Rift between BJP, allies
Call for rollback of fertiliser price
NEW DELHI, March 6 — Sharp differences emerged within the National Democratic Alliance today with allies of the BJP, urging the Government to roll back the hike in prices of foodgrains for families below the poverty line and fertiliser, announced in the Budget proposals for 2000-01.

Disagreement on RSS discussion
NEW DELHI, March 6 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s efforts to elicit the support of the BJP allies in the National Democratic Alliance to support a censure discussion on the vexed RSS issue in Parliament came a cropper today with the allies sticking to their demand that there should be no voting on the discussion.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi along with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a public meeting to protest against the policies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in New Delhi on Monday.
— Photo by Sondeep Shankar

Agriculture to get priority
Oppn boycotts Jacob’s Address
CHANDIGARH, March 6 — The Punjab Governor, Lt-Gen J.F.R. Jacob ( retd.), in his first address to the Vidhan Sabha here today while reiterating the old demands pertaining to the sharing of river waters and territory restoration to the state also assured the people of his government’s total administrative transparency and accountability.

DA, HRA, CCA taxable: SC
NEW DELHI, March 6 — In a significant judgement adversely affecting millions of employees both in the public and private sectors, the Supreme Court has held that the dearness allowance (DA), city compensatory allowance (CCA) and the house rent allowance (HRA) given to them would be “taxable income.”

Mild tax dose in J&K Budget
JAMMU, March 6 — Describing the next financial year as the year of recoveries of revenue both tax and non-tax, the Finance Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, today announced several measures for generating additional resources to decrease the deficit of Rs 2062 crore in the Budget proposals of Rs 7122.35 crore.

PM reshuffles portfolios
NEW DELHI, March 6 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today effected a minor reshuffle of portfolios of ministers following shifting of Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik as Chief Ministers of Bihar and Orissa, respectively.