Govt to provide direct subsidy for kerosene
The government on Tuesday said it planned to provide direct subsidy to beneficiaries of kerosene oil and a pilot project in this regard in Alwar district of Rajasthan was yielding good results. ?Direct subsidy on kerosene is planned in future … We have to move towards it. It will be done using UID cards …. We are benefiting from the pilot project,? minister of state for petroleum and natural gas RPN Singh said in the Rajya Sabha. He said the government had provided subsidy of R1,38,541 crore during 2011-12 and a subsidy burden of R1,89,605 crore on petroleum products was due during the current year.
Bill to access loans from Sidbi introduced in LS
The government on Tuesday introduced a Bill to allow film makers and those running amusement parks, restaurants and travel agencies to access loans from Sidbi. The Small Industrial Development Bank of India (Amendment) Bill 2012 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and will amend the SIDBI Act of 1989. According to the statement of objectives and reasons of the bill, an amendment will replace definition and expression of ?industrial concern in small sector? with, ?industrial concern or micro enterprise or small enterprise or medium enterprise? in the Sidbi Act, 1989.
Govt drafts Bill to set up biotech regulatory body
The government has drafted a bill which seeks setting up of a biotechnology regulatory authority to regulate manufacture, import and use of organisms and products of modern bio-technology. The draft Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill, 2012, aims to set up an autonomous regulatory body comprising a chairperson, two whole-time members and two part-time members, minister of state for agriculture Harish Rawat said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Replying to a question that when the watchdog would be set up, Rawat said, ?No time frame can be given for establishment of the said authority at this stage.?
Prasar Bharati sets up panel on TV content
Prasar Bharati has constituted a committee for reviewing programme content of its channels and to review fee structures of radio and television artists. ?The Prasar Bharati secretariat has intimated that the Prasar Bharati board has constituted a committee for reviewing programme content on its various channels,? minister of state in the information and broadcasting ministry CM Jatua told Lok Sabha in response to a query. ?One of the mandates of this committee is to review the existing fee structures of various categories of radio and television artists,? he said.
