Involve more NGOs for development: CM Tuesday, October 9, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday directed the officials to adopt a new people-oriented approach and involve voluntary organisations in a big way to accelerate the pace of development in the state.
While addressing his first meeting with the secretaries and senior officials, Modi said the officials should try to minimise the role of the government and hand over the works to NGOs and lending agencies, as this would yield better results than the government.
Recalling the excellent work done by NGOs in rehabilitation and relief works in the aftermath of natural calamities in the state, Modi stressed on the need for participation of people through voluntary organisations.
Referring to rapid growth of information technology, Modi advocated the need for strengthening of bio-technology, which would be a major pre-requisite for the development of agricultural sector.
The information technology cell should at the earliest develop a new software under its e-governance programme so that people living in the remote area could directly speak to chief minister about their problems.
Expressing concern about high rate of illiteracy among women, the chief minister called upon the officials to find out ways and means to improve the standard of women's literacy as the government has decided to accord priority to women's literacy in the coming days.
Besides this, other priorities would be fast completion of the Narmada project and fulfill the promise of jobs to unemployed given by the previous government.
In regard to evils that have cropped up in the transfer of the government staff, Modi asked secretaries to strictly follow the guidelines evolved for the transfers.
He said the departmental heads should create a special data of those seeking transfers and if this record was maintained, there was no need for the officials to succumb to any pressures for effecting transfers.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Chaudhary writes to governor to summon Assembly Tuesday, October 9, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Leader of the Opposition, Amarsinh Chaudhary, has urged Governor SS Bhandari to summon the Assembly and ask new Chief Minister Narendra Modi to take a vote of confidence and prove his majority on the floor of the House.
In a letter to the governor, Chaudhary expressed doubts about the majority support, particularly, since the BJP was a divided house. Such a test of majority was essential to a democracy, he said.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
State on alert, Border Range without DIG Tuesday, October 9, 2001
BY LEENA MISRA, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: War has already begun in the Indian neighbourhood, and the Gujarat government has not found an officer to occupy the sensitive post of Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range).
The post has been lying vacant since DIG AK Singh left for his new assignment a month ago.
This jurisdiction includes the critical border districts of Kutch, Banaskantha and Patan, which fell vacant when Singh left for his posting in the Special Protection Group.
Incidentally, newly-appointed Chief Minister Narendra Modi has already declared a fresh alert in Kutch in the wake of the US strikes on Afghanistan on Sunday.
First, there was the quake, then the by-elections to Sabarkantha (Lok Sabha) and Sabarmati (Assembly) constituencies, now there is Narendra Modi. The change of guard in the state is now expected to stretch the already long-awaited promotions of IPS officers a little more further, fear officers.
The foremost worry on the minds of the police officers is: who will get the home ministry?
The other is: Who is will be sent packing?
Warning bells rang on Monday with the swift moves against IAS officers. And now the IPS are keeping their fingers crossed. Nobody in the bureaucracy is willing to comment on anything, for fear of being noticed for all the "wrong reasons".
"We made the last representation on July 17 to the chief secretary for promotions of DIGs and IGs, but they were not expedited," notes IPS Officers' Association secretary Satish Sharma. Now the fresh vacancy at Bhuj has prompted the officers to reiterate their demand.
There is also fear that those officers branded as "Keshubhai's favourites" -- especially those in the high-profile Ahmedabad city, the political barometer, and, possibly, Mehsana, to which Modi belongs, and from where he is likely to contest -- may be replaced.
President of the IPS officers' Association RN Bhattacharya admitted that "officers were upset with the way things were" and that the association had urged the government repeatedly about the promotions, but in vain.
What irks the IPS officers is that "either due to bureaucratic or political reasons" the promotions of police officers had been delayed. In fact, say sources, the 13 officers due for promotion to selection grade from Superintendent of Police have also been cleared by the Departmental Promotion Committee, but the promotion orders are yet to arrive.
"Contrarily," an officer points out, "an IAS officer does not wait even a day beyond the due date for promotion while IPS officers are due for nearly two years." The way transfers and promotions of the IPS officers have been 'manipulated' in the state has damaged the morale.
In fact, the Comptroller and Auditor General report, submitted to the state government recently, points out that at least 33 IPS officers were transferred from their stations before the completion of three years in one station, which was against norms.
Apart from the 13 SPs awaiting selection grade, there are six officers who await the jump from DIG to IG, and four who are awaiting SP to DIG, say sources.
The association had also recommended promotions of two other officers who are IGs in the CID (crime) and in Surat Range, to Additional DG, but were told that "there were no vacancies".
"They have been serving as IGs for so long that they have already achieved salary grades of Additional DGs, so financial excuses do not hold out," observes a senior IPS officer.
And now they are wondering what's on Modi's mind!
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
Modi asks to help improve party image Tuesday, October 9, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called upon partymen to keep away from "Manthara" type characters as they were more dangerous than Ravan, who represented evil in epic Ramayana.
Addressing the first meeting of party workers at the BJP headquarters here, Modi did some plain-speaking and exhorted them to distance themselves from critics within the organisation more than those outside, because insiders could prove more harmful.
As disciplined soldiers, he said, they should not fall into traps laid by vested interests _ and run here and there for transfers _ as such elements tarnished the image of the party.
He said he was sent to Gujarat to refurbish the image and the sagging morale of party workers by establishing rapport which he had received during his tenure as organising secretary few years ago.
"I am passing through a critical period of my life and seek your support in this difficult task of Chief Ministership, which could not be accomplished without you help."
Modi said the active worker was the engine full of power for any political party, and in no circumstances should he be ignored.
He was crucial for the interface between the party and the people. The BJP cannot afford complacency on the part of workers as they alone could spread the message of programmes and policies of the government.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
'Keshubhai is history, let's talk about Modi' Monday, October 8, 2001
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
GANDHINAGAR: Kiran Modi came all the way from Siddhpur with a bag full of rose garlands. She jostle for space and craned her neck to view the new chief minister, but just did not seem to get close enough to snatch a glimpse of Narendra Modi. Dejected, she settled down on a Sankheda chair.
"We have faith in him. He is experienced and has made a lot of sacrifices," she remarked, referring to his long innings in managing politicians and then his banishment from Gujarat.
It was a swearing-in of a yet-to-be-elected-by-the-people chief minister that would go down in Gujarat's history as the first occasion of its kind. People arrived in busloads from Mehsana, Banaskantha, Vadodara, Surat, Patan, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad.
But Saurashtra and Kutch remained conspicuously unrepresented at the bash _ consequent to Keshubhai Patel's unceremonious ouster.
Someone excitedly pointed to a pencil sketch of the martial arts guru Bruce Lee displayed by an artist _ "This is what Narendra Modi will be to Gujarat," he quipped.
Funny as the metaphor may seem, many also likened Modi to the baton-wielding teacher sent to straighten mischievous kids. Keshubhai was already history. Amirsinh Beda, who came from Somnath, was awed by Modi as he moved around in the jeep with a flushed face and folded hands.
"He will take Gujarat ahead, and bring the much-awaited revolution," said Beda. He avoided a comparison with Keshubhai: "Why talk about bygones? What is happening is good."
The grand entry of Modi did not bother many. "If you want your tea to be good, add some extra sugar," remarked former mayor Lalji Parmar. Nobody wanted to be caught on the wrong foot, not when the CM is known to be sharp.
BJP corporator from Naroda, Ashok Patel, shared the view: "It was a very timely move. We need someone like him to resurrect the BJP." Another corporator from Surat, Hiraben Patel, said: "Now all the 182 seats will be ours!"
Hope is already seen on the horizon. Admiring him from a distance, BJP worker from Naranpura could take her eyes off the leader. "Mast manas chhe (A dashing person!)," she remarked between glimpses. "He will bring discipline in the BJP," she added hastily jostling ahead. "Principled, dynamic, strict and a whiff of fresh air," is how the crowd encapsulated Modi.
But there are always the cynics _ "They are all hajurias," said one. "Now begins the great drama," said another from the crowd as Modi got on to the jeep.
The huge attendance, however, did not seem forced. "We have not brought them in trucks. Nor have we given them money. Ask them if you like," said one BJP worker.
Gabhru Bharwad of Barvala-Ghelasha said: "He will do a lot of good to the state and the people." He has never met Modi before... "So what? I have met his men. It's like meeting him. They get our work done, they get fodder and water for our animals, so I am happy on his becoming CM," he replied promptly.
A tired-looking crowd from Radhanpur taluka of Banaskantha, which left for Gandhinagar at daybreak, was waiting to go home in the jeeps arranged by a local BJP worker. But they were like devotees.
"What are you talking? We'll take money to come here? He is not like other leaders. People from our party want to see him, that is why they are here," retorted the twenty-something Ogad when asked about the money spent to reach here.
But it was not all devotion that drew the masses in thousands. Some wanted fulfilment of broken promises. "We want water from Narabda (Narmada). We want good schools and clinics in our villages. We want roads and more ST buses," said Piraji Sheraji of Banaskantha, drawing up a wish-list. He expected Modi to fulfil the deliver.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]
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