Category Archives: General

100% FDI in Railways ? Commerce and Industry Ministry moves for Cabinet Note.

30 Friday May 2014

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The Modi Ministry is moving fast; not on the issues of the people, but that of the corporates and MNCs.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has moved for a Cabinet Note, as per media reports, for allowing 100% FDI in Railways, the biggest industry and service in India. The earlier government has planned to allow FDI in profit earning high speed train systems etc. but not complete FDI.

The corporates and MNCs will be extra happy. But what will happen to the common people who have to travel by the Railways? There is no doubt that the charges will be increased high sky and they will stop running train in those areas, where there is no profit. Those will have to be run by the Govt. Railways.

This has already happened in the Airports. The Mumbai and Delhi Airports from which maximum revenue was being received by the Airport Authority of India have already been given to private companies. Chennai, Kolkata etc. ports which are next profit making airports were almost given to private companies but were stopped due to the general elections and certain other complications.

Another move is to privatise the nationalised banks. The proposal was there at the time of the UPA government. It is reported that the UPA government proposal is being considered by the NDA government.

The Prime Minister had stated that this will the government for the poor. Is it going to be the government for the rich and corporates? Are all the public sector going to be privatised ? The people will have to resist this hasty steps towards privatisation of the national assets.

100 Days Action Plan by NDA Government

30 Friday May 2014

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It is usual for any new government to announce some action programme immediately after taking over the reins of the government. It is well and good. The Modi Government has also announced a 100 Days Action Programme in the same way.

The past experience is that the earlier governments completely failed not only to implement its assurances but also failed in its announced action programmes. They know that people have short memory.

The media has given wide publicity to the action programme of the Modi Government. Each Minister is announcing his/her priority and plans.

Let us wait for the results. Hope the action programmes are implemented, which are beneficial to the people and the workers. The working class will certainly rise against those programmes like disinvestment, privatisation, reforms in the labour laws to favour the management etc. and agitate to change them.

Modi Government – A govt. of Crorepatis

29 Thursday May 2014

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40 of the 44 Ministers (91%) in the Modi Government are crorepatis. The list is topped by the Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley himself. He has got Rs. 113 crores. Well, we can call the Modi Ministry as Crorepati’s Ministry.

Parliament Session from 4 to 11 June 2014

29 Thursday May 2014

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New Delhi, 29th May: The inaugural session of the new Lok Sabha will commence on June 4, and end on June 11. This was recommended today by the Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet.

The first two days of the inaugural session, parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, will be used to swear the new MPs in. The Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha will be elected on June 6. President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint session of the two Houses of Parliament on June 9, and the next two days have been set aside to hold a discussion on the Presidential address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give his reply to the motion of thanks on the Presidential address at the end of the discussion. (Courtesy: NDTV)

SIT to bring back Black Money – A good decision

27 Tuesday May 2014

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The first decision of the Modi Government constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to bring back black money as directed by the Supreme Court is a good decision. The UPA government dilli-dallied with the SC directive and did not appoint the team, due to well known reasons. Now the Modi Government has constituted the same on the first day itself. Well done.

It is well known that many big business, politicians, bureaucrats etc have put black money in foreign accounts. The continued demand in the Parliament, in the courts etc. did not succeed till the SC directed the government to appoint an SIT. That was also not done earlier. It is clear that many big sharks are going to be caught. Let us wait.

Shri Nripendra Misra, former Secretary,Telecom now Principal Secretary in PMO

26 Monday May 2014

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It is reported that Shri Nripendra Misra, former Secretary, DOT has been now appointed as Principal Secretary in PMO.

My Hearty Congratulations to him in his new post!

Car, Property being confiscated for participation in strike in Australia

26 Monday May 2014

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As per reports thirty three workers in Woodside LNG Project In Pilbara in Australia may lose their homes, cars or other property for not paying fine for participating in a 2008 strike by the workers.
All the workers in the company were asked to pay fine at the rate of $ 10,000 for participating in the strike in 2008 to protect their redundancy payment entitle payments and to get guarantee of their re-employment on the next phase of the project. These 13 workers refused to pay fine. The management approached the court, which has directed to seize the property of the workers. This is the first time that such an order has been passed by the court.

This decision indicates that the courts are also moving on the line of neoliberal line and is proceeding on the capitalist path. Such judgements are intended to criminalise the workers action for settlement of their justified demands.

Sri Lanka President visit should be used to for resolving Lankan Tamil issues – CPI(M)

25 Sunday May 2014

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Chennai, May 25 Amid strong opposition from all quarters to Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi’s invite to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his swearing-in, CPI(M) today said the Centre should utilise this occasion for resolving the Lankan Tamils issue.
“There has been no investigation into the alleged human rights violations during the final phase of war (against LTTE in 2009). Also no steps had been taken for devolution of powers in Tamil areas…”, CPI-M state General Secretary G Ramakrishnan said in a statement issued here.
The Central Government should utilise the visit of Rajapaksa to Delhi tomorrow and “exert more pressure” on him to solve the Tamils issue, he added. (Courtesy: PTI)

My posts crossed 4,000 mark.

25 Sunday May 2014

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When I was publishing the last post, I suddenly found out that I have crossed 4,000. In fact that was the 4,009th post. This will be the 4,010th.
I have benefitted much after I started the blog, since I have to read and learn about what I have to post. It was something of an education.
And the comrades, friends and well-wishers who have been visiting the sites have been a good support since many of them posted comments, advices, in a very few cases criticism etc. and that too have helped me in understanding more of the issues.

I take this opportunity to thank all of you for the support, advice, appreciation and criticism given to me.

Ambassador Car becomes History

25 Sunday May 2014

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It is reported that the production of ‘Ambassador’ car which dominated the Indian Roads for decades may be stopped shortly. The Hindustan Motors, which produces the Ambassador, has stated that due to sales going down for years, resulting in reduced production which has reached an all time level of 6,000 for some years, its production will be stopped.

It was the car used by the govt. departments and officers. In Kolkata and W.Bengal, where the Birla’s factory is situated producing Ambassador, almost all of the taxis are Ambassadors. All this is going to change. In a few years Ambassador is going to be part of history.

It is one sector, where more modern and new products are continuously arriving. Despite the fact that India companies are there producing good cars, now the trend is to own costly foreign cars. After Ambassador, by 1980s, small car Maruti has become the favourite. That situation is also changing. Now the upper and even middle class favour bigger cars and that too foreign. VolksWagen, Skoda, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz and similar costly cars are taking over.

While lakhs and lakhs of cars are purchased in each city and town, there is a huge deficit for Public Transports which are used by the common people. The services are being reduced and the charges are being increased. However, increasing the public transport and reducing individual vehicles are the only change to reduce the acute congestion in the city roads.