Congress drowns itself now in Madhya Pradesh by ignoring new-emerging leaders
It was well understood that totally ignored fast-emerging-leader Jyotiraditya Scindia in Congress ultimately set to join BJP by leaving Congress along with his supporting MLAs and ministers in Congress-led Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. It is a dynastic tradition in Congress that emerging and deserving leaders in the party capable of shadowing party-owning family are deliberately ignored in the party for reasons best known to the party-owners who somehow are under compulsion of giving party-leadership to old veterans rather than capable new-emerging leadership.
However such unholy political bargains in making and unmaking of governments does require a basic reform in electing Chief Ministers (and simultaneously also Speakers and Deputy Speakers). Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker should be elected simultaneously by secret and compulsory vote through EVMs equipped with VVPAT on nominations signed by at least 34-percent members with abstaining members losing right to vote in the House though retaining membership. Such elected incumbents may be removed through same process but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. System will remove concept of hung assemblies and undesired mid-term elections or by-polls due to mass resignation of party-changing MLAs.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Separate kitchens in hotels and eateries for cooking non-vegetarian food necessary
It refers to steep and sharp decline in consumption of non-vegetarian food with spread of Coronavirus. Already vegetarianism is spreading fast with many hotels and restaurants becoming popular for being excusive vegetarian. Vegetarianism is becoming popular even in advanced countries.
Central and some states have taken some practical steps to fight danger of Corona being spread in the country. Time has come when central government should order that hotels, restaurants and eateries may have separate kitchens and kitchen-wares to cook non-vegetarian food with such system displayed prominently inside and outside such hotels, restaurants and eateries adopting practice of having separate kitchens and kitchen-wares to cook non-vegetarian food. Rather such display will increase their business because now-a-days of Corona-fear, vegetarian people are avoiding taking food at places where non-vegetarian food is also cooked.
Short of expectations but given the financial crisis
The Karnataka budget for 2020-21 has fallen short of expectations but given the financial crisis that the state is facing, it is perhaps the best that Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa could do. The budget size, at Rs 2.37 lakh crore, increased by a mere 1.5 percent , or less than Rs 4,000 crore, over last year. Admittedly, the chief minister was forced to cut grants to various departments due to a shortfall of nearly Rs 12,000 crore in the devolution of funds from the Centre and GST compensation in the current fiscal. Though, Rs 500 crore has been allotted to the long-pending Kalasa-Banduri project across River Mahadayi. The overall grant to the irrigation sector inspires no confidence. Again, the absence of reforms in agricultural markets and policies to encourage innovation across the value chain represent another lost opportunity. There is a need for accountability and financial discipline to ensure that development expenditure is maximised.
Arjand
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
