Jaya launches campaign in Pondicherry

Assuring to secure statehood with special category status to Pondicherry, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa Saturday launched her party-led Democratic People's......

Good voter turnout in Pondicherry polls

Polling began on Monday morning in 27 constituencies of the 30-member Pondicherry assembly in the second and final phase of elections in the Union Territory. Coverage: Assembly Elections 2006An......

Cyclone Fengal causes unprecedented rainfall in Pondy

After making landfall near Puducherry on November 30, Cyclone Fengal weakened on Sunday, but torrential downpour under its influence paralysed the union territory, with the Army stepping in to......

Ladakh gets 5 new districts; locals welcome decision

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced Monday the creation of five new districts in Ladakh, raising their number to seven in a decision welcomed by local people as fulfilment of their long-pending......

A clumsy scheme for tsunami-hit areas

The finance ministry has notified an excise duty refund scheme for cement and steel used in construction of houses for rehabilitation of tsunami victims. The notification No 32/2005, dated August......

VAT chain gaps worry firms

With less than a week into the value-added tax regime, industry representatives on Monday said there was a clear danger of the VAT chain being broken in states that had not signed up.Anil......

Pilot study in 3 UTs shows why cash in lieu of PDS won't work

The study found that 50% of the people were receiving either nothing or less cash than they were entitled in lieu of the subsidised grains that were stopped under the pilots starting from September......