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Tag: opposes

  • Pawar opposes Electricity Amendment Bill, says its implementation will hit consumers

    Pawar opposes Electricity Amendment Bill, says its implementation will hit consumers

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    Nashik: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday strongly opposed the recently introduced Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in Parliament and asserted its implementation will end subsidy offered to power consumers, adversely affect government-run energy companies and also cause job losses.

    The Rajya Sabha MP said the Opposition will not allow passage of the Bill in Parliament in its existing form and continue to resist its provisions.

    Speaking at an event here, Pawar said the Opposition has clearly conveyed to the Union government that it will not allow the Bill to be passed in its present form.

    “Some days ago, a Bill for amendment to the Electricity Act, 2003, was introduced in Parliament. We oppose it because its implementation will stop power subsidy, shut down government-run energy companies and cause job losses,” said the former Union minister.

    It may get passed in the Lok Sabha because of the majority enjoyed by the Narendra Modi government, but it will not get cleared in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling dispensation lacks the required numbers, Pawar said.

    Privatisation of public undertakings in the power sector is also under consideration of the government, he claimed.

    “The Bill is before a parliamentary committee. Our stand is we will not allow this law to be passed in its current form,” the NCP leader added.

    Pawar was speaking at a convention of the Maharashtra State Electricity Workers’ Federation.

    The veteran politician said 40,000-42,000 existing vacancies in various state-run power firms should be filled and priority must be given to those working on these posts on contract.

    “These posts should be filled up immediately. Preference should be given to employees working in these companies on contract. In states like Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu contract workers have been absorbed in regular service and this should be done in Maharashtra also,” Pawar added.

    “India is an agriculture-dominated economy. Earlier, 35 per cent people were doing farming, now more than 56 per cent people are involved in farming. There is burden on agriculture and new research is needed to improve the situation,” said the former Union agriculture minister.

    Speaking at the convention, former Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said government-run companies in the state should not be privatized.

    All workers, employees, farmers and common people should come together to fight against privatization of state-run firms, said the NCP leader.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Will destabilise institution of marriage: NGO opposes criminalisation of marital rape

    Will destabilise institution of marriage: NGO opposes criminalisation of marital rape

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    New Delhi: An NGO has moved the Supreme Court opposing the criminalisation of marital rape, saying it would destabilise the institution of marriage.

    The petition filed by NGO Purush Aayog Trust through its president Barkha Trehan has sought the court’s intervention in a batch of petitions pertaining to the criminalisation of marital rape and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provision that provides protection to a husband against prosecution for forcible sexual intercourse if the wife is an adult.

    The plea contended that the doctrine of separation of powers is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution and the power to create an offence solely vests with the legislature.

    “A marriage can end without any sufficient evidence pertaining to a case of marital rape. If there is any evidence of forcible intercourse, then there cannot be any other primary evidence other than the testimony of the wife. This can easily destabilise the institution of marriage,” the plea said.

    The petition, filed through advocate Vivek Narayan Sharma, said over the years, numerous incidents have been reported across the country where men committed suicide due to false accusations made by women.

    “There have been uncountable cases wherein married women have misused such provisions. Such cases include sexual harassment, 498A and domestic violence. If exception II of section 375, IPC is struck down, then it can become an ‘easy tool’ for wives to harass and puppet husbands, especially considering that the quantum of punishment in rape cases is much higher and the burden of proof is upon the accused.

    “Any allegations of rape by the wife be treated as gospel truth on the word of the wife and the husband would be most likely incapable to lead any contra evidence, owing to the nature of the personal and married relationship,” it said.

    The top court had, on January 16, sought the Centre’s response to a batch of petitions pertaining to the criminalisation of marital rape and the IPC provision that provides protection to a husband against prosecution for forcible sexual intercourse if the wife is an adult.

    The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had told the bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that the issue has legal as well as “social implications” and the government would like to file its response to the petitions.

    The top court, which appointed lawyers Pooja Dhar and Jaikriti Jadeja as the nodal counsel, had said the parties will have to file their written submissions by March 3 for a smooth hearing of the petitions.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )