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The Hindu
an hour ago
- Business
- The Hindu
3.5 lakh plantation workers still receive only ₹2 per day as DA
As many as 3.5 lakh permanent plantation workers in the State are not receiving adequate Dearness Allowance (DA), according to a Right to Information (RTI) response. The response was given to an RTI petition filed by Karim Ibrahim from Munnar, a plantation worker. According to the reply, there were 87 sections of workers included in the Minimum Wages Act, and only the plantation sector workers were receiving inadequate DA. The plantation workers are supposed to receive ₹87.40 per day as DA. 'However, now the plantation workers are receiving only ₹2 per day as DA whereas the average DA for the other 86 sectors is ₹87.40 per day,' said Mr. Ibrahim. 'For the past 50 years, the DA has not increased for the plantation sector,' he added. To President According to officials, the 3.5 lakh permanent workers from tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber plantations are part of the plantation sector. 'We submitted a memorandum to the President of India demanding action to increase the DA, who then directed the State government to take steps for this. Based on the direction, the Labour Commissioner as well as the Minimum Wages Advisory Board recommended to raise the DA. However, the Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) meeting on May 15, 2024, decided against this,' he said. 'The PLC is not a statutory committee to make such a decision,' added Mr. Ibrahim. According to workers, the PLC is the final body to make a decision regarding the DA for the plantation sector. 'Representatives of government, Labour Commissioners, trade union leaders, and plantation owners were included in the PLC committee. However, even the trade unions did not advocate for DA raise for the plantation workers,' he said. Price index Sources said that the Economics and Statistics department calculates the DA for plantation workers using a price index. The documents secured from the State Statistics department showed that the basic point based on which the plantation workers' DA is calculated increased from 400 to 3,659 points in the past three decades. However, this was not reflected in the DA, according to sources. High Range Plantation Employees Union (INTUC) president Cyriac Thomas said that in every meeting, the INTUC demanded for a DA raise for the plantation workers in the State. 'We will continue the demand in the next PLC meeting as well,' said Mr. Thomas. The plantation workers are planning to move the Kerala High Court regarding the issue.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
FGG flags building convention centres near Hyderabad's Gandipet in violation of GO 111; municipality claims no records, forum urges CM Revanth Reddy to act
The Forum for Good Governance has raised concerns over the construction of convention centers near Gandipet lake in Hyderabad, alleging violations of GO 111 HYDERABAD: In apparently a breach of govt order (GO) 111 prohibiting construction around catchment area of Gandipet lake, many convention centres are being built in the area. The issue has been flagged by the Forum for Good Governance (FGG), which said that the Narsingi Municipality has been giving evasive replies to Right to Information (RTI) application seeking information on permission status for these convention centres. "Records do not exist" was the cryptic response by the municipality on whether Neo Convention, Aarya Convention and K Convention applied for or received permission for construction, the FGG said. In its written reply, the Narsingi Municipality stated: "It is to inform that as per the available records, the said constructions were completed way back in the then gram panchayaths and the building permission details are not handed over to Narsingi Municipality during the merging." FGG flags violations In a letter addressed to chief minister A Revanth Reddy, the FGG raised serious objections to the construction of these facilities within 500 metres of the Gandipet lake in violation of GO 111. The letter signed by FGG president M Padmanabha Reddy pointed out that while some of the convention centres were already operational for over a year, others were still under construction. The forum also included maps and photographs of the sites located in Zanwada village of Shankarpally mandal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "The gram panchayat of Zanwada has said that nobody approached them and no permission to any construction of convention centres was given," the letter to the CM read. FGG also questioned the absence of house numbers or property tax records for the buildings. "If they were constructed long back, there should have been proper house numbers and regular property tax should have been collected," the letter stated. CM intervention sought FGG urged the CM to initiate a detailed inquiry into the matter, identify officials who allowed the construction to proceed without due process and demolish all illegal structures near the lake. The forum stressed the need to protect Gandipet lake ecosystem and uphold the norms set out in GO 111.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
RTI victory for JAC at PGI: CPIO directed to provide info in 30 days
Chandigarh: In a significant development at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, the first appellate authority (FAA) has directed the chief public information officer (CPIO), Vigilance Cell, to furnish information sought under Right to Information (RTI) Act, free of cost, within 30 days. The order follows a complaint filed by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of PGI over denial of RTI information. The JAC had sought details of cases referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from January 1, 2020, onward, specifically those related to fraudulent withdrawal of medicines, drugs, and surgical items on forged indents in the Prime Minister's Grant case. However, the CPIO rejected the application, stating that the JAC did not qualify as a "citizen" under Rule 3 of the RTI Act, 2005. In response, the JAC filed a first appeal dated May 24, 2025, before the FAA, requesting immediate disclosure of the information and enforcement of suo moto publication of such details on PGIMER's website under Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act. They also called for imposition of a penalty of Rs 250 per day for delay in providing information, as prescribed under Section 20 (1) of the Act. Dr Sunil K Gupta, chief vigilance officer and first appellate authority, issued a detailed ruling directing the CPIO to provide the requested information within 30 days and ensure its publication on the official website of the institute. He observed that the original case file was examined and the CPIO's technical objection—based on a narrow interpretation of the term "citizen"—was not tenable in light of prevailing legal precedents. "The CPIO, Vigilance Cell, is directed to provide requisite information as per rule to the applicant within 30 days, free of cost, and also ensure suo moto disclosure of the information on the website of PGIMER," stated Dr Gupta in the order. The FAA also referenced a Central Information Commission (CIC) ruling dated January 7, 2025, which clarified that office-bearers of associations, unions, and other collective entities are entitled to seek information under the RTI Act on behalf of their organisations. This legal precedent played a crucial role in the decision to allow the JAC's application. A copy of the order has been sent to the system analyst, computer cell, PGIMER, for prompt uploading of relevant information on the institution's website. MSID:: 121956868 413 |
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Over 43% of rape cases filed in Gurugram in 5-yr period pertain to false promise of marriage: RTI
Gurugram An RTI query filed with Gurugram police found that 43.6% of rape cases filed between 2020 ad 2024 were specifically related to 'false promise of marriage', categorised as a deciding factor of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and a quarter of the total cases filed were later cancelled by the police due to false allegations. According to police data, 955 cases of rape were filed between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, across police stations in Gurugram. Of these, 417 cases were related to false promise of marriage, the reply to an RTI query filed by activist and documentary filmmaker Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj found. HT accessed a copy of the response. The data further said that 236 of the total cases were cancelled, indicating they were false cases as allegations were found unsubstantiated during the investigation. However, legal action was initiated only in 96 false cases, activists said, pointing to a lack of deterrence that may adversely impact investigation in genuine cases. Petitioner Bhardwaj, a men's rights activist and founder of the Ekam Nyaay Foundation, said: 'We are seeing a pattern where consensual relationships that later sour are weaponised as rape allegations under the false promise of marriage. This is not only an abuse of the law but is also harming genuine survivors and overburdening the justice system.' Misuse of law Legal experts say the data points to the need for a dual-framework approach—strong support systems for survivors and strict scrutiny of repeat false complainants. The concern of false cases is echoed at the state level. In a memo dated June 19, 2024—sent to sent to all police commissioners and superintendents of police (SPs) across the state—the Director General of Police, Haryana, acknowledged the pattern of repeated false rape allegations by individual complainants. The memo urged officers to take 'necessary action against the complainants who have filed many false rape cases' to uphold the integrity of rape laws. Susheela, assistant commissioner of police (headquarters, crime against women), said: 'A decade ago, the situation was different, but now, laws are being misused blatantly due to which we have changed our investigation pattern in such kinds of cases. Social media leaves enough evidence to expose a truth.' Bhardwaj said her foundation recently helped expose a woman in Gurugram who filed nine rape complaints against different men within the span of a year. 'The police arrested her last year, and another case involving a honeytrap gang, wherein a police officer was also targeted, further illustrates the depth of this misuse,' she said. Activists argued that while a few false cases are being acted upon, the systemic response remains tepid. 'Even in proven false cases, we're seeing that barely 40% are leading to prosecution under IPC 182 (false information with intent to cause harm). This emboldens more misuse,' Bhardwaj said. Policing challenges Officers investigating rape complaints said that they have to take a balanced approach, as they have to ascertain the gravity of the complaint, as well as give those accused of the crime a chance to rebut the allegations. ACP Susheela said that they strictly comply with Supreme Court directions in such cases, by giving a fair chance to the accused to produce all kinds of evidence, including electronic ones, such as WhatsApp chats, over complaints of rape on pretext of marriage or rape in live-in relationships. 'If we find that the allegations are false, we don't register the case at all. In case an FIR is registered, and it is found in the course of the investigation that allegations don't have any merit, we write to the court for cancellation of the FIR and urge for action against the complainant,' she said. The ACP said that in multiple cases, police have urged the court to take action against women who filed false cases. Bhardwaj said: 'This is not about discrediting genuine survivors. It's about ensuring our laws are not misused to ruin innocent lives under the guise of justice.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
RTI: Eway e-challan recovery just 9 per cent of 269cr
The Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) on Mumbai-Pune expressway has generated 17 lakh e-challans worth nearly ₹ 269.5 crore for traffic violations since it was implemented on July 19 last year, but recovery from offenders stands at a measly 9per cent till March 2025, officials said on Sunday. The 1.5 lakh cleared e-challans, or 9per cent of the total generated, amount to ₹25.2 crore, which is 9.3 per cent of the total sum to be paid by offenders, as per official documents. As per an RTI reply, Maharashtra government has paid the ITMS operator ₹57.9 crore for the 8.8 lakh e-challans issued between July 19 and Dec 31 last year. The project is being executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which built the Mumbai-Pune expressway, in collaboration with the RTO and highway police under a Public-Private Partnership ( PPP ) model. The state transport department has given ₹45 crore viability gap funding from Road Safety Fund for the project that costs more than ₹100 crore. The MSRTC has installed 40 gantries and hundreds of CCTV cameras as part of ITMS, which also includes speed detection cameras , ANPR, weigh-in-motion sensors, AVCC, weather sensors, and a dynamic messaging system.
