Govt in damage control mode
Sonia writes to all Cong CMs to cut ST on petrol
New Delhi, June 5
Under attack for the massive hike in fuel prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi have gone into a damage control mode. Clearly worried about the adverse political fallout of this decision, Sonia asked all Congress state governments to reduce sales tax on petroleum products, while the Centre unfolded a string of austerity measures for ministries with the Prime Minister writing individually to all ministers to cut down wasteful expenditure, especially on foreign travel.

Punjab not to cut ST on petro products

Bandh cripples life in Left-ruled states
New Delhi, June 5
Normal life came to a grinding halt in Left-ruled West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura today, as the ruling fronts in these states enforced a dawn-to-dusk bandh in protest against the steep hike in petroleum products enforced by the UPA government.

A stranded hawker at Shantiniketan station on Thursday as West Bengal remained shut owing to a bandh called by the Left Front in protest against the hike in fuel prices. — PTI

Retirement age of teaching docs raised
New Delhi, June 5
The Union Cabinet today raised the retirement age of specialists teaching Central Health Service doctors from 62 to 65 years. The Cabinet, at its meeting chaired by Manmohan Singh, gave the clearance for increasing the retirement age that would help the availability of teaching specialists for longer time.

Scholarships
Kolkata Metro

N-deal
Advani firm on testing option
Pune, June 5
Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani said today that he would have no objection to the signing of the much- debated nuclear deal with the US if it was renegotiated to allow the option of further nuclear testing. “We have no problem with the supply of nuclear fuel from America for our reactors and for generation of atomic energy. But we have to ponder over at what cost we are going to get it,” Advani remarked at a book release function here.

Loksatta editor’s house attacked
Mumbai, June 5
Activists of the Shiv Sangram Sanghathana today attacked the residence of Kumar Ketkar, editor of Loksatta newspaper, allegedly in reaction to an editorial penned by him in the newspaper on the Maharashtra government’s decision to build a memorial to Shivaji Maharaj. Members of the organisation led by one Vinayak Mete gathered at Ketkar's residence in Thane city and smeared black paint on the walls and damaged property.

Editors Guild condemns attack