Monthly Archives: June 2014

Increase in price of Cooking Gas?

21 Saturday Jun 2014

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Reports are coming that as a continuation of the railway-fare hike, the NDA government is proposing to increase the price of the cooking gas, which will seriously affect the home-budget of middle and lower middle class.
What is meant by the NDA government regarding ‘good governance’ is becoming clear. Good governance seems to mean taxing the common people and getting money for the government at the same time giving big tax relief to the rich. This is only taxing the poor to pay to the rich. This will be strongly resisted by the people.

Appoint CMD, Director (Finance ) of BSNL immediately

21 Saturday Jun 2014

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The post of Director (Finance), BSNL is vacant for the last few months after the retirement of Shri K.C.G.K.Pillai. Shri R.K.Upadhyay, present CMD BSNL is retiring on 30th June 2014. Shri Anupam Shrivastava was selected for the post. But now, it is understood, that the post will be filled up only after the new government takes a decision. In that case, the CMD post also may be vacant for some time.

NDA government assured good governance. Is this good governance keeping these important posts vacant? The Central Government should immediately fill up these posts to help BSNL to function.

Shift Govt. Offices from Bangalore – BCCI

21 Saturday Jun 2014

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It is almost unbelievable! The Business Houses has become to such an arrogant position that now their demand have become most aggressive. The latest is the demand reported in Times of India Bangalore Edition dated 21st June by the Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) that the government offices be shifted from Bangalore so that Industry and Business can utilise the space !

The BCCI suggestion is that the government offices to be shifted to a new place in Central Karnataka. There are many State, Central, and Public Sector offices in Bangalore which occupies a major part of the city. The head quarters of many military units, Air Force etc. are situated in Bangalore. Bangalore is a city with many historical monuments and religious places. Is BCCI demanding shifting of all these to make place for business and Commerce?

The demand is most atrocious and is to be downright ignored.

CPI(M) Opposes hike in Rail fare.

20 Friday Jun 2014

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New Delhi, June 20: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the unprecedented hike in railway fares by the Modi Government to the extent of 14.2 per cent in all classes and that in freight charges of 6.5 per cent.
This is a cruel blow to the working people who have been victims of relentless price hikes in the years of Congress misrule. Instead of bringing them some relief as promised in his election campaign, the Modi Government has put a huge burden on the mass of people who use the Indian railways. The increase in freight rates will have a cascading impact on prices of essential commodities which are transported by rail across the country.
The Government has taken such an anti-people step behind the back of Parliament. The railway budget is to be presented in a few days. Earlier the BJP used to condemn pre-budget hikes of the UPA government as anti-democratic. The Modi Government has followed the same path.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the price hikes and demands their reversal. It calls upon all its Party units and people to protest the hikes.

Communications Minister meets Top Management of BSNL, MTNL.

20 Friday Jun 2014

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The Communications Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad met the Managements of BSNL and MTNL today and discussed about their revival.

The Minister tweeted afterwards: “Discussed strategy for revival of BSNL and MTNL with senior management. No excuse for poor performance will be acceptable”.
“Directed BSNL & MTNL to take immediate steps to enhance quality of service and customer satisfaction and to resolve grievances.

This is what is required. There should be a serious retrospection on the part of the managements and plan really for the revival of the PSUs.

Stop this attack on people – Don’t increase Railway Fares.

20 Friday Jun 2014

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The Modi Government has started its brutal attack on the people with the unprecedented increase in the Railway fares, both for the passengers and for freight. The increase in the passenger fare is 14.2% and in the freight charge 6.2%. Such increase has never been ordered in the past.
The argument that the increase in the fares have been proposed by the UPA Government does not hold water. Even decisions taken by the UPA government are being changed when it suits the NDA government. There was no compulsion on the NDA government to take anti-people decision which has started by the UPA government. The argument that there is a loss of Rs. 26,000 crore to Railways and hence the price rise is also difficult to digest. The priority for the government is to find out the reason for the loss and ensure that more efficient operation is carried out.
This decision will put the railway passengers in serious difficulty. The people who are already suffering due to the huge increase in the prices of essential commodities will have to face another price increase due to the increase in freight charges.
The decision to increase railway fares is to be strongly opposed and defeated. Unless this is done, more and more attacks will continue.

Meeting with Kerala Comrades

20 Friday Jun 2014

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The occasion of the release of the book of Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, “P and T Trade Union movement in Kerala” at Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram yesterday, 19th June 2014, was an unexpected opportunity for me to meet many of the veteran leaders of the movement in Kerala, including those who have worked with me while in Kerala.
In the meeting Com.C.C.Pillai, the former Secretary General of NFPE, who was also Chairman of the Confederation of CG Employees was present. He was in CHQ Delhi for about 10 years and later as CITU Working Committee member. He is now at Kollam with his family and fully engaged with trade union movement and also politics. He is an active leader of the CPI(M) in the District. We had close connection both at Thiruvananthapuram when we were both Circle Secretaries of E.III and R.III unions respectively and also at New Delhi. We could not get much time to discuss issues, but at least could meet and greet each other. His wife, both his sons Ajoy and Bijoy were all part of the union activities at Delhi.
Another senior comrade I could meet was Com. P.Balakrishnan (or PB 2 as he is called familiarly), who was the Circle Secretary of P.III Union and also Secretary of NFPE. I was meeting him after a long time and exchanged pleasantries.
Com.K.Arjunan, former Circle secretary, T.IV, Union was there as usual in every important TU function at Thiruvananthapuram. Now he is a leader of the AIBDPA, the organisation of the DOT-BSNL Pensioners, and fully engaged with the same. We were circle secretaries of the unions at the same period. we talked about the past and the present activities.
There were also a large number of other former and present leaders and activists of the P and T Unions. Some of them like Coms. G.Sasidharan Asari, K.Leelamma, R.R.Verma etc. were closely connected with the union work and are activists of AIBDPA now. There were many comrades who are the present office-bearers of NFPE and BSNLEU and active workers whom it will be difficult to name all.
Of course, the All India leaders of NFPE and BSNLEU like Com.M.Krishnan, Secretary General NFPE, R.Muralidharan Nair, AGS, BSNLEU, K.Mohanan, CS Kerala were all parts of the organisers. And Com. P.V.Chandrasekharan, who wrote the book was of course, there. All of had discussion together about the current tasks in the union front.
I have only mentioned a few comrades. There were many others like Com. A. Velayudhan Nair, who is now a well known Advocate,with whom I had been closely connected and were present in the meeting.
Yes, the occasion of the release of the book by Com.PVC was an excellent opportunity for me to meet all of these comrades.
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Book on “P and T Trade Union Movement in Kerala” released

19 Thursday Jun 2014

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To day, 19th June 2014, was a proud movement for the Posts and Telegraph Trade Union movement in Kerala. Hundreds of central, state, public sector employees assembled in the Press Club, Trivandrum for the release of the book ” P and T Trade Union Movement in Kerala” written by Com. P.V. Chandrasekharan, senior leader of the movement and Circle Secretary / President of the AITEU class III / BSNL Employees union from 1982 to 2005.

The meeting was presided over by Com. Anathalavattam Anandan, President, CITU, Kerala. Com. V.K.Joseph, General Manager, Chintha Publishers, which published the book welcomed all. Com. Pinarayi Vijayan, PBM and State Secretary of CPI(M), released the book, by handing over a copy of the book to Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, President, BSNL Employees Union. In his speech, Com.Pinarayi focussed the growth of the P and Movement and the glorious struggles that have taken place. He congratulated Com. PVC for the effort he has taken to write the history of the movement.
Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri thanked the organisers for inviting him to this august meeting. He spoke in detail about the important struggles of the P and T workers, the growth of the movement in Kerala etc. He also congratulated Com. PVC for writing the book. Com. M.Krishnan, Secretary General NFPE introducing the book to the audience focussed on some of the important issues detailed in the book. Com.Sivkumar (FSETO – State Govt. Employees organisation) also spoke.
Com.P.V.Chandrasekharan, the author of the book, thanked all the participants and mentioned how he started writing the book and the help received from all, including senior leaders. Com.K.Mohan, Circle Secretary, BSNLEU proposed vote of thanks.

The book is priced Rs. 190/-. A large number of copies were sold at the conference place itself.

SBI to recruit 7200 employees

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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It is stated by the SBI Chairman that about 7200 employees will be recruited this financial year, considering the fact that about 8,100 employees are due to retire. Good news!

What about BSNL? About 10,000 to 15,000 are retiring every year. But almost no recruitment at all!

New Recruits are a must. Even in all private companies, whether telecom or banks, they have started recruitment in right earnest. But BSNL is still sleeping. It seems that the BSNL management is not worried about the efficiency and better service.

A quarter of India turning into desert – Environment Minister

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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The Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar, has stated that about a quarter of the land in India is turning in to desert due to overuse, excessive grazing and changing rainfall patterns. If this is true, India will face a very serious situation. A report by Reuters is reproduced below:

NEW DELHI: About a quarter of India’s land is turning to desert and degradation of agricultural areas is becoming a severe problem, the environment minister said, potentially threatening food security in the world’s second most populous country.

India occupies just 2 per cent of the world’s territory but is home to 17 per cent of its population, leading to over-use of land and excessive grazing. Along with changing rainfall patterns, these are the main causes of desertification.

“Land is becoming barren, degradation is happening,” said Prakash Javadekar, minister for environment, forests and climate change. “A lot of areas are on the verge of becoming deserts but it can be stopped.” Land degradation — largely defined as loss of productivity — is estimated at 105 million hectares, constituting 32 per cent of the total land.(Courtesy: Reuters)