OFF THE RECORD review on some of todays headlines….
1. Mantralaya Suicide
Has it become a trend in Maharashtra to come to Mantralaya & just die? or make an attempt by pouring kerosene on yourself to seek attention? What levels have people stooped too to blackmail the Government? This particular case of yesterday did not get its due publicity just because the person dead was a criminal. Bullsh**t!!! Death is death!! My fundamental question to media & all others…Why glorify death?
But I’ll tell you the reason for people to come to Mantralaya and try all these stunts is undoubtedly our Ministers. Sad but true, their work does not happen, liasioners & agents in their towns/villages make a fool out of them and this leaves them with no option but to reach Mantralaya. Here from getting the pass to enter Mantralaya (which takes nearly two hours) to wait for the Minister to come from his Anti-Chamber takes ages. Fortunately or Unfortunately Ministers & Bureaucrats get only two important days of Tuesdays & Wednesdays to hold their meetings from 2pm to 5 pm the most important and busiest days of Mantralaya. Monday, Thursday , Friday and the weekends none of the Ministers barring few, are not even in Mumbai, forget Mantralaya. IAS bureaucrats or most of the bureaucrats whom the poor visitor is waiting to meet, after getting the remark on his application for the Minister is made to wait for minimum 2 hours as the babu is called by another senior babu over “discussion”.
But not any fault of any bureaucrat, even for them all Ministers are there for 2 days only. Hence the onus of people coming to Mantralaya lies entirely on our Ministers. What has happened, not only this government but the previous one too, none of the Ministers are people’s representative’s anymore. Few exceptions are there..but majority of them live in a FORT guarded by violent bodyguards & rude PA’s in their own constituency. Common person say a farmer is already a scared person when he approaches his karma-dharta for a small work. Then there is corruption. With great conviction & courage they agree to the procedure of getting audience with the Minister. And God Bless them if the Minister is too big for his boots. One thing I really liked of Ajit Pawar, was that when he was the DCM there was not one Thursday when he did not meet common people in Darbar, and yes work happened. All other Ministers & bureaucrats were ready from 7am to 11am to receive his call personally firing the hell out of them for not helping the commoner. Only Ajit Pawar did that and could do that. RR Patil was another Minister who met a lot of people, but again Aaba was a sweet talker, work never happened on his remarks…it happened only if you went to him through one of his favourite journalist friend.
Anyway, after greasing the palms of PA’s or “dalaal” of these mantri’s when the chance comes, the Minister himself writes some abrupt remark on their application and asks the poor applicant to approach Mantralaya for further action. From arranging money to travel to Mumbai to literally begging to the local MLA for getting a place to sleep in his room, the poor person is just ridiculed in our system once he lands in Mumbai. Frustration along with anger sets in as the money spent is gone and the problem for which he had come to Mumbai remains unsolved.
Also, let me tell you, my father was the first one to write in 2000 how bad job the PWD had done in our old Mantralaya which can cause fire anytime. Minister Diwakar Roate had himself said this in Council when fire gutted our Mantralaya. Now i’ll tell you, if any untoward incident happens at new Mantralaya, many people will die just by jumping. There is no protection or escape route which commoners are aware off. And yes, please the cops at the gate can check you if you carry any harmful substance in your pockets, they cannot judge what you are carrying in your mind…
If anyone tells me that the suicides have increased in the BJP-SS government, my dear friends, irrigation scam was of 70,000 crores not me but CAG says. Were the farmers or whosoever OK with it? Yet again I conclude with saying, please do not glorify deaths, suicides never!!
2. New Textile Policy 2018-2023 was unveiled by CM Fadnavis
But along with the Chief Minister, credit also goes to the Finance Minister Mungantiwar, Co-op Minister Subhash Deshmukh & Secretary IAS Atul Patne for successfully getting the new policy passed after 6 months of delay. It is said to be the new wave in the Textile sector of Maharashtra which aims to create 10 lakh jobs and double the farmers income by 2023. With this new policy, Textile Sector would attract investments of INR 36,000 crore this period, claim its makers. The main aim of the policy remains to strengthen the spinning mills in the Cotton growing areas and also help in establishment of effluent treatment plant, not to forget Rejuvenating the Silk & Wool Sector and taking key initiative includes creation of “Adhyatmik Reshim” brand, and promotion of silk tourism corridors, silk cocoon centres and chawki centres… One of the highlight of the new policy would also be to catalyse the potential of non-conventional yarn such as Bamboo, Banana Hemp & Coir. For that Addl 10% subsidy for its production as well as its use in Garmenting & technical textile will be provided. A special cell to be formed at Textile department for promotion of non conventional yarn. Textile Parks to be set up under SITP scheme. Also Govt proposes to set up State Govt Textile parks at Yavatmal, Wardha, Amravati, Buldhana, Jalgaon, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Nanded, Ichalkaranji & Solapur. There is an additional subsidy for green initiatives such vegetable dyeing as well as producing and using non-conventional yarn. Electricity subsidy will be provided to spinning units with a cap of INR 3 per unit. Benefit of power loom electricity subsidy will be extended to knitting, garmenting and hosiery units as well. Then there is Textile Development Fund that will be formed through mobilisation of assets, easy exit policy for spinning mills CSR activities of private industries to strengthen the finance of sector. Wish whatever promised will be delivered.
Vikrant Joshi
www.vikrantjoshi.com
