Parliamentarians will soon be allowed to spend up to `10 lakhs annually from the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for providing assistance to the physically-challenged people.

While DMK MP Kanimozhi on Friday moved a Delhi court for bail against arrest in the 2G case, the officials of the Delhi’s Tihar Jail have started their preparations for her arrival. Sources have pointed out that Ms Kanimozhi might be shifted to Rohini Jail’s women wing soon after her arrival at Tihar.

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Mr Chavan met Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari here on Friday evening and handed over his resignation from the Upper House.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Maharahstra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on a petition challenging his recent election to the state Legislative Council.
Mr Chavan, who was sent to Maharasthra to replace Ashok Chavan in the wake of Adarsh scam, got entry to the Upper House of the state to meet the mandatory constitutional requirement of getting elected to either house of the state legislature within six months.

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party is seriously mulling the idea of not contesting the local bodies which will now be held on party symbols.
The Allahabad high court, on Thursday, had struck down the Mayawati’s government’s controversial decision to hold partyless civic polls.

Continuing its tough stance against illegal mining in Karnataka the Supreme Court on Friday ordered fresh demarcation of ninety-nine mining leases and suspended the operation by one company after finding that more than 1,081 hectares of precious forests had been eaten up by them over the years.

Minister of environment and forests (MoEF) Jairam Ramesh has ordered the lifting of the stop work order on the controversial Maheshwar Hydel Project being constructed on the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh by the S. Kumars Group of Companies.

The Americans claim they were led to the Abbottabad compound by homing in on a “courier” of Osama bin Laden. A Saudi Arabian newspaper has suggested Bin Laden was betrayed by Ayman al-Zawahiri, his Egyptian number two. In India, though, the security establishment is pursuing a different approach.

Former external affairs minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday said its “high time” that India shed its image of a “soft state” and bring to book perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Favouring a US-like surgical strike in Pakistan, Mr Sinha said Indian lives are “as precious as” those of the US citizens and

Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta on Friday sought termination of agreement with the private power distribution companies (discoms) and bringing in place nine better companies in as many districts in the city.