HIMANSHU SHEKHAR | हिमांशु शेखर

The eighth and last Millennium Development Goal (MDG-8) is to develop a global partnership for development. Under this goal, it was decided in 2000 to address the special needs of the least developed countries, landlocked countries and small island developing states. A lot has been done in this direction since 2000 but a lot needs to be done to achieve this target by 2015. Even, UNDP’s MDG report, 2010 is not showing very encouraging picture of progress at this front. The main problem is most of the developed countries are unable to fulfill their commitments of providing financial assistance to less developed and under developed nations.

The seventh Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is to ensure environmental sustainability. Under MDG-7, it was targeted that the principles of sustainable development would be integrated into country policies and programmes to reverse the loss of environmental resources. But, UNDP’s MDG report, 2010 is telling a different story about the efforts of environmental sustainability. Global deforestation is slowing, but continues at a high rate in many countries. Over the last decade, about 13 million hectares of forest worldwide were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year.

The matter of severe concern is the lobbying by corporate and politicians in favour of Mahindra. He was working on the board of Union Carbide as an independent director. Some corporate leaders like Deepak Parekh, Chairman of HDFC, are batting openly for Mahindra. These leaders are saying if any independent director like Mahindra will be held responsible for the corporate negligence, then it will be very difficult for companies to find independent directors for board. Isn’t it a childish argument by these so called icons of corporate world?

The oil companies will get maximum benefit from recent hike in fuel prices. According to an estimate, if a consumer spends one rupee on petrol in Delhi, the oil refining and marketing companies will earn 55 paise, The Central government will earn 29 paise and remaining 16 paise will go to state government exchequer. In the case of Diesel, out of every rupee spent by the consumer in Delhi, the oil refining and marketing companies will earn 72 paise, 12 paise will go to the centre and the balance 16 paise will go to the state. This is what government has done in the name of deregulating fuel prices.

After too much dilly-dallying over the extradition of Warren Anderson, the former Union Carbide head accused of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak, the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given its nod for his repatriation. Now, this matter will go to the Cabinet. After getting cabinet’s green signal the External Affairs Ministry will initiate the process of extraditing Anderson. But, some social activists are still not satisfied with government’s go-slow strategy over the issue.

The Indian political parties speak louder against the criminalization of the politics but most of them have a big difference in their speaking and doing. It has been proved once again during recent Rajya Sabha elections. All the candidates with pending criminal cases have won the election. The elections for 55 seats of the Rajya Sabha held in two phase on 14 th June and 17th June in 12 states.

Both parties know very well that they need each other to gain power in Bihar and to show the strength at center. That’s why JDU chief Sharad Yadav is trying to work as a peacemaker and saying all is well. At the core of this development is the different identity of both parties and they want to maintain it on the best possible cost. Anti Modi tone of Nitish is required to allure Bihar’s 16.5 percent Muslim votes. In other hand, Brand Modi is the necessity of BJP to woo its core Hindu voters. Assembly election in Bihar is slated for this year and experts believe that cast and communal politics is going to play a major role in these polls.

Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee was presenting Rail Budget in Parliament but she was eyeing Writer’s Building of Kolkata. Mamta Banerjee has announced to develop 94 Adarsh stations across the country. Out of these, 28 are in Bengal. On the other hand she has announced to develop 22 stations of Bengal to multi-functional complex. Minister of Railway announced 16 Bharat Tirth trains in her Budget speech. Out of these five will start from Howrah. She has announced 10 new Duronto trains and Bengal got three of these. Bengal has got 17 of the 53 new express trains announced by Mamta in her Budget Speech.

आज से शुरू हो रहे दशक में तो वैसे भारत के सामने कई चुनौतियाँ हैं लेकिन अगर इस दशक में गैरबराबरी पर काबू पा लिया जाए तो कई समस्याओं का समाधान खुद-ब-खुद हो जाएगा। सही मायने में दशक की सबसे बड़ी चुनौती तो तेजी से बढती गैरबराबरी है। दुनिया की एक प्रमुख आर्थिक पत्रिका फोर्ब्स ने बीते दिनों भारत के सौ सबसे अमीर लोगों की सूची जारी की। इस सूची के मुताबिक भारत के सौ सबसे अमीर लोग 276 अरब डालर के मालिक हैं। यह देश के कुल जीडीपी का एक चैथाई है। सही मायने में देखा जाए तो ऐसा होना मौजूदा आर्थिक और राजनीतिक व्यवस्था की नाकामयाबी को ही दर्शाता है। क्योंकि इसमें अमीर की अमीरी और गरीबों की गरीबी बढ़ती ही जा रही है। पूरी आर्थिक सत्ता का कुछ हाथों में केंद्रित होते जाना एक खास तरह का असंतुलन पैदा कर रहा है।

जनता के नुमाइंदे किस कदर लापरवाह हो चले हैं, इसका एक बेहतरीन नमूना सोमवार को लोकसभा में देखने को मिला। सदस्यों की गैर मौजूदगी की वजह से प्रश्नकाल पूरा नहीं हो सका और सदन की कार्यवाही को तकरीबन आधे घंटे के लिए स्थगित करना पड़ा। प्रश्न काल में सवाल पूछने के लिए 20 सवालों को सूचीबद्ध किया गया था। पर इसमें से सिर्फ तीन सदस्य ही वहां मौजूद थे। सत्रह सवालों को पूछने वाले सांसद लोकसभा से नदारद थे।