Latest news with #VBA
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
15 Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi workers arrested for vandalising private hospital & threatening staff in Sangli
Kolhapur: A group of roughly 15 people associated with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi forcibly entered a private hospital in Sangli, and vandalised the property and assaulted staff members on Monday. The Sangli police have filed charges against the vandals and have arrested them. Aaditya Hospital, the medical facility that was targeted, is run by surgeon Sharad Sawant. The VBA workers claimed the hospital was charging fees from economically weak patients while simultaneously receiving govt compensation through the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. They also accused the hospital of providing substandard treatment to patients under the govt scheme. Sawant, however, rejected these accusations, claiming that certain local elements were attempting to force the hospital's closure. "We never charge a penny from the poor patients. There is a rule to initiate treatment or surgery only after approval from the govt machinery. There have been times when we did not wait for the approvals, given the condition of the patients. We challenge those accusing us to present the facts with documents, and we will also present the facts if they have any doubts. Vandalism, attacking the staff, and threatening us is not the way," said Sawant. Sawant alerted police when the vandalism commenced. Police intervened and detained the vandals. "We have arrested 15 people associated with a political party. We have invoked sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010," said inspector Sudhir Bhalerao, of the Vishrambaug police station.
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Am I the bad guy?' — Worker says his colleague got retrenched after he automated 90% of her tasks
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker has sparked discussion on Reddit after sharing that he may have indirectly caused his colleague to be retrenched. In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the worker shared that his colleague, a working mother, often complained that she was overwhelmed by her workload. After some restructuring in the company, she was given many Excel-related tasks, including copying and pasting large amounts of data, manually checking thousands of rows, and creating reports in both Excel and PowerPoint. She also told others that she was struggling to cope with work while taking care of her child at home, and that she 'felt burnt out.' To help ease the situation, their supervisor assigned the worker to assist her. As someone who was experienced with VBA, Python, and AI tools, he eventually automated around 90 per cent of the work. According to him, what used to take hours could now be completed with just a 'single click.' At the same time, the company had introduced upskilling opportunities for staff. Employees were encouraged to take online courses on platforms such as Coursera and Udemy, with the costs covered by the company. However, the colleague chose not to take part. She said she found formulas and automation too difficult to learn, and was not interested in coding. 'We acknowledged her burnout and even offered that on Fridays after 1 p.m., she can have her free time to upskill herself, but she kept nope the way out.' Eventually, a round of layoffs was announced. The colleague was among those let go. She was told by their boss that since most of her tasks had been automated or could be outsourced, her role was no longer required. He added, 'She does not have the skills to maintain this automation. And my bosses openly told her that all her work will be maintained by me since I was the one who automated her work.' The worker shared that since then, he has heard from others that the colleague has been blaming him for her retrenchment. 'I heard from my other colleagues that she was bad-mouthing and said that I was one of the top reasons she was laid off. I was super hurt by it, and it doesn't help as I have some ego myself (which I know isn't good for me), so I get uneasy if people talk badly about me, and it's been bothering me ever since.' 'Don't be too hard on yourself…' The post received numerous responses from fellow Redditors, many of whom reassured him that he was not at fault. One Redditor said, 'People who do this nonsense have really high ego and refuse to acknowledge that they might not be the best in what they do, so they take the easy way out and blame others. Ignore her, keep your head up.' Another wrote, 'Don't be too hard on yourself. She saw this train wreck coming from far away. And she was given plenty of warning. That's already more than many retrenched people get.' A third commented, 'Seeing how your company gave her chances to upskill and learn the necessary tools/skills to continue working there, and you have provided advice on it, you are not in the wrong.' A fourth added, 'She refuses to adapt and learn. So that directly puts her on the retrenchment list.' See also Blockchain's Impact on Traditional Banking: A New Era or Crisis? AI and automation spark job loss fears AI and automation are reshaping the workforce, and while these advancements have largely benefited large companies through increased efficiency and cost savings, they have also left many workers fearful about job security and the risk of retrenchment. A recent Ipsos study featured in a People Matters Global article found that 65% of respondents in 31 countries and regions fear AI will result in work dismissals and outright job losses—up from 64% last year. This apprehension is predominantly noticeable in Southeast Asia, where AI-driven dislocation appears to be an imminent certainty. Read more: AI takeover? Why workers in Southeast Asia fear losing their jobs to automation Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt with you: Bawankule assures Matangs seeking sub-quota benefits
Mumbai: Members of the Matang community, one of the prominent castes under the Scheduled Caste (SC) category in Maharashtra, on Tuesday staged a demonstration at Azad Maidan seeking sub-categorisation benefits that would entail them to reservation within the SC quota based on their level of backwardness. State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured the protestors that the government was with them and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis would meet them within a fortnight to discuss their demands. As per the 2011 census, the SC population in Maharashtra was 13.2 million of which around 62% were Mahars and neo-Buddhists while the remaining 38% belonged to castes within the Hindu fold. Matangs comprised the largest group in the second category with a population of around 3.5 million. The Mahayuti government had, in the runup to the assembly polls in November 2024, appointed a committee under retired high court judge Anant Badar to examine sub-classification within the SC quota. The move was opposed by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on grounds that it could affect existing reservation for neo-Buddhists and Mahars. Unrest among Matangs in Maharashtra had been rising in recent weeks with states like Telangana notifying and implementing sub-quotas. Tuesday's 'Matang Samaj Jan Akrosh Morcha' organised by the Sakal Matang Samaj, a community organisation, in Azad Maidan marked a culmination of sorts, as demands were raised halt government recruitment pending sub-categorisation. The protest was backed by leaders from the ruling alliance as well as the opposition. It was led by BJP legislators Amit Gorkhe, Sunil Kamble and Jitesh Antapurkar and former Congress legislator Ramesh Bagwe. Bawankule, who met the protestors on the behalf of the state government, said the Mahayuti government supported the demands. He assured that Fadnavis would hold a meeting regarding issues of the Matang community within 15 days. 'The Matang community is united now and the state government is committed to resolve your issues,' Bawankule told the gathering. Parbhani resident Ganpat Bhise, who attended Tuesday's protest, said sub-classification would enable Matangs to pursue education and secure government jobs.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Athawale urges state to enact law to stop diversion of social justice department funds
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Union minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale on Thursday said the Maharashtra govt must enact a law to prohibit diversion of funds from the social justice department to other departments. "The Karnataka govt has already framed such a law, and the Maharashtra govt must follow suit," he said while reacting to claims of the state govt diverting social justice department funds for smooth running of 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin' and other schemes. Addressing media persons at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Athawale said he understood the anger voiced by Maharashtra social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat over diversion of funds from his department. "There is no need to close the social justice department as sought by an agitated Shirsat. I will speak with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and the two deputy CMs on the issue," he said. Shirsat had, in the recent past, made multiple public statements that funds worth Rs 6,900 crore from his department were diverted for Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and also for the energy department. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Living perfectly well without American goods': Why more Chinese shoppers support local brands CNA Read More Undo Meanwhile, Athawale once again appealed to VBA founder Prakash Ambedkar to bury differences and join hands with him for Dalit unity. "He is the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, and I will be happy to work under his leadership. I don't eye any post, not even that of a minister. For me, unity in the larger interest of the community is important," Athawale said. Athawale had publicly appealed to VBA chief for forging an alliance, but the latter showed no response. Earlier in Jalna, Athawale said that NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar would have become the President of the country had he joined NDA. "I don't think Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar are separated per se as they were together in the past and continue to be so now. Ajit Pawar's only argument is that if Pawar can join hands with Shiv Sena, then why not BJP. Pawar can still be with NDA and become the President of India," he said. Regarding talks of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray coming together, Athawale said he does not see such a reunion taking place in reality, considering the differences between the two and the overall political scenario.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt agreed to ceasefire to protect beloved industrialist friend: Raut
Mumbai: Like the opposition at the national level, the opposition in Maharashtra too has slammed the Narendra Modi-led central government and demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the United States-mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan and other related issues. On Sunday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) led the charge, with MP Sanjay Raut accusing the Modi government of acceding to US president Donald Trump's mediation efforts and agreeing to a ceasefire to protect the interests of its 'beloved industrialist friend', without mentioning any names. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar too questioned the intervention by the US president. Trump was the first to announce on Saturday (May 10) that India and Pakistan had agreed to 'full and immediate ceasefire' after 'a long night of talks mediated by the United States'. In a post later on social media platform Truth Social, he said he was 'very proud' of the leadership in India and Pakistan 'for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much'. Raut referred to Trump's role in the ceasefire deal while addressing a press conference on Sunday. 'On what grounds did the US president intervene in the bilateral issue and why did we agree to his directions regarding a ceasefire,' he asked. 'India is sovereign country of 140 crore people and the decision has damaged the country's image. It does not suit the prime minister who has been speaking about teaching Pakistan a lesson.' While India had an opportunity to teach 'a lesson of a lifetime' to Pakistan, the Modi government agreed to a ceasefire under the guise of intervention by the US president to protect its 'beloved industrialist friend', he said. 'If Trump is so powerful, why didn't he stop the war between Israel and Palestine? This is an insult of the whole of India. PM Modi should call an all-party meeting and he should be present to answer our questions,' said Raut. He also said that Modi should resign as prime minister as he had betrayed the country. Raut also said that while countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan had extended support to Pakistan following escalation of the military conflict, no country had come out in support of India. 'What was use of PM Modi's world tours? He visited so many countries but not a single country has stood with India. It's failure of Modi's foreign policy too,' Raut said. VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar too wondered why the Modi government agreed to a US-mediated ceasefire although the Indian armed forces had the upper hand. 'Why did everyone get to know about the ceasefire from the US president? Did the US pressurise India,' Ambedkar asked. BJP leaders in Maharashtra did not respond to the comments, saying the matter related to national security and would be addressed by the national leadership.
