Nasheman News : The Congress on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Supreme Court reinstated Alok Verma as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, saying he has been exposed for “destroying” the premier investigating agency.

“Modi adds another first to his list. After being the first Prime Minister to be exposed destroying the CBI before the Supreme Court, after having ruined the CVC’s (Central Vigilance Commission) credibility (requiring supervision by former SC judge), Modi has now become first Prime Minister to have his illegal orders set aside by the Supreme Court,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a series of tweets.

His remarks came soon after the Supreme Court judgment pronounced on a plea by Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the government’s decision on the intervening night of October 23-24 to divest Verma of his charge as head of the investigating agency.

Reminding Modi that the government comes and goes but the integrity of the institutions survive, Surjewala hoped that the judgement would be a “lesson” to the Prime Minister about the strength of country’s democracy and the Constitution.

“Modiji please remember, governments have come and gone. Integrity of our institutions have survived. Let this be a lesson to you about the strength of our democracy and the Constitution. Let this be a lesson that howsoever despotic you may be, law catches up in the end,” he said.

Firing salvo at Prime Minister, the Congress leader said: “After making CBI Chief suffer the consequences of your illegal decision for three months, will you show the courage to return three months of lost tenure? Unless you are afraid of investigation into Rafale scam.

“Modi equals to ‘Muzzling of Democratic Institutions’. First, you lose four economic advisors in a row including two RBI Governors. Second, four Supreme Court judges go public on Judge (B.H.) Loya, then you destroy credibility and competence of the CBI and CVC. This is your model of ‘minimum governance, maximum government’,” he added.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi questioned the Supreme Court verdict asking what has changed now.

“Before the Supreme Court verdict; Alok Verma didn’t have powers of CBI Chief, couldn’t take any decision on policy or investigation. After Supreme Court verdict: Ditto,” Singhvi tweeted.

MUnion minister for surface transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, instructed L&T Company which has been given contract to execute widening of national highway (NH) 75 between B C Road and Addahole, to settle legal disputes fast and continue with road widening work at a brisk pace. MP Nalin Kumar, who gave this information, stated that the minister asked L&T Company and National Highways Authority of India to see that the work is executed at the earliest.

A special meeting presided over by Nitin Gadkari to discuss problems associated with national highways passing through Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency was held at New Delhi on Monday. Union minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, and MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, who were present, explained the problems encountered in executing national highway work in Dakshina Kannada district. After learning that the pace of work on national highways in this district has been moving at a sluggish pace, the minister ordered the same to be executed speedily.

The minister instructed Navayuga Company to complete remaining works under Talapady – Kundapur highway widening work and flyovers at Pumpwell and Thokkottu at the earliest, and facilitate traffic on them by February end.

NHAI chief general manager, Alok Deepanker, NHAI Bengaluru regional office executive, R C Sooryavamshi, secretary of the minister, Vaibhav Dange and high level officials were present.

The minster also asked state level officials to speed up land acquisition process on Kulshekar – Karkala, B C Road – Kateel, Melkar – Konaje – Thokkottu stretches. He promised to take part in the inaugural of Talapady – Kundapur highway and laying of foundation stone for the proposed highway before February end.

Agencies

Nasheman News : The Income-Tax (I-T) Department would soon issue orders for attaching the property of Karnataka’s Congress Minister D.K. Shivakumar, a top official said on Monday.

“The case (investigation) on Shivakumar is in progress. We will soon be issuing orders to attach his property,” Karnataka Director-General of Income-Tax (Investigation) B.R. Balakrishhnan told reporters here.

The official, however, declined to give details about the case and the value of the Minister’s property to be attached, location and its nature.

The imminent orders stem from the interrogation the I-T sleuths did with the 56-year-old state Water Resources Minister on January 3 in connection with the alleged tax evasion, money laundering and seizure of cash worth crores from his premises in Bengaluru, Kanakapura and New Delhi during the investigations since August 2017.

Teams of I-T sleuths searched Shivakumar’s residence in early August 2017 when he was looking after then Congress legislators from Gujarat at a resort near Bengaluru.

The three-day searches were conducted under Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 as an evidence gathering exercise in compliance with the statutory requirements.

Shivkumar was then Energy Minister in the previous Congress government. He is a lawmaker from Kanakapura Assembly segment in Ramaganaram district.

One of the richest politicians in the country, Shivakumar declared assets valued at Rs 840 crore in his nomination papers on April 19 for the May 2018 Assembly elections in the southern state.

On September 15, 2018, the Special Court for Economic Offences granted bail to Shivakumar and three others in a criminate case the I-T Department had filed for alleged evasion of tax and filing of false tax returns.

Nasheman News : Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development P. Balakrishna Reddy, who was on Monday sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by a special court here for damaging buses with stones in 1998, resigned from his post later in the day.

The court hearing the cases against MPs and MLAs also fined him Rs 10,000.

The court convicted 16 persons out of 108 accused.

Elected from Hosur, Reddy was part of a protest against illict liquor in 1998 near his constituency. The protest turned violent resulting in stone pelting on buses.

Meanwhile, on a petition, the judge suspended the sentence allowing Reddy to appeal in the Madras High Court.

Following the verdict, Reddy resigned from his post and the same was accepted by Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

In a statement issued by the Governor’s office, Purohit on the recommendation of Chief Minister K. Palaniswami has allocated the portfolio of Youth Welfare and Sports Development to K.A. Sengottaiyan, Minister for Education and redesignated him as Minister for School Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development.

The leaders expressed dismay at spending time in trying to attract other status-laden legislators, including the prospect of supplementary atmosphere for the government and the ministerial post. The sources said that the High Command, which carefully sensitized the functioning of the state BJP leaders, intervened in the appropriate context and was considering conducting the entire Lok Sabha election.

Following the cabinet recruitment and recruitment of the Cabinet, the BJP had been in favor of the situation. But after the development of the BJP’s expectations, there has been no provision for government formation. Even after the Makara transition, the state BJP leaders have sunk into account of a huge political change.

The Lok Sabha constituency election nemakavadaru prabharigalu and convener of the meeting has been prepared by many in the country. Some leaders have requested a change in the field of change, since senior leaders have not taken action because they are not in the proportion of the preparedness in those fields. A senior leader said that the party has been backing the organization and reinforcement.

Many of the dissatisfaction with the dissatisfaction over the conduct of the core committee, including the state BJP core committee, The unilateral decisions of the few leaders are undermining the sentiments of lower leaders and activists. In a recent meeting, the House of Representatives also objected to some members elected by the party. The opposition did not find the right answer from the Opposition Council members regarding the selection criteria. There are only a few leaders in the Core Committee, the decisions are taking place. Most of these are personal decisions that make the party’s decisions very low.

BJP high command, which has given a green signal to the government, has been sensitive to the performance of the state BJP leaders. The expectation of the Lok Sabha polls is to be preferred by the government if the effort is made on one hand. However, it is possible that they are not aware that their preparation does not work in accordance with their expectations. The sources said that the chiefs would intervene in the right direction and bring their electoral process under their own supervision.

The High Command hopes that it will be ready for all Lok Sabha elections in addition to utilizing the overall government formation. The BJP national executive meeting will be held in Delhi on 11th and 12th, and all these issues will be discussed. It is said that later preparedness is expected to accelerate.

It is best to focus on the preparation of the Lok Sabha polls without the desire to form the BJP government. It is not okay to waste time for any reason. The Congress and the JDS parties are likely to benefit from the BJP’s weaknesses in the form of government. : Lehrsing, Member of the Legislative Council

All the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies will be taken over by the President and will soon take action to bring the President’s attention to some modifications regarding the appointment of the convenor. As well as the eighth morcha will act as their responsibility. : N. Ravikumar, BJP State General Secretary, Member of the Legislative Council

Banking services are likely to be hit on January 8-9 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as a large section of PSU bank employees are expected to go on a two-day strike to back a nationwide protest called by 10 central trade unions.

The strike has been called to protest against the government’s alleged anti-worker policy. Many public sector banks including IDBI Bank announced in their stock exchange filing that operations are likely to be disrupted in case employees join the strike.

The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India have already informed the Indian Banks’’Association (IBA) of the nationwide strike on January 8-9, 2019.

Allahabad Bank also said that the issues and demands are of industry level, implying that banks services will be affected if employees take part in the strike.

“Therefore, if the strike takes place, the functioning of branches of the bank may be affected. The bank is taking all the necessary steps in terms of the existing guidelines for smooth functioning of bank’s branches/offices on the day of strike(s), in the event the strike materialises,” it said.

A number of central trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA had earlier termed many policies of the government as anti-people and there are high chances that public bank services will be hit tomorrow.

Bank of Baroda, which is another public sector bank, said, In the event of AlBEA and BEFI proceeding on strike on January 8-9, 2019, the functioning of bank’s branches/offices in some of the zones may be affected.

In fact, some private sector banks also fear that their employees will take part in the strike tomorrow to support the demands and normal working at such banks could also be affected.

Banking services were earlier affected twice in December 2018 when a similar strike was called. At least 10 lakh bank employees took part in the nationwide strikes on December 26.

Here is all you need to know about the charter of demands:

* Urgent measures for containing price-rise through universalisation of public distribution system and banning speculative trade in commodity market.

* Containing unemployment through concrete measures for employment generation.

* Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.

* Universal social security cover for all workers.

* Minimum wages of not less than Rs 18,000 per month with provisions of indexation.

* Assured enhanced pension not less than Rs 3,000 per month for the entire working population at public banks.

* Stoppage of disinvestment in central/state PSUs and any strategic sale.

* Stoppage of contractorisation in permanent perennial work and payment of same wage and benefits for contract workers as regular workers for same and similar work.

* Removal of all ceilings on payment and eligibility of bonus, provident fund; increase the quantum of gratuity.

* Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days from the date of submitting application; and immediate ratification of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions C87 and C98.

* Stop pro-employer labour law amendments.

* No FDI in railways, insurance and defence.

News Agencies

Siddaramaiah even assured of speaking to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in this regard.

DHARWAD: The Kumaraswamy government’s proposal to start English medium in government schools received a big setback with the coalition partners’ Coordination Committee chairman Siddaramaiah reiterating his stand on continuing Kannada medium in the primary level.

Siddaramaiah even assured of speaking to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in this regard.At the valedictory ceremony of the 84th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana on Sunday, Siddaramaiah strongly propounded that primary education up to seventh standard should be imparted in Kannada medium.
“English is just a language. It cannot become a medium to gain knowledge, which can be easily acquired through the mother tongue,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that arguing for English medium to take up higher education is just a pretext.