On this day 10 years ago the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act was passed in the Lok Sabha. Its conception and passage was the result of the decades of struggles and sacrifices of millions of tribals across India, of their organisations, of numerous activists and intellectuals working on tribal issues, and because of the commitment and efforts of the Left parties. Read more
Courtesy: The Hindu
The Court held that the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, a Parliament enacted legislation, will have overriding effect over the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act, 1960, which restricts sale of mortgaged properties by the banks to non-tribal. Read more
Courtesy: The Hans India
Vigilance will probe into allegations of favouring a private bank by the then Project Director of DRDA cum Chief Executive Officer of DMFT, Jharsuguda violating norms in regard to deposit of huge sum of fund of District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) in the district.
It is learnt that more than Rs 69 crore was deposited in the bank account without knowledge of the then district Collector Paramesaran B. After the mater became public, the Vigilance has directed for probe into the matter.
Sources said an amount of Rs 69,73,98,000 of DMFT was deposited in a private bank till May. As per circular of State Finance Department, State grant can be deposited only in 11 notified nationalized banks, two regional banks and one private bank. But violating all norms, the money was deposited in an un-notified private bank under savings account carrying less interest rate resulting in loss to the State exchequer to a tune of more than Rs 20 lakh per month. Read more
Courtesy: the pioneer
In a matter related to the levy of additional royalty under the amended Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed proceedings before various high courts on the issue. It also transferred to itself a petition filed by the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) challenging the central government notification asking the miners to contribute to the District Mineral Foundation (DMF).
A bench headed by justice Dipak Misra said that the interested parties can approach it after transfer of the case from the Delhi High Court.
The Union mines ministry had come out with a notification in September 2015 asking the miners to pay their contribution to the DMF with retrospective effect from January 12, 2015, when the new MMDR Act was enforced. Read more
Courtesy: Financial Express
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is open to let the State government schemes become part of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. But, with a caveat that the State schemes will be subsumed under the Ujjwala brand.
Already, Chhattisgarh has decided to be part of the scheme which would mean Ujjwala beneficiaries can get LPG connections at only Rs.200.
“If they (state governments) can join the scheme, then I don’t have an issue. However, Ujjwala will remain the branding. It will be open for all but the Ujjwala brand will not be diluted,” Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas told BusinessLine.
Under Ujjwala, the Centre has decided to bear Rs.1,600 out of the total cost of Rs.3,200 for LPG connections. This scheme is only for the women members of below poverty line families. Read more
Courtesy: Business Line
