A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh had, on July 13, finalised amendments in the Commission of Sati (prevention) Act, 1987 to make it more sensitive to women and make the community more answerable for any sati incident.

The issue of life insurance through rural post offices, however, could not be taken up at today's Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as communication and IT minister A. Raja was not present.

The Cabinet also gave its concurrence to the "National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Ordinance, 2007, which seeks to give status quo in respect of several categories of unauthorised developments, including slums and jhuggi-jhompri clusters, hawkers and urban street vendors.

The other categories include unauthorised colonies, existing farm houses involving construction beyond permissible building limits, schools, dispensaries and religious institutions.

Dasmunsi said the status quo would be maintained in the case of cultural institutions and storages, warehouses and godowns used for agricultural inputs or produce (including dairy and poultry in rural areas built on agricultural land, commercial establishments in unauthorised colonies.