Daily News Notes

· Finance Minister said the government has brought out the National Manufacturing Policy and the FDI in retail sector to boost the economy, thus has expressed hope that consensus will emerge amongst the political parties on Foreign Direct Investment also in retail sector. He also said that India has to invest in infrstructure sector for sustainable growth.
· Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that Government has no proposal to extend the winter session of Parliament to pass the Lokpal Bill but government is working overtime to evolve a consensus on Lokpal with 33 political parties. Meanwhile, Members of Parliamentary Forum of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes today again staged a protest in the Parliament House Complex demanding reservation for SC, ST, Backward Classes, Minority Communities and Women in Lokpal, apart from Judiciary and private sector.
· The BJP today demanded a week-long special session of Parliament to discuss the agrarian crisis in the country and for total structural changes in the policies and programmes. They also underlined the need for having a separate budget for agriculture and demanded that the government should allow exports of agricultural produce while banning on foreign companies selling low quality inputs in agriculture.
· The Centre has decided to set up 71 apart from 48 (which are already functional) additional special courts exclusively for the trial of CBI cases in different states. There are more than 7000 cases pending under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 till date.
· The government has earmarked 20 thousand crore rupees under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and planning to connect the more new areas under the scheme and Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are the thrust areas in this regard.
· The government today said that the three-month long agitation by a section of the local people has hampered the work on the project resulting in the delay in commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant while units One and Two are at an advanced stage of commissioning and is made ready for fuel loading. Meanwhile, the central expert committee led by Dr A E Muthunayagam met the panel formed by the Tamil Nadu government today to find a solution to the Koodankulam Nuclear power plant issue.
· Referring to dams of similar nature at the US, France and England, the Chief Minister of TN assured that Mullaperiyar Dam is safe in all aspects. Taking note of the various measures towards strengthening the dam, she said that utmost care and concern of the lives of the people in the area was taken into account while ensuring the safety aspects. She also asked Kerala government to bring in necessary amendments in the Kerala Irrigation and water protection Act passed in 2006 and accept the Supreme Court’s order to increase the water level and allow TN continue the strengthening work at the Dam so that the water level is raised. While, Kerala Chief Minister said that his state is willing to enter into a tripartite agreement on the issue and enact a law assuring Tamil Nadu that it will get same quantity of water from the new dam.
· The Death toll in the hooch tragedy in West Bengal has mounted to 107 when more than hundred people fell ill after consuming illicit liquor.
· A meeting of the Committee of Governors on Farmer-Industry Partnership, headed by the Punjab and Rajasthan Governor Mr.Shivraj Patil, was held today at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi to discuss rain fed area farming and application of knowledge in these areas. The President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil is chairing the meeting in which programmes for dry land farming, animal husbandry and fisheries for sustainable agriculture, farmer industry partnership and the role of Panchayats in the development of agriculture infrastructure were also came up.
· Enhancing bilateral consultations in international forums like the UNSC, G-20, BRICS and the East Asia Summit will be high on the agenda of talks between the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Russian President Medvedev, besides matters of International and regional issues of mutual concern. The Prime Minister asserted that Indo-Russia Relation encompass diverse sectors including nuclear energy, defence, space, science and technology, hydrocarbons, trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges.
· Food inflation (measured by the Wholesale Price Index) fell to a nearly four-year low of 4.35% during the week ended December as compared to 10.78% last year.
· India`s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal stormed into the elimination round of the BWF Super Series Finals with a straight-game victory over Sayaka Sato of Japan in the women`s singles in Liuzhou, ChinaWorld number four Saina, who had defeated Korean Youn Joo Bae yesterdaySaina will now face World number three Xin Wang, who has always enjoyed an upper hand against the Indian, defeating her four times. Tomorrow`s encounter will decide who will top the Group B.Saina had lost to Xin in the finals of the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold to finish runner-up.Saina had a highly successful last year, winning a hat-trick of Super Series titles -- Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong -- beside the Commonwealth Games gold medal and the Indian Grand Prix.However, so far this year, the Indian has won only the Swiss Grand Prix Gold, besides two runners-up finishes at Malaysia and Indonesia.