Mahesh Kumar, member (staff) railway board, arrested for his alleged role in the Rs.10-crore bribery case in which Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew is also an accused, was on Monday remanded to three-day CBI custody by a Delhi court.
The new railway minister's biggest contribution would be to allow the technocrats in the Indian Railways to function freely.
In an extraordinary step, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended eight Congress members from Telangana region for four days for repeatedly causing disruptions over separate statehood issue.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi meeting their party's stalwart of many decades -- President Pranab Mukherjee -- is not unusual, but the timing of their visits is, notes Sheela Bhatt
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday held consultations with Congress leaders from Karnataka on sharing of Cauvery waters with Tamil Nadu during which they told him about the "grim" situation in Karnataka.
The decision was taken at a meeting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had with Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.
Referring to the recent hike in reservation and cancellation charges, the Railway Minister said it was necessary to deter the touts as they were selling tickets of Rs 500 at Rs 1500.
Expressing concern over the 'poor financial situation' in the railways, opposition parties on Thursday asked the government to come out with steps to be taken to improve the condition of the public sector unit behemoth.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday held consultations with his senior Cabinet colleagues on a number of issues including the Anna Hazare episode and the impeachment proceedings against Justice Soumitra Sen.
When Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents his maiden Budget, he might not have to deal with growth worries alone.
Parliamentary Affair Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said he wanted the BJP not to disrupt the proceedings today so that the bill can be taken up. "We have already lost three weeks due to disruptions. I would request them to let Parliament function for last two days so that important issues could be taken up," he said
On instructions from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, senior Union ministers were asked to brief Congress MPs on the allocation of coal blocks and the CAG report.
The government on Friday reached out to the Opposition to end the impasse in Parliament over the coal block allocation issue but the Bharatiya Janata Party remained firm on its stand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should resign for his alleged complicity in the case.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that parties, who had supported the Bharatiya Janata Party in disrupting the proceedings, would now prevail upon it in the next week to go for a discussion.
Rejecting as "preposterous" the opposition demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over alleged scam in coal block allocation, the government on Tuesday said that it was ready for a discussion on the issue in Parliament.
The monsoon session of Parliament is likely to begin on August 8 and continue till September 7, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said on Wednesday.
Eight new faces were inducted in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's council of ministers on Monday, with Sisram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a re-entry after a gap of four years.
The much-talked about Judicial Accountability Bill that will provide for accountability of judges and establish a credible mechanism for investigating individual complaints of misbehaviour will be taken up by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Union Minister for Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal claimed on Thursday that the Bhakra dam's water level is safe and there is nothing to worry. The minister was reacting to the allegations of some experts that the situation of Bhakra dam is precarious and that it could have been avoided.
The United Progressive Alliance government on Tuesday extended the Winter session Parliament to pass four crucial anti-corruption bills -- the Lokpal Bill, the Citizens' Charter Bill, the Judicial Accountability Bill and the Whistleblowers' Bill.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday discussed with his senior Cabinet colleagues the Mullaperiyar dam issue over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads.
Unlike the taint associated with run-of-the-mill politicians, Pawan Kumar Bansal had a certain image of "Mr Clean" and was known for being meticulous in work.
Daily revelations about the wealth amassed by Bansal's family made it increasingly difficult for the Congress leadership to protect him, reports Anita Katyal
The railways are in the process of forming a Rail Tariff Authority but Bansal said the fare rise would be independent of the formation.
The United Progressive Alliance on Sunday decided not to oblige the opposition by asking for the resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, whose nephew was arrested in a bribery case, as also Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who is in the eye of a storm over the coal-gate controversy.
The arrest of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh has just added to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's woes. Sheela Bhatt profiles the bribe-giver
New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday gave ample hint of a possible passenger fare hike to improve services in the railways.
New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Sunday said his priority will be to improve the financial health of the national transporter and make it a preferred mode of journey in the country.
The passengers will be able to register by providing the PNR and other details such as mobile phone number.
The political storm in the United Progressive Alliance government over Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi issue on Thursday gave an opportunity to the Bharatiya Janata Party to charge that the government is short of number and is shying away from facing the amendments to the President's address in Parliament.
P Chidamabaram's February 28 Budget will not have any big-ticket ideas, reports Sheela Bhatt
Analysts on Monday gave a mixed reaction to the railway budget, with some terming it as a "non-event" saying there were no radical measures to bridge the revenue deficit in the document, and a few calling it "pragmatic" given the limitations.
The Annual Plan for Railways in 2013-14 financial year is proposed at Rs 63,363 crore, Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.
Union Minister for Railway Pawan Kumar Bansal presented the Railway Budget for 2013-14 on Tuesday.
As experts have to say, this year's Railway Budget will by no means a populist one.
The Railway Budget will be a tough balancing act for the minister, who needs to mobilise resources urgently to offset the burden of the recent diesel price hike.
Accusing the Opposition of not allowing the government to put forth its views in Parliament on Anna Hazare's detention, two senior ministers on Tuesday said such an attitude was "not fair" in a parliamentary system. Leader of the Lok Sabha and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the Opposition created a pandemonium in Parliament forcing its adjournment.
Bansal said: "Till now death toll has reached 36. There has been no collapse of foot-over-bridge or any railing on the station. I want to clear that stampede occurred due to people reaching in large numbers. We had made arrangements before start of the Kumbh. We have come to know that people turned in large numbers resulting in stampede."
"Do you think the answer to break the deadlock is to demand the resignation (of the Prime Minister)? They are not moving forward. Today we had invited them for talks. But they are probably not willing to talk. Perhaps they will be ready to talk on Monday," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters outside Parliament House.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad route selected for pilot project.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances