Sources said government headhunters Public Enterprise Selection Board had on September 29 last year, named Butola as its most preferred choice to head the nation's largest oil firm.
Embattled CVC P J Thomas told the Supreme Court that his appointment as Central Vigilance Commissioner cannot be subject to judicial review and that it does not not get vitiated merely because of chargesheet pending against him in a corruption case.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday accused Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj of making thoughtless allegations and "tying herself in knots" by levelling the charge that he had misled the panel which selected P V Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The selection committee meeting to chose Central Vigilance Commissioner in September last year did discuss the issue of Palmolein case against P J Thomas, Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Monday but parried a question whether a "chargesheeted" person should have been appointed.
Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas may quit the post in the wake of stinging observations from the Supreme Court on his capacity to supervise the CBI probe into the 2G spectrum scam.
The government placed the file relating to the appointment of P J Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner in the Supreme Court, which questioned as to how he would function in the post in view of a pending criminal case against him.
Demanding an inquiry into the purchase of 111 new aircraft by national carrier Air India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said the proposal was the root cause of the airline's financial woes.
P J Thomas, secretary in the Ministry of Telecommunications, is all set to be appointed as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister P Chidambaram will meet on Monday to decide who will become the next central vigilance commissioner. According to the Supreme Court's instructions, the PM, home minister and the leader of Opposition has to finalise the CVC together. On Thursday, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan held an informal meeting with BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
According to sources U S Misra, IPS officer of 1968 batch from Orissa cadre, is among the frontrunners.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the new guidelines for the appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner, following which the government on Wednesday set the ball rolling for choosing a head of the top anti-corruption watchdog after the removal of controversial P J Thomas.The action came a month after the quashing of the appointment of Thomas as CVC by the Supreme Court as he is facing a corruption case.
Former central vigilance commissioner P J Thomas has decided to move the Supreme Court seeking review by a Constitution bench of its March 3 judgment quashing his appointment, claiming that judiciary has no right to decide his eligibility for the post without prior reference from the President.
"I respect the judgment of the Supreme Court and I accept my responsibility," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh responded on Friday, a day after the apex court struck down the controversial appointment of P J Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
Embattled Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas on Monday side-stepped questions about him continuing in office in the wake of a corruption case against him, saying he was still the CVC. "I am still the CVC. The matter is in court. So no comments," said Thomas. The Supreme Court is hearing a PIL by the NGO Centre for Public Interest represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, questioning the legality of the CVC's appointment by a three-member selection committee.
Slamming the government, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj termed as "untruth" its claim that the charges against Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas was not brought before the high-powered selection committee of which she was a member and said she would approach the Supreme Court in this regard.
The government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the issue of a chargesheet against Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas in a corruption case and the sanction granted by the Kerala government for his prosecution were not brought before the high-powered committee for selecting a candidate for the post.This was stated by Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati before a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia.
The government on Tuesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party on the appointment of PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner saying the party did nothing when it was in power on sanctioning prosecution against him, as they could find any evidence against him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if he was aware of the cases against P J Thomas before the collegium appointed him as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.The BJP sought to know from the government why documents related to the charge-sheet in the Palmolein case in Kerala and those related to Thomas' efforts at 'covering up' the 2G spectrum allocation were not brought to the notice of the appointing collegium.
Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas is likely to step down from the post ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on Monday over his controversial appointment. Sources said that it was only a question of time before he sends his resignation -- may be as early as Saturday -- to President Pratibha Patil, who was his appointing authority.
Even as the United Progressive Alliance government battles protests by Opposition BJP over the selection of Telecom Secretary PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner, it has now been stung by one of its allies, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is reportedly upset over the lack of courtesy extended by the government on the appointment.
G-VIC is inspired by global high technology innovation clusters such as the Silicon Valley in the US, Hsinchu in Taiwan, Tsukuba in Japan and Sofia Antipolis in France. It has been conceptualised and is led by leading professionals from diverse fields. The company, chaired by former central vigilance commissioner N Vittal, is in close talks with international firms to partner the project.
As P J Thomas maintained that he has not resigned from the post of central vigilance commissioner, the government on Friday said he no more holds the Constitutional post whether he quits or not. "Where is the question of resigning? There is no need. The Supreme Court itself said it. So there is no question. He cannot continue," said Law Minister M Veerappa Moily. He said at the most, the government would issue a notification saying the post of CVC was vacant.
"If Swaraj files her affidavit before the court and exposes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram, they would be stripped before the court," Vittal said.
Controversial Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas on Monday told the Supreme Court that the corruption charges levelled against him to question his appointment as CVC was a fall out of a political battle in Kerala and that he was a person of "high integrity". He also contended that there was no violation of any norms in his appointment as the CVC and that he had no role in the controversial allocation of 2G spectrum in 2008.
Beleaguered Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas on Thursday got the backing of one of his predecessors N Vittal, who said there is no need for him to resign.
Controversial Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas is likely to continue at least till January 27, the date fixed by the Supreme Court for hearing a plea seeking his removal from the key post, sources in Congress said. The ruling party also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for trying to give its 'own verdict' on the CVC issue even before the apex court could decide the matter."The BJP can say anything. BJP wants an interim action," said a Cong leader.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has become the first Indian firm by formally entering into a memorandum of understanding with Transparency International India to institutionalise transparency in its public procurement practices.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said he would raise India's concerns on terrorism when he meets Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Havana next week on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit.
Students at Udai Pratap College in Varanasi, India, protested demanding the removal of a mosque located on the campus. The protest came after tensions arose when a section of students recited Hanuman Chalisa near the mosque while prayers were being offered. The college administration has denied claims by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board that the mosque and surrounding land are Waqf property, stating that the mosque was built illegally. The college administration has also accused the mosque of stealing electricity.
An explosion occurred outside a temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India, when a motorcycle-borne person threw an explosive device towards it, damaging a portion of its wall and shattering window panes. While no one was hurt in the incident, the explosion caused panic among residents. The incident has sparked concern about law and order in the state and led to accusations against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The police are investigating the incident and have collected samples from the site to identify the material used in the explosion.
The situation in and around Lailapur, which was rocked by deadly violence, along the interstate border remained calm with a large number of Central Reserve Police Force troops patrolling the National Highway-306, they said.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and some other MPs suspended from Parliament will not be able to attend the meetings of parliamentary committees of which they are a member or chairperson till their suspension is revoked.
In view of the possible traffic snarls, as faithful throng roads in large numbers to witness the immersion processions, the city police will create a 'green corridor' for seamless movement of vehicles and connectivity between eastern and western suburbs, he said.
The priority of Central Information Commission will be to check vexatious petitions and mounting backlog of cases, its new chief Vijai Sharma said in New Delhi on Wednesday.
While Lok Sabha Speaker is yet to decide on Leader of Opposition, the Centre on Monday went ahead with the process of appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner and sought nominations of eligible candidates from all secretaries.
The decision on Rahul Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was made after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence.
Mumbai, home to 1 crore voters and 420 candidates vying for 36 assembly seats, is gearing up for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on November 20. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has completed all preparations for smooth conduct of the polls, ensuring a robust security arrangement and dedicated facilities for senior citizens and differently-abled voters. The BMC has also urged citizens to exercise their franchise, emphasizing the importance of active participation in strengthening democracy.
Criticising the police for arresting an SUV driver and blaming him for the incident, the high court said, "Mercifully, you have not challaned the rainwater for entering into the basement."
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognised Rahul Gandhi as the leader of opposition on Wednesday, a day after the Congress communicated its decision to name him for the position to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The coming assembly and Lok Sabha elections -- the choice of candidates, the campaign strategies and the negotiations with other Opposition parties --0 represent the real test for Mallikarjun Kharge.
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