Bharat Bandh hits life in Kerala; schools and offices report thin attendance
Reports from across Kerala indicated that pro-strike employees belonging to Left unions blocked vehicles in many places, and forced banks and private institutions to shut down.
Although the Kerala Government did not declare a holiday for educational institutions, most schools reported skeletal attendance as authorities did not operate institution buses, fearing an attack from striking workers.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC ) also suspended its services. On Tuesday, Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, who belongs to Kerala Congress (B), said he would ensure that buses would conduct regular services on the strike day.
However, CITU leader and convener of ruling Left Democratic Front T P Ramakrishnan rejected the minister's stand, saying that KSRTC employees will take part in the Bharat Bandh, and dared employees to work.
Over 25 crore workers across banking, insurance, postal, mining, and construction industries are expected to participate in the nationwide general strike.
A coalition of 10 central trade unions, in coordination with various farmers' and rural workers' organisations, is protesting what they describe as the Centre's pro-corporate, anti-labour policies.
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Indian Express
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In the understaffed NGT, Centre appoints 2 judicial members and 4 new expert members
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But the Centre may not remain very pleased for long with a situation where the states end up getting a much larger share of the total duties collected on imports of goods and services. Once the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions raised the share of central taxes to be transferred to the states to 42 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively, the Centre over the last decade or so has increased its reliance on cesses and surcharges, which are not part of the divisible pool, and prevented a larger transfer of taxes. Will the Centre do something similar to limit the states' import revenue share? AK Bhattacharya is the Editorial Director, Business Standard. He tweets @AshokAkaybee. Views are personal.
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