24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in General
The CPI(M) has decided to call for a countrywide campaign to “Save Democracy and to Defeat the Violence and Terror in West Bengal”. All Party units will conduct this campaign on August 7, 2013. This campaign will inform the people about the murder of democracy in West Bengal and mobilize support to demand a halt to the violence and terror
24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in General
New Delhi, Jul 24 : Political parties, including UPA constituent NCP, today rubbished the Planning Commission’s claim that the number of poor people had declined to 21.9 per cent and said the criteria for identifying them should be updated.
BJP slammed the figures as a “political gimmick” and a “conspiracy” of the Congress to deprive the poor of the benefits of government schemes while CPI(M) said it amounted to “adding salt to the wounds of the poor”.
NCP, which is part of the government, said it does not agree with the Planning Commission figures and that there should be a new ceiling for gauging poverty considering the current situation.
BJD said the country still has a large population of poor people as he criticized the data that showed the number of those living below the poverty line has shrunk to 21.9 per cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 on account of increase in per capita consumption.
Commenting on the figures released by the Planning Commission yesterday, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, “The latest report showing reduction in the number of people below the poverty line is a conspiracy of the Congress against the poor to deprive them of the benefits of BPL schemes. This is the Congress mindset against the poor.”
He said these poverty figures do not reflect the price rise and is just a “political gimmick” to show more people are now out of poverty by lowering the benchmark. “We challenge the Congress leaders to show how one can survive on Rs 34 per day… They want to show more people are rich by changing the definition,” Javadekar said, adding the government was trying to present a “false rosy picture”.
As per the government benchmark, a person earning over Rs 34 per day is above the poverty line.
“The Planning Commission’s ceiling of gauging poverty is completely wrong… We don’t agree with these figures,” NCP leader and Union Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel said.
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said the figures are “dubious” and “discredited” and amounts to “adding salt to the wounds of the poor”.
Rejecting the figures, BJD leader Jay Panda said a lot of work remains to be done in tackling poverty as the country still has a large population of poor people.
“There are many miles to go before we sleep,” he said, while suggesting that there should be no politics over the issue.(PTI)
24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in BSNL - Better Service to the Nation
Tags
The Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations has called upon the BSNL employees to organise massive demonstrations and Badge Wearing on 25th July protesting against the increase of FDI in Telecom and Defence which have serious security concerns.
Make the programme a big success.
24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in General
Tags
A very interesting but controversial report about the number of people under poverty line has been released by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission estimates that the number of poor people has been reduced from 37.2% in 2004 to 21.9% 2011-12.
What is the poverty line taken? If a person has got Rs. 34 income in a day he/she is above poverty, according to Planning Commission. This is completely non-sense. Every body knows that a person can not live with Rs. 34 a day. The present report of the Planning Commission is only to boost the morale of the UPA government and for propaganda purposes.
The present statistics will mean that a lot of people who were getting the benefit of BPL will be deprived of the same.
There should be strong protest and the Planning Commission should be compelled to correct the BPL and the number of people under BPL.
24 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Telecom
The skeletons in the cup-board are falling down one after another in the 2G scam. Now in his testimony to the CBI, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has stated that the Tatas has funded Unitech to take undue advantage in the 2G spectrum auction. There is every chance that it is true. In the same way, allegations have been made against Reliance that it funded Swan Telecom in the same way.
This is the way of these big telecom companies violate the law. Both the Tatas and Reliance have cheated the government and taken advantage of the loop holes in the law. They should be taken to task for causing huge losses to the government and the people.
23 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in Obituary, Tributes
Tags
Today, 23rd July 2013, is the first death anniversary of Lakshmi Saghal, the freedom fighter, revolutionary, Communist and social worker. She was the Captain of the Jhansi Rani Regiment of the Indian National Army (INA) led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Her life of 98 years is full of events, one way or other. She was a Doctor by profession and the same she continued till death, serving the poor in her own clinic in Kanpur, where she stayed with her daughter and well known CPI(M) leader Comrade Subhashini Ali. After Independence, she turned to politics and joined CPI(M). She was one of the founder leaders of the All India Democratic Womens’ Associations (AIDWA) and continued to work for the upliftment of women till her death. She was a contestant to the Post of President of India, supported by the Left Parties.
I had the chance to met her a few times, once in her home at Kanpur itself. Other times, it was mostly in the office of the AIDWA. Though she had mostly lived out of Kerala, she had not forgotten Malayalam and spoke in it.
Red salute to Comrade Captain Lakshmi on her first death anniversary!
23 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
All arrangements are being made for the success of the National Convention on “Revival of BSNL”, which will be held on 3rd August 2013 at Mavlankar Hall, New Delhi. the National Convention is being organised under the auspices of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations, which is the umbrella organisation of the unions/associations of non-executives and executives, representing about 2.5 lakh BSNL employees. About 1,000 delegates from all over India will be participating in the convention.
The main aim and objective of the Convention is propagate the necessity of strengthening of the BSNL to serve the people better. The reasons for the financial unviability of BSNL will be analysed and solutions found out for making it viable. A Declaration to this effect will be adopted in the convention.
The National convention will be addressed by Central trade unions leaders and M.P.s including Dr.G.Sanjeeva Reddy, M.P., President, INTUC, Com. Basudeb Acharya, M.P., Vice-President CITU, Com. Gurudas Dasgupta, M.P., General Secretary AITUC, Shri B.N.Rai, General secretary, BMS and Shri T.K.S.Elangovan, M.P. LPF.
The Convention will start at 10.30 AM and will conclude by about 03.00 PM.
The o
23 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in PSU
There are at least 11 Central PSUs which have no CMD for a long period. They are NFL, NHPC,STC, Pawan Hans, NALCO, SCI, BHEL, RINL, IRCTC, BEL and GSL. In many other PSUs about 50 or so, posts of Directors are also vacant without being filled up.
It is reported in the media that most of these posts ar not filled up due to the delay for approval from the cabinet Committee, which consists of Prime Minister, Home minister and the Minister in-charge of the concerned PSU.
Of course, the government wants to destabilise and make the PSUs unviable as part of the neo-liberal policy. This is one method to ensure that the PSUs do not function properly.
23 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in General
It has become a habit of the foreign corporates to ignore the rules and regulations of the government of India and simply violate it. And finally they win, the government succumbs to their pressures.
The Income tax department assessed more than 10,000 crores arrears on the Vodafone and issued notice for payment. The latter simply ignored it first. Then it said that it can not pay and will approach the International Court. The Government of India bent its knee and had approached the MNC for negotiation. What will happen in the negotiation? There is no doubt that the govt. will at last surrender and exempt the MNC from paying tax.
Now it is the turn of the Walmart. The government has stipulated that there would be 30% procurement from small industries. Walmart now says that they can not agree to this condition and that it has got to be waived. The government, of course, will bend again. This is the UPA government.
23 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in General
The Karnataka Government has purchased 30 luxury cars worth Rs. 5 crore for the new ministers, while the cars purchased by the earlier government for their ministers are available.
But the BJP government was also not different. They purchased cars worth Rs. 12 lakhs for their ministers. Now how the Congress Ministers be behind? They had purchased cars worth Rs. 16 lakhs each. Of course, the Chief Minister is having the car for Rs. 22 lakhs.
These luxuries are being indulged by the government when lakhs and crores of people are living below poverty line and no help is given to them.
This is Congress and BJP!
