-The Indian Express Rural development Minister Jairam Ramesh has proposed to “live fence” graveyards, dargahs and eidgahs under MGNREGA to protect them. In a letter to National Commission for Minorities chief Wajahat Habibullah, who had requested that boundary walls around these places be built under the employment guarantee scheme, Ramesh suggested that they “be provided with live fencing under the Land development and Plantation works category of MGNREGA for which provisions may...
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GoM Meet on Land Acquisition Bill Inconclusive: Pawar
-Outlook The Group of Minister (GoM) on Land Acquisition Bill today remained divided over the issue of retrospective acquisitions and the consent required from land owners with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar saying two-three meetings are required to finalise the bill. During the last meeting too, the same issues had divided the members of the GoM headed by Pawar. "No final view on retrospective clause could happen. We have not taken any final call...
More »Sulabh comes to Jairam’s defence over temple-toilet row
-PTI A prominent NGO involved in promoting sanitation in the country today strongly defended Rural development Minister Jairam Ramesh who created a controversy by saying there were more temples in the country than toilets. Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak came in Ramesh’s defence after BJP attacked the minister and Congress distanced itself from his controversial remark. Hailing Ramesh for pushing the agenda of sanitation in the country, Pathak said what Ramesh has stated...
More »There is no ‘foreign hand’-Amita Baviskar
-The Indian Express Conspiracy theories are a handy standby when one wants to avoid the effort of critical thinking. So Tavleen Singh would rather rely on “the foreign hand” — that old bogey out of Indira Gandhi’s box of tricks — than examine facts that reveal uncomfortable truths. Lamenting the closure of the Vedanta aluminium refinery at Lanjigarh, Orissa (‘Why India could remain forever’, IE, September 30), Singh asserts that, if...
More »Karnataka facing drought: Top official
-IANS BANGALORE: Karnataka is facing a drought and water levels in reservoirs across the Cauvery river basin have dropped due to deficit rains, a Central Water Commission (CWC) official said on Saturday. "I have realised that there is drought in Karnataka due to deficit rainfall and water levels in the reservoirs of Cauvery are lower than last year due to a weak monsoon," CWC member KC Jacob told reporters here. Assuring the state...
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