Corporates today gave thumbs up to the rail budget terming it as 'balanced' while maintaining that hiking passenger fares will help rationalise revenue stream of the Railways.
Dinesh Trivedi may be on his way out as the railway minister after party chief Mamata Banerjee smelled a “rebellion” in his budget after he hiked passenger fare — allegedly keeping her in the dark.
Saubhadra Chatterji reports
Poll: Is it time for Cong to part ways with Mamata?
An indirect hike on passenger fares by way of a safety or a modernisation surcharge? Deployment of level-2 of the European Train Control System (ETCS) project for ensuring passenger safety? Grand plans to ramp up catering services by roping in global firms such as the Singapore Airport Terminal Services and the Cremonini of Italy?
Pitching for expansion of rail infrastructure, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi may allocate significant funds while presenting the Rail Budget today for Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) to expedite its execution. There are speculations about the possibility of safety cess being imposed on train fares also.
Expectations |
High hopes from this Rly budget
On the second day of the budget session on Tuesday, the UPA government faced tremendous pounding by its eastern and southern allies — Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and M Karunanidhi's DMK — mainly on two issues.
HT reports.
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The BJP today gave notice for suspension of Question Hour in Rajya Sabha to debate Lokpal issue even as it discussed the strategy to take on the govt in both Houses on issues like "attack on federal structure" in formation of NCTC, RPF Act and plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.
Won't go to govt for demanding Lokpal: AnnaThe state governments have asked that the Central Sales Tax (CST) be raised back to 4% from the current 2% if the Centre refuses to compensate states for revenue losses that they suffer.
The government had taken steps to open channels for wider information on black money from foreign countries, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday and stressed that automated delivery of public services with minimum human intervention was a key step towards reducing corruption.
The issue of bringing back Indian black money stashed abroad is likely to figure prominently in the budget session of Parliament beginning Monday with BJP leader L K Advani today saying that the opposition was eager to know how the government had tackled the matter.
The Budget session of Parliament beginning tomorrow portends a tough time for the government against the backdrop of reverses the Congress suffered at the Assembly elections and the possibility of issues like federalism bringing unlikely forces together.
A parliamentary panel on Friday recommended a host of measures, including abolishing the Securities Transaction Tax on trade of equities, but suggested that corporate income tax rate should be retained at the current level of 30%. HT reports. Tax leaks through loopholes