Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, in an article on left-wing extremism (“From Tirupati to Pashupati?” The Hindu , October 14, 2011), observed candidly: “It is not the naxals who have created the ground conditions ripe for their ideology — it is the singular failure of successive governments both in the States and the Centre.” There lay the main cause of the festering sore of naxalism, often characterised as left-wing...

-The Times of India   Non-payment of wages in time under MGNREGA, rampant corruption at different levels, effectiveness of e-Shakti project, assistance for development from Finance Commission, non-issuance of identity cards to the PRI's elected representatives, formation of sub-committees in panchayats and use of Right to Information were some of the issues that cropped up during the five-day training programme for the office bearers of the three-tier panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) held...

-The Deccan Chronicle   Tribal organisations and Adivasi leaders, fighting against a proposal to develop Kawal wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve by evicting adivasis dwelling there for a long time, are willing to discuss the issue only if the state government is ready to hold gram sabhas, a prerequisite for setting up any project under the PESA (Panchayat Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. District officials concerned have declared the...

-The Deccan Herald   Farmers have demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh per acre for their land notified for acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the Vemgal Industrial Area in the taluk. V R Sudarshan, MLC, who submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena on Monday, said the KIADB should leave no room for controversy in the process of acquiring the land. He said the KIADB had offered...

-The Deccan Chronicle   In a bid to help villagers find work, especially in drought-hit mandals, the authorities are taking up several works under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Godavari districts. In a bid to help villagers find work, especially in drought-hit mandals, the authorities are taking up several works under the National Rural Employ-ment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Godavari districts. The government has declared 14 mandals in East Godavari and...