Cabinet may consider hike in dearness allowance of Central Govt employees in a meeting today

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet is expected to meet this evening to consider a 7 per cent hike in the Dearness Allowance (DA) of Central government employees.

Once approved, it will benefit over 52 lakh government employees.

The Cabinet will also take a decision on computerisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS). A Food Ministry proposal seeks to digitise ration cards and fully computerise the PDS network especially at the back-end.

Also, a bailout package for state power distribution companies is on the cards. The Cabinet is likely to consider a proposal for debt recasting of power distribution companies.

The meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI), scheduled for Friday, were postponed apparently in view of the rapid political developments in the aftermath of the government's decision to hike diesel prices and operationalise its earlier move to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi- brand retail.

The hike in dearness allowance will be effective from July 1, 2012, and the employees would be entitled to arrears from that date.

The additional burden on exchequer on account of increase in DA would be around R

s.

 5,000 crore for the eight-month period between July, 2012 and February, 2013. It will be R

s.

 7,400 crore for the full financial year.

The government had last increased DA in March this year from 58 per cent to 65 per cent, which was effective from January 1, 2012. It will now be increased to 72 per cent.

The government periodically hikes the DA, which is linked to consumer price index for industrial workers. The consumer price index (CPI) based on movement in retail prices, soared to 10.03 per cent in August, from 9.86 per cent in July.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/cabinet-may-consider-hike-in-dearness-allowance-of-central-govt-employees-in-a-meeting-today-271232?pfrom=home-otherstories

Anna Hazare will be back with us in three-four months, says Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Less than a week after splitting with Anna Hazare, anti-graft activist Arvind Kejriwal today said that the Gandhian will be back with him in another "three-four months" if he can work honestly in politics. 

"He will come back in three-four months once he sees our honest and dedicated work," Mr Kejriwal said today at Jantar Mantar, where he led a protest against hike in power tariffs, alleging that the Delhi government and private discoms were out to loot people.

 

"Everybody's been saying Anna's left us. Anna has not left us, he's in our hearts. He just thinks politics is dirty. We think there's no option but to enter and do a cleanup. We have immense respect for Anna," Mr Kejriwal said.

"I've been forced to enter politics. I'm not doing it out of choice," he added.

Earlier this week, Anna had asked the Kejriwal-led group not to use his name or poster during its campaign as a political group. Anna, 75, and his supporters, including Kiran Bedi, parted ways with the Kejriwal-led group on September 19 over the anti-graft activists deciding to launch a political party.

Mr Kejriwal and his group gathered at Jantar Mantar this afternoon and shouted slogans against Congress-led Delhi government and private discoms. They also burnt electricity bills.

The protest, which is being seen as a prelude to an entry into politics formally, demonstrated keenness of the Kejriwal-led group to fight Delhi Assembly elections slated next year as it targeted Sheila Dikshit's Congress government in the national capital.

However, today's protest did not attract the kind of response which earlier protests by India Against Corruption used to witness; around a 1000-odd people turned up.

Besides Mr Kejriwal, other prominent activists who attended today's protest were Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anna-hazare-will-be-back-with-us-in-three-four-months-says-arvind-kejriwal-271108?pfrom=home-otherstories

FDI in retail: LK Advani slams Prime Minister for laying 'red carpet' for Walmart

New Delhi: Slamming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue of allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, BJP leader LK Advani today said the red carpet was being rolled out for Walmart when it faced protests even in the US and New York City "shut Walmart out".

In his latest blog, he referred to the reported unrest brewing against US' largest retailer Walmart in various American cities at a time when the government here was "rolling out the red carpet" for it. He also said that the BJP had opposed the measure when NDA was in power.

Quoting an article of author and financial expert S Gurumurthy, he said that on September 14, when the Prime Minister rolled out the red carpet for Walmart, the same day "New York City shut Walmart out".

He also referred to a web-based newspaper which carried a story on how Walmart displaced nearby small businesses the day FDI in retail was notified in India last week.

"Weeks ago, on June 30, over 10,000 people, shouting Walmart = Poverty, marched through Los Angeles against Walmart stores," Mr Advani said quoting Mr Gurumurthy.

He also quoted a New York Times report on how Mexico has become the second largest country for Walmart after USA in terms of number of stores.

"According to a New York Times report, this has been achieved by the retail giant's Mexico arm by dishing out generous payouts to aid its mammoth growth," he said.

Mr Advani said that shortly after the Times published its investigation in April, 2012, Walmart confirmed that it had launched an investigation into the "allegations of bribery at Walmart de Mexico".

He said "leading" Congress leader PR Dasmunshi in December 2002 had said bureaucrats were being pressurised by multi-national retailers even when a group of ministers and a task force of the Planning Commission on employment had rejected FDI in retail.

"Mr Dasmunshi had said that through bureaucrats multi-national retailers are continuously putting pressure on the government to take this anti-national decision of allowing foreign direct investment in retail trade," Mr Advani said.

He said when Mr Dashmunshi raised this issue in Parliament, Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Shourie immediately stood up and said that as per the existing policy since 1997 foreign direct investment in retail trade is not permitted.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/fdi-in-retail-lk-advani-slams-prime-minister-for-laying-red-carpet-for-walmart-271138?pfrom=home-otherstories

Geologist suicide: Congress demands investigation against Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar

Panaji: An application has been moved against Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar to investigate his role in the alleged suicide of Dattatraya Bhave, a mines and geology official, who was suspended after the Shah Commission report on illegal mining was tabled in Parliament.

Congress leader Sudip Tamankar has submitted the application at the Ponda police station to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr Parrikar and the director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya in connection with the alleged suicide.

The 54-year-old geologist, who was under suspension since September 11, was found hanging at his residence in Ponda town, about 30 kms from Panaji, on September 21.

Mr Bhave's family had alleged that he was humiliated, mentally tortured and harassed by the department after suspension, which forced him to take the extreme step. 

The application stated that the Chief Minister had humiliated Mr Bhave which drove him to commit suicide.

The application also states that Mr Parikkar's role should be investigated and he should be booked for abetment to suicide.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/geologist-suicide-congress-demands-investigation-against-goa-chief-minister-manohar-parikkar-271099?pfrom=home-otherstories

Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab petitions President for mercy

MUMBAI: Mumbai terror attack convict Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab has moved a mercy petition before the President Pranab Mukherjee, almost a fortnight after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in the 26/11 case.

"We have sent a mercy petition to the President filed by Kasab," a senior official at the high-security Arthur Road Jail said.

However, the officer did not reveal as to when he had filed the petition.

Kasab had been given a certified copy of the Supreme Court verdict confirming his death sentence last week.

"Kasab was given certified copy of his death sentence confirmation verdict three days ago. One copy was given to him and the other was sent to the Supreme Court with his signature," an official of the Arthur Road Jail had said.

Asked if the Pakistani gunman, lodged in the bomb-proof "anda cell" (egg-shaped cell), had been explained options before him, including moving a mercy plea, the official said Kasab was told about all procedures and rights he has as a convict, including moving a mercy petition.

On August 29, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death penalty awarded to the LeT operative by the trial court and later upheld by the Bombay high court.

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and C K Prasad had dismissed the 25-year-old's plea challenging his conviction and death sentence in the 26/11 case.

Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists had landed in south Mumbai on November 26, 2008 by sea from Karachi and had gone on a shooting spree at various places, killing 166 people, including foreigners.

While Kasab was captured alive, the other terrorists were killed by security forces.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-terror-attack-convict-Ajmal-Kasab-petitions-President-for-mercy/articleshow/16447481.cms

Tough test for Mamata Banerjee as 72-hour deadline ends

KOLKATA: The battle of nerves reached its penultimate stage on Monday, with Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee sticking to her ultimatum that ends in a few hours, and Union finance minister P Chidambaram ruling out a rollback of the decisions on diesel, LPG and FDIin multi-brand retail.

Even as Renuka Chowdhury hinted at increasing the cap on subsidized LPG cylinders on Monday evening, Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra turned down Chidambaram's offer to visit Delhi on Tuesday to discuss Bengal's financial package due for September.

Hectic backroom talks are still on for a last minute recalibration of the executive decision. In the meantime, Mamata Banerjee has invited senior state ministers to the party's parliamentary committee meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday before taking the "hard decision."

The extended level of inner-party consultations indicates that the pressure game isn't one-sided. Pushed to the wall on Coalgate, the Congress is desperate to pursue reforms. It's perform-or-perish for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. And for Mamata, the choice is no less hard.

The Trinamool supremo isn't quite in the mood to dump UPA, but wants to demarcate herself from the Congress, believing this will help her checkmate the Left. The problem for her is that she has led a Left-handed attack against the Congress on reforms, narrowing the scope for such space.

Will Didi concede to tokenism? Speculation is rife that the Centre might propose a discount of arupee or so on diesel prices, but will Mamata settle for this? Trinamool leaders have realized by now that the Manmohan Singh government stands determined on FDI entry in multi-brand retail.

Pressure is also mounting on the Mamata Banerjee government to follow Delhi CM Sheila Dixit's example and give up a part of its additional revenue from the diesel hike to ease the burden on people

Even as Chidambaram and PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya keep saying that the Trinamool won't pull out of the ministry, not to speak of withdrawing support, it goes without saying that Mamata won't swallow the reform pill on Congress' terms. Not after toeing the line on the presidential polls.

While Trinamool leaders keep all options open for Didi - including pulling out of UPA - politics remains the priority for Mamata while Congress gives weightage to economics.

Mamata doesn't want to lose out on public posturing to Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samajwadi Party or the Left in opposing the reforms because she believes that the Congress is losing mass support. But if the government doesn't fall, the Congress-led UPA will get another two years to pursue the growth trajectory and continue to bother the Bengal government on the financial front.

The dilemma for Trinamool is whether it will be able to whip up sentiments against the Congress by going into a confrontation with the Centre.

If Mamata Banerjee chooses the hard route, she has to perfect a game of delicate balance - playing the role of Opposition while being part of UPA-II. It's something the Left vainly tried to do during the UPA-I regime.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Tough-test-for-Mamata-Banerjee-as-72-hour-deadline-ends/articleshow/16442877.cms