TRAI reduces port charges; tariffs expected to drop from April 1
New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to reduce the port charges paid by operators to each other by up to 29 per cent.

Port is the place where two operators interconnect with each other for which the operator that provides the connection takes a fixed fee.

The minimum charge paid by the operator that seeks interconnection at present is Rs55,000 per annum, which has been brought down to Rs39,000. The new charge would be effective from April 1 onwards.

TRAI said that it hoped that the operators would pass on the benefits of the reduction to consumers.
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Inflation rises above 6 pc on costlier manufactured, food items
New Delhi: The annual wholesale price index-based inflation was up 6.11 per cent during the week ended January 20, on account of an increase in prices of manufactured products and food items.

This was more than the previous week's annual rise of 5.95 per cent. Inflation had touched 6.12 per cent during the week ended January 6 this year, but had came down to below six per cent the following week.

The wholesale price index (WPI) for all commodities for the latest reported week ended at 208.5 points, up from 208.3 points the previous week. Inflation was at 4.24 per cent during the corresponding week a year ago.

On a disaggregated basis, the primary articles' group, with a weightage of 22.02 per cent on the index, rose 0.2 per cent to 213.7 points against the previous week.

The fuel, power light and lubricants group, with a weightage of 14.23 per cent, declined 0.1 per cent to 322.1 points for the previous week due to lower prices of furnace oil.

The manufactured products' index, which has 63.75 per cent weightage on the index, rose 0.1 per cent to 181.4 per cent, from 181.2 per cent for the previous week.

Among the primary articles' group, the food articles index rose 0.4 per cent to 214.6 points due to higher prices of eggs, condiments and spices (4 per cent each), pulses like arhar (2 per cent), moong and masur (1 per cent). The prices of fruits and vegetables, maize and fish-marine increased by one per cent each.
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Government proposes changes in FDI regime in March
New Delhi: The government proposes to make extensive changes in the foreign direct investment (FDI) regime. This includes allowing foreign investors to invest in commodity exchanges, raise ceilings on air transport services and retail and amend the clause requiring foreign petroleum companies to disinvest 26 per cent of their Indian subsidiaries in five years.

The proposal would be submitted to the Cabinet this March, a senior official said.

The government is also considering annual reviews of FDI policies in all sectors instead of one sector a month at present.

On FDI in commodity exchanges, the policy change is expected to follow the Securities & Exchange Board of India's last December guidelines on FDI in Indian stock exchanges.

In banking, the 10 per cent cap on voting rights in subsidiaries of foreign banks is also being reviewed.

There is also a proposal to increase the 49 per cent cap in air transport services.
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BMC polls: Sena-BJP win
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena-BJP combine has won the BMC elections for a five-year term in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and in several other cities, surging ahead of the Congress which lost in most of the elections to 10 civic bodies in Maharashtra.

The Sena-led combine -- which lost in all the assembly by-elections in the past two years managed to get a bare majority on its own, bagging or securing unassailable leads in 112 of the 227 seats.

The Congress and NCP were trailing with 65 and 15 results or leads respectively. Results or trends from six seats were awaited.

The BJP-Sena secured 40 seats in the Nashik corporation but failed to muster a majority, resulting in a hung House. In Nagpur, the BJP emerged the biggest party with 57 seats while the Congress bagged 32.

In Pune, the NCP emerged as the single largest party with 41 seats while the Congress won 36 seats. The Sena and BJP won 20 and 25 seats each. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, the NCP emerged a clear winner with 60 of the total of 105 seats. The Congress got 20 seats while the Sena won 4.

In Solapur, the Congress emerged the single largest party with 40 of the total 98 seats. The NCP secured 14.

In Thane, Shiv Sena once again led the way with 48 seats. The Congress and NCP garnered 16 and 25 seats respectively. BJP managed a meagre 5 seats.

In Nasik, the Sena again managed to hold fort with 27 seats under their belt. The Congress and NCP won 21 and 18 respectively.
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