India drags US to WTO on visa fee hike

 

New Delhi: India has dragged the US to the WTO challenging the visa fee hike which discriminates against the Indian software companies sending professionals to the US on short-term contracts.

"Yes, we have sought consultations with the US on the issue," a senior Commerce Ministry official said.

As per the procedure of the World Trade Organisation, consultation is the first stage of a complaint launched in the global trade body.

The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on its securing its border with Mexico under the Border Security Act. India has been protesting against the measure and raising its concern for the last 18 months.

The law substantially increased the fees for H1B and L1 categories of visas for applicants which employ more than 50 persons in the US or have more than 50 per cent their employees admitted on non-immigrant visas (the 50:50 rule).

Before India's complaint goes to the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the Geneva-based WTO, the parties to the dispute are required to engage into bilateral consultations. The process takes about two months.

"The date and place (of these consultations) have not been finalised," the official said adding the US measure is violating of the WTO rules.

Some of the top Indian companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam - were affected by the US action on visa fee. The US is the largest market for the Indian software exports. 

ਅਪਰਾਧਿਕ ਮਾਮਲਿਆਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ 'ਚੋਂ ਕੱਢਣ ਲਈ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ 'ਚ ਸੋਧ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ-ਥਰੀਸਾ ਮੇਅ

ਲੰਡਨ,9 ਅਪ੍ਰੈਲ - ਬਰਤਾਨੀਆ ਦੀ ਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਥਰੀਸਾ ਮੇਅ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਦੁਰਵਰਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੀ ਅਪਰਾਧੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਸ਼ 'ਚੋਂ ਕੱਢਣ ਲਈ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ 'ਚ ਸੋਧ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਕੀਮ ਬਣਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਥਰੀਸਾ ਮੇਅ ਨੇ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਨੂੰ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਇਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਗਰਮੀਆਂ 'ਚ ਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੱਜਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਜਾਰੀ ਹੋਣਗੇ। ਇਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ 'ਚ ਸਖਤੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਹਨ, ਸਿਰਫ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਲਈ ਹੀ ਇਹ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ, ਬਲਕਿ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਆਮ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਅੰਦਰ ਵੀ ਡਰ ਹੈ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਗਰਮੀਆ 'ਚ ਅਸੀਂ ਨਵੇਂ ਨਿਯਮ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਆਵਾਂਗੇ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਮੀਦ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਗਲਤ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਹੋਣੀ ਖ਼ਤਮ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। ਗ੍ਰਹਿ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਈ ਮੇਲ, ਟੈਕਸਟ, ਫੋਨ ਤੇ ਇੰਟਰਨੈੱਟ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਨਿਗ੍ਹਾ ਰੱਖਣ ਦੀ ਸਕੀਮ 'ਤੇ ਵੀ ਆਲੋਚਨਾ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਅਜਿਹਾ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਆਮ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਅਜ਼ਾਦੀ 'ਚ ਸਿੱਧਾ ਦਖ਼ਲ ਹੈ। ਇਮੀਗ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਮਸਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਹਿਰ ਵਕੀਲ ਹਰਜਾਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੰਗਲ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਸਕਾਈ ਟੀ ਵੀ 'ਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਬਣਾਏ ਜ਼ਰੂਰ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਖ਼ਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਲਾਗੂ ਨਹੀਂ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ।

ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਇਗੀ ਬੈਂਕਾਂ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਨਾ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ 'ਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਾਂਗੇ-ਡਾ. ਲੀਚ

ਕੈਲਗਰੀ, 10 ਅਪ੍ਰੈਲ - ਇੰਡੀਅਨ ਐਕਸ ਸਰਵਿਸਮੈਨ ਇੰਮੀਗ੍ਰਾਂਸ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਕੈਲਗਰੀ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ ਵਿਖੇ ਪਾਰਲੀਮਾਨੀ ਸਕੱਤਰ ਡਾ. ਕੈਲੀ ਲੀਚ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਹਿਊਮਨ ਰੀਸੋਰਸਿਸ ਤੇ ਸਕਿਲ ਡਿਪਲੋਮਿਟ ਤੇ ਲੇਬਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ 'ਚ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਇਗੀ ਬੈਂਕਾਂ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਨਾ ਹੋਣ ਦਾ ਮਾਮਲੇ 'ਤੇ ਵੀ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰੇਗੀ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਰਾਹਤ ਮਿਲ ਸਕੇਗੀ ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਵਟਾਂਦਰਾ ਵੀ ਜਲਦੀ ਕਰਨਗੇ। ਡਾ. ਲੀਚ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਸੀ ਸੀਨੀਅਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ 4 ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਡਾਲਰ ਦੀ ਆਮਦਨ ਤੱਕ ਰਿਆਇਤ ਦੇਣ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਸਰਵਿਸ ਮਨਿਸਟਰ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਕੇ ਥੋੜੇ ਦਿਨਾਂ 'ਚ ਹੀ ਇਸ ਮੁੱਦੇ 'ਤੇ ਅਮਲ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਐਡਵੋਕੇਟ ਦਵਿੰਦਰ ਸ਼ੋਰੀ ਸੰਸਦ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਤੇ ਟੈਕਸ ਦਾ ਮਾਮਲਾ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਸਮੇਂ 'ਚ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਸਰਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਵੇਲੇ ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਹੱਲ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸੰਭਾਵਨਾ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਵਪਾਰ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦਾ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਹੋਣ ਦੇ ਨਾਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਮਾਮਲਿਆ ਦੇ ਹੱਲ ਲਈ ਯਤਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਹਾਂਗਾ। ਅਖੀਰ 'ਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਮੱਸਿਆਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਲ ਲਈ ਪੁਰਜ਼ੋਰ ਸਿਫਾਰਸ਼ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਸ. ਫੁੱਮਣ ਸਿੰਘ ਵੈਦ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ, ਸ. ਹਰਗੁਰਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਿਨਹਾਸ, ਡਾ. ਮਹਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਬਿਕਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੰਧੂ, ਹਰਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਾਏ, ਪ੍ਰੋ. ਮਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਤੇ ਹੋਰਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤੇ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਬੁਲਾਰਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਮੰਗਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਦੁੱਖ ਤਕਲੀਫਾਂ ਵੀ ਪਾਰਟੀਮਾਨੀ ਸਕੱਤਕ ਡਾ. ਕੈਲੀ ਲਾਚ ਤੇ ਐਡਵੋਕੇਟ ਦਵਿੰਦਰ ਸ਼ੋਰੀ ਸੰਸਦ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਦੇ ਧਿਆਨ 'ਚ ਲਿਆਂਦੀਆਂ। ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਹੱਲ ਲੱਭਣ ਲਈ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਮਹਿਮਾਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਸ ਦਿਵਾਇਆ। ਇਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਪ੍ਰੇਮੀ, ਜੋਗਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੈਂਸ, ਸਤਪਾਲ ਕੌਂਸਲ, ਗੁਰਬਖਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਨੋਆ, ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਾਹਲੋਂ, ਮੋਹਣ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।

Judical court at Nihalsinghwala inaugurated

Nihalsinghwala (Moga), April 3
Justice KC Puri of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today inaugurated a judicial court at Nihalsinghwala sub-division in Moga district.

Justice Puri said that people of the sub-division would get a lot of benefit from this court. Most of the civil and petty criminal cases of the area would be transferred to this new court.

A full bench of the HC gave its consent to set up a court here in January this year. It was a long pending demand of the local residents, which has been fulfilled after many years, said Rajwinder Kaur, newly elected MLA of the area.

India Supreme courth refuses clemency plea for Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to pass any order on a plea for clemency to Balwant Singh Rajoana, awarded death penalty for assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

A bench of justices T.S. Thakur and Gyan Sudha Misra said it cannot pass any direction as the convict has not filed any petition before it and the petitioner Abhinav Ramakrishna has no locus standi to plead on his behalf.

The apex court also allowed an NGO, Lawyers for Human Rights International, to withdraw its petition filed with a similar plea.

The bench told Abhinav Ramakrishna, an advocate, that since petition was filed under Article 32, it cannot be entertained as in no way, any fundamental right of the petitioner was violated.

In other words, the bench said, Article 32 provision could be invoked only by a person whose fundamental right is violated.

The NGO had contended in its petition that Rajoana was not properly represented during the trial of the case and he had also not filed any appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against his conviction and capital punishment awarded by the trial court.

The NGO was seeking stay on the execution of Babbar Khalsa militant Rajoana’s death penalty, which was slated for March 31 but has already been stayed by the Centre. Rajoana is presently lodged in Patiala Central Jail.

The NGO had challenged the March 22 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had dismissed a PIL against the lower court’s order convicting Rajoana and awarding death penalty to him.

It had said the decision in the case has not attained finality as the CBI has challenged in the apex court the commuting of death sentence to life term of co-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara.

“That it is submitted that the judgement by which the death sentence has been confirmed, is under appeal before the Supreme Court at the instance of the CBI.

“The special leave has been granted in an appeal against the conviction of Hawara. So the decision has not attained finality, therefore, the death sentence can not be executed,” the NGO had said in its petition.

Rajoana, a police constable and a close friend of another assassin Dilawar Singh Babbar, was the second human bomb to be used, in case the first one failed to kill Beant Singh on August 31, 1995.

The special CBI court had awarded death sentence to Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Hawara on August 1, 2007. Other co-accused Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh were sentenced to life imprisonment for hatching conspiracy to kill Beant Singh.

Rajoana did not appeal against the judgement. The death penalty of Hawara, who filed an appeal against it, was commuted to life term.

Bibi Jagir Kaur gets 5 years’ rigorous imprisonment,while acquitted of murder charges

Patiala, Punjab: Punjab minister Jagir Kaur was today convicted for conspiring in forcible abduction, kidnapping and wrongful confinement in connection with the killing of her daughter Harpreet Kaur 12 years back but was acquitted of the murder charge.

The minister was on Friday sent to Patiala Central Jail after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sentenced her to five years of imprisonment in three cases relating to Harpreet’s mysterious death in April 2000.

Jagir Kaur, who had been accused of getting her daughter murdered in an apparent case of honour killing, was found guilty of forcing Harpreet to abort her baby days before she died. She was also found guilty of abduction and wrongful confinement.

She was given five-year rigorous imprisonment in one case, three years in another and one year in a third case. All sentences are to run concurrently.

Harpreet was found dead under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000. She was cremated in a hurry without post mortem examination. Jagir Kaur had then said that her daughter died of severe food poisoning.

Later, her son-in-law Kamaljit Singh accused Jagir of plotting the murder of Harpreet as she did not approve of their marriage. He also claimed that a pregnant Harpreet was forced to abort her baby, days before she was killed.

Harpreet had married Kamaljit secretly against the wishes of Jagir, who was then the chief of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikhs’ highest religious body. The allegations forced her resignation from the post.

The case against Jagir was registered after Kamaljit approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which consequently ordered a CBI probe. Earlier this month, Kamaljit had written a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal claiming that he and his family were being threatened by the police.

Lok Sabha nod for Bill on judicial standards and accountability

New Delhi, March 29
The Lok Sabha today passed, the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2011 aimed at striking a balance between maximising judicial independence and laying down accountability at the same time for members of the higher judiciary.
The Bill proposes to reduce the quantum of punishment for frivolous and false complaints against judges from proposed five years’ rigorous imprisonment to one-year simple imprisonment and quantum of fine from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50,000.
As in last two days, the Lok Sabha was adjourned first during the Question Hour, then at 12 noon. When it met at 2 pm, the Telangana enthusiasts again occupied the well of the House. Deputy Speaker Kariya Munda asked Law and Justice Minister Salman Khursheed to move the Bill. But when the minister could not be heard in the din, the Chair directed him to lay the copy of the speech and then move for passage of the Bill.
Making the statement on the Bill, discussed in the Lok Sabha in December last year, Khursheed informed the members that the Government heeded their suggestions on this account.
Most important component of this Bill is the proposed creation of a National Judicial Oversight Committee (NJOC) “Which gives them wider constitutional powers, including that of taking help from outside,” said the minister drawing their attention to Section 38 of the Bill where the “NJOC shall be entitled to take assistance of such officers of the Central or the State Government or any agency thereof or authority as it deems fit.”
The minister pointed out, “Since the impeachment of judges has to be decided by Parliament, MPs have been included in the committee.”
The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, 2010, which was introduced in December, 2010 was
brought to the Lower House with fresh amendments in December last year, including one which seeks to restrain judges from making "unwarranted comments" against conduct of any Constitutional authority.
According to the revised bill, any judge who makes oral comments against other constitutional authorities and individuals would render himself/herself liable for judicial misconduct.
Khurshid referred to some members raising the issue regarding appointment of judges and said the current system of selection of judges has been mandated by the Supreme Court in its judgement. He said in the present system, judiciary has major say in judicial appointments.
Simultaneously, Khursheed said that the proposed Clause 47 of Bill deals with the investigation into misbehaviour or incapacity of a judge by the investigation committee for removal of judges. “This is the original constitutional provision for impeachment of Judge, adopted in this Bill and also provided for under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968,’ said the law minister.
He rejected the members demand to spell out the composition of the investigation committee to probe the conduct of a judge and left this instead to the discretion of NJOC.
The minister also promised to institute at a future date an All India Judicial Service to attract the best talent, stating “We are anxious to put in place a system that would ensure that best and the brightest are elevated to the bench in a transparent manner,” adding though, “The idea of these reforms is to ensure that their (Judges’) credibility is not undermined and at the same time the constitutional obligation cast on the President is discharged effectively,” he said.

Key component

The most important component of this Bill is the proposed creation of a National Judicial Oversight Committee (NJOC) “which gives them wider constitutional powers, including that of taking help from outside for the purpose of getting more information. The NJOC shall be entitled to take assistance of such officers of the Central or the state government or any agency thereof or authority as it deems fit.”