Bahuguna against giving 'lal battis' in bulk

Faced with increasing non-plan expenditure, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is not in a mood to distribute ministerial-rank posts in bulk and wants fresh consultations with the Congress high command on the issue

Lately, the state Congress chief, Yashpal Arya, had been putting pressure on the chief minister to give top posts in the government corporations and other agencies, locally known as "lal battis" (red beacons), to party leaders and workers to keep them in good humour. In the state party function held last week, Arya had openly demanded "lal battis" for party workers in front of the chief minister.

But a day after, the chief minister reportedly said that he would give such posts to the party workers and leaders only after holding consultations with new state party chief. This enraged Arya, who wants to continue as PCC President despite being a state cabinet minister with plum departments.

Bahuguna, who is already facing ire of union water resources minister Harish Rawat on several issues including permanent capital, met Arya separately and closeted with him in his home for more than one hour. Bahuguna reportedly told Arya that he was against giving lal battis in bulk and that any such move would be taken up only after holding consultations with the party high command. Bahuguna also apprised Arya of the acute non-plan financial burden faced by the government. Non-plan expenditure in the current fiscal is estimated be Rs 16619.46 crore which is 65.61 percent of total budgetary expenditure.

However, Bahuguna said he would initially give only a dozen ministerial rank posts to the party leaders. When contacted, a state party spokesman said the chief minister is expected to provide "lal battis" to party leaders shortly.

Significantly, the Supreme Court last month also censured the proliferation of "lal battis" in the country and said barring top constitutional authorities and emergency services, there is no justification for others to flaunt such symbols of state power.

Interestingly, with scores of politicians demanding ministerial-rank posts that come with red beacon-fitted cars, the Ponty Chadha murder case had also put a damper in the move with the chief minister stating that only leaders with clean image will get these posts. Bahuguna had sacked Sukhdev Singh Namdhari from the post of chairman of the state minorities commission soon after his arrest in the twin murder at Chattarpur farmhouse at New Delhi last year.