4.4.14
AAP's manifesto
The Aam Aadmi Party will oppose entry of foreign supermarkets into the country if it’s voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, party leader Arvind Kejriwal said.
Launching AAP’s national manifesto for the elections, Kejriwal said his party is not against FDI in principle, but does not see any merit in implementing it in retail because it would increase unemployment.
“We have studied the effects of ushering in FDI in multi-brand retail and we are yet to come across any country where its implementation led to improvement in farming infrastructure, increase in jobs and better prices for farmers. This is why we are not in favour of FDI in retail,” Kejriwal said. This overrides the party’s previous stance that the Kejriwal government’s decision not to allow foreign retailers to operate in Delhi was specific to the state and not “cast in stone”.
AAP’s manifesto articulates four key promises, similar to the ones made at the time of Delhi elections, centered on reducing corruption and decentralisation of governance. AAP promises to enact a stronger Jan Lokpal Bill and the Swaraj Bill; a citizens’ charter, ensuring time-bound delivery of services, and use of technology to promote transparency in governance.
Maharashtra pips Gujarat in investments
Maharashtra has emerged as the number one investment destination in the country replacing Gujarat, according to an Assocham report. Maharashtra attracted cumulative investment proposals of Rs.14,73,466 crore as on December 2013, while Gujarat drew proposals worth Rs.13,98,347 crore, an analysis by the industry group showed.
The reason behind Maharashtra overtaking Gujarat is the state's focus on development of industrial centers in tier-II and tier-III cities, making it the preferred choice of investments, especially for the Indian and global service sector industries, it said.
Maharashtra has become the hub for the service and electricity industries which together attracted investment over Rs.67,000 crore in 2013. However, incomparison Gujarat attracted Rs.62,000 crore in the same year, the study observed
Section 377 hearing update
The Supreme Court told a bunch of petitioners that it would keep in mind their request for an open court hearing of their pleas to overturn the court’s December 11 judgment upholding the validity of Section 377 of IPC, which criminalizes consensual gay sex.
The SC told senior advocates Ashok Desai, Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi and Anand Grover that once the curative petitions were found to be in order and put up for hearing in chamber before an appropriate bench, the request for open court hearing would be taken into account.
The court had on January 28 dismissed review petitions by the Centre, Naz Foundation, filmmaker Shyam Benegal and two others seeking reconsideration of its December 11 judgment, which had closed a small window opened by the Delhi high court by decriminalizing consensual adult gay sex in private. The court had said it was for Parliament to amend the provision in the 154-year-old law.
The review pleas were dismissed in a chamber hearing by a bench of Justices H L Dattu and S J Mukhopadhaya, which had said, “We have gone through the review petitions... We see no reason to interfere with the order impugned (under challenge). The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed.” After dismissal of a review petition, an aggrieved party can opt for a curative petition before the SC which is generally heard by a larger bench, though again in chamber.
The SC told senior advocates Ashok Desai, Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi and Anand Grover that once the curative petitions were found to be in order and put up for hearing in chamber before an appropriate bench, the request for open court hearing would be taken into account.
The court had on January 28 dismissed review petitions by the Centre, Naz Foundation, filmmaker Shyam Benegal and two others seeking reconsideration of its December 11 judgment, which had closed a small window opened by the Delhi high court by decriminalizing consensual adult gay sex in private. The court had said it was for Parliament to amend the provision in the 154-year-old law.
The review pleas were dismissed in a chamber hearing by a bench of Justices H L Dattu and S J Mukhopadhaya, which had said, “We have gone through the review petitions... We see no reason to interfere with the order impugned (under challenge). The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed.” After dismissal of a review petition, an aggrieved party can opt for a curative petition before the SC which is generally heard by a larger bench, though again in chamber.
3.4.14
Somewhere in Rae Bareilly....
Congress President Sonia Gandhi was chauffeured by her son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as she filed her nomination papers from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in yet another bid to reach Parliament from the family bastion in central UP. Going by last year’s declaration, Sonia's assets showed a six-fold increase (from around Rs 1.37 crore to over Rs 9.28 crore).
Tata-SIA JV Gets Ministry’s NoC
The joint venture carrier between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines took the second last step before starting operations as the civil aviation ministry signed a ‘no objection certificate’ for it, according to two sources in the know.
The salt-to-software conglomerate’s other airline venture with Malaysian carrier AirAsia, is waiting for the final air operator’s permit (AOP) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). “We haven’t got the letter yet but this is thrilling news. All I can say is that we are well into completing the manuals for the next step that is the AOP,” said Sanjay Singh, the Tata-SIA spokesperson.
One of the people cited said the venture is close to appointing Phee Teik Yeoh, vice-president,
Singapore Airlines as chief executive. Niyant Maru, former chief financial officer at Tata Realty and Infrastructure is likely to be the company’s finance chief. Tata and Singapore Airlines announced their venture on September 19, and applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for its nod on the same day. The venture has three directors — Prasad Menon, chairman of Tata Quality Management Services who is the board’s chairman while the other two directors are Mukund Rajan, the Tata Sons brand custodian and chief ethics officer and Singapore Airline’s executive vice-president commercial, Mak Swee Wah. The board will eventually have 6 directors — 4 from the Tatas and 2 from SIA.
On October 24, the venture received FIPB approval and last week got security clearance from the home ministry.
Tata-SIA which is yet to announce its brand name, will now have to undergo a lengthy process of tests at each level before it clears the final hurdle for flying. Malaysian carrier AirAsia, which has the second joint venture with the Tatas, has been waiting for the last five months to get a flying permit from the DGCA. Since last year, the airline has been grappling with legal and regulatory issues including a case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and an appeal to the regulator from Indian carriers against giving it a flying permit.
The salt-to-software conglomerate’s other airline venture with Malaysian carrier AirAsia, is waiting for the final air operator’s permit (AOP) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). “We haven’t got the letter yet but this is thrilling news. All I can say is that we are well into completing the manuals for the next step that is the AOP,” said Sanjay Singh, the Tata-SIA spokesperson.
One of the people cited said the venture is close to appointing Phee Teik Yeoh, vice-president,
Singapore Airlines as chief executive. Niyant Maru, former chief financial officer at Tata Realty and Infrastructure is likely to be the company’s finance chief. Tata and Singapore Airlines announced their venture on September 19, and applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for its nod on the same day. The venture has three directors — Prasad Menon, chairman of Tata Quality Management Services who is the board’s chairman while the other two directors are Mukund Rajan, the Tata Sons brand custodian and chief ethics officer and Singapore Airline’s executive vice-president commercial, Mak Swee Wah. The board will eventually have 6 directors — 4 from the Tatas and 2 from SIA.
On October 24, the venture received FIPB approval and last week got security clearance from the home ministry.
Tata-SIA which is yet to announce its brand name, will now have to undergo a lengthy process of tests at each level before it clears the final hurdle for flying. Malaysian carrier AirAsia, which has the second joint venture with the Tatas, has been waiting for the last five months to get a flying permit from the DGCA. Since last year, the airline has been grappling with legal and regulatory issues including a case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and an appeal to the regulator from Indian carriers against giving it a flying permit.
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