the Centre to enlist Dhobi and Rajak castes as Scheduled Castes for the entire State.

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M.P. case against ex-ministers revived