The move of the UPA II government to outsource work instead of recruiting in the the thousands of vacant posts in All India Radio and Door Darshan is strongly being opposed by the employees unions. They have jointly decided to organise boycotting of duties on 9th August against this outsourcing. They have submitted an eight point Charter of Demands. Already the 20,000 employees of AIR-DD have organised three ays dharna in the matter.

The UPA II government is aggressively moving with its disinvestment policy which the government of India started 20 years back on 24th July 1991 by starting to implement the neo-liberal policy of globalisation and privatisation. The Finance Minister who presented the LPG in 1991, Dr. Manmohan Singh is the present Prime Minister and wants to go ahead disregarding the opposition from the Left and the trade Unions.
Now it is the turn of the Port Trusts. Government wants to corporatise the port trusts which are directly under the government now. Government says that it will improve the functioning. But the people have understood what is the intention of corporatisation from the experience of VSNL, MTNL, BSNL etc. It is only to privatise later. That is why the unions in Port Trusts are strongly opposing the corporatisation move.
I completely support the struggle of the Port trust Unions against the corporatisation.

I am at Mumbai for attending the Circle Conference of the BSNL Employees Union. It is being held at New Panvel. After landing at the Mumbai Airport along with the General Secretary Com. P. Abhimanyu, we were taken to Panavel in car by our comrades. It took more than one and half hours to reach New Panvel, because by the time it was about 1000 hours and peak traffic time.
But there was one more thing that I observed. The usually good roads of Mumbai were completely damaged and were due for repair. Yes, the repair has started but everywhere it is half way. In the torrential rain that Mumbai is having, the roads have become such a mess that with the usual traffic jam, water logging and the half repaired roads, it was something of a disaster.
Next day I went for a morning walk from the hotel where we were staying. There was drizzling in a small way. I could not proceed much because here also the road was neither fit for traffic nor for walking. I returned after buying some newspapers.
Whether the Municipal Corporation is doing something to ensure better roads for the people of Mumbai and restore its efficiency?

” If the state is soft to a large extent, especially in terms of the unholy nexus between the law makers, the law keepers and the law breakers, the moral authority and also the moral incentives, to exercise suitable control over the society would vanish. Large unaccounted monies are generally an indication of theat” – Observation of Supreme Court on 4th July in Black Money case.
A true picture of the present day affairs of the Government. The government is not only a silent spectactor, but in fact seems to be against taking any action on black money since many of the top politicians of both the ruling and the main opposition party are involved it in a big way.

The UPA II government is taking interesting decisions. Now the Finance Ministry has refused to compensate BSNL for the development/expansion of services as part of the social commitment of the government. It means that the BSNL need not take works with out getting the compensation.
Both ways it means that the government is withdrawing from its social commitment.

It has once again been proved that the CBI is not that independent. The last two days CBI drama is a complete evidence to this. Even before examining Amar Singh, SP leader, the CBI has given the statement that neither Congress nor SP leaders are involved in the cash-for-vote scam. And the media reports indicate that the questioning of Amar Singh later was only an eye wash.
The government which made a cover up of the Boffors scam can easily do another cover up. Whether the Supreme Court will be able and prepared to do an aggressive action as done in the case of 2G scam? Whether another public cry as in the case of ‘Justice for Jessica’ an be done to expose the cash-for-vote scam?

The Anti-PFRDA Convention held at Delhi today, 22nd July has decided to organise sustained struggles against the PFRDA Bill presented in the Parliament to ensure that it is defeated or withdrawn. The Convention decided to submit a memorandum signed by lakhs of workers and people to the Prime Minister to drop the anti-worker bill. A one day strike is also decided, the date for which will be decided by a Steering Committee elected by the Convention.
The Gujarathi Samaj Hall, New Delhi, where the convention was held was full to the brim. A presidium consisting of Coms. Kulkarni (AISGEF), P.R.Menon (AIRF) S.K.Vyas(Confederation) and myself conducted the proceedings. The Resolution against the PFRDA Bill was presented by Com.Sukomal Sen (AISGEF). Comrades Basudev Acharya, M.P., Tapan Sen M.P., M.K.Pandhe (CITU) and other leaders addressed. From BSNLEU, Com.P.Abhimanyu, GS, spoke and supported the resolution. Com.K.K.N.Kutty, SG, Confederation presented the action plan.
The resolution was unanimously adopted along with the action plan.
The Convention has given the call for strugle. The PFRDA Bill has to be defeated.
( For Detailed report visit BSNLEU website http://www.bsnleuchq.com )

The All India Anti-PFRDA Convention will be held at New Delhi on 21st July. It is being participated by Central Government, Railway, Defence, State Government, Teachers, BSNL employees and Pensioners.
The government’s aggressive move to pass the PFRDA bill can not be accepted. Government is implementing the directions of the US and the MNCs against the interests of the lakhs of pensioners. As such this has to be resisted and defeated.
I hope that the Convention will take suitable decisions in the matter.

Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister, has stated that he proposes to mop up Rs. 40,000 crore in this fiscal year 2011-12 by selling shares of the PSUs. So far an amount of Rs. 1144.55 crore has been received through disinvestment this financial year.
The government decision to disinvest PSUs are not only to mop up funds for government. In fact there are other reasons which go deep. The implementation of the neo-liberal policies include enriching the MNCs and big business by handing over to them the scarce natural resources and manufacturing units with the government for a meagre amount. The government want to implement its slogan that ” Business is not the business of the government”. Unless the democratic movement in the country and the united work force put a stiff fight, the wealth of the nation will be in the hands of the MNCs and big business within a short time. Maximum propaganda among the people is a must to stop this loot of the PSUs.

It seems that another Broadband (BWA) Spectrum auction may take place. Though the DOT was telling about the scarcity of spectrum, it seems that it has got surplus BWA spectrum.
Another reason for the present move to auction spectrum is that some of the major telcos do not have licences in all the circles and they are pressurising the government for a fresh auction. The Government is also in a hurry due to the fact that they want money to finance the government projects and programmes.
I hope that the government will not do the same mischief and corrupt practises as they have done in the earlier auction.