The Centre is exploring the option of helping out Bengal by stepping up assistance for specific schemes, a route that allows room for manoeuvre within rules. The Centre’s line of thought emerged on a day Bengal Finance minister Amit Mitra was in Delhi to discuss ways to bail out the cash-starved state government. Mitra, who had an hour- long meeting with his Union counterpart Pranab Mukherjee, remained tight-lipped on what they discussed....

-The Indian Express   Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was simply stating the obvious on Sunday when he said, “Parliament is supreme.” Neither did he depart from a common understanding of the scheme of things under our Constitution when he clarified that it is Parliament’s right to decide on legislation and nobody else can presume to lay down deadlines for bills to be passed. Yet, such had been the abdication of argument...

-The Economic Times   Farm credit flow has registered a quantum jump during 2010-11, accordign to figures put out by the government, although apprehensions have been expressed that there is urgent to enlist new loanees rather than give credit to time and again to the same borrowers. Credit institutions disbursed Rs. 4,26,531 crore during the year against the target of Rs.3,75,000 crore, an official statement said here. Agency-wise, Commercial Banks with...

-IANS   A day after the Congress slammed civil society campaigners as "unelected tyrants", veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare on Tuesday said people were the masters of the country having all the rights to question their servants over their functioning. Talking to reporters here, Anna Hazare said the value of parliament could not be denied but people must be consulted before taking decisions. "Parliament is a big thing, but bigger than parliament at the...

-PTI   Amid a war of words between government and civil society members over Lok Pal Bill, both sides will meet here tomorrow for its drafting even as Anna Hazare today reminded the ministers that differences could be resolved through dialogue and not through confrontation. As the government and Congress continued its attack on the civil society members, Hazare said he cannot force anyone not to level allegations like he was a...