|
 |
| L
A T E S T N E W S |
No roaming charges from next year: Kapil Sibal
NEW DELHI: Telecom minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said that mobile phone subscribers will not have to pay roaming charges from next year. "From next year. Our secretary has told you that it will be free from next year," Sibal said here in response to a query on the timing of removing roaming charges as proposed in the National Telecom Policy 2012.
The minister was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the curtain raiser event of India Internet Governance Conference. NTP 2012, approved in May, aims to abolish roaming charges and allow mobile phone subscribers to use same number across country without having to pay extra charges for services once they are outside their telecom circle.
Meanwhile, telecom secretary R Chandrashekhar said the Department of Telecom
(DoT) is working on Notice Inviting Applications for spectrum auction after which it will work on unified licence (UL) guidelines - also a part of the NTP 2012. — PTI
CWC to meet tomorrow
to chalk out strategy
NEW DELHI: With Mamata Banerjee walking out of the UPA and the government facing opposition heat on economic reforms, Congress top brass will meet on Tuesday to take stock of the present situation and chalk out the strategy ahead.
A meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to discuss on Tuesday morning the evolving political situation in the wake of Trinamool Congress severing ties with UPA and the government's determination to push ahead with reforms.
The meeting also comes at a time when there is a clear realisation in Congress that the vexed issue of Telangana cannot be kept hanging for long. Indications have been given that a decision on the issue will be taken shortly.
A couple of days back, Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan had a meeting with Gandhi, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and finance minister P Chidambaram, fuelling speculation that a decision may be on the cards. TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao is camping in the national capital for a meeting with Gandhi.
The CWC meeting is taking place in the backdrop of clear indications that Rahul Gandhi is going to assume a "larger role" in party affairs very soon.
The occassion could be utilised by the party to rally behind the Prime Minister, who is being targeted by opposition parties on a host of issues including FDI in multi-brand retail.
The timing of the meeting is crucial as it comes close on the heels of the opposition parties holding a nationwide bandh to oppose the government's decision on allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, hiking prices of diesel and putting a cap on supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to households.
The meeting is also signficant as it is being held ahead of the crucial assembly elections in three states including Narendra Modi-run Gujarat. — PTI
Mamata to lead protest against FDI on Oct 1
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will lead a demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Oct 1 against the UPA government's decision to hike diesel price, restrict subsidised LPG cylinders and allow FDI in multi-band retail.
In a post on social networking site Facebook on Monday, Banerjee also criticised the increase in fertiliser prices and vowed that her party will continue its fight "for the cause of common people with the help of 'Maa, Mati, Manush' throughout the country".
"On October 1, we, on behalf of the All-India Trinamool Congress, will be organising a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. We will highlight these issues and request the Central government to withdraw its anti-people decisions," she said.
Appealing to people to join the demonstration, Banerjee called for a united battle.
"Let us fight the battle boldly and unitedly. In a democracy, people are supreme. Our voice is the voice of the people. We must raise our voice, so that the government is forced to reconsider," she said.
Miffed over the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to hike diesel price and allow FDI, the Trinamool Congress Friday withdrew support to the ruling coalition at the
Centre, reducing it to a minority in the 545-seat Lok Sabha.
However, the Congress has the outside support of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party to sail past the magic figure of 273. — IANS
|
