The Express effect

The Dying Roar

The Report In January 2005, Jay Mazoomdaar broke a story that shocked the nation. The tiger, symbol of India8217;s natural heritage, had not been spotted at Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan since June 2004. Even as wildlife experts and Project Tiger officials traded charges, Express was first to report significant loss of tigers in Ranthambhore and Panna reserves as well. Subsequently, Mazoomdaar reported from across the country, including Naxal heartlands of Indravati Bastar, Palamu Jharkhand and Valmiki Champaran. The writing was on the wall: in many so-called Tiger Reserves and National Parks, the tiger was losing out to ineffective management, lax security and poachers. The effect Within a week of the Sariska report, the Ministry of Environment and Forests ordered an intensive search. Subsequently, a CBI inquiry confirmed poaching had eliminated all tigers at Sariska. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, calling the tigers8217; disappearance the 8220;biggest crisis in the management of our wildlife8221;. On March 17, Singh chaired the meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, and decided to constitute a Task Force on the status of tigers. The Supreme Court asked the Centre to hand over all poaching cases to the CBI. The Rajasthan government set up an empowered panel. Recent census figures released by this panel confirm the Express report of 18-20 tigers missing in Ranthambhore.

One Woman8217;s Woes
The Report Pranab Dhal Samanta8217;s report on the plight of Fatimabi8212;a victim of the 1993 Mumbai riots who landed up in a Lahore prison8212;evoked much response. Appearing on February 20, it also explored the possibility of her repatriation to India.
The effect Not only was Fatimabi released, but our sustained efforts in following up the case at Mumbai got NGOs to come forward and help her rebuild her life.

The Bihar Flood Scandal
The Report In April 2005, Varghese K. George, The Indian Express8217; Patna correspondent sniffed out possibly the biggest scam of 2005. Money and flood relief material worth Rs 13 crore had disappeared. Sustained investigation indicated the complicity of then Patna district magistrate Gautam Goswami and some local politicians.

Over 10 days, reports revealed how funds went to a firm with an acronym identical to that of the official relief supplier, how a small-time politician amassed a fleet of cars, and how a bureaucrat suddenly came upon property.
The effect The government instituted a vigilance inquiry and an FIR was filed against 26 people. Gautam Goswami and contractor Santosh Jha were among the arrested. The government says it will make future relief operations transparent.

Lakes for Sale
The Report On 1 May, The Sunday Express reported how Udaipur8217;s famed lakes were being plotted out and sold. Eight consecutive years of inadequate rains had turned the city8217;s lakes into endless stretches of barren land. The district administration and land mafia got together to turn tragedy into business opportunity. Illegal colonies were carved out and arterial roads built on the empty water bodies that once formed the lifeline of the City of Lakes.

The effect The district administration called the sale of the lakes an 8220;inadvertent mistake8221;. Within a week of Sandeepan Sharma8217;s story, it issued notices to 6,000-7,000 8220;encroachers8221; and ordered an inquiry.

Tsunami8217;s Orphans

The Report On 6 January, Sourav Sanyal reported from Terresa Island, one of the worst-hit by the 2004 tsunami, and found the islanders living without food, water and medicines.
The effect Almost immediately, the local administration rushed food and medical aid to the island. The state government

divested the industries minister of his portfolio. The promoter of Vashishta Wahan was arrested and a CBI inquiry ordered.

Top Man8217;s Burden
The Report On July 1, the front page of Indian Express carried a photograph of joint commissioner of police in Vadodara K. Kumaraswamy, mounted on the shoulders of his commando Kanu Makwana to avoid waist-high water.
The effect Bhupendra Rana8217;s photograph caused an uproar and effected Kumaraswamy8217;s transfer. Asked by DGP A.K. Bhargava to explain the 8220;un-officerlike behaviour8221;, Kumaraswamy cited a 10-year-old bullet injury. Though the DGP wouldn8217;t say why Kumaraswamy was transferred, the home secretary, Shivanand Jha, was more forthright: 8220;Obviously, it8217;s an Express Effect.8221;

Loot for Work

The Report In August, Prasannakumar Keskar was the first to report on the Rs 9.1 crore fraud perpetrated in the Employment Guarantee Scheme EGS unearthed by the Solapur collector, Manisha Verma. Vinita Deshmukh followed up the story.
The Indian Express also uncovered similar irregularities in Satara district by conducting jansunwais in two villages along with an RTI activist.The effect NAC member and social audit crusader Aruna Roy8217;s team visited Solapur to investigate. Other activists joined the campaign.

Disempowered No. 2
The Report On March 29, Toufiq Rashid wrote on health minister Anbumani Ramadoss8217; curious order that files need not be sent to his minister of state, P. Lakshmi.
The effect On April 19, Ramadoss withdrew the order that denied his junior access to files.

Money Changer
The Report On January 19, a story by Varinder Bhatia exposed a land scandal that shook the government in Punjab. A Pathankot-based businessman alleged he had paid Rs 25 lakh to Rana Sodhi, chief parliamentary secretary to the Punjab Chief Minister, to fix an allotment.
The effect The following day, Sodhi returned the money to the businessman.

The Militant8217;s Chauffeur
The Report On May 15, The Sunday Express reported how former MLA and National Conference leader Gul Rafequi escorted a Hizbul militant to Amritsar in his official car. Mir Ehsan8217;s story further reported on how the Hizbul man then crossed the border on a fake passport.
The effect On May 18, Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed ordered an inquiry. On May 21, the police arrested Rafequi and registered a case against him.