Handloom weavers in Andhra Pradesh are in a crisis brought on by policy blindness and the emphasis on powerlooms. WHEN P. Pulliah, a weaver in the traditional cotton handloom centre of Chirala in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, describes the sarees he crafts, thread by delicate thread, his face lights up with joy. He animatedly explains that the sarees have a border on both sides. And they are fully embellished, he...
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Direct Plan Panel to give more money for Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana: Mallikarjun Kharge to PMO by Amiti Sen
The labour ministry has asked the Prime Minister's Office to direct the Planning Commission to allocate sufficient resources for the UPA government's flagship health insurance scheme for the poor in fiscal 2012-13 so that patients are not refused admission by hospitals. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), that guarantees 30,000 annual health insurance to a family of five, ran into trouble earlier this year due to shortage of funds. In a letter...
More »MPs can fund work from discretionary quota by Asit Ranjan Mishra
MPLADS funds will only be used for the material component of the projects Federal lawmakers can now use their discretionary funds to finance work taken up under the government’s flagship jobs scheme, a move aimed at creating more lasting community assets in the villages. The government has decided to converge the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). But MPLADS funds...
More »Two of five members of child rights panel quit by Himanshi Dhawan
Controversy has hit the child rights' panel again with two members putting in their papers within six months. Child health specialist Dr Dinesh Laroia resigned recently in quick succession to educationist Sukanya Bharatram, who quit in August, 2011. While Dr Laroia cited personal reasons for his resignation, sources said that there were differences with panel chief Shanta Sinha. With the two resignations, the number of members in the national commission for...
More »Status Update? Bad by Debarshi Dasgupta
Assailed from all sides, does the UPA really hope to recover its ‘image’ by muzzling online dissent? Kapil Sibal ko gussa kyon aata hai? Butt of online jokes: Politicians in 'tweaked' cinematic avatars. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. The UPA government has made it something of a fine art. Hardly had the ruckus over the decision to open up the retail sector to FDI died down than...
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