Factories Amendment Bill 2016

Factories Amendment Bill 2016 was introduced in the the lower house(Lok Sabha) last month. Now standing committee is considering it. It is an improvement over the Factories Amendment Bill of 2014. What are the penalties? What is "over time" limits? What could be termed as "hazardous" Such changes will bring advantages to the seasonal labor force. But the unemployed do not get benefits. Many factories shut down as they have met with "loss" They certainly cannot pay their ex-employees. There is even new way of defining "factory" Could there ever be job security?Any changes to the factory bill would be cosmetic only. the condition of the worker cannot be changed. Market demands and ways to meet them necessarily exploits the labor class.Can a fixed work time be enforced? When there are many willing to work for longer time, labor is replaced immediately. In the end the health and welfare of the worker is neglected. Indian live shorter and unhealthy lives. So the bill tries to amend the Factories Act of 1948. It regulates the health and welfare of the factory workers and tries to make rules on "overtime". It seeks to control these:

• Power to make rules on various matters: The Act permits the state government to prescribe rules on a range of matters, including double employment, details of adult workers to be included in the factory’s register, conditions related to exemptions to certain workers, etc.  The Bill gives such rule making powers to the central government as well.

• Powers to make rules for exemptions to workers: Under the Act, the state government may make rules to (i) define persons who hold management or confidential positions; and (ii) exempt certain types of adult workers (e.g. those engaged for urgent repairs) from fixed working hours, periods of rest, etc.  The Bill gives such rule making powers to both, the central and state governments. 

• Under the Act, such rules will not apply for more than five years.  The Bill modifies this provision to state that the five-year limitation will not apply to rules made after the enactment of this Bill.

• Overtime hours of work in a quarter: The Act permits the state government to make rules related to the regulation of overtime hours of work.  However, the total number of hours of overtime must not exceed 50 hours for a quarter.  The Bill raises this limit to 100 hours.  Rules in this regard may be prescribed by the central government as well.

• Overtime hours if factory has higher workload: The Act enables the state government to permit adult workers in a factory to work overtime hours if the factory has an exceptional work load.  Further the total number of hours of overtime work in a quarter must not exceed 75.  The Bill permits the central or state government to raise this limit to 115.

• Overtime in public interest: The Bill introduces a provision which permits the central or state government to extend the 115-hour limit to 125 hours.  It may do so because of (i) excessive work load in the factory and (ii) public interest.

Supreme court scraps Singur's land Acquisition

In a remarkable move, Supreme Court tells Tata motors to return the 1000 acres land acquired to be returned to the farmers. At state level, Tata motors lost its case in 2011, due to which it moved its car manufacturing factory to Anand, Gujarat. Case went to highest court. By now the 'Land Acquisition Act of 1894' And now farmers' permission is required in acquiring land. So the land was acquired "illegally"And more over private companies cannot acquired land by this Act. The Tata motors manufactured the new car "Nano" and successfully launched in it in the market and made its profits. The farmers agitated for last ten years and many died in their struggle.
The Supreme court has ruled that within 12 weeks, land must be returned to the original owners, the farmers. And the price paid to them as compensation should not be obtained back by Tata motors. Because the farmers could not farm for the last 10 years, they had to watch helplessly, as factory came up, and they were told to move out. They had no where to go!
This is a big win for the farmers.Supreme court called the land acquisition law as a bad law in intent and execution. This acquisition was facilitated by the communist government of that time(2006) and it did not care for the farmers.

GST has been passed by Upper House of Parliament

Rajya Sabha has passed the GST(goods and services tax) Bill unanimously. This will enhance growth and development of the country as corporate do not have to go through tedious taxation by state governments. Now the central government will get the benefits of tax. And state government will loose revenue. Tthere will be uniform tax across the country and this will ease business.
State governments will require higher revenue for development, but the Central government has assured that the revenue loss will be compensated for next 5 years.Each state government has to pass its own state specific GST Bill soon.
It is not very simple as it sounds. The states are run by different party and not necessarily the party at the center(which is BJP now). So there will be difference in attitude towards the states.
There is now dual monitoring system, to keep an eye on supplier and the purchaser. Advantages outweigh the drawbacks. But will this work out.? Can the black market be abolished?Even now, most businesses employ laborers while not paying them minimum wages. Goods wont be taxed as much means better "profit-making" climate. Burden is there on the average Indian or the common man. Well there is some losses and some gains.
In order to ensure that there is no slippage on date of implementation of GST from 1st April, 2017, the Prime Minister reviewed the progress made on various steps needed for the rollout of GST relating to preparation of Model GST laws and rules to be framed, establishment of IT infrastructure for both Centre and States, training of officers of Central and State Governments and outreach for awareness of trade and industry. The Prime Minister directed that all steps must be completed much before 1st April, 2017. The Prime Minister observed that GST Council would need to have intensive meetings to be able to make timely recommendations relating to its mandate provided in Article 279A including making recommendations relating to Model GST laws, GST rates, goods and services that may be subjected to or exempted from GST. 

Many states are going to the polls, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal Kerala and so on

Each politician is trying to make coalitions to win election.But only to win, after winning teams breakup and people's problems are never looked into.Problems in India are economical and which ever party gets elected, the plight of the people will be same. Elections is the way to tell the people that there is hope. But is there hope?Each political party looks after its own self-interest. How to get power and how to secure power for next election and how to ruin reputation of other parties. It is sad to see the same sort of elections all over again. There are few paths for the people to survive. Since government does not give any benefits to the unemployed, they have to fend for themselves.
Electioneering is a big wast of resources. The whole phenomena takes much efforts and much expenditures. The resources spent on electioneering could be used to uplift people. All these years dynastic control of the Congress party meant that people were kept poor. Why? So that they have fixed vote banks. Cunning political policies of the congress party has meant impoverishment of the people. There must be a way to overthrow dynastic control of politics.

Self help is best help. Whatever government does is not helping the people. People have to help themselves. Now rickshaws (like the one in picture) are driven by rural persons who have migrated to city. The cost of the vehicle is low( and it does not need a licence. Running cost is low too. Profits are high as six persons can be accommodated in it. And one can buy with a small loan, and recover the costs very soon.

Belgium blasts -cause of worry

When Europe is  so vulnerable, India too is vulnerable. What to do? Just when the Paris blast was solved, now this is here. Airport bomb at Belgium.First, this will affect the tourist industry. Europe enjoyed the economic benefits of tourism and especially Belgium.And now all are concerned, what is next? Or who is next?It is terrible. Whether to travel or not to? Not to.When one has to travel as per job requirement, one is putting one's life in danger.One and all are are worried

How do rural Indians survive

Rural India migrates to urban India because to live by cultivation is too difficult.Unemployment is rampant. And Rural employment scheme cannot provide sufficient money for them to survive. Climate varies too much,making agriculture precarious. Land holdings are too small and they do not give enough returns to gain the input costs,fertilizer,water,pesticide,seeds etc.So the farmer has to migrate to provide food for his family.But he has no skills to work in urban India. So he starts as a laborer.. ...he may drive a rickshaw or drive a man cart and send some money to his home in village.

There are other options.Like for instance,he can buy things at cheap price and sell those goods to make little money.

Small tea stalls which cater to the need of the labor class can give some small profits. But big hotels are too risky 9 out of 10 hotels fail, as there is too much competition.If he learn to be a tailor or a plumber or a carpenter or an electrician.There is better chance of surviving in urban India.

Rural Employment scheme(MGREGA) gives money for the unemployed in rural areas. But it could instead give them skills to survive in urban India

Aadhaar Bill has been passed

Unique identity of an individual, bio-metric data(finger prints, and eye's iris photographs) are used to give an "Aadhaar number"(ten digits) The eye patterns are unique and can identify an individual. Such documentation violated the constitutional right to liberty (which includes privacy)Aadhaar Bill which was previously defeated in the Rajya Sabba(Upper House) was passed again successfully in Lok Sabba(Lower House).And the amendments made by opposition were not passed. It was disguised as "money bill" by the finance minister.Rajya Sabba, and others parties absented themselves as they did not adhere to the passing of the bill. Only 140 minsters of parliament voted.So it was passed by unfair means.It is now said that Aadhar can be made mandatory if a person wants to avail subsidiaries given by the government. Since public interest and safety is more important than individual, it is ok to compromise on individual rights to privacy. Clever moves of the finance minster will be checked, sooner or later. Supreme court does not approve such documentation of the citizens