Using ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) to withdraw money or for other purposes such as balance enquiry beyond five times in a month will be charged at Rs.20 a transaction from 1st November, 2014. Besides, the number of free transactions at ATMs of non-home banks has been cut to three times a month from five times. The Reserve Bank guidelines to this effect will be applicable, initially, to six metros- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore.  (source: The Hindu)

Growth of eight core industries dropped 1.9 per cent in September from 9 per cent in the same month last year. This slump is attributed to fall in output of crude oil, natural gas, refinery products and fertilizer. In August, the growth stood at 5.8. per cent.

Narendra Modi government has decided to tighten the ban on recruitment in the central services, as part of its austerity measures. Instructions are issued for no revival of the vacancies lying unfilled for one year.

It is a big challenge to the unemployed youth who are waiting to get the posting.

Kolkata is all set to host the 7th All India Conference of the mighty organization, BSNL Employees Union. The 4 day conference will start on 6th November, 2014 and the venue is Telecom Factory, Alipore. The inaugural session will be held at 1000AM on 06-11-2014 under the presidentship of Com. V. A. N. Namboodiri, President and will be inaugurated by Com. A. K. Padmanabhan, National President, CITU. Com.P.Abhimanyu, General Secretary, Com. M. Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation, Com. V. Ramesh, General Secretary, AIIEU, Com. K. G. Jayaraj, General Secretary, AIBDPA, Com. Tapas Ghosh, General Secretary, BSNL CCWF and Com. Animesh Mitra, Deputy General Secretary will address the inaugural session. 

On the same day, at 3PM an open session also will be held preceded with a mammoth rally, participated by thousand of workers and delegates. The open session will be inaugurated by Com. Tapan Sen MP , General Secretary, CITU. A Womens Convention on 7th and Seminar on 8th are also being held in which prominent leaders will participate.

The conference will seriously discuss the issues of the employees as well as the crisis being faced by BSNL and is certain to take appropriate decisions.

The Reception Committee is working over time to make the conference a grand success and historical as well. AIBDPA leaders and members of Kolkata and West Bengal are also actively associating in the functioning of the Reception Committee.

Narendra Modi government after dilly dallying for some time has finally furnished, today, the 29th, October, 2014, the ‘full’ list of 627 account holders who have stashed black money to foreign banks, to the Supreme Court. This follows after the apex court severely rapped the Modi government for its failure to submit the full list despite its directives. The list was furnished in a sealed cover and the court ,with out opening has directed to hand over it to the Special Investigation Agencies.

Tunisia, the birth place of  ‘Arab Spring’ is likely to get a secular government, in sharp contrast to most of the other Arab countries. Indications are there that the secular party, Nida Tounes, may emerge as the largest single party, in the election, which the foreign observers have praised as landmark free elections. Surprisingly, the religious conservative party, ‘The Islamist Ennahda’ has already conceded defeat and congratulated their secular rival, Nida Tounes for edging out other parties. Leader of Nida Tounes, Beji Caid Essebsi, vowed to form a coalition with other parties to take the country forward. 

The Supreme Court has severely  criticised  Narendra Modi government for failure to furnish full list of those who stashed black money to foreign banks. The Modi government had initially appointed a special investigation team to find out the black money account holders, but took a U-Turn,later pleading that the names of such black money account holders cannot be revealed due to the double taxation rules. This was the same stand taken by the earlier UPA government which was dubbed by BJP during the Lok Sabha election campaign.The government finally revealed only three names and this was slammed by the apex court asking the government whether it is shielding the black money account holders. This is a big set back to Narendra Modi government which is doing just the opposite to what they had promised.   

The United Forum of Bank Employees has decided for a nation wide bank strike on 12-11-2014 demanding settlement on wage revision. The Indian Bank’s Association and the central government are resorting to a negative tactics to deny the bank employees, a reasonable wage hike. Initially the bank unions had demanded 30 per cent hike but has come down to 17.5 per cent which was given in the last wage agreement. But the IBA and the government is taking an adamant stand of only 11.5 per cent hike on the plea that they have to transfer a sizable amount of profit towards NPA (Non- Performance Assets) or bad loans.Why should the bank employees suffer for bad loans taken by the rich and corporates.

AIBDPA fully supports the strike and extend our solidarity to the striking bank employees.