Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today slammed the Centre’s move to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector by demanding immediate scrapping of the UPA’s “ill advised and regressive” retail policy. “In our considered view, this policy is ill-advised and highly regressive. I would, therefore, earnestly request you to reconsider the matter and withdraw this policy immediately,” said Naveen in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Apart...

-The Telegraph   The Sonia-Gandhi headed National Advisory Council will prod the government to bring a law to protect unorganised retail sector workers as it brings foreign direct investment into multi-brand retail. Sonia, the council chairperson and the Congress chief, showed the green flag to the government on FDI in retail. The NAC in 2005 had drafted the unorganised sector workers’ social security bill that proposed a national authority to oversee the implementation of...

With deep pockets and international sourcing capabilities, global retail chains will outcompete domestic players, displace jobs, and undermine livelihoods. In predictable fashion, the Manmohan Singh government chose to ignore voices of opposition and implement its agenda of permitting foreign investment in the retail trade. While Parliament was in session, the Cabinet met to approve the hitherto prohibited foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, with a cap of 51 per cent on...

-The Hindu   The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has strongly opposed the decision of the Congress-led government to throw open the Indian retail market to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the tune of 51 per cent in the multi-brand retail sector. “This will have a very serious and adverse impact on around 1.5 crore small retailers in our country. The livelihood of more than 4 crore self-employed people is being placed at...

Reservation for Muslims in jobs and education — feverishly anticipated over the past two years and expected to be announced ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections — might turn out to be a headache the Congress unthinkingly bought itself. As Muslim groups have been arguing, the route under the United Progressive Alliance government's consideration — a 6 per cent Muslim sub-quota within the 27 per cent OBC quota — would...