National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Recommends

National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Recommends to Make it a Permanent and Statutory Body with Powers of Civil Court 

Commission also Recommends Abolishing Contract System for Safai Karamcharis and Ensuring Minimum Wages 


            Annual Report 2014-15 of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis presented to Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment.


Chairman, National Commission for Safai Karmacharis presenting the Annual Report to Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment. Ministers of State Shri Krishan Pal Gujjar & Shri Vijay Sampla are also present.

            In the Annual Report, the Commission has made various recommendations for consideration by the Government.  Commission’s main recommendations include (i) making the Commission a permanent and statutory body with powers of Civil Court to lend it more credibility, (ii) The  Contract system should be abolished and also to ensure payment of minimum wages for Safai Karamcharis, (iii) Death victims among Safai Karamcharis should be compensated with a minimum Rs.10.00 Lakh as has already been ordered by the Supreme Court, (iv) Protection of rights, ensuring risk allowance, implementation of effective financing schemes for rehabilitation of Safai Karamcharis, etc., Need for strengthening the Commission with regard to budget allocations as well as staff strength was also discussed. It was also brought to the notice of the Minister that the Commission’s current tenure is soon to expire on 31st March, 2016. It was discussed whether the Commission’s tenure is to be extended further pending granting a permanent status.  

While presenting the Report, the Commission has appraised the Minister about a series of actions taken to implement “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”

The Ministers for State, Shri Vijay Sampla and Shri Krishna Pal Gurjar were also present. The Chairman of the Commission Shri Shivanna was accompanied by Shri Gopal Krishan Sahotra and Shri Vijay Kumar, both Members and Shri T.R. Meena, Secretary.

*********

Law & Justice Ministry’s New Initiative Application for Notaries to Become Online From 1st January 2016 

The Ministry of Law & Justice has brought a major change in receiving applications for appointment of Notaries. Henceforth all applications for appointment of Notaries shall be received online, including the supporting documents. The new system will become operational from 1st January, 2016. Receipt of online applications is expected to result in reducing delay on account of postal delays, missing documents and queries due to incomplete applications. This will also facilitate the applicants to know the status of their applications online. For further details please visit- www.lawmin.nic.in. 

******

6.5% Growth in Foreign Tourist Arrivals in November 2015 over the same Period in 2014 

USA Accounts for Highest Share of Tourist Arrivals in November 2015 

Rs. 11,610 Crores Foreign Exchange Earned through Tourism in November 2015 

Ministry of Tourism compiles monthly estimates of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) on the basis of Nationality-wise, Port-wise data received from Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism on the basis of data available from Reserve Bank of India. Following are the important highlights regarding FTAs and FEEs from tourism during the month of November, 2015:

 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs)

·           FTAs during the Month of November 2015 were 8.15 lakh as compared to FTAs of 7.65 lakh during the month of November 2014 and 7.34 lakh in November 2013. There has been a growth of 6.5% in November 2015 over November 2014. 

·           FTAs during the period January- November 2015 were 71.03 lakh with a growth of 4.5%, as compared to the FTAs of 67.94 lakh with a growth of 10.5% in January- November 2014 over January- November 2013.

·           The Percentage share of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during November 2015 among the top 15 source countries was highest from USA (15.76%) followed by Bangladesh (12.27%), UK (11.00%), Canada (4.52%), Australia (4.22%), Malaysia (3.43%),  Russian Fed. (3.42%), Germany (3.34%), France (2.93%), Sri Lanka (2.89%), China (2.83%), Japan (2.51%), Singapore (2.19%), Nepal (1.77%) and Thailand (1.58%). These top 15 countries account for 74.66% of total FTAs during November 2015.

·           The Percentage share of  Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India during November   2015 among the top 15 ports was highest at Delhi Airport (31.55%) followed by Mumbai Airport (17.71%), Chennai Airport (7.39%), Haridaspur Land check post (7.09%), Bengaluru Airport (6.26%), Goa Airport (4.61%),Kolkata Airport (3.91%), Hyderabad Airport (3.25%), Cochin Airport (3.10%), Ahmedabad Airport (2.63%), Tiruchirapalli Airport (1.64%), Trivandrum Airport (1.62%), Gede Rail (1.44%), Gaya Airport (1.10%) and Amritsar Airport (0.95%). These top 15 ports account for 94.25% of total FTAs during November 2015.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from Tourism in India in terms and in US$ terms

·         FEEs during the month of November 2015 were `11,610 crore as compared to `12,988 crore in November 2014 and `11,994 crore in November 2013.

·         The FEEs in ` terms during November 2015 registered a decline of 10.6% over November 2014 as compared to positive growth of 8.3% in November 2014 over November 2013.  

·         FEEs from tourism in ` terms during January- November 2015 were `1,12,958 crore with a growth of 1.0% as compared to the FEE of `1,11,889 crore with a growth of 15.3% during January- November 2014 over January- November 2013.

·         FEEs in US$ terms during the month of November 2015 were US$ 1.755 billion as compared to FEEs of US$ 2.069 billion during the month of November 2014 and US$ 1.936 billion in November 2013.


·         The FEEs in US$ billion in November 2015 registered a decline of 15.2%  over November 2014 as compared to positive growth of 6.9% in November 2014 over November 2013.

·         FEEs from tourism in US$ terms during January- November 2015 were US$ 17.685 billion with a negative growth of 3.8% as compared to the US$ 18.383 billion with a positive growth of 9.8% during January- November 2014 over January- November  2013.

*****