Privatization

The coastal town of Honnavar, Karnataka, has recently become a battleground between the local fisherfolk and a state-backed private port company called Honnavar Ports Private Limited (HPPL). On February 24th, this year, thousands of men, women, children, and elders staged a sit-in protest over the proposed construction of a private port at Kasarkod beach, in Honnavar against HPPL. The sit-in was met with severe police brutality where over 100 protestors were arrested.

The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Act, recently passed by the Parliament marks a decisive turn in India’s management of petroleum and mineral-oil resources. Framed as a set of reforms to boost efficiency and domestic production, it in fact clears the path for large-scale privatisation: state control is cut back, environmental safeguards are loosened, and public-sector enterprises lose their historic primacy.

A successful convention of employees from various sectors including railway, education and other government departments was held at Vasundhara Hall of Varanasi zone of Eastern Railway on 13th November 2021. The convention was organised under the initiative of ‘Front against New Pension Scheme (NPS) in Railways’ (henceforth referred as FANPS).