Minister said the government wants to bring them back to profitability.
The BJP chief also sought to know whether the Congress wanted to protect the "illegal Bangldeshis".
In what could be a Diwali gift for the common man, government on Thursday said in the Lok Sabha that an announcement on reduction of fuel prices will be made within a week, keeping in view the falling global crude prices.
With Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray targeting some Members of Parliament from Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday said that such references amounted to contempt of the House.
Protests continued for the 14th day, seeing proceedings in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha being washed out.
The Sukhoi crash on April 30 in Rajasthan today caused an uproar in the Rajya Sabha, forcing Defence Minister A K Antony to come out in favour of the air superiority of the IAF's fighter jet.
Demanding introduction of a resolution favouring creation of separate Telangana state, the TRS members stormed the podium and obstructed the business of the assembly.
Government earlier this month cut petrol price by Rs 5 a litre and diesel by Rs 2 per litre as crude oil prices dipped from an all-time high of $147 a barrel in July to under $45 a barrel. Even after the price cut, public sector oil firms were making a profit of Rs 9.98 on sale of every litre of petrol and Rs 1.03 per litre on diesel.
A legislator on Wednesday created a flutter in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by telling Home Minister R R Patil that he could "break into" Pune's Yerwada Jail for Rs five lakh.
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party government for spurt in prices of essential commodities during its 45-day rule, Opposition Congress on Monday took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for riding to power on promise of controlling inflation yet doing nothing on it.
Sparks flew in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy dragged Sonia Gandhi's name in the AgustaWestland helicopter bribery case
The total revenue increased from Rs 14,713.81 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 20,606.27 crore in 2014-15.
Responding to a query about corruption in the scheme's implementation, Minister of State for Rural Development Upendra Kushwaha said almost all members know about it and added that steps are being taken for improving the scheme.
The issue of alleged misuse of office by Shipping and Road Transport Minister T R Baalu rocked proceedings in both Houses of Parliament on Monday.
Prasad said country's postal department is 150 years old and needs improvement and the government is trying its best to do the needful.
The Opposition members charged the Governor with "unconstitutional" conduct after the Gauhati high court put on hold all his decision including move to advance the winter session of the assembly by a month.
Mumbai's makeover plan has inched forward. The Rs 2.25 lakh crore plan for development of Mumbai Metropolitan Region is awaiting approval of the state government. The government will approve of this once the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) okays it. The plan includes infrastructure such as road transport, Metro rail, skybus, Brimstowad storm water drainage project & water transport development. The plan covers entire Mumbai as well as Thane district.
Private airlines collecting taxes from travellers other than the passenger service fee will be penalised and made to refund such money, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told Lok Sabha on Thursday. Patel made it clear that the government did not regulate the air fare levied by Airline companies. The government only levies Rs 221 as passenger service fee which is used for security of airports and to cover other related expenses, he said.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday the inflow of foreign funds in the banking system was not disorderly and could be channelled for productive use. There was large inflow of capital mainly from export earnings, remittances, foreign direct investment, foreign institutional investments and private equity, he said.
A liberalised leave policy and employment of counsellors have been suggested as steps to reduce suicides and fratricides among the security forces.
Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal informed the Rajya Sabha that there are only 156 researchers per million of population in India. India also lags behind other nations in its R&D spending. The number of core researchers in India was about 1.5 lakh as compared to China's 8-10 lakh. R&D spending as percentage of GDP in India is only 0.8 per cent as compared to China's 1.23. In India, 80 % R&D is by public sector, while the private sector share is only 20 per cent.
The errant TDP members stormed into the well of the House and continued to shout slogans near the podium in spite of repeated appeals by the Speaker to resume their seats. Raising his voice, the Speaker thundered "Enough is enough. Please go back to your seats. What tamasha is this? You are only making a mockery of democracy," before adjourning the House.
Protests over "politics of vendetta" continued in Rajya Sabha for the second day on Wednesday, with Congress members forcing two adjournments of the House till noon by storming the Well and raising anti-government slogans.
Raising the matter just after Question Hour, Digvijay Singh (JD-U) said the minister spoke outside Parliament instead of making a statement in the House on the reported recommendation by the Prime Minister's Office to expedite supply of gas to firms owned by the family members of the shipping minister. It may be noted that Petroleum Minister Murli Deora had on Tuesday come out in defence of the PMO, saying there is 'no nepotism' involved in it.
Assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora suspended Congress MLAs Paresh Dhanani and Baldevji Thakor on the charges of trying to attack BJP MLAs and two ministers -- Vallabh Kakadiya and Nirmala Wadhwani.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday the government will take every measure to moderate the high inflation rate but the long term remedy is correcting the demand-supply mismatch in foodgrains.
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan led a walk out by party MPs in Rajya Sabha after she was refused permission to raise the issue of anti-north Indians campaign in Maharashtra of which her husband Amitabh Bachchan was the most visible target. Jaya strongly objected to Shiv Sena MP Manohar Joshi's comment that there was 'no anti-migrant drive' in Maharashtra.
Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh was forced by an agitated Opposition and Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to withdraw his un-parliamentary remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
A joint working group in the ministry of finance has given its report after obtaining technical and commercial proposals from leading biometric solution providers, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
There is 17 per cent shortage of officers in armed forces and government has set a target of 10 years to fill all the vacancies, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday.
He said Verma can be asked 'to go' only if she is found to have facilitated any wrongdoing and not because of some 'noises'.
.jpg)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee keen on framing a stringent act to prevent malpractices by chit fund firms.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's response has been sought by the Lok Sabha secretariat in the wake of a breach of privilege notice against him following an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana targeting some MPs from Bihar. The response of Thackeray as also Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha member, who is the executive editor of the newspaper, has been sought.
India has informed Bangladesh about the existence of terrorists and their training camps on its soil, but Dhaka is yet to take effective action to curb anti-India activities, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said on Wednesday.
The Monsoon Session of the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday after 19 sittings that saw the passage of 14 legislation while Rajya Sabha came to an end after passing nine bills.
"We want the prime minister to explain the delay in informing the country about the arrest of Quattrocchi, who was detained on Feburary 6," Malhotra said.
It's been 13 days that the Winter Session commenced, but no work has taken place as MPs continue to spar over the note ban.
The government on Thursday warned telecom service providers of action if they failed to pass on the benefit of withdrawal of levy to consumers.
Congress members created an uproar over a range of issues, including remarks made by certain Bharatiya Janata Party MPs against its leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and the revocation of suspension of six of its members.
Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M K Raghavan suspended for their improper behaviour.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances