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CPI seeks PM’s intervention in Gurgaon violence
Ministry asked to look into law violations by Honda
Major changes in employment Bill recommended
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Congress calls rural employment Bill its
baby
Govt committed to providing credit to agriculture sector: PM
Congress govt ‘encouraging’ militants: BJP
BJP plans ‘road show’ on Advani’s court appearance
India asks UK to protect Sikhs
US offered anti-missile
knowhow: Pranab
Reservation Act in offing, says Meira Kumar
MPs air concern over rising crime in Delhi
Rain dispels dark clouds of drought from AP
North-West reels under dry spell
Naga peace talks in Amsterdam on July 29
Indo-Bangla trade talks next month
Vital installations face terrorist threat: Patil
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CPI seeks PM’s intervention in Gurgaon violence
New Delhi, July 27 “By his refusal to take action against the senior officials guilty of the barbaric attack on Honda factory workers, the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who also holds the Home portfolio, has defied the sentiments expressed in both Houses of Parliament for speedy action against those responsible,” the CPM politburo said in a statement. It said: “The reported term of reference of the judicial inquiry which includes examination of the ‘role of outsiders’ is highly objectionable and are framed to protect the officials concerned and must be suitably amended.” With officials continuing in their posts, the party said no impartial inquiry could be held and demanded for immediate suspension and removal of the Deputy Commissioner, the SP and other police officials against whom there is visual prima facie evidence. Earlier, CPM leader in Rajya Sabha Nilotpal Basu, who had visited Gurgaon yesterday on a fact-finding mission, said: “We have a record of at least 61 persons being arrested. They have not yet been produced before any court as the law requires. We have learnt today that they have been shifted (from Gurgaon jails) to undisclosed locations.” “The immediate removal of the Deputy Commissioner and the SP has become an urgent necessity,” Basu, who along with senior party leader Brinda Karat had a meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil here on the Gurgaon incident, said. Demanding the release of all those arrested, medical relief and compensation for those injured, he said the Haryana Government should ask the Honda management reopen the factory by ending the “illegal lockout” and take back all workers, including those suspended or dismissed. Referring to the views that the incident would adversely affect FDI inflow into India, Basu said India’s labour laws reflected the international covenants like the ILO regime which are accepted by all countries. Meanwhile, a CPI delegation, comprising Lok Sabha MP Gurudas Dasgupta and National Council member D. Raja, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged his intervention in sorting out the problem. After the meeting, Raja said they told the Prime Minister that the Japanese multinational should be asked to adhere to the laws of the land and take back all the dismissed employees. |
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Ministry asked to look into law violations by Honda
New Delhi, July 27 Replying to a query raised by CPM member Nilotpal Basu soon after the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Home Minister said he had learnt that a large number of persons were injured in the incident. Patil said he had asked his colleague handling the Labour Ministry to look into the issues concerning the rights of the workmen, He said he had spoken with the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday and the latter had agreed to order a judicial inquiry into the incident after being apprised of the demands made by MPs in both Houses of Parliament. He said the state government had been asked to identify the person who misbehaved with some MPs and take action. Patil said all efforts would be made to ensure that the rights of workers and the interests of investors were protected. The Home Minister said although the situation was serious, it was important to ensure that nothing was done that might have an adverse impact on the long-term interests of the country and its economy. Basu said he had visited the General Hospital in Gurgaon on Tuesday and found that the situation was very tense. He said the police had resorted to lathi charge and lobbed teargas shells at protesters. Basu said the incident was triggered by the presence of Deputy Commissioner who was widely believed to have spearheaded the “barbaric” attack and the Superintendent of Police who played a “very destructive role”. “What happened yesterday was an expression of total collapse of the credibility of the state government.” The CPM MP said the agitation by the workers of the company was a result of the flagrant violation of labour laws. He said the labour laws had provision for trade unions. He suggested the government to sent advisories to all state governments to ensure that laws of the land were complied with. Basu said the state government should release a list of missing persons to address the anxieties of their family members and announce compensation for the injured. He said the company in Gurgaon had 1,600 workers on its payroll and over a thousand temporary workers. “It has very steep conditions for confirmation of workers.” Basu said the problem was not confined to Haryana alone. “Ninety two per cent of people in the country are employed in the unorganised sector. There is flagrant violation of the Minimum Wages Act. For economic stability, we should ensure a situation where the existing labour laws are complied with.”
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Major changes in employment Bill recommended
New Delhi, July 27 “The Finance Ministry has assured the committee that it was ready to finance the scheme for all the persons without any distinction between the persons below poverty line (BPL) and above,” Mr Kalyan Singh told reporters after releasing the report of the Standing Committee. The Government had referred the Bill to the Standing Committee, headed by BJP leader Kalyan Singh, after it was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December. The Left parties and the Opposition had criticised the government for diluting the provisions of the Bill, despite the fact that the UPA had promised to provide employment guarantee in the national common minimum programme (NCMP). He said the committee had discussed 33 issues of the Bill and made 55 recommendations, hoping that either the government would redraft the Bill, or make amendments to the Bill. As against government’s intention to implement the scheme in 150 backward districts in the country, the committee has asked for the implementation of the scheme in the next four years. Earlier in the morning, Ms Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson, said as per the recommendations of the National Advisory Council, the government should make amendments to the Bill, including provision of minimum wage, unemployment allowance and relaxation of conditions for rural unemployed youth. The committee has unanimously recommended that the being a centrally sponsored scheme, the scheme should be fully funded by the Centre. To encourage the states to implement the scheme, it would be mandatory for them to pay unemployment allowance, if they fail to implement the scheme. The committee has also recommended that any official who contravenes the provisions of the Act shall on conviction be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 or undergo a three-month imprisonment. To bring transparency and accountability in the scheme, the committee has recommended the involvement of village panchayats and gram sabhas in the implementation of the scheme. It has also recommended that for the implementation of the scheme at the village level, the limit of 50 labourers be reduced to 10. Besides, the implementing authority may be empowered to take up new work with even less than 10 labourers. To ensure employment to women and disabled persons, said Committee chairperson, “we have suggested that scheme should have works that can be conveniently performed by them.” Universal application of the scheme for all rural people, he said, would plug the loopholes of corruption since there was no need of identifying a persons below poverty line. In addition, the government should ensure the payment of at least 75 per cent of the Central Minimum wages (roughly Rs 66 per day) or the state minimum wages, to the workers whichever was higher. The minimum wages in the state varies from Rs 25 in Nagaland to Rs 134 in Kerala. When asked about the financial implications of the scheme, Mr Kalyan Singh said, “ though the government has not provided adequate data to the committee, but as per preliminary estimates Rs 1,00,464 crore would be required annually for 100 per cent coverage of the rural people.” |
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Congress calls rural employment Bill its
baby New Delhi, July 27 Battled and bruised by a belligerent Left, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said let it be known that their party had been taking up cudgels for the poor for the past several decades. In this connection, she made a pointed and detailed reference to the promised legislation, guaranteeing 100 days employment to the rural poor, which, she said, was the culmination of 30 years of efforts made by successive Congress governments. This was a clear attempt to ensure that other political parties, notably the Left, are denied the opportunity to draw political mileage from this programme in next year’s Assembly poll. Addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) today, Ms Gandhi said it was the Congress that promised this legislation at its chief ministers’ conclave in 2002, followed it up by including it in its election manifesto and ensured that it formed part of the UPA government’s common minimum programme (CMP). Tracing the party’s commitment to this cause, Ms Gandhi said the upcoming Bill was actually built on its past initiatives, which includes the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme introduced by Indira Gandhi, Maharshtra’s Employment Guarantee Scheme and similar programmes introduced subsequently by Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao. Signalling her personal interest in the legislation, Ms Gandhi suggested four specific amendments to the Bill, which, she said, were originally recommended by the National Advisory Council. Hoping that the Group of Ministers, scrutinising the Bill, would incorporate these changes, she suggested that employment under the Bill should not be limited to below poverty line (BPL) families, the guarantee should not be withdrawn unilaterally, the entire financial burden be borne by the Centre and that the Bill should not be bureaucracy-driven and instead be implemented through village panchayats. Making sure that the import of Ms Gandhi’s lengthy reference to this programme was not lost, the party subsequently fielded its Rajya Sabha MP and NAC member Jairam Ramesh at its daily press briefing to underline that it was the Congress that had been at the forefront of bringing rural employment on the political agenda. The Finance Ministry, which has constantly complained that it does not have the massive funds to implement this programme, was also told that it would have to manage the resources for the UPA government’s flagship legislation. This was evident from Mr Ramesh’s observation that with the economy registering a seven per cent growth, the government should not have any problem finding funds for the programme. While the bulk of Ms Gandhi’s address was devoted to the Rural Employment Job Guarantee Bill, she also pointed to the government’s achievements and urged party MPs to actively propagate these initiatives.
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Govt committed to providing credit
New Delhi, July 27 Intervening during Question Hour, the Prime Minister told the Lok Sabha today that American Universities had agreed to cooperate with Indian agricultural universities and research institutions. He said after the UPA government assumed office last year, the flow of credit to the agriculture sector had been more than expected. The Prime Minister’s intervention came during a reply to a question on the mid-term appraisal of the 10th Five Year Plan. Minister of State of Planning M. V. Rajasekharan said as against the 10th Plan target of growth rate of 4 per cent, the agriculture sector was likely to achieve 2.2 per cent growth during the Plan period.. |
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SAD holds sit-in protest against Punjab CM
New Delhi, July 27 The Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee permitted the Akali Dal members, to raise the issue of the revival of Punjab militancy in the state. However, as the leader of the party of Lok Sabha Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa raised the issue and mentioned the visit of Punjab Chief Minister to
Gurdwara in Dixie, hub of Khalistan militants in Canada, the Speaker warned the member to stick to the subject. As Dhindsa was joined by other Akali Dal MPs, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, and waved the news reports which had photographs of Amarinder Singh addressing the gather in the Gurdwara under the “Khalistan Zindabad” banner and the reported “hush-hush” visit of the Chief Minister to Dubai, the Speaker adjourned the House for lunch. Akali Dal MPs, displeased with the Speaker’s ruling, walked out of the House and held a sit-in protest on the stairs of Parliament, where they raised anti-Amarinder slogans, waved the news reports and alleged the violation of foreign exchange regulations and other rules by him. The MPs said they would raise the issue in the House again on Thursday. |
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Congress govt ‘encouraging’ militants: BJP
New Delhi 27 “With a view to humiliate and politically finish the Akali Dal, the Congress had started playing its old and dangerous games like encouraging Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. And if the Centre does not rein in the state government, it would be solely responsible for the consequences”, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V.K. Malhotra observed at his regular media briefing here. He said state Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s visit to a gurdwara in Canada, known as a militant stronghold, and accepting a ‘siropa’ from them was “indicative of encouraging terrorists trying to raise their head in the state”. The BJP Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha alleged that not only was the said gurdwara a hotbed of people trying to spread militancy in the state but slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ were also written on its walls when the Chief Minister visited the place. He asked the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to clarify whether the Chief Minister had visited the gurdwara with his permission and if not then whether any explanation has been sought from him. Mr Malhotra was also highly critical of Capt Amarinder Singh’s hush-hush visit to Dubai saying “any Chief Minister intending to go abroad has to keep the Centre and Prime Minister informed... It is highly condemnable that the Punjab Chief Minister visited Dubai without the knowledge of the Prime Minister.”
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BJP plans ‘road show’ on Advani’s court appearance
Lucknow, July 27 While official spokesperson and former BJP minister Dr Sarjeet Dang denied any “road show” by L.K. Advani on the way to Rae Bareilly tomorrow, he did not rule out impromptu meetings on the way where supporters may collect to welcome their leaders. BJP President L.K. Advani is arriving in Lucknow tomorrow morning from where he would move towards Rae Bareilly after a brief halt at the VVIP Guest House. The involvement of the state BJP unit in making Mr Advani’s show a success can be gauged from the fact that the 83-member strong BJP contingent in the Vidhan Sabha, presently in session, has decided to skip the session tomorrow to lend their energies to make the party president’s programme a success. Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon requested leader of the House Mulayam Singh Yadav to defer a discussion on the state of UP’s law and order that had been scheduled for tomorrow. The setback for the BJP came on July 6, a day after terrorist struck in Ayodhya. The high court deciding on the revision against the discharge of Mr L.K. Advani ordered that all the eight persons named in the case arising out of crime No 198 of 1992 to appear in
person. |
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India asks UK to protect Sikhs
New Delhi, July 27 The British authorities have assured that they would work with community leaders to ensure safety and security of all communities, said the Minister of State for External Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The minister said the government had received a report from the Indian High Commissioner on the reported damage to gurdwaras in London. No major damage has been reported and the Indian government had expressed deep shock at the reports of attacks on places of worship. Reports said minor attacks on gurdwaras in South London, Kent and Leed took place, the minister said. In response to another question, Minister of State (independent charge) for Overseas Indian Affairs Jagdish Tytler said in a written reply that all Protectors of Emigrant had been directed not to give any immigration clearance at their level to Indian workers proposed to be deployed for Kuwait and Gulf Link
(KGL) Transport Company of Kuwait. The direction is effective from July 22, the minister said while noting that there have press reports about KGL recruiting truck and trailer drivers for
Iraq. Tytler said KGL was placed in the Prior Approval Category (PAC) list in 2001 and was removed from it in November 2004 on the basis of recommendation of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. The workers going to Kuwait and Jordan are required to submit employment documents duly attested by the Indian Mission concerned, he said, adding specific endorsement “not for employment in Iraq” is also made on the passports of workers going to these countries. |
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US offered anti-missile
knowhow: Pranab
New Delhi, July 27 In written replies to various questions in the Rajya Sabha on the developing Indo-US defence relations the Defence Minister however, categorically said there was no proposal to deploy Indian troops in any such operations. The framework, signed on June 28, provides for co-production of defence equipment and collaboration in multi-national operations “when it is in their common interest”. In reply to another question the Defence Minister said during his recent visit, the US Department of Defence also made a verbal offer to provide technical briefing on the Patriot anti-missile defence system. He again clarified that this was not a formal offer to sell the system and said no date had been fixed for the briefing as yet. He also added that the system’s
utility for India was as yet to be ascertained. He said the USA had cleared the manufacturers of the F-16 and F-18 aircraft to respond to an Indian Request for Proposal (RPF) for the medium multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force when it is issued. “The process is still at an early stage and the RPF has not yet been issued by the Ministry of Defence,” he said. To another question whether the framework would imply that the Indian armed forces would participate in any military action initiated by the USA against international terrorism, he said “no such participation is contemplated or implied in the arrangement.” Outlining the details of the new framework for defence cooperation initiated during his recent visit to Washington, Mr Mukherjee said the agreement provided for increased opportunities for a two way defence trade and transactions, including technology transfer, collaborations, co-production and research and development. The minister said in order to give a concrete shape to the new framework the two countries had also agreed to setting up of a defence procurement and production group under the existing umbrella US-India defence policy group. The Defence Minister pointed out that together with progress on the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP), the framework was expected to pave
the way for the supply of advanced technologies, including defence technologies to India. |
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Reservation Act in offing, says Meira Kumar
New Delhi, July 27 Inaugurating the third National Conference of Backward Classes Commissions (NCBC) here today, Ms Kumar also stressed the need for creating awareness among backward classes about welfare measures of the government. She said claims of castes seeking recognition as BCs often remained pending, thus denying the benefit of reservation to people, who may otherwise be eligible. For this she suggested that a time-bound programme should be evolved by the National and State Backward Classes Commissions for clearing pending applications. She also asked the NCBC to coordinate with state and UT commissions to evolve a similar approach to ensure uniformity in the Central and state list of castes and communities in the Backward Classes. Speaking on the occasion, NCBC Chairperson Justice Ram Surat Singh urged the government to vest more power with the commission, enabling it to take action regarding the non-implementation of reservation quotas and grievances of members of OBCs. He also demanded that reservation at the national level for backward classes should be extended to seats in the central educational institutions while stressing for caste-based census. |
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MPs air concern over rising crime in Delhi
New Delhi, July 27 “Delhi is not any remote area, but the Capital of the country where women do not find it comfortable to move without risking their life, and modesty from the goons,” said BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha while introducing a call-attention motion in the Lower House. He demanded that Home Minister should resign as the government had failed to maintain law even in the Capital of the country. Quoting from the clippings of different newspapers, he said: “Not a single day passes when we do not hear a story of rape of murder. The recent rape of girl from the North-East in Dhaula Kuan and women in Mayapuri in the moving car has shown new trends of crime against women.” The government had failed to fulfil its duty in maintaining the law and order, he alleged adding that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and National Women Commission Chairperson Girja Vyas had also expressed concern over the rising crimes against women. Attacking the government, he said, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s, who is a representative of the womenfolk, silence on atrocities like the one against Imrana in UP was baffling. Ms Gandhi, who was sitting in the House, however remained silent.
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Rain dispels dark clouds of drought from AP
Hyderabad, July 27 After four years of successive drought, which had caused distress to farmers, the recent rains that lashed several parts of the state are expected to give a big boost to agricultural operations and restore confidence among the distressed farming community. Rivers, rivulets, lakes and tanks and reservoirs all across the state are brimming with inflows, boosting irrigation and drinking water sources. A relieved Chief
Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said, “Another year of drought would have meant disaster for the farmers in
particular and the state in general. Fortunately, rain gods were kind enough
to bring in showers aplenty.” The rainfall exceeded the average in several parts of the state. Even the perennially drought-prone Anantapur and Mahabubnagar districts have received more than average rainfall this year. The Rayalaseema region has received 32 per cent more rainfall. In Telangana, almost all districts, barring Khammam, received more than average rainfall. At a high-level review meeting with senior officials today, the Chief Minister directed the administration to extend all possible help to farmers to make use of the good monsoon that was long overdue. He announced that as against nine lakh farmers covered under the loan programme last year when a little over Rs 10,000 crore was sanctioned, an additional 12 lakh farmers would be covered this year with the target being enhanced to Rs 16,000 crore.
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North-West reels under dry spell
New Delhi, July 27 If the met office can be believed, no respite from heat and humidity can be expected in the next 24 hours in these parts at least. Met officials though are hopeful that scattered rainfall can be expected in the next 48 hours in the north-west. The well-marked low pressure area over the central part of Madhya Pradesh is expected to move in the west-northwesterly direction, bringing in rains in the region once the system gets there. The north-west region, with Punjab and Haryana specifically recording 67 per cent and 85 per cent above normal rains, respectively, till July 14, has been experiencing rather subdued rainfall in the past one week.
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Naga peace talks in Amsterdam on July 29
New Delhi, July 27 A two-member official team, comprising Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks K. Padmanabhaiah and Intelligence Bureau Chief E. S. L. Narasimhan would leave here tomorrow to hold further talks with NSCN (I-M) leaders Isak Swu and T. Muivah. This will be the first meeting since five months of protracted negotiations earlier this year failed to yield results. The NSCN leaders had been here since January this year for the political level talks with the Group of Ministers led by Mr Oscar Fernandes. They left for Amsterdam earlier this month as there could not be any consensus on the outfit’s demand for reunification of Naga dominated areas beyond the Nagaland border, an issued opposed by other North-Eastern states, especially Manipur.
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Indo-Bangla trade talks next month
New Delhi, July 27 Bilateral trade, free trade agreement and elimination of para-tariff and non-tariff barriers will be discussed during the talks. Mr Ahamed said trade and commercial ties between the two countries continued to show a healthy growth and the leadership in both New Delhi and Dhaka was committed to further expansion of bilateral trade. On the issue of border dispute between India and Bangladesh, the minister said both governments had established several mechanisms to discuss border issues and border fencing would again be taken up during the Home Secretary-level and BSF-BDR talks. He said New Delhi had conveyed to Dhaka the need for the two countries to build the fence within and up to zero line on the international
border. |
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Vital installations face terrorist threat: Patil
New Delhi, July 27 Replying to a question by Congress member Anand Sharma during question hour, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said: “We receive a lot of information and we have disseminated this information to take protective measures. Some scientists too have become vulnerable.” Mr Patil said the government had asked the state governments to be on the alert. He said proxy war had become the latest form of aggression. Responding to a supplementary, the Home Minister said: “It is not right to say that the Centre and the state government are working at cross-purposes. They are working together to fight terrorism.” |
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Law panel for changes in IPC New Delhi, July 27 In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs S. Reghupathy said the commission had recommended in its 172nd report an increase in punishment for offences under various Sections and insertion of a new section for dealing with unlawful sexual contact.
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