-The Times of India The Comptroller and Auditor General is likely to make a strong pitch for scrapping all the controversial allocations of coal mines during its presentation to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. Sources said the auditor looks set to cite total lack of transparency in the recommendations made by the screening committee for allocation of coal blocks worth thousands of crores. In its presentation to the PAC likely next week, the...

-The Hindu Refusing to join the public debate over its findings on the Centre’s coal block allocation during 2004-08, Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) Vinod Rai on Tuesday said he would clarify his position at an appropriate forum. The CAG report has come under attack from the Prime Minister, the Congress party and critics. The watchdog was criticised for coming out with ‘presumptive figures when no loss had taken place.’ “Being a Constitutional authority,...

-Live Mint Cabinet refers land acquisition Bill to GoM to resolve differences after five ministers express apprehensions Differences within the Union cabinet have nixed the plans of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to fast-track a new legislation for land acquisition and compensation, widely seen as a key measure to spur investment in the economy. Consequently, the cabinet on Tuesday referred the controversial land acquisition Bill to a ministerial group (a so-called group...

-The Hindu The parliamentary stalemate continues on one of the greatest corruption scandals in Indian history. Allocation of natural resources has been a subject matter of public debate in the last two decades, particularly with the entry of the private sector in infrastructure development. Minerals are an important natural resource. The private sector has a great role to play in development of mineral-based industries. However, the policy of allocation of these...

-The Times of India Politicians involved with the National Committee in Solidarity with Jaitapur Struggle have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking cancellation of the contract with French company Areva for supplying nuclear reactors to the project. The letter, written by CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, senior leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leaders AB Bardhan and D Raja, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan, JD (S) leader Danish Ali and Telugu Desam...