The people of Kashmir valley and all shades of political opinion there are highly perturbed by reports of the efforts to do away with Article 35A of the Constitution.

This has come in the context of the petitions being heard in the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional provision and the fact that the Central Government has not made its position clear on the matter.

Article 35A confers the power to the Jammu & Kashmir state legislature to define who are permanent residents and their rights. Any attempt to tamper with this provision will fundamentally damage the special status accorded to Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its strong opposition to the move to interfere with Article 35A. It calls upon the central government to make a public commitment that the Article will be retained intact in the Constitution.

Com. K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA addressed in detail the AIC of AIBDPA at Kolkata. It covered all the important points to be discussed in the AIC. The speech was much praised by the house.

It was enthusiasm all along and the 1000 odd delegates marched from Yuvabhart YouthHostel , Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata to the Purbashree Auditorium (Com.Sisir Bhattacharjee Nagar), Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Salt Lake , raising slogans in different languages, reflecting the diversity in unity. The procession reached the venue at 10 AM and the National Flag was hoisted by Com. Ananta Kr Bhattacharjee, President and AIBDPA flag by Com.K.G.Jayaraj, General Secretary. Thereafter floral tributes were paid to the martyrs under the leadership of Com.V A N Namboodiri, Advisor.

The house assembled fully and good number of delegates were also accommodated in the balcony and still some of the delegates could not make it as it was jam packed. The music party consisting AIBDPA comrades presented melodious welcome song. Then, all the leaders/ guests were felicitated by the Reception Committee. Com.A.K.Bhattacharjee, President presided over the inaugural session. Com.Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, Chairman, Reception Committee delivered the welcome address giving the significance of Kolkata since the British East India Company era.

Com.A.K Battacharjee in his presidential address recalled the sacrifices made by leaders like Tarapada Mukharjee and K G Bose and the numerous struggles waged against injustice and for the genuine demands of the workers.

Delivering the inaugural address, Com.Hannan Mollah , General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha minced no words in exposing the anti-farmer and anti-worker policies of Narendra Modi government. He shared the experience had with the great Kisan rally at Nashik , Maharashtra on 21-02-2019 and how the Maharashtra government was compelled to settle the genuine issues in full. The Hindutva philosophy being aggressively pursued by the sangh parivar is supported by the government and all the constitutional institutions are saffronised. He also criticised the anti-PSU policy of Modi government due to which 4 G spectrum is denied to BSNL. He congratulated the BSNL workers for the glorious three days strike .

Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary explained the circumstances under which the AUAB had to go for the three days strike from 18-02-2019 and the workers made the strike glorious by participating boldly ignoring the ESMA invoked by the government. The government move to kill BSNL is being resisted unitedly by the workers and he acknowledged the support and solidarity being extended by AIBDPA. Com.P.Abhimanyu made it clear that regarding pension revision the AUAB demand is for pension revision with 15% fitment and ridiculed the demand of certain pensioners organisations for CPC fitment.

Com.V A N Namboodiri, Advisor in his address reiterated the correct and principled stand of AIBDPA on pension revision which is vindicated by AUAB. Coms.S S Roy, Working President, NCCPA, Animesh Mitra, Secretary General, BSNL CCWF, R N Dhal, AGS, AIPRPA and K G Jayaraj, General Secretary also addressed the inaugural session.

A meeting of the AUAB was held today to review the 3 day strike and also to chalk out the future course of action. General Secretaries / Senior officer bearers of all the constituents of the AUAB participated. The meeting whole heartedly thanked the entire Executives and Non-Executives who made the 3 day strike a historic success. The meeting also congratulated the circle and district level AUAB, for effectively organising the strike. With the view to carry forward the movement further to settle the charter of demands, the following programme of action is finalised.

Conducting March to PMO on 06.03.2019, by mobilising the employees from the surrounding circles.
Memorandum to be submitted to all the MPs, latest by 28.02.2019.
To send messages to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications on Twitter.
Meeting the Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications wherever possible by our comrades. (courtesy: bsnleu website)

CABINET APPROVES RELEASE OF AN ADDITIONAL INSTALMENT OF DA TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND DR TO PENSIONERS, DUE FROM 1.1.2019
Posted On: 19 FEB 2019 9:22PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to the release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees, and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.1.2019 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rate of 9% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and DR would be Rs. 9168.12 crore per annum and Rs. 10696.14 crore in the FY 2019-20 (for a period of 14 months from January 2019 to February, 2020).This will benefit about 48.41 lakh Central Government employees and 62.03 lakh pensioners.