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According to reports, ten central trade unions will conduct a series of protests starting Thursday. These protests will continue after the two-day nationwide strike during the Budget session of the Parliament. The trade unions that will participate in the protests are the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). The demonstrations and strikes are happening due to the government planning to either fully or partially privatize the public sector units (PSU’s). The protesters believe that privatizing the PSU’s will affect the working class of the entire nation. Although multiple trade unions are participating in the protest, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the labour union affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), will not participate in any of these strikes. The central trade unions issued a joint statement saying that these protests will aim to inform the people about the repercussions of the government’s disinvestment policy. The national convention of trade unions on Thursday is the first in the series of demonstrations against the central government’s policy to reach out to the people of the nation. The unions added that this convention will be followed by a series of state-level protests all over India. As per a media report citing the statement issued by the trade unions, Thursday’s national convention will be “followed by a two-day countrywide general strike during the Budget Session in 2022.” Meanwhile, November 26 has been fixed as the nationwide protest day, since the date marks the anniversary of the National General Strike of trade unions and the ‘Kisan March’ (farmers’ foot march) to Delhi. Source: Hindustan Times

Images of Chhath devotees bathing in toxic foam floating in Yamuna river in Delhi has triggered a full-scale war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government has received crores to clean the river, however, the money has apparently been used by the city government in promoting itself through advertisement. Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s national information and technology department, on Wednesday, tweeted a copy of a letter dated July 1, 2021, from Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal that talked about Centre granting over Rs 2,000 crore to the Delhi government for cleaning of Yamuna. “The central government has provided Arvind Kejriwal 2,419 crore rupees so far for cleaning the Yamuna. Let alone clean, Yamuna is dirtier than ever before. Where did all the money go? Has Arvind Kejriwal spent all the money in putting out more ads just to promote himself? Shame” Malviya said in his tweet. On Tuesday, Shekhawat said, “Both Kejriwal and the Delhi government are running away from their responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna river. It is unfortunate that rather than cleaning the river, they are asking women not to celebrate Chhath (on its banks). Kejriwal is disrespecting the voters of Delhi.” In an apparent attempt to dodge questions over the polluted Yamuna, Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain said the BJP and the Congress did nothing to save the Yamuna in 75 years. Jain asserted that AAP will keep its promise of cleaning the river by the end of 2024. “Before elections, we said we will clean the Yamuna by 2024. The work got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic but we stand firm on our promise. The Yamuna did not become ‘maili’ (polluted) today. It has been like this for 75 years. The BJP and the Congress were in power in Delhi, but they did nothing to clean the river,” Jain alleged. Facing intense criticism over frothing Yamuna during Chhath Puja, the Delhi government deployed 15 boats to remove the toxic foam with the help of ropes. Frothing in certain stretches of the Yamuna river, such as near ITO and Okhla Barrage, has become an annual phenomenon now in winters when the temperatures are low and flow in the river less. Source: IndiaTV

The Centre has finished Air India’s monopoly over flying millions of government employees after its privatization, however, a large part of the employees’ ticketing requirements will now be handled by three public sector companies. Under the new framework, government officials can purchase Air India tickets in real money or decide to book some other Indian airlines through the three public area organizations that are probably going to procure office commissions and tagging charges from the enormous pool of government employees, assessed to run into a few millions. On November 2, department of investment and public asset management secretary Tuhin Kanta Panda said it won’t be mandatory for government employees to go in Air India after its privatization. Air India, as well, has quit offering them the credit facility for acquisition of air tickets, inciting the money service to request that all services clear the airlines’ dues. The old framework required government employees to book with the previous public transporter in areas it overhauled. “For different spots, where there were no Air India [flights] or its auxiliaries, we needed to take earlier consent for purchasing tickets,” said a senior official, who didn’t wish to be named. Be that as it may, while Air India has lost an enormous hostage client base, three PSUs, Balmer Lawrie, Ashoka Travels and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) get to do all ticket reserving for government employees. Balmer Lawrie, an organization under the petrol service, gives coordination support and a large group of other business while Ashoka Travels and Tours Ltd is under the government’s catering arm India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). The third element, IRCTC works a movement entrance, gives ticket booking and obliging Indian Railways. Both IRCTC and Balmer Lawrie are recorded organizations. India has eight airlines serving in different areas separated from some provincial transporters that are basically centred around certain courses under the government’s Udaan conspire. Aside from Air India, Vistara, Air Asia, Spice Jet, Go First, Indigo and Air India express and Alliance Air are working in the country. A circular of the Lok Sabha secretariat dated November 5, said, “All the officers are thereby requested to purchase air tickets in cash from Air India/Indian Airlines counter or from three agents, i.e. Balmer Lawrie and Co. Ashoka Travels and Tours Ltd and IRCTC, authorised by the ministry of finance for the official journeys to be performed.” The Lok Sabha circular, referring to the General Finance Rules, additionally let officials know that all air ticket bills should be submitted inside the specified period. “Henceforth, no request to honour the TA/DA claim after the stipulated time limit shall be entertained in any case,” it added. The Union government offered ailing Air India to Tata Sons last month after a few failed endeavours and expansion of cut-off times. Tata Sons purchased the national carrier for ₹18,000 crore in a deal that will no longer see hefty bailout packages for the carrier that was widely seen as a burden on tax revenue and government intervention in an otherwise competitive market. Source: Hindustan Times