Updated: February 27, 2021 6:32:03 AM
Striving to beat the model code of conduct that established when the polling schedule was announced on Friday, West Bengal increased the daily wage rate for workers while the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a draft law to reserve 10.5% of the special quota for the community of Vanniyar in educational establishments and during appointments with state services.
Speaking to Twitter ahead of the Election Commission’s announcement of the Assembly’s election schedule, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “I am happy to announce an increase in wages for salaried workers. day laborers under the World Bank’s urban employment program: at 202 rupees per day from 144 rupees earlier for unskilled labor; Up to Rs 303 from Rs 172 earlier for semi-skilled; Rs 404 for skilled labor (new category introduced). “
“A total of 56,500 workers (40,500 unskilled, 8,000 semi-skilled, 8,000 skilled) will benefit. These wages are at par with the improved wages of rural workers (MNREGA unskilled and semi-skilled). The budget foreseen for this stage has been made available for fiscal years 21 and 22, ”she said.
In Tamil Nadu, the State Assembly passed a bill providing for the granting of 10.5% of the special reserve to the community of Vanniyar in educational institutions and in appointments to positions in the ‘State.
This decision – to accede to the request of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the AIADMK and the NDA, which enjoys the support of the community of Vanniyar in northern Tamil Nadu – is seen as an initiative of AIADMK to retain the PMK in the alliance even though the party has no representation in the National Assembly.
A statement by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, detailing “the purpose and reasons” for the decision, said: “There had been consistent representations of Vanniakula Kshatriya’s most backward class for providing a separate reserve for their admission to these educational establishments and appointment of posts in the State services because they could not compete with the other castes and communities included in the list of MBCs and denotified communities… ”
According to the statement, the chairman of the Backward Classes Commission examined the request of the various categories and recommended to the government that the internal reserve could be given for three categories, namely MBC (V): 10.5%; MBC and denotified communities: 7%; and MBC: 2.5%. The statement clarified that the special reservation for Vanniyars would be within the existing 20% reserve for MBCs.
Currently, the state has 69% reservation – 18% for Scheduled Castes, 1% for Scheduled Tribes, 20% for MBCs, and 30% for OBCs. The OBC quota includes the reservation for minority communities, including a 3.5% reservation for Muslims.
The government said the reserve would be provided on a temporary basis for six months and would be reworked, based on its findings when the caste-based census was released.
In Assam, star sprinter Hima Das was in Assam Police on Friday as Deputy Police Superintendent in the presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. She received the appointment letter by Sonowal at a ceremony attended by senior state government officials and the police.
On Friday, the Assam government also transferred Rs 1 lakh each to 1,487 landless families from Laika and Dodhia in Dibru Saikhowa National Park via DBT, complementing an earlier announcement from Sonowal. Residents of Laika and Dodhia villages in Tinsukia district have been seeking rehabilitation for a long time.
The Chief Minister distributed nomination letters to 737 candidates for the post of Deputy Director, Junior Managers and Assistant Accountants of APDCL, AEGCL and APGCL in a post in Guwahati. He also inaugurated and laid the foundations for several power projects in the state.
An ANI report said the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry on Friday announced a 2% reduction in VAT (value added tax) on gasoline and diesel in Union territory. Pondicherry was placed under the presidential regime following the collapse of the government headed by Congress.
Hours before the announcement of the Assembly election schedule, the Kerala government announced that the RT PCR test for expatriates would be free. In addition, the government said fishermen will get kerosene at a subsidized price of Rs 25 per liter, up from Rs 52 per liter, starting next month. The fishing community has been increasing demand for the past five years. The decision was to quell the anger of fishermen protesting a government deal to deploy foreign trawlers. In addition, AD arrears for some 70,000 Kerala State Transport Corporation employees and retirees, unpaid since 2016, were cleared on Friday. The government also announced the formation of the first tribal revenue bloc in Attappadi