Free health camp benefits 60,000, sets record
Rajesh Munat, a senior Cabinet minister, successfully organised a free five-day health camp, where more than 60,000 people — from a four-month-old infant to a 90-year-old senior citizen — availed of check-ups, diagnosis and treatment.
The event secured a place in the Golden Book of World Records. In the recent months, Chhattisgarh has attempted to turn any mega event into a record-setter if not a record breaker, whether it was the International Yoga Day events that saw participation of 55 lakh people, more than 10,000 people swaying to the tune of Chhattisgarh’s traditional ‘Sua’ dance, or 6.25 lakh people being screened for diabetes and blood pressure in one day.
Government ‘misguides’ people on SC order
The liberty granted by the Supreme Court to petitioners to move trial courts with all available evidence has been interpreted by the Chhattisgarh government as “case withdrawn against senior minister” Ajay Chandrakar, who is facing accusations of having disproportionate assets and making bank transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore.
The legal fraternity has said that the media statement issued by the state government was prepared in a haste, without going through the order of the Supreme Court. Now all the evidence available to the petitioner can be revived before the trial court and investigated.
“It was a liberty granted by the court and the Chhattisgarh government’s statement was misguiding”, a lawyer said.
Kachra Mahotsav fails to impress
Kachra Mahotsav, India’s first garbage festival, is likely to fail to promote recycling and upcycling of waste generated in the Chhattisgarh capital. Organised by Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC), the four-day event that began on January 19 claims to be selling products that are recycled and reprocessed from garbage.
But, there is nothing much in the show that can show the roadmap to smart cities. The RMC, it appears, doesn’t believe in seeking views of experts and stakeholders in the development of smart cities. The officials of the Corporation lack effective answers on how to creatively reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
All eyes on fate of parliamentary secretaries
With the Election Commission seeking disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in New Delhi for allegedly holding an office of profit, all eyes are now on the fate of the 11 parliamentary secretaries in Chhattisgarh, whose powers were seized by the state High Court in August last year. The court had held that the parliamentary secretaries did not have constitutional legitimacy. The final hearing on quashing of the post and recovering of Rs 34 crore spent on “illegal practice” by the Raman Singh government is
yet to be completed.
Ejaz Kaiser
Our correspondent in Chhattisgarh
ejaz@ newindianexpress.com