Nearly 65% of adults in the Arab region remain excluded from formal financial systems, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Annual SDG Review 2025 paints a sobering picture of persistent financial exclusion that is undermining the region’s ability …
The move has been proposed in order to discourage consumption of subsidised diesel by personal vehicle owners The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is demanding an increase in excise duty on diesel cars with a view to discouraging consumption of subsidised fuel by personal vehicle owners. "A proposal was …
Though, the new draft of National Water Policy has favoured privatisation of water-delivery services and tariff hike, members of a working panel of the Planning Commission are strongly divided over the crucial issue. But strangely, for reasons best known to the Commission, the views of the members who have opposed …
State gets a pat from Planning Commission for good performance The Annual Plan for Odisha for 2012-13 was on Friday pegged at Rs.17,250 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Initiating the discussions, Mr. Ahluwalia said the State's …
Gandhinagar: Amid loud talk about spread of canal irrigation, especially Narmada-based, leading to asharp fall in the amount of electricity going into the farm sector, a recent Planning Commission document has revealed just the opposite. Titled “Annual Report 2011-12 on Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments”, the document, …
The statistics pertaining to income and expenditures of the citizens presented by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) on Thursday has revealed that food accounted for about 57 per cent of the value of the average rural Indian household consumption during 2009-10 whereas it was 44 per cent in cities. …
The Planning Commission has approved special assistance of Rs 117.34 crore to Leh district for permanent restoration of works and reclamation of agricultural lands damaged in the August 2010 cloudburst. This was stated by Rigzin Spalbar, chief executive councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh. Over 600 hectares of …
Both documents extensively discuss need for competitive bidding for scarce natural resources The fate of the Ashok Chawla Committee report on the allocation of natural resources suggests a wider government unwillingness to accept competitive bidding, auctions and market-linked pricing for scarce, natural resources lies at the heart of its 2G …
The government has formally constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) for developing a coordinated approach for optimal exploitation of coal bed methane (CBM), underground coal gasification and shale gas. The IMG to be headed by Planning Commission Member B K Chaturvedi includes petroleum secretary GC Chaturvedi, coal secretary Alok Perti, ONGC …
New Delhi About 60 per cent of India's rural population lives on less than Rs 35 a day and nearly as many in cities live on Rs 66 a day, reveals a government survey on income and expenditure. "In terms of average per capita daily expenditure, it comes out to …
A parliamentary standing committee has taken a grim view of constant pruning of budget of agriculture ministry. It has asked the Centre to adopt a fresh outlook towards allocation of finances to the sector as it sustains economically weak farming community. The parliamentary panel examining the demands for grants of …
Annual Plan for the State pegged at Rs.26,485 crore The annual Plan for Haryana for 2012-13 was on Monday finalised at Rs.26,485 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.Initiating discussions on Haryana's development strategy and Plan performance, …
The government should set up a 'green fund' by imposing 5% forest development tax on sale of forest products and 3% forest conservation tax on sale of petroleum products and coal mining, the 12th Five-Year Plan working group under Planning Commission on natural resources has recommended. Another sub group working …
The UPA’s flagship programme, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), launched in 2005 has been described as a “failure” by none other than a high-level government panel headed by Planning Commission member Arun Maira. The panel has criticised this `66,000 crores urban renewal programme which was supposed to …
New Delhi The power ministry has set up a panel to look into various proposals including introduction of appraisal system for central and state electricity regulators. The mandate of the committee is to examine and make recommendations on proposed amendments in the Electricity Act, 2003. Sources said the panel, chaired …
New Delhi: The fight against climate change will take a strategic jump in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-2017) with the government intending to plough in almost Rs 2 lakh crore through the various missions, the working group on climate of the 12th Five-Year Plan has said. The report seeks setting …
New Delhi: It’s the most common drink in the country after water. So what added benefits can a ‘national drink’ status bring to tea, especially since it is unlikely to be accompanied with special incentives or tax breaks? Plenty, say tea industry insiders and experts, claiming there is much more …
GUWAHATI, April 26 – The declaration of tea as the National Drink of India is long overdue as no other drink can come even closer to tea in the country, observed the chairman of the Tea Board, MGVK Bhanu. He also said that the declaration of tea as the National …
Amid depleting resources and rising global prices of soil nutrients, the fertiliser ministry has proposed a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) of $1 billion to acquire such assets abroad. “We have given a proposal to the finance ministry for creating a SWF of $1 billion for acquiring fertiliser mineral assets in …
The contentious issue of India’s poverty estimates is all set to get a relook, with the government informing the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that it will soon be appointing a technical group to “revisit” this matter. The government also told the House that the expert panel will be constituted and …
The government’s decision to switch to a new royalty formula for coal would erode the benefit currently available to captive coal miners by way of reduced royalty rates. At the same time, it would increase state governments’ royalty collection multi-fold. As captive miners do not engage in any sale, these …
