Foreign publications allowed facsimile editions: Cabinet

NEW DELHI, June 16 (UNI) The government today decided to allow foreign newspapers and periodicals to bring out facsimile editions from India and liberalise FDI nor for the news and current affairs segment without raising the 26 per cent ceiling, but deferred a decision on hiking the petrol and diesel prices.

Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Finance Minister P Chidambaram said no decision could be taken on the petrol and diesel prices due to the absence of some Ministers.

Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy, who did the briefing on the Cabinet decisions, said the 26 per cent FDI in news and current affairs segment would now also cover non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas corporate bodies (OCBs), persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and portfolio investments by recognised foreign institutional investors (FIIs).

Both the meetings were chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Following are the other decisions: CABINET: * Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO) to be merged with SAIL.

* People of Indian origin (PIOs) to get duel citizenship.

* Financial, functional autonomy of IITs, II, IISc to be restored.

* Post of Coal Mines PF Commissioner upgraded.

* Central Secretariat Steno Service cadre to be restructured.

* Convention to be signed with Serbia, Montenegro to check tax evasion.

* Convention to be signed with Portuguese for avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion.

* Oceansat-2 mission under IRS programme approved.

CCEA: * Targets of Mini Missions for cotton increased.

* Construction of Sipat transmission system approved at Rs 813.67 cr.

* JIPMER, Pondicherry, to offer more medical seats for PG and post doctoral courses.

* World Class Drug Research Institute to come up at Lucknow at Rs 190 cr.

* Braithwaite, Burn and Jessop (BBJ) to have financial restructuring.

* Rs 141.41 cr approved for payment of wage arrears of 16 sick CPSE employees.