After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of a 21-day lockdown across the country, Indian Railways on Tuesday said that its suspension of all passenger services will continue till April 14. However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country, officials said.
And the only answer one can think of is that this is being done to preserve the image of toughness and 56 inches and all the rest of it, notes Aakar Patel.
The petrol pump dealers, led by Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers, maintained that they would keep the 'dry' outlets open since its members are 'unable to purchase fuel for want of money.'
Twenty one states which have switched over to Value-Added Tax on Tuesday agreed to adopt uniform rates for industrial input, capital goods and essential commodities like medicines, salt, bread and PDS items.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram faced a near empty house as the entire opposition led by BJP staged a walkout which was followed by Left allies, SP and coalition partner RJD.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said inflation would be kept below five per cent and government would ensure that there was no shortage of essential commodities like sugar and pulses to check price spiral.
Transportation of essential commodities like milk, gas cylinders and medicine within the state has been exempted from the strike.
The prime minister must get a consensus from his allies to set up a transparent process to channelise the billions of dollars into bettering India's infrastructure.
The All India Motor Transport Congress, which is heading the ongoing truckers' strike, has threatened to intensify their stir.
The step has been taken in view of the high density of population in Mumbai where there is more possibility of spread of the disease compared to other districts.
Under attack from allies over spiralling prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday his government will further bring down the inflation to five per cent in the next couple of months.
Promising to keep prices down ahead of the festival season, the government on Friday said it would ensure adequate supply of essential commodities and take more fiscal and monetary steps to contain inflation
Amid spiralling prices of essential commodities in the country, the government is planning to revamp the method for measuring inflation with the help of World Bank's technical assistance.
The surge in inflation is a major cause of concern even for giants like the United States and China and rich nations like Britain and Singapore.
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said whenever BJP came to power, prices of essential commodities saw a fall.
With the prices touching a two-year high, CEOs of leading companies expect a cut in corporate tax and measures to boost the capital markets in the Budget 2007-08 to be presented on February 28.
Curfew was relaxed for two hours, to allow people to buy essential commodities.
Addressing the members of the House, Singh said agriculture is a state subject but the Centre ignored it. "I find it very strange what the government of India wants to do," he said.
With inflation closing in on the 5 per cent mark, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the government was trying to keep the price line below that level in the current fiscal.
No untoward incident was reported on Monday during a 90-minute relaxation in curfew in Viramgam town of Ahmedabad district, where three persons were killed and 40 injured in communal clashes on Sunday.
Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding the non-essential items from sale by the e-commerce companies from the consolidated revised guidelines, which listed the exemption given to the services and people from the purview of the lockdown.
Sixty-eight people have died due to varied reasons while protesting against the Centre's farm laws at the state borders with Delhi, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told the Assembly in Chandigarh on Monday.
The opposition parties will meet on Monday morning to evolve their strategy in both Houses of Parliament after protests by them on the Hindenburg-Adani issue overshadowed most of the first half of the Budget session.
Patients and pregnant women, people out to buy essential items, and those travelling to or from railway stations, bus stops and airports will be exempted from the night curfew that kicks in at 11 pm on Monday due to rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi, according to a DDMA order.
Though essential commodities such as milk, vegetables and grains have been exempted from the strike, its prices are spiralling and are set to increase.
Amid the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday asked the farmers to keep their tractors ready stating that they may have to reach the national capital anytime.
Lockdown in Amravati city in Maharashtra was extended for a week on Saturday in view of the coronavirus situation, while restrictions were also imposed for the weekend in Nagpur, Buldhana and Yavatmal.
A leading economic think-tank on Thursday advocated allowing foreign direct investment of upto 49 per cent in the retail sector.
The government has ordered monoclonal antibody from Indian Council of Medical Research to treat the child. It is the only available anti-viral treatment for Nipah virus infection, though it has not been clinically proven yet.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday amid protests by opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party members over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remark on President Droupadi Murmu.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday had a meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava, ahead of the 'chakka jam' announced by farmer unions protesting against the three agri laws at Delhi's borders, sources said.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said that the family members of Navreet Singh, who died in an accident during the farmers' tractor rally in the national capital on Republic Day want a judicial inquiry into farmer's death.
With authorities not granting permission for a tent, five MPs slept under the sky as a protest against the suspension of 24 MPs, 20 from Rajya Sabha and four Congress members from Lok Sabha.
The prices of essential commodities like flour and vegetables have flared by 18-20 per cent in Delhi as wholesale trade has slumped to a third ever since the state switched to the value-added tax regime on April 1.
A sharp fall in iron ore prices could affect only a marginal decline in inflation to 5.23 per cent for the week ended March 12 since essential commodities like vegetables and fruits and several manufactured products became costlier.
