Maharashtra govt to provide 50 per cent reservation to women in local bodies

 

The Maharashtra cabinet has approved a proposal for 50 per cent reservation for women in local self-government bodies in the state. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting held in Mumbai on Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that a bill in this regard will be introduced in the ensuing budget session of the state legislature.

NCP, a coalition partner in the Congress-led State Government, had already proposed an increase in the quota for women in local bodies from 33 to 50 per cent.

NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had recently asked his party activists to pursue the demand vigorously.

source http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=state&id=ST5366

Free local train travel for school, college going girls


In a Women's Day gift, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced free monthly seasonal tickets -- for local travel -- to girls till their college level education.

"All girl up to college level will get free monthly seasonal tickets," she said in the Rajya Sabha, winding up a discussion on the Rail Budget 2011-12.

Besides, the minister announced setting up vocational training centres for girls.

With the Upper House returning it, the Rail budget received Parliament's nod. The Lok Sabha has already passed the budget which did not impose any hike in fare or freight charges.

source-indian exp

Babus retirement age set to go up

 

The top two officials in the state administration, chief secretary, Mr S.V. Prasad, and the director-general of police, Mr K. Aravinda Rao, will benefit from the Centre’s decision to set the retirement age for civil servants at 62 years from the present 60 years. Mr Aravinda Rao was due to retire in June and the chief secretary in September.

Sources told this newspaper that the Cabinet subcommittee of the Union government gave its nod for enhancing the retirement age, and orders amending the service rules are expected much before the retirement of the two officials. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was keen to enhance the retirement age of bureaucrats.

Sources said that though the proposal is ready for implementation, there will be a few months’ delay because the government wants to make Mr Pulok Chatterjee the new Cabinet secretary at the Centre and prefers to wait for bureaucrats senior to him to retire before it makes the announcement.

Mr Chatterjee had earlier worked with the UPA chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and is considered a natural choice to take over from the incumbent Mr K.M. Chandrasekhar. “There are a few bureaucrats senior to Mr Chatterjee and the Centre will wait for their retirement in April,” explained a senior official.

Back here in the state, the government will be keen to retain the services of Mr Prasad and Mr Aravinda Rao who have proved to be assets when the state is passing through turbulent times. The former chief minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, appointed the two officials to the top posts and his successor Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy did not make any changes. Another senior bureaucrat, Ms Janaki Kondapi, will also benefit from the change in the new retirement age as she is due for retirement in the next few months.

Read more -http://www.deccanchronicle.com/hyderabad/babus-retirement-age-set-go-225