-The Indian Express Ahead of the Winter Session, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the government is reaching out to political parties to seek their support for passage of important economic bills. "The Parliament session has a very heavy legislative agenda. We are reaching out to the various political parties to carry through these agenda in the four weeks that we have for the session", he said addressing a press conference...

-The Hindu In its report on the road map to fiscal consolidation, the three-member committee headed by the former Finance Secretary and 13th Finance Commission Chairman, Vijay L. Kelkar, has suggested a host of “bold reform” measures on ways of slashing the subsidy bill which, it admitted, would result in some short term pain and hardships. The committee’s recommendations also include sale of surplus land with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), fast-tracking of...

-The Hindu Wants State to reduce VAT on diesel DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Sunday advised the Centre against taking any decision, including divestment of Public Sector Undertakings, in the name of generating revenue that would severely affect the poor and middle class. In a statement here, he said the Centre should not go ahead with its proposals to cut the subsidy for sugar meant for public distribution system. “There are reports the government...

-Frontline Health activists say the health chapter of the Twelfth Plan document exaggerates the role of the private sector in providing health care. The draft chapter on health for the Twelfth Five Year Plan document not only is grossly inadequate in its approach but exaggerates to unrealistic levels the role of the private sector in providing health care. It invokes the concept of universal health care (UHC), but, critics say, it...

It will again divide the people, says CPI(M) general secretary Stating that the proposed Food Security Bill is “inadequate,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said on Sunday that the Left parties will stage an agitation pressing for the inclusion of everyone, irrespective of whether they are classified as below or above the poverty line. Speaking at a public rally on the outskirts of the city, he said that...