Proposal to impose fee on ATM usage unjustified

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January 28, 2014

It is said that there are no free lunch in the economy. The banks are likely to limit the number of free transactions a person can make at his own branch’s ATM to five. Beyond this he will have to pay a fee for transacting at ATM. Recently, banks were asked to beef up security at ATMs after a woman was attacked in Bangalore inside the ATM premises. The Karnataka government had then asked banks to deploy guards at ATMs or else close those kiosks which are unmanned. The banks association then decided to go for a partial closure of ATMs at night. They also planned to deploy security at ATMs and install CCTV camera outside the entrance of the kiosks.

Since banks will have to spend around 40,000 per month per ATM hence they decided to charge a fee on customers using these machines. Many of them were saying that increasing security will increase input costs and hence customers will have to pay for using ATMs beyond five transactions limit. The Indian Banks Association has supported an increase in charges that banks pay each other when their customers use third-party ATMs from Rs 15 to Rs 18. At present, most banks do not charge account holders if they use the bank’s own ATMs. The ATM network of banks is currently around 1.4 lakh and is expected to increase to around 2 lakh in six months. The banking industry is split on charging customers for ATM usage as some banks feel that the move may prove counterproductive.

The RBI is examining this issue but it is not in favour of charging customers for using ATMs at home branches. Many other institutions too are saying that this will only move customers to the branches and thereby increasing banking costs. Since branch banking is costly hence financial experts have been saying that more customers will start crowding at bank branches thereby increasing the workload of bank officials and increasing costs. The Finance ministry too is not in favour of banks charging their own customers for ATM usage. On the other hand, the proposed fee will create a huge inconvenience to customers as they will have to use ATM networks very carefully. They may have to withdraw more money and keep it at home which is risky.

Students residing in hostels will suffer the most as they will have to keep more money with them as there is a possibility of theft. It will also create huge problems for businessmen who need to withdraw lumpsum money on a day to day basis. ATMs were set up for providing more facilities to customers and reduce the rush at bank branches. It is the banks’ responsibility to provide security at ATM kiosks and it should not be passed on to customers. Instead of capping the ATM transactions, banks could levy a onetime fee annually which would be more feasible.

Shiv Sena and MNS politics over toll

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

Both Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are trying to outdo each other by vandalising toll plazas in the state before Lok Sabha election. Few days back, Shiv Sena activists had gone on a rampage by damaging toll booths in Kolhapur. Sena was trying to project its aggressive side attacking toll plazas. Later, MNS too jumped into the foray and started vandalising toll boths and also urged people to stop paying toll charges. Thus both parties are trying to gain political mileage out of the toll issue.

Shiv Sena’s assault on toll plaza had taken a violent turn as party activists had vandalised four toll booths in Kolhapur. Protesters vandalised the office of IRB Infrastructure Developers, a private company, which manages the toll booths on nine roads leading to the city. The Shiv Sena anti-toll action committee had launched a hunger strike saying that they would not call off the agitation unless the state government halts toll collection. Not to be left behind, MNS too began vandalising toll plazas in the state. At least half a dozen toll plazas were vandalised by suspected MNS activists after party chief Raj Thackeray asked workers not to pay toll tariff.

Since last two days, MNS workers have rampaged through toll booths in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Kalyan, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Nashik, in a repeat of the party’s agitation last year. Additional security has been provided at all such booths and the police are on special alert for trouble. A toll booth at Dahisar check post was raided by a group of MNS activists on Sunday night and damaged, according to Thane rural police.

In Kalyan, several toll booths were raided by suspected MNS men led by local MLA Prakash Bhoir, police sources said, adding complaints have been registered against miscreants under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

By Monday morning, violence by MNS workers had been reported in Mumbai’s entry points of Thane and Airoli, as well as on toll booths of the busy Mumbai-Pune expressway, which also reportedly disrupted traffic on the highway.

Over all 78 MNS supporters including MLAs were arrested by police for vandalizing the toll plaza. Opposition remarked this stunt of Raj Thackrey as a loss to the state exchequer and demanded strict action against the offenders.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “The MNS party’s assault on toll plaza is unjustified as nobody has rights to vandalise toll booths. They are only wasting the taxpayers hard earned money.”
MPCC president Manikrao Thakre said, “Strict action will be taken against the accused. Such type of act needs to stopped.”

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, “The MNS party has been asking people to refrain from paying toll charges which is unjustified. We won’t tolerate such type of anti-social activities and strict action will be taken against the accused.”

Vinod Tawade leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative Council, BJP said, “Such kind of incidents has occurred earlier too. The MNS and Sena had attacked toll plazas but the government merely put the signboards near toll plazas but they continue to levy toll charges.”

Murli Deora, Hussain Dalwai file nomination for RS elections

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

Former Union minister Murli Deora and ex-Maharashtra minister Hussain Dalwai filed their nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for February 7.

The Congress party, on Sunday, renominated Deora and Dalwai for third and second term respectively.

The two filed their nominations in presence of Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan and state Congress president Manikrao Thakre among others. Tuesday is the last day for filing of nominations.

So far, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, eminent lawyer Majid Memon (both NCP), Rajkumar Dhoot (Shiv Sena) and Sanjay Kakade (Independent) have filed their nomination papers.

The elections are being held for seven seats from Maharashtra and 287 elected members of the Legislative Assembly form the Electoral College.

Former French First Lady visited Sion hospital

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

Former partner of French President Francois Hollande, Valerie Trierweiler, who arrived in Mumbai on Saturday night on a charity mission, visited the Nutrition Rehabilitation and Research Centre of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General hospital.

Fight Hunger Foundation, which is being promoted by Trieweiller, will be collaborating with the Centre which is a part of Division of Clinical Nutrition set up three years ago at the hospital, locally known as the Sion Hospital, said Dr. Alka Jadhav of the paediatrics department.

The Foundation plans to work within the community and train aanganwadi workers.

The Centre, with funds from the government and municipal corporation, provides state-of-the-art medical nutrition therapy, Jadhav said.

“In the last three years, we have treated 400 malnourished children in the hospital and 1,200 in the community,” she said.

Trieweiller interacted with the patients and their parents to understand their needs and problems of malnutrition.

Two couples from Thane go missing in Andaman boat tragedy

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

Two couples from Thane are feared dead in a boat tragedy at Andaman Islands on Sunday, sources said.

According to sources, these couples were among a group of Savarkarites from Mulund who went to the Andamans.

Sources said that Thane MLA Rajan Vichare is rushing to Andaman on Tuesday to bring back the body of Chandu Bhosekar and his wife who is feared dead in the mishap.

One more couple from Thane known as ‘the Vaidyas’, are also said to be missing in the boat tragedy, family sources said.

Meanwhile, Ajay Joshi, a close friend of Chandu Bhosekar and told that the couple’s death was a great loss to him.

According to Joshi, BJP office bearers from Andaman have rushed to hospitals in the island, to assist the family.

Chandu’s brother Achyut Bhosekar is also on his way from Kolkata to get the couple’s body from Andaman.

These tourists who left Mumbai on January 24 were scheduled to return to Mumbai within a couple of days, sources said.

The Bhosekars leave behind a son and a daughter.

Chandu Bhosekar, who was a BJP functionary and studied in the Bedekar High School, was an active Rotarian as well as member of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry.

Bhosekar’s friend and former Deputy Mayor Milind Patankar condoled his death and said that they were friends since more than 20 years.

HC Notice to Centre on Implementation of Childcare Leave

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

The Bombay High Court issued a notice to Union government on a petition filed by a woman seeking direction to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to implement childcare leave as ordered by government in 2008.

A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and G S Kulkarni was hearing a petition filed by S Mangala, deputy general manager (aviation safety) AAI.

Mangala approached the high court after her request for leave to attend to her 12-year-old daughter with a learning disability was rejected by AAI.

According to her petition, the union government had in September 2008 introduced child care leave on recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Under child care leave, a woman employee can take upto two years paid leave until the child is of 18 years age.

“The Central government order has three paragraphs – one about increasing maternity leave from 135 days to 180 days, one about increasing from one to two years the existing provision of availing other leave in continuation with the maternity leave and the last one is about child care leave,” the petition said.

The petitioner said in March 2011, AAI had implemented only the first paragraph of the order but not the other two paragraphs.

The high court today issued notice to the union government and sought its response in two weeks.

Cong targets NCP over delay in promotion of Satyapal Singh

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

A senior Congress leader criticised Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil over “delay” in promotion of city police chief Satyapal Singh and claimed the state has “suffered” due to NCP getting the home portfolio.

“The promotion file of Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh, which was supposed to be received on April 1, 2013 by Chavan was received after five months i.e. On September 30, 2013,” the leader said on condition of anonymity.

Singh is due for promotion to the rank of Director General.

Transfers and promotions of the rank and file of IPS officers in the state have been pending for almost a year now, allegedly due to a tussle between Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Patil, with both Congress and NCP trying to have their say in the matter.

The leader claimed Chavan had discussed the issue of transfer of IPS officers and appointment of successor to the Police Commissioner with NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

As per the Police Transfer Act, if transfers are not done in specified time period, the Chief Minister is authorised to take the decision.

“They (NCP) have some interest in the appointment of (new) police commissioner of the city (of their choice),” the Congress leader claimed.

According to reports, Javed Ahmed, currently additional DGP (law and order) and senior IPS officer Vijay Kamble are in the race for the post of city police commissioner.

The latest attack on NCP by the alliance partner is likely to further affect already strained ties between the two parties even as elections are round the corner.

“The procedure of timely appointment of Mumbai Police Commissioner should have been followed. As the home department is with them (NCP), Maharashtra has suffered hugely. Elsewhere in the country the home department is with the chief minister’s party. Giving away the Home Department to them was not a good idea,” the leader said.

Taking a dig at NCP for its criticism of Chavan over “slow” decision-making, the leader said, “They (NCP) complain that Chief Minister does not clear files swiftly. But at first place, he should receive files (in time) to clear them. Didn’t the CM receive the file of commissioner of police late?”

When asked if Chavan will set his foot down on the issue, the Congress leader replied in the negative, saying “Chavan knows that using veto power will be detrimental to the prospects of the fragile tie-up (between Congress and NCP)”.

However, he also expressed hope that the sticky issue might get resolved in a week.

No road construction possible if toll collection stopped: Prithviraj Chavan

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

A day before the workers of Raj Thackeray-led MNS vandalised toll booths at various places in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had said that if toll collection was stopped, construction of new roads would come to halt.

Admitting that there could be manipulations in bidding process and calculation of toll amount, Chavan yesterday stressed the need for a regulatory authority.

“Since no public hearing is taking place and also the whole process of toll is not transparent, there is some anger among the people. (But) If toll is not collected, highways will not be built.

There should be a regulatory authority,” Chavan said, talking to reporters here late last evening.

Talking about the Kolhapur toll issue where locals are opposed to toll collection at entry points on the city’s outskirts, Chavan said as per the agreement, if the company collecting the toll faces any difficulty, the government has to compensate it, and the government does not have the money.

“No construction of roads would take place. The entire process will stop,” he said. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers today went on a rampage, vandalising toll plazas in various places, following Thackeray’s diktat not to pay the toll and “thrash” those who protest it.

Is ‘Raksha Bandhan’ also superstition?: Uddhav to Sharad Pawar

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Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2014

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray hit back at NCP chief Sharad Pawar after the latter took a swipe at the saffron party’s ‘shiv bandhan’ initiative and wondered whether the NCP will oppose ‘Raksha bandhan’ festival and bring it under the Anti-Superstition Act.

“Those who have cheated people throughout will never understand the difference between ‘ganda’ (thread tied around the wrist) and bandhan…Will the festival of ‘Raksha Bandhan’ be brought under the Anti-Superstition act?…If that happens we will oppose the act,” Uddhav said.

His comments came a day after Pawar ridiculed the initiative wherein Sena workers on the occasion of late Bal Thackeray’s birth anniversary on January 23 tied a “shiv bandhan” thread to remain loyal to the party and overthrow the Congress-NCP government in the state.

Scoffing the ‘shiv bandhan’ drive, Pawar had said, “this was violation of the anti-superstition act and I am waiting to see what action the government takes”.

Binny, the Black sheep

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 27, 2014

Everything turned opposite. Till these days, Arvind Kejriwal was protesting against government and system but today he faced a protest on his lawn by BJP lawmakers who demanded his controversial Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s resignation. On the other hand, barely hours after sitting on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, expelled Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Vinod Kumar Binny called off the protest on giving ‘more time’ to Kejriwal government in Delhi to fulfill the promises.

One of the most serious tasks to an agitation party is to induce discipline in the party. There is no doubt, AAP emerged in very short span of time with outstanding outcome and Kejriwal has managed to establish his benchmark. However, we should not neglect the base of the party, through which it has been emerged from i.e. through a mass movement. There is no entry test for a person to become a member. Moreover, no political party has any such mechanism but still being the largest and oldest parties they have their own established credit. As the nation watches, the growth of this ‘experiment’, its leader will have to show great resolve and single-minded pursuit for their avowed objectives. The way the politicians, police and administrators behave, India needs a “Dictator” to discipline them and have a credible transparent and fair government. Somewhere, Kejriwal is struggling between establishing the Swarajya and managing his rebellious leaders. Congress is a master-mind; they already smelled the danger and implanted many of their party members in Aam Aadmi Party, to over watch the party functioning. Binny is blessed by Anna Hazare, the one who is jealous of Kejriwal due to his success.

Team Anna never ever remotely thought that Kejriwal will make so big. Binny has Congress culture. AAP should have anticipated that he would be power hungry. They should not have given ticket to him in the first place. Let him stage hunger strike or join BJP or return to Congress again. It is his fundamental rights. These types of politicians are real cheaters. AAP do not need greedy people like Binny and his expulsion should be seen as a message to other MLA’s too. A deadline of 10 days was given by the rebel AAP MLA to the Aam Aadmi Party government reportedly on the advice of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

Binny had earlier met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and apprised him of the ongoing situation and talked about the alleged misbehaviour of Law Minister Somnath Bharti with Ugandan women during the midnight raid that took place in Khirki Extension in South Delhi recently. Even then Binny alleged that AAP has already decided on the candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Binny further reportedly said that he was the first one to join the party when AAP had no support and is the first one to protest when the party is deviating from its principals. He further said that the AAP had made allegations of corruption against former Delhi chief minister but did not do anything on that aspect as well. Another rebel AAP leader Tina Sharma also expressed her full support to Binny. These incidences make us feel that, there is no democracy in the party. They have different yardsticks for different people. They have cheated the people of Delhi and these rebels want the people to realise it. The rebel AAP leader had been criticising his party and the Delhi government for failing to fulfill the promises made in the election manifesto on various issues, including regular water supply and cheap electricity. Binny also claimed to have gained support of 3-4 AAP MLAs, who are backing his agitation against the Delhi government.
However, the AAP leadership has been claiming that Binny has rebelled from the party after he was denied a ministerial berth in the Delhi Cabinet. Anyhow, Binny wound up his Dharna drama when there was no adequate media support or the gathering of people. He started agitation post breakfast and finished it post lunch.

On the other side, BJP was protesting in front of Kejriwal’s office, they pointed out that there was no restriction that they were violating, a swipe at Kejriwal, who had defied a ban on large gatherings to stage a dharna, or sit-in, near top government offices in the centre of Delhi exactly a week ago. For 33 hours, Kejriwal had refused to negotiate with the Delhi Police and even threatened to disrupt Republic Day celebrations if Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde did not act against police officers who refused to follow the orders of Aam Aadmi Party ministers.

Since the AAP has come in power, other political parties and ministers are adopting the same methods adopted by them. Politically, such methods to be used for a genuine cause and not for blackmailing purpose like Binny is using. In the history of non-violent resistance like fasting was practiced in many countries: England, China, USA, Palestine to mention a few. Mahatma Gandhi adopted many non-violent methods like non-cooperation movement, fasting, Quit India Movement, Salt March to win independence from the British; his reasons were valid, genuine and very reasonable. We should also reason and judge, why these non-violent methods adopted by Mahatma Gandhi were successful? The British were always very sensitive to the human rights, they were benevolent; the British Government had a conscience. What would have happened if Mahatma Gandhi had adopted same non-violent methods against any other country, say against the Japan of 1940s? Upon suspension from AAP, Vinod Kumar Binny should leave politics and live in his ancestral home tending his wives and concubines, cattle, other domestic animals and chickens. Binny staying in politics or leaving politics will reflect only on his personal profit or loss account. And on the other side, BJP should think out of box, they are far more experienced and established than AAP. BJP and Binny, both B factors, need wisdom to deal with the issues at this hour.