DESPITE WHAT our reel-life heroes have shown us, perhaps it’s only possible to fight one villain at a time. Still, in his last few days on the job, Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde tried to battle two evils, with two reports that presented damning evidence of corruption in the BJP government. The first report, on illegal mining, had enough firepower to systematically dig holes in the state government. The second report,...

-The Pioneer   The elected from two major political dispensations on Friday converged on the need for the presence of civil society groups but cautioned them against usurping the role and responsibilities of the constitutionally mandated institutions like Parliament. Similar opinion also emerged from the two leading editors and other participants on a seminar on civil society in the national Capital on Friday. While Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Leader...

Plan to levy market rate on owners of luxury cars Faced with growing diesel consumption and rising under recoveries, the Union government on Thursday said it was working on “dual pricing of diesel” wherein luxury car owners could be asked to pay the market rate and subsidised diesel restricted to farmers and the transport sector. “These proposals are being considered by the Finance Ministry,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy...

-The Telegraph The government today introduced the Lokpal bill in the Lok Sabha amid protests by Anna Hazare’s group on the streets and the BJP in Parliament. While Hazare’s group dismissed the bill as a joke and burnt its copies, the BJP said that excluding the Prime Minister from the Lokpal’s ambit violated the constitutional scheme. As soon as the minister of state for personnel, V. Narayanasamy, moved the bill, Opposition leader...

-The Telegraph   Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh today told the Lok Sabha that certain sections in Bengal were opposed to the blanket ban on acquisition of multi-crop irrigated plots in the draft land acquisition bill, but did not specify who they were. While answering questions, he underlined the complexities involved in preparing a bill that would be acceptable to all sections of society. He said the proposed ban on acquisition of multi-crop...