Seeking permission for direct import of jet fuel, Kingfisher Airlines has informed the government that steps are being taken to improve cash flow of the debt-ridden carrier by procuring ATF through suppliers' credit on lower interest rates.
 "...it is essential for us to improve our cash flow on an urgent basis. Sourcing of ATF (aviation turbine fuel) through imports has the potential to lower our overall procurement cost of ATF...bring down our cost of working capital as suppliers' credit at lower interest rates will be feasible," the beleaguered airlines said in a letter to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
It said that the ATF which constitutes for about 40 per cent of the total operating cost of an airline, attracts sales tax between four per cent and 30 per cent in different states. The airline would make arrangements with service providers for storage and handling of ATF at ports and into planes at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. Sources said the DGFT has sought from the airline details like the quantity and value of imports proposed to be imported directly.
As per the Foreign Trade Policy, only state trading enterprises like IOC are allowed to import the ATF. However, DGFT has powers to "grant authorisation to any other person to import any of these goods on grounds of genuine hardship". Even in 2008, Kingfisher had made a similar request to the DGFT, which was declined by the Petroleum Ministry. Views of the Petroleum and Civil Aviation ministries would be sought before DGFT takes a decision on the issue, sources said. Kingfisher reported a net loss of Rs 468.66 crore for the second quarter ended September 30. It has a debt of over Rs 6,000 crore.

The Punjab government today notified the enhanced special allowance to certain categories of employees of Punjab Civil Secretariat and equivalent offices from June 1, 2011.
The decision would also be applicable to employees of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, Financial Commissioner's Secretariat, Punjab Raj Bhawan, Legal Remembrance's Office and Punjab Public Service Commission also.
Stating this here today, an official spokesman said the state government said special allowance rates would be as under; Superintendent Grade-1 (Rs 1200), Private Secretary (Rs 1200), Personal Assistant (Rs 600), Senior Assistant (Rs 480), Junior Auditor/Auditor(Rs 480), Senior Scale Stenographer (Rs 480), Junior Assistant (Rs 480), Junior Scale Stenographer (Rs 300) , Steno-Typist( Rs 240) and Clerk (Rs 240).

MoneySingh his hand is hurt

The NBA lockout drags on as the disagreements only continue to develop further between the NBA Players Union and the league's owners. As a result, it will be teams like the Boston Celtics that will suffer tremendously as a result of the never-ending lockout.

The Celtics are a veteran ball club that enter arguably their last season as championship contenders with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen as their leaders. The Big Three may be getting their rest, yet in turn they are also getting that much older.

The lockout has not only worsened, but according to the Washington Post, it has gotten to the point in which the players have filed antitrust lawsuits against the league for keeping them out of work. According to the Post, two groups of players have filed antitrust lawsuits against the league in both California and Minnesota.

These are the five big reasons why a continued NBA lockout and the potential loss of the 2011-2012 NBA season hurts the Boston Celtics significantly more than it helps head coach Doc Rivers and the team.

janta are ready for winter and here some pictures of winter season

 Egypt's Cabinet offered to resign Monday night, government officials said, as thousands of people gathered again in Cairo to protest the military-led government.
The military leadership accepted the mass resignation soon after the prime minister's office said it was offered, said Lt. Col. Amr Imam, a spokesman for the ruling Supreme Council for the Armed Forces.
But a short time later, a spokesman for Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said that the resignation was not complete. Mohammed Hegazy said around 11 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) that Egypt's ruling military council "is currently in another session with the Cabinet and has not accepted" the Cabinet members' proposed mass resignation "yet."
Tahrir Square -- the hub of the activist movement that led to the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak 10 months ago -- was packed again Monday with protesters calling for Egypt's military leaders to step down.
The demonstrations in Egypt's capital continued despite ongoing chaos and violence, as security forces clashed with demonstrators for a third straight day.
One of those who submitted his resignation, Justice Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz al-Juindy, said the forces' crackdown prompted the mass move to quit the government.
"I resigned because of the events in Tahrir (Square), because of the political responsibility," explained al-Juindy, referring to the bloody confrontations in Cairo between security forces and demonstrators.
Twenty-four protesters have died in these recent clashes, Health Ministry spokesman spokesman Dr. Adil al-Dawi said shortly before midnight Monday.
Among police, 102 officers and conscripts have been injured, with wounds ranging from gunshots to burns from Molotov cocktails, an Interior Ministry spokesman said. One officer has a critical bullet wound to his head.
Those figures, though, pale compared to the roughly 1,700 citizens who have been wounded, according to the same Health Ministry spokesman. That includes at least 207 on Monday.
The military said it is "extremely sorry" for the events under way and called for an investigation.
The Supreme Council is calling upon "all political forces to hold dialogue as soon as possible in order to address the escalation" of unrest, a spokesman for the military leadership, Maj. Mohamed Askar, said late Monday.
With citizen activists again at odds with security forces in Tahrir Square, the scene this week in many ways resembles what happened in February.
After Mubarak was ousted, military leaders took control with the promise that eventually a civilian government would be elected and take over.
Military leaders still insist they will hand over power to a new government when one is elected. Parliamentary elections are set to take place November 28. But a complex electoral process follows, and presidential elections could be a year away.
Demonstrators say they are concerned the military -- which would continue to be Egypt's top authority until a president is in place -- wants to keep a grip on the country. And many have voiced anger about a proposed constitutional principle that would shield the military's budget from scrutiny by civilian powers. They say they worry the military would be shaped as a state within a state.
These sentiments are reflected in the 2011 Arab Public Opinion Poll, conducted by University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami and released Monday. Some 21% of respondents believe that Egypt's military rulers are working to advance the gains of the revolution, while double that figure -- 43% -- say they are trying to slow or reverse the gains. The survey of 750 Egyptians, conducted between October 22 and 30, has a margin of error of 3.7%.
"People here feel that they have been cheated and that they have moved from an autocracy to a military dictatorship," protester Mosa'ab Elshamy said. "So they are back to the square -- back to square one -- to ask for their rights once again."
On the streets of Cairo, some protesters have gone further -- shouting that they believe Mubarak is running the military council and, in fact, the entire country from prison. He and his sons Gamal and Alaa face charges of corruption and of killing protesters.
Violence on the streets has intensified the sentiments among demonstrators.
On Monday, CNN saw police use tear gas and rubber bullets in attempts to disperse the protesters, who responded with Molotov cocktails. Both sides threw rocks as well.
CNN saw captured protesters beaten and shocked with Taser-like devices. CNN also saw bullet holes and a pool of blood. Witnesses said one young man was shot from a nearby building. Witnesses showed CNN mobile phone footage of the wounded young man before an ambulance picked him up.
Doctors at Tahrir Square said injuries in the latest fighting include gunshot wounds, excessive tear gas inhalations and beatings to the head.
"I have received many people suffering of convulsions," said Tarek Salama, a medic in a makeshift hospital in Tahrir Square. "Lots of gunshot wounds from rubber and bird shots. And I have seen two cases who have been hit with actual live bullets."
Still, security forces efforts to control the demonstrators have not succeeded in stopping the people -- many of them shouting "freedom" -- from gathering day after day, night after night.
In fact, more and more protesters appeared to be joining the efforts.
Some political factions have vowed to hold a sit-in Tuesday at Tahrir Square, demanding the immediate resignation of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces. They also demand the immediate punishment of those who have killed protesters in the past few days.
The Alliance of the Revolutionaries of Egypt are calling the event a "million man sit-in."
The Muslim Brotherhood -- one of the largest organizations in the nation -- has said that it is not having its members join the event.
Military officials have said they will allow protests, so long as they are peaceful.
On its official Facebook page, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces issued a statement about the "extremely urgent" developments that could affect the country's "stability and security."
The armed forces are "extremely sorry for what the events have led to," the statement said, calling on all political parties and coalitions "to come and work together."
The armed forces also called for an investigation into "the reasons behind the incidents," according to a CNN translation.
The forces stressed their commitment to "handing over power to an elected, civil administration" and said they do not "seek to prolong the transitional period in any way."
Mohamed Higazi, a spokesman for the prime minister's office, said the government will continue dialogue on reaching a constitution that ensures the election of a civilian government.
Besides Cairo, clashes between protesters and police have also reportedly broken out in the cities of Suez and Alexandria.
Some on the streets expressed little confidence in the government, saying there had been little progress since Mubarak's ouster.
"Nothing has changed," said Zahra, one protester in Cairo. "We've gone backwards. The military council is garbage. Mubarak is still alive and well, and the people are dying."
Hisham Qasim, a publisher and human rights activist, said that Egypt can't afford anything -- including another revolt -- that could further hamper its already struggling economy. The nation's once-thriving tourism industry continues to struggle, while unemployment remains high.
"The poverty belt is now the ticking time bomb in Egypt," Qasim said. "It threatens that what we went through (earlier this year) could be repeated. ... I don't think we'll survive a second uprising in the span of 10 years."

It is already known to give babies the best start in life, but experts now say that breast milk may also hold the key to beating diseases -- from Alzheimer`s to cancer.
An international team says that breast milk contains stem cells that could potentially beat diseases from Alzheimer`s to cancer. The milk is rich in stem cells, which have chameleon-like properties found in those taken from embryos. The milk could provide a ready and ethical source of stem cells, which are widely seen as a "repair kit" due to their potential to turn into any cell type in the body.
Cancer, blindness, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson`s diseases and paralysis could all potentially be healed by the power of "master cells", say the scientists. Prof Foteini Hassiotou at the University of Western Australia, was quoted by the `Daily Mail ` newspaper as saying, "Breast milk offers a new exciting opportunity for stem cell therapies." However, Prof Chris Mason at University College London said more proof is needed that the cells are as versatile as billed, but added: "If they are truly embryonic, this will be another way of getting stem cells that would not raise ethical concerns."
Even if they do not turn out to be as versatile as hoped, said Newcastle University stem cell scientist Lyle Armstrong, a woman could still bank stem cells from her milk and use them to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life. For instance, a woman could bank the stem cells from her milk and then use them to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life.

Bhatinda MP Harsimrat Badal slammed the UPA government at the Centre for all problems being faced by the farmers in the state.
Speaking during the National Convention of Farmers in Patiala — organised by the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) — Harsimrat rued the “step-motherly” treatment meted out to the farmers of a state, which she said contributed 60 per cent to the central pool, despite having three per cent of the total agricultural land in the country.
She also trained guns at state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, accusing him of being “indifferent” to the problems of the farmers. Earlier, Congress MP and Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur also addressed the convention. She promised to arrange a meeting of CIFA delegation with the prime minister regarding the problems being faced by farmers.
SAD to hold mega rally in Moga: LUDHIANA: At a core committee meeting of the SAD held on Sunday, the party decided to hold a huge rally at Moga on December 18, where the first list of candidates for the Assembly elections will be announced. The chief minister and his deputy will tour all the 117 Assembly segments and address rallies to mobilise people for the Moga rally.

The fight in Gidderbaha cannot get bigger than this. Even as the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal may field someone from the family to take on family rebel Manpreet Badal in Gidderbaha, the Congress too has an ace up its sleeve, albeit a namesake — Amarinder Singh.
In 1967, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal contested from Gidderbaha for the first time and lost to former Congress CM Harcharan Singh Brar. Since then, he won the seat consecutively till 1987. The seat was passed on from Badal, who contested it five times, to Manpreet in the 1995 bypoll. Since then it has been won by Manpreet in subsequent polls.
He resigned this year following his ouster from the government and the party. In all these years, the faction-ridden Gidderbaha Congress won the family seat of the Badals only once, that too, when Akalis boycotted the polls in 1992. Midway during his tenure, Congress MLA Raghubir Singh had to resign following his conviction by the Supreme Court in a criminal case and Gidderbaha went for a bypoll in 1995.
The Congress fielded his son, who lost to first-timer Manpreet. In subsequent polls, Raghubir Singh lost twice — in 2002 and then in 2007, as a fallout of one of the Congress contenders, Sant Brar, contesting as an Independent and polling 28,000 votes against Raghubir’s 34,000. With no contender who can stake a claim to the seat on past victories, the Congress is keen to field a youth leader and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring — a All India Youth Congress general secretary — is the frontrunner. Warring, who started his political career under Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Brar, also has the support of state Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh.
A Bachelor of Arts from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Raja has no family history of politics. He says his first brush with politics was during his college days in Chandigarh during Haryana Congress minister Randeep Surjewala hey days in Panjab University. “I became the Punjab Youth Congress block president and later, the district president of Muktsar,” he says.
In the Congress rally last Thursday, Raja did all it takes to clinch the party ticket. His pictures lined up the road leading to the rally ground and he squatted on the dias before state party in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak, Amarinder and Brar for that perfect picture opportunity to be seen as the choice of the party top brass. But it may not be a smooth sail to the party ticket. Other than Raghubir Singh, there are other claimants, such as Sant Brar who may yet again contest as an Independent if denied a ticket.
There is also Harcharan Singh -- uncle of Raja -- the only candidate on whom there could be a consensus as he has an non-controversial image. Another claimant is Malkit Singh, who lost to Manpreet in 1997. “There was no beating Manpreet. He won with a bigger margin each time, as the Congress votes were divided. But this time, it is just the opposite. The different Congress factions have united and the Akali votes have split. This division of votes will go in our favour. We have taken an oath in the historical Kauni village gurdwara that we will stand united behind whoever the party decides to field from the constituency,” says Gurdas Girdhar, the president of District Congress Committee, Muktsar.
But unlike the “Maharaja” he is seen with in pictures, this Raja is still a politician in the making. He may not be able to tackle opposition from within the party, even though he did manage to make the right noises during his brief speech. “In 40 years of Badal family rule, Gidderbaha — their home turf — has become the cancer belt of the state but has no good hospitals. There is no industry or facilities like sports stadiums for the youth. Manpreet is remembering martyr Bhagat Singh suddenly after 46 years of his birth. I challenge the CM to contest from Gidderbaha. The stronger the Akali Dal candidate, the better. But no Badal will win again from here,” he said.
But Manpreet contends that in a three-corner contest, he gains. “We were Akali Dal’s best ammunition. The Congress is only looking united till the ticket is announced. Gidderbaha will witness either a pro-Manpreet or anti-Manpreet vote,” he says. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, in his sangat darshan programmes in Gidderbaha, takes a satirical dig at his cousin’s choice of name for his party. “The acronym for Manpreet’s party is PPP, which is what I once saw written outside a theka (liquor shop),” he says while referring to drinking, the word’s other connotation in Punjabi parlance.

Hosts India men and women teams emerged champions in the Rs 4.10 crore prize money 2nd Pearls World Cup Kabaddi (circle style) Punjab-2011 organised by the Punjab Government at the packed Guru Nanak Stadium here tonight.
Keeping their pressure defending champions India outplayed Canada by 59-25 in the men's final. The Indian women accounted for England by 44-17 in the final. Last year's runners-up Pakistan finished third at the cost of Italy whom they beat by 60-22. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal distributed prizes. The victorious Indian men's team received a glittering trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2 crore. The Canadian men's team were presented a cheque of Rs 1 crore and a glittering trophy.
Punjab Chief Minister announced to offer government jobs to the members of the victorious Indian women's team. The decision of appointment will be taken in the Cabinet meeting. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Sports Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was also present on the occasion. Thanking the Chief Minister on his announcement to provide jobs to the members of the Indian team, Mr Sukhbir requested Mr Parkash Singh Badal to give government jobs to the new members of the Indian men's team.