Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said the government will build 1.95 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantari Awas Yojna (PMAY) - Gramin over the next two years.

The government Friday said it will soon make available for public use the new series coins of one, two, five, 10 and 20 rupees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 7 had unveiled new series of coins of one rupee, two rupees, five rupees, ten rupees and twenty rupees, easily identifiable to the visually impaired.

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday hiked tax on petrol and diesel, raised import duty on gold, levied additional surcharge on super rich and brought a tax on high value cash withdrawals as she sought to spur growth with reduction in corporate tax and sops to housing sector, startups and electric vehicles.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said PAN and Aadhaar have been made interchangeable, allowing those who do not have PAN to file income tax returns.

Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant has attributed the breach in Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district, which claimed the lives of 18 people, to the weakening of wall by crabs.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said there will be a comprehensive restructuring of National Highways Programme to ensure creation of National Highways Grid of desirable capacity.

 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday said a blueprint for a national gas grid, water grid, information-ways and airports will be unveiled.

MDMK chief Vaiko was on Friday convicted by a city court here in a sedition case filed in 2009 by the Tamil Nadu government.

He was sentenced to simple imprisonment for a year. Judge J Shanthi held him guilty of the offence of sedition. Vaiko, who was present in the court, said he never sought any leniency.