Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced income tax relief for the middle class, a Rs 2 lakh crore outlay for job creation schemes over the next five years and a spending splurge for states run by her party's new coalition partners as she unveiled the Modi 3.0 government's first budget after the general elections.
'The BJP is not as mighty a political force in Odisha as it is made out to be.'
Although the BJP has never been ballistic about the BJD and Narendra Modi has avoided being critical of Naveen Patnaik, the BJP is optimistic that the party can improve its electoral fortunes in Odisha on its own, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Call it the art of staying rooted yet bending with prevailing political winds. With Telangana going to the polls in December, and assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra and Odisha scheduled next year, what factors have influenced parties' recent moves?
The SC on Monday transferred the entire Central Bureau of Investigation case file to the CVC.
The ongoing Puri heritage corridor construction work might have caused damage to the 800-year-old Jagannath temple there and the state government project was being carried out without valid permission from the competent authorities, the Archaeological Survey of India on Monday informed the Orissa high court.
The was a lot of drama on Thursday at the court of acting chief justice Amitabh Lala at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. A battery of lawyers vehemently opposing an application for withdrawal of a Public Interest Litigation seeking prosecution of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for her alleged involvement in the Rs 175 crore Taj Heritage Corridor scam.
Complying with the Supreme Court's directions, the CBI submitted the material -- including the report of its Superintendent of Police under whose supervision the case was investigated -- before the Lucknow court.
"The BJP will study the case (action of the Governor)... permission of the Governor is not required to prosecute the chief minister."
About the Dandi project, the official said that the ministry is developing 21 places along the 349-km long Sabarmati-Dandi route where Gandhiji had made night halts during the historic Dandi yatra from March 12 to April 6, 1930, when he broke the salt law that intensified the freedom struggle. There will be simple huts with basic facilities at these night halts. The ambiance will be simple and frugal.
The agency had come in for severe criticism from the Supreme Court on November 27, 2006, for taking legal opinion in the case despite the fact that the entire investigating team favouring Mayawati's prosecution.
The CBI said it had requested the competent authority to accord sanction for prosecution of Mayawati, Siddique, and state's former environment secretary R K Sharma and another officer R Prasad.
The Centre has recommended compulsory retirement of former Union environment secretary K C Mishra for his alleged involvement in the Taj Heritage Corridor scam.
The CVC has submitted its opinion to the Supreme Court on whether or not former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati be prosecuted in the multi-crore Taj Heritage Corridor scam case on the basis of evidence gathered by Centr
Mayawati was questioned by sleuths of the Anti-Corruption unit of the agency at her official residence in New Delhi, CBI sources said.
The state government will present its 'action taken report' in the Supreme Court on Monday
The CVC on Monday told the SC that the evidence collected by the CBI was good enough to launch prosecution against former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in the multi-crore Taj case.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday rejected Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demand for Union Tourism Minister Jagmohan's resignation in connection with the controversial Taj Heritage Corridor project.
The court, however, did not pass any orders as to who would foot the Rs 42.5-crore bill estimated by the committee for eco-restoration.
The raids were carried out in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The CBI had on September 11 submitted to the SC the final report of its inquiry into the irregularities committed in the Rs 175 crore Taj Heritage Corridor project.
Governor Shastri says he will take a decision at the earliest.
Environment director I P Singh was quizzed for over two hours to ascertain who released Rs 17 crore for the Taj Corridor project.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said if indeed she was lodged in jail, the entire 'Bahujan Samaj' would fill the prisons of the country in protest.
BSP members repeatedly stormed the well demanding immediate dismissal of Jagmohan for 'misleading' the nation on the Taj Heritage Corridor Project issue.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Mayawati said the Income Tax department has been informed about 'each and every property' she owns.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said she had no knowledge of the Rs 175 crore project.
The chief minister said stern action would be taken against the guilty officials and added that she had ordered suspension of the construction activity much before Jagmohan intervened in the matter.
The new bench headed by Justice Ruma Pal will consider six departmental inquiry reports against three top officials of the state on May 7.
Former state environment secretary V K Gupta is charged with wrongdoing in the Rs 175 crore scam.
His name figured in the Central Bureau of Investigation report on the controversial multicrore Taj Heritage Corridor project.
The court also asked the CBI to submit the final investigation report by September 11.
The court has directed the CBI to 'go after the trail of Rs17 crore released for the project and find out where it has gone, how it has been spent and who has benefited'.
Modi and Ghani walked through the renovated heritage corridor before reaching Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple, where large number of people, waiting for hours, welcomed them.
Metro likely to keep lakhs of cars off city's roads
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