31 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in General
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Department of Posts have decided to introduce ATM or Debit Cards for its Post Office Account holders. But, this facility will be available only to those who have accounts in the Post offices where there are Core Banking Solutions (CBS). Some fee also will be charged for the issue of the ATM Card.
The Central Government has amended the Post Office Savings Bank General Rules for this purpose.
30 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
Decisions of the Forum Meeting held on 30th December 2014.
A meeting of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations was held on 30th December 2014 at BSNL MS Office, presided by Com. Islam Ahmad, President NFTE. The house paid homage to the memory of Com. Chhidu Singh, senior leader and Vice-President of BSNLEU, NTR Circle, who passed away a few days back.
The Convener welcomed all and reported about the developments after the last meeting on 19-12-2014 and action taken on the decisions taken. The Memorandum to be submitted to the Prime Minister has been circulated to all the General Secretaries of Unions/Associations. As per earlier decision, the General Secretaries of all the unions/associations in BSNL have been addressed requesting to participate in the action programmes. About 30 Members of Parliament has been addressed for supporting the cause of BSNL. More are being approached. The Central Trade Unions have been addressed as also the Independent Federations like Confederation of Central Government Employees, Unions in Railways, Postal etc. for solidarity and support in our struggles. Wall Poster for the dharna is prepared with the demands focussed. The General Secretaries in consultation will decide about the dates of the Circle Conventions to be held to focus the issues on the revival of BSNL. The Convener stated that this meeting has been called to plan for the 3 days dharna from 6th to 8th January 2015, Parliament March on 25th February and Indefinite Strike from 17th March which action programmes are already decided.
All the comrades present in the meeting actively participated in the discussion and the following decisions were taken:
The Circle Secretaries of NTR and Corporate Office will meet to plan for organising the dharna effectively at Corporate Office. Likewise, Circle Secretaries in all the circles should plan the programme and conduct the same effectively.
VAN Namboodiri Convener, Forum.
30 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in General, Neo-liberal policy, Uncategorized
Tags
Is the the NDA Government transforming itself in to an Ordinance Raj? It seems so.
After the winter session of the parliament is over, the NDA government has started issuing ordinances one after another. Three ordinances have already been issued viz. Insurance Act (Amendment) increasing FDI in Insurance sector from 26% to 49%, Coal Allotment Ordinance for allowing allotment of coal blocks to private companies and now the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act making it easier to acquire the land even without the full consent of the owners.
What is the urgency to issue so many ordinances, which can be discussed in the next session and put for approval. Yes, these are all in the interest of the corporates, big business and MNCs and can not be delayed as the NDA is committed to them for the huge election funds donated.
30 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations will meet today, 30th December 2014, at BSNLMS Office to finalise the plans for the 3 Days Dharna from 6th to 8th January 2015 and also the Parliament March on 25th February 2015 on the issue of Revival of BSNL. SAVE BSNL – SAVE NATION!
30 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in AIBDPA - BSNL DOT Pensioners
Tags
Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri, Advisor, AIBDPA met Smt. Annie Moraes, Member (Finance) and Smt. Nirmala Pillai, Advisor (Finance) on 29th December 2014 and discussed about 78.2% IDA fixation to the pre-2007 and post-2007 BSNL pensioners.
Com.Namboodiri pointed out that already it has taken a long time and should be speeded up so that the pesnioners will get the benefit, for which they have been waiting for a long time. They assured that maximum effort is being taken to finalise the Cabinet Note.
30 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in General
| Land Acquisition Ordinance: Authoritarian Step
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly opposes the decision of the BJP government to amend the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act through the ordinance route to favour the interests of the corporates and real estate barons. The proposed amendment surrenders the genuine interests of the peasantry and land owners. This decision is in continuation of the ordinances passed on coal privatisation and raising the FDI in insurance. By taking recourse to ordinance raj, the BJP-led NDA government is undermining the essence of parliamentary democracy and showing authoritarian tendencies. The CPI(M) urges upon all democratic forces to come forward to oppose the anti-democratic and authoritarian acts of the Modi government. |
29 Monday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation, Forum, Telecom
The pressure put by the private telecom companies and MNCs that more spectrum should be available for auction is having results. The DoT has prepared a Cabinet Note on the auction of spectrum, which will be first sent to the Defence and Finance Ministries for approval before submitting to the Cabinet. The reports indicate that there will be 5MHz in the 2100 MHz band across 17 out of 22 telecom circles for auction.
It is understood that some more spectrum will be released by the Defence for allocation for auction as required by the private telcos. There was a demand from the Cellular Operations Association of India (COAI) that some spectrum should be released from BSNL, which the BSNL management has not so far agreed. But pressure will be mounting.
The requirements of the private companies have become more important for the government, than that of its own!
29 Monday Dec 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
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The NDA government is proposing to take over the surplus land of the Central PSUs and hand it over for manufacturing and infrastructure projects to the private companies.
It is estimated that there are about 2.5 lakhs acres of land with the central PSUs all over the country. Coal India Limited and Steel Authority of India with 7 lakh and 1.5 lakh acres respectively have the maximum land assets. BSNL has got 14,000 acres. But all these are not surplus and are being used by the PSUs. But there may be some surplus land. The government has called for the details of the land assets of the PSUs to find out how much is the land assets and how much is the surplus.
This is another step to destabilise the PSUs. The government may want to sell the surplus land, but even before any such policy is chalked out, it has started selling land. The Telegraph Place in Gole Market area, where the quarters are allotted to BSNLEU and also to R.III Union(NFPE) of Department of Posts, has been sold to the Jharkhand Government, even without intimating the Department of Posts, BSNL or MTNL, all of who have got staff quarters there. Only because of the stay granted by the Delhi High Court, the place could not be taken over by the Jharkhand Government.
In such a situation, even the land assets being currently used by the PSUs may be taken away and sold by the government to please the corporates by selling these assets in the centre place of cities at cheap rates. The loss is for the PSUs and the government and the benefit is for the corporate and big business as also the ruling parties.
The Management of the PSUs and the Unions should take care to protest and safeguard the assets of the nation. The people has got a right to know what is happening to their assets.
28 Sunday Dec 2014
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
The private telecom operators and the corporate sector have been stating that the telecom industry was in much distress and difficulty in 2014, by the delay in auction of the spectrum, tax issue of Vodafone, Nokia etc. and also non-governance. Now their spokesmen are predicting that 2015 will be a good year since the situation is being changed lately. The issue of Insurance ordinance, Ordinance of Coal Mine Auction etc. has gladdened the corporate and big business.
What about BSNL and its workers? The aggressive implementation of the anti-labour acts, privatization and disinvestment of PSUs, PPP in Railways, Increase of FDI in Insurance sector are againt the people of this country. The Modi government will continue this line.
What the BSNL Workers can do to strengthen BSNL and make it a best service provider to the people. Maximum effort on the part of each and every worker is necessary.
While strongly opposing the anti-BSNL and anti-PSU policy of the government and the inefficiency of the top management, the workers and their organisations have to work as crusades for a better service to the customers despite equipment crunch and difficulties being created by the government and the management. Provide the best service with the available infrastructure and fight for getting more equipment and infrastructure.
2015 is a crucial year in the revival of BSNL. The Forum of BSNL Unions and Associations have planned for serious struggles for the Revival of BSNL and for better service. It is not a ritual one. The BSNL workers have improved the services, but much more has to be done. It is a crusade and we have to involve ourselves for the important task.
LET 2015 be a Year of Revivlal of BSNL. SAVE BSNL Campaign should be strengthened.
28 Sunday Dec 2014
Posted in Neo-liberal policy
Tags
” Nobody can argue that raising FDI in insurance, however desirable, is an emergency measure that can not wait. The ordinance is not the evidence of a strong government’s resolve, but a weak government’s incapacity…
” A Government that can’t get Parliament’s approval and repeatedly re-issue ordinances is clearly misusing the Constitution to rule by decree.”
( Extracts from an article by Swaminathan S.Ankalesari Iyer – TOI)
It is not only incapacity, but arrogance and anxiety to please the US and its President Barack Obama, by taking the decision before his arrival in India on 26th January 2015. The government also wanted to show India Inc that it has not forgotten the huge election donations made to the BJP by the corporates. The sky wouldn’t have fallen if the Insurance Amend Bill was kept for the next session of the Parliament.
