Excise succour to prop soaps sector
The soaps and detergent industry, which has experienced a slowdown in growth levels, has been provided with some succour with the excise duty coming down to 16% from 18%.

Annual Plan outlay for Delhi at Rs 3,000 cr
The Annual Plan 1999-2000 for NCT of Delhi was finalised at Rs 3,000 crore at a meeting between Planning Commission deputy chairman KC Pant and Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit.

Housing sector gets a shot in the arm
Finance minister Yashwant Sinha has announced a comprehensive package of fiscal incentives for the housing sector in the Budget presented in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

  Sinha takes small strides for a big leap
  Housing subsidiaries to be season's flavour
  Budget Briefs
  Housing sops to aid cement firms; steel-makers split over impact
  FDI measures may give a leg-up to drug firms
  Budget briefs
  Pharma pricing body may lose significance
  Textile exports to get boost; powerloom sector to suffer
  Unions to oppose bond plan for VRS
  Housing sector is new priority
  Centre borrowing plan unlikely to impact rates
  What they said
  Banks to gain Rs 1,300 cr from tax relief on NPAs
  Nothing for industrial growth
  Prodded last year,Bihar chamber reacts
  Optimistic finance minister will fail to meet target, once again
  Sans amnesty cover, gold deposit plan likely to come a cropper
  Budget balanced, growth oriented, says ICC and Bharat Chamber of Commerce
  AO's power on prima facie adjustments goes
  `FM penalises 940 m tea consumers'
  Steps will boost NRI inflows
  Housing sops may unshackle latent demand
  Surcharge will offset excise gains, feel cosmetic firms
  Budget Briefs
  Australian wheat falls on global factors
  World briefs
  Australian barley exports to China soar
  Asian oilseeds trade at a standstill
  "Sanctions against Delhi have created a snarl"
  FDA panel backs Minimed monitor
  Sinha slaps 10% surcharge on direct taxes
  Generation units bear 16% CVD
  Steel sector looks up to long-term gains
  Nothing to spur industrial growth
  Three-slab excise has little impact on product price
  Budget briefs
  Software rides high, hardware cries for attention
  FM turns to diesel to fund road sector
  Telecom equipment manufacturers disappointed
  Budget briefs
  Twin action plan to push up exports
  Rs 77,000 cr support for Centre, states and UTs
  Business reorganisations to be tax neutral
  Gold deposit scheme with tax sops as silver lining
  Budget briefs
  Rs 20cr national foundation for science soon
  PR Brahmananda wonders about cracks behind the wall-paper
  TUF extension to spinning units hailed
  Extremely disappointing
  Kerala industry says it's soft