-Frontline Riding roughshod over farmers' concerns, the Gujarat government notifies a project to develop the Mandal-Becharaji Special Investment Region, an industrial hub spread over 50,884 hectares, affecting 44 villages. But the villagers see it as a real estate scam and are determined to resist it. GUJARAT may soon have several new townships. The Narendra Modi-led government has proposed to set up 13 special investment regions (SIRs), which are essentially industrial hubs...

-The Financial Express Amid the government's efforts to curb fiscal deficit, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Tuesday criticised the Centre for cutting down on capital spending, over-stating spending on centrally sponsored schemes and doling out some subsidies without obtaining Parliament approval. UPA's flagship scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) also came under the scanner with the CAG questioning whether the entire amount booked for the job scheme...

-The Hindu Aimed shielding political parties, the Bill draws wide protests The Manmohan Singh government on Monday introduced the Right to Information (Amendment Bill), 2013 in the Lok Sabha overriding outrage and protests by ordinary users of the law as well as information activists, many of whom inundated the Speaker's office with appeals and applications urging Meira Kumar to refer the Bill to a select committee. The RTI Act was among a slew...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has come out in support of the demand that SCs/STs be deemed to be poor with the exclusion of government employees and tax payers among them, adding a new twist to the debate on the identification of poor. Responding to the issue raised by social justice minister Selja, Ramesh told TOI, "I am for dalits and tribals being considered poor with...

-PTI The Government will kick-start a number of new infrastructure projects including 8 new airports and two new sea-ports in the coming months to boost sluggish economic growth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday. With economic growth slowing to a decade low of 5 per cent, the Congress-led UPA government has further opened the economy to foreign direct investment and now wants to use investments for returning to high growth...