No assurance on Air India bailout yet

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Even with the private airlines calling off their planned protest of August 18, the Union Government has stood firm and ruled out any financial bailout for them. Speaking to the reporters here on Monday Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said, "There is no question of a financial bailout for private airlines." He also made it clear that the government would not bail out Air India.

July 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Construction major Gammon India is likely to get off the hook as the company is "very important" to Delhi Metro for the completion of its projects in time, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) indicated Tuesday as it blacklisted two other firms for the July 12 mishap that killed six people and injured 15 others. "Gammon India is very important for us.

July 20th, 2009 Watchdog: Treasury bailout disclosure falls shortWASHINGTON — The government's main watchdog over the federal financial bailout says the Treasury Department has repeatedly failed to adopt recommendations aimed at making the $700 billion program more accountable and transparent. Neil Barofsky (buh-RAHF'-skee), the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, says in a report to Congress that Treasury's inaction means taxpayers have not been told what the financial institutions that have received assistance are doing with the money.

July 18th, 2009 DHAKA - Urging India to cancel plans to build a dam in an area near the Bangladesh border, opposition leader Khaleda Zia Saturday exhorted the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina "not to bow" to India on the issue. Zia offered the government "full cooperation" in resisting India's plans to construct a dam on the Barak river at Tipaimukh in Manipur, saying it would have disastrous impact on the environment in both countries, bdnews24.com news agency reported.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - National carrier Air India has been asked to present its restructuring plan within a month, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said Thursday and reiterated that the airline cannot take the government for granted. "The government wants to know what is needed to be implemented in coming weeks and years.

June 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Government on Monday said that the composite dialogue with Pakistan could be resumed only after Islamabad gives an assurance that Mumbai attacks like incidents would not be allowed to emanate from its soil. Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, speaking in the national capital, said, "New Delhi is willing to engage in dialogue with Islamabad but it expects certain very positive actions from the other side that its territory will not be willfully used to do us harm." Tharoor also demanded that Pakistan should bring the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to book, an action which would help in reviving the Indo-Pak dialogue.

June 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Yielding to pressure from its employees, cash-strapped national carrier Air India Monday decided to give them their June salary July 3, instead of July 15 it decided earlier. "The management has told us that we would get our salaries on July 3.

June 26th, 2009 MUMBAI - Air India's top management is holding a meeting with employees' representatives Friday night here to discuss its proposals to cut wage costs. Both sides held a meeting Thursday, but failed to reach a consensus on the cash-strapped airline's proposals to cut costs.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Wednesday said the government would support and help bail out the loss-making national carrier Air India, but stopped short of spelling out the size or nature of the package. Patel discussed a bailout plan with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

June 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's flag carrier Air India, which is struggling to cope with a cash crunch, will ask for a Rs.10,000-crore (about $2 billion) bailout package from the central government, a senior official said. Airline officials, who discussed the airline's financial problems with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Tuesday night, will meet top government officials again seeking help.

June 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday urged Indian students studying in Australia to concentrate on their studies and exercise restraint rather than retaliate. Krishna said, the government had got assurance from the Australian authorities that full care will be taken about safety of Indian students on its soil.

June 9th, 2009 List of 10 banks that will repay bailout moneyThe Treasury has given 10 banks permission pay back a total of $68 billion in government bailout money. The banks include the eight recipients of bailout money that passed regulators' stress test last month, plus the investment bank Morgan Stanley and Chicago-based custody bank Northern Trust Corp.

June 5th, 2009 KOLKATA - N.S.R. Chandraprasad Friday took over as chairman-cum-managing director of National Insurance Co, succeeding V.

March 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajiv Shukla on Thursday said that the South African Government has consented to provide all security measures to the teams participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL). "Security precautions would be taken in South Africa.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The US Friday welcomed the recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying that the turnout of voters in large numbers showed 'a return to normalcy with peace and the assurance of increased security'. 'I was especially impressed by the election process and its outcome in Jammu and Kashmir.