Mumbai attacks trigger 34 percent hike in defence allocation

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The 34 percent hike in the defence budget for 2009-10 is driven more by the increased salaries granted to government employees on a pay panel's recommendations than by the armed forces' need for capacity building, experts say. The hike of 34 percent over last year is misleading.

July 6th, 2009 MUMBAI - The All India Association of Industries (AIAI) has welcomed the hikes in allocations for infrastructure, agriculture and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for exports in the fiscal 2009-10 budget announced Monday, and termed the move as growth-oriented". According to AIAI president Vijay Kalantri, the increased allocation of Rs.5,000 crore for railways, 23 percent for national highways, higher allocation for gas grid, Rs.7,000 crore for rural electrification and 87 percent increase in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission would generate employment and serve as a growth stimulus.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's defence expenditure during 2009-10 remains unchanged from Rs.141,703 crore ($28 billion) allocated in the interim budget earlier this year - which was a hike of 34 percent over the previous year. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha, had a word of cheer for soldiers and junior commissioned officers (JCOs), saying their pensions would be enhanced.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday stepped up by 45 percent the budgetary allocation for the flagship Bharat Nirman (Build India) programme that focuses on rural development and poverty alleviation.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The allocation for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has been increased by 87 percent to Rs.12,887 crore, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while presenting the union budget in parliament Monday. Additionally, the Indira Awas Yojna, a housing programme for the poor, has been allocated Rs.2,000 crore, while a Rs.2,000-crore special fund has been set up to finance rural housing projects.

June 24th, 2009 MUMBAI - At least 35 people, including eight women were injured on Wednesday during a protest staged by the Shiv Sena party here against power tariff hike in Mumbai. "Reliance is trying to have a monopoly here.

June 18th, 2009 MUMBAI - Low-cost carrier SpiceJet Thursday hiked its fuel surcharge by Rs.400 following a recent hike in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rates. "We have increased fuel surcharge by Rs.400 on our flights with immediate effect," Samyukta Shreedharan, SpiceJet chief operating officer, told reporters here.

June 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Government on Thursday set up a high level committee under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to review the measures taken for coastal security at regular intervals and monitor developments taken after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The other members of the committee will include the Chief of Naval Staff, Secretaries of all concerned Ministries such as Defence, Home, Petroleum and Chief Secretaries of Coastal States.

June 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has hiked its defence spending for fiscal 2009-10 to Rs.347 billion ($4 billion) in the budget presented in parliament Saturday. Of this, Rs.343 billion has been allocated for the armed forces, Rs.463 million for defence production and Rs.840 million for the defence division, Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar said while delivering the first budget speech by a woman in Pakistan's history.

June 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pointing to the acquisition of modern weapons and systems by its eastern neighbour, Pakistan says it is unable to change its India-specific pattern of defence spending. If you are suggesting that we should take something out of here and put it in another box that would not be a wise strategy.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying a 'threshold has been crossed' with the Mumbai terror attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee hiked the allocation for defence by 34 percent to Rs.141,703 crore (Rs.1.417 trillion) in the interim budget for 2009-10 he presented in the Lok Sabha Monday. The allocation is nearly 15 percent of the total interim budget of Rs.953,231 crore for the fiscal beginning April 1.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Security experts have viewed as marginal the 34 percent hike in the defence allocation in the interim budget for 2009-10 presented in the Lok Sabha Monday, pointing to the armed forces returning Rs.7,000 crore from what had been earmarked for arms purchases during the fiscal ending Mar 31. 'On the face of it they are talking about an increase of 25 percent (in real terms) but much of it is going to be used to pay arrears to the armed forces personnel after the (hikes recommended by the) Sixth Pay Commission,' defence analyst Commodore (retd) C.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying that the Mumbai terror attacks had given 'an entirely new dimension' to cross-border terrorism, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee raised the allocation for defence 34 percent to Rs.1,41,703 crore (Rs.1.417 trillion) in the interim budget for 2009-10 he presented in the Lok Sabha Monday. The total revised expenditure for 2008-09 was Rs.1,14,600 crore against the allocation of Rs.1,05,600 crore, said Mukherjee, who was presenting the budget on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is recovering from coronary bypass surgery.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Maintaining a 'threshold has been crossed' with the Mumbai terror attacks, the Indian government hiked the allocation for defence by 34 percent to Rs.141,703 crore (Rs.1.417 trillion) in the interim budget for 2009-10 that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented in the Lok Sabha Monday. 'We welcome the budget,' Defence Minister A.K.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's defence expenditure for 2009-10 has been hiked to Rs.1.41 trillion, acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Monday in the Lok Sabha while presenting the interim budget for the fiscal beginning April 1. The allocation for 2008-09 was Rs.1.05 trillion.