Government moots 'Sin' tax on tobacco, liquor

NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

Most newspapers have splashed the news about public anguish over the recent Delhi gang-rape on their front pages. Hindustan Times reports that in a rare public statement by a sitting Supreme Court judge, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra slammed it as an attack on dignity of women. The paper also says that for the first time since the fateful night, the 23 year old victim met her male friend who suffered serious injuries while trying to protect her. Under the headline "India united in protest", The Pioneer writes that agitators marched to Rashtrapati Bhawan and demanded speedy justice to the rape victim.

Newspapers have also reported on their front pages the story of CBI chargesheet against telecom firms Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Vodafone Mobile and former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh, accusing them of criminal conspiracy and misconduct in the allocation of additional spectrum in 2002 when the NDA was in power.

The Tribune and The Statesman write that a Delhi court has decided to frame charges against sacked Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, secretary general Lalit Bhanot and nine others for their alleged involvement in a 90 crore rupee scam.

The Times of India under the headline "Government moots 'Sin' tax on tobacco, liquor, writes that if the health ministry has its way, a 'sin tax' on tobacco and alcohol will fund part of the health budget during the 12th five year plan as also being a part of its plan to fight non-communicable diseases.

Under the headline "Unclear LPG capping norms fuel consumers' woes" The Pioneer reports that the government order fixing the annual cap of six LPG cylinders per household came into effect in September but the gas agencies in NCR are telling consumers that the cap is effective April last.

And finally, The Hindu reports under the headline "Mayan 'doomsday' wave sweeps the world but luckily no casualties" that diehard doomsayers hunkered down to await the apocalypse on Friday, but most took a light-hearted view of the Mayan prophesy of world's destruction.