Who’s the real LoP?
It’s been more than a month since BJP MLAs elected Gopal Bhargava, eight-time sitting MLA from Rehli (Sagar), as the new Leader of Opposition. But it was former parliamentary affairs minister Narottam Mishra and ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan who stole the show during the recently concluded Budget session of the state Assembly. Mishra often interrupted speeches with witty remarks and Chouhan made his presence felt through direct attack on the government, several Congress MLAs were seen asking who was the actual LoP.
BSP MLA continues to give Congress govt jitters
Firebrand Rambai Thakur, one of the two BSP MLAs supporting the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, continues to give the ruling party and the government jitters with her posturing. Rambai, a first-time MLA from Pathariya seat of Damoh district (who continues to demand ministerial berths for self and fellow legislator Sanju Kushwah) recently alleged that the condition of farmers hasn’t improved under the new regime. “Farmers were living in plight during the erstwhile BJP government and despite the Congress now back in power in MP, the condition of farmers continues to be abysmal. None of the two parties are sincere to the farmers’ cause,” said Rambai.
Conference of prison heads in Bhopal
Over 150 delegates will participate in the 6th National Conference of heads of prisons of states and Union Territories on prison reforms to be held in Bhopal on February 26-27. The state government and the Bureau of Police Research and Development will host the event. Representatives of universities, NGOs and students will also be present. Themes of the conference include increased participation of the community in the context of released prisoners aftercare system.
Solar power at govt medical colleges
Government medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh will tap solar power to meet their electricity needs, a move which will result in D12 crore saving in the first year. An MoU was recently inked in Bhopal. Under the MoU, solar power plants will be set up on rooftops of all state-run medical colleges.
47% seats filled in engineering colleges
The paucity of seats in medical and engineering colleges isn’t new. However, there are only a few takers for the existing seats in engineering colleges in Madhya Pradesh. Responding to a query pertaining to the delay in the establishment of an engineering college in Panna, the minister Bala Bachchan revealed the grim picture. There are around 160 government and private engineering colleges in MP, where against 62,000 seats, only 29,000 have taken admission, which means that more than half the seats are lying vacant.