-The Hindustan Times   Separate CBI teams from New Delhi arrived in Orissa on Tuesday and began probing into the alleged large-scale corruption in implementation of the rural job scheme under MGNREGA, official sources said on Tuesday. The officials of the premier investigating agency have already reached the districts of Rayagada, Kalahandi and Koraput, an official said adding they have met district level officials before verifying documents relating to MGNREGA. "The state government has...

Union Finance Minister and chairman of the Lokpal Bill Joint Draft Committee (JDC) Pranab Mukherjee has invited the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) to forward to him “directly” any suggestions/feedback on the Bill. He was responding to a letter written by Nikhil de of the NCPRI to him, seeking information on the procedures being followed by the panel and on public consultations. It is understood that in the...

-The Indian Express   The Central Information Commission today directed the CBI to make public information related to corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in the ongoing spectrum allocation scam investigations, overruling the agency's argument that the disclosure would affect probe. The case relates to a Lucknow-based RTI applicant Tanya Thakur who had sought to know from the CBI whether Niira Radia has been made an accused in the telecom spectrum scam or her...

-DNA   The ruling BJP-led coalition partner AJSU party today took strong exception to Centre's reported decision to hold back funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Ac (MGNREGA) for Latehar and Bokaro, saying it would hit the poor who get guaranteed employment under the central act. "Funds for any welfare schemes should not be blocked as it affects the livelihood of several people. And not releasing fund under MGNREGA to the...

-The Telegraph   Rural job scheme activist Niyamat Ansari was beaten to death by Maoists as a group of middlemen stood and watched, a report on the March 2 killing has pointed out, indicating once again that implementation of MGNREGS in Jharkhand leaves a lot to be desired. Armed with the report, a committee constituted by Union rural development ministry today met chief minister Arjun Munda and his deputy Sudesh Mahto, requesting...