Unlike other parts of the country where they get cold shoulder and contempt, migrant labourers from Bihar, UP and Jharkhand are keenly awaited in Punjab due to serious labour shortage in the state this year. The industrialist of the state are rolling out a red carpet to lure the migrant labourers this season.
Every year migrant labourers come back to Punjab after celebrating the festivals of Chath and Diwali, they have not done it this year, so far. As a result there is around 20 per cent shortage of labourers in industrial towns of the state like Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali. The dearth could be gauged from the fact that the women are being employed to meet the shortfall, which was not the case in the past.
The exodus of migrant labourers had been taking place for the last couple of years in Punjab, this year the level has assumed serious proportions. The shortage has started pinching industrialists in the state.
The industrialists are trying to allure them by doling out lot of incentives. The list is long, it ranges from mobilephones, bicycles, free mobile recharge coupons to free accommodation.

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Nations seek lanka aid against pirates
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Nov. 30

Sri Lanka has become the hub for providing foreign vessels with armed vessel protection teams to fend off pirates operating from the Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden and several countries are now making their armed soldiers board their merchant vessels from Sri Lanka till the vessels reach beyond the Gulf of Aden, sources said on Wednesday. Sources said that merchant vessels are hesitant to ply without protection of these armed units on board vessels in view of the fact that pirates have extended their operation even to the eastern Arabian Sea. With piracy creeping closer to the Lakshadweep islands, the Indian Navy had earlier mounted vigil to drive out pirates operating in the eastern Arabian Sea.

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MCOCA not applicable to Hasan Ali, cops tell court
Mumbai, Nov. 30: The stringent MCOCA is not applicable against Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan, facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion, the police said in a report submitted to a special court here on Wednesday. “Police has prepared the report pursuant to the court’s direction and have said MCOCA is not applicable against Ali. There is also a letter from joint commissioner of police (crime) rejecting invocation of MCOCA in the case after going through the report,” said special public prosecutor Dileep Shah. In October, the court had directed the Mumbai police to ascertain whether a case is made out against Khan under MCOCA. — PTI

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Hc reserves order on aircraft purchase deal
RIDHIMA MALHOTRA
New Delhi, Nov. 30

The Delhi high court has reserved its judgment on a petition seeking an inquiry into the purchase of 111 aircraft worth over `65,000 crores by Air India. The petitioner, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, has alleged that the acquisition led to a huge loss to the state exchequer as it was made without keeping in mind the financial health of the national carrier. A bench reserved the judgment after hearing arguments on the PIL, filed in 2010, seeking investigation into the 2005 aircraft purchase deal and the role played by the ministry of civil aviation. Mr Bhushan, appearing for his NGO, argued that the purchase of 111 aircraft by AI has caused a huge loss to the national exchequer as at the time of the purchase, the airline was already making losses.

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Hc notice to centre on hockey body’s threat
age correspondent
New Delhi, Nov. 30

The Delhi HC on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and others on a PIL alleging that sportspersons were being threatened by Hockey India (HI) against participating in World Series Hockey (WSH) being jointly organised by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sport. A bench of acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked HI to file its response within three days, fixing December 7 as the next date of hearing as the WSH is to begin in December. The PIL filed by Joachim Carvalho, a former hockey player and coach, has alleged that HI, which is fighting legal battles with IHF, is threatening players that it will debar them from representing the country in other tournaments if they privately take part in WSH.