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Letters

Nestlés Nefarious Game
Phoenix, one of the driest cities in the United States, gets its water from the drought-plagued Colorado River. The whole state has been advised to "share in the shortage" to protect the long-term water supply. But it's about to let Nestlé bottle 35 million gallons for profit.

Phoenix residents have been conserving water for years. Now Nestlé wants that water to bottle and sell it back to the public at 2,000 times the cost.

Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities in the US and has been in a drought for the past 17 years. With a booming population and global water scarcity on the horizon, allowing Nestlé to pump water from an already starved water supply is beyond careless.

Phoenix needs infrastructure to get water to the people who need it in times of emergency, not to give its water to a multinational corporation to make millions in profit.

It's the same story : Nestlé swoops in on a town that has fallen on economic hard times and cut a deal to bottle local water as a boon to the economy. In reality, the plant will likely only create only 40-50 permanent jobs and could put the city's already limited supply at greater risk.

Over 250,000 SumOfUs members just stood up to stop Nestlé from doing exactly the same thing in Hood River, Oregon. SumOfUs supported local organizers in introducing a historic ballot initiative to stop Nestlé" in its tracks—making Hood River the first place in the country to ban the commercial bottling of water.

And across the world, SumOfUs is fighting against water privatization—and winning. This week, SumOfUs scored a major victory in New Zealand getting the government to reverse its decision to allow 40 million liters of water to be sold off for private profit.
Paul, Nicole, Angus, and the rest of the SumOfUs team, US

Why Not Jagdambapal Model
It refers to second setback to central government when after Uttarakhand, now Aruanachal Pradesh witnessed restoration of earlier Congress government through verdict by Supreme Court, with Apex Court now drawing lines for governors bid speakers. But best solution is to adopt improved version of model decided by Supreme Court in the case 'UP government (Kalyansingh) vs Jagdambapal' when for the only time a Chief Minister in the country was elected by secret votes of member of state-assembly in UP.

Improved model can be to elect Chief Minister simultaneously with new Speaker and Deputy Speaker by all members of the lower House by secret vote through Electronic Voting Machine; (EVMs) on nomination signed by at least 34-percent members. Such an elected Chief Minister may only be removed by a no-confidence motion passed through same procedure but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. MLAs not participating in such as election may be disqualified for voting in the assembly even though retaining membership of the House. If the model is successful, then it can be adopted permanently for electing Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Speakers and Deputy Speakers in the country for eliminating permanently problem of hung assemblies and mid-term elections.

Model will eliminate hung state assemblies and unholy political games of making and unmaking of governments apart from preventing horse-trading of members of legislative assemblies. Ruling parties will have to select candidates for these dignified posts which may have acceptability amongst opposition parties as well. Suggestion will also pave way for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state-assemblies.
Madhu Agrawal, Delhi

Frontier
Vol. 49, No.5, Aug 7 - 13, 2016