Economy rejuvenated, trust in govt restored, claims Modi

May 26, 2015

New Delhi, May 26: Completing one year in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today enlisted the work done by his government, ranging from rejuvenating the economy to initiatives for the poor, and said this is just the beginning in the endeavour to transform the quality of life of people.

Economy rejuvenatedIn an open letter to the people, he said, "we have been able to restore trust in the government", ensure a "corruption-free" rule and made state governments equal partners in the quest for national development, building the spirit of Team India.

Modi said he had devoted every element of his "body and spirit" in fulfilling with fullest sincerity and honesty the responsibility and honour entrusted by people a year ago in him of serving them as "pradhan sevak" (prime worker).

"We assumed office at a time when confidence in India story was waning. Unabated corruption and indecisiveness had paralysed the government. People had been left helpless against ever-climbing inflation and economic insecurity.

"Urgent and decisive action was needed," Modi said.

While presenting the report-card of one year in office, he said his government systematically went about addressing these challenges.

Runaway prices were immediately brought under control.

The languishing economy was rejuvenated, building on stable and policy-driven proactive governance, the Prime Minister said.

He said discretionary allotment of the country's precious natural resources to a chosen few was replaced with transparent auction and firm steps were taken against black money, from setting up an SIT and passing a stringent black money law, to generating international consensus against the same.

Uncompromising adherence to the principle of purity, in action as well as intent, ensured a corruption-free government, he said.

Significant changes have been brought about in the work culture, nurturing a combination of empathy as well as professionalism, systems as well as breaking of silos, Modi said.

Modi said state governments have been made equal partners in the quest for national development, building the spirit of Team India.

Most importantly, "we have been able to restore trust in the government".

The Prime Minister also said that his government is dedicated to the poor, marginalised and those left behind as it is guided by the principle of Antyodaya .

"We are working towards empowering them to become our soldiers in the war against poverty," he said.

Modi said numerous measures and schemes have been initiated from making school toilets to setting up IITs, IIMs and AIIMS, from providing vaccination cover to children to initiating a people-driven Swacch Bharat mission, from ensuring a minimum pension to labourers to providing social security to the common man, from enhancing support to farmers hit by natural calamities to defending their interests at WTO.

He also mentioned other initiatives like empowering one and all with the rule on self-attestation to delivering subsidies directly to people's banks, from universalising the banking system to funding the unfunded small businesses, from irrigating fields to rejuvenating "Ma Ganga".

Modi listed efforts towards 24x7 power, connecting the nation through road and rail, building homes for the homeless, setting up smart cities, connecting the North East and prioritising development of eastern India.

"Friends, this is just the beginning.

"Our objective is to transform quality of life, infrastructure and services. Together we shall build the India of your dreams and that of our freedom fighters.

"In this, I seek your blessings and continued support," he concluded.

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Agencies
March 15,2020

New Delhi, Mar 15: The new rules for debit and credit cards to increase security and reduce frauds kick in from Monday. In January, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued new rules to improve user convenience and increase the security of card transactions. These rules will help in curbing the misuse of debit and credit cards.

RBI has directed banks to allow only domestic card transactions at ATMs and PoS terminals in India at the time of issuance/reissuance of card. For international transactions, online transactions, card-not-present transactions and contactless transactions, customers will have to separately set up services on their card.

These rules will be applicable for new cards from March 16. Those with old cards can decide whether to disable any of these features.

As per the existing rules, these services used to come automatically with the card, but now it will start at the request of the customer.

Debit or credit card customers who have not yet done any online transaction, contactless transaction or international transaction with the card, then these services on the card will automatically stop from March 16.

The Reserve Bank has asked all banks to provide mobile banking, net banking option to enable limit and enable and disable service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the customer makes any change in the status of the card, the bank will alert the customer through SMS/email and send the information.

Issuers shall provide to all cardholders facility to switch on/off and set/modify transaction limits (within the overall card limit, if any, set by the issuer) for all types of transactions -- domestic and international, at PoS/ATMs/online transactions/contactless transactions, etc.,

The provisions, however, are not mandatory for prepaid gift cards and those used at mass transit systems.

The latest instructions come in the wake of rising instances of cyber frauds and the huge increase in the use of cards.

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Agencies
January 24,2020

New Delhi, Jan 24: The government's plan to sell national carrier Air India may face political and legal headwinds with senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy raising the red flag against the decision.

Days before the launch of bidding process by inviting Expressions of Interest (EoI) from potential suitors, Swamy has warned against such move, saying the issue was currently being discussed by a Parliamentary panel.

"Right now, it (Air India disinvestment) is before the consultative committee and I am a member of that. I have been asked to give a note which will be discussed in the next meeting. They can't go ahead without that," Swamy told media.

"If they do, I will go to court. They know that too," he cautioned.

A vocal opponent of Air India privatisation, Swamy had earlier suggested to list 49 per cent of Air India shares on stock exchanges while government holds 51 per cent in the carrier, as an alternative to selling its entire stake to private companies.

It has been reliably learnt that the Rajya Sabha member had expressed reservations over privatisation of Air India at the meeting of a Parliamentary consultative committee earlier this month.

After its failed first attempt, the Modi government has shown great zeal this time to sell Air India. It is set to offer a sweetened deal to potential buyers this time around by removing a large chunk of the debt and liabilities from the airline’s books.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier said that Air India will be shut down, in case the disinvestment exercise is not successful.

Sources told media that the preliminary information memorandum (PIM) inviting EoI has been tentatively scheduled to be unveiled on January 27.

Air India is proposed to be sold along with its subsidiary Air India Express and ground-handling joint venture company Air India Singapore Airport Terminal Services Ltd (AISATS) in which it has 50 per cent stake.

Air India on January 10 came out with a tender for engaging aircraft asset management companies for carrying out technical audit of its entire fleet.

A Ministerial panel on Air India chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah on January 7 approved the draft EoI and a share purchase agreement (SPA) for the airline's disinvestment.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11 Congress's performance touched a record low in the Delhi Assembly election as the party bagged less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled and 63 of its candidates lost their deposits.

The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trot under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed to open its account for the second consecutive assembly election in Delhi.

Only three of its candidates Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar managed to save their deposits.

Security deposit of a candidate is forfeited if he/she fails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes cast in a constituency.

Most of Congress candidates got less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies.

Delhi Congress chief Shubhash Chopra's daughter Shivani Chopra, who was the party candidate from Kalkaji, also could not save her deposit.

Former Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri's daughter Priyanka Singh also forfeited her deposit.

The party's campaign committee chairman Kirti Azad's wife, Poonam Azad, lost badly and stood fourth, polling only 2,604 (2.23) votes.

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