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Election Commission tells government to defer gas price hike

March 25, 2014
New Delhi, Mar 25: The Election Commission (EC) has asked the Centre to defer the notification of new gas price from April 1 after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contended that it will violate the poll code.

Mukesh-Ambani-kejriwal

The EC has taken note of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s argument that the notification amounts to the Union government violating the model code of conduct, which came into effect on March 5 with the announcement of election schedule.

EC Principal Secretary K Ajaya Kumar on Monday wrote to Saurabh Chandra, secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, conveying him the Commission’s decision to defer notifying the new gas price for the quarter from April to June this year.

He also informed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that the EC had taken the decision to defer the gas price hike after considering all “relevant facts”, including the fact that the matter was sub judice before the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal argued that the oil ministry will violate the model code of conduct if it raises gas price. He has alleged that the move to raise the price was aimed at providing windfall gains to Reliance Industries of Mukesh Ambani.

Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily had earlier stated that the proposal to raise gas prices for both public sector and private producers was twice considered and approved by the Union Cabinet. The ministry notified in January this year the “Domestic Natural Gas Pricing Guidelines, 2014” that will apply to all natural gas produced domestically, irrespective of the source, whether conventional, shale or coal-bed methane from April 1, 2014.

According to the new gas-pricing formula, the rates will be doubled from the current cost. For all domestically produced gas, the rates will be in the range of $8.2 - $8.4 per unit.

According to the notification, gas from April 1 would be priced at an average price of liquid gas (liquefied natural gas or LNG) imports into India and benchmark global gas rates. This formula will be applicable for five years till March 31, 2019.

The new rates will change every quarter based on the 12-month average of global rates and LNG import price with a lag of one quarter. This would apply to all gas produced by public and private sector firms.

The monthly revision of petrol and diesel prices, however, would not require EC nod as the government had taken the policy decision much earlier.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
August 1,2020

New Delhi, July 1: In a terrific incident with chilling echoes of the 2015 Dadri mob lynching, a Muslim man, who was carrying meat, was savagely attacked by a mob belonging to a saffron outfit in the presence of in BJP ruled Haryana on the eve of Eid al-Adha. 

The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. on Friday, July 31 at Badshahpur village in Haryana’s Gurgaon, when Lukman was transporting meat in a pic-kup truck. 

The attack was captured on mobile phones by onlookers and the video clips of the incident are now spreading on social media. 

A group of saffronite cow vigilantes chased the truck for about 8 km managed waylay it. Lukman, who was driving the truck was pulled out and brutally assaulted on the suspicion that he was transporting cow meat.

Just like Dadri, the police were faster at sending the meat to a lab for testing than catching any one of the suspects. One of the assailants - Pradeep Yadav- has been arrested. 

After being beating to an inch of his life, Lukman was bundled into the pick-up truck and taken back to Gurgaon's Badshahpur village where the goons started thrashing him again.

This is when the police stepped in and stopped them - only to find the assailants fearless enough to even take on them.

Lukman was taken to a hospital and the police filed a case against "unidentified individuals" even though the video of the incident recorded by witnesses shows the faces of the assailants.

The owner of the vehicles said that the meat was buffalo and he has been in the business for 50 years.

The police have so far refused to give a statement on record on the incident and explain their inaction as seen on video.

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News Network
February 1,2020

Feb 1: The Congress on Saturday expressed hope that the Union Budget would provide relief to the salaried class through tax cuts and invest in rural India besides providing a healing touch to the common man and industry facing “hardship” since demonetisation.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the last budget led to crashing consumption levels, soaring unemployment and falling GDP. “Budget 2019= Consumption crashed, Unemployment soared, Farm distress surged, Incomes declined, Investments slumped, Public spending fell, GDP nose dived!,” Surjewala tweeted. “Yet, Modiji gave Corporate Tax Cuts of Rs 1,45,000 crore. Let Budget 2020 give tax cuts to Salaried Class and invest in Rural India,” he said

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hoped the budget fulfils expectations of the common people. “Budget 2020 is the time for NDA government to provide a healing touch to common people and industries facing hardships since noteban. Hope the budget fulfils expectations of common people and provide relief across sections,” Gehlot said.

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Agencies
August 3,2020

New Delhi, Aug 3: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the timely supply of food and medical assistance to meet the requirement in Afghanistan.

During their telephonic conversation, PM Modi also reiterated India's commitment to the people of Afghanistan in their quest for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Monday.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual bilateral interest.
Both leaders also exchanged greetings on Eid-Al-Adha. 

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