Some interesting news items on this first Wednesday of Jun 18.
- PC Chidambaram- EX Finance & Home Minister was questioned by Enforcement directorate’s (ED) officers yesterday in the case relating to Aircel- Maxis money laundering case. Earlier his son Karti was also questioned by ED in the same case, for multiple times. Chidambaram’s statement was recorded by ED officers, and read out to him before he was asked to sign the same. The ED’s officers line of questioning was relating to his role in granting Foreign Investment promotion Board (FIPB) approval in 2006 or Rs 3500 Cr in Aircel Ltd as “being investment or Rs 180 Cr only”, thus skipping mandatory approval of the cabinet committee on economic affair. He is also likely to be questioned by CBI in another case of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approval and alleged pay offs to companies linked to his son in the INX- Media deal. Ed has already filed an affidavit in supreme Court(SC) in Aircel Maxis case, where they have said that only 20 days after granting approval, Rs 26 Lakhs was paid by ATVL( seller of equity shares of Aircel Ltd to Maxis) to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd (ASCPL), which is controlled by Chidambaram’s son Karti. P Chidambaram was Finance Minister that time who had given FIPB approval in Aircel Maxis deal, even though it was not within his power to approve. The funny part is while coming out of ED office, P Chidambaram made a comment that there is no FIR, no offence alleged and yet he has been questioned. I felt like laughing after reading his statement- to whom he is trying to fool, he is an Ex Finance Minister and he should very well know that ED can very well call any one for questioning if they find some hanky panky in any financial deal.
- Yesterday SC , allowed promotions for SC/ST govt officers on quota system till the legality of new law is established. The chronological events in this case are as follows -Reservations in promotions allowed since 1955 till the SC held in unconstitutional in 1992. -In 1995 law was amended to allow it. -The new was challenged in SC and in 2006, the court said that before framing any law, the state will have to satisfy the test of : backwardness, Inadequate Representations, overall Efficiency. -Relaying on this SC judgement, several High Courts struck down reservations in promotions. Then at that time UPA govt introduced a bill that said all SCs and STs shall be deemed backward, the bill is still not passed by parliament. So yesterday’s directive by SC has given a big relief to NDA govt, which was facing flak as being anti SC and ST. So it means that instead of doing away with reservations, we are back to square one as now the promotion reservation is back, along with existing reservations for getting jobs.
- Continuing with reservations- Maharashtra govt has announced that there will be reservations of 1% seats in Engineering and Medical colleges for orphans, who have been residing in orphanages. Thank God this reservation is not based on any caste or religion. a similar reservations quota for govt jobs is also being considered. This reservation happened because Amruta Karvande who grew up in an orphanage in Goa. In 2017 she sat for MPSC exam and scored 39/100. She approached CM Devendra Fadnavis, after which govt moved an orphan quota.
waiting for your comments/views/feed backs.