Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday approved the interim general budget which will be presented in the Lok Sabha by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday. Singh went through the interim budget related papers and after formally signing them, forwarded them to President Pratibha Patil, a Prime Minister's Office spokesman said."The Prime Minister also approved the interim budget speech," the spokesman added.
In spite of the recent spate of exposes in the media detailing alleged corruption and scams in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the Centre has decided to release additional funds for the Games.The Opposition will get yet another chance to attack the government and the Suresh Kalmadi led Commonwealth Games Organising Committee when Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents the supplementary demand for grants in Lok Sabha.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday sought to soothe industry's and stock market's nerves by saying that the government would not monetise the fiscal deficit. Spending a good part of his reply in the Lok Sabha on allaying fears over the seeming lack of reforms in his July 6 Budget, Mukherjee promised a roadmap for disinvestment in public sector undertakings and the financial sector.
The controversy over allowing FDI in retail rocked Parliament for the third day on Tuesday with a united opposition forcing adjournment of both the Houses till noon. Shortly after the Lok Sabha met for the day, members rushed to the Well, demanding rollback of the decision to allow FDI in the retail sector. Members of Trinamool Congress, a key partner of the United Progressive Alliance, kept shouting 'Cancel FDI in retail'.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday accepted the resignation of Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, Raosaheb Dadarao Danve, from the Union Council of Ministers.
Mukherjee, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from his father's pocket borough of Jangipur, said he joined the Mamata Banerjee-led party because she has taken a strong stand on this issue.
The Budget has increased the allocation for the Commonwealth Games from Rs 3,472 crore (Rs 34.72 billion) from Rs 2,112 crore (Rs 21.12 billion).
The issue of Pakistan high commissions' involvement in anti-India activities has been taken up with other countries, said Pranab Mukherjee.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday asked ruling and opposition parties to put their heads together and find out a workable solution, apparently to avoid frequent issuing of ordinances.
The finance minister attributed the rising prices to demand-supply mismatch, depreciating rupee, global commodity prices and easy monetary policy followed by some countries.
President Pranab Mukherjee hosted an iftar reception on Friday evening at Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended among others by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Economic Survey for 2010-11 in the Lok Sabha.
The Navy (Amendment) Bill, 1997, which was earlier passed by the Rajya Sabha, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and passed by a voice vote after a short discussion.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday met President Pranab Mukherjee in the backdrop of the UPA pitching for Leader of Opposition status for her party in Lok Sabha.
The Individual tax payer exemption limit to be raised to Rs 200,000 from Rs 180,000.
The government on Friday said it is examining recommendations of the Parthasarathi Shome panel on controversial retrospective tax laws introduced in the last Budget.
Quoting medieval India's political thinker Kautilya as well as Mahatma Gandhi, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday punctuated his Budget speech with words of wisdom, wit and humour.
Manmohan Singh, reveals the former President, was keen that either P Chidambaram or Montek Singh Ahluwalia be the finance minister.
Pakistani Air Force fighter jets intruded into Indian air space thrice this year forcing India to take counter measures, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
In a House of 243, the ruling United Progressive Alliance has the clear support of 101 members and needs at least another 21 members to ensure a simple majority for the bill
Two Lok Sabha Members of Parliament of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha on Saturday formally withdrew support from the United Progressive Alliance government, slamming it for anti-people decisions like FDI in multi brand retail, inflation and "creating a record in corruption". A delegation of JVM MPs and seniors leaders, led by party chief Babulal Marandi, met President Pranab Mukherjee and submitted a letter withdrawing support from the government.
President Pranab Mukherjee addressed a joint session of Parliament ahead of the budget session which began on Tuesday. Here are the highlights of President Pranab Mukherjee's speech:
Leader of the Lok Sabha and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has invited leaders of all parties for a luncheon meeting to discuss a way out to end the impasse in Parliament as both Houses have not been able to transact any business since the winter session commenced.
President Pranab Mukherjee will honour freedom fighters on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Quit India Movement on Thursday.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi has decided to abstain from voting in Thursday's Presidential election, top party sources said on Wednesday.
Opposition backed Presidential candidate P A Sangma will file his nomination on Thursday, the day when United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee will submit his papers.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's meeting with BJP top brass L K Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her counterpart in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Tuesday ended on a positive note with both sides reaching a consensus on most issues in the draft bill.The Parliamentary Standing Committee finalised its report on Nuclear Liability Bill. The Compensation cap raised from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,500 crore.
A solution is expected on the issue of suspension of seven Rajya Sabha members by Thursday evening.
Giving some relief to tax payers, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday proposed raising the income tax exemption limit for individuals to Rs 2 lakh per annum from Rs 1.80 lakh.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday night withdrew its support to the United Progressive Alliance over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and ruled out any reconsideration, a move that makes the government vulnerable despite its assertions of having a Parliamentary majority.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee also discounted the possibility of midterm polls to the Lok Sabha in the wake of differences with the supporting Left parties on the deal.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to ensure smooth functioning of the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins on February 21.
Stepping back to break the logjam in Parliament, the government on Wednesday put the controversial decision on foreign direct investment in retail on the backburner till a consensus is evolved, a proposal the entire opposition and the dissenting allies accepted without reservation.
Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to contest the presidential election against Pranab Mukherjee, formally launched his own political outfit 'National People's Party' (NPP) at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.
The government on Friday said that India is the fifth most indebted country among the 20 developing nations but its debt is within manageable limits.
With passenger cars consuming about 15 per cent of the diesel, the government on Thursday indicated that it might do away with the subsidy enjoyed by such vehicle owners.
The Congress under a 'no surrender' policy evolved by Rahul Gandhi has decided to play tough in all the states where the party is negotiating with prospective and even existing alliance partners. The aim is to bag the largest number of seats possible.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said government will soon come out with a draft Food Security Bill.
After the presidential elections, it may still be advantage Congress-UPA but at some point the utter lack of governance is going to cost it dearly. Meanwhile the BJP has largely failed to take advantage of the disarray in the Congress, says Rohit Pradhan.
'We are confident that you, with your vast experience, will conduct the proceedings in accordance with highest traditions of democracy,' Dr Manmohan Singh.
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