EMBASSY WATCH
Delhi awaits new U.S. ambassador as allegations of lies and misconduct fly around him
Eric Garcetti, US President Joe Biden’s nominee as the next ambassador to India, had promised to “double down on efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders, defend its sovereignty, deter aggression”.
But his appointment seems to have run into rough weather. His name as the next man in New Delhi was announced late last year but he is yet to take over the new responsibility.
Garcetti, serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles, is embroiled in a controversy for allegedly lying about a case of misconduct by his aide.
Republican Senator Charles (Chuck) Grassley from Iowa, who is also a ranking member of the Senate’s Committee on Judiciary, has said that his team is probing whether Garcetti lied to a US Congressional committee by claiming that he was not aware about sexual harassment and assault charges against his close aide and long-time political adviser Rick Jacobs.
Jacobs has been accused of behaving inappropriately with men and women in and around Los Angeles City Hall. Grassley claims that he is in touch with some whistle-blowers and is in the process of ascertaining full facts of the case, including Garcetti’s claim of being unaware of Jacob’s alleged misconduct.
Grassley has informed President Biden that he would oppose in Senate a unanimous consent request on Garcetti’s nomination.
He has also written to Republican Party leader in the Senate Mitch McConnel requesting to be notified before any unanimous consent request is agreed to regarding the nomination.
“The United States owes it to the republic of India to send them a qualified ambassador that will represent the values of the United States…,” Senator Grassley wrote to Senate minority leader McConnell to put the matter on hold. Garcetti’s nomination needs to be approved by a majority of members in the Senate where a vote is yet to be scheduled.
NO MORE FREEBIES
Government to stop free ration supply from March 31
Free ration supply, started by the Central government during Covid pandemic to give relief to people hit by the disease and job loss, would be stopped on March 31.
The scheme, called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY), was launched during the second wave of Covid last year.
Under this scheme, the Central government distributed lakhs of tonnes of foodgrain from the Food Corporation of India godowns across the country, benefitting more than one-third of the country’s population.
Though Covid subsided some time back and people had returned to work, the government decided in November last year to extend the scheme till March this year, some say with an eye on elections in five states.
The explanation given unofficially for ending the scheme, however, is that Covid has ended.
RELIEF FOR CONSUMERS
No steep hike in diesel, petrol prices immediately
The deregulated diesel and petrol prices would continue to be regulated by the government.
Public sector oil companies have been bleeding due to skyrocketing crude prices following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
But they have been asked to go slow on raising diesel and petrol prices.
The prices were frozen four months back in the run up to elections in five states and were expected to rise now.
Highly placed sources, however, say the government has asked the oil companies not to rush into doing that.
They have been told to do it in a phased manner. Petrol was deregulated in 2010 and diesel deregulation was one of the first decisions of the Modi government in 2014.
By deregulating oil prices, the government withdrew price control and allowed fuel prices to be linked with international market rates.