In a fresh salvo at the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that the country is in danger under the Modi-led government.  The country is in danger. They (BJP) project as if they have given birth to the nation but they were nowhere during independence," she said.

Banerjee has been criticising the BJP over the Yogi Adityanath-led government's city name changing spree in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP government in UP has recently changed names of Allahabad and Faizabad to Prayagraj and Ayodhya, respectively.

"Recently, I have been noticing that almost every day BJP has been changing the names of historical places and institutions unilaterally to suit their own political vested interests," she wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

42 drivers, conductors who were on probation dismissed

Chandigarh :
With the deadlock persisting between Haryana Roadways employees and the state government, the striking staff on Monday extended the strike by three days.

The strike entered the seventh day, leaving thousands of commuters high and dry. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar again ruled out the possibility of rollback of the government’s decision to hire 700 private buses.
Talks between the government and striking roadways employees on Sunday failed, with protesters sticking to their demand on the issue of 700 private buses.

“The coordination committee has decided to extend the strike till October 25. The government is not serious about our demand and is bent on privatising Haryana Roadways. Talks broke down on Sunday because of the government’s rigid approach,” said Balwan Singh, a member of the coordination committee.

 The employees had been on strike since October 16 against the state government’s decision to hire 700 private buses. They claimed that the move was a step towards privatisation of the Transport Department. They alleged that the state government was trying to benefit a private transporter by hiring private buses.

Khattar refuted the charge of opposition parties and roadways union leaders that the government’s decision on 700 buses was a move to benefit anyone or serve anyone’s personal interest. He said roadways union leaders should raise issues pertaining to employees and not interfere in policy matters of the government.

“We have already said that these 700 buses will be under the control of Haryana Roadways and will be a part of its fleet. We are not giving permits to private players,” he said. He claimed that the addition of private buses, which would be plied on km basis, would not affect roadways employees in any manner.

Under the kilometre scheme, buses would be owned by private operators, who would pay salary to drivers and bear diesel and maintenance costs, Khattar said. Conductors would be appointed by the government and revenue generated from tickets deposited in the state exchequer, he said.

He said the categories entitled to free or concessional travel would continue to avail it in private buses.

Official sources said 1,112 buses ran on different routes on Monday compared to 509 on Sunday. Meanwhile, 42 drivers and conductors who were on probation and took part in the strike were dismissed.

Services of two drivers on probation terminated

Karnal :
Employees of various government departments on Monday came out in support of the protesting Haryana Roadways employees who have extended their strike by three more days. Meanwhile, the Haryana Roadways authorities terminated the services of two drivers on probation.

The employees under the banner of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh announced to join the strike. Vishvanath Sharma, state president of the mahasangh, stated this while addressing supporters outside the Manav Sewa Sangh. “Around one lakh employees of various departments associated with the mahasangh have extended their support to the protesting roadways employees,” he added. Employees of the UHBVN also protested outside their office in support of the striking roadways employees.
Meanwhile, commuters had a tough time. As schools reopened on Monday, school buses were used to ferry children only. The department claimed that 137 buses, including private, had been started.

Chandigarh :
With a view to increasing the efficiency of recruitments with minimum procedural and financial burden on candidates, the Haryana Government has decided to conduct combined group-based examination for various posts in Group B (non-gazetted) and Group C that come under the purview of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC).

While giving this information here on Monday, an official spokesman said that to initiate this process, all Administrative Departments, Boards and Corporations were required to provide information of various posts for Group B and Group C through an online form within 15 days.

He said that this combined group-based examination system would also minimise the operational expenditure incurred by the HSSC while conducting recruitment examinations.

V Umashankar replaces Rakesh Gupta as Addl PS to CM

Chandigarh :
The Haryana Government has issued transfer and posting orders of 17 IAS and 11 HCS officers. The government inducted V Umashankar as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and dropped Rakesh Gupta and also brought in Ashima Brar as Deputy PSCM.

Gupta, who was dropped from the CMO, has had the longest tenure of four years and had introduced the concept of Good Governance Associates and was also handling the Central Government’s flagship ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme. Another crucial transfer of TL Satyaprakash from the HSIIDC has also raised eyebrows.

Vivek Joshi has been posted as CEO, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Gurugram, Principal Secretary, Monitoring and Coordination Department, Chief Administrator, Trade Fair Authority of Haryana, Director, Swaran Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management, Principal Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi, and Designated CEO, Kundli Manesar Palwal Authority.
V Umashankar has been posted as Additional Principal Secretary to the CM in place of Rakesh Gupta. Deepti Umashankar has been given the additional charge of Commissioner, Ambala Division, Ambala, relieving Vivek Joshi of the said charge.

Rakesh Gupta, moved out of the CMO, will be Director General, Secondary Education and Secretary, School Education Department. Apart from this, he will also be State Project Director, Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad.

Vijay Singh Dahiya has been posted as Secretary to the Governor. He will also be Labour Commissioner and Secretary, Labour Department.

Praveen Kumar has been posted as DG and Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department. He will also be MD, Haryana Scheduled Castes Development Corporation, and MD, Haryana Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections Kalyan Nigam Ltd.

TL Satyaprakash has been posted as DG, Industrial Training and Employment and Special Secretary, Skill Development and Industrial Training and Employment Departments. Sanjay Joon has been posted as MD, Haryana Medical Services Corporation Ltd, relieving Amneet P Kumar of the said charge.

Amit Kumar Agrawal is Excise and Taxation Commissioner, and Special Secretary, Excise and Taxation Department. He will also be Director, Elementary Education and Special Secretary, School Education. Apart from this, he will also be Nodal Officer, International Gita Mahotsav-2018, against a vacant post.

Ashima Brar goes as Deputy Principal Secretary to CM. She will also be Nodal Officer, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ against a vacant post.

Ramesh Chander Bidhan has been posted as Director and Special Secretary, State Transport Department. Geeta Bharti is Special Secretary, Public Works (Building and Roads), Public Health Engineering Departments and Secretary, Traders Welfare Board.

Ravi Prakash Gupta will be Director and Special Secretary, Archaeology and Museums. He will also be Chief Vigilance Officer, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, and Chief Vigilance Officer, Urban Estates Departments.

Rajiv Rattan will be Special Secretary, Home-II Department, Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections. He will also be Director and Special Secretary, Mines and Geology Department vice Sanjay Joon.

Rajnarayan Kaushik will be Special Secretary, Irrigation Department, and MD, Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewells Corporation, against a vacant post. He will also be Director and Special Secretary, Medical Education and Research Department.

Vijay Kumar Siddappa Bhavikatti has been given the additional charge of Director, Rural Development, against a vacant post.