-The Telegraph Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has written to the Prime Minister for a rethink on a cabinet committee's recent clearances to two mining projects in Jharkhand's Saranda forests. Ramesh has argued that the projects would harm his ministry's Rs 300-crore development plan for the region, alienate local tribals and weaken the fight to contain the Maoists, a ministry official said. The Prime Minister heads the cabinet committee on infrastructure, which gave...
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Jairam calls Mamata bluff
-The Telegraph Howrah/ Calcutta: Union minister Jairam Ramesh today hit back at Mamata Banerjee for daring the Centre to impose Article 356 in Bengal and termed her government a "circus". "I don't think the Centre is so irresponsible. (It) goes by the Constitution. I don't think Article 356 is applied because a chief minister dares the Centre to do so," the rural development minister, who had earlier met governor M.K. Narayanan, said...
More »Fast-track BPL status for 4 million families in Maoist zone -Subodh Ghildiyal
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Four million households in Maoist-affected districts are likely to get BPL status without having to wait for another two years when the Socio-Economic Caste Census is expected to be completed. The list of BPL will be revised based on the findings of the census. The shortcut inclusion in the 82 Maoist-affected districts is aimed at making the poor, who fell between the cracks of the poverty...
More »Aruna Roy opts out of NAC, criticises govt over MGNREGA wages
-PTI NEW DELHI: Social activist Aruna Roy has decided not to continue in UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi-led NAC after her term expires on Friday, criticising the government for not taking up recommendations of the council on minimum wages to workers under MGNREGA. Roy has written to Gandhi requesting that she should not be considered for another term of NAC that sets the social agenda for the government and the UPA Chairperson has...
More »Panel bats for BPL cards to households in Maoist-hit districts -Elizabeth Roche
-Live Mint Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said the committee's recommendations will be accepted New Delhi: A government committee has recommended issuing below-poverty-line (BPL) cards to all 4 million households in 22 backward districts that are affected by the Maoist insurgency. The committee, set up by the Rural Development Ministry, also recommended the inclusion in another 34 such districts of households that are headed by a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe member,...
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