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Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
HRF demands reinstating VSP's terminated contract workers
Visakhapatnam: Expressing solidarity with agitating contract workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant who were terminated, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) demanded reinstating all the 3,000 of them with immediate effect. HRF AP state president KV Jagannadha Rao and HRF AP and TG coordination committee member VS Krishna emphasised that the management must abandon attempts to terminate a further 1,800 contract workers. 'We condemn the management's use of police to intimidate workers instead of engaging in dialogue and seeking democratic resolution of issues raised by them. Resorting to fear tactics instead of negotiation, particularly when production at the plant is being affected, is unacceptable,' they stressed. Contract workers are the backbone of daily operations at the plant but they continue to be denied basic rights, job security and dignity at the workplace. Their persistent demands for regularisation and fair wages remain to be unmet, the HRF representatives expressed concern. The Central government is orchestrating a systematic conspiracy to privatise the steel plant by granting Rs.11,440 crore package, waiving GST and other dues and making the plant lucrative for the private players, Jagannadha Rao and Krishna stated. 'We condemn this attempt to hand over a precious industrial asset built on the sacrifice of 32 lives and voluntary land donation by people belonging to 69 villages to corporate interests on a platter,' they said. In the 40-year history of the VSP, such intimidation tactics and huge police deployment were never witnessed. The suspension of protesting workers and the issuance of show-cause notices, the HRF representatives said, were in direct violation of the Industrial Disputes Act of 1948. HRF calls for immediate stoppage of punitive actions by the management and a democratic and peaceful resolution of grievances of employees and contract workers at the VSP and attempts to privatise the steel plant are halted.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
In support of VSP workers, Sharmila launchers indefinite hunger strike
Visakhapatnam: There is no point in giving up hunger strike until 2,000 contract workers are reinstated, underlined AP Congress Committee (APCC) chief YS Sharmila Reddy. Launching an indefinite hunger strike to extend support to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) workers strike at the relay hunger strike camp here on Wednesday, Sharmila said that until justice was meted out to the workers, she is not going to step back from the hunger strike. Already, she warned the government to reinstate 2,000 contract workers, who were removed from work recently and issued an ultimatum to the plant management in this regard. However, as there was no response from the management so far, she reached the hunger strike camp located at Kurmannapalem in Visakhapatnam and commenced the hunger strike. She was accompanied by trade union leaders and employees as they welcomed her intervention in the issue. Speaking on the occasion, the APCC chief alleged that the BJP government is gradually killing the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. 'They are laying off jobs, conspiring to block the supply of raw materials and increasing export prices to put a financial burden on the VSP,' she alleged, recalling that during the Congress rule, the idea was to allocate its own captive mines to the VSP. The APCC chief mentioned that it is a lie that the steel plant was supported by the Central government. Sharmila lamented that Rs.8,000 crore were taken back in the garb bank loans after allocating a revival package of Rs.11,000 crore. She also pointed out that there is a condition to release another Rs.3,000 crore, if a total of 5,000 employees will be removed from the plant. Further, APCC chief alleged that the TDP and Jana Sena Party government could not fulfil its promises made during election campaign. She accused the political parties for utilising the VSP issue for political purposes. 'Why are they not stopping the workers from being laid off?' the APCC chief questioned the AP government. Sharmila Reddy warned the Central government that the Congress party would not tolerate if the VSP is privatised. She demanded that the laid-off workers should be reinstated with immediate effect.
Hans India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Cabinet approves expansion of academic, infrastructure capacity of 5 IITs
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the expansion of academic and infrastructure capacity of five new Indian Institutes of Technology (IlTs). The expansion work will begin at IIT Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), IIT Palakkad (Kerala), IIT Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), IIT Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) and IIT Dharwad (Karnataka) at a cost of Rs.11,828.79 crore for four years, according to a Cabinet Communique. The construction work starting from 2025-26 to 2028-29, will lead to an increase in academic seats -- by more than 6,500 in the next four years -- across undergraduate (UG), post-graduate (PG), and PhD programmes. Student strength will see an increase of 1,364 in the first year, 1,738 in the second year, 1,767 students in the third year and 1,707 in the fourth year. 'On completion of construction, these five IITs shall be able to cater 13,687 students as against current student strength of 7,111, that is, an increase of 6,576 students,' the Communique said. The addition of seats 'will foster nation-building by creating a skilled workforce, driving innovation, and boosting economic growth. It enhances social mobility, reduces educational inequality, and strengthens India's global position'. In addition, employment will be generated through the hiring of faculty, administrative staff, researchers, and support personnel to manage the increased number of students and facilities. The Cabinet has also approved the creation of 130 faculty posts (at the level of Professor that is Level 14 and above) in these IlTs. The expansion of IIT campuses also stimulates local economies by generating demand for housing, transportation, and services. Further, to boost industry-academia linkage, five new state-of-the-art research parks will also be set up. The plan to increase seats in IITs was also announced during the Union Budget 2025-26 'Total number of students in 23 IlTs has increased 100 per cent from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past 10 years. Additional infrastructure will be created in the five IlTs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students,' Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced.
Hans India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Sharmila extends support to Ukku agitators
Visakhapatnam: Expressing solidarity with Ukku agitators at the relay hunger strike camp, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief YS sharmila warned the Union government that an indefinite strike would be launched if removed workers were not reinstated at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). Expressing solidarity with Ukku agitators who are on a relay hunger strike at Kurmannapalem, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief YS Sharmila Reddy extended support to VSP workers. Speaking on the occasion, she mentioned that the Congress party would support the strike scheduled on May 20. Sharmila said that the plant was established during the Congress party's rule and the party will safeguard the plant at any cost. The BJP government claimed that they were extending financial support to the RINL by providing financial aid of Rs.11,000 crore, the APCC chief said, adding that the Union government announced a special package on one hand and cleared bank loans on the other. Further, Sharmila mentioned that opposing the decision to privatise the VSP, the trade unions are staging protests from January 2021. She congratulated the union leaders and workers for continuing the hunger strike with determination despite the obstacles they came across. The APCC chief recalled that the VSP had a bright future under the Congress regime till 2014. However, the plant incurred losses during the BJP's rule. The BJP government conspired to kill the plant to benefit the Adani Group, she alleged. Sharmila alleged that there is a conspiracy to hand over the assets of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant worth Rs.4 lakh crore to Adani at a throw away price. She pointed out that the process of laying off workers has been going on for the last six months and that there were 34,000 employees in the plant in the Congress regime. The employees have been laid off without any reason in these 11 years, she expressed concern. 'BJP ministers say that there is no privatization of the VSP, but higher officials of the Central government say there is no change in the privatisation decision. They say that the decision taken in 2021 will continue, which of these announcements are true?' questioned the APCC chief. The APCC chief objected that the workers did not get a single rupee of the Rs.11,000 crore financial assistance given to the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant by the Centre. She demanded that the 2,000 people who were laid off at the steel plant should be immediately reinstated, the steel plant should be allocated its own mines, and be merged with SAIL to overcome losses. Along with the Ukku agitators, Sharmila participated in the relay hunger strike for six hours in Visakhapatnam.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Time of India
Bengaluru's Bold Heists: Women Thieves in Autorickshaws and a Conman in Saffron
house burglary cases Bommanahalli police have solved threeinvolving two women who used an autorickshaw to search for empty homes. Police recovered 130 grams of gold jewellery and seized the vehicle, with a total value of Rs.11 case surfaced on March 18, 2025, after a Garvebhavipalya resident reported a break-in involving Rs.3 lakh in cash and gold stolen. Police began an investigation and, using informer inputs and surveillance, arrested two women near Adugodi Signal on April 2. One of the accused, Nilofer, worked as an autorickshaw driver, while her accomplice, Shabreen Taj, assisted in the burglaries. During interrogation, they confessed and admitted to two more break-ins under the Mico Layout Police limits. They told police they had sold the stolen gold at jewellery shops. Police served notices to the shop owners, who returned the stolen ornaments on April 10. The duo was produced before the court and remanded to police custody on April 3 and then to judicial custody on April another case, Bommanahalli police arrested two women and recovered stolen jewellery worth Rs.3 lakh in a gold theft involving a house break-in. On February 6, a resident of Kaveri Nagar returned home after visiting a friend, only to discover that thieves had broken into his house and vanished with 30 grams of gold ornaments. Acting on leads, police arrested a suspect near Canara Bank, Begur, on February 28. He confessed to the crime and disclosed his accomplice's identity. He was remanded for 19 days in police March 19, police arrested the second accused near D-Mart on Kodichikkanahalli Main Road. He, too, confessed to the theft. The duo was later remanded to judicial custody on April from a trip to Mysore, a man found his house broken into and valuables missing. KR Puram police arrested a suspect and recovered gold and silver worth Rs.30 investigation began on October 15, 2024, when a resident of Akshaya Nagar in Ramamurthy Nagar filed a complaint stating that his home had been broken into during a family trip to Mysore. The thieves had forced entry, looting 306 grams of gold jewellery and 1 kg of silver articles from the locked months of investigation and crucial leads from informants, the police nabbed the accused near Huskoor Lake, Electronics City, on April 10, 2025. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the burglary and revealed the involvement of an inquiries led the police to recover 123 grams of gold and 13 grams of silver from the accused's residence in Agrahara, Konappa, on April 16. Jewellery shop owners in TC Palya, Devasandra, Medahalli, and Seegehalli were served notices, leading to the seizure of another 183 grams of gold and 987 grams of silver, brought to the station on April 18 and 19.A man returned home to find his front door broken and gold ornaments missing after spending a night at a friend's house. The case, which unfolded on March 16, 2025, was cracked by KR Puram Police, leading to the arrest of a serial thief already in custody in to the complainant, he found his front door wide open upon returning home. He filed a complaint at the KR Puram Police Station on March 17, initiating an investigation. Following multiple leads, the police tracked down a suspect linked to an earlier theft case in Anderson Town (KGF). With court approval, the accused was brought into police custody on April 7. The accused, identified as Ajju alias Prakash, along with other accomplices, was arrested based on CCTV evidence. During interrogation, he admitted to the crime and revealed he had sold the stolen gold at a jewellery shop in Chintamani, along with an accomplice who remains at large. The accused was produced in court on April 16 and returned to KGF Jail.A man posing as a Nagasadhu tricked a car driver in Vyalikaval on April 19 and fled with a 10-gram gold ring. The driver reported the theft to the High Ground a driver, was waiting by his vehicle near a private hotel when a saffron-clad man approached, claiming to be a man asked for a five-minute rest and handed the driver five rudrakshis, asking him to return one. After the bead was returned, the man wrapped it in paper and revealed it as a flower, claiming it was a sign of divine blessing and that Lakshmi would favour the fraudster gained the driver's trust and asked for his gold ring. After applying ash to the driver's forehead, the sadhu told him to walk ahead without turning back to avoid bad luck. When the driver returned, the man had disappeared. The driver filed a complaint, and High Ground police are now searching for the conman.
