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Apr 21, 2007

Ration cards dish out unfair deal

Jamshedpur, April 20: Thanks to the efforts of Union railway minister Lalu Prasad, the Above Poverty Line (APL) ration cards distributed during his regime are still allowing holders to get subsidised foodgrain in East Singhbhum.
But the new APL ration cards distributed by the Jharkhand government do not provide foodgrain and kerosene oil to holders.

The strange state of affairs has resulted because of the district administration's norms which state that unless the administration distributes new APL cards to each resident of the Jamshedpur block, the older APL ration cards, distributed during the undivided Bihar days (including Jharkhand), can not be cancelled.

The district administration has only been able to distribute 70 per cent of the new APL cards till now at Karandih, Parsudih, Sundernagar and other panchayats of the Jamshedpur block.

Over 30,000 new APL cards have been distributed by the state, but none of the holders have been able to get subsidised foodgrain for six years.

Tarun Kumar Nag (42), a resident of Karandih, claimed that the public distribution system, which stocks foodgrain supplied by the food and supply department of the government, refuses to provide wheat, kerosene oil and other stuff to the new card holders.

"We have complained to the concerned department. But none of the officials came forward to help," Nag said.

Another APL card holder, Bula Rani, said the government has forced poor families to purchase costly food items from retail outlets since it "is promoting the business community in the state".

Bihari Lal Behra is one of those lucky few who got his APL card during the Bihar regime in 1987. He recalled that in the days of undivided Bihar, there was regular supply of foodgrain.

"The Jharkhand government is providing just kerosene oil. They have not provided wheat and other cereals for years," Behra said.

Jharkhand Disom Party president Eshwar Soren said: "We are charting out a list of such families that did not get subsidised foodgrain from a public distribution system in Jamshedpur block. This list will be handed over to the deputy commissioner. We plan to gherao the deputy commissioner shortly."

Deputy commissioner, Nitin Madan Kulkarni, was not available for comments.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070421/asp/jamshedpur/story_7676524.asp

Maoists storm Narganjo flag station in Bihar

Nearly 100 CPI (Maoists) activists stormed the Narganjo flag station (Jamui district in Bihar) under Asansol rail division of Eastern Railway on Patna-Howrah main line on Friday midnight and held the cabin master and a porter hostage for more than six hours.

As a result of this train movement on the main line remained disrupted from 1 am from Friday night till 7.50 am on Saturday morning. The students going to Kolkata to appear in competitive examination on Sunday were the worst sufferers as the train was detained at Jhajha. It resumed its onward journey at 8 am.

The trains affected by Maoists operation included 5051 UP Poorvanchal Express, 3005 UP Amritsar Mail, 2333 UP Vibhuti Express, 5025 UP Maurya Express, 3111 UP Lal Quila Express, 3039 UP Delhi Janata Express, 2351 UP Danapur Express, 3287 South Bihar Express, 2331 UP Himgiri Express, 8181 Tatanagar-Chapra Express, 3288 Dn South Bihar Express, 2352 Dn Danapur Express, 3022 Dn Mithila Express, 2334 Dn Vibhuti Express, 3006 Amrisar Mail, 5048 Poorvanchal Express, 3420 Dn Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur Jansewewa Express, 2332 Dn Himgiri Express, 3050 Dn Amritsar Express, 2318 Akal Takht Express and 8184 Dn Danapur-Tatanagar Express.

The incident took place at around 1 am on Friday night. The Naxalites informed the cabin master, M Rewani, that landmines had been planted on rail tracks. As soon as he flashed this message to Asansol control room, the Eastern Railway immediately stopped running of all UP and Dn trains. The Maoists, however, did not allow the cabin master to pass this message in detail and took away the panel board key and both the rail employees along with them, said the Chief Public Relation Manager (CPRO), ER, S Mazumdar.

The Maoists released the railway employees at around 6.30 am on Saturday but did not hand over the panel key. However, the lock was opened with the help of a duplicate key. A tower wagon from Jhajha and a security special train from Asansol with RPF, GRP personnel on board reached the spot and carried out intensive checking of the tracks. The railway team cleared the Dn line for traffic at 7.20 am and UP line at 7.50 am after obtaining clearance from the police, said the CPRO.

This is the third incident of attack on this station in last two years and second within a fortnight. The Naxalites have called a 24-hour bandh in Jamui district from Friday midnight to protest the death of their comrade Balgovind Yadav in Jamui jail recently. Earlier in April 2006, the miscreants had blasted the station building at Narganjo while on April 8, 2007, they had killed two RPF jawans on running train.

On getting the information, security commissioner RPF, ER, DM Jamui and SP Jamui reached the spot. The DRM Asansol, Ajay Kumar Rawal told Hindustan Times that since the law and order is the state subject, he had requested the DM and SP to provide security to passengers. "I've asked the RPF officers to identify the vulnerable stations, strengthen the security and intensify the track patrolling," said Rawal.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=2a1366a9-a7b1-431d-ac94 -98ab53a8e9&MatchID1=4454&amp;TeamID1=4&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=
1104&PrimaryID=4454

Land acquired for industrial growth centres

Kolkata, April 20: The West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) has acquired 200 acres of land at Falta for the second phase of developing new industrial growth centres. The corporation said that an 88 acre plot has also been acquired at Malda for similar purpose.

WBIIDC has been setting up industrial group centres and assisting them by helping them establish a proper infrastructure. So far, around 12 growth centres have already been set up and given out on build, operate and maintain basis.

The corporation said that a new process has been initiated for setting up "a string of new growth centres in different locations to meet the steady demand for industrial land, while constantly working towards the expansion of the existing growth centres".

Around 2,000 acres have already been acquired for the growth centres and 400 industrial units have been established. IOC, Hindustan Lever Ltd, Phoenix Yule Ltd, Hindustan Coca-Cola, Ruchi Soya Industries, TISCO, Exide Industries Ltd, Madhya Pradesh Glychem, are among the major names that have set up their units.

With land acquistion at Falta and Malda, new growth centres are expected to spring up, the corporation said.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=232723

Dalits empowered, finally

If the villages of Pappapati, Keeripatti and Nattramangalam in Madurai were known outside their boundaries, it was for a notorious reason. For over a decade in the three panchayats reserved for scheduled castes, no Dalit was allowed to be president for more than a week.

But on Wednesday, when the villagers cheered their new Dalit panchayat presidents, the celebrations were for real. The Thevars, members of a backward community that outnumber Dalits five to one and who have been regularly unseating the presidents, had finally come around. Democracy seemed to have finally trumped caste politics and electoral officials heaved a sigh of relief.

For long, elections here were reduced to a farce. Caste Hindus opposed a lower-caste man leading the panchayats but since the post of panchayat president was reserved for scheduled castes, the Thevars handpicked a Dalit as their candidate and elected him unopposed. But just for a few days. Then, he would be asked to resign and the village would again be without a head. The state Election Commission regularly conducted by-polls but to no avail. This time, however, the state government warned the Thevars they would be jailed under the Goondas Act if they tried to unseat the presidents. The threat worked. The caste Hindus participated in the polls and elected Dalits as presidents and ward members.

District collector T Udhayachandran said: "The warm reception by the people indicates a change of heart. It is a victory for grassroots democracy." He added that Pappapati, Keeripatti and Nattramangalam would be made model panchayats.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=b6d095ce-7573-4f17-bcc4-
b23c54cfb6a3&ParentID=40976432-ad90-4450-ae02-66fa9eb5d858&MatchID1=4454&
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City has no place for workers

The wannabe world-class city has no place for these workers, many of whom have helped build the city brick-by-brick. Conservative estimates put the number of construction workers in the city at 1 lakh (there are 20 lakh workers in the state). Despite the informal sector — that employs these workers — contributing substantially to the state's gross domestic product, (nation-wide contribution is 6.2 per cent to the GDP) the workers enjoy no work benefits and lead a miserable life. Female workers constitute 49-50 per cent of the workforce.

Is there an alternative? Yes. The state has been dilly-dallying with the implementation of an 11-year-old Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Act, formulated by the Central Government, even as seven states — Delhi, Pondicherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal — have implemented it.

The act lays down conditions for safety, health, working hours, welfare, wages, for construction workers. "The state is unnecessarily delaying the act's implementation," says Aarti Salve, an activist who has been forwarding the cause of unorganised labourers. Officials from the Labour Welfare Ministry said they were finalising the fine print for the Act's implementation, but activists from the Construction Workers Union, a union working for the rights of 20 lakh construction workers in the state, allege that the state has been claiming the same for years now. It is probably waiting for some more deaths of stray labourers, before it is forced to use the act.

Salve remarks, "City's development plan has reservations for rickshaw and bus stands, fish and vegetable markets, schools, playgrounds and dumping sites but gives no facilities to construction workers. Many of them starve for 6 to 7 days a week when they have no work. Yet we call ourselves the country's financial nerve." State Labour Commissioner BD Sanap conceded that the implementation had suffered procedural delays. He assured that it will be put to use in two months.

Labour Minister Ganesh Naik said the state had introduced a group insurance scheme for the welfare of the workers. The workers will be required to pay Rs50 for a year to avail of the scheme.

What does the Act mandate?

For the constitution of a welfare board, comprising of representatives of the government, unions and workers, which will work towards providing medical facilities, pension, family pension, advance for purchase or construction of house, loan for purchasing tools, financial assistance for education, for marriage, immediate assistance in case of worker's accident, maternity benefit, death benefit, etc. to registered workers. It provides for cess collection on construction cost from the construction industry to fund these benefits.

Accident-prone industry

The rate of fatality in the construction industry is very high in comparison to the other industries. Out of 1,000 deaths, close to 160 are those of construction workers. In a major rally organised by the Construction Workers' Union, workers stressed on the need for adequate investment in working conditions for workers, mainly in terms of job security, safety, fair conditions and skill development. "The state is avoiding its primary responsibility to meet basic needs of workers and inviting more accidents," union workers maintained.

Demands of construction workers' union

Collect 2% cess from the construction industry for workers' welfare and social security.
Register construction workers and provide them identity proofs.
Every worker must enjoy pension and unemployment allowances. They must be covered under a group insurance scheme.

Maternity benefits for female workers. Loan facility for buying houses, special schemes for educating the workers' children. Sheds for construction and naka workers at sites.
Enroll workers in the below the poverty (BPL) list.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1091804&pageid=2

Essar to set up 1,000 MW power plant in Chhattisgarh

Essar Power would invest Rs 4,000 crore for setting up a 1,000 MW coal-fired power plant in Chhattisgarh, a senior Essar group official said in Raipur on Tuesday.

"We have decided to construct a 1,000 MW power plant in Korba district with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore," HS Sethi, Resident Director of group company Essar Steel (Chhattisgarh) Ltd, said.

Sethi said the power plant would have two units of 500 MW each and would supply electricity to Essar Steel's upcoming 3.2 million tonnes steel plant in Dantewada district.

The steel plant is located about 450 km from the state capital, in a location close to Baila Dila iron ore mines, he said, adding this district had huge iron ore deposits but lacked in coal. This prompted the Essar Group to set up a power plant in coal-rich Korba district, he said.

The investment in power plant is in addition to what the Essar group is pumping is the steel plant, which entails an investment of about Rs 6,500 crore, he said.

Sethi said the power plant would be operational within two years, before the commissioning of the steel project.

Essar Steel would require about 300 MW and the balance would be sold to Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board, he said, adding they have initiated talks with state government to get necessary approvals for setting up the power plant, he said.

Ruias-controlled Essar Power runs a power plant near Hazira in Gujarat and is also planning to build more projects in India and abroad.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=11894b18-857b-49c3-bb5a-
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IIM directors to discuss reservation issue

The issue of proposed reservation for OBCs in premier central institutes IITs and IIMs is likely to be discussed on Monday at a meeting of directors of all six Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), sources in IIM (Ahmedabad) said.

IIMA director Bakul Dholakia said that the media would be informed when the reservation matter comes up for discussion in Monday's meeting.

He said the date of meeting of IIM directors was decided in January 2006 and the meeting was not fixed after the reservation issue cropped up. He refused the divulge the agenda of the meeting.

Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh has announced a plan to implement 27 per cent reservation in central institutions after the assembly elections in five states.

The proposed move of the HRD Ministry to hike the quota for OBCs in premier institutions like IITs and IIMs has drawn flak from faculty members of IIM(A) who felt such reservations would "adversely affect the qualilty" of the institutes.

"If students do not enter IIMs and IITs through proper channels and lack calibre, then the quality of students in these institutes is bound to deteriorate", an IIM-A faculty member told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"The students from the backward class should be given free education, proper infrastructure and should be taken care of by the government when they are young," he said adding, "but these underprivileged students, while trying to get admissions into premier institutions in India, should come through the proper channel".

Speaking on reservation issue, a faculty member had remarked last week that the students, who pass out from institutions like IIMs and the IITs represent India in different reputed organistions around the world. They are the face of India and their quality should not be compromised upon.

"The proposed 49.5 per cent reservation in the IITs and IIMs will be a disaster, because reservation at a late stage (in a student's life) is ineffective and inappropriate as these institutions cannot correct years of neglect and irreparable damage that has been done to the student" Professor P V Indiresan, a former director of IIT-Madras, had said while delivering a keynote address at a seminar at IIMA.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=8daae60f-91b5-4bd4-b542-49d5ff561f1c&ParentID=a821196c-6672-430f-9ee6-f5c3c67a36ac &

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