-The Economic Times It's extreme weather season in Asia again. Deadly cyclones, blinding rain, floods and mudslides are becoming the norm from Nepal to Fiji. The world's policymakers must reflect on extreme weather patterns while budgeting their nations' finances. In Thailand last year's floods caused losses of $46.5 billion. Reconstruction costs will reach at least $50 billion, according to the government and UN's assessments. In Pakistan widespread flooding two years ago affected 20...
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LPG price hike, rollback within hours
-The Times of India Within hours of raising cooking gas prices, the government late on Thursday asked oil marketing companies to put on hold the Rs 26.50 hike, calling into question the seriousness of the deregulation plan and casting a doubt over the UPA's commitment to fiscal reforms. The U-turn came after a volley of protests by the opposition and days before Himachal Pradesh goes to polls, with Gujarat elections to follow....
More »After change of guard, CAG-RIL meet on audit issue postponed -Sujay Mehdudia
-The Hindu The postponement conveyed by Petroleum Ministry to CAG on October 29 Only days after the change of guard in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, the “Entry Conference” by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) with the Petroleum Ministry officials and representatives of Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to discuss details of the financial audit of KG D6 accounts has been postponed indefinitely. Sources in the Ministry said that after...
More »Officials who fail to take decisions on spending Plan funds should be penalised
-The Economic Times The trend in Plan spending so far is disheartening. Actual expenditure during the first five months of the current fiscal year amounted to about 28% of the budgeted spending of Rs 5,21,025 crore for this fiscal - the lowest proportion recorded over the last five years. Ministries and departments are said to be willing to surrender unspent money, rather than take decisions that they fear could be questioned by...
More »MGNREGA badly needs overhaul-V Ramakrishnan and Mukul Asher
-The Business Standard The rural jobs scheme can boost productivity in farm and textiles sector. There is mounting evidence that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005, under which 100 days of guaranteed wage employment a year was to be provided to target households, is failing to meet its stated objectives. The total cumulative expenditure since 2005 under the MGNREGA is officially estimated to be Rs 1,50,000 crore, and the...
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