Issue 57 Vol III, February 15, 2008

C O M M E N T

Punjab on sale

THE Alkali BJP government in Punjab has devised a completely senseless policy to sell prime public properties. All this is in the name of mopping up revenue to meet the deficit budget and increase commercialisation. These may be government offices and other institutions located at prime places in the burgeoning cities and towns. Over 12,500 such properties have been searched with the help of two private agencies who got official help to do the job, but pocketed huge public money. These properties are valued at billions of rupees, but it is feared by many, these may be handed over to favourites for consideration.

One such property is 1250 acres farm at Ladowal with the Punjab Agriculture University at Ludhiana for research and seed production. This is an all important research station of this primer institution which had helped Punjab usher in green revolution. The government had told the vice chancellor and other authorities that this land was required for mega project and should be handed over to the government. There is a strong apprehension that the entire land of the Ladowal farm might be allotted to the cellular company, which has sought permission for setting up a private university as well as Adarsh Schools in the rural areas, all at government costs. This private cellular company, which has set up a vegetable farm on 300 acres, has not been asked to vacate the land nor invited to the meetings held by senior officers of the state government.

The university has been offered three alternative sites, small junks of unproductive land at far off places; some at over one hundred miles away. But the Agricultural University authorities have expressed their inability to hand over the Ladowal research station land to the government. No one expected the university to stand up to the government’s dictate issued by powerful politicians.

The state government sent a compact disk to the authorities containing the details of land available in four districts of Mansa, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Amritsar. Under pressure, the vice-chancellor of the university, Dr Manjit Singh Kang, had set up a committee of experts of the university to study the issue and select the land in lieu of the Ladowal research station. This committee of experts has rejected the government offer. Dr Kang has conveyed to the government that no suitable piece of land has been found for research and seed production. He maintains that there were small pieces of land located at different places and these could not be used for research and seed production.

At present, the PAU has 200 acres under sugarcane research. Research is underway in fruit plants, sorghum and other commercial crops. There are around 200 varieties of sugarcane, which are at various stages of testing at Ladowal and there are 500 acres under seed production. This would meet a dire demand of Punjab farmers who face seed shortage of wheat and other crops. It took about six years and millions of rupees for the PAU to set up the present research station.

Interestingly the present allotment of land measuring 1,250 acres was made at Ladowal in lieu of 140 acres of sugarcane farm at Jalandhar, which was taken over by the government for the establishment of Punjab Medical institute. The project has been hanging fire for the past many years. The Congress government under Beant Singh had given Rs 15 crore to the PAU for the establishment of the research station, including laboratories at Ladowal.

Dr Kang has pointed out that the establishment of the new research station and seed farm would need huge investment and the university was already facing a severe financial crunch. The retirees of the PAU have not been paid their pension for the past four months now. He has stated that at least 500 acres are needed for seed production only. There is one piece of land available along the river but it is not of 500 acres and is under illegal occupation.

As a matter of fact, the vice-chancellor had written to the state government sometimes ago that the entire farm of 2,950 acres should be handed over to the PAU for carrying out research and seed production. Instead, the state government asked the PAU to surrender 1,250 acres. The university has not yet been allotted land or given monetary compensation in lieu of 25 acres given for the much touted  cricket stadium at Bathinda.

However, the vice-chancellor has selected some pieces of land for the establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the districts of Mansa, Tarn Taran, Mohali and Barnala. Each centre will need 25 acres.

Several experts including Dr D.R. Bhumbla, a former vice-chancellor, Haryana Agricultural University and a former Agricultural Commissioner of India, has criticised the move of the Badal Government to take control of the Ladowal seed farm and research station.

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India ranks 11th, China 48th on Global Integrity’s index

THERE is yet another report to show the high level of corruption in India and complete disregard for anti corruption laws.

India is ranked 11th among 55 countries for governance and anti-corruption standards in the recent report released by the independent watchdog organisation Global Integrity.

India’s ‘moderate’ showing of 75 points is a combination of robust institutions and lack of accountability in key areas. While anti-corruption laws are excellent, law enforcement is weak. The Comptroller and Auditor General also get thumbs up for “being independent and well-staffed”. But the index punctures India’s boast of a free press—the report claims that journalists are often harassed for reporting corruption. Judicial accountability has also been judged as ‘very weak’. Other problem areas are bureaucratic nepotism and off-the-books political financing. This has perhaps no limits.

There is an all pervasive pessimism about corruption. It is very understandable. India’s anti-corruption laws score a thumping 100 on 100, but it’s the people can’t trust the system as it does not deliver. The cynicism is dangerous. There is only a ritual of elections and these are supposed to carry the entire burden of democracy. While good governance hinges on basic structural reforms and peoples participation at many levels, yet autonomy and federalism get only lips sympathy. The integrity index is calculated across all these categories.

United States and Bulgaria scored the best stats 87 points, yet neither made the top rating of “very strong”.60 per cent of the countries studied received overall ratings of “weak” or “very weak”. Latvia, Spain, Japan, Italy, Romania, Canada, Costa Rica and France are also ahead of India, while Lebanon finished last.  China and Pakistan have depressing records. China, which finished 48th, has dismal graft records and Pakistan has all too many laws with nominal enforcement.

The lack of established correlation between elections and government responsiveness suggests that it may be more worthwhile for crisis-ridden countries to focus on gradual institutional and legal improvement instead of merely fixating on how elections are held.

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Sri Lanka: seeing the red
Micky Sharma

THE echo of bomb blasts and the loss of innocent lives have clearly subdued the festivity in the island nation of Sri Lanka that completes its 60th year of independence.

The country has been reeling under severe tension as the ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE was called off. A low intensity bomb exploded on the outskirts of the national capital on February 4 which prompted the authorities to add to the already unprecedented security arrangements following a wave of attacks blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels who are battling the military in the North.

Mobile SMS services in the country were suspended till the celebrations were over as a security precaution. The government suspected that the LTTE might use threatening text messages to pressurize people from staying away from the Independence Day celebrations. Many roads throughout the Sri Lankan capital were sealed and various vital installations were barricaded.

The country kicked in the celebrations with a skeptical frame of mind and Mahinda Rajapakse unfurled the national flag at a sea-front promenade. Troops and brass bands marched accompanied by multi-barrel rocket launchers, armoured personnel carrier and Navy fast attack boats. It was followed by a fly past by helicopters and jets.

The Independence Day celebrations were the first national event since the government in Colombo last month withdrew the 2002 truce with the Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

The celebrations have, otherwise, also been overshadowed by the increased violence and renewed fighting between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the military in the LTTE-held northern areas.

The military deployed around 4,100 troops for a ceremonial parade, in addition to drawing thousands of commandos and paramilitary police forces from the provinces were used to beef up security. Somehow the country managed to celebrate and put up a brave face in this time of adversity, but the increasing violence has been a major concern ever since Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to go on the offensive.

In another incident of terror striking the country, a claymore mine explosion by suspected LTTE on a passenger bus on February 4 left 13 people, including two women, dead and 16 injured in a town in north-central Sri Lanka.

The explosion took place at Ethawatunwewa, between the Buddhist city of Anuradhapura and Janakpura, in Vavuniya leaving 13 dead and 16 injured according to a Military spokesman.

This was the fifth explosion to strike the island country within three days as the country was gearing up for its diamond jubilee independence day.

The government’s decision to take on the LTTE has many backers, people who genuinely believe in the intentions of their very own leaders to lead the country to a violence free and progressive Sri Lanka. But the question that the current crop needs to address is that are they ready to pay the price same as these blasts and at times even higher than this, in hope for a peaceful tomorrow. The government has a self-imposed deadline of a year to handle violence and curb it substantially, but going by the way events are shaping up, the Rajapaksa governments sense of timing for peace may need a  rethink.

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Third Country Settlement: Grief or Relief?
Micky Sharma

REFUGEE crisis that has long threatened peace and progress in both Nepal and Bhutan, the two Himalayan kingdoms now daring to turn to democracy, could be nearing some solution.

After a long resettlement process started last November by the United Nations Refugee Agency [UNHCR], comprising of a mass information campaign on durable solutions throughout refugee camps, the names of nearly 10,000 individuals have been submitted to several countries for re-settlement. However, there is no one voice that seems to represent the refugees and while some of them are against the resettlement issue, others have applied for a third country resettlement in big enough numbers.

The Nepal government’s permission to Bhutanese refugees to opt for third country resettlement will allow refugees to leave the camps in eastern Nepal once their cases are accepted. The divide between the refugees is more of a generation gap than an actual ideological rift. The youth believe that moving to a third country would present them a good enough offer to re-establish themselves, while the older generation favours repatriation to Bhutan.

Refugees in Goldhap camp, Jhapa district, are divided over the resettlement issue. Many young people prefer to start afresh in a new country while the older generation is in favour of repatriation to Bhutan.

The UNHCR welcomed the Nepal government’s decision to issue exit permits to the Bhutanese refugees and stated that third country settlement is an important step towards finding solution to the refugee stalemate. The refugee stalemate has meant that more than 107,000 Bhutanese have been languishing in seven camps in two of Nepal’s districts for the last 17 years. The divide between the refugees has become so sharp that it has resulted in frequent clashes between refugee groups who stand for or against the third country re-settlement proposal.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency has been encouraged to see the response by the refugees and has already stated that the process has also been gaining momentum in the camps since it started late last year.  A substantial number of refugees have expressed interest, and the UNHCR has submitted the details of nearly 10,000 interested refugees for consideration by the resettlement countries. The refugees are currently in various stages of the process, ranging from interviews to extensive medical screening and cultural orientation before departure.

The US, keeping in mind its image as the world’s only actual superpower, has offered to resettle at least 60,000 Bhutanese refugees and Canada has indicated it will accept up to 5,000. Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway have also given out positive signals showing their willingness.

The first batch of refugees is set to fly to the United States in March while many more will leave in July. The Nepalese government has decided to issue exit permit to only those refugees who voluntarily opt for resettlement.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva has commended Nepal’s willingness to work for a solution towards the 17-year long problem saying, “This allows refugees to leave eastern Nepal’s camps for third countries once their cases are accepted, and is an important step toward finding solutions for over 107,000 refugees who have been in Nepal for 17 years.” According to Daisy Dell, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Kathmandu, “Resettlement offers a way out for thousands of refugees who see no future in the camps. At the same time, we continue to advocate for voluntary repatriation for those who wish to do so.” Hope the promises are kept and these soothing words get translated into action.

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