Saturday 2 May 2015

Nepal Earthquake

#NepalEarthquake


 IAF’s MI-17 V5 arrives at Langtang with relief material.
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Baby boy Sonit Awal was rescued 22 hours after quake is commendable job. Indian army did stupendous task with its image touching class of international repute in distribution of foods for aid to far flung areas the Army Aviation’s ALH Dhruv helicopter pressed into action Gorkha,  IAF’s MI-17 V5 arrives at Langtang with relief material.
“The earthquake has caused unimaginable destruction,” said Rownak Khan, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nepal. “Hospitals are overflowing, water is scarce, bodies are still buried under the rubble and people are still sleeping in the open. This is a perfect breeding ground for diseases.”
The April 25 earthquake flattened more than 130,000 homes and left 3 million people in need of food assistance. Some 24,000 people are currently staying in 13 camps in Kathmandu. In a country where just over 40 per cent of children are stunted, fears for children’s nutrition are rising.  At least 15,000 children with severe acute malnutrition require therapeutic feeding. There is also an urgent need for children in the 12 most affected districts to get back to their normal routine by setting up child-friendly spaces, opening schools and providing access to basic services, such as health and water.
As soon as the earthquake struck one week ago, UNICEF used its pre-positioned relief supplies to mount an emergency response and was able to provide aid, including tents to serve as emergency clinics at hospitals, tarpaulin for shelter, water trucking services in informal camps, water purification tablets and hygiene kits.
UNICEF is broadening its response so that children in the most severely affected communities, including those in hard-to-reach areas beyond Kathmandu, are provided with lifesaving services and supplies.
Total loss of life may ouch nearly 20K as the list of people untraceable and those critical injured  likely to come after 60 days of this natural calamity.EU Envoy says 1,000 Europeans still missing.  But as per official statistics, “The death toll has reached 6,624,” said the home ministry’s national disaster management division. A further 14,025 people were injured in the quake, it added.
A fresh 4.5-magnitude aftershock Saturday morning triggered panic among the people, who scrambled for open spaces.
The 7.9-magnitude quake last week left a trail of devastation and suffering, with people spending the cold night in the open because of fears of fresh quake.
Nepal’s remote mountainous areas have suffered “almost total devastation” from the powerful quake, aid agencies have warned, even as relief slowly began to reach far-flung regions amid fresh aftershocks that kept people on edge.
International humanitarian bodies have called for greater urgency in relief efforts.
“One of our teams that returned from Chautara in Sindupalchowk district reported that 90 percent of the homes are destroyed. The hospital has collapsed, and people are digging through the rubble with their hands in the hope that they might find family members who are still alive,” said Jagan Chapagain, Director of Asia Pacific with the IFRC.
“We can expect the situation to be the same if not worse in many other places where aid has not yet been delivered,” Chapagain said.
There are estimates that up to 40,000 homes in Sindupalchowk alone have been destroyed, the International Federation of Red Cross said in a statement.
Also, over 1,000 EU citizens are still unaccounted for in Himalayan Nepal, diplomats said.
The Europeans had mostly been climbing in the avalanche-hit Mt Everest region and trekking in the remote Langtang range near the epicentre of the quake.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reached Kathmandu on Friday to oversee the relief and rescue operations launched under ‘Operation Maitri’ to aid Nepal.
The National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar called on Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala today in Kathmandu.
They took stock of the relief and rescue operations and assured the Nepalese leadership of assisting it with total dedication and commitment. Ajit Doval said India stands steadfastly with Nepal, and would give them all the help possible.They visited the earthquake affected areas and also conducted an aerial survey.
Ajit Doval praised the rescue operations and directed all the Indian agencies to carry the relief efforts in full swing in the quake ravaged nation.Ajit Doval has said that Indian agencies are working to restore communication lines in Kathmandu and far flung areas in Nepal.
Meanwhile, the death has crossed over 6000 in Nepal with rescuers still on war footing to evacuate trapped people.
Personnel of the Indian Army, NDRF and the Indian Air Force are reaching out to affected people in far flung areas.
No Land Acquisition, We demand Land Rights!!         —

No Land Acquisition, We demand Land Rights!!        

  Take back Land Ordinance Now!!
  
INVITATION

Bhumi Adhikar Sangharsh Rally

10 am, 5th May, Sansad Marg, New Delhi

Friends,
You all would be aware that the Modi-led central government passed the new land acquisition ordinance again on the 3rd April. With the ordinance, the central government has again proved that it is not bothered about the country or its people. It is willing to go to any length to sell the land, resources and lives of people to national or multinational companies. The government is not worried about the farmer suicides, un-seasonal rain and damage of lakhs of hectares of crops due to hailstorm. They are only worried about improving its image on the land bill controversy through ‘perception-cleaning campaigns’. Friends, the dialogues and agreement with stakeholder groups claimed by the government are as much a lie as the benefits claimed in the ordinance.
The protests against taking away of land, the loot of identities of farmers and workers and for implementing constitutional provisions have intensified across the country. The call for nationwide protests taken at the rally on 24th Feb by thousands of people has reached all villages, district, and states in the country.  At the convention held on 2nd April, more than 300 representatives of farmers unions, trade unions, urban poor, fish workers, women’s rights organisations, youth organisations and pro-poor intellectuals got together to form strategies for the intensification of the struggle  ahead under the banner of ‘Bhumi Adhikar Andolan’.
The time has come once again that we show our collective strengths to this anti-farmer-worker government.This is an appeal to all people working for a free and just society, with progressive and secular individuals and groups, to assemble in large numbers on 5th May at 10 am on Parliament Street, Delhi and participate in the massive rally.  
Medha Patkar, Hannan Mollah, Atul Anjaan, Dr. Sunilam, Ashok Chowdhury, Prafulla Samantra, Rakesh Rafique, Dayamani Barla, Ulka Mahajan, Darshan Pal Singh, Manjit Singh, Roma, Harpal Singh Rana, Anil Chaudhary, Vinod Singh, Rajnish Gambhir, Akshay, Virenra Vidrohi, Kailash Meena, Mahavir Guliya, Amulya Nayak, Alok Shukla, Trilochan Punji, Rajim Ketwas, Umesh Tiwari, Ishwar Chandra Tripathi, M.S. Selvaraj, M. Ilango, Ramkrishna Raju, Hansraj Ghewra, Bhupendra Singh Rawat, Sagar Rabari, Jasbir Singh, Vijoo Krishnan, Madhuresh Kumar, Shweta Tripathi, Satyam Shrivastava, Ragiv Aseem, Sanjeev Kumar, Pratap Chaudhary and others 
Contacts: 9958797409981042329698189053169911955109
Please find attached the English and Hindi Parch
Gadkari holds meetings with CMs of NE on projects of Rs 15,000 cr —

Gadkari holds meetings with CMs of NE on projects of Rs 15,000 cr

May 2,
Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari is holding a review meeting with all Chief Ministers of North East including Sikkim in Guwahati. The meeting is expected to discuss on various roads and highway projects of the region. PWD Ministers and Chief Secretaries of the region have also taken part in the meeting.
>Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the government will award road projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in the region by December.
“Of the total Rs 15,000 crore road projects envisaged for the North-East, Rs 6,000 crore worth highways will be developed in Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 2,000 crore projects each in Nagaland and Meghalaya and the remaining ones in other parts of the region,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Shillong on Friday.
The Minister, who was in Shillong, to dedicate 4-laning of Shillong bypass and Jorabat-Barapani to the nation, said the central government will encourage the local contractors in the region to take up civil works for road projects with the aim of providing employment to the local population.
The Centre has also asked the north-eastern states — Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh — to acquire land and obtain the necessary regulatory clearances after which the Ministry of Road Transport and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will build those roads.
“These measures will ease the bottlenecks in establishing the road projects,” he said.
He added that the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) will provide 10 percent machinery and 10 percent resource mobilisation to the local contractors in advance to commence work on the highways.
Gadkari said that 18 new jetties will come up on the Brahmaputra river.
The 48.76 kms long road — connecting Umiam in Ri-Bhoi district and Mawryngkneng in East Khasi Hills District — was developed to decongest Shillong from trucks and heavy vehicles coming from or moving towards north-eastern part of Assam and other states like Mizoram and Tripura.
The project, developed at an estimated cost of Rs 226 crore, was completed in two years after work began in 2011.
The four-laning of Jorabat-Barapnai has been done to improve road connectivity between Guwahati and Shillong. The project length is 61.80 kms which includes the Umsning Bypass (5.82 kms).
The work has been substantially completed except in the Umsning Bypass stretch where pre-construction activities such as survey and site layout work is in progress.
Post the development of the road, travel time from Guwahati to Barapani will reduce to one-and-a-half hour as compared to the earlier duration of three hours.
The construction of the section has improved transport infrastructure in the North-East, particularly in Barak Valley region in Assam and in the states of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya.
At present, 12,000 vehicles ply on this road per day.
The Union Minister said that the Centre has given much importance in the development of water transport system in the country. Mr. Gadkari said that development of a country or state hugely depends on communication network. The Union minister during his 4-day trip to North East, went to Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya apart from Assam to take part in official programs.
Long live eight-hour day movement, Long live May Day —

Long live eight-hour day movement, Long live May Day

From: gopal krishna <1715krishna@gmail.com> Fri, 1 May ’15 7:46p
To: toxicswatchalliance <toxicswatchalliance@gmail.com>
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Press Release
Long live eight-hour day movement, Long live May Day
Government must ratify the 62 Conventions of ILO and Asbestos
Resolution of 2006
India must support inclusion of white chrysotile asbestos in the UN
Hazardous Substances list under Rotterdam Convention
Workers’ health indicates what’s going to happen to community and
environment later
May 1, 2015: International Workers’ Day is a celebration of the
working classes on 1st May every year to commemorate the struggle for
eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for
rest. If government is indeed serious in its celebrations of the day,
it should ensure eight hour working hour across private and public
sector in the country. Government must ratify the 62 Conventions of
International Labour Organisation (ILO) which it has not ratified.
Besides this, Government of India must act to implement the ILO
resolution of 1st June, 2006 seeking elimination of asbestos of all
kinds adopted by the 95th Session of the International Labour
Conference. The resolution reads:
The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,
•   Considering that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are
classified as known human carcinogens by the International Agency for
Research on Cancer, a classification restated by the International
Programme on Chemical Safety (a joint Programme of the International
Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the United
Nations Environment Programme),
•   Alarmed that an estimated 100,000 workers die every year from
diseases caused by exposure to asbestos,
•   Deeply concerned that workers continue to face serious risks from
asbestos exposure, particularly in asbestos removal, demolition,
building maintenance, ship-breaking and waste handling activities,
•   Noting that it has taken three decades of efforts and the emergence
of suitable alternatives for a comprehensive ban on the manufacturing
and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products to be adopted in
a number of countries,
•   Further noting that the objective of the Promotional Framework for
Occupational Safety and Health Convention 2006 is to prevent
occupational injuries, diseases and deaths,
1. Resolves that:
(a) the elimination of the future use of asbestos and the
identification and proper management of asbestos currently in place
are the most effective means to protect workers from asbestos exposure
and to prevent future asbestos-related diseases and deaths; and
(b) the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162), should not be used to
provide a justification for, or endorsement of, the continued use of
asbestos.
2. Requests the Governing Body to direct the International Labour Office to:
(a) continue to encourage member States to ratify and give effect to
the provisions of the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162), and the
Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139);
(b) promote the elimination of future use of all forms of asbestos and
asbestos containing materials in all member States;
(c) promote the identification and proper management of all forms of
asbestos currently in place;
(d) encourage and assist member States to include measures in their
national programmes on occupational safety and health to protect
workers from exposure to asbestos; and
(e) transmit this resolution to all member States.
This resolution has been endorsed by the Supreme Court of India in its
order dated January 21, 2011 and National Human Rights Commission is
seeking its implementation from all the states and concerned central
ministries. It is high time the process is expedited. It is about time
Government supported inclusion of white chrysotile asbestos in the UN
list of hazardous substances under Rotterdam Convention to be
consistent with India’s own domestic law like Factories Act, 1948 and
the inventory of hazardous chemicals import in India prepared Central
Pollution Control Board at the upcoming Seventh Conference of Parties
of the Convention in Geneva, Switzerland from 04 May to 15 May 2015.
Workers and their families who get exposed die a very painful death
from the incurable asbestos related diseases.
In contempt of Supreme Court’s judgment dated January 27, 1995, the
Ministry of Environment of Forests continues to grant environmental
clearance to asbestos based companies despite the fresh resolution of
ILO seeking elimination of asbestos which has been endorsed by the
Court. This has been reiterated by the Court in its judgment dated
January 21, 2011. Thus, the ministry emerges as a anti-worker entity.
Supreme Court has examined the carcinogenicity of “ASBESTOS
(mesothelioma and lung cancer)” in the Consumer Education & Research
Centre  Vs Union Of India & Others on 27 January, 1995 and observed
that “In man the link of lung cancer with asbestos has been mainly
epidemiological. while asbestosis cannot occur without exposure to
asbestos mad consequently every case of asbestosis must be linked with
such exposure, with pulmonary cancer the situation is quite different.
It is a rather common disease in the general population. The link with
exposure to asbestos is based on finding whether in those exposed to
asbestos is based on finding whether in those exposed to asbestos bang
cancer occurs more frequently than in those unexposed, i.e. whether in
those exposed there is an excess incidence of lung cancers.”(1995 AIR
922, 1995 SCC (3) 42)
Apart from the above resolution, Government of India must ratify these
62 conventions:
C087 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise
Convention, 1948
C098 – Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98)
C138 – Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)
C182 – Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
C129 – Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129)
C077 – Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946 (No. 77)
C078 – Medical Examination of Young Persons (Non-Industrial
Occupations) Convention, 1946
C094 – Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention, 1949 (No. 94)
C095 – Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 (No. 95)
C097 – Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97)
C102 – Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102)
C106 – Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106)
C110 – Plantations Convention, 1958 (No. 110)
C120 – Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1964 (No. 120)
C121 – Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 [Schedule I amended
in 1980] (No. 121)
C124 – Medical Examination of Young Persons (Underground Work) Convention, 1965
C128 – Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors’ Benefits Convention, 1967 (No. 128)
C130 – Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention, 1969 (No. 130)
C131 – Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131)
C135 – Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971 (No. 135)
C139 – Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139)
C140 – Paid Educational Leave Convention, 1974 (No. 140)
C143 – Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143)
C145 – Continuity of Employment (Seafarers) Convention, 1976 (No. 145)
C146 – Seafarers’ Annual Leave with Pay Convention, 1976 (No. 146)
C148 – Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration)
Convention, 1977 (No. 148)
C149 – Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149)
C150 – Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150)
C151 – Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978 (No. 151)
C152 – Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979 (No. 152)
C154 – Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981
C155 – Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
C156 – Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981
C157 – Maintenance of Social Security Rights Convention, 1982
C159 – Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons)
Convention, 1983
C161 – Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985
C162 – Asbestos Convention, 1986
C163 – Seafarers’ Welfare Convention, 1987
C164 – Health Protection and Medical Care (Seafarers) Convention, 1987
C165 – Social Security (Seafarers) Convention (Revised), 1987
C166 – Repatriation of Seafarers Convention (Revised), 1987
C167 – Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988
C168 – Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment
Convention, 1988
C169 – Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989
C170 – Chemicals Convention, 1990
C171 – Night Work Convention, 1990
C172 – Working Conditions (Hotels and Restaurants) Convention, 1991
C173 – Protection of Workers’ Claims (Employer’s Insolvency) Convention, 1992
C175 – Part-Time Work Convention, 1994
C176 – Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995
C177 – Home Work Convention, 1996
C178 – Labour Inspection (Seafarers) Convention, 1996
C179 – Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers Convention, 1996
C180 – Seafarers’ Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Convention, 1996
C181 – Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997
C183 – Maternity Protection Convention, 2000
C184 – Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001
C185 – Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003
C187 – Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health
Convention, 2006
C188 – Work in Fishing Convention, 2007
C189 – Domestic Workers Convention, 2011
MLC – Maritime Labour Convention, 2006
The industrial disaster of 1984 in Bhopal demonstrated that what
happens to workers happens to communities and environment. It is
important for the government, trade unions and all the social
organizations to recollect the fate of migrant workers in general and
workers working in hazardous industries and to intervene to save their
health and life from dirty, degrading and dangerous working and living
conditions.
This day is celebrated to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which
occurred in Chicago on 4th May 1886. This day has its origins in the
labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which
advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight
hours for rest. On May 4, the police were trying to disperse a public
assembly during a general strike for the eight-hour workday, when an
unidentified person threw a bomb at the police. The police responded
by firing on the workers, killing four demonstrators. The first May
Day celebration in India was organised in Chennai by the Labour Kisan
Party of Hindustan on 1st May 1923 wherein red flag was used for the
first time in India.
For Details: Gopal Krishna, Occupational Health India
(OHI)-ToxicsWatch, Mb: 08227816731, 09818089660,
E-mail:1715krishna@gmail.com, Web: www.toxicswatch.org
Invitation for the International Buddha Poornima Devas on 4th May, 2015 —
KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI —

KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI

PRESS INVITATION
Magic Picture And Entertainment cordially
Invites you to attend the cover of Press conference and
To share with you the uniqueness of their latest Hindi Film
KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI
To be addressed by:
Sunny Leone
Ram Kapoor
Devang Dholakia (Director)
Venueࠠ : Hotel Dusit Devrana, Near Umrao Farms, Samalkha, NH-8
Timeࠠࠠ : 11:30 a.m
Dateࠠ ࠠ: 4th May, 2015 (Monday)
Wesak Meditation “The Spiritual Event of the Year” —

Wesak Meditation “The Spiritual Event of the Year”

Invitation – Wesak Meditation “The Spiritual Event of the Year”
From: “Vimal.Vaastu” <vimal.vaastu@gmail.com> Fri, 1 May ’15 9:07p
To: You
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Dear Friend, Pls promote this event in best of your capacity.
The Wesak Meditation “The Spiritual Event of the Year”
The meditation is to Bless people everywhere and to convey the message of Wisdom, Light and Love.
Date- May 04, 2015
Time- 8.30 am
Location:  Hotel JW Marriott, Aerocity, Near IGI Airport, New Delhi – 110037
This meditation is open to all.
We urge you to kindly spread this awareness to all your friends and acquaintances to join us for this special Meditation.
Wesak -The full moon of Buddha: “…the greatest event upon our planet, from the stand point of the Spiritual verities, and the one which has the greatest effect upon the human race.”  
(The Master Djwhal Khul.)
* You are requested to carry your head-cover for the programme
** You are requested to wear light coloured clothes.
Event Schedule:
1.  Seating :  8:30 am
2.  Lamp Lighting  :  8:50 am
3.  Heart Sutra  :  8:55 am
4.  Great Invocation  :  9:10 am
5.  Wesak Meditation  :  9:12 am
6.  Short Talk by PHFD T. Board  :  9:45 am
7.  Hi-Tea 10:00 am onwards..
——-
Look forward to seeing you all.
Vimal
8459 435 820
on behalf of PHFD- Pranic healing Foundation of Delhi.
Petrol prices hiked by Rs 3.96 a litre, diesel Rs 2.37 —

Petrol prices hiked by Rs 3.96 a litre, diesel Rs 2.37

May 1
Petrol price has been hiked by Rs 3.96 a litre and diesel by Rs 2.37 per litre including the Value added Tax. The new rate came into effect from last midnight.
State-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corp have revised petrol and diesel prices on average imported cost and rupee-dollar exchange rate in the previous fortnight and in view of sharp increase in the international prices of the two products.
Now, petrol will cost Rs 63.16 per litre in Delhi, Rs 70.44 in Kolkata, Rs 70.84 in Mumbai and Rs 66.08 in Chennai. For diesel, the consumer will have to pay Rs 49.57 for a litre in Delhi, Rs 54.17 in Kolkata, Rs 56.87 in Mumbai and Rs 52.76 in Chennai.

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