-The Financial Express The finance ministry today said income tax dues from 12 individuals, including stud-farm owner Hasan Ali Khan, account for 90 per cent of the total income tax outstanding. "The amount of outstanding income tax dues is a dynamic figure. As on September 30, 2010, about 90 per cent of the outstanding personal income-tax demand were due from 12 individual taxpayers," Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam said...

-The Business Standard The first agriculture survey, tabled in Parliament on Monday, called for more private participation to boost farm sector investments, rather than heavy doses of subsidies. “There is always a trade-off between allocating money through subsidies or by increasing investments. The investment option is much better than subsidies for sustaining long-term growth in agricultural production and also to reduce poverty faster,” said the survey, State of Indian Agriculture 2011-2012. It...

-PTI With agriculture share in GDP halving to 15 per cent in the last two decades, a government report card today called for major reforms, from marketing to investment, and new technologies for accelerating farm growth.  The report on 'State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12', tabled in the Lok Sabha said, "Achieving an 8-9 per cent rate of growth in overall gross domestic produce (GDP) may not deliver much in terms of poverty...

Parliament must use budget session to discuss key pending bills The budget session of Parliament begins today. The last few sessions have been characterised by disruptions and consequent loss of productive time. To see one indicator, the 15th Lok Sabha, half-way through its term, has lost 30 per cent of scheduled time — the worst ever. As a result, many important bills have been pending. It is to be seen whether...

Trinamool Congress government’s policies in West Bengal are leading to suicides of small farmers, a reign of terror in the Jangalmahal area and a curbing of academic and trade union rights. Its student activists beat up students and teachers who do not profess loyalty to the party. Will the CPI(M) which led the previous Left Front government for 34 years and paid the price for its insolence and corruption...