Maharashtra Govt. To Buy Bullet Proof Jackets

After facing flak from various quarters, the Maharashtra Government has finally decided to buy new bullet proof jackets. It will procure around 2,000 bullet-proof jackets as part of efforts to modernise the police force in the backdrop of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Home Minister R R Patil has directed the authorities to initiate the process for buying the jackets from an agency certified by the Centre. The agency supplies these jackets to the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and National Security Guard.

The Department has received flak over the quality of the bullet-proof jackets worn by officers like slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare who took on the terrorists during the attacks. Kavita Karkare, widow of Hemant Karkare, has also flayed Congress-led state government for providing poor-quality jacket to her husband, according to All India Radio.

The drama over the lost jacket worn by Karkare is still in progress. Kavita Karkare has alleged that the government is trying to mislead with some statements from sweepers and others. Her statements have some validity in it.

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BJP Shares Congress Drink

When it comes to money, there are hardly any difference between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. The fact was demonstrated today by the statement given by Gopinath Munde, deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. Talking to PTI, Munde said

BJP was not opposed to the Maharashtra government's move to make wine from rotten grains. Munde was in Aurangabad for the felicitation ceremony on his appointment as deputy opposition leader in the Lok Sabha. PTI quoted him saying, He said, "Neither I nor my party oppose the decision of the state government to prepare wine out of the decayed food grains. The farmers may get an additional income from it. I will, however, oppose the proposal to make wine out of eatable food grains

The government's move to allow making liquor and wine from rotten foodgrain has come under fire from various quarters. Organisations like Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmuan Samiti has opposed the move. Munde's support to government stand has come as a shocker to the organisations. It also marks a shift in the opposition's stand.  

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Puneites To Pray To Stop 'Flight' of Public Money

Puneites are gearing up to stop flights by relatives of the ministers. After the decision to allow even relatives of the ministers to allow free travel in aeroplanes, an organisation in the city is planning an agitation against the decision.

According to Jansamvedana Jagruti Abhiyan, the activists of the organisation along with public pray at the Shaniwar Wada. The people will pray that the planes taking the relatives should remain grounded. Manoj Phatak, chief of the organisation said the bill allowing free air travel to the kins of ministers was passed recently in the Rajya Sabha. The bill is expected to come in Lok Sabha soon. To prevent it from coming in Lok Sabha, we have embarked on this agitation.

The prayer meeting will be held at Shaniwar Wada on January 3.

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Can Doordarshan Regain Its Glory?

Think of it. 66 studio centers spread all over the country, out of these 23 centres are either already digitalised or being digitalized,  39 studio centers, 91 percent area covered all over India. Still Doordarshan is often called poordarshan because of its style of functionning. It seems it likes to work as just another government organ.

Ambika Soni, the minister for information and broadcasting informed the Lok Sabha yesterday through a written reply yesterday that massive plans are on for the modernisation of the national TV channel. "An amount of Rs. 1209 crore has been set aside for digitalization of Doordarshan out of an outlay of Rs. 1369 crore approved for the new schemes in the 11th Plan," she said.

All this information is only a technical one. There is nothing on the content side. The steady decline in the viewership gives a hint of the downward journey of Doordarshan. It is more pathetic considering that this is the golden jubilee year of the channel. Even though today it has 30 channels and a DTH service, Doordarshan does not figure anywhere in the TV map of India. What a pity?

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Storm In the Session! Really?

Before the advent of each session of legislature, it is a kind of ritual now to carry the stories on possible issues testing government. Accordingly, this time the media is saying that Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance government is said to be pushed to corner over some issues. These are `leakage' of the Pradhan Committee report on 26/11 terror attacks and farmer suicides. The question is : will it really?

The winter session of Maharashtra is beginning at Nagpur on Tuesday. It is expected to be dominated by above issues. The opposition is grinding its axe to attack the government on leakage of the report and reported allegations by former Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor. The top official has pointed four top police officers guilty of 'dereliction of duty' during the attacks. Allegations made by slain IPS officer Ashok Kamte's widow, Vinita, against Mumbai Crime Branch chief Rakesh Maria of mishandling the situation on 26/11 would also be raised in the House.

I suspect any furore will be raised over these issues. Was not it just three months ago that the same issues were predicted to bring a fall in government? Was not it that opposition parties, mainly Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party were betting heavily on farmers' suicides as their main election plank? Is it not futile to think that anything related with 26/11 will create a flutter, let alone a storm even one year after the incident and even when the main alive culprit Ajmal Kasab is yet to receive punishment?

With Maharashtra Navnirman Sena pursuing its own agenda of justice to locals, BJP still basking in the glory of retrieving leader of opposition's post in legislature assembly and Shiv Sena yet to come to terms with its lacklustre performance, who will raise questions and who will create a storm? Hence, even though the seriousness of questions being same, seriousness of any talk regarding serious business in assembly is a distant dream?

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The Magnificance of Shaniwarwada

Although Shaniwarwada bears no sign of royal history, there was a time when the place was non-official capital of India. Peshwas built the palace here. The place is a spectator of many incidents in the history of Maharashtra. The love story of Bajirao I and Mastani unfolded itself here. It was here that Narayan Peshwa was killed by his uncle Raghunath Peshwa on Dec.  13, 1772. For the fact, not Peshwa Raghunath killed himself Narayanrao. Gardis, the security guards attacked the young king. At the time, Narayanrao was just 16 years  old. Today, the palace has no signs of greatness as a single wall is standing there which served tas the outer coat for the security of the palace. The original mansion which was inhabited  by Peshwa fell victim to a fire in fire in 1828. The Maratha Empire was abolished in 1818. When Pune accepted the British rule, it was the beginning of the British Raj.

The Shaniwarwada was originally built as a residing place for the Pehwas. Bajirao I laid the foundation of the palace on Jauary 10, 1730. The actual construction was completed in 1732. The word Shaniar means Saturday in Marathi. The cost of the palace was Rs 16,110 at that time. At one time, the palace was occupied by over thousand people.

Even though the construction is mainly recognised by its imposing gates in the front, there are four other gates in the structure also. One is known as Narayan Darwaja, since it was from here that the dead body of Narayanrao Peshwa was taken out for crematio after he was murdered. The main gate is known as Dilli Darwaja because it is faced towards north, in the direction of Delhi. It was a sign of the ambitions of Peshwa to spread their kingdom. According to one legend, Bajirao chose the place for constructing his palace after he saw one rabbit chasing a hound. •

Yesterday, i was at Shaniwarwada.This was not my first visit to the ruins of the Maratha empire. I think I have visited the place at least two times before. But there is certain charm in the site where nothing extraordinary can be seen for a general person. Many people ask me what is there spectacular in Shaniwarwada. it is not easy for me to explain that the plae has more imaginative and historic value than that of an entertaining value. You should try to imagine the presence of Peshwas and history of the Maratha empire.

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Two Regional Tracks Led To Railway Exmination Decision

The announcement by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee that the railway recruitment examination in Marathi will be conducted soon comes as a boon for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. It is nothing less than a victory for the party which was consistently harping on the issue. However, the decision could not have come had Mamata herself was not an avid advocate of regional politics.

Banerjee, who was in Mumbai yesterday to flag off new train services, announced that the Candidates can now give their exams in their regional language mentioned in Schedule I of the Constitution including Marathi. Banerjee, also said the exams will now be held in a single day and also announced concessions in terms of postal orders for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and economically backward class (EBC) candidates appearing for the recruitment examinations.

Earlier Maharastra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had urged Railway Minister that people domiciled in the state should be given local employment opportunity first. Against the backdrop of MNS manhandling candidates from North India appearing in railway exams in Maharashtra, this announcement was a surprise gift for MNS. Especially in view of Shiv Sena being in the thick after ransacking IBN-Lokmat, the news could have a music to the MNS.

Banerjee herself is a devout fighter for the cause of Bengalis. The Tata fiasco in Singur notwithstanding, she has projected herself as an advocate of Bengali cause. Kolkata being heavily filled with Bihari workers, it is not a coincidence that the moment for the decision come when she became the railway minister.

The announcement by Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee that the railway recruitment examination in Marathi will be conducted soon comes as a boon for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. It is nothing less than a victory for the party which was consistently harping on the issue. However, the decision could not have come had Mamata herself was not an avid advocate of regional politics.

Banerjee, who was in Mumbai yesterday to flag off new train services, announced that the Candidates can now give their exams in their regional language mentioned in Schedule I of the Constitution including Marathi. Banerjee, also said the exams will now be held in a single day and also announced concessions in terms of postal orders for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and economically backward class (EBC) candidates appearing for the recruitment examinations.

Earlier Maharastra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had urged Railway Minister that people domiciled in the state should be given local employment opportunity first. Against the backdrop of MNS manhandling candidates from North India appearing in railway exams in Maharashtra, this announcement was a surprise gift for MNS. Especially in view of Shiv Sena being in the thick after ransacking IBN-Lokmat, the news could have a music to the MNS.

Banerjee herself is a devout fighter for the cause of Bengalis. The Tata fiasco in Singur notwithstanding, she has projected herself as an advocate of Bengali cause. Kolkata being heavily filled with Bihari workers, it is not a coincidence that the moment for the decision come when she became the railway minister.

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