Friday, August 31, 2012

Why MPs must get a pay of Rs 5 Lakh Per Month

The credibility of our politicians is so low that the media and the public at large are sniggering at the proposal to raise the salary of MPs to `50,000 per month. Thanks mainly to their own behaviour and the brazen corruption of some of their fellowmen, we often tend to forget or ignore the fact that those are MPs and MLAs who actually perform the most important tasks in the country. For the middle class chatterati which has a ‘radical’ solution for every problem that India faces, the solution would be doing away with MPs, and perhaps even elections. Frankly, the middle class chatterati has no interest in democracy. But India cannot afford such solutions.

Given the enormity of the task they perform, I think the MPs need to be paid far more than what they get now. Look at it this way: each MP is responsible for a shareholder base of about 20 million. The actual budget of each constituency runs into hundreds of crores every year. And while district collectors and district magistrates are merely transferred for incompetence or non-performance, an MP can – and often does – actually lose his job! To that extent, an MP actually deserves a monthly salary of `5 Lakh per month. There should be an additional travel and other allowance of `1 lakh per month. That sounds preposterously high? It is not. Paying them these ‘reasonable’ salaries will cost the tax payer less than `1000 crores a year.

But as pointed out and suggested by this magazine and many others umpteen number of times, the problem is not paying generous salaries to our MPs – they deserve that for sure. The problem is with the ‘perks’ that they enjoy. That really is costly and something no elected representative of any functional democracy can demand as a right. Yes, by all means pay `6 lakh every month to our honourable MPs. But then stop giving them free housing in VIP Delhi. Just as it happens in UK, USA, Denmark, Australia and most other democracies, ask our honourable MPs to find their own houses-rented or owned. This will lead to enormous savings for the society – apart from making the MPs more connected with the citizens of India.

Just imagine what can happen to the Indian economy if the logic is extended to all politicians and all bureaucrats in India. They are squatting on the most prime real estate assets available in the country. For example, pay a district collector (an IAS officer) a monthly salary of `1 lakh and ask her to find her own house. Surely the rent for even a wonderful house in a small town cannot exceed `20,000? Why let her stay in a massive bungalow with acres of lawns when that land can be better utilized commercially? You know what the answer will be when politicians and bureaucrats are actually offered this option – huge tax free salaries but no perks. They will find every possible excuse and refuse. That is because our mindset has really not changed much since the British left. 


 
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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Save the saviours

Welcome law for whistleblowers

Finally there is a sigh of relief as well as a sense of motivation for whistleblowers. The Union Cabinet finally cleared the redrafted Public Interest Disclosure (Protection of Informers) Bill, 2010 this month. This is a milestone as per as the issue of protecting lives of whistleblowers is concerned. This bill also gives more power to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to protect whistle blowers.

For the uninitiated, a whistle blower is an informant who exposes any wrongdoing within an organization to the authorities. Since it also exposes the people involved in irregularities, this ostensibly noble endeavour is naturally fraught with risk. There are instances galore of people who became whistleblowers with good intent, yet paid a heavy price. For example, Vijay Bahadur Singh, a Superintendent of Customs in Mumbai exposed the manipulations committed in Customs by senior officers by writing a letter on February 28, 2003 to the then President APJ Abdul Kalam. Unfortunately, later, his brother was killed. Satyendra Dubey exposed his seniors in NHAI for widespread corruption in highway projects. He wrote to the then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee but was himself later murdered. There were no laws with regards to protecting whistleblowers earlier but Dubey’s death and the extensive media criticism forced the government to bring on the Act. S. Manjunath, a former manager at Indian Oil Corporation, was shot dead by a petrol pump owner for exposing adulteration of petrol. Gujarat-based RTI activist & green crusader Amit Jethwa, who was protesting against illegal mining in Gir forests, also had to lay down his life recently. M. N. Vijayakumar, an IAS officer in Karnataka, went through rigorous threat & torture for exposing corrupt practices at high levels.


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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Srinagar is where the shikaras and houseboats wait for the tourists to return...

The city changes its hues with different seasons, each having its extravagant charm and splendour. Be it the vast, frozen Dal Lake in the pristine white winter, or the blossoming irises in Nishat bagh in the colorful spring, or the honey-dewed orchards and rippling lakes in the pleasant summer, the scenery will leave you spell-bound from the very first step out of your hotel, especially in the golden autumn when the crisp Chinar leaves carpet your way. Painters, photographers, poets will find inspiration for new creations around the year every step of the way!

Migratory birds and a variety of wildlife are also a major draw to this enchanting land. The Hangul stag, the endangered species of red deer, is particularly famous and is found in the Dachigham National Park. The Park is also where other animals typical to the state such as musk deer, black or brown bear, leopards and migratory birds are found.

A tourist in Srinagar will be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking up keepsakes. Shops filled with an awesome array of handicrafts – from silk or wool carpets with Persian designs, to intricately carved walnut wood and paper machie items – are found lining the streets. The wide variety of the craft-items ensures there’s something to suit every pocket.

The architecture of the city is a mix of old and new buildings; there are houses with sloping roofs, minarets of mosques rise into the skies while narrow streets are characteristic of the city. Lal-chowk is the commercial centre of the city and is located in the heart of the city.

The attire of the people here is simple and conservative. As Islam is the religion followed by the majority, most of the women wear burkhas and hijabs. On the other hand, the cuisine is rich and elaborate. Enough to whet anyone’s appetite, Wazawan is the ultimate in Kashmiri hospitality. This royal cuisine of Kashmir has been influenced by Iranian, Afghani and Central Asian styles of cooking, yet it’s unique and its preparation is considered no less than an art in the eyes of the Kashmiris. Non-vegetarian dishes dominate this extravagant 36-course meal.

As one watches the sun set from a house boat anchored on the Dal Lake, one can’t help but wonder why a heaven like this has had to endure such hellish years. Not a place you’ll forget easily, Srinagar is one place that will stay with you not just in photo albums, but also in the deepest confines of your heart.



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Friday, August 24, 2012

The peculiarities of the industry and the company’s future plans

Managing Director, Godrej Nature’s Basket, talks to b&e’s angshuman paul about the peculiarities of the industry and the company’s future plans
 
B&E: How does Nature’s Basket plan to leverage from the other businesses of Godrej group?
MK: We are leveraging from various other FMCG businesses. We would be selling all our food products in the stores. However, we are yet to implement other way of leveraging. We are planning to share our retail presence or even buy retail properties together.

B&E: Frankly, do you think the Indian market is prepared for a concept like gourmet retailing?
MK: There’s a huge demand for exotic foods, especially things like dried herbs, wines, which you get only abroad or is imported into the country. This is what creates the base for gourmet retailing. Even last year, irrespective of the global slowdown, the Indian economy registered healthy growth numbers. The metro lifestyle is witnessing a change; there is a growing liking for good food and this is what makes us feel that there is a market for gourmet retailing – if not in the mass level, then in the niche category.

B&E: What are your investment plans; have you reached the break-even point as of now?
MK: We don’t believe in announcing investment figures – we invest wherever we find it’s necessary. At this time, it’s too early to comment on if whether we have reached the break-even point or not; but I should mention that we have been growing at a rate of 80% and segments like assortment retailing, wine & bear retailing have been doing phenomenally well with significant contributions towards our turnover.

B&E: It’s said that to shine in the retail industry, it’s crucial to have a sturdy base of logistics. You have paid heed to this – but how much?
MK: I think and we strongly believe that you should not open a retail store if you don’t have a logistics plan for that particular retail store. We deal with 400 importers as most of our products come from overseas; and then we have our own storage procedures ensuring the quality of the goods and its freshness are maintained.

B&E: Food Bazaar and Spencer respectively from the Future Group, and even RPG are focusing a lot on creating inhouse brands. Will you follow suit?
MK: No, not as of now. Like I said before, we don’t believe in doing things just because other players are doing it. We rolled out an inhouse brand in organic mangoes at a time when no other players were offering the same.



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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

COMPUTING: TABLET WARS

While its utility is still questionable, Apple’s iPad has unleashed a new, internecine battle on the tablet front, which will involve both device manufacturers and OS providers

Starting off with Sony, it’s planning to develop a device that would primarily be an e-book reader and is expected to debut the same by the end of the year. Microsoft too is rumoured to be giving shape to a tablet called Courier, which is expected to be a dual 7-inch (or so) screen with multi-touch feature, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. Google is also expected to be playing a formidable role in the tablet wars with Android at the fore front. The open source software that is getting regular updates has already made waves (NPD claims it to be the second most used operating system, even ahead of the iPhone OS) with plenty of applications to cater to the emerging needs of the consumers. It’s expected to be the first choice for tablet computing, given its love for Flash and multitasking abilities. As a matter of fact, MSI and Asus had showcased tablet powered by Android earlier at the CES and are open to the idea of having an Android-based offering in the near future. Google is also rumoured to be working on its own tablet. Given the kind of success Google Nexus One has got, this one could surely get iPad panting! Similarly, HP’s White-hot Slate arriving with WebOS on “Smartphones and Tablets” will be only used in touch kind of devices. Michael Souers, S&P Equity Research, comments to B&E, “Apple is competing against itself. As I-pad is proving to be a great success, it could take away the major market share from its competitors, especially in the E-book segment.”

These may be distant dreams, but there are a few products that are already trying to make the most of the iPad frenzy by offering more packed devices at more enticing price tag. One of these is being offered by a German company Neofonie and it was been innovatively called WePad. The spec sheet for the same reads out to be 11.6-inch screen, 1.66GHz processor, front-facing camera, 2 USB ports, SIM slot, MicroSD slot, Flash, Adobe AIR, and ability to use all open eBook standards; in short all the things that the Apple iPad was criticised for not providing. It’s also noteworthy that this Android-based tablet is priced at €449, while iPhone is priced at €499. This indicates that the war is already on and with newer options being added in the market, and there is going to be some form of price correction. Interestingly, all this competition would also heat up the OS space with a brawl between iPhone, Android & Windows. For us, that means more innovation, better, sleeker gadgets and the price tags getting sweeter.


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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Open the Ex files!

Innumerable marketers are selling ‘happiness for tomorrow’ but ‘love market’ offers memories of the past...

If one defines the term ‘market’ in its simplest form, it would be called an arrangement where goods or services can be exchanged by people. But the intent of the content in this article isn’t to describe the terms in economics’ glossary or the forces affecting them, but to talk about the business of love. In fact, what would be better than to begin with the ‘Love Market’ of Vietnam that is held on every lunar March 27 that falls sometime in May? Called the Khau Vai Love Market, the market is about 100 years old among different ethnic tribes such as the Dao, H’mong and Tai in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. However, the popular ‘form of love’ sought in this market isn’t the ‘new love’ but the ‘old flames’ doused by circumstances or recklessly quashed by kinfolk. Legends tell the tale of a boy and a girl from two different tribes who fell in love with each other but were not able to marry due to the differences between the tribes. To avoid bloodshed and maintain peace, the two decided to part ways but meet every year on that day, March 27th of the lunar calendar. The place where they used to meet was Khau Vai, which today has become the love market festival centre for former lovers and it features food and drinks, musical performances and even folk games. In fact, the tradition has gladly turned out in a way that both husband and wife together leave to look for their respective former lovers. In case only one spouse wants to visit the market, she can do so without feeling guilty while the other one stays at home without feeling jealous!

While the online dating business, which is worth a billion dollars per annum (competing with pornography), gives the opportunity to seek new love every day, the world is divided into two factions when it comes to concluding if ex-lovers should be good friends.


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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Exclusive Darkness at noon

Dependants of jawans killed by Maoists struggle to stay afloat. A report from Orissa by B&E’s Dhrutikam Mohanty

Two years of anguish have gone by since Mase Madkami’s husband, an SGO jawan, lost his life in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists. But life hasn’t returned to normal for the 25-year-old woman. She lives in the southern Orissa village of Udupa, 25 kms. from the Malkangari district headquarters. Her hut, located in a distant corner of this tribal hamlet, has four rooms. Her husband, Ganga Madkami, was the family’s sole breadwinner. Today, the responsibility of their eight-year-old son and Ganga’s ageing parents is on Mase’s frail shoulders.

We reach her house at dusk. Her son, Sunadhar, is studying in the front room. Mase is busy cleaning a lantern. Udupa does not have electricity. In a while, the lantern will be the only source of light in this benighted home. “I never imagined I’d ever have to see such dark days,” Mase begins to narrate her tale of woes. “Five days after the incident, the chief minister handed out cheques to the families of the martyrs. He also promised each affected family a job, a plot of land and other government benefits. He had tears in his eyes. We had reason to believe that we’d be taken care of by the government.”

But Mase’s hopes were dashed. “For six months I ran from one office to another to get my dues. I finally received Rs. 4 lakh as compensation and Rs. 10 lakh for his life insurance. But I am still waiting for the promised job and land,” she says.

Her problems have increased manifold with the passage of time. She has to travel to Bhubaneswar every month to collect the family pension. Being a single lady, she is usually accompanied by somebody from the village, which entails additional expenses. At times she has to travel to the state capital more than once for the same purpose. Sometimes the officers concerned are not available. At other times, the processing of her payment is deferred. “We are illiterate poor villagers and don’t know much about government procedures. But running around like this for what was promised to me is actually hurting me more than my husband’s death,” says Mase, tears welling up in her eyes.

Given the constant drain on her limited resources, she is worried whether her son would be able to complete his education. She says, “Including my old father, I have four dependants. Tell me, how will I manage to continue paying for my son’s education?” Despite a government announcement of financial assistance for the education of the children of martyrs, Mase hasn’t received any payment. Sunadhar, on his part, wants to follow in the footsteps of his late father and join the police force. But will a heartless bureaucracy, which operates from the comfort and security of air-conditioned offices, allow this hapless boy to fulfill his dream? The story of 23-year-old Manini Devta is much the same. She had married SGO jawan, Kanhu Charan Devta in 2006. A year later, she gave birth to a baby boy. The family was a picture of happiness. But a landmine blast on July 16, 2008, at MV126 village changed everything. Kanhu died aged 26, leaving behind his young wife, one-year-old son and his old parents. Her entire life still ahead of her, Manini is struggling to survive. She stays with her in-laws in a small dwelling unit in Malkangiri’s police colony. Kanhu’s old parents have been mental wrecks ever since they saw the lifeless body of their son. Manini tells B&E, “I don’t know what to do now. Though we have received an amount as compensation, we are yet to get a piece of land or a job as promised by the government. Whatever we receive as pension is exhausted in running to different offices in the state capital. It is becoming increasingly tough for me to handle the day-to-day household expenses.”

Manini is a graduate and she expects to get a job under the government’s rehabilitation scheme. However, it has been two years now and her application, and her hope, are lost somewhere under heaps of files dumped on the desks of the babus. This system reeks of apathy at every level. It is a system that leaves a martyr’s widow at the mercy of callous government officials. Doesn’t the family of a brave young man who died fighting those that are waging war on the state deserve better?

The situation is no better for lady constable Pratima Rout, a survivor of the Nayagarh massacre masterminded by Maoists. She has been subjected to ill-treatmen, cheating and mental torture by her own department.

Pratima, who lives in a one-room rented house in Khandapada Road in Nayagarh, is only too willing to pour her heart out. Having been treated most shabbily by the police force that she belongs to, she is seeking justice, but nobody has the time or the inclination to give her a hearing. On that dark night two years ago, Pratima was in charge of the magazines house when 300 to 400 Maoists barged into Nayagarh police station firing indiscriminately. She was shot four times before she fell unconscious. She was hospitalised in a critical condition.

Hear her story. “My condition was so bad that the doctors had given up hope. I had lost a lot of blood. While those that had sustained minor wounds were discharged after treatment, I was retained as a vein in my leg was torn. I continued to lose blood. After nearly a month and 18 days, the department informed me that I won’t get any more financial assistance and that I would have pay my medical expenses. I was really taken aback. I was at my wit’s end. I had no idea how I would arrange the money.”

Though her brother went to meet the Cuttack Superintendent of Police and he assured the family that he would intervene on Pratima’s behalf, nothing happened. Pratima and her brother took loans and used up their savings. They then went back to the department seeking help as she had to undergo four different surgeries. When Pratima met the district superintendent of police, he suggested that she should apply for a loan from the Police Welfare Fund (PWF). She applied for Rs. 20,000. The money was released promptly. But Pratima soon realised that she had been lured into another trap.

Read more......

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Monday, August 13, 2012

“The biggest mistake of my life was that i believed in the stock market in 1999.”

He came, he saw, he conquered ... Subhash Chandra, the media maverick, in an exclusive conversation with B&E, shares the eventful ups and downs that he faced during his journey to the top

B&E: When was it that you realised that it’s time that you hand over your major business responsibilities to the next generation? What was it that prompted the thought?
SC: The next generation has been a part of various businesses within the group for several years. They have proved their mettle and are leaders in their own right. In fact, I feel the takeover process has actually been gradual.

B&E: What is the most defining moment of your life? Something that changed your entire life...
SC: It was the day when I was asked to leave the College of Engineering as my family could not afford the fees and expenses. If that wouldn’t have happened, life would have been on a different path.

B&E: When are you planning to take full retirement from all business responsibilities?
SC: Currently my role in the group is that of a mentor. As far as full retirement is concerned, you will surely come to know when I take this decision.

B&E: 10-15 years down the line, where do you see your group with the next generation completely in charge of all business responsibilities? 
SC: I see each company in the leadership position in their respective industries.

B&E: What is your biggest strength as a businessman?
SC: To see a business opportunity ahead of its time and back it up passionately.

B&E: What is one thing you have learned the hard way from life?
SC: Never give up. Even if you fail initially, you need to be persistent and keep trying until you succeed.

Read more....

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