The BJP CM’s administrative capability has been questioned as there are reports that the police arrangements were totally inadequate and the lapses of the law and order machinery contributed to the tragic incident. This development is the latest showing the MP Government in poor light and this has been preceded by a number of reports denting the image of the Chauhan Government.

The most important development relates to the order passed by the Supreme Court staying the allotment of 136 mines to various companies. The Supreme Court, on October 8, issued notices to Mining minister Rajendra Shukla, state Chief Secretary and Election Commission over the allotment of 136 mines in different areas of state just before the imposition of election model code of conduct. The department had received 1100 applications for allotment of mines.

A Supreme Court bench presided over by CJI P. Sathasivam and Justice J Tarun Gogoi issued notices and directed maintenance of “status quo” with respect to around 1100 different applications filed for grant of mining rights in 136 different areas by private parties. The orders came on a Special Leave petition filed by NGO “Parishram Samaj Evam Kalyan Samiti” through its secretary Tarun Gupta.

While hearing the plea, the SC stayed the allotment of mines and asked Minister; EC, Chief Secretary and Election Commission to filed the reply within 4 weeks. The PIL has challenged the “last minute hearing over the files conducted by the Minister, Mines just before the imposition of Model Code of conduct on October, 6 2013.

Advocate Siddharth Gupta said, “The Court has stayed the allotment and entire process adopted for allotment of 136 mines on back dates. The PIL was filed when Minister took up files of around 136 mines relating to different areas along with around 1100 applications filed with respect to those areas for grant of mineral concessions of major minerals, like iron ore, bauxite, manganese etc.”

According to an analysis of the haste with which the allotment decision was taken, disposal of one case took hardly 43 seconds. Most of the allotments were dose in favour of companies owned by persons having close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Besides, persons close to the ruling party, beneficiaries of the government decision also include certain newspaper proprietors. The mine scam, some people claim, is as huge as the Karnataka one. After the Supreme Court order, opposition parties have stepped up their attack on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and mining Minister Rajendra Shukla.

Another setback has been caused by the scandal involving admissions in the medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh. Admissions in medical colleges are done through a test conducted by the MP Professional Examination Board. This year - and in some previous years as well - these tests were manipulated by the people holding responsible posts in the Board. These manipulations were done by accepting huge sums as bribes.

According to a doctor, he gave Rs. 27 lakh as bribe to ensure admission of his son in a medical college. The special Task Force has already arrested more than two dozen persons holding key positions in the Board. Those arrested include Director of the Board.

How massive the admission scam was can be gauged by the fact that admission of 345 medical aspirants has been cancelled after it was discovered that they had used fraudulent means to secure admissions. These candidates were declared disqualified by a five-member committee of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB). Special Task Force (STF) of the state police had given a list of 876 suspicious candidates to the board.

The board has now forwarded the list of the disqualified candidates to Directorate of Medical Education (DME) for cancelling the admission of those who have already enrolled themselves in different medical colleges.

About 37,000 candidates appeared in the pre-medical test held on July 7 this year. Indore police crime branch busted the inter-state impersonation racket operated by an Indore-based doctor, with the arrest of 20 youths hailing from UP and MP on July 6, just a day before they were to appear as proxy candidates for actual candidates in MPPMT-2013.

The STF later arrested former director and controller of examinations of MPPEB Pankaj Trivedi. Subsequently, Trivedi was suspended by the state government.

During initial investigations, Indore crime branch lodged an FIR against 28 accused, including the mastermind of the gang Dr. Jagdish Sagar, MPPEB System Analyst Nitin Mahindra and senior System Analyst Ajay Sen, Assistant Programmer CK Mishra and others in connection with the scam.

The state government did not act promptly after the expose. Trivedi was removed after much delay. In fact, Shivraj Singh Chauhan had earlier given him a clean chit saying it was he (Trivedi) who brought the matter to everyone’ notice.

All these developments have enthused the Congress which has demanded CM’s resignation on stampede death issue. The feel-good mood which Chauhan had created a few months back through his yatras, is gone and the BJP is facing more and more road blocks in its bid to retain power in Madhya Pradesh again. (IPA Service)