National Anti-profiteering Authority to be set up for ensuring that customers get the benefit of GST
In a major blow to the corporate sector, the Supreme Court on Wednesday quashed allocation of 214 out of 218 coal blocks which were allotted to various companies since 1993 and in which it was claimed that around Rs 2 lakh crores were invested.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will register a preliminary enquiry within two days in connection with missing files related to coal block allocations.
The order has, however, not gone down well with the employees, with the president of the UP Secretariat Employees' Association, Yadavendra Mishra, saying that such attempts were aimed at harassing government servants.
Tightening the procedure for official foreign visits by bureaucrats, the Centre has said that proposals for trips abroad should go through the Prime Minister Office and screening committee of secretaries for approval.
Former coal secretary H C Gupta and six others were on Tuesday granted bail by a special court New Delhi in connection with a case related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a Chhattisgarh-based coal block to SKS Ispat and Power Ltd. All the seven accused persons were granted the bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and one surety of a like amount.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has questioned T K A Nair, advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks, which included granting of a block to Hindalco at Talabira despite it being rejected by a screening committee of the coal ministry.
Tells RBI this is not the time to consider such a foray, especially given the lack of funds to spare for such a venture.
This is the first coal scam case in which the special court has delivered its judgement.
The FIR relates to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005.
The deposit has been made on account of the rate reductions approved by the GST Council in its November. The rate was reduced on items including shampoo, detergents, chocolates, beauty products, sanitary ware, leather clothing, cookers, stoves, after-shave, deodorant, detergent and washing power. Companies found it difficult to pass on the benefits to consumers immediately at the time of GST rate reduction owing to logistical issues.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started scrutinising the file received from the Prime Minister's Office on coal block allocation to Hindalco to understand the circumstances on the basis of which the earlier decision to reject the company's application for the same was reversed.
The former coal secretary opens up in a free-wheeling interview.
Agency seeks details of the period when Sushilkumar Shinde headed the ministry
So far, CBI's investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes. It is unlikely to go deeper in the political connections, a source tells rediff.com
Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal held a crucial meeting in New Delhi on Thursday night to finalise seat sharing arrangements for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to be held early next year.
Even as speculation has intensified on what would be the contours of Rahul Gandhi's bigger role in the days to come, the young leader has sent the first message that he is ready to assert himself and would be more hands on in the days ahead.
The Centre on Wednesday faced the ire of the Supreme Court for not aiding the CBI with documents in its probe in Coalgate and was directed to file a comprehensive affidavit "justifying" allocation of 164 coal blocks.
But reiterates that licences of 46 blocks in operation should be retained.
Supreme Court says guidelines were breached, no criteria were followed while allocating the blocks.
The Supreme Court on Monday held that all coal block allocations made since 1993 till 2010 before pre-auction era during previous National Democratic Alliance and United Progressive Alliance regimes have been done in an illegal manner by an "ad-hoc and casual" approach "without application of mind".
'And we said to him, "What will you do for us if we jump in early?"' 'His answer was very simple: "I'm going to have the most diverse cabinet and administration in the history of the US".' '"You can expect that you will have a seat at the table, okay? Number one. So influence if I win".' '"Number two, you should fully expect that we will focus on the issues that you care about: Immigration".'
A special court on Thursday refused to accept a closure report by the Central Bureau of Investigation and directed it to further investigate an alleged scam in coal blocks allocation, involving Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, saying he had misrepresented facts in letters written to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, ex-Coal Secretary H C Gupta, former Jharkhand chief secretary Ashok Kumar Basu and six others were on Tuesday ordered to be put on trial by a special court on charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and cheating in connection with a coal block allocation scam case.
Special court was that Manmohan Singh took the "ultimate decision" as the then coal minister in allocation of the blocks.
The Congress is on a comeback trail in Bihar, B K Hariprasad, the chairman of the party's screening committee for the state elections, tells Saubhadra Chatterji
Many argue there's a mismatch between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on international exposure and his government's diktat to officials on limiting travel.
Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday registered two enquiries to look into the issue of missing files on coal block allocations from the Coal Ministry.
Former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, who resigned as member of Competition Commission of India, was on Thursday questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with coal blocks allocation from 2006 to 2009 during his tenure.
With political activity hotting up for the assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, where the Congress is currently in power, ticket aspirants are making a beeline for all the important addresses in the capital.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat is pitching for a Congress ticket to contest from the Amravati Assembly seat in Vidarbha.
A special court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to clarify whether "rule of law" was followed in allocation of coal blocks to top industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla's Hindalco.
They are Congress President Sonia Gandhi's field marshals -- the 100 men and women who will drive the party's campaign in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The "war team" announced on Thursday night included state-wise screening committees constituted under the leadership of a dozen leaders for selection of candidates.
Dr Manmohan Singh's role in the sordid saga of the Coal Allocation Scam was always Delhi's worst-kept secret; calls for his interrogation will mushroom after he was named by P C Parakh, says T V R Shenoy.
Govt went against its own recommendation of Jun 20, 2007, where along with the 2 Jindal companies, it wanted 40% coal block to go to Lanco.
The Centre will set up a high-level committee of secretaries for processing the Sixth Pay Commission's report for its employees. The Empowered Committee of Secretaries will be headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said after the Cabinet meeting.
The government has received 745 applications from a variety of companies for 15 power-project-linked coal blocks with estimated reserves of 3.6 billion tonnes, which can support power generation of 18,000 Mw.
A Department of Personnel circular says the prime minister has ordered constitution of a four-member screening committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary to consider the individual cases that deserve extension of two years in service.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the summons to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 5 others by a trial court over the coal scam.
After a year and a half of investigation, the agency has failed to name any public official involved in the scam.
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