Plain speak

When it comes to forthrightness, there are very few politicians in the Himalayan state who can match Harak Singh Rawat. Though due to his candidness the mercurial minister has landed in many controversies during his chequered political career spanning three decades, to his credit he has kept the quality intact. The minister was in a jovial mood on the floor of state assembly recently while answering a question on the rights of forest dwellers. During the light hearted banter, Harak boasted that destiny has always landed him on the right side of power and once when his party was not in power, he enjoyed government perks as he was leader of opposition then. Indicating towards the chair of leader of the house (CM), the wily minister who has hopped parties with as much ease as changing clothes admitted that the coveted chair still eludes him. Indicating that there is still bad blood left between him and former CM Harish Rawat, the minister while parrying an attack by Congress MLA Karan Mahara said that he has set up a snake enclosure in Dehradun Zoo and these snakes welcome the visitors and don’t bite like brother in law (Jija) of Mahara.

Old Gold

Genuine concern on public safety was raised by the members cutting across party lines over the old dams, bridges and other such structures in the state assembly during the recent one day session. The members demanded that the government should inform about the life span of these structures most of whom were built during the British era and undertake concrete action to ensure their safety. They emphatically pointed out that since the dams and bridges built by the British have served their purpose well, the structures which have completed their life should be decommissioned. Later the issue was point of informal discussion outside the house and everyone agreed that present day structures are not strong when compared to those built during the colonial times.  The reason of the difference is not hard to comprehend as it is a common knowledge that the contractors have to pass 30 to 40 per cent of the project amount to grease the palms at various levels. 

Scam sham

With High Court getting tough on stern action over the high and mighty in the infamous scholarship scam, the SIT has started cracking its whip. In one such recent instance, case has been registered against administrators of a college which is said to be owned by the son of a seasoned lawmaker belonging to the saffron party. Many more skeletons are likely to tumble out of closets as the SIT is taking some other institutions under its scanner for the probe. After creation of a separate state many politicians got directly or indirectly involved in the booming business of education in Uttarakhand and many of them are said to be involved in the game of gobbling up the scholarships. In the scam, money from state treasury was siphoned out in the name of scholarships for nonexistent students of the SC and ST categories in collusion with the corrupt Babus by the powerful owners of the many private colleges.