Sunday, October 30, 2011

Press Pass & Bus Pass in Karnataka: An Appeal to L.K. Advani

Press Pass & Bus Pass in Karnataka:
 An Appeal to L.K. Advani
Bangalore: In Karnataka, the first state ruled by BJP in South India, Freedom of Press is at stake. In a very calculated Move, the Government has withdrawn the Press Pass issued to journalists wef: 25-2- 2011 and concessional Bus Passes issued to journalists during the period of Sri Devaraj Urs in  1972 were withdrawn wef 22-2-2011.

The order of successive chief ministers to restore Bus Passes issued to Journalists were sidelined by the Transport Minister. He presented the order of his leader i.e. Chief Minister in the board meeting, against the rule and practice, and managed to sideline it. Even though this was brought to the notice of Chief Minister’s nothing has been done to restore it so far.

Journalists Association of Karnataka (JAK), which has taken the lead in this fight for the cause Freedom of Press is submitting an appeal to Sri L.K. Advani, “Loha Purush’ and former Deputy Prime Minister, who is on his Jana Chetana Yathra for clean administration and corruption free government, at Bangalore today, 30th October 2011, Sunday. and requests him to restore Freedom of Press in Karnataka by asking the State BJP Government to restore the Press Pass and Bus Passes of the Journalists. 

Pls click the image of Advani above to  read the PDF copy of the Memorendum.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Justice at last, Cabinet clears the Wage board recommendations for media

Justice at last, Cabinet clears the Wage board
recommendations for media

Newdelhi/ Bangalore: Central  Government presented a Diwali gift to journalists and other employees of newspapers and news agencies by approving the recommendations of their wage boards on 25 October 2011 Tuesday at last.

According to an official press release the decision, taken at a meeting of the union cabinet, will benefit more than 40,000 employees of newspapers and news agencies across the country.

Justice (Retd) G.R. Majithia headed both the wage boards - one for journalists and another for non-journalist employees - which were appointed in May 2007.

"The cabinet today approved the final recommendations alongwith certain corrections and rectifications carried out under the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees Act, 1955," the release added.

The revised wages will be paid with retrospective effect from July 2010.

The recommendations regarding allowances like the transport allowance, house rent allowance and hardship allowance will come into effect from the date of the notification of the wage board awards in the gazette.

Though the Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed by some newspaper managements challenging the wage boards' reports, which were submitted on Dec 31, 2010, the apex court said recently that it was not preventing the government from approving the recommendations.


NUJ (I) welcomes:  The National Union of Journalists (India) welcomed the Government decision to accept the recommendations of the Justice Majithia Wage Boards on the emoluments of working journalists and non-journalists in the newspapers and news agencies.

In a statement, issued in New Delhi today, the NUJ (I) president Prajnananda Choudhury and Secretary General Ras Bihari said they welcome the Government decision accepting the recommendations of the
Majithia Wage Boards but at the same time regret the long delay of ten months in government coming to a decision after the recommendations were received on December 31, 2010.

We also congratulate the Confederation of Newspaper Employees Unions and its General Secretary M.S. Yadav for the relentless effort put in along with the NUJ (I) and other constituent unions to bring the
Boards into existence and successfully conclude their work and then get the Government to adopt the recommendations, they said in the statement.

The statement further said the newspaper/news agency employees displayed exemplary unity of purpose and readiness to sacrifice for the cause of getting the Wage Boards function, recommend and get the
government notify the recommendations. This solidarity would further strengthen the trade union movement among the newspaper/news agency employees under the leadership of the Confederation.

The NUJ (I) would wait for the Government notification on the issue before giving its detailed response to the long delayed step raising the emoluments of the employees, working journalists and non-journalists alike that has come, it is recalled, 13 long years after the last revision.

Journalists Association of Karnataka (JAK) welcomes with thanks:

State President of JAK, Prof. B. Harischandra Bhat has issued a press statement welcoming the Union Cabinet decision approving the Wage Board recomondations.

The full Text of Statement is here:

 We, the President and members of Journalists' Association of Karnataka Thank the Union Cabinet for accepting the report of the Justice Majithia Wage Board for Journalists and Non-journalist Employees of
the newspaper and news agencies. We are more overwhelmed to congratulate the Labour Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge in this respect. We in Karnataka had the unique distinction of presenting before the
Wage board the case for higher wages to Journalists and non journalist employees unitedly.

 We thank UNI and PTI unions, Indian Express Employees, Bangalore Newspaper Employees Union (BNEU), Deccan Herald and Prajavani Employees Union for keeping faith in JAK while presenting the case, fighting for implementation of the Report. We also thank President of the State Unit of  INTUC Shri Adyanthaya for the solidarity with us during the agitation and using his good offices at National level. We hope that the Newspaper Managements will see reason in implementing  the report of the Wage Board in toto with out further loss of time.

To read more details click here for report appeared in The Hindu Website.

-Nethrakere Udaya Shankara


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Draconian law in Karnataka against entry to Journalists to Vidhana Soudha !

Draconian law in Karnataka against entry to Journalists to Vidhana Soudha ! 


BJP Government in Karnataka went a step ahead of Emergency. It is trying to block Journalists from entering Vidhana Soudha at one end and cancelled the Bus Pass privilege which was provided 3 dacde back by  then Chief Minister Devaraja Urs at the other end.


Here is the letter issued by Prof. B. Harischandra Bhat, President Journalists Association of Karnataka regarding  the draconian law in Karnataka against entry to Journalist to Vidhana Soudha. We will publish the regarding Bus Pass shortly and how transport minister sidelined the successive Chief Minister including present Chief Minister in this issue.

Now Please go through regarding draconian law against entry  to Journalists to the center of power in Karnataka.:


Nethrakere Udaya Shankara

I was shocked to know yesterday (13th October 2011 Tuesday)  about a secret pact between the chosen few journalists' organizations , the Directorate of Information and Publicity, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, banning entry to 'Journalists other than State Accredited' ones to Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power.

This meeting was called at the instance of the DIPO on 10 January 2011 and was attended by Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, Journalists' Cooperative Society, Press Club of Bengaluru, Small and Medium Newspapers' Association and others, who in their own wisdom resolved to prevent Journalists who are woring for the news papers and periodicals registered under Registrar of Newspapers in India (RNI). With this decision, all the 'yellow passes issued to journalists were withdrawn wef: 25-2- 2011.

It is an irony of fate that the BJP Government ( which was the champion of freedom of the press during the Emergency declared by Smt Indira Gandhi in 1975) which has imposed the instant Censorship !. On the contrary, the Congress Party  (UPA) Government at the Center which has realised its responsibility to the people of the Country,

has to its credit a pro people Right To Information Act (RTI) throwing open the hither to secret domain of the governance and the Media has been one of the major beneficiaries..

Vidhana Soudha as the seat of power, has to be of free access to the media who in turn are answerable to the readers. denying access to Vidhana Soudha, Vikas Soudha amd Government Secretariates  smacks of a state of Emergency in the BJP ruled State,  though the provision of declaring Emergency has been annulled through the 42nd Ammendment to the Constitution was enacted by the Janatha Government  0n 23rd June 1977, a historical moment of which the leaders like A.B.Vajapeyi and Information and Broadcasting Minister L.K.Advani were the active witnesses !

The Media can not take it lying down. We have to nip the bud of the dictatorship that is surfacing in the State clandestinely. I request, as the President of Journalists' Association of Karnataka, the State Unit of the National Union of Journalists(India),a nationalist trade union which is affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists, earnestly request the Bharathiya Janata Party functionaries to advice the erring administrators to mend their ways and facilitate a hassle free access to the journalists to the corridor of power so that they can discharge their duties to the people (reading and viewing public).

We have no axe to grind. Our only wish is to contribute the Freedom of Press envisaged by the Magna Charta - the Indian Constitution.

Regards,
Prof.B.Harishchandra Bhat ,
President,
Journalists' Association of Karnataka,
Regd. Trade Union ( U/TU  No. DRT (B-1) TUA/ SR -02/ 2011 )


Saturday, October 15, 2011

Gandhigiri succeeds, Thanks to Mr.Mirji, Commissioner of Police


Gandhigiri succeeds, Police Acts, Thanks to 
Mr.Mirji

Commissioner of Police


Bangalore: Sri Pranob Mohanti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) has ordered  the Police Inspector Rajarajeshwari Nagar Police Station Mr. Yogendra Kumar to take action against anti social elements under Goonda Act and warn them not to enter and indulge in illigal activities in Sachidananda Nagara Layout in the jurisdiction of Rajarajeshwari Nagara.
After collecting details from the joint delegation of Sachidanda Nagara Nyayapara Andolana (SNNA) and India Against Corruption (IAC) on on Friday, 14th October 2011 regarding the illegal activities by anti social elements and orders of various courts including Supreme Court  regarding the legality and ownership issue of the layout, he told the Inspector  that the 'Order of Supreme Court is supreme and  everyone must abide by it.'
He collected the details from the Police Inspector too and directed him to invoke Goonda Act against culprits if they continue illigal activities..
Mr. Mohanti has also directed the Inspector to remove all illigal structures constructed by the anti social elements, when the delegation called his attention towards the the illgal  constructions by anti social elements in Survey Number 240.
SNNA with the support of IAC staged Gandhigiri in the premises of  Commissionerate of Police on 13th October 2011 Thursday along with roses and submitted the memorendum  Commissioner of Police Sri. Jyothi Prakash Mirji, and requested to provide protection to the genuine site owners against illigal activities by anti social elements and land mafia.
About 80 people waited the Police Commissioner's office for about 5 hours to meet Police Commissioner Sri Mirji, as he was busy with the Chief Minister Sri Sadananda Gowda in the inspection of Metro works.
Mr. Mirji, after hearing the grievances of the site owners of Sachidananda Nagara assured that he look in to the matter and assigned Joint Commissioner of Police Mr. Pranob Mahanti to sort out the issue.
Earlier, Rajarajeshwari Nagar police declined to register cases against the anti social elements supported by land mafia who were indulging in creation of documents against court judgments and illegal constructions in the layout. However Police started to register complaints against offenders after DCP (West) S.N. Sidramappa who verified documents with SNNA delegation on 3rd October 2011, directed to register cases. But they refused to warn the offenders to stop the illegal constructions.

Then SNNA decided to stage Gandhigiri.

Click the image above to view the report appeared in The Hindu   regarding Gandhigiri.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Bus Pass: JAK delegation meets CM DVS


Bus Pass: JAK delegation meets CM DVS


Bangalore: Janata Darshan on Tuesday 4th October 2011 was unusual to Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda. He surprised to see the Journalists of Bangalore City, in the Q of Janata Darshan, silently waiting for their turn.

It was the delegation of Journalists' Association of Karnataka (JAK) and Journalist Wing of Deccan Herald - Prajavani Union (BNEU). They waited in the Q and met Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda with the memorandum regarding Bus Pass Problem on their hand at 10 am at Chief Minister's Residential Office 'Krishna'.

The delegation urged D.V. Sadananda Gowda to implement the orders of the Successive Chief Ministers for immediate renewal of bus passes which was denied by the BMTC at the behest of Mr. Ashok, the Transport Minister, the latter continuing to ignore the CMs' orders.

DVS assured the delegation to implement the said orders at once.

The delegation was led by Prof. B.Harishchandra Bhat, Nethrakere Udaya Shankara Narayana Bhat, Keshava Zingade, F.M.Nandagaon, Ru Basappa, Shrinivas and Shantharam Rao.


The Background Story: Infact Karnataka Government. Led by then Chief Minister D. Devaraja Urs issued these concessional Bus Passes to Journalists during 1974, considering the fact that the Press is 4th Estate in Democracy and is doing yeoman service to the Society by bringing awareness among the public. These Bus passes were issued to the Journalists who produced the letters from the Editors of concerned Paper/ Magazine/ News Agencies or who produced letters from Editorial Forum/ Association of Journalists, the body of Journalists which work for the welfare of Journalists.

But Renewal of these Bus passes abruptly stopped by the BMTC in the month of February 2011 for no reasons.

For query under RTI Act 2005, BMTC authorities informed that Bus Pass renewal process of Journalists, who don't have accreditation, was stopped since 22-02-2011 basing on the circular No.596 issued by KSRTC in 1992 !!

It was shocking to the journalists because, the Circular which they quoted was not regarding the stopping of Bus Passes of Journalists. It was related to the issuing of Bus Passes!

The Circular clearly mentioned about the formation of committees to issue Bus Passes. Moreover it clearly stated that the passes of those who already holding them shall not be cancelled even if they don't have the accreditation and even though they change the paper / periodical.


Delegation of Journalists Association of Karnataka and Bangalore News Paper Employees Union (BNEU) met then Chief Minister Sri B.S. Yediyurappa on
14th July 2011 and explained these facts. Chief Minister responded immediately and issued a written directive asking the officials to withdraw the so called order to cancel the journalist’s bus passes and issue bus passes to them as usual.

However, this order of chief minister was not implemented, instead transport minister issued separate order to issue concessional bus passes to the journalists who were working in such papers having the membership of INS.

JAK delegation again met new Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and submitted the fresh memorandum along with the copy order of former chief minister Yediyurappa regarding Journalists Bus Pass on 12th  August 2011.

DVS immediately directed the concerned to implement the order.

Then it was understood that both orders of Chief Minister and Transport Minister were placed before the BMTC Board for approval on 28th of September 2011, but reportedly sent back to Transport Minister's office for further changes in the note and for ratification!

Journalists enraged by such delay in implementation of successive Chief Ministers orders, decided to meet Chief Minister again in his Janata Darshan.


Pls click the images for larger views, memorandums to successive chief ministers,       RTI Replies from officials, Circular of 1992, Orders of Chief Minister and Transport Minister.

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