Country-wide protest action on 20th September against FDI, Price rise
15 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in Politics India
15 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in Politics India
15 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in Corruption
The CBI has registered five cases in connection with illegal iron ore export scam worth Rs 2500 crore and carried out searches at 17 locations, including in the premises of associates of jailed mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, today.
Acting on the orders of Supreme Court which asked the agency to probe the scam, the agency registered five cases and a preliminary enquiry against firms and exporters allegedly related with illegal mining and export of nearly 50 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore from Belekeri port in Karnataka.
The agency carried out searches at 17 locations in Bangalore, Karwar, Hospet and Goa.
A 10-member CBI team searched the houses of Karapudi Mahesh, Swastik Nagaraj and Somasekhar, who runs a transport firm, all aides of Reddy, as per media reports.
It seems that the CBI register corruption cases against big guns only after the intervention of Supreme Court.
15 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in Neo-liberal policy
The decisions of the cabinet yesterday on PSU’s stake sale, increase in FDI of multi-sector retail and Aviation sector, increase in the price of diesel and limiting supply of LPG cylinders are all nothing but a declared war on the people of India. The PSU stake sale is a gift of the nation’s wealth to the MNCs and India Inc. Increase in FDI means surrendering the financial independence of the country to the MNCs on whose behalf the US and other imperialist countries have been pressurizing India continuously. Increasing the price of diesel and limiting supply of LPG cylinders to 6 in a year to a family will increase the misery of the people.
This challenge thrown by the government has to be taken squarely taken by the opposition parties, even allies in the UPA, the trade unions in the country, social organisations and all those who support the common people. The protest demonstrations and the bandh in some states to-day in the right direction. This has to be increased and a country-wide stormy action to be planned and implemented giving a direct hit to the UPA government and its future.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in BSNL News
The decision of the BSNL management to organise campaign to connect the youth with BSNL services is a good idea. Tests will be conducted in connection with BSNL Day on 1st October 2012 and the winners will be suitably rewarded. Kindly go through BSNL website for the full copy of the order.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in PSU
PSUs are on sale! The family silver is being gifted to India Inc. Aggressive implementation of neo-liberalisation policy.
The government today approved sale of its minority stakes in four public sector firms — Hindustan Copper, Oil India, MMTC and Nalco– to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has, however, not taken any decision on disinvestment of Neyveli Lignite, that was also on the agenda.
The government has approved the proposal to sell 10 per cent stake in Oil India Ltd and another 9.59 per cent disinvestment in Hindustan Copper Ltd, sources said.
Further, the CCEA also cleared the proposal of 12.15 per cent stake sale of Nalco and 9.33 per cent in MMTC through Offer for Sale (OFS) route.
However, the 5 per cent stake sale of Neyveli Lignite was not taken up by the CCEA, sources added.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Neo-liberal policy
The feeling of the common people always has been that the government is completely under the control of the corporates and the big business. The perception in once again got confirmed by the latest decision of the central government to increase the FDI in Multi-brand retail sector.
The move of the government to increase the FDI in multi-brand retail was opposed not only by the opposition parties but also by the UPA allies also. The bill on FDI could not be passed in the Parliament due to the strong opposition and the government unable to get the required numbers. Now that the Parliament session is over, the government without any sham has decided to increase the FDI. This decision will have serious adverse effect on the crores of retail trades in the country as also the people who depend upon them. The present decision will only help the MNCs like Walmart and the big business in India. Strong protest should erupt against this anti-people and undemocratic decision.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Price Rise
The decision of the central government to increase the diesel price by Rs. 5 per litre and the restriction that only one LPG Cylinder will be given in two months is another attack on the people. While the people are already under heavy strain due to the rocketing prices of essential commodities, the present decision will only increase the misery of the aam admi. The government has also deciding for deregularisation of the prices of petroleum products, which will see another steep rice in prices.
The Left parties and the BJP has strongly protested the hike. CPI(M) has demanded that this retrograde step should be immediately withdrawn. Not only the opposition parties, but even those parties like Trinamool Congress and SP have strongly opposed the hike. In many states protest demonstration has taken place with the effigy of the PM put on fire by the demonstrations.
The argument of the government is that the oil companies are in loss and the price is hike can not be avoided. But the following report published in certain papers exposes the government’s plea:
“The ONGC declared a net profit of Rs 25,123 crore for the year 2011-12. For the next quarter ending June 30, 2012, it has reported a further growth in profit of 48.4 per cent . The IOC has reported a net profit of Rs 4,265.27 crore for 2011-12. “The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) reported a net profit of Rs 911 crores. Interestingly, for the last quarter of the fiscal, January-March 2012, its net profit increased by 312 per cent. The Bharat Petroleum has reported a net profit of Rs. 1,546.68 crore”.
All the people should come together to defeat this anti-people decision of the government.
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Corruption
The alleged irregularities in the coal block allocations came under judicial scrutiny today with the Supreme Court directing the Centre to explain if the guidelines were strictly followed in allotting the natural resource to private companies. Turning down the Centre’s plea that the court should not go into the issue as it is being looked into by a Parliamentary committee, the apex court said “these are different exercises.” A bench of justices R M Lodha and A R Dave said the petition raised serious questions and “it requires explanation from the Government”. “There is difference in exercise done by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Parliament and PAC can proceed with the issue on the basis of the CAG report. We don’t want to encroach upon their exercise but the petition raises different things altogether. There are sufficient averments which require explanation from you,” the court said. The bench also made it clear that it is confining itself only to the aspect of guidelines formulated by the Centre for allocation of coal blocks. The court passed the order while hearing a PIL filed by advocate M L Sharma on the alleged coalgate scam.(C0urtsey : Ganashakti )
13 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in Corruption
As per the report of the committee entrusted with looking in to the coal block allocations, the allocations granted to three companies will be cancelled. The bank guarantee of 4 other companies will be confiscated for non-starting of work.
So far so good. But this small action will not be sufficient. All the coal blocks granted to private companies, denying the same to the PSU, Coal India Ltd., and done violating rules and regulations should be cancelled. Then only justice can be meted to the nation and the people who are the owners of natural resources.
13 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in BSNL News
CMD BSNL has appreciated the decision of the Forum of BSNL Unions/Associations’ to extend the ‘Customer Delight Year’ in order to continue maximum efforts to improve and expand the services. CMD has stated that equipments etc. are being supplied. This is the time to co-ordinate the efforts of both management and the employees to improve services.
Let us continue all our efforts in this direction so that BSNL will be able to restore its glory.