-Down to Earth Civil society calls for pesticide-free, organic food under government programmes for children while Bihar focuses on building new kitchens in government schools A year after 23 school children in Bihar's Saran district died of insecticide poisoning after consuming food served under Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, government agencies seem to have forgotten the serious concern over handling and banning of hazardous chemicals that the tragedy raised. The children of Dharmasati-Gandaman...
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Jaitley gives States more freedom in MGNREGA implementation
-The Hindu Business Line Budget allocation for rural jobs scheme raised marginally to ₹33,353 crore NEW DELHI: In a major rejig of the UPA's flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the BJP-led Government has converted the programme from being a Central to a State Plan scheme. This change, however, did not find explicit mention in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's Budget speech. In the previous Government's 2013-14 Budget, a total amount...
More »Rs. 37,880 crore to be pumped into nation’s road network -Sandeep Dikshit
-The Hindu Rs. 3,000 crore for the North-East alone; fillip to PM's rural scheme The Union Budget 2014 has given importance to fast-tracking highways and improving the road infrastructure to augment the nation's arterial network. "The sector had taken shape between 1998 and 2004 under NDA-I. The sector again needs huge amount of investment," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while tabling the Budget. "I propose investment in National Highways Authority of India and...
More »India turns greener, but its dense forest cover shrinks -Chetan Chauhan
-The Hindustan Times A Government report on Tuesday said India's green cover has increased by over 5,800 sq km (or 0.18%) between 2010 and 2012 taking into account plantations and commercial species having no ecological value. In fact, just 31 sq km increase has been recorded in dense forests. The moderately dense forests - where most developmental projects have been allowed - has witnessed a decline in cover of around 2,000 sq...
More »CAG flays Sheila Dikshit-led govt in Delhi, says no facilities in illegal colonies -Pradeep Thakur
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has punched holes in the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government's claim of having provided basic services in 895 unauthorized colonies in the capital, touted as a major achievement of Dikshit's tenure, for which it spent more than Rs 3,000 crore between 2007 and 2013. Providing these basic services - sewer lines, water connections, Roads and drainage - was mandatory before legalizing...
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