DK Shivakumar urges EC to direct Centre to release drought relief for Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president D K Shivakumar has appealed to the Election Commission to direct the Union government to release Rs 4,663 crore from National Disaster Response Fund and additional support fund of Rs 18,171 crore to the state to meet the severe drought situation.
In a letter to the poll panel in the capacity of Congress state president, he pointed out that 224 out of 236 taluks are reeling under drought. He also cited the recent statement of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a press conference in Bengaluru.
Referring to news reports quoting Sitharaman at the press conference, Shivakumar said she stated the Union government had written to the Election Commission on March 28 seeking permission to hold a meeting of the high-power committee to clear several proposals for disaster relief, including drought relief for Karnataka.
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"In her said statement she categorically conceded a delay in releasing drought relief by giving a reason that the Election Commission has not permitted to hold a meeting of the high-power committee. People of Karnataka have been suffering due to lack of adequate relief funds to meet basic requirements like drinking water, fodder, employment and crop loss, etc...," the DCM said.
As a matter of right, the states are entitled for NDRF and other funds from the Union government whenever disaster occurs in the states concerned, he underlined.
According to Shivakumar, even the provisions of law and the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha elections will not come in the way of release of drought relief to the state.
He said the Union Government has wrongly contended that the Election Commission has to permit a meeting of the high-power committee to clear drought relief funds to Karnataka, which is not required in the eyes of law.
"In view of the above facts and circumstances, we appeal to your esteemed commission to direct the Union government to hold the meeting of the high-power committee immediately and to release Rs 4,663 crore from NDRF and additional support fund of Rs 18,171 crore to the state of Karnataka to meet the severe drought situation on a war-footing, in the interest of the people of Karnataka," he said.
He also pointed out that Karnataka had made a representation to the Government of India four months ago to release Rs 4,663 crore and additional Rs 18,171 crore from the NDRF to provide crop loss to farmers and to take appropriate measures to provide basic facilities to the people and for cattle of drought-affected areas of Karnataka.
Shivakumar also highlighted the Karnataka government has approached the Supreme Court seeking drought relief funds for the state.
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SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam
New Delhi, Apr 29: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. It, however, refused to stay for now the cancellation of the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, however, refused to stay the high court order cancelling the appointments and said it will hear the matter on May 6.
Observing that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons is a serious matter, the top court asked if it is possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud are.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the central agency to submit a report within three months.
"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the high court said in its April 22 order.
The high court said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, appointed after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets but obtained appointment to return all remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent interest per annum within four weeks.
Observing that it had given "anxious consideration to the passionate plea" that persons who obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process was cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left.
The high court held that all appointments involved were violative of articles 14 (equality before law) and 16 (prohibiting discrimination in employment in any government office) of the Constitution.
"It is shocking that, at the level of the cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing fully well that, such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum," the high court had said.
It said unless "there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries" with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is "inconceivable".
The division bench had also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order and asked the commission to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench, constituted by the high court chief justice on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016.
In its 282-page judgment, the high court had said retaining appointees selected through "such a dubious process" would be contrary to public interest.
