Fadnavis takes oath as Maharashtra CM, promises transparent government

44-year-old Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Chief Minister of the first BJP government in the state, got down to work immediately and has instructed Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya to have a draft of the Right to Service Bill ready within a month.
  
"I have directed the Chief Secretary to prepare a draft of the legislation, a form of citizen's charter, to provide better services to the people who can take legal recourse if they don't get them," he told reporters at a meet the press programme shortly after taking oath.
  
He said the decision was taken at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers. Portfolios will be allocated to the seven Cabinet and two Ministers of State tomorrow.
  
"People of Maharshtra have high expectations from us and it is a big responsibility. We will provide an efficient and transparent administration with focus on development," he said.
  
"The state government's financial condition is not that good. If all the assurances given by the erstwhile (Congress-NCP) government are to be implemented, the government would have to spend Rs 52,000 crore," Fadnavis said.
  
The Chief Minister said the decisions taken by the previous Congress-NCP government just before the model code of conduct for election kicked in will be reviewed.
  
"It will take time to bring the administration back on the track but we will do it. We will bring Maharashtra to the number one position," he said.
  
Asked about the possibility of Shiv Sena joining the new government, Fadnavis said," There was a positive talk between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thckeray today."
  
On the presence of godmen at the swearing-in ceremony, Fadnavis said, "They belonged to all religions. There is a thin line between belief and superstition. We are against superstition."

Source: News in Hindi and Newspaper

Coal unions protest 'privatisation' move; to strike on 24th November

The steering committee of the central trade unions met at Ranchi and served a joint notice on the token strike in the coal industry including Coal India and Singareni Collieries, Secretary General of Indian National Mine Workers' Federation S Q Zama said.
  
The call for the strike, which coincides with the opening day of Parliament, came ten days after the government issued an ordinance to e-auction coal blocks enabling private sector firms, barring those convicted for offences related to mines allotment, to bid. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance 2014, got Presidential nod on October 21.
  
The unions, which also included INTUC, CITU, AITUC and HMS, demanded scrapping of the enabling clause for commercial mining by private players and stopping of further disinvestment and restructuring of CIL.
  
The unions are also seeking first preference to CIL and its subsidiaries before auctioning of any coal block, besides steps to revive units like Dankuni Coal Complex, CIL subsidiary Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL) and Assam's North Eastern Coalfields.
  
Left parties have also opposed the ordinance, with AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta earlier saying the decision of the government on coal blocks "has a covert implication. It is a back-door entry for taking over the entire coal sector by the private corporates".
  
All India Coal Workers Federation General Secretary Jibon Roy had also warned of nationwide protests if the government implemented any enabling provision to allow commercial mining by private companies.
  
The Supreme Court had last month quashed allotment of 214 coal mines to various companies since 1993 on the ground that they were done in an illegal manner by an "ad-hoc and casual" approach "without application of mind".
  
Allocation of coal blocks became a political issue after Comptroller and Auditor General alleged arbitrariness and absence of any criteria in the screening process and pegged notional loss to the exchequer at Rs 1.86 lakh crore.

Source: News in Hindi and Newspaper