Monthly Archives: November 2015

Highlights of Recommendations of Seventh Central Pay Commission

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in employees, NATIONAL NEWS, Pensioners

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Recommended Date of implementation: 01.01.2016

Minimum Pay: Based on the Aykroyd formula, the minimum pay in government is recommended to be set at ₹18,000 per month.

Maximum Pay: ₹2,25,000 per month for Apex Scale and ₹2,50,000 per month for Cabinet Secretary and others presently at the same pay level.

Financial Implications:

The total financial impact in the FY 2016-17 is likely to be ₹1,02,100 crore, over the expenditure as per the ‘Business As Usual’ scenario.  Of this, the increase in pay would be ₹39,100 crore, increase in allowances would be ₹ 29,300 crore and increase in pension would be ₹33,700 crore.

Out of the total financial impact of ₹1,02,100 crore, ₹73,650 crore will be borne by the General Budget and ₹28,450 crore by the Railway Budget.

In percentage terms the overall increase in pay & allowances and pensions over the ‘Business As Usual’ scenario will be 23.55 percent. Within this, the increase in pay will be 16 percent, increase in allowances will be 63 percent, and increase in pension would be 24 percent.

The total impact of the Commission’s recommendations are expected to entail an increase of 0.65 percentage points in the ratio of expenditure on (Pay+Allowances+ Pension) to GDP compared to 0.77 percent in case of VI CPC.

 

New Pay Structure: Considering the issues raised regarding the Grade Pay structure and with a view to bring in greater transparency, the present system of pay bands and grade pay has been dispensed with and a new pay matrix has been designed. Grade Pay has been subsumed in the pay matrix. The status of the employee, hitherto determined by grade pay, will now be determined by the level in the pay matrix.

 

Fitment: A fitment factor of 2.57 is being proposed to be applied uniformly for all employees.

Annual Increment: The rate of annual increment is being retained at 3 percent.

Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP):

Performance benchmarks for MACP have been made more stringent from “Good” to “Very Good”.

The Commission has also proposed that annual increments not be granted in the case of those employees who are not able to meet the benchmark either for MACP or for a regular promotion in the first 20 years of their service.

No other changes in MACP recommended.

Military Service Pay (MSP): The Military Service Pay, which is a compensation for the various aspects of military service, will be admissible to the Defence forces personnel only. As before, Military Service Pay will be payable to all ranks up to and inclusive of Brigadiers and their equivalents. The current MSP per month and the revised rates recommended are as follows:

Present Proposed
i. Service Officers ₹6,000 ₹15,500
ii. Nursing Officers ₹4,200 ₹10,800
iii. JCO/ORs ₹2,000 ₹  5,200
iv. Non Combatants (Enrolled) in the Air Force ₹1,000 ₹  3,600

Short Service Commissioned Officers: Short Service Commissioned Officers will be allowed to exit the Armed Forces at any point in time between 7 and 10 years of service, with a terminal gratuity equivalent of 10.5 months of reckonable emoluments. They will further be entitled to a fully funded one year Executive Programme or a M.Tech. programme at a premier Institute.

Lateral Entry/Settlement: The Commission is recommending a revised formulation for lateral entry/resettlement of defence forces personnel which keeps in view the specific requirements of organization to which such personnel will be absorbed. For lateral entry into CAPFs an attractive severance package has been recommended.

Headquarters/Field Parity: Parity between field and headquarters staff recommended for similar functionaries e.g Assistants and Stenos.

Cadre Review: Systemic change in the process of Cadre Review for Group A officers recommended.

Allowances: The Commission has recommended abolishing 52 allowances altogether. Another 36 allowances have been abolished as separate identities, but subsumed either in an existing allowance or in newly proposed allowances. Allowances relating to Risk and Hardship will be governed by the proposed Risk and Hardship Matrix.

      Risk and Hardship Allowance: Allowances relating to Risk and Hardship will be governed by the newly proposed nine-cell Risk and Hardship Matrix, with one extra cell at the top, viz., RH-Max to include Siachen Allowance.

The current Siachen Allowance per month and the revised rates recommended are as follows:

Present Proposed
i. Service Officers ₹21,000 ₹31,500
iii. JCO/ORs ₹14,000 ₹21,000

 

This would be the ceiling for risk/hardship allowances and there would be no individual RHA with an amount higher than this allowance.

House Rent Allowance: Since the Basic Pay has been revised upwards, the Commission recommends that HRA be paid at the rate of 24 percent, 16 percent and 8 percent of the new Basic Pay for Class X, Y and Z cities respectively. The Commission also recommends that the rate of HRA will be revised to 27 percent, 18 percent and 9 percent respectively when DA crosses 50 percent, and further revised to 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent when DA crosses 100 percent.

In the case of PBORs of Defence, CAPFs and Indian Coast Guard compensation for housing is presently limited to the authorised married establishment hence many users are being deprived. The HRA coverage has now been expanded to cover all.

Any allowance not mentioned in the report shall cease to exist.

Emphasis has been placed on simplifying the process of claiming allowances.

Advances:

All non-interest bearing Advances have been abolished.

Regarding interest-bearing Advances, only Personal Computer Advance and House Building Advance (HBA) have been retained. HBA ceiling has been increased to ₹25 lakhs from the present ₹7.5 lakhs.

Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme (CGEGIS): The Rates of contribution as also the insurance coverage under the CGEGIS have remained unchanged for long. They have now been enhanced suitably. The following rates of CGEGIS are recommended:

  Present Proposed
Level of Employee Monthly Deduction

 (₹)

 Insurance Amount

 (₹)

 Monthly Deduction

 (₹)

 Insurance Amount

 (₹)
10 and above 120 1,20,000 5000 50,00,000
6 to 9 60 60,000 2500 25,00,000
1 to 5 30 30,000 1500 15,00,000

 

Medical Facilities:

Introduction of a Health Insurance Scheme for Central Government employees and pensioners has been recommended.

Meanwhile, for the benefit of pensioners residing outside the CGHS areas, CGHS should empanel those hospitals which are already empanelled under CS (MA)/ECHS for catering to the medical requirement of these pensioners on a cashless basis.

All postal pensioners should be covered under CGHS. All postal dispensaries should be merged with CGHS.

Pension: The Commission recommends a revised pension formulation for civil employees including CAPF personnel as well as for Defence personnel, who have retired before 01.01.2016. This formulation will bring about parity between past pensioners and current retirees for the same length of service in the pay scale at the time of retirement.

The past pensioners shall first be fixed in the Pay Matrix being recommended by the Commission on the basis of Pay Band and Grade Pay at which they retired, at the minimum of the corresponding level in the pay matrix.

This amount shall be raised to arrive at the notional pay of retirees, by adding number of increments he/she had earned in that level while in service at the rate of 3 percent.

In the case of defence forces personnel this amount will include Military Service Pay as admissible.

Fifty percent of the total amount so arrived at shall be the new pension.

An alternative calculation will be carried out, which will be a multiple of 2.57 times of the current basic pension.

The pensioner will get the higher of the two.

Gratuity: Enhancement in the ceiling of gratuity from the existing ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh. The ceiling on gratuity may be raised by 25 percent whenever DA rises by 50 percent.

Disability Pension for Armed Forces: The Commission is recommending reverting to a slab based system for disability element, instead of existing percentile based disability pension regime.

Ex-gratia Lump sum Compensation to Next of Kin: The Commission is recommending the revision of rates of lump sum compensation for next of kin (NOK) in case of death arising in various circumstances relating to performance of duties, to be applied uniformly for the defence forces personnel and civilians including CAPF personnel.

Martyr Status for CAPF Personnel: The Commission is of the view that in case of death in the line of duty, the force personnel of CAPFs should be accorded martyr status, at par with the defence forces personnel.

New Pension System: The Commission received many grievances relating to NPS. It has recommended a number of steps to improve the functioning of NPS. It has also recommended establishment of a strong grievance redressal mechanism.

Regulatory Bodies:  The Commission has recommended a consolidated pay package of ₹4,50,000 and ₹4,00,000 per month for Chairpersons and Members respectively of select Regulatory bodies. In case of retired government servants, their pension will not be deducted from their consolidated pay. The consolidated pay package will be raised by 25 percent as and when Dearness Allowance goes up by 50 percent. For Members of the remaining Regulatory bodies normal replacement pay has been recommended.

Performance Related Pay: The Commission has recommended introduction of the Performance Related Pay (PRP) for all categories of Central Government employees, based on quality Results Framework Documents, reformed Annual Performance Appraisal Reports and some other broad Guidelines. The Commission has also recommended that the PRP should subsume the existing Bonus schemes.

There are few recommendations of the Commission where there was no unanimity of view and these are as follows:

The Edge: An edge is presently accordeded to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) at three promotion stages from Senior Time Scale (STS), to the Junior Administrative Grade (JAG) and the NFSG. is recommended by the Chairman, to be extended to the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

Shri Vivek Rae, Member is of the view that financial edge is justified only for the IAS and IFS. Dr. Rathin Roy, Member is of the view that the financial edge accorded to the IAS and IFS should be removed.

Empanelment: The Chairman and Dr. Rathin Roy, Member, recommend that All India Service officers and Central Services Group A officers who have completed 17 years of service should be eligible for empanelment under the Central Staffing Scheme and there should not be “two year edge”, vis-à-vis the IAS. Shri Vivek Rae, Member, has not agreed with this view and has recommended review of the Central Staffing Scheme guidelines.

Non Functional Upgradation for Organised Group ‘A’ Services: The Chairman is of the view that NFU availed by all the organised Group `A’ Services should be allowed to continue and be extended to all officers in the CAPFs, Indian Coast Guard and the Defence forces. NFU should henceforth be based on the respective residency periods in the preceding substantive grade. Shri Vivek Rae, Member and Dr. Rathin Roy, Member, have favoured abolition of NFU at SAG and HAG level.

Superannuation: Chairman and Dr. Rathin Roy, Member, recommend the age of superannuation for all CAPF personnel should be 60 years uniformly. Shri Vivek Rae, Member, has not agreed with this recommendation and has endorsed the stand of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The full report is available in the website, http://7cpc.india.gov.in.

BJP fields 450 Muslim candidates in local body polls in Guajarat.

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in Gujarat, STATES NEWS

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By Fatima Tanveer, MM News
AHMEDABAD, NOVEMBER 19:
Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded a total of 450 Muslim candidates in upcoming municipal and panchayat elections despite several BJP leaders in UP and Bihar having provoked anti-Muslim sentiments. The total number of seats in municipal and panchayat elections for which the elections are being held in 8,434. While municipal elections are to be held on November 22, panchayat elections will be held on November 29.
This is the second time in the history of BJP in the state that the saffron party has fielded Muslim candidates, particularly from Muslim dominated areas where Hindu or non-Muslim candidates cannot win the polls. In 2010 panchayat and municipal polls, BJP had fielded a total of 325 Muslim candidates and 245 of them had won the polls.
Mahboob Chishty, president of the State BJP Minority Morcha and chairman of the Gujarat State Minority Development Corporation told mediapersons that the number of Muslim candidates fielded by BJP may be small compared to the total number of seats but the Muslim candidates have been fielded from seats where there are better chances for them to win. “Ideally, the number of Muslim candidates should have been more than 800 depending on the proportion of their population which is a little less than 10 per cent but the reality demands that Muslims be fielded from seats where they can perform better and win their seats”, said Chishty.
Stating that the importance of Muslims in BJP had increased after Muslims got elected for the first time in 2010 civic and panchayat elections and they also voted for BJP candidates in 2012 assembly elections, Chishty said that Muslim candidates getting elected on BJP tickets were acting as a bridge between the community and the state government. He said that it was a different thing that BJP did not field Muslim candidates in assembly elections.
“The atmosphere is changing now within BJP and it is very much possible that BJP may field Muslim candidates from Muslim dominated seats in 2017 elections”, Chishty pointed out.
Asked why should Muslims votes for BJP when its leaders have been openly supporting Dadri incident and leaders like Mahant Adityanath and others had been issuing statements resulting into `intolerance’ against Muslims across the country, he said that they were fringe elements and what they spoke was not the policy of the party.
“But the fact is that BJP has been in power in the state for more than 20 years and hence, it is not wise for the community to keep itself away from the centre of power. Presence of Muslims in BJP  is important to protect the interest of the community in Gujarat”, opined Chishty.

First direct evidence of impact of pesticide on bee pollination

20 Friday Nov 2015

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Apple trees pollinated by bumblebees exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides contained 36 per cent fewer seeds than those pollinated by unexposed bees.

The results are the first to show that neonicotinoids impair the insects’ ability to pollinate plants.

Previous studies have found that the controversial pesticides can affect bees and bumblebees, but haven’t measured whether it disrupts their ability to pollinate plants.

About 30 per cent of agricultural crops depend on pollination by insects or other animals, with an estimated global value to farmers of $360 billion a year.

“Our work highlights the importance of pollination services, and including that in the debate about whether to ban or restrict neonicotinoids is very important,” says Dara Stanley of Royal Holloway, University of London.

Pollen decline
Stanley and her colleagues exposed colonies of bumblebees to nectar that either contained a type of neonicotinoid known as thiamethoxam at levels typically found in nectar and pollen from treated crops and contaminated wild flowers. The bees exposed to neonicotinoids collected less pollen from apple trees and visited apple flowers less frequently than the other group.

This behaviour resulted in a reduction in the number of seeds found in the apples, an important indicator of the extent of pollination.

For several years, debate has raged about the size of the effect neonicotinoids have on bees. A temporary moratorium on their use on certain crops pollinated directly by bees – such as oilseed rape – is in place in Europe while the European Food Safety Authority undertakes a review of all the evidence.

In the US, a court ruling in September overturned the US Environmental Protection Agency’s earlier approval of a newer type of neonicotinoid.
“With apples, we consumers don’t care if it has fewer pips, but it’s very important for apple growers as there is evidence linking the number of seeds with apple quality,” says Stanley. And if neonicotinoids are disrupting pollination of apples, they are likely to also be disrupting pollination of many other crops, including strawberries, raspberries, oilseed rape, field beans and peas, as well as wild flowering plants.

Artificial conditions
“The obvious conclusion is that farmers using these chemicals could potentially experience reduced crop yields, as could their neighbours who may not be using the chemicals,” says Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex, UK. “There may also be knock-on effects for pollination of wild flowers growing on or near farms.”

Syngenta, a company that manufactures thiamethoxam, says the design for the experiment, with bee colonies only allowed to forage for an hour a day and apple trees placed in experimental tunnels, didn’t represent real-life conditions.

This means the results are not conclusive, says Peter Campbell of Syngenta. “They are premature and only representative of a single experiment conducted under artificial conditions both for the apple trees being pollinated and the method of exposing the bumblebees,” he says.

Another paper published this week by French researchers found that while neonicotinoid pesticides harm individual honeybees, whole colonies were able to recover in the wild.

Mickael Henry of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Avignon and his team found that honeybees foraging around treated crops die off at a faster rate than normal – but colonies were able to make up by boosting the number of worker bees in the hive.

Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature16167; Royal Society journal Proceedings B; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2110

American Cops Calling for Further Police Militarization in Wake of Paris Attacks

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in International, INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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PINAC News: The dust had barely settled from Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris when cops in the United States began calling for further militarization of police, claiming they are unequipped to protect our country from terrorism.

But militarizing police, as we have learned, results in them stripping us of our rights at gunpoint by treating us like enemy combatants in our own country.

Nevertheless, this is  how it was presented on the popular police Facebook page Blue Lives Matter.

It’s evident that the cop who wrote this is still angry over President Obama’s executive order this year banning the flow of military weapons from our overseas wars to our city streets into the hands of police.

Now police in this country will no longer receive armored vehicles, weaponized aircraft, vessels or vehicles as well as firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher, not to mention grenade launchers, bayonets and camouflage uniforms.

So thanks to Obama, police feel inadequate to battle terrorism.

But the ACLU published an in-depth report last year that shows militarized police turn into the domestic terrorists by raiding people’s homes on non-violent allegations, including minor marijuana sales.

So hopefully, these latest attacks won’t give our government a sudden case of amnesia about the dangers of militarized police.

However, we must prepare for police in the next few weeks to beat the drums for further militarization.

According to the Southern California-based police magazine, Behind the Badge OC:

Those who cringe at the militarization of police should take note. Law enforcement is only responding to the changing world we live in. They didn’t create it; they just have to police it.

Every law enforcement officer in the United States is thinking the same thing. Are we ready for the next one?

But every citizen should be thinking the same thing, which is, history has proven that police will use these weapons against the people they supposedly protect and serve.

The reality is, police in this country have been stockpiling hand-me-down weapons from the military for two decades, and rarely, if at all, have ever had to use them against terrorists.

So they should be more than equipped to handle any terrorist act if it comes down to guerrilla warfare on the streets.

And as far as demilitarization of police being a result of “liberal ideologies,” here is a video of conservative judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, speaking about the dangers of police militarization.

 

Modi’s gold deposit scheme attracts only 400 grams so far

19 Thursday Nov 2015

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NEW DELHI | BY MANOJ KUMAR

A gold deposit scheme launched amid fanfare by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi two weeks ago has so far attracted only 400 grams, an industry official said on Thursday, out of a national hoard estimated at 20,000 tonnes.

Modi has urged Indians to put gold stashed in homes and temples in the bank, offering modest rates of interest that earlier schemes have lacked. His government has also launched ‘paper’ gold in the form of gold-backed bonds.

A shortage of centres to assay the gold being put on deposit is a problem that the government has agreed to address, said Anil Sankhwal, the northern regional chairman of India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

“Only 400 grammes have been deposited so far,” Sankhwal told reporters after meeting financial ministry officials. “The government has agreed to review the scheme and open more centres for gold testing and depositing in banks.”

Indians have a deep attachment to gold, which they value not just as a wedding gift but also as a way to keep wealth away from the prying eyes of tax collectors.

That, say experts, will make it a challenge to wean them off the yellow metal and put the vast store of wealth to work in India’s undersized financial system, funding investments that Modi hopes would promote economic growth and create jobs.

A finance ministry official said the government had agreed to increase the number of testing centres and refineries involved in the scheme. There are 29 testing centres and four refineries currently accredited to it.

The number of testing centres would increase to 55, and refineries to 20, by the end of the year.

Another scheme, to mint India’s own series of gold coins, is going a bit better than the deposit scheme.

Buyers have acquired 6,200 of the Ashoka Chakra coins – which carry the symbol of a 24-spoke circle that also graces the Indian national flag and has its origins in Buddhism.

FRANCE ALSO TO BLAME FOR RISE OF ISIS: CPI-M

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in CPI(M), Current Affairs, International, Left politics

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France also to blame for rise of ISIS: CPI-M

New Delhi, 19 Nov 2015: France cannot escape responsibility for the rise of the Islamic State which has now unleashed bloodbath in Paris, the CPI-M said on Thursday.

An editorial in “People’s Democracy” said the West, including the US and France, had played a key role in toppling the secular regimes in Iraq and Syria by propping up Islamist forces.

“The destructive civil war and the weakening of the Syrian government created conditions for the rise of (Islamic State) and the establishment of the Islamic State that controls large chunks of territory in Northern Iraq and parts of Syria,” the editorial said.

“It is this monster which was created by the US-French-NATO intervention that is now posing such a serious threat.

“The US-French bombings in Syria are now seeking to curb this menace which was, in the first place, created by their aiding the extremist forces like Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamist forces that were financed and equipped by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies,” it added.

On November 13, terrorists linked to the Islamic State unleashed mayhem in Paris, killing nearly 130 people and wounding around 350 in the bloodiest incident of violence in the French capital since World War II.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said there were vehement denunciations whenever anyone seeks to expose certain facts and truths to the Western powers.

“The roots of the tragedy, which hit Paris, lie in the killing fields of Syria and Iraq.

“The rise of Islamist extremism and the acts of terror which have taken place around the world stem from the military interventions and the policies pursued by the Western powers led by the US in Iraq and Syria.

“The US attacked Iraq and occupied it after toppling the Saddam Hussein regime. President Bush falsely accused Saddam of helping Al Qaeda… Now that Al Qaeda has morphed into the IS.”

The editorial pointed out that in Syria, France had been in the forefront among the NATO allies of the US in working for the overthrow of the secular regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

“In doing so, it has funded and equipped the Islamist extremist forces who are backed by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies.

“France has been complicit with Turkey, another NATO partner who has through its borders, facilitated the crossing of thousands of extremists who flocked to Syria to wage jihad against the Assad government.

“The French government was not unduly concerned when radicalized Muslim French citizens went to Syria to fight, as long as they were fighting the Assad government.”

(IANS)

 

North East Monsoon has been vigorous over Rayalaseema.

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in AP NEWS, Current Affairs

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Rain occurred at many places over Rayalaseema, at a few places over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and at isolated places over North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

CHIEF AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL IN CM

 COASTAL ANDHRA PRADESH

11/19/2015: Nellore (dist Nellore) 12, Atmakur (dist Nellore) 8, Rapur (dist Nellore) 6, Gudur (dist Nellore) 5, Udayagiri (dist Nellore) 4, Venkatagiri  (dist Nellore) 4, Vinjamur (dist Nellore) 4, Kavali (dist Nellore) 3, Seetharamapuram (dist Nellore) 2, Sullurpeta (dist Nellore) 2, Konakanamitla (dist Prakasam) 1, Marripudi (dist Prakasam) 1, Ongole (dist Prakasam) 1, Chimakurthi (dist Prakasam) 1

RAYALASEEMA

11/19/2015: Tirupati   Aero (dist Chittoor) 7, Kodur (dist Cuddapah) 6, Pullampeta (dist Cuddapah) 6, Thottambedu (dist Chittoor) 4, Atlur (dist Cuddapah) 3, Nagari (dist Chittoor) 3, Rajampet (dist Cuddapah) 3, Srikalahasti (dist Chittoor) 3, Chittoor (dist Chittoor) 3, Sambepalle (dist Cuddapah) 2, Arogyavaram (dist Chittoor) 2, Puttur (dist Chittoor) 2, Pulivendla (dist Cuddapah) 2, Pakala (dist Chittoor) 2, Mandapalle (dist Chittoor) 2, Punganur (dist Chittoor) 2, Chinnamandem (dist Cuddapah) 1, Badvel (dist Cuddapah) 1, Royachoti (dist Cuddapah) 1, Kamalapuram (dist Cuddapah) 1, Gorantla (dist Anantapur) 1, Vallur (dist Cuddapah) 1, Penagaluru (dist Cuddapah) 1, Vempalle (dist Cuddapah) 1, Palamaner (dist Chittoor) 1, Palasamudram (dist Chittoor) 1, Thambalapalle (dist Chittoor) 1, Simhadripuram (dist Cuddapah) 1, Nambulipulikunta (dist Anantapur) 1, Kalakada (dist Chittoor) 1, Venkatagiri Kota (dist Chittoor) 1, Chapad (dist Cuddapah) 1, Tanakal (dist Anantapur) 1, Santhipuram (dist Chittoor) 1, Muddanur (dist Cuddapah) 1, Proddutur (dist Cuddapah) 1, Kondapuram (dist Cuddapah) 1.

 

బుర్రకు పని పెట్టకుండా చెవులప్పగిస్తే …………

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in Current Affairs, NATIONAL NEWS

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సత్య

         చెప్పేవాడికి వినేవాడు లోకువ. బీహార్‌ ఎన్నికల తరువాత మీడియా, రాజకీయ వర్గాలను ఒక వ్యక్తి ఆకర్షించారు. అతనే ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌. ప్రజారోగ్య నిపుణుడిగా గుజరాత్‌లో అడుగుపెట్టి ముఖ్యమంత్రి నరేంద్రమోడీ దృష్టిని ఆకర్షించి గతేడాది లోక్‌సభ ఎన్నికలలో మోడీని ప్రధాని పీఠంపై కూర్చోబెట్టిన మేధావి అన్నారు. ఆలాంటి వ్యక్తి ఏమైందో ఏమిటో ఏడాదిలోనే మోడీ ఇంటి నుంచి బయటకు వచ్చి బీహార్‌ నితీష్‌ కుమార్‌ ఇంట్లో చేరారు. కిషోర్‌కు ఎవరిదగ్గరైనా పని చేస్తే ఆయన వారిండ్లలోనే వుంటారట. అంతటి మోడీని బీహార్‌ ఎన్నికలలో మట్టి కరిపించిన అపర చాణక్యుడిగా మీడియాలో నీరాజనాలందుకున్నాడు. విజయం సాధించిన తరువాత నితీష్‌ కుమార్‌ బహింరంగా మీడియా ముందు సంతోషం పట్టలేక ఆలింగనం చేసుకున్న తరువాత అదింకా పెరిగి పోయింది. మా ఇంటికి రమ్మంటే మాయింటికి రమ్మని అనేక కాంగ్రెస్‌తో సహా అనేక రాజకీయ పార్టీలు, పదవుల కోసం అర్రులు చాస్తున్న నాయకులు ఆహ్వానాలు పంపుతున్నారట. ఎంత కావాలంటే అంత డబ్బు తీసుకోమని సందేశాలిస్తున్నారు.

      నరేంద్రమోడీని అందలమెక్కించిన వ్యక్తి అదే మోడీకి బీహార్‌లో పరాభవంపొందే వ్యూహం రచించాడంటే తమ కంటే ఎంతో తెలివిగల వాడు కాకపోతే ఎలా సాధ్యం అని మీడియా పండితులు తలలు పట్టుకొని వుండవచ్చు. ఎందుకంటే ప్రజల నాడి తమకు తప్ప ఇతరులకు తెలియదన్నట్లు ఫోజు పెడుతూ బీహార్‌లో ఎన్‌డిఏకు అధికారం వచ్చేసినట్లే ఎక్జిట్‌ పోల్స్‌ ప్రకటించటమే కాదు, ఓట్ల లెక్కింపు ప్రారంభమైన తరువాత కూడా మొదటి గంటలో బల్లగుద్ది బిజెపి నేతలతో సీట్లు పంపిణీ చేయించి కొన్ని చోట్ల పటాసులు కూడా కాల్పించిన ఘనులు కదా ! అలాంటి వారు ఇప్పుడు ప్రశాత కిషోర్‌ ఎవరికి ప్రశాంతత లేకుండా చేస్తాడా అని ఊహాగానాలు చేస్తున్నారు.

అందమైన వారికి బుర్ర వుండదంటారు.మనకు రంగుల లోకం చూపించే మీడియా కూడా అందమైనదే కదా, అందుకే జనం దాసోహం అవుతున్నారు. దానికి బుర్రేకాదు, జ్ఞాపకశక్తి కూడా తక్కువే వున్నట్లుగా మనకు అది అందించే సమాచార తీరుతెన్నులు వెల్లడిస్తాయి.లోక్‌సభ ఎన్నికల సందర్భంగా మనకు చెప్పిందేమిటి? మోడీలోని సగభాగం వంటి అమిత్‌ షా అనే ఒక గుజరాత్‌ స్ధానిక నాయకుడు పెద్ద జాతీయ వ్యూహం పన్నాడని, రాజకీయాలతో సంబంధం లేదని, తమది కేవలం సాంస్కృతిక సంస్ధ మాత్రమే అని చెప్పుకొనే ఆర్‌ఎస్‌ఎస్‌ వ్యూహకర్తలు మోడీని ప్రధాని గద్దెపై కూర్చుండపెట్టేందుకు తమ సేవకులందరినీ ఎన్నడూ లేని విధంగా ఇంటింటికీ తిప్పారని, ఓట్లు పోగేసి మోడీకి తిరుగులేని మెజారిటీ చేకూర్చి పెట్టారని అరటి పండు ఒలిచి చేతిలో పెట్టినట్లు చెబితే ఎంతశాతం అనేది పక్కన పెడితే నోట్లో వేలేసుకొని మనం విన్నామా లేదా ?

      ఇప్పుడు అదే మీడియాలో వస్తున్నదేమిటి ? బుర్ర, కష్టం తనది అయితే పేరు మాత్రం అమిత్‌షాకు దక్కిందని ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌ ప్రశాంతత కోల్పోయాడట. ఇప్పటికే ఇది ఎక్కువ నీ స్ధానంలో నవ్వుండు, అంతకు మించి ఎక్కువ ఆశించవద్దు అన్నట్లుగా నరేంద్రమోడీ తన సగభాగం షాతో సమంగా చూసేందుకు తిరస్కరించారని వినికిడి. దాంతో నంద సామ్రాజ్యాన్ని నాశనం చేయకపోతే నా జడను ముడవను అన్న చాణక్యుడి మాదిరి శపధం పట్టి నితీష్‌ కుమార్‌ ఇంట్లో చేరాడని, సోషల్‌ మీడియా అంటే సదభిప్రాయం లేని నితీష్‌ కుమార్‌ను ఒప్పించాడని చివరకు తన అపరచాణక్యంతో మోడీని దెబ్బతీశారని, దీంతో రానున్న రోజుల్లో ఎన్నికలు జరగబోయే రాష్ట్రాల నేతలందరూ ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌ చాణక్య వ్యూహాల కోసం క్యూలు కడుతున్నారని మీడియా చెబుతోంది.

      ఇక్కడ ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌ గురించి మరికొన్ని విషయాలు చెప్పకుండా కధ సంపూర్ణం కాదు. ముందే చెప్పుకున్నట్లు ప్రజారోగ్యరంగంలో ప్రవేశం వున్న కిషోర్‌ జన్మస్ధలం బీహార్‌. తొలుత స్వంత రాష్ట్రం తరువాత తెలంగాణాలో పని చేస్తుండగా ప్రపంచ ఆరోగ్య సంస్ధ దృష్టిని ఆకర్షించాడు. యూనిసెఫ్‌లో పనిచేయమని అది కోరింది. ఆ మేరకు ఆఫ్రికాలో పని చేశారు. ఆ సమయంలో మన దేశంలో ఆరోగ్య పరిస్ధితి గురించి మన ప్రణాళికా సంఘ నివేదికలు చదివి నాటి ప్రధాని మన్మోహన్‌ సింగ్‌కు ఒక లేఖ రాశారు. దానిలో గుజరాత్‌ పారిశ్రామికంగా ముందున్నప్పటికీ ఆరోగ్య విషయంలో వెనుక బడి వుందని వ్యాఖ్యానించారు. ఆ లేఖను ప్రధాని కార్యాలయం గుజరాత్‌ ముఖ్యమంత్రికి పంపింది. అప్పుడు మోడీ నివేదికను తెప్పించుకొని వివరాలు తెలుసుకొని కిషోర్‌ ఎక్కడ వున్నారో తెలుసుకోవలసిందిగా తన యంత్రాంగాన్ని ఆ దేశించి తన వద్దకు రప్పించుకొని ప్రజారోగ్యాన్ని మెరుగు పరచేందుకు తోడ్పడాలని కోరారు. ఆ విధంగా 2011లో గుజరాత్‌ వెళ్లిన కిషోర్‌ క్రమంగా మోడీ దృష్టిని ఆకర్షించారు. ఆ మోడీ ఆశ్రయం పొంది చివరికి ఎన్ని కల వ్యూహకర్తగా మారారు. ఇదంతా ఎందుకు చెప్పాల్సి వచ్చిందంటే ఈ మేధావి సలహాలను అమలు జరిపిన గుజరాత్‌ అరోగ్య రంగంలో దేశంలోని 29 రాష్ట్రాలకు గాను 21 స్దానంలో వుంది. తమిళనాడు,కర్ణాటక,కేరళ మొదటి మూడు స్ధానాలలో వున్నట్లు యూనిసెఫ్‌ సర్వే వెల్లడించింది.పిల్లలకు టీకాలు వేయించటంలో దేశ సగటు 65.2శాతం వుంటే గుజరాత్‌ 56.2శాతం మాత్రమేనని డిఎన్‌ఏ పత్రిక ఈ ఏడాది జూలై ఎనిమిదిన ప్రచురించింది. అంటే మన మేధావి ఈ విషయంలో ఫెయిలయ్యాడని అనుకోవాలా ?

     లోక్‌సభలో నరేంద్రమోడీ నాయకత్వంలో ఎన్‌డిఏ విజయం సాధించటానికి ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌ ఇచ్చిన సలహాలే కారణమని చెబుతున్నారు. ఈ ఎన్నికలలో బిజెపికి వచ్చిన ఓట్లెన్ని ? కొన్ని చోట్ల మాత్రమే సీట్లు రావటానికి కారణం ఏమిటి ? మిగతా చోట్ల ఆ సలహాలు, వ్యూహం ఎందుకు పని చేయలేదు? దేశంలోని మొత్తం ఓటర్లు 83,41,01,479 ఓట్లకు గాను బిజెపికి వచ్చింది 17,16,57,549 ఓట్లు మాత్రమే అంటే కేవలం 20శాతం. అదే పోలైన ఓట్లలో చూసుకున్నా వచ్చింది 31శాతమే. కానీ సీట్ల పరంగా చూస్తే 52శాతం తెచ్చుకుంది. భారతీయ జనతా పార్టీ ఓట్ల శాతాన్ని చూస్తే వరుసగా పన్నెండవ లోక్‌సభ నుంచి తాజా 16వ లోక్‌సభ వరకు 25.59,23.75,22.16,18.80,31శాతాలుగా వున్నాయి. అంటే గతంలో ప్రశాంత కిషోర్‌ వంటి వారు లేకుండానే బిజెపి గరిష్టంగా 25.59శాతం ఓట్లను తెచ్చుకుంది. ఇప్పుడు అదనంగా మరో ఐదున్నర శాతం పెంచుకుంది. ఈ పెరుగుదలకు కాంగ్రెస్‌ అవినీతి అక్రమాలు, దాని వైఫల్యం కారణాలకు తోడు గుజరాత్‌లో నరేంద్రమోడీ అద్బుతాలు చేశాడనే మీడియా ప్రచారం తోడైంది. అదనంగా బెంగాల్లో ఆరు నుంచి 17శాతానికి కేరళలో ఆరు నుంచి పదిశాతానికి అసోంలో 17 నుంచి 36.5శాతానికి కాశ్మీర్‌లో 18.6 నుంచి 32.4శాతానికి ఓట్లు పెరగటం కూడా తోడ్పడింది.

      నిత్యం స్వదేశీ గురించి జపం చేసే బిజెపి ఎన్నికలలో ప్రచార వ్యూహ నిపుణులను పెట్టుకోవటం విదేశాల నుంచి అరువు ఆయిడియా. గతంలో అలాంటి ఐడియాలో భాగంగానే తమ పాలనలో భారత్‌ వెలిగిపోతోందంటూ బిజెపి, తేళ్లు,జర్రుల వంటి బొమ్మలతో కాంగ్రెస్‌ ప్రచారాలు చేసి బొక్కబోర్లా పడ్డాయి. ఎన్నికల ఫలితాలు చూసిన తరువాత కుక్కిన పేనులయ్యాయి. నినాదాలు, ఆకర్షణీయమైన కబుర్లు, వుపన్యాసాలను చూసి గతంలో కడుపు నిండిన పశ్చిమదేశాల ఓటర్లు ప్రభావితులైన వుదంతాలు వుండి వుండవచ్చు. ఇటీవలి సంవత్సరాలలో కూడా పాలకవర్గ పార్టీలు అలాంటి నిపుణులు ఇచ్చిన సలహాలు , వ్యూహాల మేరకు అలాగే చేస్తున్నారు, ఓటర్ల ముందు అభాసు పాలౌతున్నారు. వారు అమలు జరిపిన విధానాలు, వాటి పర్యవసానాలు ఏమిటి అని ముఖ్యంగా 2008లో ప్రారంభమైన ధనిక దే శాల ఆర్ధిక సంక్షోభం ప్రారంభం తరువాత జనం చూస్తున్నారు. ఎన్ని పిల్లి మొగ్గలు వేసినా అధికారంలో వున్న పార్టీలన్నీ దెబ్బతింటున్నాయి. నిపుణుల వ్యూహాలు ఎదురుతన్నుతున్నాయి.

      ఈ పూర్వరంగంలో చూస్తే బీహార్‌లో నిపుణుల వ్యూహాలు ఏమిటన్నది ప్రశ్న. గత లోక్‌సభ ఎన్నికలలో బీహార్‌లో ఎన్‌డిఏ పక్షాలకు వచ్చిన ఓట్ల మొత్తం 39.5 శాతం. జెడియు, ఆర్‌జెడి, కాంగ్రెస్‌కు 39.1శాతం వచ్చాయి. తాజా అసెంబ్లీ ఎన్నికలలో 34.1 బిజెపి కూటమికి , మహాసంఘటనకు 44.1శాతం ఓట్లు వచ్చాయి. పార్లమెంట్‌ ఎన్నికలలో మహాసంఘటన పక్షాలు విడిగా పోటీ చేసి ఓట్లు చీలటంతో బిజెపికి గణనీయంగా సీట్లు వచ్చాయి. పార్లమెంట్‌ ఎన్నికలలో పరాభవం తరువాత కలసి వుంటే కలదు సుఖం అని నితీష్‌ కుమార్‌, లాలూ ప్రసాద్‌, కాంగ్రెస్‌లకు తెలియంది కాదు, ఆ మేరకు గతాన్ని మరిచి పోయి అసెంబ్లీలో కలసి పోటీ చే శాయి. ఈ పార్టీల ఓట్లు గుండుగుత్తగా కూటమి అభ్యర్ధులకు పడతాయని తాము అంచనా వేయలేకపోయామని ఫలితాలు వచ్చిన తరువాత బిజెపి నాయకులు వాపోయిన విషయం తెలిసిందే. ఇరవై స్ధానాలలో ఇతర చిన్న పార్టీలు చీల్చిన ఓట్లతోనే బిజెపి గెలిచింది. అది కూడా లేనట్లయితే బిజెపికి ఇంకా సీట్లు తగ్గేవి. పార్లమెంట్‌ ఎన్నికలలో కాంగ్రెస్‌పై అసంతృప్తితో ఓటు వేసినట్లే ఈ సారి నరేంద్రమోడీ ఏడాదిన్నర కాలంలో వట్టిస్తరి మంచినీళ్లు తప్ప సాధించిందేమీ లేకపోవటాన్ని జనం గమనించారు. రెండవది దాద్రి సంఘటన,కులుబుర్గి హత్యతో అసహన ధోరణులకు వ్యతిరేకంగా రచయితలు తమ అవార్డులను వెనక్కి ఇచ్చి నిరసన తెలపటం, ఇతర మేధావులు కూడా వారికి తోడు కావటం వంటి పరిణామాలన్నీ ఎన్నికల సమయంలోనే జరిగాయి. వీటిపై మోడీ, సంఘపరివార్‌ నేతల రిజర్వేషన్ల వ్యతిరేక వ్యాఖ్యలు తోడ్పడ్డాయి. అందువలన వీటన్నింటినీ విస్మరించి ప్ర శాంత కిషోర్‌ చాణక్యం అని చెప్పటమంటే జనం వివేచన జ్ఞానాన్ని తక్కువ చేసి చూడటమే. అలాంటి నిపుణుల నినాదాలు, ఎత్తుగడల కోసం అర్రులు చాచటమంటే పార్టీలు జనాన్ని మోసం చేసేందుకు మరింతగా ప్రయత్నిస్తున్నాయని అర్ధం చేసుకోవాలి.

cane price arrears were Rs.21,000 crore as on 15/4/2015.

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

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Direct subsidy to sugarcane growers

Sustained surpluses of production over domestic consumption in the last five years has led to subdued sugar prices, which has stressed the liquidity position of the industry leading to a build up of cane price arrears. During sugar season 2014-15, the peak cane price arrears were Rs.21,000 crore as on 15/4/2015.

The Central Government has, in the last one year, taken several steps to mitigate the situation and protect livelihoods of cane farmers. To improve liquidity of sugar mills and facilitate payment of cane dues arrears, the Government had increased the export incentive on raw sugar from Rs 3300/MT to Rs. 4000/MT in the sugar season 2014-15. Funds were allocated to support 14 lac MT (LMT) of raw sugar exports.

The Government has also fixed remunerative prices for Ethanol supplied for blending with petrol (Rs.42/liter). Blending targets under the Ethanol blending program (EBP) has been scaled up from 5% to 10%. The Government has also waived the excise duties on ethanol in the current sugar season resulting in Rs.5/ liter extra revenue realization to incentivize ethanol supplies. As a result, supplies of 103 crore Litre of ethanol was contracted by the OMCs after first offer; which is a substantial increase as compared to 32 crore Litre in the previous sugar season.

To further help the industry clear cane dues arrears, the Government has disbursed soft loans to the extent of Rs. 4,047 crore. To ensure that farmers are paid their dues expeditiously, the financial assistance has been passed on directly to the cane growers by the banks after obtaining the list from the mills. Furthermore, the Government has provided one year moratorium on this loan, and will bear the interest subvention cost to the extent of Rs. 600 crore for the said period.

To further ensure timely payment of cane dues in the current sugar season, the Government has decided to provide a production subsidy @ of Rs. 4.50 per quintal of cane crushed to offset cane cost. The said subsidy shall be paid directly to the farmers on behalf of the mills and be adjusted against the cane price payable to the farmers towards FRP including arrears relating to previous years. Subsequent balance, if any, shall be credited into the mill’s account. Priority will be given to settling cane dues arrears of the previous years.

The Government has notified mill-wise Minimum Indicative Export Quota (MIEQ) for export of sugar. A national grid allocating ethanol supplies to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) by distilleries attached to sugar mills under Ethanol Blending Program (EBP) has been notified. The production subsidy is a performance incentive and will be provided to those mills which have exported at least 80% of the targets notified under the MIEQ and in case of mills having distillation capacities to produce ethanol have achieved 80% of the targets notified by the Department under the EBP.

Global crude oil price of Indian Basket was US$ 40.27 per bbl on 17.11.2015

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

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The international crude oil price of Indian Basket as computed/published today by Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas was US$ 40.27 per barrel (bbl) on 17.11.2015. This was higher than the price of US$ 39.89 per bbl on previous publishing day of 16.11.2015.

In rupee terms, the price of Indian Basket increased to Rs 2657.22 per bbl on 17.11.2015 as compared to Rs 2639.71 per bbl on 16.11.2015. Rupee closed stronger at Rs 65.98 per US$ on 17.11.2015 as against Rs 66.17 per US$ on 16.11.2015.