Delhi

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The government will soon start auctioning of six more airports under public private partnership and additional investment by private players in total of 12 airports will be around Rs 13,000 crore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already awarded three out of the six aerodromes that were bid out for operation and maintenance under public private partnership (PPP).

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Objecting to the fourth tranche of the economic package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said the government is moving in the "wrong direction" and has "dearth of ideas".

The Union minister on Saturday announced the easing of limits on foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing, privatisation of six airports, opening up of more air space and allowing private sector in commercial coal mining.

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) The government on Sunday announced suspension of new bankruptcy filings on loan defaults for one year and raised the threshold for insolvency as it moved to ease COVID-19 pain for the industry.

It also announced a new policy for companies under state control saying public sector undertakings under the non-strategic sector will be privatised while those in the identified strategic sector would be capped by not more than four by merging some of them.

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Following are the highlights of the fifth and final tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore comprehensive economic package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to tide over the COVID-19 crisis:

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Centre should stop acting like a 'sahukar' (money lender) for its children, and demanded that cash assistance be given to the poor and vulnerable sections, who are in dire need of money now, than credit.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said electricity distribution companies in Union Territories (UTs) will be privatised.

This is expected to provide a model to be replicated in states later to improve efficiency and attract investment.

Unveiling the fourth tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to revive the coronavirus-hit economy, Sitharaman said there is sub-optimal performance of power distribution and supply in the country.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) As hundreds of migrants continue to travel a long distance in this COVID-19 crisis, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday appealed to state governments to immediately lift food grains and pulses from the godowns and distribute them for free within a fortnight to 8 crore migrants who neither have centre nor state ration card.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) The Myanmar army on Friday handed over to India 22 insurgents from the Northeast, including self-styled home secretary of NDFB (S) Rajen Daimary, in a clandestine operation monitored by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, officials said.

The insurgents were brought to India on a special aircraft and handed over to police forces in Manipur and Assam where they are wanted, they said.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) India's exports contracted by a record 60.28 per cent to USD 10.36 billion in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday.

Imports too tumbled by 58.65 per cent to USD 17.12 billion in April from USD 41.4 billion in the same month last year, according to the data by the commerce and industry ministry.

NEW DELHI, May 15 (NNN-BERNAMA) — India’s medical facilities are coming under growing pressure as coronavirus cases rise sharply despite a nationwide lockdown to contain the pandemic.

The crisis has brought to the fore the issue of under-investment in the public healthcare system whereas private hospitals have enjoyed exponential growth.

With about 82,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, India on Friday looked set to reach six-digit figures soon, and if the current rate of infections continued its hospitals might become burdened with patients.