Oppn charms over chai and samosa

NAGPUR: It was a pleasant surprise for the ruling Democratic Front. The opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine charmed the ruling coalition ministers with their uncharacteristic cordiality at the chief minister''s customary tea party here on Sunday.
For the first time in many years, the Sena-BJP leaders accepted the ''chai pe bulaya hai'' invite, a long-time democratic convention aimed at fostering a better climate ahead of the state legislature session.The winter session is scheduled to start here on Monday.
The party was marked by much back-slapping and bonhomie between the DF honchos and opposition bigwigs. "We are happy that a good democratic practice, which was followed in recent times (by the opposition) more in violation than observance, has been revived," Deshmukh told media persons after sharing ''samosa'' and ''kaju katli'' with the opposition leaders.
"This is the first session of the new government and so we are attending the tea party," said leader of the opposition Narayan Rane of the Sena.
He added that the acute power shortage and resultant load-shedding and the state power board (MSEB) employees'' threat to go on strike in a bid to oppose the proposal of splitting up of the board into three units are the issues the opposition would raise on the floor of the house.
The MSEB employees'' stir is likely to begin on Wednesday. However, Deshmukh said the trifurcation of the MSEB was "inevitable" and the split was in keeping with the Centre''s Electricity Act.
"We will talk with the MSEB unions and sort out the matter," he said adding that the state government would go ahead with the trifurcation proposal after December 10 as the Centre had rejected any further extension of the deadline.
The energy minister will discuss the issue with the employees before taking a final decision. The MSEB has prepared a Rs 56,000 crore plan for restructuring and augmenting the power generation in the state. Deshmukh said that because of the Enron imbroglio no new power project could be undertaken in the state during the last decade.
Deputy chief minister R R Patil, who is in charge of the home portfolio, said the law and order situation was under "total control". This was because the police had taken strong action against regrouping of the underworld dons in the metropolis, he said.
Patil added that talks would be held with the chief justice of the Bombay high court to speed up the judicial process since the number of detentions were higher while the conviction rate was much lower.