International fund floodgates that stayed locked during the Left front regime are now opening up for Mamata Benerjee. Latest in the "parivartan" syndrome is the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has given the green signal to go along with one of the state's most ambitious roadway projects - the 271 km express corridor connecting North and South Bengal. It is a Rs2,270 crore project, which World Bank had refused to fund in...

Unpaid bills of Rs 17,000 crore — and growing — have revealed hidden food subsidies and acute financial mismanagement as the government prepares to adopt the costliest, most ambitious legislation of its tenure. Documents accessed by Hindustan Times reveal this is the money the government now owes the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI), hampering its mammoth operation of buying grain from the farmer, storing it and selling it cheaply...

The state government has switched to funding water conservation and harvesting projects through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employee Guarantee Act (MNREGA). In the fiscal 2010-11, water conservation projects guzzled maximum funds released under the MNREGA with the government deciding to channel more than 40 per cent of the total funds into water harvesting, restoration of traditional water baoris and de-silting of water bodies like ponds and lakes. Funds were channelled...

The government is examining the possibility of turning its two important social sector programmes into universal schemes covering the unorganised sector in phases, taking a cue from the successful extension of a health insurance plan to 23 million poor families. The labour ministry will prepare a feasibility plan together with the rural and finance ministries that run the old age pension scheme for the below poverty line people and the Aam...

The NGO which brought the 2G spectrum case to the Supreme Court, on Thursday alleged "big fish" like Reliance Telecom Chairman Anil Ambani, Essar's CEO Prashant Ruia and Tatas' who are real beneficiaries have been left out of CBI chargesheets. The NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), told the apex court that Shahid Usman Balwa-promoted Swan Telecom and Loop Telecom were the front companies for RCom and Essar Group respectively...