Some projects under the Smart Cities Mission would not be able to meet the June 30 deadline and the respective state governments would be responsible for completing them thereafter, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs. In its report on the …
Members of the National Democratic Alliance on Thursday formed a human chain in the Parliament complex, wearing placards asking the government to control prices or quit, raising slogans outside and inside Parliament and finally forcing adjournment of both Houses. The "action' started at 11 a.m. and lasted till after noon. …
On rural development, MPs' hearts may be full but during debate, Lok Sabha is empty SEEMA CHISHTI NEW DELHI, APRIL 23: The Government plugs Bharat Nirman as the Nayi Azadi in TV spots during IPL matches, rides on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as its shining showpiece. All political …
Even as the debate over foodgrain scarcity being a major cause for the current inflationary trend rages, an advance estimate released by the government on Tuesday said foodgrain production in the country touched a record 227.32 million tonnes during 2007-08. The 3rd Advance Estimate, according to department of agriculture and …
Outrage over the illconceived BRT corridor rocked Parliament on Tuesday with members cutting across party affiliations protesting against the hardship inflicted on commuters in south Delhi by thoughtless planners. No sooner had nominated member Chandan Mitra raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, than members vented their anger at the …
PM, Montek Sound Stern Action, Cos Deny Cartelization, Blame Input Cost As rising steel prices are fuelling inflation in a major way, PM Manmohan Singh on Tuesday warned the domestic steel industry, saying it should not take advantage of global surge in steel prices. He said steel companies should not …
A parliamentary panel has pulled up the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals for delay in finalising the National Pharmaceutical Policy, 2006. In its report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers has observed that despite its recommendation for finalising the policy, the department remained static on such a crucial …
The responsibility of the maintenance of roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), once their five-year contractual period is over, is an issue which has "concerned" a parliamentary committee. The parliamentary standing committee on rural development which has submitted its report on demand for grants(2008-09) during the on …
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemical and Fertiliser has slammed the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals over the delay in finalising National Pharmaceutical Policy (NPP) 2006. The policy, aimed at making drugs cheaper, has been delayed due to strong opposition from the industry. While the policy will bring more number …
The government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that as many as 67 underground fires have been raging in the Jharia coalfields in Jharkhand for several decades, affecting 98,000 families. At the time of nationalisation of coal mines in the 1970s, 70 fires were raging in the area that came …
Special economic zones came in for criticism in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with CPI MP D Raja saying it was a kind of "land grab' which had created new and "modern zamindars' and it had debased the life of farmers, tribals and agricultural workers who are being deprived of …
Heavy rains in Tamil Nadu resulted in the loss of 24 lives and caused extensive damage to 3.91 lakh hectares of standing crops, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In response to a question, minister of state for home affairs Radhika V Selvi said, "Tamil Nadu has submitted a …
The yawning gap between rhetoric and action was evident on Wednesday during the discussion on inflation. In both Houses, finance minister P Chidambaram had hardly any company on the treasury benches as he took notes and prepared for his reply to the debate.In Lok Sabha, even the few MPs who …
The Left told the UPA government on Wednesday that its future depended on how it tackled the alarming price rise and demands raised by it, and the Bharatiya Janata Party dared the Left parties to dislodge the government on the price rise issue. Initiating a discussion on price rise in …
Loss Due To Bad Harvest Timing, Lack Of Storage For a country reeling under an unprecedented food crisis, here is an alarming figure: India losses Rs 55,600 crore worth of crops each year after harvesting. This has been admitted by the government before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture. Foodgrain …
Congress has said controlling inflation is top priority. Opposition BJP wants to make inflation the main poll issue in Karnataka. The "Third Front' or UNPA has organized rallies on the issue while the Left has accused the UPA government of letting the "common man' down. But on Wednesday, when a …
Brussels Blog (Andrew Bounds): There has been much talk of the Franco-German motor that has traditionally propelled the European Union breaking down recently. So the cancellation of a meeting recently between the two countries to discuss proposals to cut pollution from cars led to plenty of puns. The German press …
By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev, Neil Buckley in Moscow and,Frances Williams in Geneva Ukraine is likely to be in a position to block Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation later this year, giving it significant leverage that it could use in natural gas supply talks or in retaliation …
French GMO Bill Passes Lower House Of Parliament FRANCE: April 10, 2008 PARIS - The lower house of the French parliament approved a new law on genetically modified crops on Wednesday after fierce opposition criticism and internal wrangling in the ranks of the centre-right government. After a vote of 249 …