Deora moves Bill

IN PARLIAMENT

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora on Monday introduced the amended Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Bill, 2006, in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill envisages setting up of a regulator for downstream petroleum and natural gas activities. Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill on March 2.

Don't sell Balco stake

Lok Sabha members cutting across party lines on Monday voiced concern over sale of the remaining 49 per cent stake in Balco. "The government will lose as much as Rs 9,000 crore if it proceeds with the sale at Rs 77 per share as evaluated by SBI caps. The actual value of each share is around Rs 1,000," Ram Gopal Yadav of the SP said. He was joined by Prabhunath Singh (JD-U) and Ram Kirpal Yadav (RJD).

Fatmi moves Bill

Minister of State for Human Resource Development FAA Fatmi on Monday introduced the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages University Bill, 2006, in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to convert the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages University at Hyderabad into a central university.

MPs reprimanded

Lok Sabha on Monday reprimanded four members held guilty in the MPLAD scam by a parliamentary committee and suspended them till March 22 for their "improper conduct" in the implementation of the scheme. The House unanimously adopted a resolution, moved by leader of the House, Pranab Mukherjee, in this regard, a week after the V Kishore Chandra Deo Committee recommended the punishment.