सोमवार, 26 मई 2014

15वें प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में पद और गोपनीयता की शपथ ली / Narendra Modi 15th Prime Minister of India


-शीतांशु कुमार सहाय
63 वर्षीय भाजपा नेता नरेंद्र दामोदर दास मोदी ने राष्ट्रपति भवन के प्रांगण में लगभग 4000 देसी-विदेशी मेहमानों की मौजूदगी में भारत के 15वें प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में पद और गोपनीयता की शपथ ली। मोदी के साथ उनके मंत्रिमंडल ने भी शपथ ली। मोदी की टीम में 23 कैबिनेट मंत्री, 10 राज्यमंत्री स्वतंत्र प्रभार और 12 राज्यमंत्री हैं। यानी मोदी सरकार में प्रधानमंत्री सहित कुल 46 मंत्री हैं। शपथ ग्रहण समारोह करीब 90 मिनट चला। इसके बाद मोदी और उनकी मंत्रिपरिषद के सदस्यों ने राष्ट्रपति के साथ सामूहिक फोटो खिंचाया। फिर मोदी ने पड़ोसी देशों से आये राष्ट्राध्यक्षों और नेताओं से हाथ मिलाया। मोदी ने निवर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री का अभिवादन किया। इसके तुरंत बाद समारोह स्थल पर अव्यवस्था सी फैल गई क्योंकि हर कोई नया मंत्री प्रधानमंत्री से मिलना चाह रहा था। इस बार के लोकसभा चुनावों ने 30 साल बाद स्पष्ट बहुमत के साथ कोई सरकार दी है। पीएम के रूप में नरेंद्र मोदी ने अपनी आधिकारिक वेबसाइट http://pmindia.nic.in की शुरुआत करते हुए उसपर पहला संदेश देश और विश्व के नागरिकों के लिए दिया। मोदी का संदेश नीचे दिया जा रहा है---
मेरे प्यारे देशवासियों और विश्व के नागरिको!
नमस्ते!
भारत के प्रधानमंत्री की शासकीय वेबसाइट पर आपका हार्दिक स्वागत है। मैं इस वेबसाइट को आपस में सीधी बातचीत का एक अति महत्वपूर्ण माध्यम मानता हूं। मैं विश्वभर के लोगों से संपर्क बनाने के लिए तकनीकी शक्ति और सोशल मीडिया में दृढ़ विश्वास करता हूं। मुझे आशा है कि इस मंच से एक व्यक्ति के विचारों को सुनने, समझने और जानने का अवसर मिलेगा। इस वेबसाइट के माध्यम से आप सभी नवीन सूचनाएं, मेरे भाषणों, कार्यक्रमों, विदेश दौरों के बारे में अद्यतन जानकारी और बहुत कुछ प्राप्त कर सकेंगे। मैं भारत सरकार द्वारा उठाए जा रहे नए कदमों के बारे में भी आपको अवगत कराता रहूंगा। इस वेबसाइट पर एक बार फिर आपका हार्दिक स्वागत है और आशा है कि आने वाले महीनों में अनेक मुद्दों पर आपके साथ चर्चा करूंगा।
आपका,
नरेंद्र मोदी


मोदी ने वेबसाइट पर प्रसारित संदेश में कहा कि हमने देश को विकास की नई ऊंचाइयों पर ले जाने के लिए खुद को समर्पित कर दिया है, तथा इसमें हमें आपका सहयोग, दुआ और सक्रिय भागदारी चाहिए। हम साथ मिलकर भारत के उज्जावल भविष्य की इबारत लिखेंगे। वेबसाइट पर अपनी मां, हीराबेन से आशीर्वाद लेते हुए मोदी का एक चित्र भी प्रदर्शित किया गया है। वेबसाइट पर शपथ ग्रहण समारोह का सीधा प्रसारण भी किया गया। मोदी ने अपने संदेश में आगे कहा कि आइए, हम साथ मिलकर एक मजबूत, विकसित और समावेशी भारत का सपना देखें और विश्व समुदाय के साथ मिलकर विश्व शांति और समुन्नति के लिए कार्य करें।


7:27 pm सुदर्शन भगत ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। झरखंड के लोहरदग्गा से भाजपा सांसद हैं। राज्य मंत्री बने।
7:25 pm विष्णु देव ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। छत्तीसगढ़ के रायगढ़ से भाजपा सांसद हैं। राज्यमंत्री बने।
7:24 pm रावसाहेब दानवे ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। महाराष्ट्र से सांसद हैं, गोपीनाथ मुंडे के करीबी माने जाते हैं। राज्यमंत्री बने।
7:23 pm मनसुखभाई बसावा ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। गुजरात से भाजपा सांसद हैं। राज्यमंत्री बने।
7:20 pm डॉ. संजीव कुमार बालियान ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। मुजफ्फरनगर से भाजपा सांसद हैं। बसपा के कादिर राणा को हराया था। राज्य मंत्री बने।
7:19 pm कृष्ण पाल गुर्जर ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। हरियाणा के फरीदाबाद से सांसद हैं। कांग्रेस के अवतार सिंह भड़ाना को हराया।
7:18 pm किरण रिजिजु ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। अरूणाचल पश्चिम से सांसद हैं।
7:17 pm राधाकृष्णन ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। तामिलनाडु से एक मात्र भाजपा सांसद हैं। राज्य मंत्री बने।
7:15 pm उपेंद्र कुशवाहा ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। राष्ट्रीय लोकसमता पार्टी के अध्यक्ष हैं। बिहार के काराकट से सांसद हैं। राज्यमंत्री बने।
7:12 pm मनोज सिन्हा ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। उत्तर प्रदेश से सांसद चुनकर पहुंचे हैं। राज्य मंत्री बने।
7:11 pm जी एम सिद्धेश्वर ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। कर्नाटक से आते हैं।
7:09 pm निर्मला सीतारमण ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। बीबीसी में कुछ दिनों तक काम किया है। राष्ट्रीय महिला आयोग की अध्यक्ष रही हैं।
7:07 pm डॉ. जितेंद्र सिंह ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। जम्मू कश्मीर के उधमपुर से सांसद हैं, गुलाम नबी आजाद को हराया।
7:05 pm पीयूष गोयल ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। भाजपा के कोषाध्यक्ष हैं। सोशल मीडिया पर भाजपा के कैंपने के अगुवा रहे। महाराष्ट्र से भाजपा के राज्यसभा सांसद हैं।
7:03 pm प्रकाश जावड़ेकर ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। महाराष्ट्र से भाजपा के राज्यसभा सांसद हैं। भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता भी हैं।
7:02 pm सरबानंद सोनोवाल ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
7:00 pm धर्मेंद्र प्रधान ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। बिहार से राज्यसभा सांसद हैं। लोजपा से गठबंधन कराने में अहम भूमिका निभाई।
6:58 pm श्रीपद नाइक ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। गोवा से भाजपा सांसद हैं।
6:56 pm संतोष गंगवार ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। उत्तर प्रदेश के बरेली से सांसद हैं।
6:55 pm राव इंद्रजीत सिंह ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। गुड़गांव से भाजपा सांसद हैं।
6:54 pm जनरल वीके सिंह ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। गाजियाबाद से सांसद चुने गए।
6:53 pm डॉ. हर्षवर्धन ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। कपिल सिब्बल को दिल्ली की चांदनी चौक सीट पर लोकसभा चुनाव में हराया।
6:50 pm स्मृति ईरानी ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। राज्यसभा से सांसद हैं। राहुल गाधी के खिलाफ लोकसभा चुनाव लड़ी थीं, पर हार गईं थी।
6:49 pm थावर चंद गहलोत ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। राज्यसभा से सांसद हैं, मध्यप्रदेश में भाजपा नेता हैं।
6:47 pm राधा मोहन सिंह ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। बिहार के चंपारण से सांसद हैं।
6:45 pm जोएल उरांव ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली। ओडिशा से भाजपा सांसद हैं।
6:44 pm नरेंद्र सिंह तोमर ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:42 pm हरसिमरत कौर ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:40 pm अनंत गीते ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:39 pm अशोक गजपति राजू ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:38 pm रविशंकर प्रसाद ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:37 pm अनंत कुमार ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:35 pm मेनका गांधी ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:33 pm कलराज मिश्र ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:31 pm रामविलास पासवान ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:29 pm गोपीनाथ मुंडे ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:27 pm नज़मा हेपतुल्ला ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:26 pm उमा भारती ने मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:24 pm सदानंद गौड़ा ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:22 pm नितिन गडकरी ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:20 pm बैंकैया नायडू ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:18 pm अरूण जेटली ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:16 pm सुषमा स्वराज ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:14 pm राजनाथ सिंह ने कैबिनेट मंत्री पद की शपथ ली।
6:11 pm नरेंद्र मोदी ने भारत के 15वें प्रधानमंत्री पद की शपथ ली। मोदी ने हिन्दी में शपथ ली।
6:10 pm राष्ट्रपति प्रणब मुखर्जी से इजाजत लेकर समारोह की शुरूआत की गई।
6:08 pm राष्ट्रपति प्रणब मुखर्जी समारोह में पहुंचे।
6:01 pm आमंत्रित करीब सभी मेहमान राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंच चुके हैं।
6:00 pm उपराष्ट्रपति हामिद अंसारी राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे।
5:59 pm नरेंद मोदी राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे।
5:53 pm अफगानिस्तान के राष्ट्रपति हामिद करजई राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे। श्रीलंका के राष्ट्रपति महिंदा राजपक्षे भी पहुंचे।
5:46 pm पाकिस्तान के प्रधानमंत्री नवाज शरीफ राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे। मनमोहन सिंह के बगल में बैठे नवाज शरीफ। नेपाल के पीएम सुशील कोईराला भी पहुंचे। भूटान के राष्ट्रपति भी पहुंचे।
5:45 pm राजनाथ सिंह, सुषमा स्वराज, अरूण जेटली और मोदी कैबिनेट के सभी सदस्य शपथग्रहण समारोह स्थल अपने स्थान पर बैठे।
5:38 pm पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह भी मोदी के शपथग्रहण समारोह में पहुंचे।
5:35 pm आर्ट ऑफ लिविंग के संस्थापक श्री श्री रविशंकर राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे।
5:30 pm नरेंद्र मोदी की मां हीराबा घर में शपथग्रहण समारोह को टीवी पर देख रही हैं। तबीयत खराब होने की वजह से दिल्ली नहीं आ पाईं।
5:34 pmसोनिया गांधी और राहुल गांधी शपथग्रहण समारोह में शामिल होने के लिए राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे। पूर्व राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा सिंह पाटिल और एपीजे अब्दुल कलाम भी पहुंचे।
5:20 pm लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी अपनी बेटी प्रतिभा आडवाणी के साथ राष्ट्रपति भवन पहुंचे।
5:15 pm एनसीपी के अध्यक्ष शरद पवार, आरएसएस के राम माधव, मुरली मनोहर जोशी, शिवसेना प्रमुख उद्धव ठाकरे और टीडीपी अध्यक्ष चंद्र बाबू नायडू समारोह में पहुंचे।
5:10 pm नरेंद्र मोदी के शपथ ग्रहण समारोह में शामिल होने के लिए अतिथियों का पहुंचा शुरू हो गया है। रिलायंस के मालिक मुकेश अंबानी अपनी पत्नी नीता अंबानी से साथ पहुंचे।
5:00 pm पाकिस्तान के राष्ट्रपति नवाज शरीफ शपथग्रहण समारोह में शामिल होने को होटल ताज मान सिंह से राष्ट्रपति भवन के लिए निकले।
4:50 pm रजनीकांत भी शपथ ग्रहण समारोह में शामिल नहीं होंगे।
4:45pm मोदी कैबिनेट में अपने राज्य को उचित प्रतिनिधित्व ना मिलने से नाराज राजस्थान की मुख्यमंत्री वसुंधरा राजे ने अपने सांसदों से कहा, अभी कैबिनेट विस्तार का इंतजार करें- सूत्र
4:37 pm नरेंद्र मोदी ने ट्वीट कर कहा, शपथग्रहण समारोह में आने वालों का स्वागत है। भारत रत्न और स्वर कोकिला लता मंगेशकर स्वास्थ्य खराब होने की वजह से शपथग्रहण समारोह में नहीं आ रही हैं। लता ने पत्र लिखकर खराब सेहत के बारे में बताया। मोदी ने कहा, लता दीदी आपकी शुभकामनाएं हमें प्रेरित करती हैं। आपको बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद। मोदी ने टीवी के दर्शकों और सोशल मीडिया को धन्यवाद दिया।
मोदी कैबिनेट की कार्यप्रणाली---
मोदी ने सरकार का पुनर्गठन इस तरह से करने का निर्णय किया है जिसमें एक एक कैबिनेट मंत्री कई विभागों की कमान संभालेंगे। प्रधानमंत्री पद की शपथ ग्रहण करने से एक दिन पहले मोदी की ओर से कहा गया है कि विभिन्न मंत्रालयों की गतिविधियों को साथ लाने पर बल दिया जा रहा है जहां एक एक कैबिनेट मंत्री उन मंत्रालयों के समूह की अगवाई करेंगे को एक दूसरे के पूरक के रूप काम कर रहे हैं। मोदी के गुजरात भवन स्थित सचिवालय से जारी एक बयान में कहा गया है कि अपने मंत्रिमंडल के गठन में मोदी ने ‘न्यूनतम सरकार और अधिकतम शासन' और ‘कार्य संस्कृति एवं शासन की शैली में बदलाव लाने की प्रतिबद्धता के साथ युक्तिसंगत होने' के सिद्धांत को अपनाया है।
जब प्रणब मुखर्जी ने मंत्रियों को टोका---
शपथ ग्रहण समारोह के दौरान उस वक्‍त अजीब स्थिति पैदा हो गई जब राष्‍ट्रपति प्रणब मुखर्जी को भावी मंत्रियों को टोकना पड़ा। दरअसल, कैबिनेट मंत्री के तौर पर शपथ ले रहे अशोक गजपति राजू अपना नाम लेना ही भूल गए और आगे का लिखा पढ़ने लगे। 63 साल के गजपति राजू विजयनगरम से टीडीपी सांसद हैं और चंद्रबाबू नायडू के करीबी बताए जाते हैं। इसके बाद राज्‍य मंत्री के तौर पर शपथ लेने आए श्रीपद नाइक को भी प्रणब मुखर्जी ने टोका। श्रीपद नाइक पद (ऑफिस) का शपथ लिए बिना गोपनीयता की शपथ लेने लगे थे। श्रीपद नाइक उत्‍तरी गोवा से बीजेपी सांसद हैं। 62 साल के श्रीपद ने गोवा में बीजेपी अध्‍यक्ष पद की जिम्‍मेदारी भी संभाली है।
 मंत्रियों के मंत्रालय व विभाग...
बीजेपी के वरिष्ठ नेता अरुण जेटली को वित्त मंत्रालय के साथ रक्षा मंत्रालय का अतिरिक्त प्रभार भी दिया गया। वहीं पार्टी अध्यक्ष राजनाथ सिंह को गृहमंत्री बनाया गया है और सुषमा स्वराज को विदेश मंत्रालय दिया गया है। रविशंकर प्रसाद को कानून मंत्री का प्रभार दिया गया है। प्रकाश जावड़ेकर को सूचना एवं प्रसारण मंत्रालय और पर्यावरण मंत्रालय का प्रभार मिला है। मेनका गांधी को महिला एवं बाल कल्याण मंत्री बनाया गया है। दिल्ली से सांसद डॉ. हर्षवर्द्धन को स्वास्थ्य मंत्री बनाया गया है। महाराष्ट्र बीजेपी के वरिष्ठ नेता गोपीनाथ मुंडे को ग्रामीण विकास मंत्री बनाया गया है। नजमा हेपतुल्ला को अल्पसंख्यक मामलों का मंत्रालय मिला है। वहीं राज्यसभा सांसद पीयूष गोयल को ऊर्जा एवं कोयला मंत्रालय दिया गया है। इसके अलावा बिहार से एलजेपी प्रमुख रामविलास पासवान को खाद्य एवं नागरिक आपूर्ति मंत्री बनाया गया है। उमा भारती को जल-संसाधन और गंगा सफाई मंत्रालय दिया गया है। वेंकैया नायडु को संसदीय कार्यमंत्री बनाया गया है। बीजेपी प्रवक्ता निर्मला सीतारमन को वाणिज्य राज्यमंत्री का स्वतंत्र प्रभार, धर्मेंद्र प्रधान को पेट्रोलियम राज्यमंत्री का स्वतंत्र प्रभार, राव इंद्रजीत को रक्षा राज्यमंत्री बनाया गया है। वहीं राजस्थान के श्रीगंगानगर से सांसद निहाल चंद मेघवाल को भी राज्यमंत्री का दर्जा दिया गया है। इनके अलावा बिहार में एनडीए सहयोगी राष्ट्रीय लोक समता दल के प्रमुख उपेंद्र कुशवाहा को भी राज्यमंत्री का दर्जा दिया गया है।
कैबिनेट मंत्री के रूप में 23---
भाजपा के राजनाथ सिंह, सुषमा स्वराज, अरूण जेटली, एम वेंकैया नायडू, नितिन गडकरी, उमा भारती, मेनका गांधी, अनंत कुमार, रवि शंकर प्रसाद, गोपीनाथ मुंडे, सदानंद गौडा, कलराज मिश्र, नजमा हेपतुल्ला, नरेन्द्र सिंह तोमर, जुएल ओराम, राधा मोहन सिंह, थावर चंद गहलोत, स्मृति ईरानी और हषर्वर्धन ने कैबिनेट मंत्रियों के रूप में शपथ ली। सहयोगी दलों में से लोजपा के राम विलास पासवान, शिरोमणि अकाली दल से हरसिमरत कौर, शिवसेना से अनंत गीते और तेदेपा से अशोक गजपति राजू ने बतौर कैबिनेट मंत्री शपथ ली।
राज्य मंत्री (स्वतंत्र प्रभार) के रूप में 10---
पूर्व सेना प्रमुख जनरल वीके सिंह को बतौर राज्य मंत्री (स्वतंत्र प्रभार) मंत्रिपरिषद में जगह दी गई। स्वतंत्र प्रभार वाले अन्य राज्य मंत्रियों में राव इंद्रजीत सिंह, संतोष कुमार गंगवार, श्रीपद येसो नायक, धर्मेन्द्र प्रधान, सरबानंद सोनवाल, प्रकाश जावडेकर, पीयूष गोयल, जितेन्द्र सिंह और निर्मला सीतारमण शामिल हैं।
राज्य मंत्रियों के रूप में 12---
राज्य मंत्रियों के रूप में 12 सांसदों ने शपथ ली। इनमें जी एम सिद्धेश्वर, मनोज सिन्हा, निहाल चंद, उपेन्द्र कुशवाहा, पी राधाकृष्णन, किरन रिजिजु, कृष्णपाल, संजीव कुमार बालियां, मनसुखभाई वासवा, राव साहेब दानवे, विष्णुदेव साई और सुदर्शन भगत शामिल हैं।

शुक्रवार, 23 मई 2014

नरेन्द्र मोदी की सरकार से कई अपेक्षाएँ / MANY EXPECTATIONS BY NARENDRA MODI'S CENTRAL GOVERNMENT



-शीतांशु कुमार सहाय
भारतीय गणतंत्र विश्व का सबसे बड़ा गणतंत्र है। 2014 के लोकसभा आम चुनावों में नरेन्द्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में भारतीय जनता पार्टी की असाधारण जीत में भारतीय लोकतंत्र ने एक नये युग की शुरुआत की है। इस शानदार जीत का सम्पूर्ण श्रेय एक व्यक्ति विशेष के सबल नेतृत्व को जाता है। एक ऐसा नेतृत्व, जिसने लोगों को विकास के रास्ते पर ले जाने के सपने दिखाये हैं। अब जब आम चुनाव के परिणाम घोषित हो चुके हैं, जनता अपनी सारी अपेक्षाआं की पूर्ति के लिए इस नेतृत्व की तरफ टकटकी लगाकर देख रही है।
-चुनौतीपूर्ण होगा मोदी का कार्यकाल
भारतीय लोकतंत्र के इतिहास में यह प्रथम बार नहीं है कि किसी प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री राष्ट्र के प्रधानमंत्री के पद को सुशोभित करने जा रहे हैं, परन्तु मोदी देश के प्रथम व्यक्ति हैं जिन्होंने गुजरात राज्य में तीन बार सरकार बनायी है और अब उसके बाद राष्ट्र के प्रधानमंत्री पद पर आसीन होने जा रहे हैं। गुजरात में उनका मुख्यमंत्री का कार्यकाल चुनौतीपूर्ण रहा और प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में उनका कार्यकाल और भी ज्यादा चुनौतीपूर्ण होने की गंुजाइश है।
-सत्ता का हस्तान्तरण
भारतीय गणतंत्र के आज तक के इतिहास में सत्ता का हस्तान्तरण कभी भी समस्याओं से घिरा नहीं रहा। आपातकाल की कुछ कुख्यात यादें इसका अपवाद हो सकती हैं। पर, कमोबेश भारत में सत्ता का हस्तान्तरण एक सुगम प्रक्रिया है। मोदी प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय में कार्यभार संभालेंगे पर उन्हें उत्सव मनाने का शायद तनिक भी समय न मिले। प्रधानमंत्री और उनके मंत्रिमंडल को बहुत सारे मुद्दों पर जूझना है। जैसे- राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा, बढ़ती हुई महँगाई, सड़ते हुए अनाज भंडार, एक अनिश्चित मॉनसून की तैयारी, सूखा व बाढ़ पीड़ितों की राहत व्यवस्था, बढ़ता राजस्व घाटा और सबसे ज्यादा औद्योगिक विकास को प्रेरित करना। सबसे बड़ी बात तो ये है कि इन सारी जिम्मेदारियों को पूरा करने के लिए उन्हें शीघ्र ही एकजुट होना पड़ेगा। शपथ ग्रहण समारोह की स्याही शायद सूख भी न पाये और प्रधानमंत्री और उनके मंत्रिमण्डल के सदस्यांे को इन अपेक्षाओं की पूर्ति के लिए प्रयासरत होना पड़ेगा। ये वे अपेक्षाएँ हैं जिन्हें इन नेताओं ने अपने चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान बार-बार दुहराकर जनता को इसकी पूर्ति के लिए आश्वस्त कर दिया है।
-अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी की राजनीतिक विरासत
मिली-जुली राजनीति मोदी के लिए नयी नहीं है। जब उन्हें भाजपा की तरफ से प्रधानमंत्री पद का प्रत्याशी घोषित किया गया, उस वक्त राष्ट्रीय जनतान्त्रिक गठबन्धन (राजग) में भारतीय जनता पार्टी के अलावा 2 अन्य पार्टियाँ थीं। पर, जैसे-जैसे मोदी का राष्ट्रीय-राजनीतिक कद बढ़ता गया और उनका चुनाव प्रचार जोर होने लगा तो राजग को लगभग दर्जनभर पार्टियों की भागीदारी प्राप्त हो गयी। ऐसा इसलिए संभव हो सका; क्योंकि मोदी भाजपा के अन्दर और अन्य दलों में भी अपने मित्रों को यह आश्वस्त करने में सफल हो गये कि उनमंे अपने पूर्ववर्ती नेता अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी की राजनीतिक विरासत को संभालने की क्षमता है। मोदी के भाषणों में वाजपेयी की वाक्चातुर्यता का आभास होता है। मोदी ने अपना आक्रामक रवैया छोड़ दिया है और वे वृहद् राजनीतिक जिम्मेदारी के लिए तैयार हैं। आम चुनाव के नतीजों की घोषणा के बाद यह तय हो गया  कि भाजपा को सरकार बनाने के लिए अन्य दलों के समर्थन की आवश्यकता नहीं है पर मोदी ने स्पष्ट कहा है कि वे राजग के घटक दलों को अपने साथ लेकर चलेंगे और नवनिर्मित 16वीं लोकसभा के सारे चुने हुए सदस्य उनकी टीम के सदस्य हैं; क्योंकि वे भारत की जनता का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं।

-सत्ताधिकार और उत्तरदायित्व
शक्ति के साथ सत्ता का अधिकार मात्र नहीं जुड़ा होता; बल्कि अतिशय उत्तरदायित्व भी जुड़े होते हैं। नरेन्द्र मोदी की यात्रा राष्ट्रीय स्वयं सेवक संघ (आरएसएस) के एक प्रचारक के रूप में शुरू हुई थी। मोदी आरएसएस के आदर्शों का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं। इन चुनावों में आरएसएस के कार्यकर्त्ताओं की अहम् भूमिका रही है। इसलिए आरएसएस भी मोदी से उम्मीद लगाये बैठा है कि वे सत्तासीन होने के बाद राष्ट्रीय स्वयं सेवक संघ के आदर्शों को आगे बढ़ायेंगे। वैसे आरएसएस ने स्पष्ट किया है कि वह सत्ता में किसी भी प्रकार का हस्तक्षेप नहीं करेगा। प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में नरेन्द्र को गुजरात के अपने 12 साल के कार्यकाल के अनुभव से लाभ होगा। पिछली केन्द्र सरकार के कार्यकाल में जब राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर आर्थिक विकास रूक गया था और विदेशी निवेश न्यूनतम हो गए थे, उस समय भी गुजरात ऑटोमोबाइल और दवाओं के उद्योग का गढ़ बना था। विकास का यह प्रारूप जो गुजरात में सफल रहा, वह प्रारूप राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भी सफल होगा- यह सबसे बड़ा प्रश्न है। अगर इस प्रश्न का उत्तर मोदी के पास ‘हाँ’ है तो उन्हें इस उत्तर को सही सिद्ध करने के लिए कठिन परीक्षा से गुजरना होगा।

-एक राजनेता का उदय 
2002 के गुजरात दंगों के बाद मोदी इस सदी के सबसे विवादास्पद नेताओं में से एक रहे हैं। पर, समय के साथ उन्होंने अपनी छवि सुधारी और वे अपनी साम्प्रदायिक छवि से ऊपर उठ चुके हैं। वाराणसी में हुई उनकी असाधारण जीत और मतों का शेयर यह स्पष्ट दर्शाता है कि मुस्लिम मतदाताओं ने भी मोदी को समर्थन दिया है। वस्तुतः आजादी के बाद यह पहली बार हुआ है कि भारतीय मतदाताओं ने जाति, वर्ग, क्षेत्र और सम्प्रदाय के विभाजन से ऊपर उठकर राष्ट्र निर्माण और विकास की उम्मीद में मतदान किया है। यह भारतीय राजनीति में एक नवीन स्वर्णिम युग का शुभारम्भ है।
-नये परिप्रेक्ष्य में विदेश नीति
अभी प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय के नये आगन्तुक पर सम्पूर्ण विश्व की नजरें टिकी हैं। सिर्फ उद्योग और व्यापार के मुद्दे ही नहीं, नयी सरकार की विदेश नीति भी चर्चा का विषय है। विदेश नीति आदर्शवाद और व्यावहारिकतावाद का मिश्रण होती है। प्रधानमंत्री को अपनी टीम में कुशल कूटनीतिज्ञों को शामिल करने की आवश्यकता है जो समुचित और कठोर निर्णय ले सके।
-सरकारी संस्थानों की विश्वसनीयता
नरेन्द्र मोदी का प्रथम प्रयास यह होना चाहिए कि वे सरकारी संस्थानों की विश्वसनीयता लौटाएँ। वे लोगों के मन में यह विश्वास जगाएँ कि राजनीति सिर्फ सत्ता प्राप्ति का साधन नहीं है; अपितु सामाजिक परिवर्तन का मुख्य यंत्र है।

-राष्ट्रप्रेम व विकासअपने पूरे चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान मोदी देशप्रेम, विकास, रोजगार, आर्थिक अवसर, समता, महिलाओं की सुरक्षा और राजनीतिक स्थिरता- इन मुद्दों को धुरी बनाकर जनता से मत माँगते रहे। बदले में उन्होंने ‘कम सरकार और ज्यादा शासन’ का नारा दिया और लोगों में भागीदारी और सशक्तीकरण की राजनीतिक आस जगायी। वायदों को निभाने का समय अब आ गया है। नयी सरकार के प्रथम 100 दिन अगले 5 वर्षों की कार्यप्रणाली की झाँकी पेश करेंगे। उम्मीद है, नये प्रधानमंत्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जनता की अपेक्षाओं की कसौटी पर खरे उतरेंगे और भारतवर्ष को विश्व मानचित्र पर एक सशक्त और समृद्ध राष्ट्र के रूप में स्थापित करेंगे।

शनिवार, 17 मई 2014

नरेन्द्र मोदी को मनमोहन सिंह की बधाई / Conguratulation For Modi By Manmohan Singh


प्रधानमंत्री के स्प में अपने अंतिम भाषण में भावुक लहजे में मनमोहन ने कहा, ''प्रधानमंत्री का पद छोड़ने के बाद भी आपके प्यार और मोहब्बत की याद हमेशा मेरे जहन में ताजा रहेगी। मुझे जो कुछ भी मिला है, इस देश से ही मिला है। एक ऐसा देश जिसने बंटवारे के कारण बेघर हुए एक बच्चे को इतने ऊंचे पद तक पहुंचा दिया। यह एक ऐसा कर्ज है जिसे मैं कभी अदा नहीं कर सकता। यह एक ऐसा सम्मान भी है जिस पर मुझे हमेशा गर्व रहेगा। मित्रो, मुझे भारत के भविष्य के बारे में पूरा इत्मीनान है। मुझे पक्का विश्वास है कि वह समय आ गया है जब भारत दुनिया की बदलती हुई अर्थव्यवस्था में एक महत्वपूर्ण शक्ति के रूप में उभरेगा। परंपरा को आधुनिकता के साथ और विविधता को एकता के साथ मिलाते हुए हमारा देश दुनिया को आगे का रास्ता दिखा सकता है। अपने महान देश की सेवा करने का मौका मिलना मेरा सौभाग्य रहा है। मैं इससे ज्यादा कुछ और नहीं मांग सकता था। मेरी शुभकामना है कि आने वाली सरकार अपने काम-काज में हर तरह से सफल रहे। मैं अपने देश के लिए और भी बड़ी सफलताओं की कामना करता हूं।''

भारत के मानचित्र में नरेन्द्र मोदी का चित्र / NARENDRA MODI IN THE MAP OF INDIA

भारतीय जनता पार्टी के गुजरात कार्यालय में नरेन्द्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में पार्टी की गौरवपूर्ण जीत की खुशी में भारत के मानचित्र में नरेन्द्र मोदी का चित्र चिपकाकर आकर्षक रूप में प्रदर्शित किया गया।

बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने दिया त्याग पत्र, दी नरेन्द्र मोदी को बधाई / BIHAR'S CHIEF MINISTER NITISH KUMAR'S RESIGNATION


-शीतांशु कुमार सहाय
लोकसभा चुनाव में जनता दल (युनाइटेड) के खराब प्रदर्शन की जिम्मेदारी लेते हुए बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने राज्यपाल को अपना इस्तीफा सौंप दिया। नीतीश ने शनिवार शाम 3.30 बजे राजभवन जाकर राज्यपाल डीवाई पाटील को अपना इस्तीफा सौंप दिया। नीतीश ने साफ किया कि उन्होंने राज्यपाल से बिहार विधानसभा को भंग करने की सिफारिश नहीं की है। इस्तीफे के बाद नीतीश ने कहा, ''मैं चुनाव में हार की पूरी जिम्मेदारी लेता हूं और मैंने नैतिकता और सिद्दांत के आधार पर अपना इस्तीफा दिया है। चुनाव अभियान में नीतियों पर बात कम हो रही थी और आरोप-प्रत्यारोप ज्यादा हो रहे थे। इस तरह का चुनाव मैंने अपने राजनीतिक जीवन में कभी नहीं देखा था। हम मर्यादा बनाए रखते हुए जनता के पास गए, लेकिन मुझे अपेक्षित समर्थन नहीं मिला, इसलिए इसकी नैतिक जिम्मेदारी लेते हुए मैंने मुख्यमंत्री के पद से त्यागपत्र दे दिया है। मैंने विधानसभा को भंग करने की सिफारिश नहीं की है और वैकल्पिक सरकार का विकल्प खुला है। इस दौरान नीतीश ने बीजेपी से अलग होने के फैसले को भी सही ठहराया। उन्होंने कहा कि चुनाव परिणाम का उससे कोई लेना-देना नहीं है।'' गौरतलब है कि नरेंद्र मोदी को प्रधानमंत्री पद का उम्मीदवार बनाए जाने से नाराज होकर जेडीयू ने एनडीए से अपना 17 साल पुराना गठबंधन तोड़ दिया था। हालांकि जेडीयू को इसका खामियाजा भुगतना पड़ा और लोकसभा चुनावों में जेडीयू की करारी हार हुई।
नरेन्द्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में नई सरकार को बधाई---
नीतीश कुमार ने ट्वीट के जरिए अपनी प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि हम जनमत का सम्मान करते हैं। नीतीश ने नरेन्द्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में नई सरकार को बधाई देते हुए कहा, ''जनादेश का सम्मान होना चाहिए। जनादेश के अंतिम परिणाम में किसी तरह का भ्रम नहीं है। चुनाव के दौरान युवा पीढ़ी को जो सपने दिखाए गए हैं, हम उम्मीद करेंगे कि वे सारे सपने पूरे होंगे और अच्छे दिन आएंगे। हम अपने स्तर पर अपने काम को आगे बढ़ाएंगे। नरेंद्र मोदी की अगुवाई वाली अगली सरकार को मेरी पूरी शुभकामनाएँ हैं।
चुनाव के नतीजे का विश्लेषण बाद में---
नीतीश ने कहा, ''ये जो चुनाव के नतीजे हैं, इसका विश्लेषण विस्तृत तौर पर बाद में किया जाएगा। हमलोग इस पर अपनी पार्टी में चर्चा करेंगे।''
नैतिकता या नाटक---
जनता दल (युनाइटेड) नेता अली अनवर ने कहा कि नीतीश कुमार ने इस्तीफा देकर नैतिकता का एक उच्च मापदंड स्थापित किया है। उन्होंने कहा, 'हमने राज्य की सेवा की, फिर भी हमें नंबर नहीं मिला तो हमें लगा कि अब फ्रेश मेंडेट लेना चाहिए।' वहीं, बिहार बीजेपी के प्रभारी धर्मेद्र प्रधान ने कहा कि नीतीश कुमार के अंदर नैतिकता नहीं बची है, वह नाटक कर रहे हैं।
भाजपा ने कहा---
भारतीय जनता पार्टी (भाजपा) नेता नलिन कोहली ने कहा कि बीजेपी किसी भी परिस्थिति के लिए राजनीतिक रूप से तैयार है। उन्होंने कहा कि बीजेपी ने जेडी(यू) से अपना नाता नहीं तोड़ा था, बल्कि जेडी(यू) ने बीजेपी से अलग होने का फैसला किया था। बिहार बीजेपी के नेता सीपी ठाकुर ने कहा, ''नीतीश मोदी का विरोध कर रहे थे और मोदी इतनी बड़ी जीत के साथ पीएम बनने जा रहे है, इसलिए उन्होंने इस्तीफा दिया होगा। उन्हें लगा होगा कि हम गलत कर रहे थे, इसलिए उन्होंने इस्तीफा दिया होगा।''
काँग्रेस की प्रतिक्रिया---
काँग्रेस नेता शकील अहमद ने कहा कि जनता ने जब उनका (नीतीश) साथ नहीं दिया तो जनता के फैसले का सम्मान करते हुए मॉरल ग्राउंड पर उन्होंने अपना इस्तीफा दे दिया। वहीं, आरजेडी नेता राजनीति प्रसाद ने इस्तीफे को नीतीश का पॉलिटिकल स्टंट बताया। उन्होंने कहा, 'इस्तीफा देना नैतिक जिम्मेदारी नहीं है, बल्कि उन्हें पता है कि हमारी सरकार जाने वाली है, इसलिए उन्होंने खत्म कर दिया। उनकी सरकार कांग्रेस के समर्थन से चल रही थी। उन्हें पता था कि अगर इस्तीफा नही देंगे, तब भी सरकार जाने वाली है। नीतीश कुमार ने खुद हीरो बनने के लिए इस्तीफा दिया है।''
महज 2 सीटें मिली---
गौरतलब है कि नीतीश कुमार की पार्टी जनता दल (युनाइटेड) को लोकसभा चुनाव में बिहार की 40 सीटों में से महज 2 सीटें मिली थीं। बिहार विधानसभा में अभी नीतीश कुमार के 114 विधायक हैं, जबकि बहुमत के लिए 122 का आंकड़ा जरूरी है। इसके साथ ही नीतीश को इस बात का भी डर था कि उनके विधायक कई बीजेपी के साथ जा सकते हैं। गौरतलब है कि जेडी(यू) में कई लोग भाजपा के साथ गठबंधन तोड़ने के खिलाफ थे।
शरद यादव की प्रतिक्रिया---
हाल ही में पार्टी अध्यक्ष शरद यादव और कृषि मंत्री नरेंद्र सिंह के बयान से भी यह साफ दिखा। शरद यादव ने नीतीश पर जाति की राजनीति करने का भी आरोप लगाया था। शरद यादव एनडीए गठबंधन से नाराज चल रहे थे। इससे पहले शरद यादव ने जनता से माफी मांगते हुए कहा था कि मैं बिहार की बदहाली के लिए जिम्मेवार हूँ, क्योंकि मैंने पहले लालू और फिर नीतीश को सत्ता सौंपने में मदद की। खास बात यह है कि जेडीयू अध्यक्ष शरद यादव मधेपुरा से लोकसभा चुनाव हार चुके हैं।
रामविलास पासवान की भविष्यवाणी सच---
इससे पहले आज रामविलास पासवान ने लोकसभा चुनाव में मिली अप्रत्याशित जीत पर कहा था कि बिहार में अक्टूबर-नवंबर तक चुनाव हो सकते हैं। इसके बाद ही नीतीश ने इस्तीफा देने का फैसला लिया। पासवान ने कहा था कि आने वाले दिनों में बिहार को नया जनादेश देना पड़ सकता है। लोजपा नेता ने पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं से विधानसभा चुनावों की तैयारी शुरू कर देने के लिए कहा है। साथ ही पासवान ने कहा कि वह अब एनडीए गठबंधन से बाहर नहीं जाएंगे। लोकसभा चुनाव में जद-यू की करारी शिकस्त पर प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए पासवान ने कहा था कि बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार जनादेश खो चुके हैं और उन्हें अपने पद से इस्तीफा दे देना चाहिए। पासवान ने कहा कि उनकी पार्टी विधानसभा चुनाव भाजपा के साथ मिलकर लड़ेगी।

इस्तीफे के बाद नीतीश कुमार ने मीडिया से कहा :-

* भाजपा से अलग होने का फैसला सैद्धांतिक था।
* वैकल्पिक सरकार बनाने का रास्ता खुला हुआ है।
* कल विधायक दल अपना नया नेता चुनेगा।
* बिहार विधानसभा भंग करने की सिफारिश नहीं की है।
* अच्छे दिन आ गए हैं, लोग स्वागत करेंगे।
* भावुक होकर नहीं लिया इस्तीफे का फैसला।
* सीएम पद और मंत्रिमंडल से इस्तीफा दिया है।
* कल चार बजे जेडीयू विधायक दल की बैठक।
* बिहार विधानसभा भंग करने की सिफारिश नहीं की है।
* नई सरकार ने जो सपने दिखाए, वो पूरा करें।
* चुनाव में सांप्रदायिक आधार पर ध्रुवीकरण हुआ।
* चु्नाव में मुद्दों और नीतियों पर बात नहीं हुई।
* इस तरह का चुनाव लोकतंत्र के लिए ठीक नहीं।
* हार की नैतिक जिम्मेदारी लेते हुए इस्तीफा।
* चुनाव के दौरान सारी मर्यादाओं का पालन किया।
* मैं जनादेश का सम्मान करता हूं।
* चुनाव में आरोप प्रत्यारोप ज्यादा हुए।
* चुनाव परिणाम की जिम्मेदारी लेता हूं।

शुक्रवार, 16 मई 2014

झारखण्ड : लोकसभा निर्वाचन 2014 : भाजपा की दीवाली तो बाकी का दिवाला / BJP LEAD IN JHARKHAND


-शीतांशु कुमार सहाय

झारखंड की 14 लोकसभा सीटों पर से पर्दा उठ गया। जैसे-जैसे रूझान में भाजपा को बढ़त मिल रही थी, कार्यकर्त्ताओं की खुशी जश्न में बदलने लगी थी। सड़कों पर सुबह से ही सन्नाटा पसर गया था। जो जहाँ था वही ठहर गया। जैसे-जैसे समय बीत रहा था सड़क पर कर्फ्यू का माहौल दीखने लगा। राजनेताओं के साथ आम मतदाता चुनाव परिणाम को जानने के लिए पल-पल पर नजर टिकाये हुए थे। पार्टी प्रत्याशी के साथ भाजपा में उत्साह चरम पर तो अन्य पार्टियों के खेमे में मायूसी साफ झलक रही है। राउंड-दर-राउंड में भाजपा अन्य पार्टियों को पछाड़ते हुए आगे बढ़ती जा रही थी। हालाँकि मोदी की आने की आहट चुनाव के समय से ही हो गयी थी, बस मुहर लगने की देर थी। अब झारखंड में चौतरफा विजय से भाजपा में खुशी की लहर दौड़ गयी है। रुझान से भाजपा में दीवाली की रौनक रही तो अन्य पार्टियों का दिवाला निकल गया। रुझान के साथ ही प्रदेश भाजपा में दीवाली और होली का रंग एक साथ देखने को मिला। भाजपा कार्यालय के अंदर होली की धूम रही तो बाहर दीवाली का शोर। अन्य दलों के कार्यालयों में भी कार्यकर्त्ता जुटे जरूर लेकिन जैसे-जैसे भाजपा का कारवाँ बढ़ता गया, सभी लोग छिटकने लगे। थोड़ी देर बाद ही पूरे कार्यालय में मायूसी छा गयी। दोपहर बाद भाजपा कार्यालय में चहल-पहल देखने लायक थी। सभी एक-दूसरे को बधाइयाँ दे रहे थे। लड्डू खिलाने का दौर भी चला। जश्न की तैयारी में भाजपा पिछले 2-3 दिनों से जुटी हुई थी। खासकर एग्जिट पोल आने के बाद से ही भाजपा कार्यालय में लड्डू बनाने का काम शुरू हुआ था। कार्यकर्ताआंे ने चार लाख रुपये के पटाखे खरीदे थे जिनका उपयोग कार्यकर्त्ताओं ने किया। पटाखे फोड़ने का सिलसिला मतगणना के रूझान में भाजपा को मिलती बढ़त के साथ-साथ बढ़ता ही चला गया। भाजपा कार्यालय के बाहर नरेन्द्र मोदी के बड़े-बड़े पोस्टर लगाये हुए थे। ढोल-नगाड़ों की थाप पर कार्यकर्त्ता भाजपा का झंडा लिये हुए झूमते दिखे।

शनिवार, 10 मई 2014

पढ़िये मजीठिया वेतन आयोग की पूरी सिफारिशें / READ FULL MAJITHIA WAGE BOARD REPORT


-शीतांशु कुमार सहाय / SHEETANSHU KUMAR SAHAY
भारत में शोषितों-पीड़ितों की आवाज उठानेवाले पत्रकार सबसे अधिक शोषित व पीड़ित हैं। उन्हें उनके मेहनत के अनुसार वेतन नहीं मिलता। इस पर पहले वछावत वेतन आयोग और फिर मेहसाना वेतन आयोग की रपटें आयीं जिन्हें देशभर के समाचार पत्रों, समाचार एजेंसियों व टीवी चैनलों के मालिकों ने लागू नहीं किया और अपने यहाँ कार्यरत पत्रकारों का आर्थिक शोषण जारी रखा। तब सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने कदम उठाया और भारत सरकार से कहा कि वह पत्रकारों के लिए कारगर वेतन लागू करवाये। सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के आदेश के आलोक में केन्द्रीय सरकार ने 11 नवम्बर 2011 को मजीठिया वेतन आयोग की रपटों को अधिसूचित किया। इसके विरोध में कई अखबारों व मीडिया घरानों ने सर्वोच्च न्यायालय में भारत सरकार की अधिसूचना की खिलाफत की पर सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने मजीठिया वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को अक्षरशः लागू करने का आदेश दिया। फिर पुनर्विचार याचिका दायर की गयी। पुनर्विचार याचिका को भी सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने खारिज कर दिया। यों भारत के तमाम समाचार पत्र मजीठिया वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को अपने यहाँ लागू कर रहे हैं। पर, अभी भी कुछ समाचार पत्र ना-नुकुर कर रहे हैं जिनपर सर्वोच्च न्यायालय के आदेश की अवहेलना का मुकदमा हो सकता है। यहाँ मैं प्रस्तुत कर रहा हूँ मजीठिया वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को-
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The recommendations of the Majithia Wage Boards were accepted by the Government of India on 25th October, 2011 and notified vide S.O. no. 2532 (E) dated 11th November, 2011 in the Gazette of India. A copy of the Order is reproduced below:
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
 New Delhi, dated the 11th November, 2011.
ORDER S. O. 2532 (E). – Whereas, for the purpose of enabling the Central Government to fix or revise rates of wages for working Journalists and non-journalist newspaper employees, two Wage Boards were constituted under section 9 and section 13C of the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955) on the 24th May, 2007 by the notifications of the Government of India in the Ministry of Labour and Employment numbers S. O. 809 (E) and 810 (E) dated the 24th May, 2007 respectively; And, Whereas, the Wage Boards were given three years’ time to submit their Reports to the Central Government vide notifications in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary) S. O. Nos. 1066 (E) and 1067 (E) dated 3rd July 2007. The term of the Wage Boards for submitting the Reports was extended up to 31st December, 2010 vide notifications numbers S.O 1304(E) and S.O 1305(E) dated 2nd June, 2010; And Whereas, the said Wage Boards submitted their recommendations to the Central Government on the 31st day of December, 2010; And Whereas, a Writ Petition (C) No.246 of 2011 in the matter of ABP Pvt. Ltd. and another versus the Union of India and others is pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India challenging the constitution and the recommendations of the Wage Boards; And Whereas, the Central Government has taken legal opinion and it has been advised to issue order under section 12 of the said Act, subject to the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the said case;
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And Whereas the Central Government proposes to accept the recommendations of the said Wage Boards as contained in Chapter XIX of Part-V of the report which is appended as Annexure-I (a) and chapter XX of the said Part-V of the report which is appended as Annexure-I (b), subject to certain modifications hereafter specified, being modifications which, in the opinion of the Central Government, do not effect important alterations in the character of the recommendations; Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 12 of the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955), and in supersession of the notification number S.O.1086 (E), dated the 5th December, 2000, as amended by number S.O.1125 (E), dated 15th December, 2000, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby orders, subject to the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, that,– 1. In Part V, in Chapter XIX of the Recommendations of the Wage Boards for working journalists and non-journalist newspaper employees in newspaper establishments (other than news agencies),- (a) in paragraph 6, for the heading “Classification of News Agency”, the heading “Classification of Newspaper Establishment” shall be substituted; (b) in para 11, in the Explanation.- (i) in clause (a), for the figure and words “3% of gross revenue”, the figure and words “2% of gross revenue” shall be substituted; (ii) in clause (b), for sub-clause ii, the following sub-clause shall be substituted, namely.- “ii. In respect of newspaper establishments falling under Classes V to VIII, where 20% of increase as a result of variable pay is recommended, the current basic pay would rise by around 2.58 to 2.84 times”. ; (c) in para 20, in the Explanation, in clause (1), for the figures, letters and word “25th August 2008”, the figures, letters and word “24th October, 2008” shall be substituted; (d) for Schedules I.A and I.B, the following Schedules shall be substituted, namely :-
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‘SCHEDULE – I.A (Grouping of Working Journalists in Newspaper Establishments) Group – 1A : Editor Group – 1 : Executive Editor, Resident Editor, Associate Editor, Joint Editor, Deputy Editor, and Chief News Coordinator or Chief News Editor. Group – 2 : Chief of News Bureau, Assistant Editor, Leader Writer, News Editor, News Coordinator, Special Correspondent. Group – 3: Chief Reporter or Chief Correspondent, Chief Sub-Editor or Content Chief, Deputy or Assistant News Editor, Photo Editor, Sport Editors, Commercial Editor, Science Editor, Economic Editor,, Film Editor, Feature Editor, Magazine Editor, Cartoonist, Chief of Statistical or Research Division, Chief News Photographer; Chief Librarian; Chief Index Assistant; Chief Calligraphist; Chief Artist; Page designer, Principal Correspondent in State capital accredited to the State Government, Correspondent accredited to the Central Government other than a Special Correspondent and other sectional or batch heads, not placed in a higher category. Group – 4 : Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor, Deputy Chief Reporter or Senior Reporter, Senior Correspondent, Deputy Page Designer; Senior Calligraphist; Senior or Deputy Chief Artist Senior Librarian, Senior Index Assistant; Senior Research Assistant, Senior Photographer. Group – 5 : Sub-Editor, Reporter, Correspondent, News Photographer, Artist, Calligraphist including Katibs, Librarian, Index Assistant, Chief Proof Reader and Senior Planner / Senior Scanner Operator. Group – 6: Proof Reader including Advertisement Proof Reader Planner, Scanner / Scanner Operator, and all Working Journalists other than those mentioned under any other group unless placed higher by the establishment. NOTE: (1) Any newspaper employee employed with any designation different from those enumerated in the schedules, but doing the same or similar nature of job, of any group in the schedule, shall be deemed to be a working journalist in that group. (2) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every class of newspaper establishments.
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SCHEDULE – I.B (Functional definitions – Working Journalists) Group – 1A: 1. “Editor” means a person who directs and supervises the work of the editorial side of the Newspaper. Group – 1: 2. “Executive Editor” means a person who assists in the editorial and production functions of a newspaper, whether or not he supervises the work of Resident Editor, Assistant Editor, etc. 3. “Resident Editor” means a person, who performs the functions of an Editor of a newspaper at a centre other than the one from which the newspaper is originally published or other than the headquarter of the newspaper establishment. 4. “Associate Editor” or “Joint Editor” or “Deputy Editor” means a person who generally assists the Editor in the performance of the work of the Editor. 5. “Chief News Coordinator” or “Chief News Editor” means a person, who coordinates as overall chief of all the news items to be published in the newspaper and supervises the work of the News Coordinators or News Editors. Group – 2: 6. “Chief of News Bureau” means a person who supervises the work of the news bureau and assigns work to the Bureau members. 7. “Assistant Editor” means a person who regularly assists the Editors in the discharge of his duties generally in relation to review, opinions, comments or criticism. 8. “Leader Writer” means a person who regularly writes leaders and may also write other copy involving review, comment or criticism. 9. “News Editor” or “News Coordinator” means a person who co-ordinates and supervises the work of the news department and is responsible for the news content of all the editions of a newspaper. 10. “Special Correspondent” means a person whose duties regularly include reporting and interpreting all news of Parliamentary, political and general importance as an accredited correspondent or other-wise at the head-quarters of the Central Government or at a foreign centre or who regularly performs similar functions in more than one State or at any other place where he is assigned as such.
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Group – 3 11. “Chief Reporter” or “Chief Correspondent” means a person who is in charge of all reporters/ Correspondents at a centre of publication, supervises their work and also regularly reports and interprets all news of legislative, political or general importance. 11A “Deputy or Assistant News Editor” means a person who assists the news editor in the discharge of his duties generally and/or is in charge of bringing out the city edition. 12. “Chief Sub-Editor or Content Chief” means a person who takes charge of a shift at the news desk, allocates and supervises the work of one or more sub-editors and is generally responsible for the determination of news space and the general display of news in the newspaper or in a particular edition or part of it. 13. “Sports Editors” means a person in charge of the sports section of a newspaper, deals with news and views on sports and allied activities, allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters and of one or more sub-editors and is generally responsible for the determination of news space and the general display of sports news. 14. “Photo Editor” means in-charge of operating the photo service of the news agency and coordination of the service. 15. “Commercial Editor” means a person who deals with news and views bearing on commerce, finance, trade, industry and comments on them and allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters. 16. “Economic Editor” means a person, who is in charge of bringing out the matters of general economic importance of the newspaper and allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters. 17. “Science Editor” means a person who deals with specialized news relating to science and technology, and is in-charge of bringing out the Science service of the newspaper. 18. “Film Editor” means a person who deals with news and views bearing on films and stage and is in charge on specified column or page on stage and screen and supervises the work of one or more working journalists. 19. “Feature Editor” means a person who deals with features and is in charge of bringing out the Features Service of the news agency and supervises the work of one or more working journalists, reporter or correspondent engaged in these activities. 20. “Magazine Editor” means a person who deals with news and views bearing on literary or entertainment items of relevant news and thoughts and other connected subjects of literature is in-charge of specified columns or pages and two or more working journalists who supervises their work.
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21. “Cartoonist” means a person who comments upon news and events through cartoons, caricatures or comic strips. 22. “Chief of Statistical or Research Division” means a person in charge of statistical or research division which deals with matters bearing on commerce, finance, trade and industry in a financial paper and supervises the work of one or more working journalists. 23. “Chief News Photographer” means a person who allocates and supervises the work of one or more news photographers. 24. “Chief Librarian” or “Chief Index Assistant” or “Chief Calligraphists” or “Chief Artist” means a person who supervises the work of one or more librarians, Index Assistants, Calligraphist and Artists respectively. 25. “Page designer” means a person who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper. 26. “Principal Correspondent” is Correspondent who is accredited to the State Government and Correspondent is a person accredited to the Central Government other than special Correspondent and other sectional or batch heads. Group – 4: 27. “Deputy Chief Sub-Editor” or “Senior Sub-Editor” means a person who regularly assists the Chief Sub-Editor in the discharge of his duties and acts in his place in his absence. 28. “Deputy Chief Sub-Editor / Reporter” means a person who regularly assists the Chief Sub-Editor or Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor in the discharge of his duties. 29. “Deputy Chief Reporter” or “Senior Reporter” means a person who assists the Chief Reporter and acts in his place in his absence. 30. “Deputy Page Designer” means a person who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper under the overall supervision of Chief Designer or Page Designer. 31. “Senior Correspondent” means a person other than special and principal correspondent and his duties and responsibilities would include the reporting on important news at any important centre other than the centre of publication and have put in service of not less than five years as correspondent or Reporter.
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32. “Senior Photographer” or means a person, who has put in service of not less than five years in photographic profession and as also assists the photo editor in carrying out duties and responsibilities in the field. 33. “Senior Calligraphist”, “Senior or Deputy Chief Artist” or “Senior or Deputy Chief Librarian”, “Senior Index Assistant”, and “Senior Research Assistant” means a person who assists the Chief Calligraphist, Chief Artist, Chief Librarian, Chief Index Assistant, and Chief of Statistics or Research Division as the case may be, and has put in service of not less than five years. Group – 5 34. “Sub-Editor or Senior Reporter” means a person who receives, selects, shortens summarizers, elaborates, translates, edits and headlines news items of all descriptions and may do some or all of these functions. 35. “Reporter” means a person who gathers and presents news at a particular centre. 36. “Correspondent” means a person who gathers and dispatches by Email, website, wire, post or any other means, news from any centre other than the centre of publication. 37. “News Photographer” means a person who covers news events of public interest through photographs. 38. “Artist” means a person who prepares for publication drawing, layouts, maps, graphs or other similar embellishments, illustrations of any kind or of creative art. He may do some or all of these functions. 39. “Calligraphist” means an artist who performs journalistic work and also calligraphy matters. 40. “Librarian” or “Index Assistant” means a person who prepares and maintains records, relating to news and views which are used as background or fill out for current stories. Persons not performing any of these functions shall not be covered. 41. “Chief Proof Reader” means who allocates and supervises the work of one or more proof readers and is in charge of a shift. 42. “Senior Planner” means a person who supervises the work of photo editing, colour editing and shadow editing undertaken by the Planner. 43. “Senior Scanner Operator” means a person who supervises the work of scanning of the photographs/colour advertisements/illustration etc. undertaken by Scanner/Scanner Operator.
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Group – 6 44. “Proof Reader” means a person who checks up printed matter of proof with Editor’s copy to ensure strict conformity of the former with the latter. Factual discrepancies, slips of spelling mistakes of grammar and syntax may also be discovered by him and he either corrects or gets them corrected. 45. “Planner” means a person who assists in the job to photo editing, colour editing and shadow editing so highlight any news matter given by the Editor. 46. “Scanner / Scanner Operator” means a person, who scans the photograph / colour advertisements / illustrations and colour correction of photographs and transparencies’ ;’ (e) in Table – V relating to Classification of Cities, under the heading AREA – “Y”, - a) the entries against serial numbers 53 and 68 shall be omitted; b) the serial numbers of all entries thereunder shall be renumbered consecutively as serial numbers 1 to 67. 2. In Chapter XX of the Recommendations of the Wage Boards for working journalists and non-journalist newspaper employees in news agencies, – (a) for the words “newspaper establishment”, wherever they occur, the words “news agency” shall be substituted; (b) with respect to the recommendations regarding allowances referred to in paragraphs 15, 16 and 17, News Agencies of Class I and II shall be treated as equivalent to Class I and II of Newspaper Establishments and Class III and IV of News Agencies shall be treated as equivalent to Class V and VI of Newspaper Establishments. (c) for paragraph 14, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely:- “14. Night shift allowance – The Night shift allowance as per rates indicated in the following Table shall be paid to the employees by the news agencies :- Class of news agency Rate per night shift I & II (As equivalent to Class- I and II of newspaper establishments) Rs. 100 III & IV (As equivalent to Class- V and VI of newspaper establishments) Rs. 50”;
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(d) in Table – 1, for the entries under columns 1 to 5 relating to scale of pay for group of employees belonging to class III and class IV of the News Agency establishment the following entries shall be substituted, namely:- Class of News Agency establishment Scales of pay for Group of Employees Variable Pay (% of Basic pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 “III No Scale Rs.16000-ARI (2.5%)-26300 Rs.14000-ARI (2.5%)-23000 Rs.13000-ARI (2.5%)-21400 Rs.12000-ARI (2.5%)-19700 Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 20% IV Rs.14000-ARI (2.5%)-23000 Rs.13000-ARI (2.5%)-21400 Rs.12000-ARI (2.5%-19700 Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 20%”; (e) in Table II for the entry “30%” under the column relating to Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay)’ against class III and class IV of News Agency Establishment, the entry “20%” shall respectively be substituted; (f) in Table IV, relating to Classification of Cities, under the heading Area “Y”,- a) the entries against serial numbers 53 and 68 shall be omitted; b) the serial numbers of all entries thereunder shall be renumbered consecutively as serial numbers 1 to 67.
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Annexure I (a) Part-V: RECOMMENDATIONS Chapter – XIX Recommendations of the Majithia Wage Boards for Working Journalists and Non–Journalist Newspaper Employees in Newspaper Establishments (Other than the News Agencies) Section I PRELIMINARY Short title and commencement: (1) These recommendations may be called the Majithia Wage Board Award. (2) The Award shall be deemed to have come into force on the first day of July 2010. 2. Definitions- In this Award, unless the context otherwise requires - (1) "Act" means the Working Journalist and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (XLV of 1955); (2) "Accounting year" used with reference to a particular year shall in the case of newspaper establishment mean financial year, the year commencing on the first day of April. In case, however, the accounting year of a newspaper establishment is different from financial year, it shall mean that accounting year of the establishment, of which more than half falls in the particular financial year. In case of the newspaper establishment whose accounting year starts from 1st day of October, the accounting year would be that year in which the first six months fall. Illustration – If the accounting year of a newspaper establishment starts from 1st day of January, 2009, reference to the accounting year 2009 in this Award shall be construed as reference to accounting year 2009-10. Again, if the accounting year of the newspaper establishment starts from 1st day of October, reference to accounting year 2009 in this Award will be construed as reference to the accounting year 2009-10 of that establishment. (3) "Basic wage" means wages drawn in the prescribed scale of wages, including stagnation increment, if any, but does not include any other type of wages or pay, like special pay, personal pay, etc.
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(4) 'Category' means any of those newspaper employees mentioned under the groups set out in this Award. (5) “Gross Revenue” of a newspaper establishment (other than news agency) means the total revenue derived by the establishment from all sources of its newspaper business, including circulation and advertisement in its newspaper or newspapers, and also include the income from the assets acquired and investments made by it out of funds earned in the newspaper business. Explanation – For the purpose of this clause, (i) The revenue in respect of circulation and advertisement shall be taken to be the amount arrived at after deducting the commission actually allowed to the extent to which the amount of commission so allowed is reasonable. (ii) Reasonable commission is one which is finally accepted by the Income Tax Authorities in case of a particular newspaper establishment. In cases, where no such final decision of the Income Tax Authorities is available, the circulation commission shall be 28 percent and the advertisement commission shall be 15 percent of the respective revenues. (6) "Newspaper employee" means working journalist, or non-journalist newspaper employee, or both. (8) "Schedule" means a schedule annexed to this Award. (9) "Table" means a table annexed to this Award. (10) The words and expressions "newspaper establishment", “working journalist” and "non-journalist newspaper employee" shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Act. Section II Classification of newspaper Establishments and Grouping of Newspaper Employees 3. Classification of newspaper Establishments– For the purpose of fixation or revision of rates of wages in respect of working journalists and non-journalists newspaper employees (other than the news agencies), the newspaper establishments shall be classified hereinafter provided
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(a) (i) The classification of newspaper establishments shall be based on the average gross revenue of three accounting years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. The different departments, branches and centres of newspaper establishments shall be treated as parts thereof. (ii) Notwithstanding the clubbing of different departments, branches and centres of newspaper establishments on the basis of their own gross revenue, the units of the newspaper establishments of all the classes as categorized in paragraph 6 of this Chapter shall not be stepped up by more than two classes over and above the classes to which they belong according to their gross revenue, as a result of their clubbing. Explanation – For the purpose of this clause, (a) If there are different units / branches / companies of one classified newspaper establishment in one town or city and adjoining areas, even though carrying different names, these will be treated as one single unit of that newspaper establishment. (b) In the case of a newspaper establishment completing two out of the aforementioned three (3) accounting years, its classification shall be determined on the basis of its average gross revenue for those two years. (c) In the case of a newspaper establishment which has completed only one year of the said accounting years, its classification shall be determined on the basis of its gross revenue for that year. (d) A new newspaper establishment, for which the provisions of clauses (a), (b) and (c) above do not apply, is liable to be classified after the completion of its first accounting year on the basis of its gross revenue for that year. Provided that – Notwithstanding anything contained in clauses (b), (c) and (d) above, a newspaper establishment which is classified on the basis of two (2) accounting years shall be placed one class lower than the class in which it is liable to be placed and a newspaper establishment, which is classified on the basis of one accounting year, shall be placed two classes lower than the class in which it is liable to be placed. In either case, it shall not be lower than Class VIII. 4. Continuance of classification – The classification determines in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter shall continue until the newspaper establishment is reclassified in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 7 of this Chapter.
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5. Change of ownership – If the ownership of the newspaper establishment is transferred by one person to another, the provisions of paras 3 and 4 of this Chapter shall apply to such newspaper establishment as if the gross revenue of the newspaper establishment for the relevant accounting years under the previous owner were its revenue for those years under the new owner. 6. Classification of news agency – Newspaper establishment shall be classified under the following classes on the basis of their gross revenue as per paragraph 3 of this Chapter. Class Gross Revenue Class Gross Revenue I Rupees One Thousand Crore and above V Rupees Ten Crore and above but less than Rupees Fifty Crore II Rupees Five Hundred Crore and above but less than Rupees One Thousand Crore VI Rupees Five Crore and above but less than Rupees Ten Crore III Rupees One Hundred Crore and above but less than Rupees Five Hundred Crore VII Rupees One Crore and above but less than Rupees Five Crore IV Rupees Fifty Crore and above but less than Rupees One Hundred Crore VIII Less than Rupees One Crore Note: - Foreign newspaper establishments, those operating in India with their Principal Office outside India, shall be treated as Class I newspaper establishment. Explanation – For the purpose of this clause, (a) No newspaper establishment shall be deemed to be below class VIII. (b) Gross revenue of the circulation and advertisement clubbed together derived by a newspaper establishment, other than the one falling in Class VIII, if the advertisement revenue is less than 50% of its aforesaid revenue, then it should be placed in the class next below the class in which it would fall on the basis of its total average gross revenue. (c) Gross revenue of the circulation and advertisement clubbed together derived by a newspaper establishment, other than the one falling in classes VII and VIII, if the advertisement revenue is less than 40% of its aforesaid revenue, then it should be placed two classes below the class in which it would fall on the basis of its total average gross revenue. Establishments falling in Class VII whose advertisement is less than 40% of gross revenue will be placed in Class VIII.
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(d) Newspaper establishment, other than one falling in Class VIII, publishing Indian language newspapers from a district town and not having more than two publications and whose advertisement revenue is less than 50 per cent of the total gross revenue, will be placed one class below the class in which it would fall on the basis of its total gross revenue. 7. Continuance of classification and reclassification – (1) The classification made under this Chapter, shall continue until the newspaper establishment is reclassified in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6 of this Chapter. (2) It shall be open either to the employer or to the employee to seek a reclassification of a newspaper establishment at any time after one year from the date of the enforcement of the Award on the basis of the average gross revenue of the three immediately preceding accounting years; Provided that such reclassification should not be sought more than once in any period of three consecutive accounting years. Provided that any such reclassification made as per paragraph 7 (2) is required to be adjusted towards the price escalation worked out on the basis of wholesale price index with effect from the financial year just before the implementation of the Majithia Wage Boards Awards. 8. Grouping of Newspaper Employees: - (1) The working journalists in newspaper establishments of classes I to VIII shall be grouped as under the Schedule I.A; and the functional definitions of various categories of working journalists in the news agency are described in the Schedule I.B. (2) Non-journalist newspaper employees (administrative staff) in newspaper establishments of classes I to VIII shall be grouped as under the Schedule II. (3) Non-journalist newspaper employees (factory staff) in newspaper establishments of classes I to VIII shall be grouped as under the Schedule III. 9. Variable Pay: The concept of variable pay has been introduced, which aims to achieve twin objectives as stated below: a. The Sixth Pay Commission had recommended the concept of grade pay and the same was agreed to by the Government for implementation. On similar analogy the concept of variable pay needs to be introduced for all the employees working in newspaper establishments and news agencies. The variable pay will be the specified percentage of the basic pay drawn by an
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employee in the newspaper industry. All allowances, such as HRA, Transport Allowance, and Leave Travel Allowance etc. will be computed by taking the sum total of the revised basic pay and the variable pay applicable to an employee. b. Variable pay recommended by the Wage Boards would be the minimum maintainable for all employees including those working on contract basis and the management would be free to pay more than recommended variable pay subject to performance of the workers as well as profitability and viability of the newspaper establishments. Section III REVISED SCALES OF WAGES AND ALLOWANCES 10. Revised scale of wages for working journalists – (1) The revised scale of wages and variable pay, as recommended by the Wage Board for a span of 20 years, of each group of the Working Journalists in different classes of newspaper establishments is prescribed in Table I. (2) Every part-time Correspondent and part-time Photographer shall be paid not less than 40 per cent, if he is posted at district head-quarters and above and not less than 30 percent, if he is posted at place below district headquarters, of the basic wage plus dearness allowance applicable to a full time Correspondent / Photographer at similar level, provided that no part-time Correspondent / Photographer will work for more than two newspaper establishments. In addition, payment shall be paid to him on column basis, the rate of which to be settled by mutual negotiations keeping in view the basic wages and dearness allowances drawn by as part-time Correspondent and part-time Photographer. 11. Revised scale of wages for non-journalists: – (1) The revised scales of wages and variable pay, as recommended by the Wage Board for a span of 20 years, of each group of the non-journalist newspaper employees i.e. Administration Staff and Factory Staff in different classes of newspaper establishments are prescribed in Table II and III respectively. (2) Every time rated employee, that is to say, a person employed to work as time-rated employee (time-work) for either less or more than prescribed working hours and performs the job, or does the duty of a regular employee, shall be paid on pro-rata basis equivalent to the wages of the regular employee on the basis of number of hours for which he is employed. (i) Explanation – for the purpose of above paragraphs 10 and 11
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a) The Probable Impact of Wage Increase on newspaper establishments would be explained as below: It reflects from the analytical data presented in the Annual Survey of Industries that the wages and salaries of employees in newspaper industry are normally 10% of the gross revenue of an establishment and is also supported to some extent by the information on wages and gross revenue submitted by the newspaper establishments to the Wage Boards. The proposal of the Wage Boards suggests around 35% and 20% increase in the wages / salaries over and above the salary including interim relief of employees working in the newspaper industry falling in classes I to IV and classes V to VIII respectively. Approximately, it would mean that with this increase, the wages would become about 13.5% of the gross revenue in respect of newspaper establishment falling in class I to IV. This would, therefore, result in further burden of just 3.5% of gross revenue. On a similar analogy, the burden on newspaper establishments in class V to VIII would be just 3% of gross revenue. Moreover, this additional burden on newspaper establishment would dissipate over the period as per the past trend. Based on the financial data submitted by the newspaper establishments, the Boards feel that it would be possible for them to bear such a moderate increase. b) As regards benefit to newspaper employees i. In respect of newspaper establishments falling under Classes I to IV, where 35% of increase as a result of variable pay is recommended, “the current basic pay of the newspaper employee” would rise by around 2.90 to 3.20 times, and ii. In respect of newspaper establishments falling under Classes V to VIII, where 30% of increase as a result of variable pay is recommended, the current basic pay would rise by around 2.80 to 3.08 times. 12. Drawal of wages in the revised scales – (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Award, a newspaper employee shall draw wages in the revised scale applicable to the group to which he belongs. 13. Dearness Allowance – (1) The revised rates of dearness allowance shall be paid according to average all-India Consumer Price Index Number for industrial worker (2001=100) compiled by Labour Bureau and will become operative with effect from 01-07-2010. (2) Dearness Allowance shall be payable bi-annually with effect from 1st July and 1st January every year and shall be sanctioned as soon as the figures for the preceding 12 months, for which all – India
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average consumer price index for industrial workers (Base 2001=100) used for determining rate of dearness allowance, becomes available. Dearness allowance will become payable from the beginning of the month immediately succeeding the 12 month period for which All – India average index figures are used for determining rate of dearness allowance. (3) The Rate of neutralization for determining Dearness Allowance payable Bi-annually on the basis of Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Numbers would be 100 percent of basic pay for all groups of employees in newspaper establishments and will be calculated as per the formula in Table- IV. (4) Rate of neutralization for calculating dearness allowance will be 100% vide Table- IV. Explanation – for the purpose of this paragraph – The dearness allowance in respect of the period preceding the date of implementation of the Award shall be given at the existing rates. 14. House Rent Allowance – House rent allowance at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10% shall be paid by newspaper establishments to its employees posted in the respective areas defined as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” respectively, which is based on the pattern followed under the fixation of Minimum Wages in respect of scheduled employments in the Central Sphere, as well as keeping in view of the concentration of Newspaper Establishments in Metros, Cities and Towns. The classification of cities as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” are prescribed in Table – V. Provided that – (1) where an employee is provided residential accommodation by newspaper establishments, no house rent allowance shall be admissible. (2) if an employee is being paid house rent allowance, the same will be adjusted against the amount of house rent allowance payable under this provision. (3) where a newspaper establishment contributes on behalf of an employee any amount towards a fund to enable the employee to own his residential accommodation, such amount shall be adjusted against house rent allowance payable under this provision. 15. Transport allowance – The Transport allowance at the rate of 20%, 10% and 5%,shall be paid by newspaper establishments to its employees posted in the respective areas defined as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” respectively. The Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” are prescribed in Table – V.
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In view of the transport allowance, which is the major expenditure incurred by the residents including the newspaper employees, being recommended by the Wage Boards, the City Compensatory Allowance stands abolished. 16. Night shift allowance – The Night shift allowance at the rates shall be paid by the newspaper establishment to their respective employees as given in the table below: Class of Newspaper Establishments Rate per Night Shift Class of Newspaper Establishments Rate per Night Shift I & II Rs.100/- V and VI Rs.50/- III & IV Rs.75/- VII & VIII Rs.50/- 17. Hardship allowance – (1) An employee working in newspaper establishment of classes I to IV, which are situated in hilly areas above 5000 feet (1524 meters) from the sea level or in a disturbed area shall be paid a lump sum of Rs.1000 per month. (2) An employee working in newspaper establishment of classes V and VI, which are situated in hilly areas above 5000 feet (1524 meters) from the sea level or in a disturbed area, shall be paid a lump sum of Rs.500/- per month. (3) The hardship allowance shall not be applicable to the employees in newspaper establishment of classes VII and VIII. Explanation – for the purpose of this paragraph, – The"disturbed area" means disturbed area declared by the appropriate Government, i.e., State Government or Central Government, as the case may be, under the relevant Act. 18. Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) – An employee shall be paid leave travel allowance as equivalent to one month basic pay, except those working in newspaper establishment of classes VII and VIII. The LTA would be admissible once in a block of two years subject to availing of leave and production of necessary documents in proof of journey actually undertaken. 19. Medical Allowance – (1) The employees working in newspaper establishment of Classes I & II and Classes III & IV shall be paid medical allowance at the rate of Rs.1000/- and Rs.500/- per month per employee respectively. The employees in consultation with the management of newspaper establishment may opt for health insurance policy subject to the premium not exceeding the admissible medical allowance per annum.
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(2) No medical allowance shall be paid to the employees, who are covered by Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). (3) Whereas the newspaper establishment falling in Classes V to VIII shall provide medicare insurance cover to all of their employees and the premium to be paid to an insurance company shall be limited to Rs.2000/- per annum per employee. 20. Fixation of initial wage in the revised scale – The initial wage of an employee in the revised scale shall be fixed in the following manner - a) For the new entrant, the wages shall be fixed in the revised scale at the minimum of the scale. b) In the case of employees already working in the newspaper establishment, the wages shall be fixed in the revised scale at the stage next above the existing emolument. c) If the minimum of the revised scale is higher than the amount of the emoluments being presently drawn by the employee, the wages shall be fixed at the minimum of the revised scale. d) If the existing emoluments of the employee are higher than minimum of the revised scale, the wages shall be fixed at next higher stage in the revised scale. e) Every employee shall be given one increment in the revised pay scale for completion of every five years' service in the post held immediately before the date of the commencement of the Award. f) As regard to Assured Career Development, Every employee shall be given at least three promotions during his entire service career i.e. first to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of ten years of service, second to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of twenty years of service and third to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of thirty years of service. g) The service rendered by the concerned employee in any other post carrying a scale in that newspaper establishment, the minimum of which is lower by not more than 30% of the minimum of the scale in which the employee worked, shall also be taken into account. h) The total number of increments shall not be more than three. i) No employee shall get more than the maximum of the revised pay scale. j) The revised pay scales shall become applicable to all employees with effect from 1st July 2010. However, if an employee within three weeks from the date of publication of
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Government Notification under Section 12 of the Act enforcing these recommendations exercises his option for retaining his existing pay scale and "existing emoluments", he shall be entitled to retain his existing scale and such emoluments. Explanation: (1) The “existing emoluments” of an employee shall mean his basic pay, variable dearness allowance at the All India average Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) at 167 during the period July 2009 to June 2010, convertible to CPI – IW (Base 1982=100) by the conversion factor of 4.63, and interim relief of 30% of basic pay sanctioned vide notifications S.O. No. 2524 (E) and 2525 (E) dated 25th August 2008 as applicable for working journalists and non-journalists newspaper employee respectively. (2) The "additional emoluments" of an employee shall mean emoluments other than the “existing emoluments” described in Clause (1) granted by newspaper establishments, as a result of collective bargaining, agreement or award, as increase in basic wage, dearness allowance or interim relief. (3) The "additional allowances" of an employee shall mean any monthly payments, by whatever name called, not related to a specific purpose nor agreed to be adjusted against any revision of pay or dearness allowance. 21. Mode of payment of arrears – The arrears payable from the date of enforcement of the Award, if any, as a result of retrospective implementation, shall be paid in three equal instalments after every six months from the date of enforcement of the Award and the first installment shall be paid within three months. Provided that – The newspaper establishments, who suffered heavy cash losses consequently in three accounting years preceding the date of implementation of the Awards, shall be exempt from payment of any arrears. However, these newspaper establishments would be required to fix salaries or wages of their employees on notional basis in the revised scales of pay with effect from the date of implementation of the Awards i.e. 1st July 2010. 22. Date of operation of Allowances – Except as otherwise provided in the Award, to the contrary, the House Rent Allowance, Transport Allowance, Hardship Allowance or any other allowances prescribed in the Award shall be effective from the date of notification of this Award.
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THE SCHEDULE – I.A (Grouping of Working Journalists in Newspaper Establishments) Group – 1A : Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Chief Editor, Deputy Chief Editor Group – 1 : Executive Editor, Resident Editor, Manager (Editor),Senior Associate Editor or Associate Editor, Joint Editor, Senior Deputy Editor or Deputy Editor, Chief of News Bureau and Chief News Coordinator or Chief News Editor. Group – 2 : Senior Assistant Editor or Assistant Editor, Leader Writer, News Editor, News Coordinator, Special Correspondent. Group – 3 : Chief Reporter or Chief Correspondent, Chief Sub-Editor or Content Chief, Deputy or Assistant News Editor, Photo Editor, Sport Editors, Commercial Editor, Science Editor, Economic Editor, Stock Exchange Services Editor, Film Editor, Feature Editor, Magazine Editor, and all other Chief Sub-Editors or Editors assigned with specific subjects; Chief Cartoonist or Cartoonist, Chief of Editorial Technology, Chief of Statistical or Research Division, Chief or Principal Research Analyst; Chief or Principal News Photographer; Chief Librarian; Chief Index Assistant; Chief Calligraphist; Chief Artist; Page designer or Chief Designer, Deputy Chief of News Bureau; Foreign Correspondent, Special Correspondent, Chief or Principal Correspondent in State capital accredited to the State Government, Correspondent accredited to the Central Government other than a Special Correspondent and other sectional or batch heads, not placed in a higher category. Group – 4 : Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor or Shift-in-Charge Sub-Editor, Assistant Chief Sub-Editor / Reporter, Deputy Chief Reporter or Senior Reporter, Senior Correspondent, Deputy Chief or Senior Designer, and all other Deputy Editors or Sub-Editors assigned with specific subjects; Senior Calligraphist; Senior or Deputy Chief Artist or Senior Layout Artist; Senior Librarian or Deputy Chief Librarian, Senior Index Assistant; Senior Research Analyst or Deputy Chief of Statistics or Research Division; Deputy Chief of Editorial Technology and Assistant photo Editor, Senior Photographer or Senior Staff Photographer or Special News Photographer or Deputy Chief News Photographer or Deputy Chief Photographer, Chief Language Assistant and Chief Planner / Chief Scanner Operator.
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Group – 5 : Sub-Editor, Reporter, Journalist or Correspondent, News Photographer, Artist, Calligraphist including Katibs, Librarian or Assistant Librarian or Index Assistant, Language Assistant, Designer, Researcher, Chief Proof Reader and Senior Planner / Senior Scanner Operator. Group – 6 : Proof Reader including Advertisement Proof Reader or Senior Proof Reader or Deputy Chief Proof Reader or Assistant Proof Reader; Planner, Scanner / Scanner Operator, Assistant Photographer and all Working Journalists other than those mentioned under any other group unless placed higher by the establishment. NOTE : (1) Any newspaper employee employed with any designation different from those enumerated in the schedules, but doing the same or similar nature of job, of any group in the schedule, shall be deemed to be a working journalist in that group. (2) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every c lass of newspaper establishments.
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THE SCHEDULE – I. B (Functional definitions – Working Journalists) Group – 1A: 1. ‘Editor-in-Chief’ or 'Chief Editor" means a person, who is in over all charge of a newspaper. 2. ‘Deputy Chief Editor’ means a person, who assists the chief Editor in the discharge of his duties and acts for him during his absence. 3. ‘Editor’ means a person who directs and supervises the work of the editorial side of the Newspaper. Group – 1: 4. ‘Executive Editor’ or ‘Manager (Editor)’ means a person who assists in the editorial and production functions of a newspaper, whether or not he supervises the work of Resident Editor, Assistant Editor, etc. 5. “Resident Editor” means a person, who performs the functions of an Editor of a newspaper at a centre other than the one from which the newspaper is originally published or other than the headquarter of the newspaper establishment. 6. ‘Senior Associate Editor’ or ‘Associate Editor’ or ‘Joint Editor” or ‘Senior Deputy Editor’ or ‘Deputy Editor’ means a person who generally assists the Editor in the performance of the work of the Editor. 7. ‘Chief of News Bureau’ means a person who supervises the work of the news bureau and assigns work to the Bureau members. 8. ‘Chief News Coordinator’ or ‘Chief News Editor’ means a person, who coordinates as overall chief of all the news items to be published in the newspaper and supervises the work of the News Coordinators or News Editors. Group – 2: 9. ‘Senior Assistant Editor or ‘Assistant Editor' means a person who regularly assists the Editors in the discharge of his duties generally in relation to review, opinions, comments or criticism.
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10. ‘Leader Writer’ means a person who regularly writes leaders and may also write other copy involving review, comment or criticism. 11. ‘News Editor’ or ‘News Coordinator’ means a person who co-ordinates and supervises the work of the news department and is responsible for the news content of all the editions of a newspaper. 12. ‘Special Correspondent’ means a person whose duties regularly include reporting and interpreting all news of Parliamentary, political and general importance as an accredited correspondent or other-wise at the head-quarters of the Central Government or at a foreign centre or who regularly performs similar functions in more than one State or at any other place where he is assigned as such. Group – 3 13. ‘Chief Reporter’ means a person who is in charge of all reporters at a centre of publication, supervises their work and also regularly reports and interprets all news of legislative, political or general importance. “Deputy or Assistant News Editor” means a person who assists the news editor in the discharge of his duties generally and/or is incharge of bringing out the city edition. 14. “Chief Sub-Editor or Content Chief” Means a person who takes charge of a shift at the news desk, allocates and supervises the work of one or more sub-editors and is generally responsible for the determination of news space and the general display of news in the newspaper or in a particular edition or part of it. 15. “Sports Editors” means a person in charge of the sports section of a newspaper, deals with news and views on sports and allied activities, allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters and of one or more sub-editors and is generally responsible for the determination of news space and the general display of sports news. 16. ‘Photo Editor’ means incharge of operating the photo service of the news agency and coordination of the service. 17. ‘Commercial Editor’ means a person who deals with news and views bearing on commence, finance, trade, industry and comments on them and allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters.
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18. ‘Economic Editor’ means a person, who is in charge of bringing out the matters of general economic importance of the newspaper and allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters. 19. ‘Stock Exchange Services Editor’ means a person in charge of the Stock Exchange Services section of a newspaper, deals with news and views on Stock Exchange Services and allied activities, allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters and of one or more sub-editors and is generally responsible for the determination of news space and the general display of Stock Exchange Services news. 20. ‘Science Editor’ means a person who deals with specialized news relating to science and technology, and is incharge of brining out the Science service of the newspaper. 21. “Film Editor” means a person who deals with news and views bearing on films and stage and is in charge on specified column or page on stage and screen and supervises the work of one or more working journalists. 22. ‘Feature Editor’ means a person who deals with features and is incharge of bringing out the Features Service of the news agency and supervises the work of one or more working journalists, reporter or correspondent engaged in these activities. 23. “Magazine Editor” means a person who deals with news and views bearing on literary or entertainment items of relevant news and thoughts and other connected subjects of literature is in-charge of specified columns or pages and two or more working journalists who supervises their work. 24. ‘Cartoonist or Chief Cartoonist’ means a person who comments upon news and events through cartoons, caricatures or comic strips. 25. ‘Chief of Editorial Technology’ means a person incharge of technological division so as to bring latest technology in relation to publishing of daily newspaper or magazine and supervises the work of one or more experts in the field. 26. “Chief of Statistical or Research Division” means a person incharge of statistical or research division which deals with matters bearing on commerce, finance, trade and industry in a financial paper and supervises the work of one or more working journalists.
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27. ‘Chief or Principal Research Analyst’ means a person incharge of research division which deals with all matters requiring analytical study and supervises the work of one or more working journalists in the field. 28. “Chief or Principal News Photographer” means a person who allocates and supervises the work of one or more news photographers. 29. “Chief Librarian” or Chief Index Assistant” or “Chief Calligraphists” or Chief Artist” means a person who supervises the work of one or more librarians, Index Assistants, Calligraphist and Artists respectively. 30. ‘Chief Designer’ means a person who allocates and supervises the work of one or more page designers as well as who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper and as also. 31. ‘Page designer’ means a person who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper. 32. ‘Deputy Chief of News Bureau’ means a person who controls and supervises the work of the bureau or office and assigns work to the Bureau members under the overall guidance and supervision of Chief of News Bureau. 33. ‘Foreign Correspondent’ means a person stationed abroad for news coverage from the country or part of the country to which he is assigned. 34. ‘Special Correspondent’ means a person who is accredited to the Union Government and whose regular duties are to report news of Parliamentary, Political or general importance or a person in a metropolitan center who specializes in covering news of economic importance or national or international nature. 35. “Chief or Principal Correspondent” is Correspondent who is accredited to the State Government and Correspondent is a person accredited to the Central Government other than special Correspondent and other sectional or batch heads. Group – 4: 36. “Deputy Chief Sub-Editor” or Senior Sub-Editor or Shift-in-charge Sub-Editor” means a person who regularly assists the Chief Sub-Editor in the discharge of his duties and acts in his place in his absence.
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37. ‘Assistant Chief Sub-Editor / Reporter or Deputy Chief Sub-Editor / Reporter’ means a person who regularly assists the Chief Sub-Editor or Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor in the discharge of his duties. 38. “Deputy Chief Reporter” or “Senior Reporter” means a person who assists the Chief Reporter and acts in his place in his absence. 39. ‘Deputy Chief or Senior Designer’ means a person who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper under the overall supervision of Chief Designer or Page Designer. 40. ‘Senior Correspondent’ means a person other than special and principal correspondent and his duties and responsibilities would include the reporting on important news at any important centre other than the centre of publication and have put in service of not less than five years as correspondent or Reporter. 41. ‘Assistant photo Editor’, ‘Senior Photographer or Senior Staff Photographer’, ‘Special News Photographer or Deputy Chief News Photographer’, ‘Deputy Chief Photographer’ or whatever name these employees are designated means a person, who has put in service of not less than five years in photographic profession and as also assists the photo editor in carrying out duties and responsibilities in the field. 42. “Chief Language Assistant” means a person, who provides assistance in understanding and translation of different languages to the language in which the newspaper is published and as also supervises the work of Language Assistants. 43. “Chief Planner” means a person, who supervises the job of photo editing, colour editing and shadow editing so highlight any news matter undertaken by Senior Planner or Planner. 44. “Chief Scanner Operator” means a person, who supervises the tasks of scanning the photograph / colour advertisements / illustrations and colour correction of photographs and transparencies undertaken by Senior Scanner Operator or Scanner Operator. 45. ‘Senior Calligraphist’, ‘Senior or Deputy Chief Artist or Senior Layout Artist’, ‘Senior or Deputy Chief Librarian’, ‘Senior Index Assistant’, ‘Senior Reference Assistant’, and ‘Senior Research Analyst or Deputy Chief of Research Division’ and ‘Deputy Chief of Editorial Technology’, Senior Planner, Senior Scanner Operator etc., means a person who assists the Chief Calligraphist, Chief Artist, Chief Librarian, Chief Index Assistant, Chief Reference Assistant, Chief of Statistics or
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Research Division and Chief of Editorial Technology respectively as the case may be, and has put in service of not less than five years. Group – 5 46. ‘Sub-Editor or Senior Reporter’ means a person who receives, selects, shortens, summarizers, elaborates, translates, edits and headlines news items of all descriptions and may do some or all of these functions. 47. ‘Reporter means a person who gathers and presents news at a particular centre. 48. “Journalist or Correspondent” means a person who gathers and dispatches by Email, website, wire, post or any other means, news from any centre other than the centre of publication. 49. “News Photographer” means a person who covers news events of public interest through photographs. 50. “Artist” means a person who prepares for publication drawing, layouts, maps, graphs or other similar embellishments, illustrations of any kind or of creative art. He may do some or all of these functions. 51. “Calligraphist” means an artist who performs journalistic work and also calligraphy matters. 52. ‘Librarian’ or Assistant Librarian or Index Assistant’ means a person who prepares and maintains records, relating to news and views which are used as background or fill out for current stories. Persons not performing any of these functions shall not be covered. 53. ‘Language Assistant’ means a person, who provides services in translation of different languages to the language in which the newspaper is published under the overall supervision of Chief Language Assistant. 54. ‘Designer‘ means a person who designs the contents of news items to be published on a city or subject specific page or pages of newspaper under the overall supervision of Chief Designer or Page Designer or Deputy Chief or Senior Designer. 55. ‘Researcher’ means a person who assists the Chief of Statistics or Research Division and Chief of Editorial Technology to carry out research analysis under the overall supervision of Chief or Deputy Chief or Senior these Divisions.
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56. ‘Chief Proof Reader’ means who allocates and supervises the work of one or more proof readers and is incharge of a shift. Group – 6 57. “Senior Proof Reader or Deputy Chief Proof Reader or Proof Reader or Assistant Proof Reader” means a person who checks up printed matter of proof with Editor’s copy to ensure strict conformity of the former with the latter. Factual discrepancies, slips of spelling mistakes of grammar and syntax may also be discovered by him and he either corrects or gets them corrected. 58. “Planner” means a person who assists in the job to photo editing, colour editing and shadow editing so highlight any news matter given by the Editor. 59. “Scanner / Scanner Operator” means a person, who scans the photograph / colour advertisements / illustrations and colour correction of photographs and transparencies. ________
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SCHEDULE – II (Grouping of Non-Journalist Newspaper Employees – Administrative Staff) Group 1A: Vice President (Finance & Accounting, Advertisement or Circulation); Senior General Manager or General Manager, Senior Deputy General Manager or Deputy General Manager, Regional General Manager or Deputy Regional General Manager, General Manager or Chief Manager, Chief Manager (Electrical or Electronics), Chief Medical Officer or Chief Physiotherpist and Secretary Group – 1: Senior Assistant General Manager or Assistant General Manager; Senior Assistant Regional General Manager or Assistant Regional General Manager; Deputy Regional Manager or Regional Manager or Assistant Regional Manager;, Senior Manager, Branch or Departmental Manager (those who are in-charge of Circulation, Advertisement Department, Personnel, etc.), Manager; Web Administrator, Electronic or Software Engineer; Chief Accountant, Chief Internal Auditor; Chief Public Relation Officers; Medical Officer and Head (Diagnostics or Counseling). Group – 2: Additional Manager, Deputy Manager, Senior Assistant Manager or Assistant Manager; Chief Officer or Senior Officer, Senior Executives; Liaison Officers, Public Relation Officers; Accounts Officers, Internal Auditor; Assistant Advertisement Managers; Assistant Circulation Managers, Marketing Officer; Welfare Officer and Personnel officers; Assistant Engineer (Electronic, Mechanical or Electrical) and Senior Programmer; Senior Facilitator or Facilitator (Health Counseling). Group – 3: Officers or Sectional Heads (supervising work of around 5 Senior Assistants or Assistants or clerks); Chief Cashier; Business Canvassers, Marketing or Sales Representatives or Advertisement Representative; Head Clerks; Programmer, Computer Programmer, DTP Incharge, EDP Incharge; Personal Assistants (Steno Secretaries); Senior Accounts Assistant or Assistant Accountant; Senior Clinical Assistant or Pharmacist and Planner. Note: The recommendations in this part shall not apply to employees other than Non-Journalist Newspaper Employees as defined in the Act though included in the above four groups
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Group – 4: Senior Steno Secretary, Senior Stenographer or Stenographers; Senior Assistants or Assistants, Senior Assistant (Stores), Scheduling Assistant, All Executives, Senior Caretaker Assistant; Cashiers, Accounts Clerks; Circulation Inspectors / Representatives; Senior Advertisement Translators or Advertisement Translators; Senior Clerks (i.e. those whose work involves special skills); Senior Collection Representative; EDP Operator, Electronic Data Processor; Operators of accounting machines / calculating machines and Tele-printers; Security Supervisor, Senior Security Inspector, Watch and Ward Inspectors, Senior Security Guard, Senior Daffedar or Daffedar, Senior Head Havildar or Head Havildar; Cleaner; Field Organizers and those doing audit bureau of circulation; Advertisement Proof Readers; Assistant Physiotherpist or Clinical Assistant or Nurse (Male/Female;, Artists (Commercial and Process); Senior Laboratory Technician or Laboratory Technician; Scanner or Scanner Operator,. Group – 5: Junior Clerks or Junior Executives (i.e. those doing normal clerical work including acceptance of advertisements and sale of publications or other type of routine work); Caretaker, Time Keepers, Senior Typists or Typists, Telephone / Fax Machine Operators, Addressographers, Receptionists, Franking Machine Operators; Senior Messenger or Messenger; Junior Artists (Commercial and Process); Assistant Translator; Canteen Supervisors or Senior Server or Head Cook or Cook; Senior Security Guard, Senior Security Inspector or Security Inspector or Fireman-cum-Security man and Havildar Cleaner, Driver, Carpenter, Plumber and Mason. Group – 6: Bill Collectors; Xerox Operator; Daftry or those doing semi clerical work; Delivery Peons or Peon-cum-Messenger or Peon; Security Guard or Watchman; Liftman, office boy or Callboy or Aid Boy or Helper; Sweeper or Cleaner or Vehicle Cleaner; Bearer or Canteen-Boy or Server or Water-boy; Mali; Orderly or Darwan. Notes: (i) Any newspaper employee with old designation as mentioned in the Manisana Wage Board Award or earlier Awards should be classified, as per the job profile of the post in mutual consultation with the management through bilateral agreements, in appropriate group of posts in respect of Manisana Wage Boards Awards.
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(ii) Any newspaper employee with any designation different from those enumerated in the above schedule, but doing the same or similar nature of job, shall be deemed to be non-journalist in that group (iii) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every class of newspaper establishment. (iv) Categorization of missing category of employment, if any, should be mutually decided by the employees and the management through bilateral agreements.
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SCHEDULE – III (Grouping of Non-Journalist Newspaper Employees – Factory Staff) Group – IA: Vice President (Production), Assistant Vice President, General Manager, Deputy General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Senior Manager, Manager etc., engaged in overall management of production process. Group – 1: Senior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Junior Engineer and A and B Grade Supervisor etc., appointed to look after the engineering aspects of machines installed in the production Department Group – 2: Senior Supervisor or Supervisor, Foreman, Colour Separation Scanner, Photo Type Setting Operator, Scanner / Scanner Operator, Senior Cameraman, Supervisor (Photo Composing), Senior VDT Operator/VDT Operator, Terminal Operator (Video Digital Typesetting). Group – 3: Senior Production Assistant or Production Assistant, Deputy or Assistant Foreman, Chief Press Advertising Assistant, Junior VDT Operator, Katibs, Motor Mechanic, Offset Machine-man, Offset Mechanic, Offset Plate Maker, Page Makeup Man (Photo setting), Paste-up Artist, Plate Maker (Colour), Press Advertising Assistant, Printer (Foreman Composing Supervisor), Process Developer, Printer (Offset, Photo Composing A& B Grade, Composing), PTS Mechanic, Repro-photographer, Rotary Mechanic, Senior Mechanic, Senior Printer, Supervisor, Supervisor (Composing weekly job and other sections). Group 4: Conveyor Striket machine-man, Corrector or Terminal Operator, Offset Plate Maker, ReelstarMachineman (General), Senior Machineman, Assistant Mukadam, Assistant Printing Machine-man (all categories), Charge Hand (Palatia), Copy Holder, Cutter, Driver, Electrician, Fitter, Junior Machineman, Machineman (Except Rotary Machineman), Machineman (other than printing), Mistry, News Daftry, Paste-up man in Art Department, Plumber.
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Group 5: Assistant Electrician, Assistant Machineman, Assistant Fitter, Assistant Turner (all with 5 years service), Distributor, Treadleman and Df. Pressman. Group – 6: Baller Mukadam, Barman, Binder, Case Room Cleaner, Colour-work Examiner, Counter, Daftary, Feeder, Head-peon or Peon or Press Aid or Helper; Packer, Stitcher, Binding boy, Mazdoor, Reel Loader and Un-loader, Trolley Man, Press Aid or Helper and all other semi-skilled or unskilled attendants, Cleaners and Helpers by whatever name they are called. Notes: (i) Any newspaper employee with old designation as mentioned in the Manisana Wage Board Award or earlier Awards should be classified, as per the job profile of the post in mutual consultation with the management through bilateral agreements, in appropriate group of posts in respect of Manisana Wage Boards Awards. (ii) Any newspaper employee with any designation different from those enumerated in the above schedule, but doing the same or similar nature of job, shall be deemed to be non-journalist in that group (iii) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every class of newspaper establishment. (iv) Categorization of missing category of employment, if any, should be mutually decided by the employees and the management through bilateral agreements.
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TABLE – I NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHMENTS A. Working Journalists Class of Newspaper Establishments <--- ---="" employees="" for="" group="" of="" pay="" scales=""> Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 I (Rs.1000 crore and above) <----- -----="" no="" scale=""> Rs.25000-ARI (4%)-54800 Rs.22000-ARI (4%)-48300 Rs.19000-ARI (4%)-41700 Rs.17000-ARI (4%)-37300 Rs.15000-ARI (4%)-32900 Rs.13000-ARI (4%)-28500 35% II (Rs.500 crore and above but less than Rs.1000 crore) Rs.22000-ARI (4%)-48300 Rs.20000-ARI (4%)-43900 Rs.18000-ARI (4%)-39500 Rs.16000-ARI (4%)-35100 Rs.14000-ARI (4%)-30700 Rs.13000-ARI (4%)-28500 35% III (Rs.100 crore and above but less than Rs.500 crore) Rs.20000-ARI (3%)-36200 Rs.18000-ARI (3%)-32600 Rs.16000-ARI (3%)-28900 Rs.14000-ARI (3%)-25300 Rs.13000-ARI (3%)-23500 Rs.12000-ARI (3%)-21700 35% IV (Rs.50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore) Rs.18000-ARI (3%)-32600 Rs.16000-ARI (3%)-28900 Rs.14000-ARI (3%)-25300 Rs.13000-ARI (3%)-23500 Rs.12000-ARI (3%)-21700 Rs.11000-ARI (3%)-19900 35% V (Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.50 crore) Rs.16000-ARI (2.5%)-26300 Rs.14000-ARI (2.5%)-23000 Rs.13000-ARI (2.5%)-21400 Rs.12000-ARI (2.5%)-19700 Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 20% VI (Rs.5 crore and above but less than Rs.10 crore) Rs.14000-ARI (2.5%)-23000 Rs.13000-ARI (2.5%)-21400 Rs.12000-ARI (2.5%)-19700 Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 20% VII (Rs.1 crore and above but less than Rs.5 crore) Rs.12000-ARI (2%)-17900 Rs.11000-ARI (2%)-16400 Rs.10000-ARI (2%)-15900 Rs.9000-ARI (2%)-13400 Rs.8000-ARI (2%)-11900 20% VIII (Less than Rs.1 crore) Rs.9000-ARI (2%)-13400 Rs.8000-ARI (2%)-11900 Rs.7000-ARI (2%)-10500 20% Note: ‘ARI’ stands for Annual Rate of Increment
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TABLE – II NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHMENTS B. Non – Journalists (Administrative Staff) Class of Newspaper Establishments <--- ---="" employees="" for="" group="" of="" pay="" scales=""> Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 I (Rs.1000 crore and above) <----- -----="" no="" scale=""> Rs.17500-ARI (4%)-38400 Rs.15000-ARI (4%)-32900 Rs.13000-ARI (4%)-28500 Rs.12000-ARI (4%)-26300 Rs.10000-ARI (4%)-22000 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 35% II (Rs.500 crore and above but less than Rs.1000 crore) Rs.16000-ARI (4%)-35100 Rs.14000-ARI (4%)-30700 Rs.12000-ARI (4%)-26300 Rs.11000-ARI (4%)-24100 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 Rs.8500-ARI (4%)-18700 35% III (Rs.100 crore and above but less than Rs.500 crore) Rs.14000-ARI (3%)-25300 Rs.12000-ARI (3%)-21700 Rs.11000-ARI (3%)-19900 Rs.10000-ARI (3%)-18100 Rs.8500-ARI (3%)-15400 Rs.8000-ARI (3%)-14500 35% IV (Rs.50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore) Rs.12000-ARI (3%)-21700 Rs.11000-ARI (3%)-19900 Rs.10000-ARI (3%)-18100 Rs.9000-ARI (3%)-16300 Rs.8000-ARI (3%)-14500 Rs.7500-ARI (3%)-13600 35% V (Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.50 crore) Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8500-ARI (2.5%)-14000 Rs.7500-ARI (2.5%)-12300 Rs.7000-ARI (2.5%)-11500 20% VI (Rs.5 crore and above but less than Rs.10 crore) Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8500-ARI (2.5%)-14000 Rs.8000-ARI (2.5%)-13200 Rs.7000-ARI (2.5%)-11500 20% VII (Rs.1 crore and above but less than Rs.5 crore) Rs.8500-ARI (2%)-12700 Rs.7500-ARI (2%)-11200 Rs.7000-ARI (2%)-10500 Rs.6000-ARI (2%)-9000 20% VIII (Less than Rs.1 crore) Rs.7000-ARI (2%)-10500 Rs.6000-ARI (2%)-9000 Rs.5000-ARI (2%)-7500 20% Note: ‘ARI’ stands for Annual Rate of Increment
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TABLE – III NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHMENTS C. Non – Journalists (Factory Staff) Class of Newspaper Establishments <--- ---="" employees="" for="" group="" of="" pay="" scales=""> Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 I (Rs.1000 crore and above) <----- -----="" no="" scale=""> Rs.13500-ARI (4%)-29600 Rs.12000-ARI (4%)-26300 Rs.11000-ARI (4%)-24100 Rs.10000-ARI (4%)-22000 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 Rs.8000-ARI (4%)-17600 35% II (Rs.500 crore and above but less than Rs.1000 crore) Rs.12500-ARI (4%)-27400 Rs.11000-ARI (4%)-24100 Rs.10000-ARI (4%)-22000 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 Rs.8000-ARI (4%)-17600 Rs.7500-ARI (4%)-16500 35% III (Rs.100 crore and above but less than Rs.500 crore) Rs.12000-ARI (3%)-21700 Rs.10500-ARI (3%)-19000 Rs.9500-ARI (3%)-17200 Rs.8500-ARI (3%)-15400 Rs.7500-ARI (3%)-13600 Rs.7000-ARI (3%)-12700 35% IV (Rs.50 crore and above but less than Rs.100 crore) Rs.11000-ARI (3%)-19900 Rs.10000-ARI (3%)-18100 Rs.9000-ARI (3%)-16300 Rs.8000-ARI (3%)-14500 Rs.7000-ARI (3%)-12700 Rs.6500-ARI (3%) -11800 35% V (Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.50 crore) Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8000-ARI (2.5%)-13200 Rs.7500-ARI (2.5%)-12300 Rs.6500-ARI (2.5%)-10700 Rs.6000-ARI (2.5%)-9900 20% VI (Rs.5 crore and above but less than Rs.10 crore) Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8000-ARI (2.5%)-13200 Rs.7500-ARI (2.5%)-12300 Rs.7000-ARI (2.5%)-11500 Rs.6000-ARI (2.5%)-9900 20% VII (Rs.1 crore and above but less than Rs.5 crore) Rs.8000-ARI (2%)-11900 Rs.7500-ARI (2%)-11200 Rs.6500-ARI (2%)-9700 Rs.5500-ARI (2%)-8200 20% VIII (Less than Rs.1 crore) Rs.7000-ARI (2%)-10500 Rs.6000-ARI (2%)-9000 Rs.5000-ARI (2%)-7500 20% Note: ‘ARI’ stands for Annual Rate of Increment
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Table – IV Formula for calculating Dearness Allowance: The formula for calculating Dearness Allowance would be the percentage increase of all-India Average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) in preceding 12 months in question over the all-India Average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) at 167 for the year July 2009 to June 2010 payable bi-annually with effect from 1st July and 1st January every year, which would be then be multiplied by the rate of neutralization and Basic Pay. Mathematically, it can be put as follows: All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (Preceding 12 months in question) Minus All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (July 2009 to June 2010) Dearness Allowance = --------------------------------------------X Rate of Neutralization (1.0) X Basic Pay All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (July 2009 to June 2010)
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Table – V Classification of Cities AREA – “X” Sl. No. City Sl. No. City 1 Bengaluru (UA) 7 Ahmedabad (UA) 2 Chennai (UA) 8 Kanpur (UA) 3 Delhi and adjoining NCR areas of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida (UA) 9 Lucknow (UA) 4 Hyderabad / Secunderabad (UA) 10 Nagpur (UA) 5 Greater Mumbai / Navi Mumbai (UA) 6 Kolkata (UA) AREA – “Y” 1 Agra (UA) 16 Durgapur 2 Ajmer 17 Gorakhpur 3 Aligarh 18 Guwahati 4 Allahabad (UA) 19 Guntur 5 Amravati 20 Gwalior (UA) 6 Amritsar (UA) 21 Indore (UA) 7 Aurangabad (UA) 22 Hubli-Dharwar 8 Bareilly (UA) 23 Jabalpur (UA) 9 Bhavnagar 24 Jaipur (UA) 10 Bikaner 25 Jalandhar (UA) 11 Bhopal 26 Jamshedpur (UA) 12 Bhubaneswar 27 Jodhpur 13 Chandigarh (UA) 28 Kochi (UA) 14 Coimbatore (UA) 29 Kolhapur (UA) 15 Cuttack (UA) 30 Kozhikode (UA) AREA – “Y” Continued…….. 31 Kota 34 Warangal 32 Ludhiana 35 Mangalore (UA)
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33 Madurai (UA) 53 Nagpur (UA) 34 Meerut (UA) 54 Puducherry (UA) 18 Moradabad (UA) 55 Salem (UA) 19 Mysore (UA) 56 Tiruppur (UA) 20 Nasik (UA) 57 Tiruchirappalli (UA) 21 Pune (UA) 58 Asansol (UA) 22 Patna (UA) 59 Belgaum (UA) 23 Raipur (UA) 60 Bhiwandi (UA) 24 Rajkot 61 Dhanbad (UA) 25 Ranchi (UA) 62 Dehradun (UA) 26 Solapur 63 Durg-Bhilai 27 Srinagar (UA) 64 Jammu (UA) 28 Surat (UA) 65 Jalandhar (UA) 29 Thiruvananthapuram (UA) 66 Jalandhar Cantonment 30 Vadodara (UA) 67 Jamnagar (UA) 31 Varanasi (UA) 68 Kanpur (UA) 32 Vijayawada (UA) 69 Durg-Bhilai Nagar (UA) 33 Vishakhapatnam (UA) Area “Z” will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. Note: U. A. stands for Urban Agglomeration.
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Annexure I (b) Chapter – XX Recommendations of the Majithia Wage Boards for Working Journalists and Non–Journalist Newspaper Employees in the News Agencies Section I PRELIMINARY Short title and commencement: (1) These recommendations may be called the Majithia Wage Board Award. (2) The Award shall be deemed to have come into force on the first day of July 2010. 2. Definitions- In this Award, unless the context otherwise requires - (1) "Act" means the Working Journalist and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955 (XLV of 1955); (2) "Accounting year" used with reference to a particular year shall in the case of newspaper establishment mean financial year, the year commencing on the first day of April. In case, however, the accounting year of a newspaper establishment is different from financial year, it shall mean that accounting year of the establishment, of which more than half falls in the particular financial year. In case of the newspaper establishment whose accounting year starts from 1st day of October, the accounting year would be that year in which the first six months fall. Illustration – If the accounting year of a newspaper establishment starts from 1st day of January, 2009, reference to the accounting year 2009 in this Award shall be construed as reference to accounting year 2009-10. Again, if the accounting year of the newspaper establishment starts from 1st day of October, reference to accounting year 2009 in this Award will be construed as reference to the accounting year 2009-10 of that establishment. (3) "Basic wage" means wages drawn in the prescribed scale of wages, including stagnation increment, if any, but does not include any other type of wages or pay, like special pay, personal pay, etc. (4) 'Category' means any of those newspaper employees mentioned under the groups set out in this Award.
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(5) 'Gross revenue of a news agency’ means its total revenue from all sources, including subscription revenue derived by selling its services. (6) ‘News agency’ means an establishment conducting any news agency or syndicate, that is to say, a news agency in an undertaking of which the principle objective is to gather or collect news and news material and to distribute it to a group of news enterprises and, in exceptional circumstances, to provide individual with a view to providing them with as complete and impartial a news service as possible, against payment with and under condition compatible business laws and usage. (7) "Newspaper employee" means working journalist, or non-journalist newspaper employee, or both. (8) "Schedule" means a schedule annexed to this Award. (9) "Table" means a table annexed to this Award. (10) The words and expressions "newspaper establishment", “working journalist” and "non-journalist newspaper employee" shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Act. Section II (Classification of News Agencies and Grouping of news agency employees) 3. Classification of news agencies – For the fixation or revision of rates of wages of employees in news agencies, news agencies shall be classified based on the average gross revenue of three accounting years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. 4. Continuance of classification – The classification made under this Chapter, shall continue until the news agency is reclassified in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6 of this Chapter. 5. Classification of news agency – News agencies shall be classified under the following classes on the basis of their gross revenue as per paragraph 3 of this Chapter. Class Gross Revenue I Rs.60 crore and above; II Rs.30 crore and above but less than Rs.60 crore.
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III Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.30 crore. IV Less than Rs.10 crore. Note: - Foreign news agencies, i.e. those operating in India with their Principal Office outside India shall be treated as Class I news agencies. 6. Reclassification - It shall be open either to the employer or to the employee to seek a reclassification of a newspaper establishment at any time after one year from the date of the enforcement of the Award on the basis of the average gross revenue of the three immediately preceding accounting years; Provided that such reclassification should not be sought more than once in any period of three consecutive accounting years. Provided that any such reclassification is required to be adjusted towards the price escalation worked out on the basis of wholesale price index with effect from the financial year just before the implementation of the Majithia Wage Boards Awards. 7. Grouping of Newspaper Employees: - (1) Working Journalists in the regular cadre in news agency shall be grouped as under the First Schedule; and functional definitions of various categories of working journalists in the news agency are described in the Schedule – IV.A and IV.B respectively. (2) Non-journalist employees – Administrative Staff in news agency shall be grouped as under the Schedule – V. 9. Variable Pay: The concept of variable pay has been introduced, which aims to achieve twin objectives as stated below: a. The Sixth Pay Commission had recommended the concept of grade pay and the same was agreed to by the Government for implementation. On similar analogy the concept of variable pay needs to be introduced for all the employees working in newspaper establishments and news agencies. The variable pay will be the specified percentage of the basic pay drawn by an employee in the newspaper industry. All allowances, such as HRA, Transport Allowance, and Leave Travel Allowance etc. will be computed by taking the sum total of the revised basic pay and the variable pay applicable to an employee.
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b. Variable pay recommended by the Wage Boards would be the minimum maintainable for all employees including those working on contract basis and the management would be free to pay more than recommended variable pay subject to performance of the workers as well as profitability and viability of the newspaper establishments. Section III REVISED SCALES OF WAGES AND ALLOWANCES 8. Revised scale of wages for working journalist - (1) The revised scale of wages and variable pay, as recommended by the Wage Board for a span of 20 years, of each group of the Working Journalists in different classes of news agency is prescribed in Table I. (2) Every part-time Correspondent/ Photographer shall be paid not less than 40 per cent, if he is posted at district head-quarters and above and not less than 30 per cent, if he is posted at place below district headquarters, of the basic wage plus dearness allowance applicable to a full time Correspondent/Photographer at similar level, provided that no part-time Correspondent / Photographer will work for more than two news agencies or newspaper establishments. In addition, payment shall be paid to him on column basis, the rate of which to be settled by mutual negotiations keeping in view the basic wages and dearness allowances drawn by as part-time Correspondent and part-time Photographer. 9. Revised scale of wages for non-journalist – (1) The revised scales of wages and variable pay, as recommended by the Wage Board for a span of 20 years, of each group of the non-journalist news agency employees – Administration Staff in different classes of news agency is prescribed in Table II. (2) Every time rated employee, that is to say, a person employed to work as time-rated employee (time-work) for either less or more than prescribed working hours and performs the job, or does the duty of a regular employee, shall be paid on pro-rata basis equivalent to the wages of that regular employee on the basis of number of hours for which he is employed. Explanation – for the purpose of above paragraphs 8 and 9 (a) The Probable Impact of Wage Increase on newspaper establishments would be explained as below: It reflects from the analytical data presented in the Annual Survey of Industries that the wages and salaries of employees in newspaper industry are normally 10% of the gross revenue of an establishment and is also supported to some extent by the information on wages and gross revenue
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submitted by the newspaper establishments to the Wage Boards. The proposal of the Wage Boards suggests around 35% and 20% increase in the wages / salaries over and above the salary including interim relief of employees working in the newspaper industry falling in classes I to IV and classes V to VIII respectively. Approximately, it would mean that with this increase, the wages would become about 13.5% of the gross revenue in respect of newspaper establishment falling in class I to IV. This would, therefore, result in further burden of just 3.5% of gross revenue. On a similar analogy, the burden on newspaper establishments in class V to VIII would be just 3% of gross revenue. Moreover, this additional burden on newspaper establishment would dissipate over the period as per the past trend. Based on the financial data submitted by the newspaper establishments, Boards feel that it would be possible for them to bear such a moderate increase. (b) As regard benefit to newspaper employees (i) In respect of newspaper establishments falling under Classes I to IV, where 35% of increase as a result of variable pay is recommended, “the current basic pay of the newspaper employee” would rise by around 2.90 to 3.20 times, and (ii) In respect of newspaper establishments falling under Classes V to VIII, where 30% of increase as a result of variable pay is recommended, the current basic pay would rise by around 2.80 to 3.08 times. 10. Drawal of wages in the revised scales – (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Award, a news agency employee shall draw wages in the revised scale applicable to the group to which he belongs. 11. Dearness Allowance – (1) The revised rates of dearness allowance shall be paid according to average all-India Consumer Price Index Number for industrial worker (2001=100) compiled by Labour Bureau and will become operative with effect from 01-07-2010. (2) Dearness Allowance shall be payable bi-annually with effect from 1st July and 1st January every year and shall be sanctioned as soon as the figures for the preceding 12 months, for which all – India average consumer price index for industrial workers (Base 2001=100) used for determining rate of dearness allowance, becomes available. Dearness allowance will become payable from the beginning of the month immediately succeeding the 12 month period for which All – India average index figures are used for determining rate of dearness allowance. (3) The Rate of neutralization for determining Dearness Allowance payable Bi-annually on the basis of Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Numbers would be 100 percent of basic for all groups of employees in news agency establishments and will be calculated as per the formula in Table- III.
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Explanation – for the purpose of this paragraph, – The dearness allowance in respect of the period preceding the date of implementation of the Award shall be given at the existing rates. 12. House Rent Allowance – House rent allowance at the rate of 30%, 20% and 10% shall be paid by newspaper establishments to its employees posted in the respective areas defined as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” respectively, which is based on the pattern followed under the fixation of Minimum Wages in respect of scheduled employments in the Central Sphere, as well as keeping in view of the concentration of Newspaper Establishments in Metros, Cities and Towns. The classification of cities as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” are prescribed in Table – IV. Provided that – 1) Where an employee is provided residential accommodation by newspaper establishments, no house rent allowance shall be admissible. 2) If an employee is being paid house rent allowance, the same will be adjusted against the amount of house rent allowance payable under this provision. 3) Where a newspaper establishment contributes on behalf of an employee any amount towards a fund to enable the employee to own his residential accommodation, such amount shall be adjusted against house rent allowance payable under this provision. 13. Transport allowance – The Transport allowance at the rate of 20%, 10% and 5%,shall be paid by newspaper establishments to its employees posted in the respective areas defined as Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” respectively. The Area “X”, Area “Y” and Area “Z” are prescribed in Table – IV. In view of the transport allowance, which is the major expenditure incurred by the residents including the newspaper employees, being recommended by the Wage Boards, the City Compensatory Allowance stands abolished. 14. Night shift allowance – The Night shift allowance at the rates shall be paid by the newspaper establishment to their respective employees as given in the table below: Class of Newspaper Establishments Rate per Night Shift Class of Newspaper Establishments Rate per Night Shift I & II Rs.100/- V and VI Rs.50/- III & IV Rs.75/- VII & VIII Rs.50/-
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15. Hardship allowance – (1) An employee working in newspaper establishment of classes I to IV, which are situated in hilly areas above 5000 feet (1524 meters) from the sea level or in a disturbed area shall be paid a lump sum of Rs.1000 per month. (2) An employee working in newspaper establishment of classes V and VI, which are situated in hilly areas above 5000 feet (1524 meters) from the sea level or in a disturbed area, shall be paid a lump sum of Rs.500/- per month. (3) The hardship allowance shall not be applicable to the employees in newspaper establishment of classes VII and VIII. Explanation – for the purpose of this paragraph, – The "disturbed area" means disturbed area declared by the appropriate Government, i.e., State Government or Central Government, as the case may be, under the relevant Act. 16. Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) – An employee shall be paid leave travel allowance as equivalent to one month basic pay, except those working in newspaper establishment of classes VII and VIII. The LTA would be admissible once in a block of two years subject to availing of leave and production of necessary documents in proof of journey actually undertaken. 17. Medical Allowance – (1) The employees working in newspaper establishment of Classes I & II and Classes III & IV shall be paid medical allowance at the rate of Rs.1000/- and Rs.500/- per month per employee respectively. The employees in consultation with the management of newspaper establishment may opt for health insurance policy subject to the premium not exceeding the admissible medical allowance per annum. (2) No medical allowance shall be paid to the employees, who are covered by Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). (3) Whereas the newspaper establishment falling in Classes V to VIII shall provide medicare insurance cover to all of their employees and the premium to be paid to an insurance company shall be limited to Rs.2000/- per annum per employee. 19. Fixation of initial wage in the revised scale – The initial wage of an employee in the revised scale shall be fixed in the following manner - (a) For the new entrant, the wages shall be fixed in the revised scale at the minimum of the scale.
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(b) In the case of employees already working in the newspaper establishment, the wages shall be fixed in the revised scale at the stage next above the existing emolument. (c) If the minimum of the revised scale is higher than the amount of the emoluments being presently drawn by the employee, the wages shall be fixed at the minimum of the revised scale. (d) If the existing emoluments of the employee are higher than minimum of the revised scale, the wages shall be fixed at next higher stage in the revised scale. (e) Every employee shall be given one increment in the revised pay scale for completion of every five years' service in the post held immediately before the date of the commencement of the Award. (f) As regard to Assured Career Development, Every employee shall be given at least three promotions during his entire service career i.e. first to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of ten years of service, second to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of twenty years of service and third to next higher grade after satisfactorily completion of thirty years of service. (g) The service rendered by the concerned employee in any other post carrying a scale in that newspaper establishment, the minimum of which is lower by not more than 30% of the minimum of the scale in which the employee worked, shall also be taken into account. (h) The total number of increments shall not be more than three. (i) No employee shall get more than the maximum of the revised pay scale. (j) The revised pay scales shall become applicable to all employees with effect from 1st July 2010. However, if an employee within three weeks from the date of publication of Government Notification under Section 12 of the Act enforcing these recommendations exercises his option for retaining his existing pay scale and "existing emoluments", he shall be entitled to retain his existing scale and such emoluments. Explanation: (1) The “existing emoluments” of an employee shall mean his basic pay, variable dearness allowance at the All India average Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) during the period July 2009 to June 2010 at 167 during the period July 2009 to June 2010, convertible to CPI – IW (Base 1982=100) by the conversion factor of 4.63, and interim relief of 30% of
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basic pay sanctioned vide notifications S.O. No. 2524 (E) and 2525 (E) dated 25th August 2008 as applicable for working journalists and non-journalists newspaper employee respectively. (2) The "additional emoluments" of an employee shall mean emoluments other than the “existing emoluments” described in Clause (1) granted by newspaper establishments, as a result of collective bargaining, agreement or award, as increase in basic wage, dearness allowance or interim relief. (3) The "additional allowances" of an employee shall mean any monthly payments, by whatever name called, not related to a specific purpose nor agreed to be adjusted against any revision of pay or dearness allowance. 19. Mode of payment of arrears – The arrears payable from the date of enforcement of the Award, if any, as a result of retrospective implementation, shall be paid in three equal installments after every six months from the date of enforcement of the Award and the first installment shall be paid within three months. Provided that – The newspaper establishments, who suffered heavy cash losses consequently in three accounting years preceding the date of implementation of the Awards, shall be exempt from payment of any arrears. However, these newspaper establishments would be required to fix salaries or wages of their employees on notional basis in the revised scales of pay with effect from the date of implementation of the Awards i.e. 1st July 2010. 20. Date of operation of Allowances – Except as otherwise provided in the Award, to the contrary, the House Rent Allowance, Transport Allowance, Hardship Allowance or any other allowances prescribed in the Award shall be effective from the date of notification of this Award.
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SCHEDULE – IV: (Grouping of working journalists in News Agency) THE SCHEDULE – IV.A (Grouping of Working Journalists in Newspaper Establishments) Group – 1A : Editor-in-Chief, Chief Editor, Deputy Chief Editor Group – 1 : Editor, Chief Producer (T.V.), Chief of Divisional Bureau. Group – 2 : Chief News Editor, Commercial Editor, Economic Editor, Science Editor, Feature Editor, Photo Editor and any other Subject Specific Editors; Regional Manager, Chief of State Bureau (Capital), Special, Principal or Foreign Correspondent on selective basis. Group – 3 : Special Correspondent or Principal Correspondent, Foreign Correspondent, News Editor, Chief Reporter, Chief Photographer, Producer (TV), Manager Stock Exchange Services, Manager News Exchange, Special Correspondent (T.V.), Manager State Capital Bureau and Chief Librarian. Group – 4 : Chief Sub-Editor or Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor or Sub-Editor; Senior Correspondent and Senior Librarian Group – 5 : Senior Reporter or Reporter, Senior Photographer, Assistant Producer-cum-Reporter (T.V.), Correspondent, Photographer, T.V. Reporter and Librarian. Note: (1) Any newspaper employee in news agency employed with any designation different from those enumerated in the schedules, but doing the same or similar nature of job, of any group in the schedule, shall be deemed to be a working journalist in that group. (2) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every class of news agency.
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THE SCHEDULE – IV.B (Functional definitions – Working Journalists) Group – I A 1. ‘Editor-in-Chief’ or 'Chief Editor" means a person who is in over all charge of a news agency. 2. ‘Deputy Chief Editor’ means a person who assists the chief Editor in the discharge of his duties and acts for him during his absence. Group – I 3. ‘Editor’ means a person who directs and supervises the work of the editorial side of the News Agency. 4. ‘Chief Producer (T.V.) means a person in overall charge of the TV service of News Agency. 5. ‘Chief of Divisional Bureau’ means a person who is in charge of the central news desk of the entire News Agency and who supervise guides and direct news services in metropolitan centres, i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai besides Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Group – II 6. ‘Chief News Editor’ means a person who assists the Deputy Chief Editor in the discharge of his duties and coordinates news activities. 8. ‘Commercial Editor’ means a person who deals with news and views bearing on commerce, finance, trade and industry, and comments on them and allocates and supervises the work of one or more reporters. 7. ‘Economic Editor’ means a person who is in charge of bringing out the economic service of the news agency. 9. ‘Science Editor’ means a person who deals with specialized news relating to science and technology, and is in charge of bringing out the Science service of the news agency. 10. ‘Feature Editor’ means a person who deals with features and is in charge of bringing out the Features Service of the news agency. 11. ‘Photo Editor’ means in charge of operating the photo service of the news agency and coordination of the service. 12. ‘Regional Manager’ means a person who is in charge of news and other services of the news agency in the western/northern/eastern/southern regions of the country.
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13. ‘Chief of State Bureau’ means a person who guides and directs collection of news of all types in a State Capital. 14. ‘Special Correspondent’ on selective basis means a Special Correspondent who is placed in a higher class on account of discharge of duties of higher work-load and responsibility. Group – III 15. ‘Special Correspondent’ means a person who is accredited to the Union Government and whose regular duties are to report news of Parliamentary, Political or general importance or a person in a metropolitan center who specializes in covering news of economic importance or national or international nature. 16. ‘Principal Correspondent’ means a correspondent in state capitals accredited to State Governments. 17. ‘Foreign Correspondent’ means a person stationed abroad for news coverage from the country or part of the country to which he is assigned. 18. ‘News Editor’ means a person who is in charge of a news dock or regional news at a metropolitan center and supervises, directs and guides the different news services. 19. ‘Chief Reporter’ means a person in a metropolitan center who is in charge of all reporters in that centre, and reporters all news legislative, political or general importance. 20. ‘Chief Photographer’ means a person who allocates and supervises the work of photographers. 21. ‘Producer TV’ means a person in charge of respective areas of programming (economy, current affairs, education, and news). 22. ‘Manager of Stock Exchange Services’ means a person who coordinates the Stock Exchange information and stockscan service reports. 23. ‘Manager News Exchange’ means a person who coordinates the news Agencies Exchange Programmes with other Agencies. 24. ‘Special Correspondent (TV)’ means a person in charge of reporting for news and current affairs and also presentation as far as possible. 25. ‘Manager State Bureau Capital’ means a person who guides and directs collection of news of all types in a State Capital. 26. ‘Chief Librarian’ means a person who supervises the work of Librarians engaged in preparation and maintenance of records relating to news and views which are used as background or fill out for News stories.
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Group – IV 27. ‘Chief Sub-Editor’ means a person in the metropolitan center who regularly takes charge of a shift on the editorial desk, assigns and supervises the work of Sub-Editors. 28. ‘Deputy Chief Sub-Editor or Senior Sub-Editor’ means a person in the metropolitan center who is regularly assigned to take charge of a shift other than the main shifts on the editorial desk or whose regular duties includes preparation of news dispatches for special subscribers. 29. Sub-Editor’ means a person who receives, selects, shortens, summarizes, elaborates, translates, edits and headlines news items of all descriptions and he may do some or all the functions. 30. ‘Senior Correspondent’ means a person in the metropolitan center whose regular duties are to report news of Parliamentary, Political or general importance or a person regularly assigned to cover news of economic and commercial importance, Courts and national sports. 31. ‘Senior Librarian’ means a person who is engaged in preparation and maintenance of records relating to news and views which are used as background or fill out for News stories. Group – V 32. ‘Senior Reporter’ means a person whose regular duties include reporting of State Government news or proceedings of State Legislature. 33. ‘Reporter’ means a person who gathers and presents the news of a particular center. 34. ‘Senior Photographer’ means a person who covers major assignments of public interest and who is a person with some experience and acts in the absence of chief photographer. 35. ‘Assistant Producer-cum-Reporter’ means a person who assists in production as well as helps in reporting events for the T.V. service, including research and reporting. 36. ‘Correspondent’ means a person who gathers and dispatches by wire, post or any other means, news from any center. 37. ‘Photographer’ means a person who covers news events of public interest through photographs. 38. ‘T.V. Reporter’ means a person who gathers and presents news for television wing at a particular center. 39. ‘Librarian’ means a person who prepares and maintains records relating to news and views which are used as background or fill out for News stories. ___
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SCHEDULE – V (Grouping of Non-Journalist Employees– Administration Staff in News Agencies Establishments) Group IA: Vice President, Senior General Manager or General Manager, Chief of Administration, Financial Controller-cum-Secretary; Group 1: Chief Engineer; Manager (Personnel); Accounts Manager, Manager (Promotion and Development), Manager (Technical Coordination), Personnel Officer, Chief Accountant, Company Secretary; Deputy Chief Internal Auditor Group 2: Regional Engineer, Regional Transmission Incharge, Administrative Officer and equivalent post, Accounts Officer, Internal Auditor and equivalent administrative posts, Video Editor, Engineer (T.V.), Sound Recordist, Cameraman, Electronic Engineer (R&D), Engineer, Cashier, Sr. Traffic Supervisor, Sr. Commercial Supervisor. Group 3: Transmission Supervisor, Caretaker and other equivalent posts, Production Assistant, Traffic Supervisor, Supervisor (Accounts), Lighting Assistant, Commercial Supervisor. Group 4: Senior Commercial Assistant, Senior Operator, Senior Technician, Assistant Stenographer, Junior Engineer, Sr. Traffic Assistant, Sr. Assistant, Stenographer. Group 5: Clerk, Typist, Technician, Junior Operator, Skilled Workers, Car Driver, Telephone Operator, Junior Traffic Assistant, Junior Commercial Assistant, Junior Assistant (Accounts), Junior Assistant Group 6: Attender, Machine Attender, Havaldar, Record Keeper, Gestetner Operator, Peon, Sweeper, Chowkidar, Mali, Messenger boy.
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NOTE – (i) Any newspaper employee of news agencies employed with any designation different from those enumerated in the schedule, but doing the same or similar nature of job, of any group in the schedule, shall be deemed to be a non-journalist in that group. (ii) All categories of employees mentioned in the schedule may or may not exist in every class of news agency.
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TABLE – I NEWS AGENCIY ESTABLISHMENTS A. Working Journalists Class of New Agency Establishment <--- ---="" employees="" for="" group="" of="" pay="" scales=""> Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 I (Rs.60 crore and above) <----- -----="" no="" scale=""> Rs.25000-ARI (4%)-54800 Rs.22000-ARI (4%)-48300 Rs.19000-ARI (4%)-41700 Rs.17000-ARI (4%)-37300 Rs.15000-ARI (4%)-32900 35% II (Rs.30 crore and above but less than Rs.60 crore) Rs.22000-ARI (4%)-48300 Rs.20000-ARI (4%)-43900 Rs.18000-ARI (4%)-39500 Rs.16000-ARI (4%)-35100 Rs.14000-ARI (4%)-30700 35% III (Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.30 crore) Rs.14000-ARI (2.5%)-23000 Rs.13000-ARI (2.5%)-21400 Rs.12000-ARI (2.5%)-19700 Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 20% IV (Less than Rs.10 crore) Rs.12000-ARI (2%)-17900 Rs.11000-ARI (2%)-16400 Rs.10000-ARI (2%)-15900 Rs.9000-ARI (2%)-13400 Rs.8000-ARI (2%)-11900 20% Note: ‘ARI’ stands for Annual Rate of Increment
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TABLE – II NEWS AGENCIY ESTABLISHMENTS B. Non – Journalists (Administrative Staff) Class of New Agency Establishment <--- ---="" employees="" for="" group="" of="" pay="" scales=""> Variable Pay (% of Basic Pay) 1A 1 2 3 4 5 6 I (Rs.60 crore and above) <----- -----="" no="" scale=""> Rs.17500-ARI (4%)-38400 Rs.15000-ARI (4%)-32900 Rs.13000-ARI (4%)-28500 Rs.12000-ARI (4%)-26300 Rs.10000-ARI (4%)-22000 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 35% II (Rs.30 crore and above but less than Rs.60 crore) Rs.16000-ARI (4%)-35100 Rs.14000-ARI (4%)-30700 Rs.12000-ARI (4%)-26300 Rs.11000-ARI (4%)-24100 Rs.9000-ARI (4%)-19800 Rs.8500-ARI (4%)-18700 35% III (Rs.10 crore and above but less than Rs.30 crore) Rs.11000-ARI (2.5%)-18100 Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8500-ARI (2.5%)-14000 Rs.7500-ARI (2.5%)-12300 Rs.7000-ARI (2.5%)-11500 30% IV (Less than Rs.10 crore) Rs.10000-ARI (2.5%)-16400 Rs.9000-ARI (2.5%)-14800 Rs.8500-ARI (2.5%)-14000 Rs.8000-ARI (2.5%)-13200 Rs.7000-ARI (2.5%)-11500 30% Note: ‘ARI’ stands for Annual Rate of Increment
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Table – III Formula for calculating Dearness Allowance: The formula for calculating Dearness Allowance would be the percentage increase of all-India Average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) in preceding 12 months in question over the all-India Average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (Base 2001=100) at 167 for the year July 2009 to June 2010 payable bi-annually with effect from 1st July and 1st January every year, which would be then be multiplied by the rate of neutralization and Basic Pay. Mathematically, it can be put as follows: All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (Preceding 12 months in question) Minus All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (July 2009 to June 2010) Dearness Allowance = ------------------------------------------ X Rate of Neutralization(1.0) X Basic Pay All-India Annual Average CPI – IW (July 2009 to June 2010)
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Table – IV Classification of Cities AREA – “X” Sl. No. City Sl. No. City 1 Bengaluru (UA) 7 Ahmedabad (UA) 2 Chennai (UA) 8 Kanpur (UA) 3 Delhi and adjoining NCR areas of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida (UA) 9 Lucknow (UA) 4 Hyderabad / Secunderabad (UA) 10 Nagpur (UA) 5 Greater Mumbai / Navi-Mumbai (UA) 6 Kolkata (UA) AREA – “Y” 1 Agra (UA) 18 Guwahati 2 Ajmer 19 Guntur 3 Aligarh 20 Gwalior (UA) 4 Allahabad (UA) 21 Indore (UA) 5 Amravati 22 Hubli-Dharwar 6 Amritsar (UA) 23 Jabalpur (UA) 7 Aurangabad (UA) 24 Jaipur (UA) 8 Bareilly (UA) 25 Jalandhar (UA) 9 Bhavnagar 26 Jamshedpur (UA) 10 Bikaner 27 Jodhpur 11 Bhopal 28 Kochi (UA) 12 Bhubaneswar 29 Kolhapur (UA) 13 Chandigarh (UA) 30 Kozhikode (UA) 14 Coimbatore (UA) 31 Kota 15 Cuttack (UA) 32 Ludhiana 16 Durgapur 33 Madurai (UA) 17 Gorakhpur 34 Meerut (UA)
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AREA – “Y” Continued…….. 18 Moradabad (UA) 53 Nagpur (UA) 19 Mysore (UA) 54 Puducherry (UA) 20 Nasik (UA) 55 Salem (UA) 21 Pune (UA) 56 Tiruppur (UA) 22 Patna (UA) 57 Tiruchirappalli (UA) 23 Raipur (UA) 58 Asansol (UA) 24 Rajkot 59 Belgaum (UA) 25 Ranchi (UA) 60 Bhiwandi (UA) 26 Solapur 61 Dhanbad (UA) 27 Srinagar (UA) 62 Dehradun (UA) 28 Surat (UA) 63 Durg-Bhilai 29 Thiruvanantapuram (UA) 64 Jammu (UA) 30 Vadodara (UA) 65 Jalandhar (UA) 31 Varanasi (UA) 66 Jalandhar Cantonment 32 Vijayawada (UA) 67 Jamnagar (UA) 33 Vishakhapatnam (UA) 68 Kanpur (UA) 34 Warangal 69 Durg-Bhilai Nagar (UA) 35 Mangalore (UA) Area “Z” will comprise all areas not mentioned in this list. Note: U. A. stands for Urban Agglomeration. File No. V – 24032 / 1 / 2011 – WB (T.K. BASU) Deputy Director General 23710222 The Manager, Government of India Press Mayapuri
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