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| Feb 14, 2007 |
A sex worker-turned-crusader
RANCHI: Can a paanwallah convert a sex worker into a crusader? People will say such things happen only in reel life. But looking at the change of heart that was brought about in Mala Singh, a sex worker, when the paanwallah washed coins and even currency notes given by sex workers, the story sounds real.
As the story goes, Mala Singh, a sex worker from Sonagachi red light area of Kolkata felt so humiliated by the behaviour of a paanwallah , who used to wash coins and currency notes given by sex workers, that she made it a mission in her life to work for improving the socio-economic conditions of all those who were into flesh trade.
The crusader, who had initially little idea about the ways to take up such an issue, with the help of some like-minded people formed an organisation named Durbar Mahila Samanway Committee (DMSC) in early 1990s. At present her organisation is doing commendable job for sex workers of West Bengal.
Instead of being satisfied with the efforts in her native state, the founder member of DMSC, who is also a senior leader of Asia-Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), now wants to take up the cause of sex workers of other states as well.
It was in the pursuit of her noble mission that he recently visited Jharkhand to look into the condition of sex workers of state and vowed to launch a movement in near future for their welfare.
She also used her visit to mobilise support for the all India conference of entertainment workers scheduled to be held in Kolkata from February 25 to March 3. Apart from sex workers and bar girls, the conference is also likely to witness participation of prominent theatre and film personalities as a mark of solidarity with those involved in flesh trade.
"I have come across several stories that tell the plight of Jharkhand girls who have been thrown into flesh trade by some middlemen, who took them to big cities in the name of providing employment. The problem of these girls is that no one wants to take them back into society leaving them to fend for themselves. I would soon launch a campaign to give a voice to these destitute girls," Singh said while talking to TOI.
Being a sex worker for the last 28 years, Singh said her efforts will not only be confined to improve the socio-economic condition of sex workers of the state, rather, she added, using the DMSC platform she would also like to start a rehabilitation programme for those girls, who wanted to come out of this profession.
"DMSC has sent back more than 500 such girls to their respective families in different parts of the country and there is no reason that a similar effort will not be successful in the state of Jharkhand," she said.
A strong supporter of giving legal status to flesh trade, APNSW leader, who has travelled to different corners of the globe, took a dig at the alleged hypocrisy of Indian lawmakers for making stern laws to prevent the flesh trade.
"Instead of adopting an obstructionist attitude, the law makers should be more innovative so that the trade, which is going on unabated in all parts of the country, could be regulated for betterment of those who eke out a living from it," added the DMSC founder.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/A_sex_worker-turned-crusader/articleshow/1606325.cms
One-day fuel strike on Feb 19
Traffic halt
Ranchi, Feb. 13: Petrol dealers in the state have decided to go on a daylong strike on February 19 and an indefi- nite strike later in the in- terest of the state and consumers.
The dealers want lower sales tax rates in Jharkhand claiming their sale has gone down by 32 per cent while it has benefited the dealers of neighbouring states where tax rates are lower.
Claiming higher tax rate has affected the sale of petrol and diesel in the state, they say the reduction of sales tax to 12 per cent from the present 20 per cent will give additional revenue of Rs 26 crore annually to the state while saving consumers Rs 2.23 on every litre of diesel.
Higher sale will bring higher revenue to the state, they claim.
A delegation of the Jharkhand Petroleum Dealers' Association today called on chief minister Madhu Koda to apprise him of the drop in revenue after the government increased the sales tax rate from 15 to 20 per cent in April last year.
They claim the state would have generated additional Rs 12 crore from sales tax while consumers would have saved Rs 1.39 paise on every litre of diesel if the rate had remained the same at 15 per cent.
The association president, Ashok Kumar Singh, said trucks plying on highways are the major consumers of diesel and the worst hit in Jharkhand have been 150 outlets in border districts, as the truckers prefer to refill tanks in neighbouring states.
Singh said Koda had assured to look into the matter favourably.
But, if the demands are not met the dealers will be forced to go on a daylong strike on February 19 and may proceed on indefinite strike later, he said.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070214/asp/jamshedpur/story_7390880.asp
Hailstorm further hikes vegetable prices in Jharkhand
Ranchi, Feb 13 (IANS) Even as onion and chicken prices spiralled in Jharkhand, a hailstorm in parts of Ranchi damaged vegetables and pushed up prices further.
Some farmers Tuesday jammed roads in Pithoria block of Ranchi demanding state compensation for their damaged crops and vegetables.
Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi K.K . Son has sought a detailed report on the damage of crops and vegetables due to the hailstorm and rainfall. 'We will compensate farmers for any damage due to the hailstorm,' he said Tuesday.
Short supplies are blamed for making chicken and onions dearer. Onions are sold in the open market at Rs.20-25 a kg, with vegetable dealers predicting that the price will escalate in the coming months. The same goes for fowl.
'The wholesale price of onions is Rs.17-18 a kg. We are selling onions in the open market at Rs.20-25 a kg,' said Kisan Kumar, an onion seller in Ranchi's Doranda market.
'If the supply of onions remains same, the price may touch Rs.40 per kg on March l,' said Amit Kumar, an onion wholesaler.
Onion wholesalers say that prices will go down only when local onions come into the market after two months. Onions are imported from Nasik and chicken from West Bengal and Orissa.
The price of chicken has gone up by Rs.15 per kg. Boiler chicken was sold at Rs.50 a kg, but has now gone up to Rs.65.
'We were buying chicken at the wholesale market for Rs.40-45 a kg, which has gone up to Rs.55-60 now,' said Mohammad Salam, a chicken seller.
Monday's hailstorm in Pithoria and Ormanjhi blocks of Ranchi caused massive damage to vegetables and other properties worth Rs.40 million. At least four villages were fully covered with snow, affecting vegetable crops in the fields.
The vegetables ready for sale in the markets were cauliflowers, cabbages, tomatoes, brinjal, wheat, paddy and potatoes.
'I have lost everything due to the hailstorm. Around six inches of snow covered the field. I had grown cauliflower, onion and wheat, but suffered a heavy loss. I had taken a Rs.20,000 loan to grow vegetables and wheat,' said Dukha Oraon, a farmer from Pithoria.
Another farmer, Sukhram Mahto, from Ormanjhi said: 'The state government should duly compensate us or we will be forced to commit suicide. I have lost Rs.100,000 to the hailstorm.'
Demanding compensation for the farmers, Ramtahal Chaudhary, a Lok Sabha MP, said: 'The state government should move fast to give compensation to farmers. Any delay may spell disaster for the farmers.'
In the last two days, the state capital has witnessed rainfall of 95 mm, with the downpour still on. According to meteorologists, Ranchi will witness rain for two more days.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/113954.php/Hailstorm-further-hikes-vegetable-prices-in-Jharkhand
Role of royalty in Hindalco's Novelis buy
There's much action on the metals front. Hindalco, India's biggest aluminium producer, has wrapped up a $6 billion all-cash deal to acquire the US-based Novelis, which is heavily into downstream products. The move would seat Hindalco at the global high table in aluminium. The biggest Indian takeover in non-ferrous metals ought surely to focus policy attention on a host of incongruities in the sector.
Take for instance the fact that the domestic royalty rate on bauxite ore is far too low and has remained unrevised for years. It is actually a tiny fraction of going international rates and a key reason why there is a general lack of transparency in prospecting, mining and ore evacuation. Also, it needs to be asked why the tariffs on aluminium needs to be higher than that for other metals.
Now, aluminium is labelled the wonder metal. It is malleable, ductile and lightweight and is highly resistant to most forms of corrosion too. Also, aluminium production is the highest among non-ferrous metals, with global annual output put at just over 33 mt. It is also 100% recyclable and its recycling adds another 50% to annual production. The total capacity of the Indian aluminium industry is just over 1 mt, with quite a few brownfield expansion and greenfield projects in the works. Meanwhile, in these times of heady growth global aluminium demand is buoyant.
It is actually projected to grow by as much as 5% this year on the face of strong worldwide demand. Besides, the upside in India is huge. Per capita consumption here is lowly, less than a kilo. Abroad, the usage levels are at least 20 fold higher. But then, when the chips are down, things can only look up! So the outlook is bright and sheeny if we can get the policy environment right to substantially step up aluminium output.
Hindalco is cash rich with strong balance-sheet numbers. It is known to be one of the more efficient, least-cost producers anywhere and with a focus on downstream, value-added products. It has been able to leverage its fast-paced topline and bottomline growth to take over Novelis, which incidentally has sales turnover almost 10 times larger in dollar terms. But then, Novelis is actually in the red and has mounting debts on its books.
And despite its strengths in high-margin, downstream products and large global marketshare estimated at 19%, it has had erosion in margins due to hardening aluminium prices. After the takeover, Hindalco would need to be pro-active and build upon the technological edge and the brand strength of Novelis to make innovative products and so stride the world stage as a truly integrated aluminium major. Novelis would need to access metal and ingots at more reasonable prices to put its finances on sounder footing. This requires stepped up production at Hindalco which calls for revision of royalty rates on bauxite ore and the ironing out of other policy glitches.
India has some of the best bauxite deposits in the world, rich in metal content and estimated at over 3 billion tonnes. But the norms on royalty, cess and other rates on bauxite mining have little changed over the years and remain at rock-bottom levels. The central rule is that the mineral royalty on bauxite accruing to the state would be 0.35% of LME aluminium metal price chargeable on the contained aluminium metal in ore produced. So the effective royalty on bauxite ore would be even lower than 0.35% of LME quotes. This is much too low.
Abroad, royalty rates at 5% of metal prices are an established standard. Now that domestic aluminium prices are very much linked to LME rates, there is no reason why those for royalty should remain an anachronism from the days of autarky, disregarding international prices. Also, given that domestic output would be a small fraction of the world total, ore prices surely need to reflect international scarcity value.
Proper pricing of ore and reasonable royalty rates would incentivise value-addition at home. Since much of the bauxite deposits are concentrated in Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh with high poverty ratios, revised rates would be welfare enhancing too if there is earmarking of the funds and channelling for the local development. Further, import duties on aluminium need to be no more than 5%, as already the case say for steel. Greater openness does pay.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Indl_Goods__Svs/Metals__
Mining/Role_of_royalty_in_Hindalcos_Novelis_buy/articleshow/1606892.cms
Italy zeroes in on Bengal
Calcutta, Feb. 13: Italy is betting big on India as it widens its global reach. Bengal, with its focus on SMEs, will play an important role.
There are 160 Italian enterprises in India having a turnover of around 900 million euros. Of these, around 60 per cent are in manufacturing.
"I have visited Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. But these states do not match the cultural ties and friendship we share with Bengal ... As we explore more global markets, India will figure prominently in our plans," Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said.
He is leading a 450- strong Italian delegation, which is currently touring the country for business opportunities.
The Italian team has arranged many B2B meetings in the city. A separate trade office of the Italian Trade Commission will also be opened here between September and December, Prodi added.
SIMEST, an organisation that promotes Italian companies abroad, already has an MoU with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). It has funded projects worth 300 million euros in India.
Since Bengal is the focus state for SMEs in India, organisations like the SIMEST is focusing on the SME projects through the 300-million-euro Go India fund set up for this purpose.
Italian firms would work with those in Bengal on agri, leather, copper, engineering and mechanical industries, the Italian Prime Minister said after his meeting with Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
Bhattacharjee earlier asked the Italians to help with their expertise in food processing, leather processing and packaging.
This delegation was first part of this strategy to implement these plans rapidly.
"Indian companies are welcome to Italy and should use the country as a bridge to the huge market of EU. They should also look at Italy as a favourable trade and investment destination with as much enthusiasm to facilitate commercial exchange," Prodi said
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070214/asp/business/story_7390143.asp
India's special economic zones under fire
NEW DELHI - Faced with energetic and widespread popular protests against special economic zones (SEZs), India has decided to go slow on this particular model of industrialization based on creating export-oriented tax-free enclaves.
India's federal government recently announced a suspension of all land acquisition for establishing new SEZs until a new policy on the rehabilitation of displaced people is announced. This followed an intervention by Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party, which leads the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
Gandhi expressed her concern at the large-scale uprooting of
people from agricultural lands and the loss of livelihoods. Popular discontent caused by displacement, many Congress leaders fear, will adversely affect the party's chances in upcoming elections in a number of states including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
No less important than this temporary (and probably tactical) move is the announcement by the Marxist chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, that no SEZs will be set up in the state unless his allies in all the four parties that comprise the ruling Left Front grant their full consent.
Bhattacharya, who represents the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said: "I will do nothing in violation of what our four left parties decide on SEZs. If necessary, I will step back."
Party general secretary Prakash Karat has since asserted that the SEZ process would be kept in abeyance until the CPM politburo discusses the matter next week and sorts out differences with the other Left Front constituents. The leaders of these, the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Forward Bloc, oppose the very concept of SEZs as vehicles of industrialization.
Until this week, Bhattacharya was a staunch supporter of SEZs. His government had earmarked as much as 56,660 hectares of land for acquisition from farmers on which to create these zones.
Bhattacharya's announcement is widely seen as an acknowledgement of the growing unpopularity of SEZs. West Bengal witnessed pitched battles over the past two months at Nandigram and Singur, 40-60 kilometers from Kolkata.
Nandigram is the site of a proposed 4,050-hectare SEZ to be developed by Indonesia's Selim Group. Singur is where the Tata business group is planning to build a car factory on 403.5 hectares of land.
On January 6 and 7, six people died in violence at Nandigram. Villagers in the area have erected roadblocks to prevent officials from entering and conducting operations leading to land acquisition.
So fierce was the protest that the Left Front government declared in the second week of January that there would be no land acquisition at Nandigram until the project is properly evaluated. Acquisition and fencing of land, however, are continuing in Singur.
"The fact that Bhattacharya has offered to step back signifies a major change in the West Bengal CPM's thinking on the issue," said Tanika Sarkar, a professor of modern Indian history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, who recently visited West Bengal as part of a citizens' fact-finding team to inquire into displacement and violence. "The CPM's retreat represents a major victory for the people. Hopefully, this will lead to rethinking in the state party on the idea of industrialization at any cost."
West Bengal is not the only, or the leading, state where SEZs are being built. The Indian government has approved 237 SEZs with 34,509 hectares of land. While 63 are already under construction, another 165 SEZs have been approved "in principle", for which nearly 15,000 hectares are to be acquired.
Applications for 300 more SEZs are pending. Most of the big ones among these are in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.
"What distinguishes West Bengal is the ferocity of protests against forcible land acquisition and the fact that the CPM's own grassroots leaders are deeply divided," argued Ranabir Samaddar, a social scientist attached to the Calcutta Research Group. "The very cadres whom the CPM had educated on land rights and trained in agitational methods are now leading the protests against it."
The Left Front has been continuously in power in West Bengal for three decades, considered a world record. A key to its success is the "Operation Barga" land reform, under which sharecroppers won the right to three-fourths of the produce of the land that they worked, while the absentee rentier-owner received the rest.
SEZs have provoked protests for three reasons. First, they involve forcible procurement of land under the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894 and discrimination against underprivileged small landholders. Second, they are seen as a form of "crony capitalism", doling out favors to business through undeserved tax breaks and other concessions at the expense of the public.
And third, SEZs are likely to create few benefits, including jobs, in relation to the number of people they displace.
The 1894 act allows the government to acquire land for a "public purpose". It was originally devised to create a system of irrigation canals and roads. But in recent decades it has been used to buy land from reluctant peasant farmers for private profit.
The farmer has no choice but to sell. The price paid is often well below the market rate. Those who lack clear title to land - thanks to India's Byzantine laws and archaic registration procedures - get just a pittance. Some 70% of India's 1.1 billion people depend on agriculture.
"Even more important than this unequal price bargain is the complete loss of livelihood that separation from land entails," said Amit Bhaduri, an eminent economist currently with the Center for Social Development in Delhi. "A large majority of those who are displaced due to land acquisition are unable to find an equivalent livelihood or other means of survival. Communities get split, families are divided, and large numbers are reduced to penury."
It is estimated that various "development" projects have displaced some 38 million people in India since independence - about double the entire population of such countries as the Netherlands or Australia. Studies show that not even half the number of those displaced get properly resettled or rehabilitated. Some have been displaced more than once.
In recent years, people's movements have drawn up charters for proper rehabilitation prior to displacement. They insist that the government obtain informed consent of the affected people after fully sharing with them all relevant information about the project.
The UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which came to power in 2004 riding a wave of public anger against a pro-rich, right-wing dispensation, had promised a humane rehabilitation policy and is under growing pressure to formulate one.
"It won't be easy to reconcile the interests of corporations and the people," said Bhaduri. "But the government must act as a regulator and defender of the people's rights and interests."
Supporters of SEZs claim they will accelerate industrialization and generate employment. Another argument is that agriculture can no longer absorb the large numbers entering the workforce, so any kind of industrialization is better than none.
This is contested by economists who point out that there are labor-intensive alternatives such as agriculture-based processing and "town and village enterprises", which were a great success in China long before that country embarked on export-driven growth.
Bhaduri estimates that SEZs will create only one job in place of the four livelihoods they destroy. "This is a grossly unequal bargain. The government must radically rethink its policy if it has any respect for people's rights."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IB14Df04.html
Tata Motors selects second batch of trainees from among Singur residents
Tata Motors today announced selection of six trainees, for an extensive 6-month training to be provided by the company, from the 15 Industrial Training Institute (ITI) educated candidates from Singur villages who had taken a written test and interview on February 10.
This is the second group of ITI educated trainees selected by the company. In all, the company has so far selected 17 trainees.
Earlier on January 4, Tata Motors had selected 11 trainees out of the 21 such candidates who responded to the company's initiative and appeared for a written test and interview held on December 25, 2006. All the candidates had earlier registered with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).
The 17 trainees will be placed at the company's Jamshedpur facility soon for their training. During the 6-month period, they will cover various disciplines related to their trades. Tata Motors will provide them with hostel facilities and also pay a monthly stipend during the 6-month period. On successful completion of the training programme, they will be eligible for employment in the Small Car project in Singur.
The candidates, who have not qualified in the December 25 and February 10 examinations, will be given training in appropriate skills to enhance their employability.
- End -
About Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs. 24,000 crores (USD 5.5 billion) in 2005-06. It is the leader by far in commercial vehicles in each segment, and the second largest in the passenger vehicles market with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. The company is the world's fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer.
http://www.indiaprwire.com/print/?type=pressrelease&id=200702141911
Orissa hopes code jocks will come in droves to DLF Park
MUMBAI: DLF is building a 4.2 million sq ft, 54 acre infotech park in Orissa. The first phase of the project, which is worth over Rs1000 crore, will cover 4lakh sq ft and will be completed by 2009.
The park is expected to boost the presence of IT companies in the state, where today Infosys, TCS, Wipro and Satyam have a small presence. Mind Tree Consulting is also readying a development centre.
Speaking on the side-lines of the recent Nasscom summit, A K Panda, head, IT department, Orissa, said, "Big foreign companies are not willing to invest in land and develop the IT infrastructure, they all need readymade space. Hopefully this park will attract the multinationals and help the state emerge as a major IT destination."
IT exports from the state is expected to cross Rs 700 crores this financial year, 80% of which would come from the top four Indian IT companies. Orissa has set up an ambitious target of $1billion of exports by 2011.
The state is also coming up with a state wide area network, which will connect the secretariat with over 6,000 panchayats and 314 blocks of Orissa.
"We are setting up common service centre (CSC) in all panchayats. This will enable the common citizen to get all information regarding the land records, govt related information and also submission of application to various govt officials." said Panda.
The state govt is floating tender worth Rs 130 crores for the SWAN. The Telecommunications consultants of India Ltd are the consultants. Wipro, HCL and several others bidders are reportedly in the race. State govt will take final decision by June-end.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1079775
Balco to construct road in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, Feb 13 (IANS) Aluminium major Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. (Balco) has agreed to the Chhattisgarh government proposal for construction of a 42 km road in Kawardha district where the firm has a lease to mine bauxite.
The company would also maintain the road in the impoverished hilly Kawardha region, largely populated by the Baiga tribe, said an industry department official.
He added that roads in the region were in a bad shape with the company's heavy vehicle plying raw material.
Balco, which has a large integrated aluminium construction complex in Korba, 210 km from here, has got a 20-year lease for mining bauxite in 626.17 hectares of land in Kawardha's Mundadadar, Keshamrada, Radda and Semsatha villages.
Balco was incorporated in 1965 as a state-run firm. In 2001, the Indian government sold 51 percent of Balco's equity to Sterlite Industries for Rs.5.51 billion.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/113961.php/Balco-to-construct-road-in-Chhattisgarh
Korba coal attracts 10,000 mw addition
Korba, Feb 13 Chhattisgarh is waking up to the potential of coal-based power, with a host of new projects and expansion projects centered around Korba industrial town, which sits on a coal belt.
The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board has not seen any addition to its capacity of 1300mw during the last 15 years. Nor had the NTPC plant of 2100mw. Balco, in which the government retains a stake after its privatisation, had enough power to meet its own needs but can help the state's grid.
With one of the lowest per capita consumption, Chhattisgarh is now adding 10,000mw in stages and will soon be surplus in power.
Work on the Korba east power plant is progress fast, after languishing under the earlier government, headed by Ajit Jogi, which took three years to clear the site.
The present government has removed all obstacles in the way of an early commissioning.
Last month, the power plant was "lighted up", a precursor to proper commissioning, which will happen within a couple of months. However, there are worries over the work related to the cooling tower and water supply.
The state has invited entrepreneurs and asked the SEB to add one more unit of 500mw in the Korba west plant, which has shortlisted the contenders. It is learnt that a Chinese plant has bid the lowest.
When Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh, the state was power-surplus, with a capacity of 1900mw including its share of 500mw from the Central government's NTPC project.
But demand soon spurted and the state had to impose power cuts in villages to feed industry.
The government then decided to revamp and refurnish four old units of the SEB plant at korba, which helped to reclaim 40mw.
For the CSEB, Korba, with 10 units of varying capacities, was the first choice. The old site of the abandoned Korba east project was revived as the location of a new 500mw capacity with Bhel has the major partner for construction.
Although the NTPC plants at Korba generate 2100mw, they are connected to the power hungry western grid and spare hardly 25% for the state.
Balco, now under the Vedanta group, has its own plant of 270mw. Recently, it decided to add 540mw with a Chinese company has the construction partner. In the long term, Balco will add 1200mw.
Lanco of Hyderabad has already acquired land and started construction of a 600mw plant at Korba.
URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=154738
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