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Fresh protests erupt as French government pushes pension bill without full vote

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally MPs in parliament, called the decision to push through the pension changes “a total failure for the government.”…reports Asian Lite News

Protesters have clashed with police again in central Paris over the French government’s pension reforms. Thousands of demonstrators lit fires and some threw firecrackers at police, who used tear gas to disperse them.

It is the second night of unrest since President Emmanuel Macron decided to push through the controversial reforms to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote, BBC reported.

No-confidence motions have been filed against his government in response.

The first was signed by independents and members of the left-wing Nupes coalition in parliament, while a second came from the far-right National Rally party.

Both are expected to be debated early next week, BBC reported.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally MPs in parliament, called the decision to push through the pension changes “a total failure for the government.”

Police made dozens of arrests during the unrest at Place de la Concorde, not far from the parliament building, BBC reported.

Protests also took place on Friday in other French cities – notably Bordeaux, Toulon and Strasbourg, BBC added.

“We won’t give up,” one demonstrator told AFP news agency. “There’s still hope that the reform can be revoked.”

Another told Reuters that pushing the legislation through without a vote was “a denial of democracy… a total denial of what has been happening in the streets for several weeks.”

The government has said the changes to pensions are essential to ensure the system is not overburdened and prevent it collapsing.

But many people, including union members, disagree and France has now seen more than two months of heated political debate and strikes over the issue.

Transport, public services and schools have all been affected, while a rolling walkout by waste collectors has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish left on the streets of the capital, BBC reported.

Fuel deliveries have also been blocked and there are plans to stop production at a large refinery in Normandy in the coming days.

“Changing the government or prime minister will not put out this fire, only withdrawing the reform,” said the head of the moderate CFDT union, Laurent Berger.

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Over 1 mn French demonstrate against controversial pension reform

In the Ile-de France region where Paris is situated, the public transport sector reduced the frequency of metros and tramways…reports Asian Lite News

France’s Interior Ministry said that an estimated 1.12 million French people took to the streets across the country to protest against the government’s controversial pension reform plan.

The CGT, France’s largest union, estimated the nationwide protest number at 2 million. According to the Ministry on Thursday, in Paris alone, 80,000 demonstrators expressed their discontent.

Simultaneously, workers in several sectors staged a 24-hour strike. The rate of strikers at the French national railway company SNCF alone reached 46.3 per cent, which resulted in numerous cancellations of regional and national services, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the Ile-de France region where Paris is situated, the public transport sector reduced the frequency of metros and tramways.

On January 10, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne laid out details of the country’s controversial pension reform plan, which would progressively raise the legal retirement age gradually by three months a year from 62 to 64 years by 2030 and would put in place a guaranteed minimum pension.

Borne told a press conference that starting from 2027, people will have to work 43 years to qualify for a full pension. In 2019, demonstrations were also held in France against the pension reform, but then only 800,000 people participated, according to the Interior Ministry.

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India News

Telangana to pay pension for people above 57 from August

He said some people resorted to false propaganda for political mileage while some others were pessimistic but the government ignored them to complete the projects…reports Asian Lite News.

The Telangana government will provide old-age pensions to people aged above 57 years from August, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced on Sunday.

In remarks after inaugurating various development works in Rajanna Sircilla district, he said the decision to reduce the eligibility age limit for old-age pensions from 65 years to 57 years will be implemented from next month.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had promised to reduce the eligibility age limit in the 2018 Assembly elections. After it retained power, the state cabinet in July 2019 approved the proposal.

The monthly pension for various categories of beneficiaries was also increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,016 as per the election promise.

However, the decision to reduce the old-age pension eligibility age limit could not be implemented due to various reasons.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, also announced on Sunday that the government plans to launch a life insurance scheme for the weavers providing insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh in case of accidental death.

The TRS chief recalled that before formation of Telangana state, some people had expressed doubts whether Telangana could achieve anything, but it has had proved that anything can be achieved if there is integrity and purity of purpose and speech.

He said that his government fixed clear targets and ensured that those targets are achieved. Stating that Telangana is marching ahead on the path of progress, he said none can stop the journey that he embarked on to develop Telangana state and set it as an example for others.

KCR said the state achieved tremendous progress in various sectors during the last six years. He claimed that wonders were achieved in agriculture sector. He said farmers who had migrated from villages in the past as they were unable to do farming were returning due to the changed situation. He said 92 lakh tonnes of paddy produced in Telangana was sold to the Food Corporation of India.

The Chief Minister said under Mission Kakatiya, revival and restoration of water tanks was taken up across the state and as a result, the lakes are today brimming with water. He said Telangana proved its capability from Mission Kakatiya to Kaleshwaram project.

He said some people resorted to false propaganda for political mileage while some others were pessimistic but the government ignored them to complete the projects.

KCR said a programme for sheep rearing was taken up at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore. Under the first phase, sheep were distributed among beneficiaries by spending Rs 4,000 crore. The second phase would be launched soon.

He said his government will spend Rs 45,000 crore for empowerment of the Dalits in the state over next five years under the Chief Minister’s Dalit Empowerment scheme. “We have lifted Godavari River to 500 metres irrigate our lands. Can’t we uplift the Dalits?” he asked.

The Chief Minister, who inaugurated a new building of the nursing college in the district, announced enhanced stipend for nursing students. First year students will get Rs 5,000, second year Rs 6,000 and third year students will get Rs 7,000. He also assured a government medical college and a government engineering college for Rajanna Sircilla district next year.

He also inaugurated the first-ever Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), inaugurated the double bedroom dignity housing project at Mandepalli village, a modern agriculture market yard located at Sardapur village and the Integrated District Collectorate Complex.

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