'Committed to Constitution', are you kidding?: Sonia, Rahul among many late-comers on Day 1

How serious are our lawmakers about the Constitution and its maker Dr. B. R Ambedkar, could be gauged by strength of the House on the first day of the winter session? Members from both sides were absent from the Lok Sabha in this morning when it assembled to discuss an important topic of commitment towards the Constitution. 

“All want to score a political mileage, even Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi arrived late in the house so leave about Members of Parliament who were absent from the house in the very first day of session” said a Member of Parliament on condition of anonymity.

In the morning when session was about to begin Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked towards the opposition benches and talked to leaders of Congress, Biju Janta Dal (BJD), Trinmool Congress (TC), Samajwadi Party(SP) , JD(U) and CPM probably in the hope to melt some ice between both the sides. Modi also greeted members of NDA who were seen to be very eager to come in his notice.

In her speech while starting the discussion Speaker Sumitra Mahajan invokes the first President Rajendra Prashad to send the message of tolerance. However, the word intolerance is expected to be most frequently used word in the coming days of Winter Session. Sumitra Mahajan, quoted Rajendra Prasad saying, “We have communal differences, caste differences, language differences, provincial differences and so forth. It requires men of strong character, men of vision, men who will not sacrifice the interests of the country at large for the sake of smaller group and areas and who will rise over the prejudices which are born of these differences. We can only hope that the country will throw up such men in abundances” to send message loud and clear to Government as well as to political leaders.

Later, when Home Minister Rajnath Singh started the discussion from treasury side Congress and other opposition parties showed their intention by interrupting him frequently. Unfazed by them, Singh, used his speech by enumerating Policies and Programs started by the Government to send a message to Voters, who think the centre has failed them.

To fulfill election promise of “house for all by 2022” Government clears more than 2.25 lac houses for urban poor

Bihar’s result has forced Union Government to focus all its efforts in fulfilling the promises made by PM in Lok Sabha election campaign. Today while Union Cabinet has taken major decisions to push development agenda its Ministers have also asked officers to take fast decisions on pending proposals submitted by State Governments.  

In this connection Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation today approved construction of 2,28,204 houses for urban poor in five states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan for which the central government will provide an assistance of Rs.3,231 cr. Houses for urban poor sanctioned today was based on the proposals made by respective state governments. Proposals of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan were cleared as it is.

         

The inter-ministerial Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) chaired by Dr.Nandita Chatterjee, Secretary (HUPA) approved the housing projects after detailed presentations by respective states. Of the houses approved, 2,17,748 were for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) and Beneficiary led Construction components of the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (PMAY). The rest are for Low Income Groups. Under these two components, central assistance @ Rs.1.50 lakh per each house will be provided.

         

Andhra Pradesh has been sanctioned 1,93,147 houses in 37 cities followed by Gujarat with 15,580 houses in 4 cities, Telangana - 10,290 in 10 cities, Rajasthan-6,255 in 10 cities,  and Tamil Nadu-2,932 houses in 5 cities. 

         

In the light of the experience of implementation of housing projects in the past, this time around the Ministry of HUPA has ensured availability of land for all the proposed projects with respective state governments providing land as their share of Affordable Housing in Partnership.

Under PMAY, 2 crore houses for urban poor are to be built by the year 2022 under which the central government will provide assistance in the range of Rs.1.00 lakh to Rs.2.33 lakh depending upon the model followed.

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After Paris attack India to fast track its crime and criminal tracking network system

Close on the heels of dastardly attack on innocent civilians by terrorists in Paris, India has decided to fast track its Project on Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems and completed by  March 2017.

The decision was taken at an union cabinet on economic affairs meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Briefing reporters on the crucial decision Minister of State in Prime Minister Office Jitender Singh said "In light of views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Paris attacks the decision was taken to fast track  and complete the implementation of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems by 2017."

Condeming the Paris attack, Modi had said: “The world must speak in one voice and act in unison against terrorism, without any political considerations,” he said. “We must isolate those who support and sponsor terrorism; and, stand with those who share our values of humanism.”

Modi stressed the need of an international legal framework and said world leaders should adopt what he called a “comprehensive convention on international terrorism without any delay.” He said cooperation on intelligence and counter-terrorism between nations should increase.

CCTNS aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-Governance and creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system around 'Investigation of crime and detection of criminals'. An allocation of Rs. 2000 crores has been made for CCTNS Project including the operational and maintenance cost till 2022.

So far more than 11,000 police station have been brought under CCTNS. Singh said the Centre hopes to network 15,000 police stations by March 2017. 

On completition of project by 2017, 5000 supervisory officers will be deployed to monitor the system.

 (CCTNS) is a plan scheme conceived in the light of experience of a non-plan scheme namely - Common Integrated Police Application (CIPA). CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance

The CCTNS plas to make the police functioning citizen friendly and more transparent by automating the functioning of Police Stations, iprove delivery of citizen-centric services through effective usage of ICT, provide the investigating Officers of the Civil Police with tools, technology and information to facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals.

Also it is likely to improe police functioning in various other areas such as Law and Order, Traffic Management etc, facilitate interaction and sharing of Information among Police Stations, Districts, State/UT headquarters and other Police Agencies besides keeping track of the progress of Cases, including in Courts and reduce manual and redundant Records keeping.

Besides police departments, police stations and courts other who are being under CCTNS include scientific and technical organizations having databases required for providing assistance and information for investigation and other purposes e.g. Finger Print Bureaux, Forensic Labs etc.

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Inside Story: Why India’s most powerful bureaucrat lobby worried for its pay structure

 

Seventh pay commission is likely to submit its report on 19th of November. Reports are coming out that Central government employees and pensioners are likely to be disappointed as the Commission is expected to propose an approximate 15 per cent hike in salaries starting January 1, 2016. Last time in the 6th Pay Commission the average hike was around 35 percent.

As the news of possible hike in pay has come out, the section which feels most disappointed is India’s most powerful bureaucrat lobby. This has happened first time since the pay commission has started giving its recommendations to Finance Ministry.

Do you know why? The Answer is given by an allied service officer “It is the first time that a non-IAS, a Railway Accounts’ Service officer, is working as a secretary in the 7th Pay Commission. Before this, in the last six commissions, only IAS officers were appointed as Secretary Pay Commission. So they take care of demands and interests of their Cadre.” But this time as the possible structure of pay has come out through sources the clamor for hike and special treatment for IAS officers have been getting lauder and lauder. Meena Agarwal is the secretary of 7th Pay Commission and she is a Railway Accounts’ service officer. She will definitely look after interests of officers of allied services and not that of IAS officers” said the source further.

The recommendation, which will come into effect after getting a Cabinet nod, will impact 50 lakh central government employees and 54 lakh pensioners. “The 15 per cent salary hike likely to be recommended by the 7th Pay Commission will be much lower than the 35 percent hike employees got on the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission in 2008” said the source. A 15 per cent salary increase would push up the central government's salary bill by Rs 25,000 crore, which is 0.2 percent of India's GDP, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates.

 

This likely hikes in wages will boost the consumption-driven recovery in the domestic economy. Sales of affordable homes and consumer durables such as cars, two-wheelers and other electronic items are likely to pick up, said the analysts. However, salary hikes are also expected to stoke inflation and fiscal pressures. Pay Commissions are meant to review the salary structure of central government employees and are set up every 10 years.

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After onion & pulses, soaring price of tomatoes leave govt red-faced; common man suffers

After onion and pulses, this time tomatoes have worried the Union Government, which finally has come out with a new excuse, this time unprecedented rainfall in southern States.

Sources in the Consumer Affair Ministry said, “Marginal increase in the prices of onions in the past week and in the prices of tomatoes is largely on account of disruption of supplies from the Southern States which have witnessed severe, unprecedented rainfall over the last one week. These increases are expected to be temporary and normal supplies should resume soon.”s

“Prices of tomatoes is largely hitting to common people as its price is hovering around Rupees 40 to 60 per kg,” said a consumer Anil Kumar. Around 15 days back its price was around 20 to 25 Rupees per Kg. Onion prices have also been increased after a short respite. On the other hand, prices of pulses have still not reached to purchasing level of commoners said his wife Anita.

 “The arrivals of the new crops of tomatoes are expected to ease prices. There is a moderate increase in prices during September-December due to demand-supply mismatch. The Government is working closely with the State Governments to ensure that quick action is taken to prevent any abnormal increase in prices and to ensure adequate availability of essential commodities,” said a highly placed source in the Ministry.

A high-level review of the prices of essential commodities and their availability and measures required to be taken is scheduled to be held on 18.11.2015. Besides, reviewing the de-hoarding operations on pulses and steps taken by State Governments to improve the availability of Pulses at reasonable prices, the meeting is expected to also review the progress in the procurement of pulses aimed at building a buffer stock. 

Photo courtesy: fruitworldmedia.com

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Lesson learnt from Bihar: BJP to opt Smriti Irani's face as CM nominee in UP election

The rout in Bihar assembly election has forced BJP to consider and plan a new strategy for Utter Pradesh (UP) assembly election scheduled to be held in 2017.

According to a BJP source, Union HRD minister Smriti Irani might be the face of Party in coming assembly election. She is among a few, whose names are doing rounds. Considering the BJP’s Bihar debacle, reining of UP election is important for party’s future and that of Modi government at the Centre. The party has to increase its strength urgently at Rajya Sabha to give a push to its big-ticket reforms. The numbers in the Rajya Sabha can only be increased by the majority in State assemblies.

Sources aware of the developments taking place fast in the party especially after the Bihar drubbing said, “Irani’s name has been finalized to lead the forthcoming UP poll is almost confirmed, as parent organisation RSS has also given its consent to go ahead with the new strategy as it will serve two purpose for the party.

It will be a befitting reply to those who repeatedly asked questions about Chief Ministerial candidate and Irani as an orator and dexterous leader will steer the campaign in the right direction. In Bihar election, leaders of Mahagathbandhan used to taunt NDA alliance for not naming its candidate for the coveted post of Chief Minister.

Smriti Irani is amongst the firebrand leaders of BJP, who loves to lock horns with the opposition leaders especially if the leader belongs to Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. However, her name is sufficient to create ripples among oppositions in the state as well. “Her oratory skill is magnificent. She could face all odd questions and situation dexterously” said a local leader UP Singh of Allahabad.

“Party in the state is trying to have its own office in each district” said another leader of UP unit. On the directions of Central leadership, the party is trying to purchase land in each district to build its own office. In fact, in some districts units have closed land purchase deals and building process will start in coming days. In remaining district talks with interested parties are in advanced stage. By mid of next year, the party will have own offices in each district of the state.

Modi’s advice on gifts fails to cut ice; Diwali gives officials a free run for gifts

While campaigning before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured many times to voters “Na Khaunga Na Kisi Ko Khane Doonga” (Will neither eat nor allow anyone to eat).

However, the corridors of power in Delhi tell a different story altogether ahead of Diwali. Probably, the ministries are unheard of Modi’s advice in coming Diwali festival is entirely different.

“Every third person in the corridor is carrying glittered package of sweets and other gifts along with his boss, who either visits the office of Officers to greet Diwali wishes with gift pack or visit the office of officers to hand over gift for Saheb” said a Class C employee on the condition of anonymity.

If you are an urbanite and have been living in state capitals, you might have experienced the gift culture prior to Diwali, a neo rich style of celebration to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. However, now this “culture of exchanging gifts has become a pre-festival tradition for Central Government Ministries and Offices” said another source who holds responsibility of a seat which does not fetch much gift during Diwali.

Bihar assembly drubbing for NDA have dampened the spirits of the BJP and allies’ Ministers at least for show off purpose but zeal in grade D, C and B services is still high and show no remorse while accepting gifts from visiting clients.

Some high rank officials don’t believe in this culture so less visitors could be seen in their waiting rooms during pre-festival day however some officers prefer to take such “wishes” at their residence to remain out of focus from scanning eyes of IB sleuths, who always roam in the corridors after Modi assumed office at South Block’s PMO.

Common citizens also have to bear the brunt of this gift culture in metros. feel burn of gifting culture especially in Metropolitans. “Long jam on roads on ‘Danteras’ and ‘Narkachturdsi’ has become a routine phenomenon for those who are living in Metros” said Naresh who works as carpenter in Steel Ministry and uses public transport to commute daily. 

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