NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has denied his is a lame-duck government, but most observers expect continued policy paralysis as the ruling coalition struggles to contain inflation and a raft of corruption scandals.

Few expect any quick progress on economic reforms such as a national goods and services tax or opening up the retail sector to foreigners, as the resurgent main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) takes on the ruling Congress party.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has denied his is a lame-duck government, but most observers expect continued policy paralysis as the ruling coalition struggles to contain inflation and a raft of corruption scandals.

Few expect any quick progress on economic reforms such as a national goods and services tax or opening up the retail sector to foreigners, as the resurgent main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) takes on the ruling Congress party.

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (Reuters) – India’s railways minister
unveiled a populist budget on Friday that froze both passenger
and freight fares, disappointing hopes for major reform in a
lagging sector key to the country’s infrastructure growth.

The railways budget could be a possible barometer of
Monday’s national budget when the government is expected to
unveil a spending programme to help it contain voter anger over
inflation and graft scandals ahead of important state elections.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Railways minister Mamata Banerjee vowed to support the “common people” as she unveiled her third annual budget on Friday that promised to invest 576.3 billion rupees ($12.68 billion) in the network in the financial year 2011/12.

The railways budget could be a possible barometer of Monday’s national budget when the government is expected to present a populist spending programme to help it contain voter anger over inflation and corruption ahead of key state elections.

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (Reuters) – India’s railways minister
vowed to support the “common people” as she unveiled her third
annual budget on Friday that promised to invest 576.3 billion
rupees ($12.68 billion) in the network in the financial year
2011/12.

The railways budget could be a possible barometer of
Monday’s national budget when the government is expected to
present a populist spending programme to help it contain voter
anger over inflation and corruption ahead of key state
elections.

NEW DELHI, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh is under severe pressure, his administration derailed from
its legislative agenda by a series of corruption scandals that
have come to dominate politics.

On top of the graft allegations, high food and fuel prices
are also eroding support for the ruling Congress party ahead of
state elections the party must win, or risk the coalition
unravelling.

NEW DELHI, Feb 11 (Reuters)- India’s annual industrial
output INIP=ECI in December rose at its slowest pace in 20
months on a higher base last year and stretched capacities at
factories, but the central bank will likely continue tightening
monetary policy to tame high headline inflation.

Output rose 1.6 percent from a year earlier compared with a
median forecast of 2 percent in a Reuters poll.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s annual industrial output in December rose at its slowest pace in 20 months on a higher base last year and stretched capacities at factories, but the Reserve Bank will likely continue tightening monetary policy to tame high headline inflation.

Output rose 1.6 percent from a year earlier compared with a median forecast of 2 percent in a Reuters poll.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian police on Thursday linked a key ally of the ruling Congress party to a multi-billion dollar telecoms scam, dealing a fresh blow to a government already crippled by corruption scandals.

A police lawyer told a court companies linked to a telecoms firm under investigation for buying mobile licenses at unfairly cheap prices had paid 2.14 billion rupees ($47 million) to a TV channel run by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which helps the ruling coalition maintain its slim majority in parliament.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The police on Thursday linked a key ally of the ruling Congress party to a multi-billion dollar telecoms scam, dealing a fresh blow to a government already crippled by corruption scandals.

A police lawyer told a court companies linked to a telecoms firm under investigation for buying mobile licences at unfairly cheap prices had paid 2.14 billion rupees ($47 million) to a TV channel run by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which helps the ruling coalition maintain its slim majority in parliament.