Mihir Shah is Member, Planning Commission, Government of India.Free water agenda
Since groundwater is the single most important source of water in India today, the Twelfth Plan has launched an ambitious aquifer mapping and management programme. The aquifers in each city need to be mapped and participatory, while sustainable and equitable arrangements for groundwater management need to be worked out in a very location-specific manner.
In the light of this massive reform proposed in the Twelfth Plan, it is somewhat disappointing to see the zeal being shown by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to rush into the 666 litres free water agenda. Indeed, this raises the alarming prospect of further disadvantaging the already deprived sections of Delhi who get no piped water at all. The AAP manifesto itself has a much more nuanced understanding of water issues in Delhi. The manifesto clearly acknowledges that over 30 per cent of Delhi’s residents do not get tap water in their homes. It also recognises that 17 lakh households do not have access to safe sanitation. The loss of revenue from freebies to those already getting water could end up pushing the unconnected even further down the deprivation ladder. It is to be hoped that the AAP will reconsider its water priorities, taking both the Twelfth Plan and its own manifesto more seriously
The video is mainly in Hindi, but 4:16 to 6:25 is in English. The video is a collection of several different TV segments put together. The first portion is about how Kejriwaal is finding popularity and support in Kashmir Valley (Vadi). Amar Farooq of the Hurriyat is shown making statements that are generally supportive of AK....some comment about 'it will start in Kashmir and go to Delhi'.Shonu wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO7NkjYYx-U
PS- Could someone please translate/summarise the video?
If it turns out that AK is a nutcase, he will implode sooner or later in spectacular fashion.Plagiarism is only 1 of the symptoms of AAP's mediocre looniness (and which is scary for India, because right from when I first came into contact with Arvind he was always looking for mediocre, disgruntled frustrated people like himself - and of whom there is no shortage in India). Mediocre people like Arvind have no principles or fixed ideology and are always prepared to compromise at the drop of a hat to accept "partial" victories to delude themselves and their followers.
Like the NAC's "free jobs" and "free food" schemes. Scary indeed. I remember some people saying that the Republicans in US saw the economy in a down cycle along with their fortunes and intentionally torpedoed the economy even further with Iraq/Afg poison pill scams to doom the Democrats and bring the Republicans back for even longer. Everything they needed to do in Iraq and Afg could have been done by B-52s and Predators. Could the NACongis be taking a leaf out of same book?Hari Seldon wrote:
So, scorched earth tactics by putting in place an irreversible fait-accompli-ish precedent or what, eh?? Scary if true.
nsriram wrote:If it turns out that AK is a nutcase, he will implode sooner or later in spectacular fashion.Plagiarism is only 1 of the symptoms of AAP's mediocre looniness (and which is scary for India, because right from when I first came into contact with Arvind he was always looking for mediocre, disgruntled frustrated people like himself - and of whom there is no shortage in India). Mediocre people like Arvind have no principles or fixed ideology and are always prepared to compromise at the drop of a hat to accept "partial" victories to delude themselves and their followers.
This is an interesting and substantative point. Free water and subsidized bijli will help some groups, and the price increase will hurt other groups. By definition, this pits one group against another. Now, I have no idea which group benefits, and which group is getting hit, but assuming that upper middle class is seeing higher electricity rates and is subsidizing rates for the poorer sections, this is expected to cause some re-think among the middle class. I am not following AK's politics closely but I hear that support is coming from English-speaking upper middle-class people. I would assume that this is the group that would see an increase in their rates (water or bijli). Do they still support the measure now? In addition, can this scheme be expanded to all (or much) of India? If yes, where will the extra money come from?rohitvats wrote:The various measures announced by AAP give selective subsidies depending on the usage - and it is nobody's argument that the usage will be higher in middle and upper middle class residential areas. If one maps the usage and subsidy spread, one can actually correlate this with socio-economic classification of Delhi.
Now, one can extend this exercise further and map the areas where AAP won with areas which will benefit the most from these subsidies - and vice versa. If these subsidies come to bite people in relatively more affluent areas who voted for AAP, then we may have a window of opportunity to wrest these seats from AAP
The idea is by the time Delhites realize it and the rest of India realizes it even later, the GE 2014 would have already taken place and AAP would have dented BJP's prospects. In 5 years time, its time to hatch one more diabolical scheme on India.SriKumar wrote:@Shonu, sure thing...and no need for the sirji onlee.
This is an interesting and substantative point. Free water and subsidized bijli will help some groups, and the price increase will hurt other groups. By definition, this pits one group against another. Now, I have no idea which group benefits, and which group is getting hit, but assuming that upper middle class is seeing higher electricity rates and is subsidizing rates for the poorer sections, this is expected to cause some re-think among the middle class. I am not following AK's politics closely but I hear that support is coming from English-speaking upper middle-class people. I would assume that this is the group that would see an increase in their rates (water or bijli). Do they still support the measure now? In addition, can this scheme be expanded to all (or much) of India? If yes, where will the extra money come from?rohitvats wrote:The various measures announced by AAP give selective subsidies depending on the usage - and it is nobody's argument that the usage will be higher in middle and upper middle class residential areas. If one maps the usage and subsidy spread, one can actually correlate this with socio-economic classification of Delhi.
Now, one can extend this exercise further and map the areas where AAP won with areas which will benefit the most from these subsidies - and vice versa. If these subsidies come to bite people in relatively more affluent areas who voted for AAP, then we may have a window of opportunity to wrest these seats from AAP
No matter how much we deny but now days public perception can be easily influenced by sold out media. By the time truth comes out, its too late.IndraD wrote:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 250549.cms
media licking foot of AAP like never before, except few channels like Zee, India TV, most (like aaj tak) have become official channel for AAP
Hakeem Saheb:niran wrote:fikar not saarzee, these info most people in the know have, i.e. Netas of various parties journos wagerahanumadu wrote:^^Niran ji, Should you be divulging this information.
all of them knnows it, but neither a neta worth his salt ain't gonna say it nor paid media, after all they gotta look after RKM too,just as holloi polloi.
All I can say is that in Chennai city, ADMK(Amma) will not even win one LS seat. Screwed up big time. People are yearning for DMK again to at least come and put some roads in the city.Kakkaji wrote:
Hakeem Saheb:
Much as I would like to believe you, I think the estimates for BSP, ADMK, and BJD are too low.
Driven by the twin objectives of removing the Congress-led UPA from power and preventing the formation of a government with the support of the Congress at the Centre, the MDMK will be part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), MDMK general secretary Vaiko said on Wednesday. (No constructive agenda)
During his New Year Day interaction with the media, Mr. Vaiko said he held preliminary talks with the BJP high command, including its president Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi. The MDMK general council on February 4 would have further discussions before firming up the alliance.
Describing the Lok Sabha polls as a defining moment in the Indian political history, Mr. Vaiko said the Congress would be routed (blind anti-congressism)and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would become the Prime Minister. “There is a wave in favour of Mr. Modi in the country,” he said.
Mr. Vaiko said the party’s stand was akin to that of the Akali Dal in Punjab, which had a lot of differences with the BJP, but agreed to join hands with it to prevent the Congress from coming to power. “I also held a discussion with Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal,” he said.
Mr. Vaiko said while he was very firm on defeating the “spineless” Congress, which he alleged, was responsible for the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka, he also wanted to ensure that a political alliance with the support of the Congress was not allowed to come to power as it would be operated by the Congress.
Asked whether the BJP would support the stand of the MDMK for creation of a separate Tamil Eelam, he said there was no need for a political party to support all the programmes of another political party.
“We have agreed to disagree. This is the core principle of an alliance. The greatest danger today in the country is the Congress that betrayed the interests of the Tamils,"(BS,Cong has to do a tightrope walk )he said.
Asked how he could join hands with the BJP, especially when its Prime Ministerial candidate Mr. Modi, had not expressed regret for the Gujarat riots, Mr. Vaiko said Mr. Modi had already made a statement on the 2002 riots. “I applauded him for his open-mindedness.”
Mr. Vaiko, however, declined to comment when asked whether he would seek an apology from Mr. Modi. “I will talk about these issues once we finalise the alliance,” he said. He also said both his party and the BJP had not set pre-conditions for forming the alliance.
Sethu project
Mr. Vaiko, a strong advocate of the Sethusamudram project, said his party had decided to reconsider its stand on the issue in the wake of environment considerations.
“The issues were not there when the project was conceived. After the submission of Pachauri committee report, we have to take into consideration the livelihood of fishermen and other environment issues,” he added.
This issue is currently in the Court. AK is going ahead without waiting for the outcome of the case, as there is no stay order.saravana wrote:BTW, can CAG audit private companies?
I am sure you (and everyone else) knows this but want to mention it anyway..... in this day/age of 24/7 twitter, social media, other internet stuff, even 1 week is like an aeon, especially as it gets close to election time. A lot of ground can be covered (or lost) in a relatively short period of time.hanumadu wrote:The idea is by the time Delhites realize it and the rest of India realizes it even later, the GE 2014 would have already taken place
I snipped out the 2nd sentence of that quote & tweeted the rest. The 4 Brahmins are the so called "educated" Delhi voters, who dont realize that the creature they are creating will one day devour themScholarship is less than sense;
Therefore seek intelligence:
Senseless scholars in their pride
Made a lion; then they died.
tfwiw.Gus Saar has robust common sense.So could be a bellweather of things on ground.Good start with getting PMK and MDMK in the bag. Add KMK, DMDK and some more local caste parties and get good candidates and with good focus and campaigning bjp can very well snag 5 or more seats.
He doesn't seem to either. His decisions are likely based on amount of alcohol in his blood.krishnan wrote:not sure about captain, no one knowns what is in his mind
