Full preparations going for inauguration of KG Bose Bhawan

04 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in BSNLEU

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The CHQ BSNLEU is fully preparing for the inauguration of the union building KG Bose Bhawan  on 22nd March 2012. Though in some Circles/SSAs, BSNLEU has got own buildings, but it is the first time that CHQ is going to have its own building. It was the dream of all of the union members to have its own building to accommodate Central Head Quarters. After the All India Conference has unanimously decided to purchase a building, within one and half years, the decision has been implemented. The building is close to Dada Ghosh Bhawan, where CHQ is functioning at present.

The inauguration on 22nd March has got more than one importance. First of all, our own building is being inaugurated. Second the building is named after the revolutionary leader Com. K.G.Bose, who fought his entire life for a correct line in the P&T Unions and was the President of united NFPTE. The third is that the building is inaugurated on the foundation day (2001) of BSNLEU. The fourth is that the date is the 35th death anniversary of Comrade A.K.Gopalan, Opposition (Group) leader in the first Parliament, and the greatest leader of the working class and the toiling masses, India has ever seen. On the day of inauguration, the Central Executive Committee of BSNLEU will be meeting also. It will also be a meeting point for many senior leaders who built this great organisation.

The building will be inaugurated by Com. A.K.Padmanabhan, President of CITU and will be greeted by many other trade union leaders.

Yes, it will be a festival of the BSNLEU workers. All preparations are being made for the success of the programme.

 

US Special Forces Asst. teams in India ?

03 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in General, Uncategorized

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A Press Statement issued by the CPI(M) is given below:

The Commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard had stated at a Congressional hearing that American Special forces assist teams are stationed in India along with Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Both the Ministry of External Affairs and the Defence Ministry have denied that any such force existed in India. This denial only raises further questions.

The statement made by the US Pacific Commander is categorical. He states: “We have currently special forces assist teams – Pacific assist teams is the term – laid down in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as India”.

India falls within the purview of the Pacific Command within the US military command.  The head of the Pacific Command has made an authoritative statement before a US Congressional committee.

There is no clarification from the US side that this statement is incorrect. The UPA government has not informed the country about the other arrangements which it has entered into with the US. For instance in the same testimony Admiral Willard has said: “We are working very closely with India with regard to their counter-terrorism capabilities and in particular on the maritime domain but also government to government, not necessarily……”

The Government should make a statement and clarify the issue.

Original hills disappear , Concrete hills rise

03 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in General

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I was going in bus from the  Airport to my daughter’s house in Bengaluru today ( 3rd March ) afternoon. On the way I saw a vanishing hill. It is a hill full of strong and heavy rocks. Half of the hill is already gone by continued breaking of the rocks / stones for the construction of buildings or metals for road repairs. If the present process continues for some more time, the entire hill will disappear.

At the same time, concrete buildings with 20 – 25 stories are coming up on both sides of the road, mostly apartments for the increasing population in the city. The man is destroyer of the natural hills and creates artificial hills. Where it will reach?

Government appeals to SC for review of 2G judgment

03 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in 2G Scam Corruption

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The real motive of the Central government is coming in to open. The government which immediately after the Supreme Court judgment in 2G case stated that it will implement the order, has now filed an appeal to review the order. Although the main point it has raised that the judiciary can not take policy decisions which are in the realms of the government, another point it has raised is that the ‘First Come First Served’ policy  is correct  and had benefitted increase in teledensity all over the country. It is also stated that due to FCFS policy the government also has benefitted.

It comes to this. The government still feels that there has been no loss and the policy was correct. Why the government is taking this stand. There are many reasons, but two are very clear. NOt only A.Raja, but many more top leaders are involved. They had to be saved. Second, if auction process is implemented in allotment of all natural resources like water, land, mine etc. the leverage the government used to get by allotting them to their favourites / or for favours received can not be done.

Any way the government has taken its stand to defend its earlier policy and decisions. Let us wait for the arguments and the judgement.

BRICS Meeting in New Delhi by end of March

03 Saturday Mar 2012

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The Fourth Brazil Russia India China South Africa (BRICS)  Summit meeting will be held in New Delhi by the end of March. BRICS is the economic co-operation organisation of the above countries. This is an emerging economic body with a good future. This will benefit India much lust like the other countries.

In preparation for the Summit meeting, the BRICS Academic Forum is meeting in New Delhi from Monday. Over 50 scholars from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will take part in the March 4 to 6 event being hosted by Observer Research Foundation. From India. The theme for this year’s meeting is ‘BRICS Partnership for Stability, Security and Growth’. The three-day meeting will discuss various issues, including BRICS Vision 2020, Institutionalising Coordination Frameworks for CrisResponse, Climate Change, Food Security and Water, Urbanization, Universal Access to Healthcare, Skilling and Direct Investments in Education Sector, Skilling and Direct Investments in Education Sector, BRICS Development Bank and Impact Investment Fund and Technology Sharing, Innovation and Cooperation across Industries.

A number of high level dignitaries from all the five countries will be participating in the BRICS Summit.

Tax exemption limit to be Rs. 3 lakhs – Parliamentary Stdg. Committee

02 Friday Mar 2012

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The  Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance examining the  Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill has suggested to raise the income tax exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh and also hiking deduction on savings to Rs 2.5 lakh.

It is reported that the committee will  submit the report  within a week.This may be included in the Budget also to be presented in the session of the Parliament starting on 12th March.

Defence PSU, HAL on the disinvestment radar

02 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in PSU

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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturing company of Defence Aircrafts is going to be disinvested. HAL is a fully owned government company and it was expected that this strategic PSU will not be disinvested. No, the Government is on a mad run for privatisation and it is also going to be disinvested. I hope that there will be resistance from the unions in HAL.

Union Minister of State for Defence, Mr M M Pallam Raju, has stated that HAL will be disinvested shortly. It is stated that  the Book Running Lead Managers and the Legal Advisors have been selected for the divestment process.  The exact timing of the IPO would be decided by the Ministry of Defence/ Department of Disinvestment as per the report.

 

Wage of Contract labour equal to the regular worker under Govt. consideration

02 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in TU News - India

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The 28th February Strike is having its impact on the Government. The Prime Minister who advised his government to file appeal against the decision of the Karnataka High Court which ordered that the state minimum wage should be paid to the NREGA workers in Karnataka, has been now compelled to change his views as can be seen from the following report. In this connection, I am reproducing a report in the press:

“The Union Government is expected to announce a policy decision soon on the vexed issue of employment of contract labour.

Mr G. Sanjeeva Reddy, the President of INTUC, told Business Line here on Friday that the Government might declare norms for ensuring equality in terms of payment to contract workers in the Budget announcement. He said currently the Cabinet Secretariat is looking into it.

“The Government has in principle accepted that when a contract labour does the same job as a permanent worker does in an establishment, the former cannot be discriminated against in terms of financial compensation,” Mr Reddy, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said.

The apex court also expressed a similar view, he pointed out.

The Government has already prepared a study on contract labour – engaged both in private and public sector organisations.

“The Government is figuring out the cost to the economy if such pay parity is introduced across the country. I have reasons to believe that certain positive steps towards the contract labour issue are in the offing,” he affirmed.

The labour unions continue to view the system of contract labour as exploitative.

“We want a gradual abolition of this system. As a first step we want parity on financial compensation. We also feel the need for a joint negotiating forum of the employers and the workers. The Government also should fix ceiling in percentage terms of employment of contract labour in an organisation,” Mr Reddy said.

For providing legislative protection to this category of workers, whose conditions were found to be abysmal, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act was enacted in 1970.

Consequently, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules, 1971 came into force.

However, the constitutional validity of the Act and the rules were challenged before the Supreme Court in the Gammon India Ltd. Vs. Union of India case. But the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Act and the Rules in 1974.”

ONGC disinvested again – 42.77 crore shares sold.

02 Friday Mar 2012

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I have pointed out earlier the proposal of the government to disinvest further shares of ONGC, either direct or through buy-back route. Yesterday the bids for ONGC shares was done and it is reported that 42.77 crores shares were sold getting about Rs.12,000 crore.

Interestingly. it was also reported that the ONGC top management was completely kept out of the bid processing with neither the Chairman nor the Company Secretary present in the decision-making meeting.  Were they omitted, since there were some objections from them? We will know in the coming days about what happened behind the curtains.

2G Case -Centre files appeal in Supreme Court to save PMO

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in 2G Scam Corruption

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The Central Government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court on the verdict in the allotment of 2G Spectrum case which had put the the PMO in a bad situation on the delay in granting permission to charge sheet a public servant. Government on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking review of 2G spectrum scam verdict, which held that sanction for prosecution of public servants can be sought even prior to filing of complaints. It contended that “the question of sanction gets attracted only at the stage of cognizance after filing of complaint.” The Centre sought review of the Supreme Court’s January 31 verdict which blamed the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) for sitting on the plea to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for granting sanction to prosecute former telecom minister A Raja in the 2G scam.

It is also reported that certain private companies are also filing petition against the order. The Supreme Court order has shocked the government and private players. Gradually they are trying to change the decision by appeal of various kinds to whitewash their misdeeds.