The government should occasionally grant thousands of crores of rupees to Air India for its functioning as withdrawal of flights from profitable routes and unresolved issues relating to its merger do not augur well for the carrier, a parliamentary committee has said.
Arguing that Anna Hazare should not deride democratic institutions, National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy on Saturday said the Gandhian was "ill-advised" as there was still scope for the civil society group to change the government's version of Lokpal Bill.
The parliamentary standing committee going into the Lokpal Bill will complete its work "soon", its chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Sunday.
Corporate affairs minister Murli Deora has supported the recommendations of the Parliamentary standing committee to make spending under corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandatory under the proposed Companies Bill. Pending the Bill, the minister also announced a slew of measures to simplify procedures akin to the licence raj.
Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has not ruled out the possibility of an American ground offensive in North Waziristan, but told parliamentarians at a briefing that Washington will have to think many times before launching such an attack.
After civil society activists slammed the government's Lokpal Bill, the Centre on Friday said that people who are not satisfied with the Bill can approach the Standing Committee of Parliament and persuade it to make changes. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who was part of the joint committee to draft the bill, said the government has already reconciled taking into account a number of provisions suggested by the civil society.
The pension reforms Bill is likely be passed with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deciding to support it in the parliamentary standing committee. The Bill has been pending since 2005. Its revised version was tabled in the Budget session of Parliament this year.
Taking on Rahul Gandhi, Anna Hazare on Sunday said he aspires to be the prime minister but spending "one day" in a hut is just not enough. "I don't have any fight with Rahul Gandhi. He is also young man. He dreams of becoming the prime minister. But spending one day in a hut is not enough. He has to spend months doing it," Hazare said in his address during his one-day dharna protesting against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill.
Taking on Rahul Gandhi, Anna Hazare on Sunday said he aspires to be the prime minister but spending "one day" in a hut is just not enough. "I don't have any fight with Rahul Gandhi. He is also young man. He dreams of becoming the prime minister. But spending one day in a hut is not enough. He has to spend months doing it," Hazare said in his address during his one-day dharna protesting against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill.
Last week Sheela Bhatt spoke to Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal about the government's Lokpal bill in the first part of an interview. On Friday, as the parliamentary standing committee submitted its report to Parliament, we bring you the second part of the interview with Kejriwal.
The terrorist attack on a key Pakistani naval airbase last month during which 10 security personnel were killed and two maritime surveillance aircraft destroyed was carried out with "inside support", senior Pakistani military officials told a Parliamentary panel.
Putting the government on notice on Lokpal issue, Anna Hazare on Tuesday threatened to go on an indefinite fast in Delhi from December 27 while terming that the draft report by Parliamentary Standing Committee as a "betrayal" of countrymen.
After a discussion which went on for over 90 minutes and amid opposition to some of the proposals by ministers, the Union Cabinet Monday evening passed the draft Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011.
