2 JANUARY 2014

Ø  India on Wednesday terminated the Rs. 3,726-crore, scam-ridden VVIP chopper deal with AgustaWestland International Limited (AWIL) on the grounds of breach of pre-contract integrity pact (PCIP). The deal for supply of 12 choppers, of which three have already been delivered.  Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy will be the arbitrator for the Ministry.

Ø  The country lost 63 of its wild tigers in 2013. A good majority of the wild tiger deaths in the country was the result of poaching. Data on the wild tiger deaths released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority confirmed that 48 of the wild tiger deaths in 2013 were caused by poaching or suspected poaching.

Ø  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said his government was contemplating the introduction of local time for the State, which would be one hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time.

Ø  The three discoms — BSES Yamuna Power Ltd., BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd. and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd — were given till Wednesday to reply to the government’s demand for a CAG audit. Auditing the power discoms was one of the main promises the party had made in its election manifesto.

Ø  America’s first retail stores selling marijuana opened for business in Colorado on Wednesday, putting the western state in the vanguard of the country’s evolving attitudes on legalising the drug. Washington state on the U.S. Pacific coast will follow Colorado several months from now, when it also allows stores to begin selling cannabis. State officials here anticipate that marijuana sales will generate some $67 million in annual tax revenue.

Ø  The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is expected to take up on Thursday the Power Ministry’s proposal to amend the Mega Power Policy. The policy was introduced in November 1995 to provide impetus to the setting up of large power projects and derive benefits from economies of scale. Thermal power projects of 1,000 MW and hydel plants of 500 MW are eligible for benefits under the policy.