Trump, India & Modi

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

It is no longer a remote possibility. Though the US presidential election is still a good eight months away. But its time to brace up for White House to receive, as its next occupant, Donald Trump, "a bully, showman, party-crasher and demagogue" as TIME said in its cover story. "His (Trump's) is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader", says Mitt Romney, 2012 Republican candidate. He called Trump a "phoney" who is "playing the American public for suckers", a man whose "imagination must not be married to real power". If it happens, how exactly will the world respond to a potential dictator elected as the 45th President of the USA?

FM proves mettle, earns praise

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

FM proves mettle, earns praise

Oppn fumbles

Harish Gupta New Delhi, Feb. 29

Finance minister Arun Jaitley passed his litmus test with flying colours on Monday. If he earned kudos from economists for massive spending proposals for rural & infrastructure development while sticking to fiscal deficit target of 3.5%, political class acclaimed it for taking care of the poor, women and weaker sections.

Ministers spent whopping ` 566 cr on travel this year

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Ministers spent whopping ` 566 cr on travel this year

LT Exclusive

Harish Gupta New Delhi, Feb. 29

How much money was spent on travel of Council of Ministers in the Modi government including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year?

WHO KILLED THE BANKS?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Next week, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, presents the 2016-17 budget, the fear of many trillions of stressed assets hangs on him like Damocles’ sword. It is a real fear, not an imaginary one, like that of Islamists and Maoists hatching sinister plots from the JNU campus. The ghost of bad loans by banks was stalking the government for quite some time but its enormity became evident after Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan ordered an asset quality review last year of the 40-odd PSU banks for the two successive quarters ending in December 2015 and March 2016.

Govt, Oppn deadlock continues

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Govt, Oppn deadlock continues

Budget session begins today: No disruption, but no Bills either in first part

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb. 22

Even as the government and two presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are working hard to ensure a fruitful Budget session beginning tomorrow, a united Opposition is turning out to be a big headache. 

According to all indications, the Opposition is unlikely to allow any government business to be transacted other than the presentation of Rail and Union Budgets, at least in the first part ending March 16. Several crucial bills including the GST, Real Estate and Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment, may be taken up only in the second half of the session after the recess on April 25. The mood of the Parliament in the second half will, obviously, be decided as per the outcome of Assembly poll results in five states.

The Jat reservation agitation and unabated violence came at the worst time for the Modi government which is already struggling with unrest at the JNU and University of Hyderabad. The only saving grace for the BJP is that it does not have to bring before the House proclamation imposing President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh now that a new government has been installed.

But the government has to ensure the passage of the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill as an Ordinance has already been issued by the President and the Parliament has to adopt it. There are disputes on the Bill. But the government has made it a finance Bill and then it may not need the Rajya Sabha's majority approval. The IPA parties are strongly opposed to the Bill. The government is aware that two previous sessions had been a washout. Therefore, it wants to ensure a smooth sailing in the Budget session. The fact that parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu specially convened an all-party meeting this morning fully knowing that Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan has called a similar meeting in the evening, is a reflection of government desperation. Venkaiah Naidu said the government is ready to discuss any issue in Parliament and made an appeal that legislative business be allowed to be transacted. Sumitra Mahajan, on her part, did not want any disruption in the House and sought the cooperation of all the parties. Last week, the Prime Minister also took the unusual step by holding an all-party meeting which was followed by another meeting by chairman of the Rajya Sabha Hamid Ansari. On the Jat reservation issue, Venkaiah Naidu said he would hold discussions on the issue once the situation is normalised. "Party has formed a committee but normalcy should return first, as we can only debate and analyse about all the issues when situation is normal," Naidu said. 

Top Priority Bills 

The GST Bill

The Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation ) Bill

The Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Amendment Bill

The Anti-Hijacking Bill

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill

The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill

The Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill

The National Waterways Bill

The Bureau of Indian Standards Bill

The Whistle Blower protection (Amendment) Bill

The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill

The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill

The Indian Institute of Management Bill