NK'S POST

NK SINGH Last week’s administrative reshuffle has catapulted Madhya Pradesh to a unique position. Now, every fifth district collector in the state is a woman. Of the 51 collectors in MP, as many as 10 are ladies. This has happened for the first time in the state. The post of a collector, although not very high in the bureaucratic hierarchy, is definitely the most visible and potent symbol of administrative power. Women officers have gained not only numerically, but in importance in the labyrinthine power structure, getting prize postings. For the first time in the history of MP, the Government has posted a woman IAS officer, Chhavi Bhardwaj (2008 batch) as collector of an important district like Jabalpur. It is her second inning as collector. Similarly, it has posted Preeti Maithil (2009 batch) to Rewa, considered a difficult district, in her second inning as collector. Shivpuri is considered a political minefield for officers. Here the government has reposed its confidence in...

Madhya Pradesh Red  beacon on bicycle and other stories NK SINGH B JP is notorious for its huge obsession with VIP culture in Madhya Pradesh. In 2016, when Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma participated in a bicycle rally to mark world environment day, he would not dream of parting with his precious Lal Batti.  The mayor placed the red beacon on his cycle. “The red beacon,” said the BJP leader, “indicates mayoral position and authority.” Earlier, Health Minister Rustam Singh, a former IPS officer, had made a style statement by mounting a red beacon on his motor bike.  These may be extreme cases of people suffering from fatal attraction for trappings of power. But there are politicians who would do anything, but anything, to acquire a Lal Batti. When Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh moved a resolution in MP Assembly in March 2017 proposing scrapping of red beacons, BJP leaders openly mocked him.  Singh had announced in the assembly that he had returned...

NK SINGH Starting 2018 on a positive note, let us try to identify public servants who made a difference to the quality of governance in MP last year.  The list is by no means exhaustive. More suggestions are welcome.   GAURAV TIWARI Officer with a backbone In March 2016, three BPL card holders of Katni received income tax notices for payment of tax on nearly Rs 25 crore deposited in their bank accounts. Police sat on their complaint. In July Gaurav Tiwari (IPS 2010 batch) took over as SP of Katni. A week later he registered a FIR into what turned out to be a Rs 500 crore hawala racket. Political circles were agog with rumours about involvement of a politician in the scam. On January 7 last year Katni police intercepted and seized a vehicle full of documents packed in 27 gunny bags. Noose was tightening. Two days later Tiwari was transferred, his second in six month. It led to a mass outpouring of support for him, with protest rallies, strikes and dharna....

Fasal Beema Par Jumlebbaazi Ka Kahar NK SINGH Published in Tehelka (Hindi) of 31 Oct 17 Email: nksexpress@gmail.com Tweets @nksexpress

Why every five hours a farmer commits suicide in MP? NK SINGH Madhya Pradesh was the first State in the country to implement NDA Government’s much-touted Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme. At the time of its launch last year, farmers were promised the moon. Politicians made them feel that if they buy this insurance, it will be panacea to all their problems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself came to MP to launch the scheme at a massive function organised in Sehore, the home district of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Explaining salient features of the scheme to farmers Modi declared at Sehore: “It is a historic decision; Even if he happens to be the only farmer who has suffered losses (in that village), he will still get benefit of the insurance scheme.” It turned out to be just another jumlebazi. Buoyed by the Prime Minister’s promise, 36.40 lakh farmers bought insurance for their kharif crop last year. Their heightened expectations were crushed to gro...

TOO MUCH PUBLICITY CAN BECOME NEGATIVE PUBLICITY NK SINGH   Companies engaged in c rop insurance business just made a killing in Madhya Pradesh, earning a profit of nearly Rs 1,200 crore in a single season.  They collected premium of Rs 3,000 crore from farmers and government and paid 1,800 crore as insurance benefit to those who suffered kharif damages last year. “The scheme seems beneficial to insurance companies,” says former Chief Secretary of MP, Nirmala Buch, who is passionate about a farm that she cultivates at outskirts of Bhopal.    No one will grudge the profit that the companies made – profit and loss are legitimate business for underwriters – even if it comes out of taxpayers’ money. Farmers are required to pay only one-fifth of premium. Remaining share comes from your and my pockets. The crop insurance scheme is in news because the government walked extra miles for it. The mai-baap sarkar tried to turn something as routine as insurance...