-Rediff.com Opposition parties on Tuesday raised the issue of Planning Commission reducing the number of people living below the poverty line dubbing it as a ploy to deceive the poor. Soon after the Rajya Sabha met for the day, members from Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal-United, Bahujan Samaj Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam and the Left parties were on their feet seeking a discussion on the issue. Chairman Hamid Ansari said...

-PTI Retail inflation was at 8.83 per cent in February on account of higher prices of protein based items and edible oil products.  Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index, was 7.65 per cent the January, as per the government data release here today.  Among other items, only vegetable prices saw a decline of 4.73 per cent over the February 2011 level.  During the month, the prices of egg, meat and fish rose...

West Bengal: The murder of two CPI(M) leaders in Bardhaman district points to an increase in political violence in the State. THE brutal murder of Pradip Tah, a former legislator belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or the CPI(M), and Kamal Gayen, another senior leader of the party, in broad daylight, allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters, in West Bengal's Bardhaman district on February 22 once again points to an...

An opportunity has been forsaken to strengthen our economic fundamentals while improving the lives of the people, increasing the divide between India Shining and India Suffering. While the people were hoping for relief in the current budget, the Finance Minister was faced with the task of reversing the slowing growth rate and raging inflation. He had a choice in this budget. He, however, chose a path that is going to worsen...

-PTI The Opposition parties today slammed the Union Budget presented by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as "anti-people", "lacklustre" and one that would increase the financial burden on the common man. "The Union Budget does not provide any relief to the common man. It betrays the trust of the common man," BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here. BJP leader Ananth Kumar said the budget was "anti-people". "It is a purposeless and clerical budget,"...