The United Progressive Alliance government on Friday unveiled its second draft Bill addressing the burning issues of land acquisition as well as rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R). The National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, as recommended by the National Advisory Council, will make it mandatory that gram sabhas are consulted and the R&R package is executed before the acquired land is transferred. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh...
More »SEARCH RESULT
NAC proposals to strengthen MGNREGS by Smita Gupta
The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) — at the initiative of which the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was rolled out in UPA-I — is taking a fresh look at how to strengthen it. The NAC wants the scheme to move from its “relief work mode” to one that would blend “natural resources and labour to build productive assets.” When the NAC meets here on Thursday, the Deep...
More »A relentless crusader by Sudha Umashanker
Ruth Manorama started her work with the urban poor in her youth; there has been no turning back ever since. She is the powerful voice of Dalit women today. Is it easy being a Dalit in India? And a woman at that? Have things changed for the better for the Dalits who constitute roughly 16.23 per cent of our population, since the Constitution of India “cast a special responsibility on the...
More »Panel ‘dismayed’ at condition of SCs in Punjab
-The Times of India The National scheduled caste Commission on Friday expressed displeasure over diversion of scheduled caste sub-plan funds for general purposes in Punjab. Accompanied by the full commission, its chairman Dr P L Punia said, "As much as 31% of Punjab's total budget outlay should be for the sub-plan as per the commission guidelines, but it could spend only 10.21% and the remaining amount was shifted to general...
More »Orissa Dalit MLA served food separately at official meeting
-PTI Alleging that he was denied food along with others at an official meeting due to "caste discrimination", the ruling BJD MLA Kashinath Mallik today sought intervention of Orissa assembly speaker. Mallik, who represented Daspall in the assembly, met the speaker Pradip Kumar Amat and drew his attention towards the alleged discrimination. "While three other MLAs of Nayagarh district and Kandhamal MP were served food at a room with dignity,...
More »