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Basu warns against fuel price hike
Kolkata: Senior CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu has warned of a countrywide agitation in case the center decides to go ahead with an increase in fuel prices. "We will build a big movement against rise in prices of petro products", Basu told reporters after the party's politburo meeting.

Basu said although the Prime Minister thinks that some increase in prices of petroleum products is necessary, "we have given alternative proposals".

Even among the union cabinet members there is no unanimity over the proposed hike, he claimed. The veteran leader also reiterated party's opposition to allowing FDI in retail sector.

"We will oppose any such move both inside and outside the Parliament", he said.

On the BHEL disinvestment issue, Basu said, "we are opposed to such a move".

"They (UPA government) have been resorting to disinvestment in case of some PSUs, but not everywhere. What they should do is to retain 51 per cent share with the government and leaving 49 per cent share for disinvestment", Basu added.
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Inflation falls to 5.38 per cent
New Delhi: Inflation declined for the fourth consecutive week ended May 21 to 5.38 per cent mainly due to cheaper primary articles, including food and fuel products.

The widely tracked point-to-point Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation declined by 0.17 per cent from the previous week's level of 5.55 per cent and it was 5.20 per cent in the year ago period.

WPI fell by 0.1 per cent to 192 points even as heavy weighted manufactured products' prices remained unchanged for the second consecutive week. The index was 182.2 points in the year ago period. The Government has revised upwards inflation to 5.10 percent during the week ended March 26 as compared to the provisional estimate of 5.05 percent.

WPI stood corrected at 189.5 points during the last week of 2004-05 against provisional level of 189.4 points.
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Oil & Gas: Aiyar leaves on three nation tour
New Delhi: The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mani Shankar Aiyar, will leave for Pakistan on Saturday on the first leg of his 10-day, three-nation tour.

In Pakistan, he is due to hold preliminary discussions on co-operation in the hydro-carbon sector. In Iran he is likely to sign an agreement for the purchase of five million tonnes of gas. Aiyar said that efforts would also be made to see whether the amount of gas to be supplied could be increased to 7.5 million tonnes.

Besides, Aiyar will also scout the possibility of taking up a 20 per cent "participating interest" in an oil field there. "The principal operator is non-Iranian and non-Indian. The agreement between that country and Iran has not yet been concluded," the Minister said, when asked about the nationality of the company. Apart from Iran, the Minister is also to visit Azerbaijan and possibly Qatar.

"As of now, my mandate is to work on a bilateral agreement between India and Iran for purchase of gas at Indian borders.

Another set of agreement would be between Iran and Pakistan on the passage of the gas through Pakistani territory," Aiyar said.

The Minister also indicated that a tentative and preliminary opening could be made for India to invest in the Pakistan hydro-carbon sector, especially as the Government is looking to divest its stake in the State oil sector.
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London commerce chamber offers global courses
Pune: The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry International Qualifications (LCCIIQ), an international body set up to offer business related qualifications, has set up shop in Pune.

Maharashtra is the first State in the country where LCCI would be offering its international qualifications programmes, Sean Leslie, Managing Director, LCCI, Asia, said here on Friday.

Talking to presspersons, he said LCCI would offer international qualifications programmes in English language for business, marketing, customer service and sales, accounting and quantitative, secretarial and business administration and information technology spread over five levels through its registered training centres (RTCs).

MITCOn, Ed-Link, Behere's Academy, JD Academy, Asian School of Cyber Laws, Networth Consultants and NIBR Institute of Hotel Management have been appointed as the RTCs.

Inspire Education Resources and Consultancy Services (India) Pvt Ltd and PACE (Poona) Pvt Ltd have been appointed as exclusive market representative and the Market Development Unit respectively for the State, he said.

The fee structure per subject per level would be in the range of Rs7,000 to Rs10,000 and would include the cost of the books, registration, examination and tuition fees. Each level would have a classroom session of about 150 hours but would change according to the different levels. There would be no age bar to appear for any of the course levels.
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Random House to start publishing operations in India
New Delhi: Random House India, a subsidiary of Random House, UK, will start publishing operations in India. This will round off its existing marketing and distribution presence here.

It will initially begin publishing operations in the English language. The company has said that it is open to Indian language editions also.

Random House has also announced the appointment of Vivek Ahuja as General Manager.

Forthcoming titles of Random House include Salman Rushdie's `Shalimar the Clown' and Mark Tully's provisionally tilted `The Certainty Of Uncertainty'.
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