-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: In what seems to be a desperate move to stall the ongoing land acquisition move by the government, anti-Posco group on Wednesday threatened to organize a nude protest, even as South Korean ambassador to India Kim Joong-Keun expressed concern over the delay in implementation of the proposed mega steel project in Jagatsinghpur. "Despite our protest the state government is continuing land acquisition for the Posco project. So,...

-The Hindu Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat on Wednesday demanded an independent inquiry into the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which has pointed out serious lapses and wrongdoings in the Rs. 52,000-crore farm debt waiver scheme. Ms. Karat was talking to journalists at the party office here, before resuming her programme of “Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha,” which began from Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on March 4. She said...

-Live Mint Govt reiterates it will crack down hard on tax evaders, defends steps introduced in Finance Bill to check evasion The government on Tuesday reiterated its intention to crack down hard on tax evaders and defended some of the stringent provisions introduced in the Finance Bill last week to check evasion, including granting wider powers of arrest to taxmen and making certain offences non-bailable. Finance minister P. Chidambaram, in his budget speech...

-The Hindustan Times The Comptroller and Auditor General has pulled up the department of financial services (DFS) for not properly monitoring the implementation of the Rs.52,000-crore debt waiver package. The DFS, under the finance ministry, depended completely on nodal agencies for monitoring the scheme that was announced by finance minister P Chidambaram in the 2008-09 budget, the report said. But, following the issue of the draft audit report, the ministry asked the RBI...

-DNA Funds meant for health and nutrition of children are being spent on procuring fax machines, photocopiers, gas stoves and cookers. Adding salt to injury is that all these gadgets are lying idle and rusting, due to lack of electricity, telephone lines and for want of gas connections. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which audited the performance of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme worth Rs. 15,460 crore annuallyhas found shortfall...