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Saturday, Oct 28, 2006
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Winter session from November 22?

P. Sunderarajan

Cabinet Committee proposes to hold sitting till December 19

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on Friday decided to recommend to the President to convene the winter session of Parliament from November 22.

Announcing this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, said the proposal is to have the session till December 19.

The Union Cabinet, which also met on Friday, approved a proposal to extend the term of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities by five months.

The panel headed by former Chief Justice of India Ranganath Mishra, was earlier scheduled to present its report by October 31. Now, it will have time till March 31 to wrap up its work.

The agenda of the panel includes suggestion of criteria for identification of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities and recommendation of measures for their welfare, including reservation in education and government employment.

It is also required to come out with recommendations on issues raised by writ petitions in the Supreme Court and some High Courts on the ceiling of 50 per cent reservation as also the modalities for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Castes.

The Cabinet committee also cleared the procurement of four fixed x-rays and three mobile gamma ray container scanners at a cost of Rs. 173 crore for installation at Chennai, Tuticorin, Mumbai and Kandla ports to improve collection of custom duties and other levies and prevent movement of contraband goods.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also met on Friday and decided to upgrade the section of the National Highway 1 from Amritsar to the Wagah border to a four-lane road.

The project is estimated to cost Rs. 207 crore.

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