Its now official

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES (15.12.11)

An elusive consensus on the issue of Lokpal at the crucial all-party meeting yesterday, is the subject of top headline in today's papers. The Hindu writes that there is a question mark on adoption of the Lokpal Bill in the current Session of Parliament. The Hindustan Times writes, "Anna isolated, don't rush Lokpal bill, all parties tell Government".

The Government rejecting the opposition parties vehement demand to make public the identity of Indians holding undisclosed bank accounts in foreign tax havens, is also highlighted by the Press. The Tribune writes, "Its now official". The Government has the names of 36,000 Indians holding foreign bank Accounts, but won't disclose them merely to satisfy the inquisitiveness of parliamentarians.

The Hindustan Times writes that the Prime Minister is hopeful of implementing foreign direct Investment in retail after March 2012, when the Assembly elections in states such as UP would be over and Inflation would also have come down.

The Hindu writes that while a decision was deferred on the National Food Security Bill in the Union cabinet meeting on Wednesday, officials indicated the cabinet may meet again on Sunday to discuss the legislation.

Hindustan Times reports that the much awaited Companies Bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, takes a serious view on insider trading, and an offender may be fined between 5 lakhs and 25 crore rupees or three times the amount of profit made out of insider trading.

And finally, the Times of India writes that Actor Richard Burton had once joked that he wanted to buy his wife Elizabeth Taylor, the Taj Mahal, but it cost too much to transport. Instead, he bought her a Diamond called the Taj Mahal which sold in New York for 47 crore rupees, a record for a jewel mined, cut and polished in India.