NEW DELHI, July 23:
As many as 1,122 cases have been pending before the CBI for investigation till May this year, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
Of these, 11 cases are pending before the agency for more than three years, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. About the conviction rate in cases before the agency was above 67 per cent, the Minister said, adding that in year 2011 and 2012 the rate of conviction was 67 per cent while it rose to 68.62 per cent in 2013 and 69.65 per cent for cases tackled by it between January and May this year. (UNI)

NEW DELHI, July 23:
Labour and Employment Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today said senior officers will be deputed to investigate complaints that some doctors of Bhubaneswar ESI hospital were engaged in private practice.
Replying to suplementaries in Rajya Sabha, he said if doctors are engaged in private practice it is a matter of serious concern and “I will be certainly deputing senior officers to investigate”.
He said this when Pyarimohan Mohapatra (Ind) raised the issue during Question Hour.
The Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital in Bhubaneswar is being run by the Odisha Government.
Tomar admitted there was shortage of doctors and other paraphernelia in ESI and other Government hospitals.
The Minister, however, said Government always makes efforts to ensure availability of doctors of all faculties in hospitals.
He further informed that Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has taken up a project for up-gradation of the Bhubaneswar ESI hospital from 50 beds to 100 beds.
The project would be completd by March 2015, he said.
Meanwhile, replying to a question on rehabilitation package for people affected by Kosi river floods of 2008, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said whatever fund was required has been given.
Singh, however, said the Bihar Government has not spent the entire World Bank grant of USD 220 million in this regard.
The Department of Economic Affairs had facilitated the external assistance package of USD 220 million for taking up reconstruction and rehabilitation works after the Kosi floods. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 23:
India will place special emphasis on its neighbourhood, stretching from West Asia to East Asia, while playing a role to fulfill its international responsibilities to build a peaceful and prosperous world, the Government told Parliament today.
Making suo motu statements in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for BRICS Summit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the new Government has already “actively and decisively” followed that policy in the short time that it has been in office.
She made the statement on insistence by opposition Congress that the Prime Minister should make a statement on the 6th BRICS Summit attended by him.
Hitting back, Swaraj said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had attended five BRICS Summits during his tenure but no statement was made in Parliament.
“There has never been a tradition (of making a statement on BRICS Summit). We are starting a new tradition today,” she said before making the statement.
Swaraj said the Prime Minister was very satisfied with the outcome of the BRICS Summit and his meetings with leaders of partner countries of the grouping — Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa — besides those of South American nations. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 23:
The Government has no move of amending the Right to Information Act, 2005 for bringing cooperative societies within the ambit of the law, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Public Grievances and DoP Jitendra Singh the Government has planned no such move. However, the Minister gave no reasons for the Government’s unwillingness for amending the law for the purpose. (UNI)