Prime Minister Modi only imitating Congress?

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Whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims boastfully as his achievements are only the offshoots of the earlier government of UPA, says Sonia Gandhi, the Congress high command. Looks like a joke when people draw a comparison between what was done by the UPA and what is being done by NDA. You ask a common man and he spontaneously talks about fuel prices that as against every now and then increase in fuel prices in the name of oil crisis earlier, now they are successively reduced for the first time in India after Modi became the Prime Minister of the country. She also ruthlessly blames Modi for creating a havoc for the people of the country saying:

• “What he (Modi) gained in the US is not yet known. But the poor people of India are paying a heavy price as he has granted a huge price hike for essential drugs to directly benefit the US drug manufacturers”.

In fact what Sonia Gandhi says is not comprehensible to Indian consumer, he rather has seen and experienced only reduction in drug prices twice in the recent past as declared by the present government. What is actually most ridiculous is that politics in India is more practiced in a free styled manner than in a manner that is logic and reasoning based. Let there be a debate with reasons and the overall scenario would emerge to surface with a clear picture of pluses after Modi joined the power and the minuses that obtained during the time of the earlier government. It would been actually a major crisis for the country if there was really any imitation of what used to be done by the earlier government.

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Economy growth in India on a 2 year record high:

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It certainly makes a heartening news if Indian economy registers some considerable growth at a point and this has happened in the case of April-June quarter this year, a question of rarity normally. Thanks to Prime Minister Modi for a laudable outcome. This growth by 5.7% for the quarter is significant and is likely to boost up developmental activities further. This is mainly attributed by manufacturing and mining sectors in the country. Viewed from consumers point, the reduction in petrol rates by another Rs.1.82 a litre in series in a way coupled with announcements on the front of various projects by the government further boosts up the morale of the people in general. Share market has shown an increasing trend in its index though in a meagre measure with stagnancy and volatility during the last week but capable of setting a tendency towards the market rising upward in days to come to the benefit of the traders in different disciplines. All taken together, the scenario looks like adding tangibility to the much talked of the slogan of “Achhey din aaney waley hain” which may give a chance to the public in general to owe necessary gratitude to the government in power.

Technorati Tags: government,power,modi,economicgrowth,economy,developments,achheydin,stagnancy,sharemarket,volatillity,gratitude

Soaring prices–business hawks are on a loot:

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More than a month back a news was published in this very blog as per the relative link ….http://gallery-neelkanth.blogspot.in/2014/07/relief-on-drug-priceslittle-but-it.html highlighting certain relaxations announced by the government in relation to certain specified drugs mainly including those relating to diabetes, blood pressure and heart ailment. It was more than a month back but the business tycoons dealing in drugs continue to act as a major hurdle even as on date. They are still charging the higher rates applicable earlier on the pretext that they have not yet received any official instruction for the purpose. They are telling a lie as they are the same persons who implemented increased rates immediately they were announced by some quarter or the other in the past including the quarters not at all recognised in the context. In fact it is these hawks in the business who are responsible for soaring prices who just bother three hoots even if there are necessary directions as from the government. The need for the government is to first fix the high handedness on the part of the drug mafias and the tycoons dealing in other commodities before issuing directives aimed at reducing the prices to bring the market to a normal, or at least near normal, level with the element of compatibility with consumers.

Technorati Tags: business,marketing,soaringprices,mafias,tycoons,hawks,commodities,compatibility,consumers,government,directives

Don’t they deserve a thick thrashing like this?

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This is a local news from Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh, India). Kanpur Electricity Supply Administration (KESA) where nothing moves unless you grease their palms sumptuously even for your most rightful routine consumer needs in relation to supply of electricity. Certain engineers and other junior staff from KESA were mercilessly beaten black and blue in two different localities of Kanpur the other day for the reason, as the people say, that they wanted to get obliged with illegal gratifications for attending to the jobs they were otherwise required to do free of any charge. Such incidents are more or less a routine as they occur with quick frequency. More surprising a feature is that despite such a thrashing they get every now and then as from the public they are virtually refusing to refrain themselves from resorting to such an evil practice as if they find it worth in view of the hefty sum of money they earn as bribe. Theirs is an organised gang where even an ordinary line man is able to fetch bribe money in thousands of rupees in a day and in fact it is such an undue earning that contributes miserably to the soaring prices in the local market. Normally the crude thrashing they get off and on from public is something to be discouraged by the people in a civilised society but the common men are left with no option as consumers but to go for it in the absence of any other relief available to them as from the governmental administration. If common  man’s plight is any consideration one feels inclined to endorse the treatment they are giving to the hefty money makers by illegitimate means with thrashing and more thrashing.

Technorati Tags: soaringprices,consumers,market,illegitimate,bribe,treatment,thrashing,administration,evilpractice

Soaring prices in a developing economy:

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The present government under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to have a curb on soaring prices, an area of sharp criticism every where and a major component which did cast UPA their government. The very message as from the present governmental quarters that efforts are in the offing to secure some breather is heartening and received well at the level of the people in general. There are doubts, however, if the endeavours made in this direction may really elicit some tangible relief as these are two deeply inter related areas –soaring prices and developing economy. Any healthy development is all supposed to equip the people with jobs, business and multiple avenues for prosperity which factors in turn are likely to enhance the purchasing power of the consumers and this is bound to result into a steep rise in prices of essential commodities based on the well accepted theory of supply and demand. Any developing economy supplies more money to the people enabling them to resort to more buying and more the buying more  are the chances of the prices shooting up. If Modi Government is able to maintain the growth in the meantime keeping a check on price rise it settles at a miracle only.

Technorati Tags: developments,growth,economy,soaringprices,miracle,modigovernment,consumers,money,demand,supply,maintain

Bribery–a compulsory evil in India:

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There are many a departments in India where bribery is a compulsory ritual and nothing moves unless consumers grease their palms with money, worst of them being electricity companies, both in private and public sector, and one of them on the top is KESCO (Kanpur Electricity Supply Company) behaving as broad day robbers. They harass the consumers to the extent that ultimately they are left with no alternative but to relent paying them the amount of bribe so asked for. They have hired gangs to locate the potential victims on some flimsy ground or the other on whose clue the KESCO staff raid the houses so identified, on false grounds in most of the cases. When they come across an opportunity to raid a house they enjoy it like any thing jubilantly moving forward as if they are going on a picnic trip. If the electricity consumer is honest enough not to pay them a penny even as bribe, he is in for a great trouble. They discourage payment of electricity bills in a mode other than cash as it makes underhand dealings more feasible. Rarest of an exception is online payment through credit cards but their site remains most often as inoperable. They also charge much extra in such payments as against the normal practice of discounts on online payments. If the consumer concerned is prepared to grease their palms to their satisfaction, he has no problems to face; if not, it is hell of a torture to him. Corruption in India is so deep rooted that survival of an honest person is immensely impossible. Every thing is easy if dishonest means are resorted to. New government is likely to come up in the mid of this month after elections are over and the people of the country may have to wait for a situation whether it improves on corruption front or worsens further.

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Cost for even minor most relaxations:

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Automated Teller Machines installed by various banks in different locations extended necessary facilitation to the consumers in a better way, and more than that they saved much of money to the concerned bankers which they had to otherwise spend on managing those payment across the counters in their branches. Customers had every reason to feel a sigh of relief in getting their payments through the ATMs without waiting for their turn standing in the long queues in the branches. Now this small relaxation to the consumers is being made a costly affairs as it has since been decided by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) to levy a charge on withdrawals if they exceed a prescribed number of transactions. The reason given by the Chairperson of State Bank of India, Arundhati Bhattacharya, is that ATMs are giving losses to the Bank on account of which this service is not financially feasible, hence some charge is the must. This is too false an argument as these machines are in fact saving lot of money for the bankers which they might have had to spend in engaging a bigger number of staff to handle the pressure of customers rush. This is an era when there is extra charge for every thing and for that reason even the smallest possible service through ATMs too is not being allowed free of some direct charge. After all it is the customer who has to suffer. Bank like State Bank of India is regular in incurring losses on account of their erratic way of handling the transactions and a lavish way of expenditure in unproductive areas and not because of some relaxation or the other to its customers.

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Are consumers really a rich lot?

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Development or no development but it looks really so anomalous that consumers are now no more the people who once hankered all the time for some financial relief or the other. This phenomenon is quite manifest when you cast a look on the crowds of the shoppers thronging in malls and the other sundry shops in the market. If there is paucity of the resources, how come they are capable of affording a sumptuous shopping spree. There are mainly two reasons for such an anomalous position –one that standard of living on the part of the people in general has gone too high and –two that there is no dearth of black money in the country facilitating uncalled for deals and transactions. The best option for using black money lie with the hotels, restaurants and sundry shopping markets where one can spend as lavishly as he wants remaining fully unnoticed identity wise. Culture of the type like this could have been better recognized if there was a compatible developmental growth enabling the people to consume a sort of well accounted for amount of money.

Technorati Tags: blackmoney,developments,shopping,marketing,unnoticed,consumers,growth,unaccounted,country

Bank accounts to be opened with zero balance now:

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It’s a good news in a way that as per Reserve Bank of India directives the customers can open their Saving Bank A/cs with zero balance. Presently this amount was around minimum Rs.1,000/ varying from bank to bank. There are many who are desirous of opening an account in some bank or the other but they are unable to do so for want of necessary minimum amount. If the directives so issued hold good in real practical terms, the news is very satisfying to the needy customers and the consumers, but the real problem is that of its implementation. There are already instructions to open the accounts of students with zero balance but the respective banks are defying them. It has yet to be seen in days to come whether the banks come forward with necessary compliance of the Reserve Bank of India directives. If they do, this is certainly a welcome gesture.

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This too happens once in a blue moon:

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Though once in a blue moon, you can’t say that the yawning jaws of the soaring prices dragon don’t ever shrink downward. Petrol prices, as is the news, are likely to be lowered in India by Rs.1.50. This is the way the UPA Government strategically works, first increase the price by 4-5 rupees and then reduce it by a petty amount giving it the popular name of relaxation in fuel prices. Take it and give it back in some form or the other –by way of price hike in various other commodities and imposing some kind of a tax like they have done now even in the case of sadhus and priests working in different temples as if theirs too is a service that attracts service tax. Resenting against the decision, the sadhus have in a way correctly described it as a Jazia tax once imposed in the country by the King Aurangzeb. What is in store for the consumers is worse –increasing price of cooking gas and the like.

Technorati Tags: consumers,cookinggas,petrol,fuel,aurangzeb,commodities,sadhus,jaziatax

Awareness on power shortage:

There is nothing new if some one talks of power shortage and failure of electricity for most of the time in our country, more so in the state of Uttar Pradesh and yet more so in a city like Kanpur. The funniest part of it is that if you try to contact the electricity department personnel to know the latest supply position you may hardly get any response as they are careful enough to keep their telephone connection off during the time the queries are supposed to be more. As an exception, however, I was surprised when the other day there was a positive reply from them. They advised that very often supply was there but it got interrupted and switched off because of the heavy load. What they suggested was that when the power is switched on as from their end, the users should not switch on their lights and other electrical appliances, ACs and kitchen gadgets in particular, they should rather wait for half an hour’s by which time the power load gets currency and the power supply gets regenerated. It was done and to the surprise of every one it really worked. Their suggestion was also that AC boxes should not be exposed to sun, they should rather be kept under some shade to overcome sun heat, as the AC boxes exposed to sun and dust use around 10% of more electricity. Better it is if the awareness programmes like this are generalised in more popular a manner.

Technorati Tags: electricity,consumption,consumers,personnel,acs,gadgets,awareness

Now wrist mobiles!

Think of the days when there were no mobile phones. Now the things are just different and every body from a vendor to a big shop keeper all have a mobile phone, some a number of them. As if this was not adequate enough, the companies are now introducing mini mobile phones to decorate the wrist(s) of the users. This is being done from the point of view of facilitating those who prefer to remain on talking point even when they are eating are doing some other work where their hands are not free. After this newly developed device is available, such persons can keep talking or perusing their messages on their wrist mobile. They are supposed to look like a wrist watch viewable while engrossed in other activities with their hands not free. Thanks to technological developments which are giving the society some thing new or the other every now and then.

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Is it not a falsehood to depend on Consumer Courts?

The way the consumer courts are performing in our country, it’s a sheer false hood without any result orientation. They do take decisions but by the time they so do it goes too late for the consumer concerned. Consumer Courts were formed with a view to come out more quickly in respect of the decisions but what is practically happening is just the reverse. They are worse than the other normal courts. I was told by a consumer that he resorted to the consumer court with the hope that they would come out with a quicker decision in his dispute giving him necessary relief but it has taken more than three years time and there is no indication of the dispute being sorted out even in days to come. What is the use of such courts if they behave worse than the normal courts in the matter of performance. They be better abolished if they can’t be suitably rejuvenated to prove of some worth for the consumers for whom they were basically brought into existence.

Technorati Tags: consumers,court,dispute,decision,relief,existence

Is it that consumption level is to blame for soaring prices?

It happens many a times that you go to some market or the other to buy some thing but it is not available for the simple reason that the entire stock with shop keepers is fully sold out. You go to one ATM after the other, it is often found that the cash position with them is entirely depleted through enormous levels of withdrawal. You go to some railway station to buy a ticket for your journey, there are long queues despite bookings already being done online through computers besides the travel agents. You go any where, the unending queues are a normal scene. Wherefrom all this money comes? Is it really hard earned one or black?. Whatever it is, the position as is quite visible on the surface is that there is plenty of money available with the consumers. The very principle of demand and supply as described in economics applies. More money in the market as against the demand for supply is the root cause of soaring prices. If the black money is visibly unearthed and confiscated by the government, the price tags of different commodities are bound to go down with the result that the people may easily take a sigh of relief.

Technorati Tags: soaringprices,marketing,market,money,supply,demand,relief

Use of heater in a closed room is a big health hazard!

There are certain very trivial areas which people don’t realise in their day today life, and these are the aspects which are very much related to the routine of the persons in general. One such instance is the use of heater in the winter when it is too cold like it is these days in North India. People use heaters to brow beat the chilly weather and, with a view to ensuring that the hot currents of it don’t go outside the room so that its effect is not reduced, they keep the concerned room tightly closed. Such a practice disallows a consumer the necessary oxygen intake which may result into a serious health hazard, as in the absence of the required oxygen in the room becomes a cause of suffocation. There are instances when the persons concerned died on this count. Just a simple precaution as suggested above may very well save the lives.

Technorati Tags: winter,closedroom,heater,precaution,people in general

Why the Railways can’t show bigger profits?

The basic source of revenue for the Railways emerges from the fare they charge from the passengers, besides of course the freight charges on transportation of different items of goods. The Railways charge from the passengers a hefty amount by way of selling tickets to them. As per news from the media, there was a record sale of tickets through online bookings only during the year 2011-2012 amounting to Rs.9,500/ crores. This figure does not include the fare realised on the counters of the Railways. One can well imagine as to how much total amount could have been if all the resources are taken into view in totality. There is always a statistical manoeuvring to indicate a loss to the Railways because their establishment cost is bigger than the revenue earned. This may not be correct. The question is where all the aforesaid resources and the revenue earned on them go?. Obviously, the Railways too are a major partner in corruption which is so rampant in the country as a whole. If there are no corrupt practices, there is every chance that the Railways may contribute much better in the matter of showing bigger profits.

Technorati Tags: railways,onlinereservation,freight,revenue,profit,corruption

What do the cheaper goods in the market mean?

It’s okay to go for cheaper goods available in plenty in the market, but the question is whether they affect our country’s economy. If they do, what could be the alternative to the goods procurable only at a high cost. If black money is set aside, India continues to be a poor country where the common man just can’t afford higher price tags particularly when it comes to routine consumer needs, say like food items. Supply of different items from outside, mainly including China, is at a very large scale making them available in the local markets in plenty at considerably much cheaper a rate. The very element of competition such a supply generates is something in the interest of the buyers as it results into reduction of standard prices in the market . This bumper supply is also on account of an abnormal reduction in import duty as per the government’s policy. Import duty in India in early 1990s which was 300% stands steadily reduced to only 10% presently. Patriotically speaking, one should not go for imported/ foreign items as against what is available on a desi pattern, and such an approach emerges from what was known as swadeshi in tune with the call given by Mahatma Gandhi long back. Ideally, it sounds very good, but the question here is again centred on affordability and availability. As against khadi and handloom products, the supply otherwise available in the market is cheaper, and a consumer may not go for it on a mere slogan of desi/ swadeshi, as is the cult of thinking at the level of the present day generation. This is wrong to go for a chinese brand of a mobile phone just for the reason that it is much cheaper compared to other standard models available in the market, but after all a buyer can’t go beyond what his/ her pocket permits. The option left open to a consumer is either to go for a purchase of an item he/ she needs, or not to go for it at all. Here again, the solution revolves around the economic policy of the government by evolving policies that adjust import duty and increase the local level of production enabling the market to withstand the competition at the global level.

Technorati Tags: affordability,consumers,soaring prices,market,rates,patriotism,competition,global,country

More the surplus money, more the problems at the consumers level:

The theory of demand and supply, as envisaged in the literature of Economics, has direct impact in money matters. If the money in currency in a particular country is more in supply and is incompatible to production based demand for it, the prices of different products are bound to rise sky high. May be, the great pundits of economics give some other name to this phenomenon in a better pronounced terminology, but what I am talking is simply from the point of view of a consumer trespassing the subject as a layman. If a basket has, say 100 points, in it as supply with another basked of production based demand having, say 75 points, the prices are obviously high, and both these factors taken conjunctionally, whatever occurs as a matter of fluctuations, determines the ratio accordingly. Production factor is subordinated by the economy measures adopted by the government, which are time taking. Fluctuations in money ratio are determined by sources like this:

Budgetary allocations decided by the government

Deficit financing by way of false money declared by the government.

Black money in circulation

Artificial currency in circulation through illegitimate measures

The kind of money like enumerated above is in abundance in the country and there is no dearth of it. The government is just helpless in taking measures to curb illegal money in the country with the result that those earning it through nefarious means are flourishing by leaps and bounds. They have the capacity to purchase more than what is available in the market. There are thus hardly any chances to recover from this colossally ghastly scenario. The only alternative against such a malady lies in the hands of the government, which is just a flop on all counts including the cost factor.

Technorati Tags: soaring prices,cost,consumers,market,government,scenario,alternatives,flop

Is it that there is a parallel government in Mumbai?

Raj Thackeray, the MNS chief in Mumbai gave a call to people in general there not to pay road tax on the pretext that the local government is not giving a proper account to the tax payers. No road tax is to be paid, he has said, unless the authorities concerned duly account for the money so collected. Collections are so huge, he further asserted, and compared to that the amenities provided locally are too meagre. The big amount so collected is not only to be fully accounted for, this has to be used basically for the need of the local citizens without diverting the funds  elsewhere, he suggested in a tone and tenor of a direction. The demands so raised may be alright and there must be strong protests on that count. Modes of protest are many and there can’t be, and must not be, any refraining from resorting to them, but in no way an individual can take law into his hands all out disturbing the local administrative machinery, which ultimately affects the local public only.

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Soaring prices–who is concerned?

No measuring rod to soaring prices, it is limit less in fact. You name any thing from essential commodities to every thing in the market the level is sky high. No check, no curb, no control of any kind is there in sight and consumers are unable to locate any spot to act as a sigh of relief for them any where. Initially there is some price increase on some point some where and it instantly compounds in respect of several other areas. In certain cases this corresponding increase has nothing like any direct link or relationship. There is rise in the cost of petrol/diesel and doctors increase their consultation charges and instances like that are similarly there in several other areas. What is the point? But what sounds as most peculiar a phenomenon is that people by and large don’t feel that much concerned beyond indulging into a competitive tug of war as to who can raise the cost of his commodity in a bigger measure when his turn comes with of course some exceptions like that of salary earners who can not raise their emoluments at their own. Election tempo in many states is currently running high and all problems from corruption to unemployment are being raised by the voters. They do talk of soaring prices too but it is just in a secondary order as if the people have conveniently reconciled to price rise as a routine order of the day which factor only indicates that the menace now stands fully stabilised in the market with hardly any chance of any remedial measures.

Technorati Tags: soaring prices,market,consumers,public interest,competition,voters