States News and Discussions

[Aditya_V]

Virupaksha ji: Kindly enlighten me - which present central minister has cut electricity, snapped cable TV, stopped newspaper deliveries ?

Abhishek ji: There's no equal-equal between residence and state assembly. I'm not passing moral judgement on either of these gents - the question is what an elected person does with the time they are supposed to spend legislating. The irony is greater when one personage had been passing moral injunctions on women folk of the state just a month back.

Manish HH, you are basing your claim on an allegation as if its true. And you talk as if this only the one case. Can you rule out no central minister has never done this. If you think this is never done, you are on anther planet. Believe me there is a lot of news which does not make it to TV, a lot of political murders don't make it to TV. See what happenned to 4 people working for a media company in TN when Stalin was projected as the next chief. Any updates- none

The fact that this moron watched a P*** clip in Vidhan Sabha and then tried to black out news by cutting cable TV shows that this was a novice , who unlike his rivals did not know how to hide crimes and didn't have the financial clout to buy the media.

[vijayk]

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/andhr ... 120210.htm


Serious trouble is brewing in the ruling Congress party against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy as a fall out of the ongoing probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in the alleged nexus between some ministers and the powerful liquor cartels across the state.

Even as Andhra Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana is facing serious allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a liquor trader in Khammam district, and Minister for Road and Buildings Dharmana Prasad also has come under cloud after the allegations that his nephew and a personal assistant were paid bribes in Srikakulam district, the ruling party has plunged in to turmoil.

For Rediff Realtime News click here

While speculations were rife that the ACB has gathered the evidence of involvement of 80 elected representatives including a few ministers, the Congress party has divided in to anti- and pro-Kiran Kumar Reddy camps.

Accusations were flying thick and fast that the chief minister was using the information gathered by the ACB to settle scores with his critics with in the party. D L Ravindra Reddy, a senior minister who has turned against the CM, has openly alleged that Mopidevi was named in the remand report of the ACB at the behest of the Kiran Kumar Reddy. He alleged that the excise minister was being targeted because he was from the backward class while the ministers from the powerful castes were being shielded.

Both Mopidevi and Prasad have raised objections to the inclusion of their names in the report filed by the ACB in different courts on the basis of questioning of the arrested liquor traders. Both the ministers questioned how the ACB could mention their names with out even seeking clarifications from them.

While a liquor trader from Khammam Ramanna has provided a list of politicians, officials and the reporters to whom the liquor syndicate had paid regular monthly bribes and revealed that he along with two others had paid bribe of Rs 10 lakh to the ministers, another trader in Srikakulam district Oruganti Eswara Rao alleged that the syndicate paid a bribe of Rs 39 lakhs to minister Prasad's nephew CH Venkat and personal assistant Appa Rao. "It is a false allegation," said the minister.

The Central Bureau of Investigation launched a state-wide probe into the activities of the liquor syndicates after it seized lakhs of rupees from a vehicle in Karimnagar district and it was revealed that the bribe money was meant for excise department officials.

So far the agency has arrested 19 people from across 12 districts and searches and raids are continuing in other places. In case of Khammam district, the arrested trader has also mentioned the names of Congress MLA Kavitha and Communist Party of India [ Images ] MLA P Nageshwara Rao among the recipients. But the CPI denied it saying it was a donation given to the party for which a receipt was also issued. Those arrested so far include an assistant commissioner and five inspectors of excise departments.
In a reflection of the worsening group rivalries in the Congress party, several disgruntled ministers and leaders met the state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana and sought his intervention with the party high command.


But Botsa himself was under fire as his family reportedly owns 40 liquor shops in different districts.

Arrested liquor traders have revealed that they have formed cartels to protect their interests and recover their huge investments in liquor business by selling the liquor at a price higher than the MRP. In exchange of the bribes they expected protection to their illegal practices including the unauthorised retail sales in the villages.

[ramana]

Matches inputs that KKR is consolidating his hold.
AP had become a nest of vipers.

[svenkat]

Aditya_Vji,
It is a very confusing world.

[svenkat]

Aditya_Vji,
What are your thoughts about the Symantaka mani Upaakyanam in Srimad Bhagavatham?Particularly the request by Sri Krishna to Satrajit that the most precious jewels be with the King.

In a democratic society,there are no kings but great wealth is created/owned by industrialists,businessman,financiers.

Are you familiar with the work of M.N.Srinivas,the Mysore sociologist,on idea of dominant peasant castes based on 'field work' in Mysore?Particularly 'The Remembered Village'-based on the village Rampura near Mysore.Andre Beteille studied 'Sripuram',a village near tiruvaiyaaru in TN and the social structure was similar.Coastal KA represents a different pattern.
It is these observations that made me say S.M.Krishna was a 'better man' in a rapidly changing society.
And in KA,the peasant castes have been receptive to nationalism and have not formed regional parties.
It is a very confusing society,I repeat.

[ramana]

Can you elaborate on the above comments in GDF off topic thread?

[svenkat]

ramanaji,
I will reply in a day.

[Aditya_V]

Aditya_Vji,
What are your thoughts about the Symantaka mani Upaakyanam in Srimad Bhagavatham?Particularly the request by Sri Krishna to Satrajit that the most precious jewels be with the King.

In a democratic society,there are no kings but great wealth is created/owned by industrialists,businessman,financiers.

Are you familiar with the work of M.N.Srinivas,the Mysore sociologist,on idea of dominant peasant castes based on 'field work' in Mysore?Particularly 'The Remembered Village'-based on the village Rampura near Mysore.Andre Beteille studied 'Sripuram',a village near tiruvaiyaaru in TN and the social structure was similar.Coastal KA represents a different pattern.
It is these observations that made me say S.M.Krishna was a 'better man' in a rapidly changing society.
And in KA,the peasant castes have been receptive to nationalism and have not formed regional parties.
It is a very confusing society,I repeat.

Symantaka Mani gold was coming without any hard work so best that the free money used for Public good, kind of like treasure found today, I see no relation with SMK. SMK has had his share of corruption, Coffee day group owned by his Son in Law is the best example and he in charge of getting the land for the group in KN, it is just his misdeeds were kept under wraps.

Besides this is not about induviduals but collective performance of Governments.

[ManishH]

The fact that this moron watched a P*** clip in Vidhan Sabha and then tried to black out news by cutting cable TV shows that this was a novice

Yep, he was indeed a novice who panicked. But after a deep reflection on the root cause of this issue, the wise Karnataka assembly has passed a resolution to ban private TV networks in the house.

[Aditya_V]

See in Lok Sabha, only DD at fixed Camera angles is allowed. Other Assemblies do not seem to have apna non pasand TV networks inside.

But only a fool will watch P*** clips inside an assembly. It is like watching in your office where the rest of the Office can see.

[Aditya_V]

Now this how you do it.

See how the experienced INC politico does it

Kiran, Babu are an item: Botcha

What else is the meaning of Kiran Kumar Reddy saying that the eight information commissioners posts were filled unanimously? That is only one instance (of their teaming up),” Satyanarayana told reporters informally in the Assembly lobbies, where TV cameras are not allowed. He added that it was only after the appointments became controversial that Naidu sent a dissent note.
Taken aback by this casual aside by Botcha, reporters asked how he would substantiate his observation. The PCC president said the “match-fixing between Kiran Kumar and Chandrababu was a known fact.
Asked if this was on record, he said he was making all these comments on record and that reporters were free to quote him.

But a little later, by which time the quotes began to be scrolled on TV channels, the PCC president went over to the CLP office in the Assembly complex, where he faced TV cameras and stoutly denied making any suggestion that there was a tacit understanding between the two leaders.
“What I said was that the Opposition leader has cooperated with Kiran Kumar Reddy and there was nothing wrong in doing so,” he said. He said a wrong impression was created because he had used one word for another.
After the press conference, Botcha laughed away questions from mediapersons whether his intent had been to air the allegation and then deny it.

[nawabs]

CAG exposes Rs 1,200-cr sugar mill scam in Uttar Pradesh

http://business-standard.com/india/news ... sh/466098/

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed a Rs 1,200-crore scam in the sale of 21 sugar mills, during Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s regime, on account of discrepancies in the valuation of land and machinery. Transactional advisor, IFCI, has also come under attack from the auditor for lowering valuations. A number of these mills went to liquor distributor Ponty Chadha, perceived to be close to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati.

The Mayawati government decided in 2007 to privatise 10 operational sugar mills belonging to the Uttar Pradesh State Sugar Corporation Ltd (UPSSCL) and 11 closed mills belonging to its subsidiary Uttar Pradesh Rajya Chini Evam Ganna Vikas Nigam Ltd (UPRCGVNL). The 21 mills were sold between July 2010 and March 2011.

CAG has found anomalies in the sale process, related to undervaluation of land and plant machinery and lack of competition. According to CAG, disclosure of the expected price to bidders and a change in bid methodology during the process adversely impacted the price received, though the financial impact cannot be quantified. The prices received were far below expected in 14 of the 21 mills sold, it said.

CAG has also pulled up IFCI for reducing the valuation of land by up to 30 per cent against what was arrived at by the valuers. That resulted in a combined hit of Rs 90 crore in the case of four mills: Amroha, Bijnore, Bulandsahar and Saharanpur. Acceptance of land undervaluation by the registering authorities also resulted in a loss of stamp duty worth Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer.

CAG said there was complete lack of competition in the case of bids for UPSSCL mills, as two of three competing companies (Wave Industries and PBS Foods) were related and promoted by Chadha. The purchase of sugar mills in sugarcane-rich areas helped Chadha ensure raw material (molasses) security for his liquor business.

So far as the 11 closed mills of UPRCGVNL are concerned, all the bidding companies, according to the CAG report, bid in a concerted manner followed by the withdrawal of bids by the original highest bidders. That indicated carterlisation by a group of related companies, affecting the realisation of fair value, it said.

In respect of three mills (Bijnore, Bulandsahar and Saharanpur) of UPSSCL, only Rs 167 crore could be realised against the expected Rs 290 crore. In the case of 11 closed mills of UPRCGVNL, Rs 91 crore was realised against the expected Rs 173 crore. The management and core group of secretaries failed to detect these issues as they did not insist on submission of the requisite documentation by the bidders.

With two phases of the Assembly election left in Uttar Pradesh, the CAG findings could provide the Opposition parties in the state with fresh ammunition to take on Mayawati. The parties made increased corruption under the BSP an election issue.

[Aditya_V]

Every Gujarati has a debt of Rs 19K

[svenkat]

http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamil-nad ... 67720.html

Karunanidhi chants ‘Dravida Naadu’ mantra
DMK will strive hard to achieve the goal of “Dravidian country for Dravidians,” party chief M Karunanidhi said here on Monday. Addressing a meeting to mark the beginning of the Dravidian Movement’s centenary, Karunanidhi said the movement will continue to flourish in Tamil Nadu despite several threats being faced by it.


“Today, we are being intimidated from many sides. Unfazed by all these threats, we will follow the footsteps of Periyar and Anna,” Karunanidhi said.

“By race, we are Dravidians and the term Dravida can be used to denote Tamils. It can be corroborated with adequate evidence as noted by Anna in an editorial written in ‘Dravida Nadu’, a magazine in 1942,” he said.

The DMK leader also recalled that he took part in anti-Hindi protests at the age of 13.
“Dravidians have the tradition of defeating the suppressers and it will be repeated too,” he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tam ... 939722.ece

He revives slogan ‘Dravida Naadu for Dravidians'

Launching the centenary celebrations of the Dravidian movement, DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Monday revived the slogan of ‘Dravida Naadu for Dravidians', saying even if he was not there, more Karunanidhis would emerge to realise the goal.

He was confident that the Dravidian ideology would be strengthened, Tamil Nadu would prosper and, if possible, a Dravidian State would be achieved.

Mr. Karunanidhi also stressed the need for continuously avenging past injustice suffered by Dravidians at the hands of their enemies.

DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan said Dravidians were once treated like cattle meant for slaughter but they would no longer tolerate such treatment.

Stressing that a person could protect himself and those with him only if he had self-respect, Mr. Anbazhagan quoted former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai as saying, “We cannot fight for justice against our enemies after handing over power to them.”

DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, former Supreme Court Judge Justice S. Mohan, Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani and Tamil scholars Ma. Nannan and Suba Veerapandian spoke.

[abhishek_sharma]

BJP govt bills that have hit the UPA wall

[tejas]

Fascinating article on political events in TN.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... 729/page1/

[member_21708]

Fodder scam: CBI court frames charges against Lalu Prasad, 3 others
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 095176.cms

looks like sonia is giving lalu the boot

[fanne]

Till Lalu is in Bihar Cong has no scope as opposition space is taken by him.

[nawabs]

No god’s photo on writing pads

http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_ ... ds_1657744

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, which conducts Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams, has asked students not to stick pictures of deities on their writing pads.

The board said it might hurt the religious sentiments of other students. And students, of course, are not happy. “I believe in Sai Baba. I had stuck his photo on the back of my writing pad. If I panic, I look at the photo and feel calm. But my school told that the board will not allow this anymore,” said Leandar Dias, who is going to appear for his Hindi paper on Saturday.

One of the counsellors in charge of the state board helpline said they are getting several calls from students asking if they can carry such pictures to the exam hall. But the board has strictly restricted students from carrying pictures or pocket holy books to the exam hall.

“We understand that students want to feel close to god during board exams. But allowing such pictures might hurt the religious sentiments of other students,” the counsellor said.

The board has instructed students to carry transparent writing pads which do not have anything scribbled on it. “If we find a writing pad having numbers or letters written on it, we can pick up the child for cheating,” the counsellor added.

Height of idiocy.

[Singha]

why would other students be looking at this guys pad if not to copy and cheat ? its not as if he is carrying a mobile shrine to his gods and putting it atop his table.

surely the height of sikularism.

[Sachin]

surely the height of sikularism.

In school had a Tam.Brahm senior of mine. On every answer sheet our man used to inscribe "Rama jayam, Hanuman jayam". Another friend of his heard about this and started writing "Hitler jayam, (Gen.) Dyer jayam" on all his answer sheets. Both the practises were immediately put to stop by the teachers .

[Aditya_V]

Sachin, there is hell of a lot of difference on writing something on your answer sheet as compared to sticking something on your writing pad.

[uddu]

No god’s photo on writing pads
http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_ ... ds_1657744
So don't have it on the writing pad. But surely carry one picture of your beloved god in your pocket. Also if you want can stand up and say a prayer before and after exam.
If anyone objects to it, punish him for violating your religious sentiments. If need be there can be your friends etc waiting with Rama's picture outside the school and if any issue just let them know and they can teach the those objecting about the pictures of gods and goddess about the religious rights of an individual.

And someone said height of secularism. You got it wrong. This is height of fundamentalism. Denying a Hindu from worshiping his/her god/goddess.

The person who said "We understand that students want to feel close to god during board exams. But allowing such pictures might hurt the religious sentiments of other students,” the counsellor said. "

Has hurt the religious sentiments of many students by not allowing them to carry the picture of their beloved god. This person need to be punished for violating rules and enforcing fundamentalism.

[Hari Seldon]

GoI has banned cotton export just when we're having record cotton crop and int'l cotton prices are rising. How to explain this? Some say Dilli is doing this to punish Gujarat in a poll year (Guj goes to polls in December).

[chaanakya]

Only Sharad Pawar can explain this.

[Theo_Fidel]

Way back when, religious texts used to be allowed into exams by teachers. When I took my 12th exam, critical in TN, my school was full so some of us had to take our exams in Government schools. I took mine in Kodambakkam High school. Guy next to me brought a card with some slokhas and a picture of Gods on it in. Small about 10cmx15 cm. About half way thru I glanced over to see the card miraculously break open to reveal some wafer thin chits hidden in there. After he was done glancing at the chits he would pretend to cough and swallow them! I had to say I took a minute off to admire his technique.

I suspect there is subtext that is not being mentioned here. You can’t ban religious items directly so an excuse of offense is being created to avoid dealing with such issues.

[nawabs]

Mining mafia: IPS officer crushed to death in Madhya Pradesh

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 186837.cms

A young Indian Police Service officer was crushed to death in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Thursday.

Narendra Kumar, sub-divisional police officer of Bamor in Morena district, was trying to stop a tractor loaded with illegally-quarried stones on Thursday afternoon."But instead of stopping, the driver ran over him. Kumar was rushed to hospital but died on the way," DIG (Chambal), D P Gupta told IANS.

Kumar was a 2009 batch IPS officer and was on probation. His wife Madhurani Tewatia, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is also posted in Madhya Pradesh but is presently on maternity leave in Delhi.

The tractor driver identified as Manoj Gurjar has been arrested and a case has been registered under section 302 of the IPC against them.
Kumar was posted at Banmore since last one month and during his brief tenure he had taken on the mining mafia head-on by seizing number of trucks and tractors engaged in illegal mining in the area, the sources said. Madhya Pradesh home minister Uma Shankar Gupta and the state's DGP Nandan Dube have rushed to Gwalior following the incident.

God rest his soul.

[Amitabh]

And someone said height of secularism. You got it wrong. This is height of fundamentalism. Denying a Hindu from worshiping his/her god/goddess.

Yeah, that Leander Dias. Devout Hindu that he must be.

[svenkat]

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a ... 974594.ece

Tamil Nadu has more than 10 lakh migrants, doing jobs that local workers shun because of poor pay and dangerous working conditions, but they are easy targets of prejudices against ‘north Indians'.

Tales of misery
“We don't get any money for injuries at work, we pay ourselves. Almost every day I injure my hand in the machine, so many workers get injured”, said 21-year-old Manas from Gaya district who has been working for the past six months in a factory that makes casings for water pumps in Perungudi, OMR. “Almost all the workers in my factory are from Assam and Bihar,” added Manas, who works 12 hours a day for six days a week for a wage of Rs.6,000 per month. His 19-year-old roommate chips in: “I came to work last year in another factory, but the work was so hard, lifting heavy loads 12 hours a day, I fell very sick and left”.

“I left my job in a food company in Delhi three months back and came here. They used to make me work for 16 hours a day and paid Rs.5,000. Here I have better pay for less number of hours of work. But I don't want to stay here. I feel insecure. Police has made our lives miserable,” said Nandlal from Gaya who sends his family of six Rs.4,000 every month. As if waiting for a cue, Manas, who had so far not said anything about the police harassment, said: “I am too scared to step out of the house after seven p.m., the police patrol stops us and asks for ID proof, and if you don't have one you are taken to the police station for enquiry”. After the bank robbery last month, police have been visiting the slums where large migrant populations live and asking the ‘north Indians' to show their IDs or proof of employment.

The interstate migrant is a much-reviled figure, often unjustly so. Ghettoised and insecure, and lacking any legal or social protection, the interstate migrant workers become easy targets for the state, administration, overzealous nationalist forces and, more worrisome, the local working class.

Can these issues be blamed on muslims or christists or pakis or chinis or anglo-americans.Chindu has atleast published this report.

[svenkat]

Bishops charge Centre with denigrating Christian community

Refuting allegations that the Tuticorin Diocesan Association is funding and instigating the agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, the Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council on Thursday accused the Union government of denigrating the Christian community by blocking the registration number given under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to the Diocesan Association and freezing its bank accounts. “It is highly condemnable that the government is unleashing repressive measures. We are pained by the government's action,” said A.M. Chinnappa, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore and President of Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council.

Rev. Yvon Ambrose said that Bishops had a moral responsibility to stand by the people at the time of crisis and suffering. “The people on their own selected the Church premises in Idinthakarai to launch their protest. They have the right to choose it. It is wrong to assume that we can convince them to give up their protest.”

[Gaurav_S]

Who will read Vanchshe Gujarat? 83,000 children out of school

It seems the state government is ensuring that its assurance of achieving almost zero percent drop-out rate does not fall flat. In an exercise carried out by the state education department under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Mission, it was found that as there are as many as 83,855 children, who have either dropped out of or never enrolled in schools.

Surprisingly, nearly 70 children were found at the state education policymakers' offices in the state secretariat.

The SSA is claiming that all of these children, who now have been enrolled in the need-based Special Training Program (STPs), will be admitted in the regular schools after completion of their STPs. "These out-of-school children have been enrolled for the STPs, of 3-12 months' duration. The courses will be conducted by 'Bal Mitra', qualified teachers who have undergone Primary Teachers Certificate course, and will take students according to their ages. The survey was conducted by non-government organisations in different parts of the state," said Manoj Agrawal, mission director, SSA.

He further said, "Most of these children have been found at construction sites, saltpan works and brick kilns, which employ labourers who have migrated here from other parts of the country and other districts of the state. We provide tent schools, rented houses as well as local area school's building for running the STP classes. These children are also provided benefits of Mid-Day Meal scheme."

As the migrated labourers come from other states as well, the children are also provided study material in their languages. "Labourers come to Gujarat from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha etc. So we are providing study material in Hindi, Marathi and Oriya languages to these children," said Agrawal.

According to the survey there are total 30,623 students in Ahmedabad district only, who are out of school. Of these 6047 dropped out of school because of socio-economic reasons while 24,576 students had never enrolled in schools.

Agrawal adds that Gujarat is the first state in the country to start a helpline and online registration for children who drop out of school. Those who find street children, likely to be out of school, can call on 18002337965 or provide information on www.ssagujarat.org.

Dunno how these Gujarati teachers will be able to teach Oriya, Marathi etc to children who have migrated from other states. Providing material in other languages is different to teaching them other languages. Not sure if other states go this far.

[prahaar]

Following video was quite soothing CM of Gujarat addressing a sabha of North Indians who have come to Gujarat (specifically Surat). I wish we had more such leaders welcoming Indians from other states. In Surat, majority of these are laborers or low skilled category, very few (statistically) are rich business people.

The whole "son of the soil" drama seen in MH and possibly other parts is nothing but politics of scarcity. Opportunity growth is the only way of reducing identity politics. I dream of a day when every CM will court people from other parts of the country, and urge people to not insult people who have migrated for work/other reasons.

http://youtu.be/lKFZbSc8_rg

[krisna]

Way back when, religious texts used to be allowed into exams by teachers. When I took my 12th exam, critical in TN, my school was full so some of us had to take our exams in Government schools. I took mine in Kodambakkam High school. Guy next to me brought a card with some slokhas and a picture of Gods on it in. Small about 10cmx15 cm. About half way thru I glanced over to see the card miraculously break open to reveal some wafer thin chits hidden in there. After he was done glancing at the chits he would pretend to cough and swallow them! I had to say I took a minute off to admire his technique.

I suspect there is subtext that is not being mentioned here. You can’t ban religious items directly so an excuse of offense is being created to avoid dealing with such issues.

http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... 8#p1254968

[vijayk]

http://www.firstpost.com/india/yeddy-st ... 48981.html

The BJP is self destructing in K'taka. Whoever it is, Yeddy and BJP central gangs are killing their own Govt. and future chances on BJP in 2014.

The judge Hegde did a great job for DIE-nasty.

[nawabs]

Mad rush for jobless dole in UP
Women form a chunk of crowd queuing up at exchanges, forcing the staff to work overtime

http://www.business-standard.com/india/ ... up/468729/

The new Akhilesh Yadav government’s promise of a dole for the jobless in Uttar Pradesh is causing a commotion of sorts across employment exchanges in the state.There is a scramble among the ‘unemployed’ to register themselves at these exchanges. This process is gaining crazy momentum after the Samajwadi Party came to power, having promised this benefit in its election manifesto.

Official say a pertinent government order is soon likely to come out. It would guarantee a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to the state’s 900,000 unemployed above 35 years of age. Official estimates say the scheme would cost the exchequer Rs 1,000 crore annually.


However, going by the flurry of applications at the state’s various exchanges, the government would not only need to fix the eligibility criteria under the scheme, but also rework its budgetary estimates. People, mostly women and even the elderly, had been making long queues at these exchanges for the past two months, forcing them to work overtime.

Sample this: The total registrations in the regional employment exchange in Lucknow during January-December 2011 stood at 18,163, while the total registrations this month alone have so far been 56,000. Interestingly, women formed almost two-third of the applicants, regional employment officer P K Pundir told Business Standard.

As for the Lucknow exchange, the road leading to it has been barricaded, and police personnel are manning the registration counters. Similar scenes define other exchanges in the state, with some of them registering as many as 4,500 people on a single day. Police and security personnel are having a tough time in disciplining the crowd. The state has 55 unemployment exchanges and 18 registration offices.

Compounding the issue, exchanges in distant districts are facing a shortage of registration forms. According to some TV channels, touts were selling forms in some places, although the entire registration process is free. Authorities vehemently deny this charge.

Experts are not amused. Lucknow University’s Mohd Muzammil says the government should clarify the eligibility criteria for the unemployment scheme. “One way is to limit eligibility to those unemployed people who had registered at the exchanges three or five years ago,” according to the economics professor.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had, in his media interaction soon after taking oath on March 15, said that a sea of people wanting to register themselves at the exchanges had proved the high unemployment rate in the state. The matter, he lamented, was put under carpet by the previous BSP regime led by Mayawati.For now, the labour department is busy finalising the terms and conditions of the scheme. The authorities plan to lay down eligibility parameters, a senior bureaucrat said.

[Theo_Fidel]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tam ... 273467.ece

V.K. Sasikala on Monday returned to the Poes Garden residence of Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's general secretary Jayalalithaa.

[Aditya_V]

Mad rush for jobless dole in UP
Women form a chunk of crowd queuing up at exchanges, forcing the staff to work overtime

http://www.business-standard.com/india/ ... up/468729/

The new Akhilesh Yadav government’s promise of a dole for the jobless in Uttar Pradesh is causing a commotion of sorts across employment exchanges in the state.There is a scramble among the ‘unemployed’ to register themselves at these exchanges. This process is gaining crazy momentum after the Samajwadi Party came to power, having promised this benefit in its election manifesto.

Official say a pertinent government order is soon likely to come out. It would guarantee a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 to the state’s 900,000 unemployed above 35 years of age. Official estimates say the scheme would cost the exchequer Rs 1,000 crore annually.


However, going by the flurry of applications at the state’s various exchanges, the government would not only need to fix the eligibility criteria under the scheme, but also rework its budgetary estimates. People, mostly women and even the elderly, had been making long queues at these exchanges for the past two months, forcing them to work overtime.

Sample this: The total registrations in the regional employment exchange in Lucknow during January-December 2011 stood at 18,163, while the total registrations this month alone have so far been 56,000. Interestingly, women formed almost two-third of the applicants, regional employment officer P K Pundir told Business Standard.

As for the Lucknow exchange, the road leading to it has been barricaded, and police personnel are manning the registration counters. Similar scenes define other exchanges in the state, with some of them registering as many as 4,500 people on a single day. Police and security personnel are having a tough time in disciplining the crowd. The state has 55 unemployment exchanges and 18 registration offices.

Compounding the issue, exchanges in distant districts are facing a shortage of registration forms. According to some TV channels, touts were selling forms in some places, although the entire registration process is free. Authorities vehemently deny this charge.

Experts are not amused. Lucknow University’s Mohd Muzammil says the government should clarify the eligibility criteria for the unemployment scheme. “One way is to limit eligibility to those unemployed people who had registered at the exchanges three or five years ago,” according to the economics professor.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had, in his media interaction soon after taking oath on March 15, said that a sea of people wanting to register themselves at the exchanges had proved the high unemployment rate in the state. The matter, he lamented, was put under carpet by the previous BSP regime led by Mayawati.For now, the labour department is busy finalising the terms and conditions of the scheme. The authorities plan to lay down eligibility parameters, a senior bureaucrat said.

Could these Grand Promises be the reason for SP victory in Assembly elections and then SP should not deliver- wonder what the impact will be. Especially considetring youth participation which increased voter turnout to 60%?

[vijayk]

^^ freebies... every housewife would like to get hands on Rs 1000 free money. Who wouldn't?

Akilesh could have shut up after becoming CM and announce that he will be setting up a committee to study his promise and implement based on recommendation to help really unemployed. He went ahead and made a big deal out of this in his first cabinet meeting. Now he is screwed. Any limitations they set will be dissatisfy a lot of people. This will also become fountainhead of corruption. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Aditya_V]

http://www.firstpost.com/india/yeddy-st ... 48981.html

The BJP is self destructing in K'taka. Whoever it is, Yeddy and BJP central gangs are killing their own Govt. and future chances on BJP in 2014.

The judge Hegde did a great job for DIE-nasty.

Wasn't it the same Media who claimed that when Sadananda Gowda name came for CM he was nothing but a rubber stamp for Yeddiurappa and the CM change is eyewash, now they are reporting somthing in the opposite.

Were they lieing then and telling the truth now or were they telling the turth then and lieing now or were they lieing then and now, given thier coverage then and now, it is obvious they are lieing at some point of time for the benefit of ruling dynasty. Until this dynasty is taken care of we have live with what we have and not be swayed by the Dynasty's PR departments.

[devesh]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrt ... sage/31928

Piravom By-election And Faction Fight

Being lent time and Piravom by-election being over, I prayerfully submit before
the high priests, priests and laymen belonging to both Patriarch and Orthodox
factions as follows:

A handful of extremists - (and they are power mongers also - bishops, priests
and laymen included) from both factions are responsible for the split and fight
in the Church. The extremists from Patriarch side tried to bargain for positions
but failed to get what they wanted. So they boycotted the Malankara Association
at Parumala following the Supreme Court verdict in 1995. Had there been a
settlement regarding position sharing, the split in the Church would not have
taken place. The split thus is not based on faith but for position and power.
The extremists from Orthodox side fought with its own leaders pressurizing to
sideline those who wanted peace and coexistence. They ridiculed those who wanted
unity and nicknamed them as ‘vannavar’.

There are a good percentage of Church members, especially in the north, who
respect the throne of Patriarch of Antioch and consider Patriarch as the
spiritual head and father of the Church. The extremists on the Patriarch side
instigated this group, boycotted the Parumala Association and created another
society claiming ‘Sathya viswasa samrakshanam’.

The extremists of Orthodox faction failed to understand the feelings of the
masses on the Patriarch side. They thought that they can steamroll the masses
and forcefully take over all Churches and throw the Patriarch faction people out
into the streets. Instead of thanking the Syriac Church of Antioch for the help
they rendered in the past, giving respect to them as an younger brother would do
to his elder brother, but still would make it clear that he be left to lead his
life independently, (and that is in line with the Supreme Court Judgment as well
as the 1934 constitution) the extremists of the Orthodox Church branded the
Syriac Church as invaders. This has thrown the masses on the patriarch side to
the extremists of the patriarch society.

Having alienated hundreds of thousands of faithful, the Orthodox stalwarts,
wanted to drive these people away from their Churches through court actions.
Judicial system has no feelings. Court judgments are based on what they see on
documents and hear from lawyers. In most cases, as the case goes up to higher
and higher courts through appeals, lower court judgments get reversed. When a
judgment based on technicalities is against the wishes of the majority, they
resort to street tactics and there come street rowdies, mafias and terrorists
into the picture. The Church and its members loses their Christian faces and
they bark and fight like political goondas in the street.

Having failed to reconcile with their own brothers, each side blame the
Government for not supporting their faction. Unfortunately, the CM happens to be
a member of the Church and he is cursed by both sides. Right in front of his
home and his family, the Orthodox curse him and express regret for baptizing him
as a Church member. Latest edition of an extremist publication of the Patriarch
side is full of accusation against the Govt. and CM for lathi charging of the
‘faithful’ at Pazhamthottam. The whole media is full of news about fancy-dress
and instant Qurbana. What a shame!

Sri Oommen Chandy is a highly respected, one of the least corrupt leaders in
this corruption supersaturated political world. We should all feel proud that he
happens to be a member of our Church. He has a job to do and he is doing it
fairly well. If the two factions are fighting in the Streets and he is not
taking sides, is he at fault? Is he responsible for the Patriarch and Orthodox
factions’s failure to reconcile with each other as brothers? ‘Angadiyil
thattathinu Ammayodo’ should be changed to ‘Oommenodo’. It is never late to
reconcile. The thief on the right side did confess a few moments before his
death. Without love towards our brothers, we are nothing.

(From Benny Kurian's mail) "Let us please refrain from advocating "an eye for an
eye" and this doesn't solve any issues. Let us please don't provoke our people
any more in these areas as there are already a lot of "blood shed" during the
last 36 years of friction.

Let me please remind you that in these areas, villages are tormented and
families are broken apart due to this friction. The social impacts of this
friction in these areas are very serious and pathetic. Hence, “let us please
don't put more oil to the already burning fire".

Kuriakose Varkey, New York

reply to the above:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrt ... sage/31946

If Mr. Oomen Chandy is impartial, then why is it that court order has not been
implemented in Kolenchery Orthodox Church?

By locking Kolenchery Orthodox Church again, he has proved beyond doubt that he
is just a selfish politician who gives no importance to judiciary.

It is not the question of taking sides, instead the issue of implementation of
court verdict, like how Mr. A. K. Antony implemented court verdict in Sivagiri
by using Police.

By registering a new society, erstwhile Bawa kakshi has lost rights in any
Malankara Orthodox Churches which had accepted 1934 constitution and also the
so-called Jacobites claim that they are not Orthodox.

UDF has already lost 6 seats by sidelining Orthodox people and gained just 2
seats (Piravom with the support of our people) by favoring Jacobites.

Let’s see whether UDF govt handover keys of Kolenchery Church back to our
community as per the agreement reached between CM and our Church leadership just
before Piravom by-election poll.

George C. Thomas, Kuwait