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Labour Strike: UNREST BREWING IN STATES, By Insaf, 3 Sept, 2015 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 3 September 2015

Labour Strike

UNREST BREWING IN STATES

By Insaf

 

The BJP-led NDA government’s image of being ‘pro-corporate’ is getting further flogged. On Wednesday last, the Centre faced its first major labour strike. Normal life in various States was impacted with 10 Central trade unions giving the nationwide call. Banking operations, coal production, and transport services were the worst hit. The impact was most felt in West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha, whereas it was partial in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, among others. And, while the unions claim the response was “unprecedented” with over 15 crore workers going on strike, the Labour Ministry rubbished it saying it had ‘inconsequential’ impact. However, claims and counter claims won’t resolve the problem in hand. Of the Unions’ 12 demands, the Centre is willing to concede nine, but three –- minimum wage of Rs 15,000, withdrawal in FDI in insurance, railways, defence and banking and halting disinvestment in PSUs remain sore issues. An early agreement as of now seems highly unlikely, as since Modi took over FDI and disinvestment seem to the Centre’s mantra for Achche Din (better days). But workers’ interest cannot be ignored and the Unions threaten more action against ‘anti-labour’ policies. Who will blink first?

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Marathwada’s Worst Drought 

Some things never change, especially in Maharashtra. For the third consecutive year, the Marathwada region is reeling under severe drought and this time around it’s the Devendra Fadnavis Government mulling over how to tide over the crisis. Eight districts are set to witness the worst drought ever, with barely any drinking water left for both people and cattle. With the weather god playing truant the districts including Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, have had 50 per cent deficit in rainfall. The overall storage of water in dams is precarious with the percentage coming down to 8 per cent from 25 last year. And it’s the usual knee-jerk reaction from the administration of rushing drinking water tankers to villages, stopping supply of water for irrigation, setting up fodder and water camps for cattle, etc. What next? Well, the Government proposes to further cut down water supply for industries in the areas, find work for labourers, do loan restructuring and of course tap the Centre for more funds. Too little, too late!

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Bihar Churnings 

In the run-up to the Bihar elections, the ‘grand alliance’ has received a jhatka (jolt). Though not much of a player in this Modi-Nitish royal battle, the Samajwadi Party has pulled out of it. The reason given: it feels “humiliated” for not being consulted on seat sharing and thus now it threatens to contest on its own! Making its displeasure known, the SP said the way the bigger parties in the alliance have sidelined it, does not speak well of  ‘gathbandhan dharma’ (alliance duty). What added insult to injury is that the party got to know about the seats offered only through the media. Worse, it is unable to digest just two or three seats offered to it in the 243 member Assembly. The SP claims that it will win many more seats by contesting on its own and may even take support of other parties. The exit has put a big question mark on the future of the “Janata Pariwar,” of whether it would actually come together. At the same time, the JD(U) is facing rebellion with a few MLAs quitting the party. Guess more breakaways may be in the offing. So in the end, will the BJP have the last laugh? 

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Manipur On Boil

Manipur continues to be on the boil, with the division between Valley Vs Hill people growing menacingly. Under pressure by the two month-long agitation for Inner Line Permit by the Meities the Ibobi government convened a special session of the Assembly and passed three Bills, indirectly conceding their demand. But in the process it got the tribal hill community up in arms. They fear that the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 and Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th amendment) Bill, 2015 will infringe on their rights, allow their land, which is protected under 6th Schedule, to be taken over by the Government. As a result, now the hills are aflame. Churachandpur, one of the five tribal districts, has been under curfew since Sunday last following violence which has claimed eight lives so far and houses of a minister and an MP among others set ablaze. The Congress has to do some tight rope walking. It needs to ensure the tribal population don’t feel marginalised. How is the big question? Indeed, while it says “Manipur deserves peace and tranquillity for its people, especially the children and youth,” it must engage all communities or else the future would see many more incidents. The Centre too must step in before the situation goes out of hand. 

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Punjab Land Model

With the land acquisition bill in cold storage, the Centre may well look towards the Punjab model to help speed up its stuck industrial projects. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has shared his land lease policy with Prime Minister Modi. It was in 2013 when Punjab amended its tenancy law, which allowed farmers to lease out their land for 100 years and also empowered the SDMs to get the lease vacated in case of a dispute, thus providing respite in case of a bad deal. Importantly, the law has a revenue sharing formula wherein the company pays a signing amount and then bare minimum to the land owner every year for the lease period. And in case the company has a profit then it is required to share it with the land owner. Given that this model has been successful and provides a win-win situation for both parties, New Delhi is contemplating drafting a national land lease law after consulting all States. Guess development projects will eventually get a new lease of life. 

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UP Government ‘Aloof’

Ministers and MLAs in Uttar Pradesh have lost touch with the aam admi. This is not the Opposition’s criticism of the Akhilesh Yadav government but surprisingly that of ruling Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. On Monday last, he publicly ticked off his son at a function saying he had reports of ministers and MLAs meeting only selected people.  Worried with negative reports and planning way ahead for the Assembly elections in 2017, senior Yadav has put them on call by issuing an ultimatum: “In the next month, do some outstanding work in your constituencies so that the Government stands apart in the country or else be prepared to lose your seats.” Getting clear signals of disillusionment of the people with the Government, will Team Akhilesh heed advice or face the music? Performance report cards will definitely be under close watch.  ---INFA

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

  

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