06 Saturday Dec 2014
Posted in General
It is reported that a meeting of the Chief Ministers is scheduled on 6th December 2014, in which the structure of the new organisation in lieu of Planning Commission will be placed by the Central Government. The Prime Minister will be discuss the structure with the CMs.
After the Planning Commission was dissolved in May 2014 consequent to the statement of the PM to that effect, there was a vacuum.
26 Wednesday Feb 2014
Posted in BSNLCCWF - Casual and Contract workers
It is reported in the Economic Times dated 26 February that the Planning Commission is in discussion with companies to frame guidelines for regularisation of contract workers. It is stated that this move is being initiated due to the reduction in the number of regular workers and increase of the contract workers who are engaged to do the work of regular employees.
The Trade Unions in the country have been continuously demanding for the regularisation of the large number of contract workers. In BSNL, there are about 3350 casual and about one lakh contract workers. BSNL Casual and Contract Workers Federation is on agitation for the regularisation of these workers.
As the first phase of the action, massive demonstrations will be organised today, 26 February, in all SSAs as per the call of the federation.
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 General
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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.
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