Mumbaikars welcomed PM Manmohan Singh's speech explaining his recent economic policy decisions. They, however, said that he must speak more often. ...
10:09 AM, Sep 22, 2012
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in an address to the nation on Friday evening, sought to explain the recent important policy decisions made by the government to put India's flailing economy back on track. Explaining that India's fiscal deficit was ballooning and its subsidy bill was an astounding Rs 1 lakh 40 thousand crore last year, he said that the figure would have reached 2 lakh crore this year...
09:47 AM, Sep 22, 2012
New Delhi: With his back to the wall, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday night tried to defend a highly contentious move of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that included hiking prices of diesel, bringing in 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and restricting the subsidies on LPG cylinders. To many observers, this was a case of an economist PM trying to reach out...
07:13 AM, Sep 22, 2012
New Delhi: Defending the steepest ever hike in diesel price and limiting supply of subsidised LPG, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the nation would have faced a record Rs 200,000 crore of fuel subsidy if the government had not acted. "We import almost 80 per cent of our oil, and oil prices in the world market have increased sharply in the past four years. We did not pass...
02:31 AM, Sep 22, 2012
Kolkata: In a veiled criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's justification of reforms on Friday night, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wondered if the power of the chair is being misused to "finish aam aadmi". "I want to ask - what is the definition of aam aadmi? What is the definition of democracy? Is it not becoming clear that use of the name of aam aadmi, and misuse of...
11:52 PM, Sep 21, 2012
New Delhi: As the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) marches on unleashing one economic reform measure after another, especially after key ally Trinamool Congress (TMC) decided to withdraw its support from the government over fuel price hikes and FDI in retail, the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems speechless. Left with absolutely no strategy to deal with this reinvigorated government, that till a few weeks ago had been floundering...
02:37 PM, Sep 21, 2012
Hyderabad: The AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus fare hike appears to be imminent in the wake of the Rs 5 hike in the price of diesel. The corporation is proposing a 10 to 13 per cent increase in fares. Its vice-chairman and managing director AK Khan on Thursday discussed the proposal with transport minister Botcha Satyanarayana at the Assembly and sought government clearance for the hike. Botcha, after...
02:37 PM, Sep 21, 2012
New Delhi: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will on Friday hold a meet to discuss the key economic measures introduced by the Centre to rein in its fiscal deficit. These include the diesel price hike and a cap on the maximum number of subsidised LPG cylinders a family can buy in a year. NCP leaders had on Thursday asked the Centre to rethink the "blanket hike" in diesel prices and...
09:31 AM, Sep 21, 2012
New Delhi: The Mamata Banerjee-Congress relationship is now a closed chapter with six Trinamool Congress ministers set to formally submit their resignation letters. They will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday to convey their decision of withdrawing support to the UPA. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also expected to address the nation after Mamata's ministers resign. Manmohan Singh is expected to defend the decisions of diesel price hike, LPG cap...
07:50 AM, Sep 21, 2012
Bharat Bandh to protest diesel price hike, FDI evokes mixed response. Diesel gets cheaper in Bihar by 85 paise as state govt reduces VAT. ...
11:54 PM, Sep 20, 2012
The Bharat Bandh called by the opposition parties over FDI reforms and fuel price hike evoked mixed response on Thursday. ...
10:14 PM, Sep 20, 2012
Mumbai: Stating that it has no intention to "destabilise" the UPA government, the NCP, which is a key ally of Congress at the Centre and in Maharashtra, on Thursday said the party did not want rollback in diesel price hike and capping of gas cylinders but is hoping to "streamline" the distribution mechanism. State party spokesperson Nawab Malik proposed that the loss-making oil companies be compensated by the Centre by...
07:59 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Diesel will now be cheaper in Bihar by 85 paise per litre after the state government reduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) from the existing 18 per cent to 16 per cent. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said on Tuesday that tax on diesel will be reduced so that farmers do not suffer. "There will be reduction in the price of diesel in Bihar as the state government...
07:31 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: The bandh called by the BJP, Left parties and the UPA's outside supporter the Samajwadi Party (SP) to protest diesel price hike and FDI in multi-brand retail on Thursday evoked mixed response with life being disrupted in some states and their top leaders courting arrest. Protesters blocked trains and road traffic in many areas in Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other places...
06:33 PM, Sep 20, 2012
Adi Godrej is hopeful that even after all the pressure on the UPA government, there won't be any rollback in the reforms announced. ...
04:40 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Left leaders Prakash Karat and AB Bardhan on Thursday courted arrest in New Delhi during the nationwide bandh against FDI in retail and diesel price hike. After holding a joint demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the leaders of SP, four Left parties, JD(S), TDP and BJD marched to Parliament Street Police Station along with supporters and courted arrest. Besides Yadav, Karat (CPI-M)and...
03:36 PM, Sep 20, 2012
Bangalore: The nationwide bandh called by the NDA and Left parties to protest diesel price hike, FDI in multi-brand retail and cap on subsidised LPG affected normal life in Karnataka. Shops and offices chose to remain shut and only essential commodities like milk and medical services are available. All schools and colleges were closed. Vidhan Souda, the Secretariat of Karnataka, wore a deserted look. However, Karnataka High Court and lower...
02:57 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: On a day when the entire Opposition along with some parties close to the Congress was busy enforcing the Bharat bandh, the United Progressive Government sent a strong message, saying it has many friends while ruling out putting on hold foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday claimed that there was no threat to the UPA Government despite Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress...
02:38 PM, Sep 20, 2012
Ahmedabad: The NDA-led nationwide bandh against diesel price hike, cap on LPG cylinders and FDI in retail threw normal life out of gear in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state with the protest evoking a good response. Life in the major cities was affected due to the bandh. Educational institutions, retail shops, malls, industrial units, banking operations and even transport almost came to a standstill in Ahmedabad. The commercial business hubs...
02:37 PM, Sep 20, 2012
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has dared the UPA government that he will think of a political alternative if the government does not roll back the diesel price hike and FDI in retail decision. Speaking during the Bharat Bandh on Thursday, Mulayam said, "If the government does not roll back its decisions, then we will have work to announce an alternative." CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also hinted...
02:37 PM, Sep 20, 2012
