Chavan, Pawar to meet with Hazare in bid to quell stir

Maha CM, deputy plan separate meetings with anti-graft crusader, who is to start state-wide tour to press for a strong Lokayukta

Once bitten, twice shy. Learning lessons from the past, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and his deputy Ajit Pawar would hold separate meetings with social activist Anna Hazare during this week to discuss important issues relating to tabling of bill for a strong Lokayukta in the state, expediting administrative reforms and government's measures to curb graft.

These meetings, which are expected to take place on April 26 during Hazare's visit in Mumbai, are crucial especially when Hazare has announced his state-wide tour from May 1 to press for a strong Lokayukta in Maharashtra and strong Lokayukta in India and also for expediting measures by the state goverment on administrative reforms and curb corruption.

Hazare and Yoga guru Ramdev have joined hands together to press for a strong Lok Pal. While Hazare would start his agitation from Shirdi in Maharashtra, Ramdev plans to visit Chhatisgarh on May 1 for launching the agitation.

The move by Chavan and Pawar is crucial to avoid any opportunity for Hazare to further mobilise people against government alike his campaign in Delhi last year.
 
Even though Hazare factor did not work in the recently concluded elections to the 195 municipalities, 27 zilla parishads and 15 municipal corporations, both Chavan and Pawar did not want to take any chance ahead of assembly elections slated for 2014.  Besides, the chief minister and deputy chief minister are meeting Hazare at a time when the government has been rapped by Comptroller & Auditor General over lapses in sale and allotment of land to various educational institutions promoted by several top leaders and ministers.
 
Chavan told Business Standard "I will meet Anna Hazare and will discuss at length on a range of issues. The state government is committed for a strong Lokayukta. Besides, my effort has been to bring in more and more transparency in administration and sanity in governance. During my tenure as the chief minister of Maharashtra since November 2010 I have given priority for a public cause and not for personal gains. Discretionary powers have been reduced." Chavan said government would take all the necessary steps to curb corruption and malpractices.
 
Moreover, Chavan's deputy Ajit Pawar, who had met the anti corruption crusader Hazare last year at his home village Ralegan Siddhi in western Maharashtra, would also hold a separate meeting with the latter to apprise him about the government's stand on Lokayukta. Besides, Pawar is expected to clarify Nationalist Congress Party's views in this regard.
 
Hazare has also expressed his diepleasure over the present toll collection system and he has been pursuing with the government for its cancellation. In its response, the state goverment had recently announced closure of about 30 toll collection centres and indicated that few more would be closed down in a phase manner.