-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The 'schemes of the rural development department, riding on crores, will go for a proper audit now. The government is willing to bring the schemes under the lens, and if the need be, to also write to the centre to let the social audit directorate set up for monitoring the implementation of MGNREGA, expand its role in assessing the performance of schemes like IAY and PMGSY...

-The Indian Express Days after The Indian Express published pictures of police breaking open and looting a stall during the Dhule riots of January 6, six local policemen have been arrested for the crime. The six men — four State Reserve Police (SRP) personnel and two police constables — were arrested on Friday and charged with theft and dishonestly breaking open property under IPC Sections 380 and 461. If convicted, they face...

-The Times of India A day after the Supreme Court questioned the government's wisdom over existing security cover to VIPs, the Centre on Friday said security to protected persons could be scaled down depending upon the threat perception. Even as a committee, comprising senior home ministry and Intelligence Bureau officials, has been working on rationalizing the list of protected persons, minister of state for home affairs R P N Singh said, "If...

-Live Mint Proposal aimed at beefing up security, besides making sure development reaches neglected parts of India A day after the government pledged the partial decontrol of sugar in the next fortnight, the Union cabinet on Thursday approved a set of significant measures aimed at tackling Maoist insurgency and asserting its strategic hold over an area claimed by neighbouring China.   The measures approved involve upgrading rural road connectivity with special emphasis on...

-The Times of India PATNA: The central construction agencies have failed the state once again insofar as the completion of rural road projects is concerned. Rural works department (RWD) minister Bhim Singh, who visited 12 districts to review the progress, lamented, "They have displayed their inefficiency by not constructing the Roads they had been allotted." Singh called the representatives of five central agencies and strictly told them to complete the projects by...