New Delhi: Holding the opposition's "disruptionary tactics" responsible for not allowing passage of the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills in Parliament's Budget Session, the Congress on Saturday expressed its willingness for a special session if the other parties were agreed. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko also said that the party will take "disruptionary tactics" of the opposition to the people, alleging they had displayed "least inclination" towards passing pro-people legislations like the two bills.
He said the new Bill on land acquisition provides for better compensation to land owners and has provision for rehabilitation and resettlement. Chacko said Congress president Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj as the UPA government wanted the opposition to realise benefits of the bills.
He said the Congress had never closed the option on resignation of union ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar, a demand vociferously raised by the opposition parties, and the reason for the latter part of the budget session's second half being washed out. Asked about the possibility of a special session to pass the two Bills, Chacko said the Congress was not against it.
"We are not against it and a session means that it should be a unanimous decision. We are ready to give one more opportunity to the opposition and if they are ready, we are ready to discuss," he said. "We believe that bills should have been passed and we want to pass this at the earliest opportunity. We
11:22 PM, May 18, 2013
Ahmedabad: After a U-turn by the Gujarat government on the death penalty for former minister Maya Kodnani and nine others, convicted in 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, the SIT has decided to seek Supreme Court's guidance on the issue. "Very soon, we are going to file an application before the special bench of the Supreme Court apprising it about the recent Gujarat Government's decision to withdraw the sanction for filing...
06:42 PM, May 18, 2013
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar defended on Thursday his repeated demand for special status to the state saying it (the status) will boost private investment in a big way to accelerate its industrial development. "I am pushing for grant of special status to Bihar only to bring private investment in a big way to expedite industrialisation process for generation of employment opportunities," he said in a function at Pataliputra...
12:20 AM, May 17, 2013
New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday flayed Gujarat government for withholding its decision to seek death for Maya Kodnani in the Naroda Patiya case, saying there has been no change in the mindset of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his feelings about a community. "It proves that Modi has not changed. He was like this in the past and will remain so in the future. There has been no change in...
02:14 PM, May 14, 2013
New Delhi: With the crucial Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill still pending, sources say the government is mulling a Special Session of Parliament to get the bills passed. Reports also say the government is looking at the option of introducing an ordinance instead too. But the government had earlier denied any such move. Sources say that the Food Ministry is opposed to bringing an ordinance. The government may...
11:14 AM, May 14, 2013
Bhubaneswar: Terming as shocking and unfortunate Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's reported statement favouring special category status to Bihar before report of a sub-committee, ruling BJD on Monday accused Congress of working against the interest of Odisha. "As far as I know (about) backwardness of Bihar, I am sure it will qualify to be a special category state by the sub-committee to be appointed under the chairmanship of Raghurama G...
02:25 AM, May 14, 2013
Ghaziabad: A special CBI court in Ghaziabad will record the Talwar couple's statement on Monday in connection with the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case. Meanwhile, The Supreme Court will hear the plea of the dentist couple, Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, accused of killing their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, to call 14 "crucial" witnesses who were dropped by the CBI during the murder trial. The Talwar couple has approached the apex...
09:18 AM, May 13, 2013
Patna: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that Bihar will be accorded special category status after the change of criteria. "I hope that new criteria will determine status of backward states. Bihar will certainly qualify for special category status under new criteria for it," said Chidambaram. "The central government is reviewing the new criteria for special category status to backward states like Bihar," he told mediapersons in Patna,...
08:02 PM, May 11, 2013
Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Friday criticised the state government for cut in special plan assistance in the annual plan for 2013-14. He said the assistance has been reduced from Rs 1,400 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 1,350 crore during 2013-14 which is a cause of concern as it would retard the pace of development. Reacting to the reports regarding cut in special plan assistance,...
02:15 AM, May 11, 2013
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Saturday decided to set up a special cell at the Home Department to keep a tab on illegal transportation of minerals within the state and outside besides intensifying physical verification of different working mines. The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Level Task Force on Mines presided over by Chief Secretary BK Patnaik. "Besides home secretary, secretary of steel and mines and director...
01:15 AM, May 05, 2013
New Delhi: It has been 10 years since 'Pinjar' and Manoj Bajpayee still recalls how the film brought out his vulnerable side. Or how even after almost 15 years, not winning a National Award for 'Shool' pinches even though he lost to Mohanlal, a titan of Indian cinema. In the second part of his interview (Read the first part here) Bajpayee talks passionately about the milestones in his career and...
01:28 PM, May 04, 2013
Patna: Making a strong pitch for special category status for Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said it would be better if the privilege was given sooner or else people would themselves take a decision in this regard in the 2014 general elections. "Amendment in criteria for according special status itself symbolises half victory for Bihar," Kumar said addressing a rally at Purnea. The CM reiterated demand for special...
02:59 AM, Apr 28, 2013
New Delhi: A delegation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram and demanded a financial package for the state on the lines of special allocation for Bihar and conferment of special category status. It also demanded setting up of a high-level fast track inquiry against the BJD government in the state to "expose massive mis-utilisation of public funds". The delegation led by PCC President Niranjan...
12:45 AM, Apr 27, 2013
New Delhi: The SFIO probe ordered by the government into illegal money-pooling activities of various entities would initially focus on 57 companies, most of which are in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Assam. The Special Task Force under the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) would begin its probe with a total of 57 companies, but the ambit could be expanded as the investigation process moves ahead, sources said. Most of...
05:30 PM, Apr 26, 2013
Ahmedabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday strongly contested the protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri against its closure report giving clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 post-Godhra riot case. The day-to-day hearing on the petition filed by Zakia earlier this month, began in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate BJ Ganatra on Wednesday. In a three-point rebuttal, the SIT, represented by its...
07:49 PM, Apr 24, 2013
Ahmedabad: A protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri seeking rejection of the SIT report giving clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others in the post-Godhra riots case is likely to come up for hearing in a local court on Wednesday. Zakia, wife of 2002 post-Godhra riots victim and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the Gulbarg Society riots along with 68 others, had filed...
10:39 PM, Apr 23, 2013
Bhubaneswar: With the BJD intensifying its anti-Centre tirade accusing it of neglecting Odisha, opposition Congress on Monday said the ruling party was trying to "exploit" the sentiments of the people by making such allegations. "BJD is simply exploiting the sentiment of people by taking name of special category state status for Odisha and alleging Central negligence," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik told reporters. Claiming that the BJD's...
03:00 AM, Apr 23, 2013
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Saturday said its leaders would meet President, Prime Minister, Finance Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to press for special category status for the state. "We will meet Prime Minister, Congress resident and others to press Odisha's demand of a special category state status," OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik told reporters after the ruling BJD called for a 12-hour bandh demanding special category status...
10:58 PM, Apr 20, 2013
New Delhi: As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal United continue to lock horns, the Cabinet is on Thursday likely to announce a special package for Bihar. In what is being seen as the government wooing the JD(U), the Cabinet could give a go ahead for a Rs 12,000 crore special package. Bihar will get this money under the Backward Regions Grant Fund to be implemented in the...
03:12 PM, Apr 18, 2013
