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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Clash over municipal polls timelines: UDH, SEC at odds
1 2 Jaipur: A conflict appears to be brewing between the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department and the State Election Commission (SEC) over the scheduling of the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Rajasthan. The disagreement centers around the timeline for conducting the crucial municipal elections, with both parties presenting differing timelines. UDH minister Jhabar Singh Kharra affirmed Wednesday that all ULB elections would be held by Dec 2025, aligning with the state govt's 'One State One Election' policy. This policy aims to synchronise the elections for all ULBs, including those whose terms end in 2026, by the end of 2025. "By Sept, the govt plans to formally request the SEC to initiate the election-related processes to ensure that all ULB elections can take place in phases, culminating by Dec 15, 2025," said Kharra, while speaking to reporters at his residence on Bhagat Singh Marg here. Rajasthan currently has 190 ULBs or municipal bodies, with 139 having completed their five-year terms this year. The remaining bodies are set to conclude their terms in 2026, with 50 ULBs finishing by Jan and one in Feb. Kharra assured that new boards for the 139 ULBs would be formed by Dec 2025, while the final 51 ULBs would see new boards established by mid-January 2026. In contrast, SEC commissioner Madhukar Gupta reiterated his commitment to conducting the ULB and panchayat elections by Oct end. Gupta emphasised the SEC's obligation to comply with the Rajasthan High Court's orders to conduct the polls promptly. When questioned about minister Kharra's Dec timeline, Gupta maintained that the SEC would adhere to the high court's directives to conduct the elections 'soon'. "We will follow the directives of Rajasthan HC to conduct the polls at the earliest," Gupta told TOI Wednesday. On being further asked if he stands by his comment to conduct the polls within two months, Gupta said, "Yes, we will try to conduct the polls (within two months). " The disagreement has sparked concerns over the coordination between the UDH and the SEC, with both parties standing firm on their respective timelines. The situation remains tense as the state govt and SEC navigate the complexities of election scheduling, with the potential for further developments in the coming weeks. Adding to the confusion, minister Kharra avoided questions about the timing of panchayat elections, redirecting inquiries to Panchayati Raj minister Madan Dilwar, thereby suggesting a lack of clarity within the govt regarding the electoral schedule. As the debate continues, the people of Rajasthan await clarity on when they will head to the polls to elect their local representatives, with the outcome likely to impact the state's political landscape. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
NDMA's progressive advisory will protect informal workers from the scorching heat
Written by Aravind Unni, Shalini Sinha In the past two years, we have witnessed the devastating impact of heatwaves on urban workers. The most affected workers are in the informal sector — without adequate labour regulations or social protection. They have found little mention in the Heat Action Plans (HAPs). This invisibility is now, hopefully, set to change. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a landmark and progressive advisory to protect informal workers from the impact of heatwaves in Indian cities. It advocates integrating informal workers into HAPs through an actionable framework. This includes standard measures such as adjusting work hours, ensuring access to shade, hydration, and protection. More importantly, it calls for broader social security measures, including health insurance, income protection, and long-term inclusive urban planning. This marks a significant step towards the positive recognition of informal workers and their needs within the broader climate adaptation agenda our cities must embrace. As a central body, NDMA guides framing HAPs at the state and city levels in India. If implemented, the advisory could bring much needed relief to over 15 crore urban informal workers. The advisory The NDMA's advisory is pathbreaking on many grounds. For the first time, informal workers — who comprise over 80 per cent of India's urban workforce — are formally recognised at the national level as a distinct, vulnerable group. This marks a shift from broad definitions of vulnerability, to a specific identification of worker categories: Street vendors, sanitation workers, construction labourers, domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, and platform workers. Importantly, the advisory mandates their integration into city- and state-level HAPs. It calls for budget allocations, worker-specific risk assessments, and the inclusion of unions and collectives in the planning process. It recommends a dedicated section for informal workers in HAPs, ensuring that their concerns are institutionalised and resourced. Crucially, the advisory is also gender-sensitive. It acknowledges the specific vulnerabilities of women workers — not only the reproductive health impacts exacerbated by extreme heat, but also safety and mobility concerns. It proposes for the first time safe transport options, better lighting, and attention to women-dominated 'indoor' work sectors such as domestic and home-based work. This makes it one of the most gender-responsive climate advisories issued in India to date. It recognises the role of worker organisations, welfare boards, employers, community groups, and RWAs as key actors in city-level heat responses. It advocates for participatory governance by calling for the representation of informal workers in Urban Local Body (ULB) committees and encourages collaboration between ULBs, unions, and worker boards. This reflects a shift from bureaucratic implementation to worker-led climate adaptation. By doing so, it moves heat response from a top-down, charity-oriented model to a rights-based one. The advisory also breaks from the limited view of heatwaves as one-off disasters; instead, it proposes year-round preparedness, action, and evaluation. Finally, it charts a vision for post-heatwave resilience — calling for impact assessments based on local data and long-term protection mechanisms, including climate-resilient infrastructure in informal work zones. By embedding heat resilience within a broader urban equity and social protection agenda, the advisory becomes a landmark intervention in India's climate governance for the urban informal workforce. The future As the age-old argument goes — especially in India — the key lies in implementation. Guidelines are only the first step. Translating them into effective city-level Heat Action Plans that deliver real relief to workers will require a combination of both conventional and radical approaches across labour, gender, urban planning, and governance. From a conventional standpoint, implementation will require budget allocations and a strong policy push. Existing legal frameworks can be leveraged creatively. For instance, the Street Vendors Act can be used to design climate-resilient vending zones. Similarly, worker welfare boards can provide heat protection kits, including hats and gloves, to construction workers and compensate them for income losses. From an unconventional perspective, decentralised participation and co-execution are vital. Community engagement can bring in local knowledge, resources, and accountability — transforming HAPs from technical documents into people's campaigns for resilient cities. Moving beyond cooling shelters and water kiosks, this approach imagines heat action as a democratic process. It's time for the NDMA, the MoEFCC, the MoHUA, and the MoLE to move beyond silos. Fragmented responses will no longer suffice. With strong political backing, we need institutional collaboration that reflects the lived realities of workers with respect to climate risks. Urban development, too, needs a paradigm shift. City design must embrace shade, green open spaces, water bodies, and heat-resistant building materials, answering to the need for an Indian variant of urbanisation. This change should ripple across sectors — housing, transport, and livelihoods — making cities more liveable and inclusive. Labour regulations, climate resilience, and just transitions must be integrated into planning and policy, quickly and effectively. If ever there was a moment to reimagine India's urban governance, it is now. Heatwaves, in their most decentralised and invisible forms, demand equally decentralised, efficient delivery. New partnerships — public and private, grassroots movements and scientific institutions, worker groups and climate activists — must come together to ensure that this welcome first step translates into real change. NDMA has done its part by pushing the discourse beyond seeing heatwaves as temporary crises. We must now integrate this perspective into long-term climate adaptation strategies, and it should reflect in our NDC 3.0 and NAPs. Only that will truly protect workers in cities — sustainably and justly. Aravind Unni is an urban practitioner and researcher, working with informal workers and urban communities. Shalini Sinha is Asia Strategic Lead, Urban Policies Program, WIEGO
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce thanks TN CM for reducing Local Body Entertainment Tax
The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin for accepting its request to reduce the Local Body Entertainment Tax on films from eight per cent to four per cent. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a statement that it issued on Tuesday, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce said that reduction of the Local Body had long been a consistent plea from the Tamil film industry and that it took the initiative to bring this matter to the attention of the government. Pointing out that Chief Minister had now reduced the tax from 8 per cent to four per cent, the SIFCC said that it sincerely thanked Chief Minister M K Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister , and Minister for Information and Publicity M.P. Saminathan. "This decision by the Tamil Nadu Government stands as a great boon to the Tamil film industry. There is no doubt that this move will further the growth and strengthen the position of Tamil cinema. Therefore, once again, on behalf of the entire Tamil film industry, we extend our sincere thanks to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu," it said. Debate: Bollywood extravaganza in a huge fix The decision to slash the Local Body Entertainment Tax, which comes in response to long-standing appeals from the film fraternity, has been widely welcomed by producers, distributors, and industry bodies. Each year, more than 1,000 films are released across Tamil Nadu, and the eight per cent entertainment tax - added on top of the GST- was often cited as a burden, especially for small and medium-budget films. Members of the industry have repeatedly pointed out that the high tax structure was adversely affecting their ability to recover production and distribution costs, particularly in the case of low-budget ventures. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Now, the state government's move to halve the tax is being hailed as a timely relief. The Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for heeding the industry's plea. In a statement, FEFSI said that the reduction would help revive the struggling sector and provide much-needed encouragement to smaller filmmakers. However, theatre owners have expressed a more measured response. Tirupur Subramaniam, a leading distributor, theatre owner, and former president of the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners and Exhibitors' Association, welcomed the government's intent but clarified that the reduction in entertainment tax would not lead to any cut in ticket price.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
State pushes for cleaner ration distribution system
Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission Siddaramaiah Antyodaya Anna Yojana The Food Inspector will act on the final verification results within one month by cancelling, suspending, or converting PHH cards to Non-Priority Household cards.' –report In a significant step to ensure that subsidised food grains reach only deserving families, a report by the sub-committee of the, presented to Chief Ministeron Thursday, proposed an intensive ground-level verification drive. The aim is to identify and eliminate ineligible ration card holders under the(AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories. The verification process will be carried out at the ward level in urban areas by specially constituted teams, in an effort to make the distribution system more transparent and per the new guidelines proposed by a sub-committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, each urban ward will have a three-member verification team comprising two members from the vigilance committee and one revenue officer or sanitation worker. These teams will visit households and verify the eligibility of ration card holders based on four exclusion criteria outlined by the state. The verification work must be completed within one month of receiving the list from the respective Urban Local Body (ULB).To maintain transparency, the report proposed that ULBs are mandated to publish the findings of the verification exercise within seven days. Lists of cardholders recommended for retention, suspension, or cancellation will be displayed for a period of three months at Fair Price Shops, on government websites, and on ward notice boards. If a cardholder is found ineligible due to the death of the original cardholder, their family will have a three-month window to revalidate their eligibility and claim benefits under a new or updated card. However, those who voluntarily surrender their cards will not be given this window.'After the preliminary list is released, a 15-day window will be given for the public to raise objections. Objections can be submitted either in person or online with appropriate supporting documents. The Food Inspector is required to cross-check at least 15% of the verified list to ensure accuracy. Following the resolution of objections, final lists of eligible and ineligible beneficiaries will be published again at all public locations and online', the report report recommended that the Food Inspector will act on the final verification results within one month by cancelling, suspending, or converting PHH cards to Non-Priority Household (NPHH) cards. An Action Taken Report (ATR) will be submitted to the district-level office to ensure record-keeping and accountability. If a beneficiary has not availed rations for six months or fails to respond to notices within three months, the card may be suspended. If the suspension exceeds three months or if exclusion criteria are met, the card will be converted to NPHH. In cases of voluntary surrender, proven fraud, or the death of the cardholder, the card will be cancelled safeguard the interests of eligible beneficiaries, the government has set up a robust appeals process. Any individual aggrieved by the decision of the ULB, Gram Panchayat, or Food Inspector can file an appeal before the District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO) within 30 days. Appeals can be filed online through an end-to-end digital platform and must be resolved within 30 days. During this period, appellants will continue to receive ration benefits. If the DGRO's decision is delayed or found unsatisfactory, a further appeal can be made to the State Commission, the report added.
