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Jairam orders performance audit of MGNREGS
- After the Andhra Pradesh government violated the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act by providing work to households in excess of the legal entitlement of 100 days, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to conduct a performance audit in 12 States that had made the greatest expenditure under the scheme.
- In several States, the material-labour ratio of 40:60 of expenditure under the MGNREGS has been breached
Local authorities have no power to levy tax on mobile towers: HC
- The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday held that local authorities — corporations, municipalities and panchayats — do not have power to levy tax on telecommunication towers erected on land or on buildings of telecom service providers.
- The Bench set aside the November 25, 2010, order of a single judge who had held that the telecommunication towers fall under the definition of “buildings” and hence local authorities could levy tax on them.
Unesco heritage sites on J&K stamps
- The Department of Posts in Jammu and Kashmir is contemplating bringing out stamps on all the 24 world heritage sites in India as listed by Unesco.
- Department would bring out special covers and stamps on Mubarak Mandi Akhnoor Fort and Ambara Buddhist monastery.
- The department also inaugurated the “My Stamp” programme (J&K is the first state to launch)
- Under it, a customer can personalise the stamps and other postal stationery.
‘Public sentiments no basis to deny bail’
- Declaring that the right to bail cannot be denied merely because of the community's sentiments against the accused, the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to five corporate executives, accused in the 2G spectrum case.
- When undertrial prisoners are detained in jail custody for an indefinite period, Article 21 of the Constitution (right to life and liberty) is violated.
- The Bench said: “We are conscious of the fact that the accused are charged with economic offences of a huge magnitude. We are also conscious of the fact that the offences alleged, if proved, may jeopardise the economy of the country. At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the investigating agency has already completed the investigation and the charge sheet is filed.
