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3:06 PM

Adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over public procurement process amid Agri Reform Bills

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday gave an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over the apprehension on public procurement process carried out by the Food Corporation of India in the wake of Agriculture Reform Bills.
 

This comes after three ordinances were promulgated to usher in agricultural reforms for raising the income of the farmers and giving them more freedom to sell their produce. Besides Punjab, farmer protests have been witnessed in Telangana and Haryana.

2:50 PM

Bengal has become home to illegal bomb-making: Dhankhar on NIA arrests

West Bengal has become "home to illegal bomb-making" and the state administration cannot escape its accountability for the "alarming decline" in law and order, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Saturday.
 

The governor's comments came after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested nine terrorists associated with a Pakistan-sponsored module of the al-Qaeda from several locations in West Bengal's Murshidabad and Kerala's Ernakulam early on Saturday.

2:35 PM

Pakistan is trying to disturb peace in J&K by using drones to drop weapons: J&K DGP

2:28 PM

Incidents of violence against health workers declined dramatically after ordinance: Health Min

A "dramatic" decline in the number of incidents of violence against health workers has been witnessed in the country after an ordinance was brought, making such activities a non-bailable offence, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Rajya Sabha on Saturday.
 

The government brought an ordinance on April 22 to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to make incidents of violence on health workers treating COVID-19 patients a non-bailable offence with provisions of penalty and a jail term of up to seven years.

2:17 PM

India's fuel demand to contract 11.5% in 2020: Fitch Solutions

Fitch Solutions has revised downward its forecast for fuel demand contraction in India to 11.5 per cent in 2020 in line with further deterioration in the country's economic outlook.
 

Its economists forecast India's real GDP to contract by 8.6 per cent in the fiscal year 2020-21 (April 2020 to March 2021), down from -4.5 per cent previously.

2:07 PM

Sena questions Modi govt's policies, praises Vajpayee-era NDA

The Shiv Sena on Saturday questioned the Modi government's policies on economy, trade and agriculture, and alleged that it was moving towards privatisation of airports, Air India and railways and giving the control of farmers' lives to traders and private players.
 

The party also alleged that the Centre introduced Bills on agriculture "without consulting" its allies,farmers' organisationsor opposition parties, and said the resignation of Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has brought the issue to the fore.

1:22 PM

97 people died while travelling on Shramik Special trains: Piyush Goyal

The government has informed the Rajya Sabha that 97 people died on board the Shramik Specials, admitting for the first time that migrant labourers lost their lives in the trains which were run to ferry them during the COVID-19 lockdown.

 

In a written answer to a question posed by TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Friday, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal provided the statistics to the upper house of parliament.

 

 

"Based on the data provided by State Police, 97 persons have been reported dead till 09.09.2020 while travelling on board Shramik Special Trains during current Covid-19 situation/crisis," the minister said.

12:59 PM

Most RS Oppn members back amendments in IBC, some flag possible misuse

A majority of Rajya Sabha Opposition members Saturday supported a Bill granting interim relief to businesses from insolvency proceedings, even as some expressed fears over its possible misuse, and urged the government to also help the poor during the crisis.

The Upper House passed by a voice vote the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020', whereby fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least six months, starting from March 25, against companies in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Most Opposition members supported the bill, expressing hope that it would help achieve an early revival of the economy.

Praful Patel (NCP) said there is nothing in the Bill to object to, but called for relief in the form of interest subvention for tourism, transport and airline sectors as they were reeling under financial stress.

"We need to go in for major amendments in the Bill, he said. There is going to be a serious problem even in the post-moratorium period. We may have to think 'out of the box' to help businesses, the way things are.

12:56 PM

Harsh Vardhan moves Epidemic Diseases, Amendment Bill, 2020 for consideration in RS

The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Saturday.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan moved the bill to be taken up for consideration in the Upper House.

"In the year 2020, there has been an extraordinary situation around the world and also in the country. Many healthcare workers including doctors, paramedics were insulted in some form or the other, due to stigma attached to COVID-19. Centre government acted on this situation and found that there was a need for a law, a prohibitory mechanism against such incidents," Dr Harsh Vardhan said in the Rajya Sabha.

12:54 PM

Gig firms to contribute 1-2% of turnover for social security of workers

Gig companies will soon have to allot one-two per cent of their annual turnover for social security funds of their workers, according to a new labour law scheduled to be tabled in the Parliament on Saturday.

 

This is the first time that “aggregators”—ride-sharing services, food and grocery delivery, logistic services, e-market places among them”—will be asked to contribute for the social security of gig economy workers. Read More

 

12:52 PM

LG Manoj Sinha announces Rs 1,350 cr economic package for Jammu and Kashmir

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday announced a relief package of Rs 1350 crore for Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to boost the business and the other ailing sectors that have suffered huge losses for several years in the newly formed Union Territory (UT).

 

While addressing a press conference at Raj Bhawan, LG Sinha said: "This was just a beginning and much more was in the offing".He also lauded the Committee for submitting the report in a given time frame.

 

"I am glad to announce a Rs 1,350 crores economic package for the people in the business community facing economic difficulties. This is additional to the benefits of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and other measures taken by us to comfort the business community," he said.

 

"We have decided to give 5 per cent interest subvention to every borrower from the business community, without any conditions for six months in the current financial year. This will be a huge relief and help in generating employment here," he added.

 

"I also want to highlight that this is for the first time here in so many years that the Committee has submitted the report in the given time frame which was 12 days," Sinha further stated.

11:56 AM

50% discount to be given for a year in electricity&water bills. Stamp duty exempted up to March 2021 in case of all borrowers

11:52 AM

Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes off shore of Greece's Crete

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake has been registered off the shore of the Greek island of Crete, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said.

The tremor was recorded at 16:28 GMT, with the epicentre of the earthquake located 55 kilometres (34 miles) of the city of Heraklion at a depth of 60 kilometres.

No tsunami alert has been declared. There are no reports about any damages or victims caused by the earthquake.

Greece lies in a seismologically active region as the Mediterranean Sea is a border between the African and Eurasian plates. The movement of the African plate to the north - where the Eurasian plate lies - sometimes causes earthquakes and has already resulted in the formation of several mountain ranges in Europe, including the Alps.

11:33 AM

RITES announces share buyback at Rs 265 per share

The board of directors at government-owned RITES Ltd has approved buy-back of 96.98 lakh equity shares with a face value of Rs 10 each at Rs 265 per share, translating into the total buyback amount not exceeding Rs 257 crore.

The company was listed in July 2018. At present 72.02 per cent of its shares are held by the government and the balance are with public and financial institutions.

Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Mehrotra said the company has strong financial fundamentals with a debt-free balance sheet.

"This share repurchase programme reflects management's confidence in the company and growth prospects in sectors and geographies where we operate," he said in a statement.

11:24 AM

TikTok drags US govt to court over President Trump's threat of ban

TikTok asked a judge to block the Trump administration from enacting a ban on the Chinese social-media network, as the company brought a geopolitical fight over technology and trade into a U.S. courtroom.

 

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., filed a complaint in Washington federal court late Friday night challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order that would block U.S. companies from doing business with them.

 

 

Trump exceeded his authority when he moved to ban the app, and did so for political reasons rather than to stop an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the U.S., as the law requires, according to the complaint. TikTok also said the ban violates the company’s First Amendment free speech rights.