From increasing remuneration for kotwars in forest villages to hiking the honorariums of panchayat office-bearers to promising Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to Government employees to regularising daily-wage earners to clearing long-pending demands for land, the state Government is doling out sops at a breathtaking speed.

In the immediate aftermath of the Union Cabinet’s clearance for the Sixth Pay Commission, the state Finance Minister, Raghavji, had simply thrown his hands up, wondering how he would arrange money to meet the demand from state employees.

But on Tuesday, the Chief Minister made it explicit that he is confident of absorbing the financial burden running into hundreds of crores through “better fiscal management and increase in revenue. The state’s annual plan commitment will not be affected”.

Only a few days ago, some BJP leaders had criticised the UPA Government for committing to implement the Pay Commission’s report and leaving the states with no option but to follow suit.

When petroleum prices threatened to hit the roof, the Madhya Pradesh Government had set up a committee to suggest ways to save money and generate revenue. Before the committee’s recommendations were accepted, the Chief Minister even took to bicycling, pedalling his way once a week to the Secretariat and then back to his official bungalow.

After four weeks or so, he rested his new bicycle somewhere in the sprawling bungalow, probably because he realised he couldn’t afford to slow down, especially when his Government was making promises at a frenetic pace from everything to withdrawing cases against farmers and tribals to waiving off interest and penalties to laying pipelines. The flurry of announcements has put the Congress in a difficult situation. While it can’t oppose the Government for lavishing its ‘largesse’ on people for obvious reasons, it also can’t afford to let the ruling party walk away with accolades for this generosity at the state’s expense. Last heard, the oldest national party was busy trying to get around the tricky situation by complaining to the Election Commission without offending the beneficiaries.

What is adding to the Congress worries is the Jan Ashirwad rally Chouhan started recently from Ujjain with the BJP’s prime ministerial aspirant L K Advani by his side. He is making announcements along the way, but before he set off on the yatra, the party had announced that he wouldn’t lay any foundation stone and that no Government official would accompany or receive him. The party says the promise was about laying foundation stones and as far as the presence of policemen is concerned, he is entitled to his security. The explanation is not helping the Congress’s cause but it can do little more than accuse the ruling party of misusing Government machinery.