-Newsclick.in CM Mamata Banerjee has started handing over compensation packages, but SKM and other outfits have accused it of bypassing holding of gram sabhas. Kolkata: The Deocha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harisingha (DPDH) coal block under Mohammed Bazar Development Block in Birbhum district is fast becoming a “symbol of the West Bengal government’s high-handedness”. So much so that local residents, a large number of whom are adivasis/santhals, are being cautious in airing their concerns about the proposed...

-Outlook India Just ahead of the state assembly elections in October 2018, the Congress party had promised to bring a social accountability law in the public manifesto for elections. In October 2020, Ratnu Devi of Bikaner completed 86 days under MGNREGA in her local panchayat in Bajju village in the Bikaner district. At present Ratnu has not received 14,000 rupees.  After visiting the local Atal Seva Kendra she learnt that her payments...

-The Telegraph Rajasthan chief minister has shown the way to other states on how to take pro-people decisions: Ajay Maken Days after the Ashok Gehlot government restored the old pension scheme in Rajasthan, the Congress on Friday demanded this for the entire country. Fulfilling a long-standing demand, Gehlot announced in the budget placed on Wednesday that the old pension scheme was being restored for employees appointed on and after January 1, 2004. The...

-The Hindu Minister was responding to a tweet from Rahul Gandhi which cited a news report on allocations for children being slashed by half Union Minister Smriti Irani has said that a children-centric scheme of the government had seen a “390%” increase in budgetary allocations since 2014. She was responding to a tweet by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. On Monday, Mr. Gandhi retweeted a news report on “share” of budgetary allocation for children...

-Hindustan Times The ministry of social justice and empowerment on February 17 updated the mandatory condition for the scholarship. Students from marginalised sections of society will no longer be able to study Indian culture, heritage, history and social studies under the government’s national overseas scholarship programme, a move that has been criticised by the teaching fraternity and the opposition Congress party. “The government should steer clear of deciding the choice of the topics...