14 July 2011
BJP OPPOSES FDI IN MULTI-BRAND RETAIL
From R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: With interests of the small traders who form the bulk of its vote bank uppermost in mind, the Bhartiya Janata Party has refused to buy a government proposal to allow the foreign players enter the Indian market with the multi-brand retail.
The government is contemplating a Bill in the upcoming Parliament session for the purpose, believing that FDI (foreign direct investment) in retail would help bring down prices in the long run.
Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Arun Jaitley, however, says his party is opposed to the FDI (foreign direct investment) for two reasons: "First, it will kill the self-employment opportunities that are the single largest creator of jobs and second, it will hit the Indian manufacturing sector leading to more job losses."
The Centre had approached the BJP, the main opposition party, for its support to a the proposed Bill to allow foreigners set up the multi-brand retail shops in India. The Left is opposed to FDI in this sector and hence the government will find difficulty to push through the measure after the BJP putting down its foot.
Jaitley said the government should give a rethink to find out if the Indian economy was in a state to allow FDI in such a key sector at this point of time.
The multinationals may not be able to set up shops in metro cities because of the high real estate prices and so they would venture into smaller cities, thereby squeezing self-employment opportunities and dealing death blows to small shopkeepers, Jaitley said.
He warned that with strong global network, the multinationals are bound to source their products at the cheapest rate from across the world and this would impact demand of the Indian manufacturing sector.
Moreover, Jaitley, who held the commerce portfolio among others during the BJP-led NDA government, said the government is mistaken that the consumer will benefit with cheaper products and multiple choices. He asserted that the government is wrong in assuming that FDI in retail would help bring down prices in the long run.
He said the agenda of the multinationals would be to buy cheap and sell at higher prices after eliminating competition from market by initially offering products at discount compared to the market rate.
Jaitley threw the spanner on behalf of the Bill at a time when the Cabinet was all set to take a policy decision. The Committee of Secretaries (CoS) headed by new Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth is slated to meet here on July 22 to prepare a blueprint on FDI in multi-brand retail and resolve the inter-ministerial differences on issues like the regulatory mechanism and capping on the foreign investment.
There is not much difference in the stand taken by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the Department of Consumer Affairs on the cap to the FDI in this sector. The first wants to allow FDI up to 51 per cent while the latter wants it to benot more than 49 per cent.
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
who is this union minister?
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WHO IS THIS UNION MINISTER?
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EmailSaturday, July 9, 2011
one liners
ONE LINERS
Union Cabinet expansion on Monday unlikely
Prime Minister may meet President today to discuss about the expansion.
President Estate needs 48 hours notice for a swearing in ceremony.
Swearing in ceremony at President Estate needs 48 hours notice
clearn up/airconditioning Ashok Hall/printing of invitations snack
Usually the PMO alerts informally the Secretary to President about a
possible slot of Union Ministry expansion, so that the massive
arrangements could be well coordinated.
When enquiries made in President Estate about swearing in
ceremony, they had not received any communication till 1700 hours
of Saturday July 9, 2011 This indicates that PMO has not made
up mind to go in for swearing in on Monday.
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143 have been inducted into Indian Police Service by Union Home Ministry.
only 22 women have joined.Politicians cry 33% women reservation
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Good news for IAS officers of 1981 seniority.Promoted as Additional
Secretaries to Government of India. Presently they are Joint Secretaries
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FREE BLACKBERRY FOR MPS
| Blackberry Services of MTNL/BSNL for Members of Rajya Sabha Members are informed that the Committee on Provision of Computer Equipment toMembers of Rajya Sabha which considered the matter of providing Blackberry Servicesto the Members of Rajya Sabha, has approved the following package of Blackberry Servicesoffered by MTNL/BSNL for Members of Rajya Sabha:
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
bjp questions sc salwa judum ruling
6 July 2011
BJP QUESTIONS SC'S SALWA JUDUM RULING
From Our Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Bhartiya Janata Party on Wednesday put a question mark on the Supreme Court's ruling to disband and disarm Chhattisgarh's brigade of tribals fighting the naxalites and maoists under the Salwa Judum movement as "a setback to the national security."
Party spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here that the party is studying the judgement which has struck down appointment of the tribal youths as SPOs (special police officers) to fight the Naxalites as "unconstitutional."
He pointed out that the local tribals had started the Salwa Judum movement back in 1991 to take on the ultra-left youths who had infiltrated in their forests and they were officially supported by the Chhattisgarh Government only after the BJP came to power in the state. Even the Congress, the main opposition in the state, has been backing the movement, he affirmed.
Hussain said the SPOs were armed and deputed in various Maoist-hit areas of Chhattigarh on the same lines on which the SPOs were appointed in Jammu and Kashmir to fight the militants. There should be nothing wrong in the government taking cooperation of the people to fight the menace of militants and Maoists and as such the Supreme Court judgement has come as a setback in this fight, he added.
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BJP QUESTIONS SC'S SALWA JUDUM RULING
From Our Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Bhartiya Janata Party on Wednesday put a question mark on the Supreme Court's ruling to disband and disarm Chhattisgarh's brigade of tribals fighting the naxalites and maoists under the Salwa Judum movement as "a setback to the national security."
Party spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here that the party is studying the judgement which has struck down appointment of the tribal youths as SPOs (special police officers) to fight the Naxalites as "unconstitutional."
He pointed out that the local tribals had started the Salwa Judum movement back in 1991 to take on the ultra-left youths who had infiltrated in their forests and they were officially supported by the Chhattisgarh Government only after the BJP came to power in the state. Even the Congress, the main opposition in the state, has been backing the movement, he affirmed.
Hussain said the SPOs were armed and deputed in various Maoist-hit areas of Chhattigarh on the same lines on which the SPOs were appointed in Jammu and Kashmir to fight the militants. There should be nothing wrong in the government taking cooperation of the people to fight the menace of militants and Maoists and as such the Supreme Court judgement has come as a setback in this fight, he added.
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telangana state not on cards only regional council
6 July 2011
TELANGANA STATE NOT ON CARDS, ONLY REGIONAL COUNCIL
From R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: The Centre is not inclined to split Andhra Pradesh by carving out a separate state of Telangana, but it is veering round to accept Justice Srikrishna Commission's sixth recommendation to give an empowered Regional Council to the Telangana region within the state, a top government source said.
He said the Centre would choose its own timing for the decision instead of buckling under pressure of the mass resignations by ministers, MPs and MLAs. He said it has no other option as those harping on a united Andhra Pradesh have threatened a counter agitation if the Telangana state demand is conceded.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday gave a dressing down to the Congress MPs for sending their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker without the party's approval and told them to fend for themselves in the resulting by-elections as the Congress will select others to contest on the party's behalf.
He was quite blunt with them that the Centre has to keep the whole picture before it in taking any decision and it just can not shut eyes to the the majority of people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema opposed to Telangana.
At the AICC Press briefing, party spokesman Manish Tewari said the issue of redrawing the borders is an emotive issue and hence all that he can say is wait and watch as nothing can be done unless there emerges a consensus among leaders from both Telangana region and rest of Andhra Pradesh.
Sources said the government will push for the regional council and then let the people judge whether it gives an impetus to rapid development of the Telangana region to stop craving for a separate state.
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TELANGANA STATE NOT ON CARDS, ONLY REGIONAL COUNCIL
From R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: The Centre is not inclined to split Andhra Pradesh by carving out a separate state of Telangana, but it is veering round to accept Justice Srikrishna Commission's sixth recommendation to give an empowered Regional Council to the Telangana region within the state, a top government source said.
He said the Centre would choose its own timing for the decision instead of buckling under pressure of the mass resignations by ministers, MPs and MLAs. He said it has no other option as those harping on a united Andhra Pradesh have threatened a counter agitation if the Telangana state demand is conceded.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday gave a dressing down to the Congress MPs for sending their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker without the party's approval and told them to fend for themselves in the resulting by-elections as the Congress will select others to contest on the party's behalf.
He was quite blunt with them that the Centre has to keep the whole picture before it in taking any decision and it just can not shut eyes to the the majority of people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema opposed to Telangana.
At the AICC Press briefing, party spokesman Manish Tewari said the issue of redrawing the borders is an emotive issue and hence all that he can say is wait and watch as nothing can be done unless there emerges a consensus among leaders from both Telangana region and rest of Andhra Pradesh.
Sources said the government will push for the regional council and then let the people judge whether it gives an impetus to rapid development of the Telangana region to stop craving for a separate state.
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6 July 2011
RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION HOUR BACK TO 11 AM
By R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha is reverting back to the Question Hour at the start of the day's proceedings from 11 AM to 12 noon, abandoning the experiment during the budget session to shift it to 2.30 to 3.30 PM.
A decision to revert back to the traditional first hour of the House reserved for the Question Hour was taken by Chairman Hamid Ansari in a meeting with leaders of the political parties here on Wednesday.
He had shifted the Question Hour timing from March 7 on an experimental basis to salvage it from the daily washout because of frequent disruptions and adjournments at the start of the day's proceedings.
Leaders of parties insisted on reverting to the usual start of the Question Hour from 11 AM and Dr Ansari readily agreed to the suggestion, sources said.
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RAJYA SABHA
QUESTION HOUR BACK TO 11 AM
By R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha is reverting back to the Question Hour at the start of the day's proceedings from 11 AM to 12 noon, abandoning the experiment during the budget session to shift it to 2.30 to 3.30 PM.
A decision to revert back to the traditional first hour of the House reserved for the Question Hour was taken by Chairman Hamid Ansari in a meeting with leaders of the political parties here on Wednesday.
He had shifted the Question Hour timing from March 7 on an experimental basis to salvage it from the daily washout because of frequent disruptions and adjournments at the start of the day's proceedings.
Leaders of parties insisted on reverting to the usual start of the Question Hour from 11 AM and Dr Ansari readily agreed to the suggestion, sources said.
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