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 …
Expressing her “vehement objection” to the National Commission for Human Resources for Health Bill 2011, which has been referred to the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare by the Rajya Sabha, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said on Thursday the Bill undermined the role of the states in …
Move unlikely soon, as proposed Food Security Bill promises grain at rates lower than current ones at ration shops The Centre is considering raising the prices of wheat and rice distributed through ration shops to bring down its food subsidy bill. Before 2010, proposals to increase the price of grains …
Parliamentary committee is likely to go for universalising distribution of grains to cover wider range of population The much-awaited Food Security Bill, which is being vetted by Parliamentary Standing Committee, may see some changes before being cleared. “The committee may go for universalising the distribution of grains to cover wider …
New Delhi Just a day before the Election Commission was set to issue the notification for the 2009 general election, the United Progressive Alliance-I government had hurried to allocate large captive coal blocks to the Tata-Sasol combine and Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) for their respective coal-to-liquid projects in Orissa, …
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Lokayukta Bill was introduced by Chief Minister PK Dhumal in the Vidhan Sabha today. It covers all public servants, right from the Chief Minister to the lowest panchayat functionary, but leaves out non-governmental organisations, cooperative societies and sports bodies. Unlike the existing one-man institution, the proposed …
The mines ministry has shot down the steel ministry’s proposal that iron ore should be classified as “ a strategic mineral”. The mines ministry argues that iron ore is available in abundance in the country and hence there is no pressing need for the classification. It has written to the …
New Delhi: A letter from the office of India’s Central Information Commission to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently raises serious concerns over two proposals to amend the Right to Information Act through the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority (NSRA) Bill 2011, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha last September. The …
BJP, JD(S) members demand relief package. Parliament was adjourned on Thursday as members belonging to different parties created an uproar over the Cauvery water dispute and drought-like situation in Karnataka. Soon after an obituary reference in the Lok Sabha, members stormed into the Well to raise their demands. BJP and …
But company says govt decision to permit use of incremental coal does not result in any loss to exchequer or undue benefit The draft report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on coal allocation has alleged undue benefits of Rs 15,849 crore to Reliance Power Ltd (RPL) …
The Centre on Monday revised the wage rate under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and has decided to amend the Act to remove the existing disparity in minimum wage even as the matter is scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court on April 9. The revision …
There is still more bad news for coal mining companies, with the mines ministry recommending that coal miners mandatory share 100 per cent royalty with project-affected families. The recommendation, if implemented, could severely dent coal miners’ bottom line. It would not only increase the annual outgo of monopoly producer Coal …
Even as the government’s annual Economic Survey outlines the importance of climate change and global warming, the Union Budget 2012-13 made no announcement towards climate financing. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee made no specific announcement about how the Rs 3,864-crore National Clean Energy Fund is going to be utilised in 2012-13. …
Even as a cornered Government went red in the face denying media reports that alleged quoting a draft CAG audit that undue benefits worth Rs 10.7 lakh crore were given to various public as well as private power companies while allocating coal blocks, the Coal Ministry, almost as a knee-jerk …
Quick media management help centre to avert crisis related to CAG report on coal block policy. For the past two years, it was the thorn in the government’s flesh. But on Thursday, the national auditor CAG became an unlikely ally of the government as it quashed reports of losses to …
The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) is set to give teeth to the Environment Protection Act by increasing penalties against those breaking environmental laws. Sounding a despairing note, environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan told this reporter, “The present `1 lakh penalty for environmental violations is ridiculous. The penalty should be …
New Delhi The proposed diesel price decontrol may come sooner than expected with a special scheme to insulate farmers from its adverse impact through a cash subsidy. Initially, state governments will be responsible for delivery of the subsidy, the cost of which will be borne by the Centre. When the …
Parliament was today rocked by reports of an alleged coal scam to the tune of Rs 10.7 lakh crore with the Opposition forcing adjournment of both the Houses till noon and subsequently, for the day. As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, JD-U members were on their …
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for an hour Tuesday morning after opposition members created a ruckus over the government's new concept of people living on less than Rs.28 per day in urban areas and Rs.22.50 in rural areas being below the poverty line. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs led the …
The Planning Commission on Monday released the latest poverty estimates for the country showing a decline in the incidence of poverty by 7.3 per cent over the past five years and stating that anyone with a daily consumption expenditure of Rs. 28.35 and Rs. 22.42 in urban and rural areas …
Rejecting criticism that General Budget was not bold and he lost the opportunity, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday suggested his critics to look at ground realities in the political sphere. He also said that any reduction in subsidies and hike in petroleum product prices could be considered only after …
