Daily News Notes

· The Madras High Court today granted an interim stay for eight weeks on the execution of the three convicts Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. The Tamilnadu Assembly today adopted an unanimous motion on the rejection of the mercy petition. Chief Minister Ms.J.Jayalalithaa spoke in the Assembly appealing to the President of India to review the rejection.
· Mr. Jairam Ramesh said, that under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) funds will be given for the construction of bridges in these areas. He also informed that there is no proposal to add hamlets with a population of two hundred to cover under the PMGSY. He said that a total of 3 lakh and 28 thousand kilometer length of roads have been completed.
· The government has appointed a commission, headed by Justice Srikrishna, to rewrite several old financial legislation. Commission is expected to submit its report within 18 months. Benami Transactions (Prohibition) bill of 1988 was introduced in Parliament, which was delayed for 23 years, on 18^th Aug.
· A multi disciplinary group has been set up at the central level to enquire into the source of funding of Kashmiri terrorists. 43 cases of terror funding have been registered since 2009.
· Government says that it has approved raising of a specialised force{ Special Indian Reserve Battalions and will have two parts, Security Companies and Engineering Companies } for Naxal affected areas to implement various development projects. These include infrastructural facilities and provision of security and technical assistance to such projects.
· Government says it has no proposal to publish any white paper on black money. But, Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT is examining ways to strengthen laws to curb generation of black money and its illegal transfer and recovery. They include enacting and amending laws to confiscate and recover such assets and provide for exemplary punishment against its perpetrators.
· Transport secretaries of Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir were today issued notices by the Supreme Court seeking their response on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for failure to implement its order on tamper-proof high security number plates and licences for vehicles. It also directed all the states, which have not implemented the scheme, within eight weeks.
· The Election Commission has termed the demand for the right to reject candidates in elections as a ticklish affair, as it required a bit of debate because a situation of majority of the people rejecting all candidates also has to be considered. Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said the right to recall candidates has not been on the agenda of the Commission at all.
· The PMO was asked to give details of allegations of corruption(under RTI) levelled against Hazare and his three associates by Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh and MP Manish Tewari.
· In Japan, Yoshihiko Noda (of ruling Democratic Party) was elected as the new Prime Minister today following his winning a majority of votes in elections held in the House of Representatives, which is more powerful in the Diet or parliament.
· Eid al-Fitr is being celebrated in several countries across Gulf and West Asia region today with traditional fervour and gaiety. During the festival, people visit friends and families and offer sweets to guests, while large numbers of people gather at parks for celebrations.
· India's economy grew by just 7.7 per cent in the first quarter of the 2011-12 financial year, compared to 8.8 per cent growth in the same three-month period last fiscal.