Author Archives: VAN NAMBOODIRI

Air India – Former Civil Aviation Minister arranged bigger aircraft for family

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in PSU

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Air India is in financial difficulties, as every body knows. In this blog, I have posted earlier how the Government, Minister and bureaucrats were using the air-line for their own agenda without any legal or financial binding. More skeletons are coming from the cup-board after Praful Patel has been shifted from the Civil Aviation Minister’s post.

The latest is the scam of arranging a bigger air-craft to accommodate his family members in the executive class. The Air-India management was compelled to disclose on an RTI that on April 25th 2010 from Bangalore to Male and on April 28th from Male to Bangalore A 319 Aircrafts were  changed for  the bigger A 320 Aircrafts to have more executive class seats to accommodate the family of the Minister. This resulted in vacant seats both in executive and economy class, causing big loss to the Air-India.

The Minister was using the Air-India as his family property without considering the profit or loss to the company. This is not an isolated instance. There may be many other cases like this. The concerned persons should be taken to tasks.

No need to file tax returns for salaries up to Rs. 5 lakh

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in General

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has informed that individuals with a total salary income of Rs. 5 lakh in the financial year 2011-12 need not file tax returns for the assessment year 2012-13. However he will have to obtain a certificate of tax deduction in Form No. 16. This relaxation is continuing since last financial year ( 2010-11).

PM agrees that budget provision for R&D less

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in General

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At last the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also agrees that the budget allocation for Reasearch & Development (R&D) in India is less. He assured the nation, while addressing the Golden Jubilee of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), that the government will double the R&D spending within the next five years. At present, it is less than 1% of the GDP.

The Central Government has miserably failed in improving the R&D in the country. In fact, the government was completely ignoring this sector. Even the existing centres like C-DOT were completely ignored. Funds were not allotted. With other R&D institutes also, the case was similar. It gave a big opportunity to the foreign companies to sell their products at high price and that too without transferring the technology. The government had to pay many times the funds, that could have been used for R&D and profited.

The statement of the Prime Minister can be taken only with a pinch of salt. In the neo-liberal policies being pursued by the government, there is not much scope for the ingenious R&D, which will reduce the exploitation by the MNCs and corporates.  The budget proposals will show whether the Prime minister is sincere to implement his assurance.

Casual and Contract Workers unity – Kolkatta shows the example

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers

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Kolkatta Circle have shown the example for the unity of the Casual and Contract workers. In a meeting held by all the casual and contract workers

unions in Kolkata, a co-ordinating committee has been formed for dealing with the workers’ issues. I am reproducing here a report on the matter :

[18th Feb 2012]
Calcutta Telephones experienced unity among Thika Mazdoors.
The first ever experience in Kolkata Telephones is that the contractual workers  four  registered unions  have unitedly raised their voice in support of the ensuing 28th February strike. On 17th February 2012 in a big gathering  of  three thousand workers  Calcutta Telephones Thika Mazdoor Union, Calcutta Telephones Contractor Mazdoor Sangha, BSNL Nationalist Thika Workers Congress and National Union of Contractor Labour & Security Guard (FNTO)  in the banner of Calcutta Telephones United Forum  of Contract Casual Workers  hold a protest demonstration program  in front of  CGMT office at  Telephone Bhawan.  Com Tapas Banerjee Convenor of  CTUFCCW , Circle Secretary CTTMU, and  Chairman  Com Milav Halder, Circle Secretary , BSNLNTWC, Circle President of CTCMS Com Swapan Das, Deputy General Secretary of NUBSNLW- FNTO, Com Alok Nandi, Circle Secretary BSNLEU Com Saibal Sengupta   addressed the meeting. This  meeting urged upon CTD Management  to make an end of contractual labour system and strongly demanded for Departmentalisation of all  contractual workers working under BSNL, CTD.  CTUFCCW also expressed its concern that for the interest of the people of India  and on the other for the sake of national security survival of BSNL & MTNL is a must. Meeting expressed strong protest against any policy detrimental to the health of BSNL & MTNL. One memorandum in this regard had been handed over to the Chief General Manager.

Congratulations, Comrades!

Who will be the next Chairman, TRAI ?

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Telecom

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Shri J.R.Sharma, present Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be retiring in May 2012 after a stint of 3 years. Who is going to be the next Chairman. The incumbent to the post will be selected by a high level search-cum-selection committee consisting of Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Pulok Chatterjee, Secretary (personnel) P K Mishra, Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar and Advisor to Prime Minister Sam Pitroda . Applications have been invited already for the post of TRAI Chairman. The appointment will be for three years, at the pay scale of Rs 3.75 lakh per month.

Red Salute to Comrade Chittabrata Majumdar, the veteran TU leader !

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Obituary, Tributes

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Today, 20th February 2012, is the 5th death anniversary of Comrade Chittabrata Majumdar, the former All India General Secretary of the CITU and a veteran trade union leader.  Com. Chittabrata born in August 14, 1935 in the district of Dacca in the undivided Bengal, in the young age itself entered the trade union movement and became an important trade union functionary of W.Bengal. He was the state Secretary of the CITU W.Bengal for a long period. He functioned as Minister in the first Left Front Government.

He was elected as the All India General Secretary of CITU in the Chennai Conference in 2004 and re-elected in the Bangalore Conference in 2007. Com. Chittabrata Majumdar was closely connected with the P&T Trade Union movement and helped and guided BSNL Employees Union in its onward march. He was always available for consultation and guidance despite his serious illness and the heavy responsibilities as a Member of Parliament, GS of CITU and Polit Bureau Member of CPI(M). He attended our Gauhati AIC and addressed.

I pay my respectful homage to the memory of this great TU leader. Red Salute to Com. Chittabrata Majumdar!

The Government move for 100% FDI in Telecom Sector?

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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It seems that the UPA-II Government is moving towards 100% FDI in telecom sector. The auction for 2G spectrum is expected shortly consequent to the cancellation of the illegal 122 licences  by the Supreme Court. Many of the affected companies, including Telenor (Norway based company) are reported to file petition against the SC judgement and have approached the government for the refund of the spectrum charges with interest. The government is under pressure to favour the affected companies. In such a situation, the government is sure to bail out these companies as has been doing earlier.

The present move to allow fully foreign owned companies to bid for the oncoming 2G auction, in reality, will mean 100% FDI in telecom. Although the present FDI cap in telecom is 74%, in practice it is much more than that. It is not that the government is not aware of the violation of the FDI cap, but it is being silently allowed. If the fully foreign-owned companies are allowed to bid in the 2G auction, it will be 100% FDI. This needs to be strongly protested.

Disciplinary Authority has to mention reason for disagreeing with Inquiry Report – Allahabad HC

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in General

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The Allahabad High Court  in a recent case ( Hari Shankar Srivastav Vs Commissioner, Food and Civil Supplies )  has given judgement that if the Disciplinary Authority wants to disagree with the report of the Inquiry Officer exonerating the charge sheeted officer, then the latter should be asked to file his reply as also a fresh show-cause notice before imposing any punishment. In many cases, the Disciplinary Authority usually mentions that he disagrees with the Inquiry report and impose punishment. This judgement delivered on 6th February 2012 is against such types of illegal imposement of punishment.

Pranab Mukherjee corrects himself on subsidy after criticism

19 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in General

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The severe  criticism from various corners against the statement of the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that he was not getting sleep thinking about the subsidy, had its effect. In this blog also, I have expressed strong protest in the matter stating that there was no problem for the FM to give more than 4.6 lakh crore subsidy to the corporates and the big business, but was worried about the 1.4 lakh crore subsidy to the poor.

Today, Pranab Mukherjee has clarified that he was not worried about the amount of subsidy, but was worried about the fact that the subsidy was not reaching the poor. He stated: “I lose my sleep not when I look at the volume of quantum of subsidy, but because it is not reaching to the poor and needy and targeted group,”  while talking about subsidy leakages. He also stated that in addition to the 1.4 lakh crore another 1 lakh crore subsidy will be there.

His clarification may save him from further criticism, but what about reducing the subsidy to the rich and increasing it for the poor? Is the government ready for the same? Is he prepared to stop the subsidies to the rich and give it to the poor in the coming budget?

The BSNL management should act and act quickly

19 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation

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There seems to be a great slackness on the part of the BSNL management on all activities. It is taking too long a time to take decisions and also implement them. The government machinery, DOT,  was slow, but the PSU, BSNL, is fslower. This has adversely affected not only  the developmental and expansion activities but also the settlement of the issues of the workers.

Have a look at this. The National Council is the forum for the staff side and the management side to discuss and settle important issues of the workers. Despite continued demand by the staff side, the management failed to convene any meeting since the last meeting in August last year. At last it has fixed the meeting for 27th February 2012. But whether the management is prepared to settle the issues focussed in the meeting? We have to wait and see.

The Designation Committee meeting is fixed to be held on 23rd February after a gap of more than one year. There was no difficulty for the management to change the designations of the executives and top management personnel more than once. But when it comes to Non-Executives, there is a negative attitude on the part of the management.

Removing anomalies for the ITS and Executives, management has got a a soft corner. But in the case of non-executives there is no soft corner.

There are many more discriminations, when the issues are concerning non-executives. The management should change its negative stand and must have sincere dialogue and settle the issues amicably. If it does not act, the workers will have no other course but to resort to strong agitational programmes.