A RESEARCHER WORKING on the State of Panchayats Report (SOPR) 2008-09 met Mahangu Madiya in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, a dangerous place for gathering data. Madiya’s story was startling. In January, he was given Rs 55 lakh compensation for his land, but the amount is sitting in his bank account. He does not even own a mobile phone. “I am concerned with farming. My land is important to me. What will I...
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Ensuring food security
No one will deny that the least a democratic government can do for its people in a civilised society is to ensure access to food at a reasonable price. Ensuring food security is, therefore, a fundamental responsibility of the state. However, it is not clear if enacting a Food Security Bill is the best way to go about it. India has become a democracy of laws. On paper, every citizen...
More »Poverty alleviation: Government to launch plan
The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) will be implemented in the state soon. This was decided at a highlevel meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here today. The NRLM aims at addressing poverty and alleviating rural poverty by 2015. The scheme also targets to cover 50 percent of the rural households by self help groups (SHGs) during the next three years. The newly launched central programme will be executed in...
More »Farmers, women, SHGs to get priority in food processing aid by Gargi Parsai
Proposal to set up mega food park in each State Three boards to be set up to promote processing of fisheries, soybean and guar gum Food processing industry accounts for 14 per cent of the total industrial output The Food Processing Ministry will give priority to farmers, self-help groups and women for providing grant-in-aid in setting up food processing enterprises. It has also identified Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir...
More »Poverty-removal plan gets Govt nod
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a Rural Development Ministry proposal to launch the National Rural Livelihood Mission that aims to reduce poverty in a time-bound manner through provision of diversified employment opportunities and skill development. The proposal for the big-ticket development mission was earlier approved by the Expenditure Finance Commi-ttee and was taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Eco-nomic Affairs for clearance in a meeting on Thursday even-ing....
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