05 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in General
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As per the study report by CISCO, there are 138 million internet users as in 2012. India is one of the fastest internet growth ountry and the number is going to reach 348 million by 2017 according to the same study report.
It is not only children and youth, but even the old aged are becoming part of the internet users.
05 Wednesday Jun 2013
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According to the Chief Economic Advisor to the government, Raghuram Rajan, the government is proposing to increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in some sectors including Defence. At present FDI in Defence is 26%. FDI was implemented in defence despite protest from the Employees’ Unions.
In a very strategic and security sector like Defence, increasing the FDI has to be strongly protested not only by the employees but by the political parties. The scams and corrupt practices in Defence sector is going to further increase if the FDI increases.
05 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in Telecom
The penalties being imposed on the private telcos for various violations of rules and regulations as well as cheating of the government are going to be softened after the complaints by the telcos to the government and specially to the Communications Minister. This was only expected from the government who wants to bestow all favours on the private companies in the name of bringing in more investment. The Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Airtel, Tata etc. are going to benefit from the relaxed position of the DOT. Further it will encourage them to continue the malpractices, well knowing that they can get out of it.
04 Tuesday Jun 2013
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The government has decided for conciliation on the issue of Income Tax of Rs. 14,000 to be paid by Vodafone. The Income Tax department has levied the tax considering all rules and regulations. But the government has succumbed to the pressure of the MNC and has now decided for conciliation. In a conciliation, it is clear that the tax will be drastically reduced and the government will be at heavy loss.
When MNCs and big corporates are involved, the government is always there to help them, even if it loses revenue. But if it is in the case of the workers or the common people, there will be no relaxation and kindness. Decisions and policies of the government, one after another, expose its pro-rich and anti-people attitude.
04 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in General
The Department of Telecom (DOT) has directed Vodafone, the second largest mobile company in India, to pay a penalty of rs. 1,263 crores for underreporting revenues for the four financial years from 2007-2008 to 2010-11. The penalty is imposed, since the company manipulated its accounts to show reduced revenue to escape from paying the licence fee and spectrum usage charges on adjusted gross revenue.
This incident once again exposes the methods used by the private companies to cheat the government and escape from paying the taxes and other charges.
04 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in General
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The Communist Party of India (Marxist) cannot accept the order of the Central Information Commission that political parties are to be treated as “public authorities” and brought under the purview of the Right to Information Act. This decision is based on a fundamental misconception about the role of political parties in a parliamentary democracy.
The CIC order states that “six national parties are substantially financed by the Central Government and therefore they are held to be public authorities under the Act”. This is untrue because the bulk of the funding and finances for the parties do not come from the government or any State institution. In fact, the CPI(M) does not even accept funds from the corporates which is legally permissible.
One of the concerns of the CIC seems to be transparency of the funding and finances of political parties. At present according to the law all political parties are required to submit their accounts to the Income Tax department and the Election Commission. Already under the RTI, the statement of accounts and the finances of the parties are accessible to anyone from the Election Commission. Any more details of the financing of the Party can be sought for and has to be given. The CPI(M) has from the outset taken the stand that the financial statements and accounts of a party should be publicly available.
But this does not mean that a political party has to be treated as a public authority. This will interfere with and hamper the functioning of a political party. A political party is a voluntary association of citizens who believe in the ideology, programme and leadership of the party. That party is accountable to its membership. To apply the Right to Information Act and demand access to the internal deliberations of the party whether it be on policy matters, organisational decisions or selection of candidates will constitute a serious infringement of the inner-party functioning, confidentiality of discussions and undermine the political party system itself. Opponents of a political party can utilise the RTI as an instrument to destabilise a party.
Given the serious implications of this order of the CIC for the political party system and parliamentary democracy, the matter should be discussed by the Government with all political parties so that suitable steps can be taken to preserve the integrity and the role of political parties in a democratic political system.
03 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in General
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The Central Information Commission has decided that political parties are answerable under the Right of Information Act(RTI). The Full Bench of the Commission, including the Chief Information Commissioner Satyanand Mishra has held that six parties viz. Congress, BJP, CPI(M), CPI, NCP and BSP to whom RTI enquiries have been directed fulfill the criteria of being public authorities under RTI.
03 Monday Jun 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
| I am giving below a report published in the June 2013 issue of Working Class, Organ of CITU, with regard to three elections in PSU/Govt.:Three election results in April – May, 2013 of CITU affiliated and associated unions in public sector and government departments are significant. Elections were held through secret ballots for recognition of the unions.
Massive Victory of CITU Union in Bhilai Steel Plant CITU affiliated Hindustan Steel Employees Union (HSEL) in Bhilai achieved a massive victory in secret ballot of the workers, held on 12 May, and became the number one recognized union of the Bhilai Steel Plant of SAIL. Out of total 22,000 workers of the plant, 19,584 workers cast their votes. Eight unions contested. HSEU (CITU) secured 8,692 (44.38%) votes defeating the nearest contestant Ispat Shramik Manch (ISM) who secured 5,599 votes, INTUC union got 3,773, SWU 534, AITUC union 315, AICCTU 315, BMS 232 and HMS 75, invalid 49 votes. CITU congratulated HSEU and also conveyed gratitude to the workers of Bhilai Steel Plant for extending such massive support to CITU union. Steel Workers’ Federation of India (SWFI) also congratulated the HSEU for such resounding victory. BSNL Employees Union’s 5th Successive Victory Out of total about 2.05 lakh BSNL employees, more than 1.93 lakh employees in 35 circles across the country cast their votes on 16 April. 48.68% employees voted for BSNL Employees Union and 30.28% for NFTE (BSNL). Both got recognition out of total 18 unions in the fray. It is the 5th time victory of BSNL Employees Union in a row. (Working Class, May, 2013). CITU greeted BSNL Employees Union for this massive victory. Victory of Railway Unions Election in Railways was held during 25 – 27 April and the result was declared on 3 May. As per rules, minimum 30% votes are required for getting recognition status in Railways. Left supported MTP Employees Union in Kolkata Metro Railway secured 46.02% votes and became the only recognized union defeating Congress supported Metro Railway Workers Union (27.33%) and Trinamool Congress supported Metro Rail TMC Sramik Karmachari Union (23.05%). In Eastern Railway, Left-supported Eastern Railwaymrn’s Union secured 46.44% votes and became the number one recognized union for railwaymen. Congress-supported Eastern Railwaymen’s Congress secured 36.10% votes and became 2nd recognized union. Trinamool Congress supported Eastern Railway Employees and Workers Congress got only 10.11% votes. Of this, in Jamalpur Railway Workshop in Bihar, Left-supported union got 4540 votes out of total 9214 workers and became number one recognized union in the workshop. In South Eastern Railway, Congress supported SE Railwaymen’s Congress secured 45.32% and number one position followed by Left supported SE Railwaymen’s Union with 41.70 % votes and 2nd recognized union status. TMC supported union got only 5.21% votes.
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02 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted in General, Uncategorized
A report from AFP
Tokyo, Jun 2 Thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators rallied in the Japanese capital Tokyo today as conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considers restarting reactors. Organisers said 7,500 people gathered at a park in the city centre, including disaster victims and celebrities such as Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo Oe. Protesters later marched through the capital, holding anti-nuclear banners including one which read: “No Nukes! Unevolved Apes Want Nukes!” They also demonstrated outside the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which was crippled by meltdowns after the March 2011 tsunami. Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party has close ties with the nation’s powerful business circles, has repeatedly said he would allow reactor restarts if their safety could be ensured. Japan turned off its 50 reactors for safety checks in the wake of the disaster but has restarted two of them, citing possible summertime power shortages. Radiation from the plant, 220 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, spread over a wide area after the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
01 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in Telecom
The Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has stated that mobile companies will have to pay penalty of Rs. 10 lakh, instead of the present 5 lakhs for breach of radiation norms of mobile towers. The radiation permissible level since 1 September 2012 was lowered to 0.45 watts per square metre. The mobile companies have to abide by the same.
But the question arises. Penalties are fixed for many violations, illegal roaming, manipulating SLD calls to local calls to avoid tax/revenue sharing, providing mobile connections without verification, not providing connections in villages/rural areas as per licencing conditions etc.etc. But who pays these penalties? Either the companies go to court or pressurise the DOT/Minister to relax it and get favourable decisions. The companies are going scot-free even violating all conditions.
Instead of the name sake penalties, the licence of these companies should be immediately cancelled, which only will compel them to abide by the rules of the land. But we need not expect the present government to take any such action. All in the name of increasing investments and allowing to maximise profits of the private companies.
