The government is likely to peg fertiliser subsidy for next financial year at Rs 66,000 crore, lower than the actual outgo in 2011-12. "A moderate increase is likely," said a government official. The actual subsidy bill for the fiscal is likely to come at over Rs 70,000 crore though the government had budgeted for just Rs 49,997 crore in the budget 2011-12. Private analysts had soon after the presentation of the last...
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Change in default law to shield farmer land
-The Telegraph Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered an amendment to a state law to prevent rural co-operative banks from attaching the land of loan-defaulter farmers without government approval. The directive was issued after Mamata came across two posters by a co-operative bank controlled by Trinamul Congress leaders, which sought to auction the land of farmers who have not repaid loans. “I am assuring my brothers that nobody will go to confiscate your...
More »Need regulation to make sure that financial inclusion becomes cost-effective by Ashok Khemka
One of the key factors to inclusive growth is financial inclusion for all. Financial inclusion refers to universal access to a wide range of banking solutions and financial services in a fair, predictable and transparent manner at affordable costs. The poor tend to be ignored because the transaction costs in serving them are high. Initiatives that reduce these costs will allow service providers to begin thinking of financial services for...
More »UPA’s elbow room to push crucial reforms may shrink
-The Indian Express The Samajwadi Party’s sweep in India’s biggest state, Uttar Pradesh, and Congress’s defeat in Punjab and Goa will further shrink the elbow room the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has to push through key initiatives such as foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, pension reforms and legislation such as the goods and service tax (GST) that require support from states. The Centre had postponed some of these...
More »Budget 2012: Finance ministry set to hike agriculture lending target despite sharp rise in NPAs by Dheeraj Tiwari
The finance ministry is all set to increase the agriculture lending target by around 25% in the budget for 2012-13 despite a sharp increase in the non-performing loans in the sector. In the last budget, the government had increased the target to 4.75 lakh crore from 3.75 lakh crore in the year before. "Banks will continue to focus on all priority sector areas. This year more focus will be on direct lending...
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