Away from the headlines

With political activity taking a summer slumber after the BJP8217;s victory in the assembly election, campaigns and committees dominate Gujarat8217;s power corridors.

With political activity taking a summer slumber after the BJPs victory in the assembly election, campaigns and committees dominate Gujarats power corridors.

There is a committee to inquire the Bodeli bus accident that killed 40 students. The committee isnt heading anywhere as the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation authorities are blaming the bus driver who died in the accident while saying there was nothing wrong with the bus. Incidentally, the state principal secretary, ports and transports, is also heading an inquiry committee on the incident.

There is another committee that was set up following a fire that broke out in a chemical disposal plant in Ankleshwar, one of the largest chemical estates in the country. The status: the Central Pollution Control Board, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authorities are exchanging files.

Apart from the committees, the state bureaucracy is keeping itself busy with some nice-sounding campaigns. The Gujarat government had declared 2005 as Tourism Year, 2006 as Urban Development Year, 2007 as Nirmal Gujarat Year and 2008 as Nirogi Bal Year. The brooms came out as part of the Nirmal Gujarat celebrations while people and celebrities made grand speeches for the Beti Bachao Abhiyaan.

As part of the Nirogi Bal Yeardedicated to improving the health of childrenthe health department wooed private practitioners for honorary work at government health centers. As if all this wasnt exciting enough, there is the Krushi Mahotsav in May. If it were not for the state information press releases, one would have forgotten the Krushi Yatras. Outgoing state agriculture minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, who lost the assembly polls, had made the Krushi Yatra a publicity blitzkrieg during his tenure. He got agricultural officers and scientists to fan out into rural areas to take the latest know-how to farmers.

After the assembly polls, Gujarat may have moved out of the front pages of national newspapers but a few events continue to demand attention. Among the controversial ones were the appointment of retired Justice Akshay Mehta to the Nanavati Commission and the inclusion of DSP Noel Parmar in a Special Investigation Team thats reinvestigating the Godhra massacre and the post Godhra riots of Gujarat.

In the meanwhile, BJP rebels are nowhere to be seen and the Gujarat Congress is once again trying to find its moorings. The chief minister is said to have kept himself busy by taking classes for BJP leaders from other states on how to win assembly elections.

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