Apart from Madhya Pradesh, investors from nine other states have shown keen interest in making investments in the state at the Jabalpur Investors Meet held recently. Thirty-six investors from nine other states have signed 41 Memoranda of Understanding to the tune of Rs 46337 crore. In all, 61 MoUs worth Rs 56829 crore were inked at Jabalpur Investors Meet. With proposals worth Rs 18150 crore, Delhi tops the list as far as amount is concerned while the industrial houses of West Bengal's capital Kolkata have topped in the number by signing 13 MoUs.

Punjab calling: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal calling on Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on Tuesday. NEW DELHI: The Annual Plan of Punjab for 2008-09 was on Tuesday finalised at Rs.6,210 crore at a meeting here between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and State Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. The Plan outlay includes an additional Central assistance component of Rs. 200 crore for the priority projects of the State.

Micro-finance is the key to helping India's poorest

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is gearing up to present its last budget before the general election and there is no doubt that please-all is going to be the mantra for this annual accounting ritual. Finance Minister P Chidambaram has made it clear that next year will only be a vote on account, so his last budget speech - at least under the present regime - will be on Feb 29.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath (left) being welcomed by FICCI President Habil Khorakiwala at the 80th annual meeting of FICCI in New Delhi on Saturday. NEW DELHI: With a view to bailing out exporters reeling under the impact of a costlier rupee, the Centre has asked the Finance Commission to figure out and suggest ways in which it could refund State levies to traders and adjust the same against the States' accounts. In fact, the terms of reference have been enlarged to enable the Commission to address itself to this aspect.

Anurag Viswanath & Manoranjan Mohanty / New Delhi India seeks to emulate China's SEZ policy though it is increasingly under attack there.

The size of the 2008-2009 Annual Plan for Himachal has been fixed at Rs 2400 crore, an increase of 14 per cent over the current financial year. The plan was finalised at a meeting between Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia in Delhi today.

Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi on Wednesday. The 2008-09 Annual Plan for Himachal Pradesh was finalised at Rs.2,400 crore at a meeting here on Wednesday between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. The Plan outlay includes an additional Central assistance of Rs.450 crore earmarked for priority projects.

Chandigarh, February 12 The councillors of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh have decided to review the draft budget estimates for the year 2008-09. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of Finance and Contract Committee on Tuesday. While some members claimed that no decision over the draft budget estimates was taken in the meeting, Mayor Pardeep Chhabra maintained that the budget has been approved and referred to MC House.

The budget session of Parliament will begin on February 25 with President Pratibha Patil addressing the joint session of both Houses at 11 am, it was officially announced here on Monday. While railway minister Lalu Prasad will present the rail budget for 2008-09 on February 26, finance minister P Chidambaram will present the general budget on February 29. The three-month session will witness a total 35 sittings with a break from March 21 to April 14. The session will end on May 9. TNN