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Olympian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress and is all set to contest Haryana assembly elections from Julana seat. Famous for missing the silver medal by 100 gm in the Paris Olympics as she had breached the category in which she entered the contest, Vinesh had received a hero’s welcome as soon as she returned to India. She was given a grand welcome at Delhi airport by the Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son, Deepinder. Her name was finalised as soon as she formally became a member. While wrestler Bajrang Punia has been appointed as working president of All India Kisan Congress. Entry of the wrestling icons, who are both Jats, means consolidation of Jat votes behind the Congress. Former CM Hooda is determined to make a comeback with Jat vote power after 10-year BJP rule in Haryana. Phogat termed her political innings as a new chapter and said that she will continue to work for the rights of other athletes. Referring to the ongoing sexual harassment case against former WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh, she made it clear that only the Congress had understood “our tears”. “I will work for other athletes so that they don’t have to go through what we went through,” Phogat said. “I could have quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar because the BJP’s IT cell was publicising that we were spent forces. They said I did not want to play in the nationals but I did; they said I did not want to do trials, I did that… They said I could not go to the Olympics but I did… Unfortunately, it was not God’s will,” she said.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s latest allegation against NCP MP Supriya Sule has enraged her supporters. Supriya herself has vehemently refuted the charges and challenged him to produce the evidence to substantiate it. A staunch follower of BJP heavyweights Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader has stunned the state polity with his so-called disclosure. According to Bawankule, she had said, “If Fadnavis comes back to power, we will be nowhere and this will be the last election for Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.” Different versions of Supriya’s directions to her party’s spokespersons regarding the coming elections are floating around. The general tenor of the reports is that she has indicated to them to go soft on chief minister Eknath Shinde and avoid any statement on Maratha leader Manoj Jarange but zero in on Fadnavis. Referring to these news stories, Bawankule has attacked Supriya while making his allegation. Taking him to task over his remarks, Supriya has challenged Bawankule to produce proof that she had asked her party spokespersons to hit only Fadnavis. “Show me a video making such a statement,” she has said. Fadnavis and Supriya are the two names which are repeatedly making rounds of the political grapevine as the next CM choice. Hence Bawankule’s advocacy of Fadnavis is hardly surprising. Other major parties in the state have so far kept away from this slanging match.
In the backdrop of the Modi government releasing a Rs 100 coin to mark birth centenary of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on August 18 and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing him as “titan” of Indian politics, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has always been anxious to assure his allies in the secular INDIA Bloc that he is not inching close to the BJP. Away in the U.S. since the end of last month along with his wife Durga to pitch for foreign investment in his state, Stalin has been making it a point to enjoy ordinary things like working out at a gym in San Francisco or a bike ride near Lake Michigan in Chicago. His post on X, “Evening’s calm sets the stage for new dreams”, somehow caught the attention of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who replied to Stalin’s post with a playful comment, “Brother, when are we cycling together in Chennai?”. Responding to Gandhi, Stalin proposed a leisurely ride to explore the heart of Chennai. “Dear brother @Rahul Gandhi, whenever you’re free, let’s ride and explore the heart of Chennai together! A box of sweets is still pending from my side. After our cycling, let’s enjoy a delicious South Indian lunch with sweets at my home.” Incidentally, Rahul will also be briefly in the U.S. — September 8-10 — to interact with the Indian diaspora as well as key business and academic figures. This will be his first visit to the U.S. since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, after the Congress made significant gains. His visit precedes PM Modi’s planned appearance at the UN General Assembly later in the month. Gandhi will visit Dallas and Washington DC during his time in the U.S.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar’s choice for the next Maharashtra CM will not be Uddhav Thackeray. This sensational claim made by DCM Devendra Fadnavis has further dented the campaign started by the Shiv Sena leader’s followers to project him as the future chief minister. Pawar and state Congress president Nana Patole have publicly negated Uddhav’s demand to declare the name of the next Maha Vikas Aghadi CM in advance. Both have reiterated that a decision in this regard will be taken at an appropriate time. The Sena (UBT) has maintained a stoic silence ever since on this issue, unlike its practice to react to any development, big or small, instantly. Using the opportunity of his interview taken by a private news channel, Fadnavis ridiculed the efforts being made to project Uddhav as the unanimous MVA leader in Maharashtra. Fadnavis did not mention any other name in this connection but left his remark hanging, so that enough suspense pervades the opposition camp. Pawar himself has added to the guessing game. Though he had claimed that his party would not be in the race for the post, he has now added another rider by stating that the party with the largest number of MLAs will stand the chance. Fadnavis rubbed Uddhav the wrong way by remarking that the three-day recent visit of the Sena leader to Delhi had failed to obtain Sonia Gandhi’s backing to his name for chief ministership. Uddhav’s backlash is awaited.
Six decades have gone by since it was incorporated in 1959 as a company with charitable objects under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8, Companies Act, 2013). Ostensibly, it was set up with the object to promote the spread of knowledge across assorted areas – such as politics, culture, art, history, sports and the like – and disseminate news to the general public both about Indian and foreign affairs. United News Of India (UNI) is a multilingual news agency. Once upon a time, it was one of the largest news agencies in India with several hundred subscribers across the length and breadth of the country. Today, it is a shadow of its past. Struggling to survive, UNI has now come under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code) resolution process. A process to invite resolution was initiated in August last year. However, based on a decision taken by the Committee of Creditors, a “Round 2” of the entire Resolution Process for inviting EOI (Expression of Interest) for submission of Plans has been now initiated. With just about 175 employees and revenue of less than Rs 7 crore, this once iconic news agency is on the verge of extinction. With the whole media industry going through tough times, UNI is hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. Will the resolution process throw up a Good Samaritan? Fingers are crossed, indeed.
Amid a series of electoral failures, including a hat-trick of zero wins in major elections, the CPI(M) in Bengal is facing growing internal pressure to reconsider its approach and hire an external political strategist. Alimuddin Street, party’s headquarters, has received feedback that the organization’s current state is “disgraceful” and it must consider “alternatives.” Most political parties – BJP, Cong, TMC, AAP and DMK — have from time to time roped in political strategists/consultants. For instance, the Trinamool Congress’s 2021 victory was largely credited to IPAC, led by Prashant Kishor. Likewise Congress party has benefited from strategic insights provided by Sunil Kanugolu. CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim stated that though the party cannot afford to hire a professional agency, professionalism must be increased. The party had hoped that its alliance with Congress for the Lok Sabha polls would increase its vote share. Leaders had predicted a three-way contest between Trinamool, BJP, and the Left-Congress combine. However, the reality was a two-way fight between Trinamool and BJP, leaving CPI(M) without a seat, and Congress lost key constituencies like Baharampur, where five-time MP Adhir Chowdhury was defeated by TMC’s Yusuf Pathan. Party insiders have highlighted organizational failures, including an inability to deploy agents in polling stations. Again, in the RG Kar incident relating to rape-murder of doctor, where the CPI(M) youth wing DYFI, led protests in Kolkata, the party failed to mobilize at the district levels. Also, it has alienated women voters in the state by terming the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme as “alms”.
Vishwajeet Kadam, who jolted the MVA alliance in the recent Parliamentary polls, is set to ruffle feathers again in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Kadam, who backed Congress rebel Vishal Patil to victory over the MVA’s official Sena nominee, now seems to have the backing of the Congress high command this time too. The message was sent loud and clear when Rahul Gandhi flew down on September 5 to unveil his father –Patangrao Kadam’s statue in the presence of the entire top brass of Congress and even NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. The prominent positioning of rebel Vishal Patil MP on the dais at the event, between the state Congress and NCP chief — Nana Patole and Jayant Patil — signalled Vishwajeet’s insistence to have things work his way. The high-profile event estimated to cost over Rs 50 crore, with over 1.5 lakh people housed in a Rs 8 crore canopy spread over 20 acres, was also meant to pitch Vishwajeet for the top slot in state politics. The absence of Uddhav Thackeray from the event clearly signalled that the friction between the Congress and Sena, is here to stay. Currently, of the eight legislative assemblies in Sangli, only two are held with Congress. Another two seats are held with the BJP, which is keen to wrest control of the prosperous sugar belt. The Congress, which has sensed victory in Maharashtra, after emerging with the highest tally among MVA partners in the recent LS polls, is in no mood to relent to their coalition partners’ demands. The NCP has been tamed while the recalcitrant Uddhav is being ignored. The Congress which wants to play the big brother could give Vishwajeet a free hand to chart party’s revival in the state.
Raja Randhir Singh may have triggered a fresh debate on whether administrators’ maximum tenure of 12 years is good for developing sport in India. India’s National Sports Development Code (NSDC) 2011 specifies terms, tenures, age, and cooling-off rules for sports federations. A five-time Olympian, several-time Asian Games participant in the Trap and Skeet shooting event, a gold and bronze medal winner has been an administrator for around four decades at the national and international sports bodies and is all set to become the 44th President of the Olympic Council of Asia wef September 8. In recent interactions, the 77-year-old former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Yoga will become a medal sport from the 2030 Asian Games, but more significantly, he touched upon an essential aspect of the governance structure and strict rules. He believes more than 12 years is needed for administrators at the sports bodies. While the NSC stipulates a 12-year time restriction for national sports federations, the Justice Lodha Committee report that the Supreme Court has endorsed stipulates a maximum period of nine years together at the State and BCCI and with a cooling off period after six years that was initially three years. Being an experienced hand, Raja Randhir may have a point that will only get full support from the BCCI, but the Apex Council of the country believes that sports federations cannot be a fiefdom for an individual or group of people. The BCCI has been lucky to get relief from the Supreme Court on the cooling-off period restriction, but they may hope for further ease in restrictions. Given a chance, both the BCCI and the sports federations would like the cooling-off period and tenure restrictions, junked!
Now that N Srinivasan-headed India Cements has changed hands, the focus is clearly on what will happen to Chennai Super Kings Ltd. Once a division of India Cements, CSK was spun off into an independent entity following the conflict of interest issue. Post-India Cements sale, the focus obviously has turned to CSK. Where is it heading? Well, Srinivasan and his family have now consolidated their holding in CSK. They have increased their stake in CSK to nearly 42% from just above 28% in March 2023. The promoters now hold 158,016,303 shares. They had 86,726,373 shares in March 2023. The equity share has a face value of Rs 0.10 (ten paise). CSK Ltd. is the owner of the Chennai franchise of the IPL (Indian Premier League) T-20 cricket team. With the player auction for the upcoming IPL season coming up soon, the consolidation of holdings by the Srinivasan family in CSK reflects the commitment and passion of the promoter group to the cause of cricket. Not surprisingly, the board of CSK has decided to elevate K Viswanathan, popularly known as Kasi, a close loyalist of Srinivasan, as the managing director for a three-year term. Well, the context may have changed following the sale of India Cements. Srinivasan and Co, nevertheless, is focussed like a blinkered-horse on furthering the cause of cricket.
Caste dynamics has political formations of India in a tizzy for the imminent Haryana state assembly elections with the BJP set to also launch a new poll strategy to dampen the Congress dream of a clean sweep in the Nuh belt of the state along with others where the minority vote plays a dominant role. The AAP and Congress vowed to fight solo after the zero-voter verdict their alliance evoked in Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies, then kissed and yet, to make up. While AAP wants 10 seats, Congress is willing to part with only seven. The SP too wants seats to field candidates in Muslim proliferated constituencies. Congress believes minority votes will accrue to itself, particularly in three assembly constituencies in Nuh region dominated Muslim voters. Only former Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda appears worried over his political future. The BJP too, worried over anti-incumbency, wants to buck the political tide and announced 16 OBC candidates, 13 from Jat community with 17 reserved SC seats. Though the OBC community is the majority voter segment in Haryana, Jat community always holds sway over political affairs be it the Lal clan troika (Bansi Lal, Devi Lal) or the Chautala clan among dominant segments of farmer leaders. The BJP elevated another community leader Kiran Choudhary to the Rajya Sabha and will also accommodate her daughter for state assemblies. Similarly, late Jat leader Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Choudhary was inducted into the NDA alliance for the Haryana assembly. The BJP has topped up its poll plans by clearing a slew of farmer packages in the state before the elections were notified in the state to include most of the crops sown in Haryana under the ambit of its MSP protection.
The government’s anthem Mera desh badal raha hai, Aage badh raha hai is also applicable to the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The 62-year iconic institution is going in for a major revamp. This move follows after I&B Minister Anurag Thakur had a closed door meeting with FTII chairman Shekhar Kapur. According to sources, FTII will become somewhat of a polytechnic school taking away the halo of film aesthetics and world film studies. The new effort essentially is to make it a digital multi-purpose market-driven media university without segregating film and TV sections. “I will not be surprised if it is renamed as Digital Art Institution of India,” commented a FTII professor sarcastically. With a view to generate more revenue, plans are to offer short-term courses like broadcast journalism, video games, dubbing and voicing, advertising, makeup, special effects and others. Critics says that the government by drawing outside talent — essentially IAS and IIS officers — may compromise with FTII’s core values and DNA, and it may not be able to produce great talents like Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Anupam Kher, Shyam Benegal. It is learnt that Shekhar Kapur is torn between students’ continued oppositions towards revamp and I&B pressures to remodel FTII. To do or not to do is Kapur’s dilemma.
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik seems to be taking a leaf out of Tamil Nadu which has emerged as the chess hub. It took a long while but it is yielding dividends to TN as it is hosting the International Chess Olympiad, for the first time, between July 28 and August 10 at Mamallapuram. This event will attract 2,000 participants from 187 countries. Naveen knows this is an incredible opportunity for Tamil Nadu and India to get recognition for hosting these international chess events across the globe and showcasing not only its economy but also augment tourism, cultural understanding just as Odisha did by hosting the Hockey World cup recently. Keeping long term aspirations in mind, Naveen Babu has taken the first baby steps in scripting government’s investment support to popularise, promote and nurture chess games in schools and colleges in a planned manner. It is understood that Patnaik’s interest in promoting chess culture in Odisha is only the starting point. It will require a lot of planning, training, patience, infrastructure support for tournaments and feliciting chess players with monetary prizes just as Tamil Nadu did. Going by Patnaik’s track record this task too will be accomplished in double quick time.
Odisha’s two prominent media barons Soumya Ranjan Patnaik of No 1 daily Sambad and Kanak TV, and Bhatruhari Mahtab of Odisha’s oldest daily Prajatantra seem to be questioning chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s working style. Interestingly, both are senior BJD leaders. Patnaik, son-in-law of the late chief minister JB Patnaik is BJD MLA and so too is Mahtab, BJD’s Lok Sabha MP. Sources say it was Naveen babu’s clever move to get these media barons on his side by offering them party tickets. According to sources, these barons now are uncomfortable and would like to speak their minds on a host of burning issues plaguing the state. They want to give an alternate opinion as independent thinkers. But in Naveen babu’s scheme of things policy issues and role of think tank were assigned to bureaucrats who in turn ensured these politicians were kept out of bounds, be it strategic issues or cabinet reshuffle. Feeling left out they have started playing the role of watchdog. Result: Odisha’s media has started publishing/broadcasting hard stories exposing government’s shortcomings, allegations regarding Covid mortality details being fudged, dominance of bureaucracy ,rising trend of alcohol consumption, corruptions within the party. BJD sources say “The complaining media owners are also part of the BJD government now. When an individual joins a party he ceases to be an independent voice”.
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Tudu Bishweswar who hails from Mayurbhanj, Odisha is on overdrive to appease the tribal communities who constitute about 23% of Odisha population. This explains why as many as 87 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), a co-ed school affiliated to CBSE have been sanctioned for Mayurbhanj which is highest for any state as well as district in India. Eklavya Schools are being set up in States/Union Territories with grants under Article 27 and are being implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Every block with over 50% of Scheduled Tribe population having at least 20,000 tribal persons will now have EMRS and all backlog have to be completed by the extended target date 2025. Already, the parliamentary committee has expressed dismay over the slow pace of EMRS implementation work by the Tribal Ministry which for not being able to meet the original target of 452 Eklavya Schools by 2022 forcing the government to now extend the deadline to 2025. Tudu, BJP MP, is also under pressure to arrest the large number of tribal children who drop out of school — 55% at primary and nearly 71% at secondary level. It is clear the Modi government is on mission mode to uplift tribal communities and its action of nominating Droupadi Murmu also from Odisha as NDA’s presidential candidate indicates it means business.
Even though the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have a good equation, that has not stopped BJP from trying to foist its flag in the state. So every time there is an election in the state, BJP puts all its might only to come a cropper. Patnaik is a revered leader who has transformed Odisha which is helping the common man. BJP’s goal was to emerge as an alternative to the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha by 2024. Now that seems to be impossible given the fact BJD swept the panchayat and urban elections a few months back thereby derailing BJPs ‘look east’ campaign. But BJP is not giving up easily. Its State President Sameer Mohanty, National Vice President Baijayant Panda and Odisha State BJP in-charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar have jointly prepared a 3-month strategy to make the monsoon session stormy. This plan will see BJP raise its decibel level on Mahanadi water dispute, power outages, unemployment, mineral theft, PMAY corruption, law and order, tender fixing including Naveen babu’s foreign trip. BJD seems unfazed since it is well-versed in handling opposition darts. One has to wait and watch whether BJP’s going for the jugular strategy yields dividends?
BJP has woken up to the harsh reality of difficulty in dividing Bengal politically. This realisation saw BJP Chief JP Nadda telling partymen not to rake up the Bengal bifurcation issue in public. Some BJP leaders were pushing for a separate state/Union territory status for North Bengal from the state’s western plateau. This change of heart comes even as TMC postures on unity in political diversity making BJP top leader thinks it is inopportune time to be treading on the statehood landmine and getting perceived as dividers of Bengal. BJP’s MLA numbers are down owing to cross-overs to the TMC. Nine local BJP MLAs have written a letter to Nadda expressing displeasure over recent organisational changes in the state. More importantly, with the Presidential election in July, 2023 panchayat elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s top brass won’t risk slicing Bengal politically for the time being. BJP has also realised that there is no common cause among political parties in North Bengal. “The splitting of Bengal is far from being over, BJP has pressed the pause button for now”, analysts say. So, for now the party is focussed on consolidation fearing its anti-Mamata and divide Bengal politics may boomerang.
Playing a master stroke is a habit with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. But, the latest one caught his band of ministers by surprise. Emboldened by the recent bypoll win in Brajrajnagar and the Panchayat polls earlier, Patnaik did the apparently unthinkable –asking all his ministers to resign en masse on Saturday (June 4) and rejigged the 21-member new cabinet with new faces the next day. Non-performers were shown the door. Surprisingly, Governor Ganesh Lal approved the entire exercise without quibbles. In simpler words Modi’s dispensation did not throw any spanners in the works. Seasoned politicians from Odisha say no Odisha Chief Minister ever, including Naveen’s father Biju Patnaik, had the audacity to do what he did at such a short notice. His decision was with some purpose. Naveen babu clearly wants his party BJD to sweep the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Odisha. To ensure the win, he did away with deadwood, controversial ministers and sycophant advisors. While 20 ministers quit, Naveen gave cabinet berths to only nine. Five women and, seven people elected from western Odisha, considered a stronghold of BJP were also accommodated. Some political analysts are calling it a shock therapy while others are saying it’s Patnaik’s winning strategy. There is no denying that Patnaik remains an undisputable hero for some time to come.
For decades, Asian Paints has led the pack in the Rs 60,000-crore plus paint industry. But with Grasim Industries, part of the Aditya Birla Group setting its sights higher, the competition will intensify. Grasim has chalked up a Rs 5000-crore investment plan in the decorative segment which is growing at 11% per annum. This announcement by Grasim which has heft and gravitas to disrupt the market made competitors like Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac and Akzo Nobel sit up and take notice. Grasim’s foray into the segment will be backed by their existing leadership in cement, white cement and putty business. Paint is a high growth market and the pie is large enough for everyone to share, industry observers say. There is no denying that leaders like Asian Paints will not find the going easy anymore. Sajjan Jindal group’s JSW has also entered the space, so cut-throat competition is bound to see ad spends growing with margins coming under pressure. In fact, Asian Paints read the writing on the wall and made public that it was looking beyond paints. Recently, the company picked up 49% stake in White Teak Company selling lighting and fans and will increase its stake based on the response. Time will tell which company remains in the black and which moves into the red.
BJP’s firebrand and outspoken Odisha MP Aparajita Sarangi, who is also BJP’s National Spokesperson, well known for her high decibel opposition pitch against BJD CM Naveen Patnaik missed out on a berth in the BJP’s newly constituted 17-member Odisha Core Committee. BJP President JP Nadda heads the committee. Only long serving senior BJP members with relevant experience apart from others the BJP thinks will add value and insight have been inducted. Some core committee members include: Baijayant Panda, Dr Sambit Patra, Jual Oram, Pratap Sarangi, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Biseswar Tudu, Suresh Pujari, Samir Mohanty and Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo. This Odisha Core committee has been formed to prepare for the 2024 general election. The purpose of this committee is to chalk out BJP’s blueprint for the state to win as many seats from Odisha in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Committee will sit together, think together and work together taking stock of progress made on a monthly basis. Clearly, BJP has understood the need to reinvent itself since the agenda of criticizing Naveen Patnaik and his party Biju Janata Dal BJD did not cut much ice with the people or even taken them anywhere.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s new dream is to make Odisha India’s aluminium capital and the global aluminium hub. Not without reason too. The state enjoys the true boast of 54% of the aluminium smelting capacity through NALCO, Vedanta and Aditya Birla manufacturing units in India. Of course, this is backed by the state’s rich reserve of 2 billion tonnes of bauxite. NALCO has already chalked out an investment outlay of Rs 30,000 crore towards expansion and diversification to be completed by 2027-28. It has also entered into a JV with the state-owned Industrial Development Corporation to set up a state-of-the-art Aluminium Park in Anugul costing Rs 428.95 crore, estimated completion by 2023-24. The Aluminium Park located next to NALCO’s plant will promote downstream aluminium industries with common facilities including logistics, testing, simulation, prototype development and skill development facilities. Joining the chorus is Anil Agarwal of the Vedanta Group that is also planning a Rs 10,000 crore investment to set up an Aluminium Park at Jharsuguda in Odisha to bring in SMEs and MSMEs under one single roof so they can procure the hot metal from Vedanta. With Patnaik transforming the state, Odisha has emerged as the new investment destination of India.
Looks like Tesla may not roll out its EV in India anytime soon. Sources say Tesla recently transferred some key officials out of India to alternate global markets in APEC, Middle East and the USA. This indicates that Elon Musk, who was keen on the Indian market, has decided to move on for the time being. Indianconsumers will buy what’s produced in India by Tata Motors, Mahindra, Morris Garage, Hyundai and Maruti presently. Primarily, Tesla chose not to enter the Indian market because of Indian government policies. Given our relationship with China and Modi’s push for Make in India, the BJP government was averse to allow made in China Tesla cars, boosting Chinese employment, but marketed in India without an immediate commitment to manufacture in India? There are several reasons Musk may have put India on the back burner. Firstly, current EV sales touch barely 1% of total auto sales in the country which does not make economic sense for Tesla to set up a unit in India. Secondly, with 100% import duty, Tesla will become over priced in the Indian market. Thirdly, India is not yet ready with its infrastructure, including road worthiness and charging stations. And, fourth reason is Indian insistence on a long term manufacturing commitment, distinct from being considered like a test pilot case.
It is no thanks to the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT’s) vigilance that both, the private sector and government-owned companies brazenly breach environmental laws and, very happily pay the prescribed fines. The reality is that the importance of environmental conservation is not given its due consideration with the NGT mandated penalty system not a functional and practical deterrent. Observers say, tougher measures are needed for the private sector and government-owned companies like NTPC, Indian Oil, BPCL, Singareni Collieries and others that boast of a track record of repeat environmental violations. Without the government’s continued commitment, NGT cannot deliver results by itself and, sadly, tough government intervention is only seen in the wake of intense public pressure. Take the case of the Vedanta Group which had to shut down its Thoothukudi plant, over Sterlite’s pollution issue. No lessons appear to have been learnt from it. Recently, NGT fined Vedanta Rs 25 crore for the expansion of the Lanjigarh factory in Odisha without due EC clearances and also levied a Rs 25 crore penalty upon Hindustan Zinc for violating environment norms in Rajasthan. Sometime in 2017, Vedanta was asked by the Chhatisgarh government to shut down its 1200 mw Balco power plant for violations of environmental norms. Harsh measures yielded results and today, Balco’s power plant is one of the best energy conservation units in the country.
Who will occupy Rashtrapati Bhavan when the term of the current President of India Ram Nath Kovind’s ends in July? Speculations are rife about Kovind getting a possible second term or Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu being elevated. Well-placed sources reveal that Governor of Uttar Pradesh and former Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel, her counterparts from West Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankar and Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (also Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry) are front runners for the top post. Names doing the rounds for Vice President’s post include, Draupadi Murmu, ex-Governor of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey, Kerala’s Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Karnataka Governor Tawarchand Gehlot. The BJP is seeking a distinct profile having a loyalist tag, to fit in with BJP’s national ambition to widen its Hindutva vote bank while being representative of societal segments of importance. Opposition parties representing West Bengal, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra are failingly trying to prop up a consensus candidate. Exploiting this BJP hopes to enlist support for its candidates from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Both are learnt to have agreed to support NDA candidates. Patnaik’s support will go public once NDA announces its candidates. Everybody knows the final decision rests with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who may spring a surprise.
A recent Union Government move to forcefully evict eminent artistes, including Padmashree awardees from government quarters located in plush localities of New Delhi, has angered the denizens of the arts and culture world. These artistes were permitted to stay for 6-year-terms but, many have even continued to stay on since the 1970s. Some of the artistes include: painter Jatin Das, Kathak dancer the late Pandit Birju Maharaj, Santoor player Bhajan Sopori, Odissi dancer and Padmashree awardee Mayadhar Raut among others. The BJP government thought it prudent to get out of the cycle of never-ending extensions and held consultations with the national artistes who were overstaying in government allotted quarters even as they simultaneously pursued legal options to secure stay orders from courts. Policy makers and lawmakers questioned whether national artistes should continue receiving such perpetual government patronage of free housing. The government thought it prudent to evict them post December 31, 2021 after serving them final eviction notices. Observers say, if the government has a legitimate role in pursuing art and culture, it must set out broad inclusive policies and create an environment, so that, eminent artistes, researchers, scientists, writers and poets can have a special place that’s conducive to working, teaching and interacting with like-minded people. And that place does not necessarily have to be New Delhi.
To make good the exit of South Korean steel major Posco, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has successfully roped in India’s leading integrated steel major JSW Steel, part of the $13 bn JSW Group headed by Sajjan Jindal. JSW’s wholly owned subsidiary JSW Utkal Steel is expected to set up 13.2 MTPA at an investment cost of Rs 65,000 crore in Jagatsinghpur district close to Paradeep port. The Odisha project dovetails with Jindal’s game plan of achieving 50 MT capacity. The JSW project has already received EC clearance and is getting ready to implement pre-project stage requirements including employment and livelihood creations. The Odisha government seems confident of handing over 2,950 acre land to JSW Steel this fiscal since most land parcels belong to the government anyway. Other small gap are being covered through collective persuasion, court support rejecting vested PILs and fair compensation for loss of betel-nut farm lands. Learning from the Posco experience, the Odisha government is not leaving any chances for slippages anywhere, by taking everyone on board through village meetings, addressing concerns with matched speed of action to deliver complete parcels of land to JSW this fiscal. If Naveen babu gets the project going Bhubaneswar could well emerge as the steel capital of India with other players like ArcelorMittal, JSPL and others also evincing interest.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ambitious Ekamra Shetra Project which aims to transform the old temple town of Bhubaneswar into a world class tourist and pilgrimage centre at a cost of Rs 700 crore has run into rough weather. BJP is opposing the project while Congress is supporting it. The issue centres around the beautification initiative to make Bhubaneswar a world class heritage temple city based on 12th century Lingaraj Temple. Patnaik is keen to include Bhubaneswar’s ancient structures in UNESCO World Heritage sites. But it has already run into controversy over allegations that ancient monuments were destroyed during an excavation drive by the state government. ASI says they were never consulted and watchdog INTACH has alleged that many priceless structures were destroyed as there was no deployment of ground-penetrating radar analysis before commencement of work. Based on this feedback, the Union Home Ministry has blocked Odisha’s Lingaraj Temple Legislative Ordinance terming it unlawful as it falls under Ancient Monuments & Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR), 1958. The home ministry has pointed out that Patnaik government has already violated the AMASR Act around Lingaraj temple by building modern structures. The real bone of contention seems to be the appointment of Dr Santrupt Mishra, Group Director from the Aditya Birla Group to head the project instead of getting experts from INTACH. This move, many bureaucrats in Odisha believe, was needless.
Since winning the panchayat and urban body elections, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been pulling out all the stops to kickstart Tata Steel’s Rs 5,000 crore Subarnarekha deep-sea all-weather port in Balasore district. He hopes to complete the project before the 2024 general election and, is moving quickly on the land acquisition front; with nearly 146 acres of land almost acquired. The state has already provided 700 acres of land for port construction near the Chaumukh seashore, Baliapal. However, for the construction of a new rail line from Amarda Road to the port at Chaumukh and widening of existing roads and creating new ones, it needs to acquire another 300 acres. According to Sudarshan Chakravarti, Collector & District Magistrate, Balasore “Of the 300 acres requirement of land 154 acres has already been acquired with the balance to be acquired soon.” Land acquisition may not be a problem as the government is paying a good compensation — three times more than the registered value. Tata’s project will have the first mover advantage over Adani Group which is setting up a green field port at Tajpur in West Bengal which is literally next door. When both ports become operational East India will emerge as the new regional maritime hub.
Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) absolute sweep in the recently held rural panchayat polls and urban body elections raises serious doubts about BJP’s political future in Odisha. The misery for the BJP was apparent as it could not even win a single mayoral seat in the urban body polls, even as the initial buzz of support around Modi dissipated. Political analysts say BJP failed to match BJD’s organisational infrastructure. Besides, the towering leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik helped to sweep the elections through good governance that has transformed the state reaching people at the bottom of the pyramid. Die-hard BJP supporters feel the initial buzz around BJP’s consolidation is history now in the face of depleting BJP support base in the west Odisha electorate, which is slowly spreading to other parts of the state. Why did the BJP fail? Unlike the BJD, with Naveen babu as its face, the BJP state leadership in the state has no one to talk about. Also, the Central government’s development schemes could not overshadow Patnaik’s welfare schemes vis a vis and the positive image he has cultivated over the years. Modi’s constant praise of Patnaik for his spirit of co-operative federalism, his reforms and reluctance to criticise him openly also sent signals that Modi was not keen to fight Naveen babu.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is planning a cabinet reshuffle, it is reliably learnt. The move was necessitated to prepare for future state elections and needed transformation for effective governance. Jagan may introduce new ministerial faces, retaining some old favourites to maintain caste balances, and push out others with district leadership responsibilities to enhance their vote gathering skills. “It is more a political messaging,” say YSR Congress Party insiders of the financially strapped government. Political observers in AP say “The recent history of cabinet reshuffles tells us two things. It is both, a political call and a diversionary vote catching tactic.” Jagan, wants to send a message to the electorate while facing an imminent economic collapse, that the cabinet rejig will induct the right political leadership using voters’ feedback on MLAs over performance parameters while also signalling the impermanence of cabinet positions. This exercise is also being done on the fear of an eroding electoral base with very little development work done in Andhra, says a clued-in political analyst. Not wishing to take chances, Jagan is asking his MLAs to go for door-to-door campaigns and connect with the people. Will such superficiality work?
The most remote district of Malkangiri, infamous as a hotbed of Maoist activity, still holds a special place in the heart of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The government has announced that Malkangiri district, located in south west Odisha, will have an airport by 2024. This development comes post the defeat of BJP and Congress in the recently held panchayat elections. Patnaik is now pursuing a governance policy to uplift Odisha’s backward regions through social welfare and infrastructure connectivity as the CM knows that is the key to Odisha’s transformation. A case in point is Gurupriya Bridge completed in 2018. The bridge provides connectivity to 151 villages that were cut-off for over five decades. “It is not just a bridge,” CM had tweeted, “it is the identity and Swabhiman of Malkangiri”. This bridge provides government services at the doorstep for Odias living in the back of the beyond thereby weaning them away from Maoist clutches. Prior to the airport building initiative, Patnaik had also chosen Malkangiri to launch his popular one-rupee rice scheme that was followed by the launch of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana smart health cards, also from this remote region. With the new airport for Malkangiri district, expectations are that the Maoist hold, their extortions, levies and local support base will fade away for sure as development increases.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has once again triumphed over opposition political formations in Orissa. In the recent Panchayat elections, his party Biju Janata Dal (BJD)decimated BJP and Congress bagging 765 of the total 851 Zilla Parishad seats. BJD was able to install 30 Zilla Parishad presidents in the 30 districts, placing a question mark on the future of both BJP and Congress. All this was achieved although Patnaik did not hit the campaign trail. His work speaks for itself; he has transformed Odisha over the last two decades and won people’s hearts. This win may have implications for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BJP’s MP, Basant Panda attributed BJD’s sweeping electoral success to the BJP’s own failure to convince people to not vote for the BJD. Both BJP MP Pratap Sarangi and Niranjan Pattnaik, President of Odisha Pradesh Congress blamed their losses on the financial might of BJD. Political analysts say both BJP and Congress are now giving lame excuses. They will need to put a strategy in place to beat BJD’s organisational skills and mass appeal of the electorate. And even if they do, will they get a State leader who can match the charisma of Naveen Patnaik?
The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), currently hearing the annual revenue requirement to fix bulk supply price for 2022-23, was subtly asked by the state government to disallow tariff hikes sought by power utilities. The popular Naveen Patnaik government has told OERC to find a win-win solution for all stakeholders. “The balancing act of finding a solution without consumer tariff hikes is the prerogative of OERC, which is doable,” an industry expert says. The rationale for “no power tariff hikes”: The Four Tata Power DISCOMs in Odisha especially, TPWODL posted excellent results for the nine-month period in the current financial year. Their performances contributed to a total of Rs 600 crore regulatory surpluses. In the regulatory framework, DISCOMs are permitted pass through of reasonable expenses and only 16% return on equity (RoE) and hence, the possibility to adjust the Rs 600 crore revenue surplus of Tata DISCOMs suitably while accommodating pass through of genuine expenses of GRIDCO, OPTCL and other state generation companies (OHPC & OPGC) with no increase in retail tariffs for consumers in 2022-23. The quality of power supply and consumer services in the State are expected to improve with capital investment of Rs 2000 Cr by the Odisha Government over the next 2-3 years.
Every time Odisha faces a poll, the rumour mills work overtime regarding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s fragile health. Patnaik knows this game is played by opposition parties to cut into his vote base. Now, with Panchayat elections around the corner, Patnaik took the wind out of the opposition sails by addressing the media while on a visit to the Lingaraj Temple. “I am fit and fine,” he conveyed to waiting newspersons. Although appearing slightly under the weather he fronted supreme confidence. Voters in Odisha know Naveen babu’s health is not in the best of pink but, they simply adore and love him for his delivery. No other chief minister in the country enjoys his kind of popularity. The rumours of his ill health also served as a wake-up call to his party, the Biju Janata Dal. Succession talks on taking over the mantle of the BJD have begun. While there are no clear answers, political analysts feel the BJP which was waiting in the sidelines for years feels the inevitable political vacuum being created and its double engine formula may fill this space in the coming days.
Tata Power operations in Odisha is firing on all cylinders for an uninterrupted quality power supply. According to Shenbagam Manthiram, CEO of Tata Power Central Odisha, by 2023, the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar will have power quality on Mumbai city standards, thanks to its SCADA technology and LT protection system. This apart, Tata Discoms is putting in place a cyclone resilience disaster network spanning 60 km between the Puri and Konark shoreline to withstand cyclones which annually ravage Odisha, paralysing its power supply. Moreover, it is focusing on a single digit AT&C loss through Capex plans of Rs 1500 crore over the next three years. It will soon launch smart pre-paid self-reading certified HPL 3 phase meters on rental basis at Rs 150 per month and re-charge options. “From February/ March 2022 power purchase in Odisha will go hi-tech, enabling customers with pre-paid meters,” says Manthiram. Initially, covering only 3 phase consumers the scheme will scale up to include others subsequently. The aim is to cover 175,000 customers, improving progressively thereafter. To achieve this goal, Tata Discoms has automated 155 sub-stations linked to SCADA, another 300 will be added this year so that by 2023, 80% of its sub-stations will be unmanned. By 2024 it plans to eradicate low voltage power supply pockets in Odisha and, unveil roof top solar projects in Odisha.
Kerala is making news, not because of Shashi Tharoor or Arundhati Roy but the effort the State made to eliminate poverty through progressive measures and improving human quality of life. India’s recent first ever Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of NITI Aayog has revealed that Kottayam District in Kerala has no poor residents. District Magistrate PK Jayasree of Kottayam said “Kerala has eight more districts Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Kannur, Palakkad, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Pathanamthitta which are below 1% poverty line, efforts are on to make it to the level of 0 % poverty in the next financial year.” The District Magistrate is now introducing ISO standardisation at Kottayam Collectorate followed by other government offices in Kottayam’s District Headquarter. Political observers say, “It is a reflection of the Left Government’s unwavering commitment towards social welfare and initiating updated standardisation which makes it stand out against the rest.” Kerala’s national average of poverty index stands at 25.01%, whereas Kerala, Puducherry and Goa have stable poverty levels, while the worst performers today are UP, MP, Jharkhand and Bihar. NITI Aayog’s MPI index has three quality parameters spread between health, education and standards of living conditions which comprise cooking facilities, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, living conditions, assets and bank accounts. India’s MPI measures use globally accepted robust methodology by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently praised Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, citing him as the best example of cooperative federalism which raised hackles of BJP leaders in Odisha. Why did Modi praise Patnaik even as Panchayat elections are just round the corner? The PM knows BJP won’t make a dent in Odisha where Patnaik has delivered on all fronts. Moreover, he is a dependable ally who stood by Modi on issues like NRC, CAA, the GST bill, Triple Talaq, even walked out of Parliament when a no trust vote was moved against Modi and refused to be a part of the Mahagatbandhan alliance. His sole interest is to take Odisha towards progress by focusing on populist programmes, industrialisation and infrastructure development. Patnaik knows crossing swords with the Centre would stop the free flow of funds needed for his multiple programmes. Patnaik’s relationship with Modi is based on the “live and let live premise” without kow-towing and maintaining his independence respectfully. By doing so, Naveen also avoided the potential Damocles’ sword of the CBI inquiry pertaining to the mining scam following Shah Commission report which has remained frozen over the last eight years. Naveen is invincible today but does not challenge Modi’s leadership as he nurses no national ambitions apart from Odisha’s socio-economic development, which suits Modi quite well.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Hyderabad, on February 5, to inaugurate the ‘Statue of Equality’ commemorating 11th-century Vaishnavaite Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao skipped his airport reception, deputing his Minister Srinivas Yadav to stand-in for him. KCR only emulated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who started the trend a few months back and was copied by Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, more recently. Political analysts say KCR lost out in terms of sheer optics the historic event could generate. So why? Regional parties say Modi single-mindedly seeks to expand the BJP footprint across India. And for this, he goes all out especially, during election campaigning; even name calling political opponents and ridiculing them. Modi’s style was evident even during the West Bengal polls and, during the Delhi assemblies. Few can forget his “Didi O Didi” jibe at Mamta. Additionally, Governors in non-BJP ruled States are prone to political interference and both Didi and Stalin found out the hard way after their legislative bills were kept pending by their respective heads of state. Non BJP CMs in India desperately hold on to the federal structure refusing to be bulldozed by the Centre. The proposal to repatriate IAS and IPS officers from States to the Centre at will that is currently the flashpoint between states and the Centre.
Tata Power took over four Odisha government-owned power distribution companies in early 2021, confident of turning these around in three years despite pressure from media Moghul and, ruling party MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik over the sought tariff hikes. Patnaik filed objection with the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) over the Tata Power Discoms and Odisha government-owned GRIDCO’s Aggregate Revenue Requirement recommendations to hike power tariffs from the current Rs 296.20 per unit to Rs 385.21, for the financial year 2022-23. The OERC is currently headless after its chairperson and former IAS officer, UN Behera’s tenure ended January 15, 2022. Unless his successor is appointed, the existing quasi-judicial two-member commission is expected to conduct public hearings and pass power tariff orders for the next fiscal. Sources suggest that the OERC members are not in favour of a tariff hike. However, Tata Power’s business plan has worked out a detailed mapping of the high technical loss areas along with the investment required to reduce the same. Sanjay Banga, President of Tata Power says “magic will happen within the three-year time-frame by when, Odisha will emerge as the best performing discom (towering) over rest of India.”
Having fulfilled his dream to carve out a separate state, founder of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now Chief Minister, Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao is keen to don a national political role. KCR, as he is popularly known, seeks to leave Telangana affairs to son KT Rama Rao as his successor, even as he forays into India’s national political domain. He has launched attacks upon the BJP-led government and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent proposal to repatriate IAS and IPS officers from states to the Centre at will. Similarly, he was scathingly critical of the Union Budget for 2022. Then comes news that KCR is pushing for a United Front of regional political parties to checkmate the BJP in the 2024 elections. KCR has launched into a bonhomie drive to woo Chief Ministers including Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, MK Stalin and Akhilesh Yadav. He has also surprisingly mellowed down towards arch political rival K Jagan Mohan Reddy, CM of Andhra Pradesh. Whether Didi or Kejriwal will give KCR the foothold he seeks in national politics remains to be seen, in the context of 17 Lok Sabha seats from down south that he brings to the united political table? KCR knows his limitations too but is taking a calculated gamble to simply increase his visibility.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Jagan Mohan Reddy, on the back of his election promise, has got cabinet approval to carve out 13 new districts in the state each with its own swanky airport, to be completed by the Telugu New Year in April. With the AP economy burdened by people’s rising expectations, Jagan made a slew of announcements to keep people engaged and combat the building opposition onslaught about the state’s progress into an irreversible debt trap, sans any viable revenue generation scope. The joke doing the rounds of the state secretariat is that ‘Andhra Pradesh has turned into ‘Andhera Pradesh’. This probably explains why Jagan announced the development plans on January 21, 2022, pitching for the ‘One District One Airport” initiative and directed officials of the Infrastructure and Investments (I and I) department to expedite the development of the airports in all the 13 new districts of the state including, seven new airports in districts bereft of an airport as of today. Jagan is pulling out all the stops to get the Andhra economy back on track and, also plans to speak to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking central assistance and the speedy clearance of pending projects. Jagan’s, and Andhra Pradesh’s future depends on how the beleaguered state’s turnaround comes about.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is on one political conquest after another! In the 2017 Zilla Parishad elections his party, Biju Janata Dal won 473 seats, even beating the collective BJP (297) and Congress (60) tally of a total 846 seats. For the 2022 panchayat elections, scheduled between February 16 and 24, Patnaik is eyeing 600 seats and will do battle with BJP, the only other serious contender. Master strategist Patnaik and his just-timed-right appeasement manifesto has already swung into action. Knowing fully well that caste politics will dominate in the Panchayat elections, Patnaik reserved 40% seats for OBC communities which constitute 54% of the State’s population. He also introduced a slew of pro-poor schemes while directing BJD MPs and MLAs to visit backward districts to ensure effective delivery of the populist benefits. Patnaik monitors progress in each district in real-time via video calling. Surprisingly, the BJP, a tad late off the starting blocks, is replicating Amit Shah’s election winning model Vistarak Yojana to be implemented through a maze of planning measures with appropriate filtration, committees and coordinators at the Block level to help capture more BJP seats. Political observers say that the elaborate process driven strategy may not help BJP secure the desired numbers given BJD’s aggressive stance and Patnaik’s ‘welfare’ measures. BJP perhaps may have to wait a bit longer to capture the State.
Mythologist-author-speaker Devdutt Pattanaik courted controversy, even before he spoke, as invitee of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports at the Two-Day National Youth Festival virtual conference, Puducherry. This may also have led to his live telecast over Doordarshan being blanked out. Pattanaik’s session was not televised live by DD due to “unforeseen technical issues”, said Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor to the I&B Ministry. Union Minister Anurag Thakur also faced flak from his own party and women’s pressure groups asking why the mythologist was chosen to inspire youth through his lessons from Bhagavad Gita? Sexist, misogynist and sexual abuses frequently hurled across social media by Pattnaik went viral on social media. The chorus for his removal from the event gained shrill currency even as author and columnist Shefali Vaidya (among several women) tweeted, “The problem with Devdutt Pattnaik is not just that he is a mediocre person, who completely distorts our scriptures without even basic knowledge of Sanskrit. He is an absolute filth who loves abusing people’s mothers. To hail this man as a ‘great mind’ is truly sickening!”. The fallout: of the huge banner of revolt and repulsion was that one of the backroom boys for the event decided on the “unforeseen technical issues” as a better option than facing the further wrath of the scorned women.
There is now a call on Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to consider transforming public administration by hiring corporate talent from the private sector. The idea, mooted by BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Dr Amar Patnaik, has urged the Odisha Government to consider lateral entry of young and brilliant minds from the private sector to be inducted into the state bureaucracy in the rank of Special Secretary and below, percolating down to the district level. The whole exercise will be routed through OPSC giving the candidates a fixed term of 3-5 years, similar to what the Government of Karnataka has initiated through a collaboration with a non-profit organization — the Nudge Foundation. Knowing Patnaik’s progressive mindset, he is likely to be receptive to such ideas. It may be recalled that two years ago, it was Naveen babu who had asked his bureaucrats to share “transforming game changing ideas” so as to improve governance, speed of action and delivery of public service in the state. Should the Odisha government decide to recruit professionals from the private sector it will be touted as another major reform initiative by Naveen Patnaik’s government!
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has mastered the art of saying ‘No’ tactfully, without acrimony, notwithstanding his bonhomie with the BJP. So, when the Ministry Of Home Affairs refused to renew the registration of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act leading to a fund crunch and threatening a possible collapse of its charitable activities in the state, Patnaik stepped in with relief supplies. Acting quickly and, instead of indulging in empty political rhetoric, Patnaik directed all District Collectors (DCs) to ensure that no inmates would miss a meal or suffer health-related issues at any of Mother Teresa’s homes due to food shortage or lack of medical supplies. The Odisha CM opened up the coffers of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. While doing so Patnaik was not cocking-a-snook at the Centre over the blockade imposed on foreign funding but ensuring that people in Mother Teresa’s homes in Odisha did not suffer hunger or sickness. Some political analysts say that Patnaik, unlike other opposition leaders, did not whine or go to the media about the Centre’s action but took decisions in the best interest of his state. Once again, Patnaik has reiterated that he is the boss of Odisha and his governance style is to talk less and do more public service.
The Biju Janata Dal’s 25th Foundation Day on December 26, 2021, saw Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik telling party workers, “The party has evolved into a social movement and represents aspirations of 4.5 crore people of Odisha”. Patnaik, an accidental leader, faced a veritable trial by fire throughout his political career. His vision, determination and conviction has led Odisha on the path of real transformation. The state’s growth trajectory stands at 7.1%, higher than the national average growth rate of 6.6%, overshadowing 13 states of India. But for the Covid-19 pandemic, growth parameters would have further accelerated. Patnaik’s ‘talk less, deliver more’ motto has consistently worked for Odisha. An ambitious goal of plunging the state’s poverty rate from the existing 33% to 10% over the next five years is Patnaik’s next goal and people trust he will achieve the target objective. The no nonsense CM transformed, reshaped the state with his clean image and governance delivery bestowing the unique status of being irreplaceable upon him. However, the 75-year old CM, facing some health issues, has gone on record about succession plans. “People will choose their leader and it is not necessary to groom one,” he said and also putting to rest speculation by stating that, “There is no one from the family” who aspires to succeed him.
Forty-seven year old Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is having sleepless nights as the state tethers on the brink of financial bankruptcy. With no special status being conferred on AP, and no industries being set up the state is getting deeper and deeper into the debt trap, primarily caused by unviable freebies promised by Jagan to win the elections. As a result, it is surviving a hand-to-mouth existence through borrowings from public sector banks. Even public sector banking finance is drying out with the Union Finance Ministry questioning the banks over such lending to AP. Every year AP has to pay over Rs 43,000 crore as interest alone, says a government source. As per CAG report the fiscal deficit for Andhra was Rs 68,538 crore in FY 2020-2021. Jagan’s anxiety to provide 3 million homes to the poor as part of his election promise is also adding to the financial burden. Responding to a recent Gazette notification by AP Government, realtors are up in arms as builders are expected to hand over 5% land voluntarily for public housing or give matching cost compensation to accommodate free housing accommodation for the poor. For now, welfare measures are negatively impacting the state’s finances with no real investment going in for revenue generation.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is leaving no stone unturned to transform his state. And, the results appear to be showing. It is reliably learnt that five steel giants have finalized mega investments in Odisha namely: Posco, ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Jindal Steel and JSW. While Posco has evinced an interest to invest once again, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal’s ArcelorMittal has secured approval from the Patnaik government to set up a 24 MTPA greenfield integrated steel project at Kendrapara district. Similarly, Tata Steel will expand its Kalinga Nagar capacity from 3 MTPA to 8 MTPA; while Jindal Steel & Power will up its Anugul plant capacity from 6 MTPA to 25.2 MTPA. This will make JSPL’s Anugul plant the world’s largest single location steel plant. JSW, which acquired Bhushan Power & Steel plant located at Jharsuguda, will also ramp up capacity from 5 MTPA to 15 MTPA while the Rungta Mines’ Karakhendra plant capacity goes up from 0.53 MTPA to 3 MTPA. If all goes as planned, Odisha will become the ‘Steel Capital’ of the country, driving national economic growth through steel production. The state had a mere 2 MTPA steel production capacity in 2000 compared to its steel production of 30 MTPA today and, plans to further increase it to 100 MTPA by 2030. Clearly, Odisha is setting the pace of development for India.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who enjoys very good relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is also known to speak his mind freely on issues of national importance even if it means opposing Modi’s government. Patnaik, who is on mission mode to transform Odisha has been nudging the Centre through NITI Aayog, for enhanced central grants for the development of the state’s aspirational districts and the real-time filling up of much-needed infrastructure gaps in the wake of incessant natural calamities. For its part, NITI Aayog vice chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, who visited the state, was quick to respond after being suitably impressed with Patnaik for the state’s incremental per capita income, major improvements in the agrarian situation and maintenance of the fiscal deficit below the 5% margin. On his part, Dr Kumar has also advised the government to double its mining production, find ways to attract investment and FDI to support the state’s mineral development boards. Besides these, he also proposed that the state government set up a Sustainable Development Goal monitoring unit and advocated the use of chemical free farming. He promised that NITI Aayog will help bring out a development blueprint for the state. Besides the government, Dr Kumar also interacted with industry associations to get their feedback for boosting industrialization.
Feisty 47-year-old investment banker turned TMC MP, Mahua Moitra was taken by surprise when her party boss and, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, ticked her off for her brand of politics. Moitra nodded meekly as Didi dressed her down in public, apparently for writing to SEBI chairman alleging irregularities by brand Adani Power when it delisted. The letter, came just days after the Mamata-Gautam Adani meet in Kolkata, a prelude to the business summit planned in January 2022 so, Didi naturally blew her top. Moitra’s letter to SEBI was the proverbial last straw. Sources say Moitra’s solo style of politicking finds her out of team TMC’s favour. Her negative local politics over seat distributions and rumour mongering on TMC corruption in Nadia (where elections are scheduled) sparked off the party chief’s ire. And Mamta said “Mahua, let me give you a clear message here. I don’t see who is in whose favour or against. I don’t believe in the politics of putting on a show on YouTube, paper, digital etc. This kind of politics cannot sustain for long. And it is not right to expect that one person will stay at one post forever.” Question doing the rounds now is: Will Moitra quit after her public humiliation?
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is facing intense pressure from the opposition parties to sack the state’s home minister Dibya Shankar Mishra for his alleged involvement in sex scandal. The state Assembly continues to be paralysed over this demand. The opposition parties –BJP and Congress– are asking the Chief Minister to meet face-to-face on the floor of the house to discuss the Mishra issue. Patnaik so far is avoiding such a floor show. This hesitation convinces the opposition leaders that Patnaik is shielding the home minister for reasons best known to him. The sex scandal relates to the alleged murder of a school teacher Mamita Meher of Sunshine English Medium School on October 8. Reportedly, Mamita had threatened to expose the sex racket in the school implicating one accused. It is alleged home minister Mishra used to visit the school frequently. Patnaik, meanwhile, has requested the Odisha High Court to appoint a retired District Judge ABS Naidu to monitor the police investigations pertaining to Mamita murder case which will be subject to court scrutiny, investigating the role of Mishra. Opposition leaders are saying since the police force is accountable to the Home Ministry, how can one expect a fair report. Patnaik’s no action against Mishra has surprised the people at large as he is believed to be a no-nonsense CM having sacked ministers for slightest wrong doings in the past.
At Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the venue for the 2021 Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup played between 16 countries, the expectations were high that the defending champion India would once again walk away with the Cup. After all, it had won the Junior World Cup title in 2016 in Lucknow. But, the winner was Argentina. It displayed maturity, strategy and patience to beat the six-time champion Germany 4-2 to lift the cup after a gap of 16 years. Argentinians, who were shorter in height vis-a-vis German players, overcame that shortcoming by focusing on timely tackles, dodge and block, dribble, and in the process displayed exemplary teamwork. India on the other hand lacked all these qualities from Day One. It lost miserably to France and Germany. In fact, experts point out that India’s conversion ratio, coordination and consistent precision needs great improvement. The blame game is on with fingers pointing towards Hockey India. Not many know that Odisha was chosen as a venue at the last moment in September when two other Indian states declined to host the event. The Naveen Patnaik government pulled all stops out to ensure the event went off smoothly. Even the international coach Graham Reed was brought in just three months before the event. Hope Hockey India is well prepared for the next big event in 2024.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is in a hurry to finalise the district expansion plans, from the present 13 to 26. He has asked his key Secretaries and MPs to lobby with the Home Ministry to seek approval to go ahead with District Bifurcation plans immediately since there was an earlier directive that bifurcation can be done only after completion of Census 2021. Fortunately for Jagan, because of Covid-19, the census process has not yet started. He is keen to complete the district’s reorganization process before the census begins. And of course, nobody will complain as he enjoys a good rapport with BJP. What is the real objective for pushing and implementing district expansion? Is it to bring administration closer to people? Or is it to empower Zilla Parishad, Panchayati Samiti? The real reason is the need to meet electioneering promises and the potential to get additional funds from the Centre and create employment opportunities. Jagan and his bureaucracy are eyeing the benefits from district specific central government funding, particularly the backward districts which will become growth centres and the opportunity of participation in district specific schemes, creating better service delivery and solving administrative and governance issues. Also, a boom in land prices and new job opportunities are attractive factors, as AP has the second-highest density per district population after West Bengal.
For Andhra Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Telugu state is still at a crossroads. The three capital initiatives — Amaravati-Vishakhapatnam-Kurnool — which is the cornerstone of his political policy has hit roadblocks as hundreds of farmers in Amaravati moved the High Court contesting Jagan’s South African style initiative. He was forced to backtrack. This means Amaravati will be the working capital until the AP government postulates its new comprehensive Bill. For Jagan Mohan Reddy, his massive electoral victory in 2019 has not translated into improved governance, shoring up revenues, attracting big-ticket manufacturing investment, and creating more jobs in the state. Instead, his priority and focus have been to reverse the policies of the previous TDP government-led Chandra Babu Naidu. Reddy, says insiders, are spending more time crushing erstwhile political opponents, targeting non-complying bureaucrats and constitutional functionaries, and continuing populist dole out measures without sufficient financial backup. In the first half of 2021-22, Andhra Pradesh’s revenue deficit soared by 663% while the fiscal deficit was up by 108%. Half of the government earnings has been directed towards freebies schemes, subsidies, bills, salaries, pensions, etc. The writing is on the wall: Andhra Pradesh desperately needs to shore up revenue and attract big-ticket investments to put its economy back on track. Can it?
Latest news wafting from east India is that the Chief Ministers of Odisha Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh (AP) YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met to settle the inter-state boundary dispute that has been simmering for over six decades now. The bone of contention seems to be the Kotia Panchayat. AP is already in physical possession of Odisha territory in Kotia Panchayat by holding rural elections. In the case of Odisha, it is trying to find solutions by acceding 106 acres of its land to make AP Srikakulam District Dam projects viable. It is learnt that the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is mediating between the two Chief Ministers to work out an amicable settlement. In a way, Patnaik eyeing the next election, has perhaps understood that time has come not only to redress his own failure in not being able to resolve the border dispute related to Kotia tribal pockets in Koraput district but also follow Supreme Court’s directive that the border dispute should be solved through mutual discussions between two states. For Jagan Reddy the initiative to meet Patnaik in Bhubaneswar was only to ensure completion of Neradi barrage project. However, the Odisha’s opposition leaders feel it is a lost case as far as Kotia is concerned as AP after conducting elections has renamed three villages, elevated them to panchayat level and merged it with Salur block in Vizianagaram.
For Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticisms cutting across parties is getting uglier. Part of the reason for escalating opposition is Patnaik’s continued silence over sex scandal allegation levelled against Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra. According to local reports, a school teacher, Mamita Meher of Mahaling Sunshine English medium school in Kalahandi district, was allegedly abducted and murdered by Gobinda Sahu. BJP National spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi alleges the involvement of Mishra in the incident. The minister, she says, was frequently visiting the school and staying in the school at night. According to her, there was a sex scandal going on inside the school campus. Stories linking ministers to sex scandal is not new. People of Odisha remember how Patnaik’s swift sacking of several ministers like Maheswar Mohanty, Debasis Nayak, Manmohon Samal, late Pradeep Maharathy for their involvement in sexual harassment cases won him admiration. But, Patnaik’s cryptic one-line statement in the latest case stating that “Law will take its own course” with regard to Mishra has shocked people. Sources say that all evidence linked to minister Dibya Shankar may have been destroyed by the alleged murderer Gobinda Sahu. So at the moment, the question of damage control to sack the minister does not arise despite pressures mounting from the Congress and BJP.
India’s sports capital Bhubaneswar is all ready to welcome 16 countries for the 2021 Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup to be played between November 24 and December 5 at its world class Kalinga Stadium. India is the defending champion, having won the Junior World Cup title in 2016 at Lucknow. It is learnt that in view of Covid-19 precautions there will be no spectators, but the matches will be telecast live. Sports promotion seems to be on the radar of every chief minister in the country. Uttar Pradesh was keen to host FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup for the second time but backed out as the upcoming Assembly elections are a top priority. For Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has been betting big on sports this was a god-sent opportunity and he quickly moved to host the event. Till the Indian hockey team won the bronze at Tokyo Olympics not many people knew that it was Patnaik who was supporting the hockey players to the hilt for so many years now. In fact, the Parliamentary Committee has recommended other states to emulate the Odisha model for sports development through public sector and private sector participation. No one understands better than Patnaik. He has done this successfully, roping in participative contributions from PSUs and Private Sector enterprises to support sports.
The competition for survival has already begun with the West Bengal government setting up the Rs 15,000-crore greenfield Tajpur port project in the state — positioned next door to Tata Steel’s Rs 5,000-crore Subarnarekha port project at Chaumukh in Balasore district in Odisha. The Odisha government is moving fast. According to K Sudarshan Chakravarty, Collector and District Magistrate, Balasore: “The assignment of providing over 1,000 acres to Tata’s port project will be completed by November 2021.” With regard to the rail and road corridor, and land requirement of 197 acres, 40 acres have already been acquired. Tatas will begin project work sometime in January 2022. As for Tajpur port in WB, sources say that when commissioned this will be a major monopoly port in eastern India, accommodating Cape size vessels. Tajpur port has the backing of Port of Singapore, DP World and other big consortium and conglomerates who have expressed interest in the deep sea port project. Major business groups from W Bengal like Rashmi Group, Shyam Steel, Super Steel and companies from Kharagpur, Asansol, have shown interest to support Tajpur port project, especially steel and coke logistics business. Construction of Tajpur port will begin by mid-2023 soon. Sources say that the Tata Group which is now focussing on its prized Air India acquisition may go slow on the Odisha port project for now. When contacted, Tatas declined to comment.
After being pulled up by Odisha Assembly Speaker Suryanarayan Patra for frequent power cuts, the Tata Power has got into the act to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply through its four distribution companies in the state. The company has firmed up ambitious investment plans. According to Sanjay Banga, President (T&D), Tata Power, the company will spend Rs 1,200-1,500 crore for each Discom in the next five years (around Rs 5,000 crore for four discoms). The capex for 2021-22 has already been finalized and submitted to the OERC. Most of the Capex budget will go for reliability improvement, loss reduction and technology upgradation. In the coming winter of 2021, TPC will go in for planned outages – a new initiative to work upon preventive maintenance. Banga says from March 2022 onwards, TPC customers in Odisha will experience better power supply connection with fewer trippings as Tata Power will spend Rs 300 crore towards preventive maintenance to address summer season reliability. “Odisha power reliability will be as good as Mumbai and Delhi sometime in 2023,” Banga added. It is learnt that the power networks, which have structural weakness as experienced in Odisha due to redundancy of single-source supply, will be changed to multiple-source power supply assurance. This will ensure reliable power. Tata Power has 51% stake in the Odisha entity with management control and the state-owned GRIDCO has 49% equity stake.
Instead of waiting for the Union government to launch Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme in his state, Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided to take the initiative by announcing Rs 1,500 crore programme to provide 24×7 safe drinking water from tap in Odisha’s 17 cities in addition to what has been initiated at Puri – the abode of Lord Jagannath. At Puri, its entire population of 2.5 lakh people have been fully connected with piped drinking water. Translated it means 2 crore tourists will not have to buy bottled water and the environment impact will be the savings of 3 crore water bottles. “Availability of potable drinking water will improve the lives of 35 lakh population, wherein slum population of 8.5 lakh will be covered,” said G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development. Differentiating between Singapore and Odisha model of piped drinking water, Vathanan said: “Odissa will totally rely on ground water sources, wherein water quality will confirm to ISO 10500 standard.” Patnaik is keen to make Odisha a happening place. So be it in hockey, reduction of poverty, success in disaster management, attracting best investment to Odisha and now the piped drinking water to people’s home for the first time, his state is showing the way. Patnaik appears to be unstoppable.
An acute shortage of iron ore is hurting Odisha’s small businesses badly. Iron ore production in Odisha has dropped by over 31-34 million tonnes in 2021-22 to around 110 mn tonnes presently. The shortage has particularly hit small and medium scale industries (SMEs) who do not have captive mines and are dependent on iron ore supplies from the open market to run their plants. Odisha accounts for half of India’s iron ore production; and the state is under pressure to ensure supplies with leading industry bodies appealing for timely intervention of the state government as well as the Ministry of Steel & Mines. The challenge for the government is to address the supply shortages as well as contain the unviable price rise of the critical raw material. Production increase is the only solution to address the current supply-demand mismatch, says Vipin Gupta, Director, Utkal Metalics. He adds: “This responsibility falls on the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a state government undertaking whose role in this regard is cut out. They will have to ramp up efficiency and production being the largest state-owned mining corporation.” Industry members hold that the OMC also needs to come out with a policy not to allow captive miners to participate in OMC’s auction bidding process.
The first phase of Subarnarekha Port, a joint venture between Tata Steel and Creative Port Development located in Odisha, is complete. This project, whose foundation stone was laid in 2019 by the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, seems to be on the investment radar of many companies. Sources say several of the companies are keen to invest in the ports’ berthing facility designed to handle all kinds of vessels — Panama, Capesize, Super Capesize and Containerised cargo. With the completion of the first phase the port’s handling capacity stands at 25 MTPA. In phase 2, this capacity will be ramped up to 35 MTPA. The total cost of setting up this port spread over 1,398 acres is around Rs 5,000 crore. The state government has already handed over 692.68 acre of land and the balance 705.35 acres will also be made available soon. Additionally, land requirements for road and rail connectivity are also being planned. When fully operational, Subarnarekha Port situated next door to the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal will play a major role in logistic cost sustenance and economic development of the state.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.