-PTI Bhubaneswar: Expressing shock at the death of three people in a bomb explosion at the proposed Posco plant site, Congress on Sunday asked Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take effective steps to prevent 'bloodbath' in the area and shift the proposed project elsewhere. "The Chief Minister should show some concern for the loss of human lives. We are saddened by the plight of people who continue to suffer due to...

-The Times of India Under pressure to energize the economy ahead of the 2014 election, the Manmohan Singh government is reaching across political divides to rescue mining projects in opposition-ruled states of Goa, Odisha and Karnataka. With third quarter growth sinking to 4.5% and the economic survey pointing to a mining and quarrying slowdown as a reason for poor industrial growth, the Centre has decided to ask the Supreme Court to relax...

-Reuters Bhubaneshwar: At least three people protesting against plans for a $12 billion steel project by South Korea’s POSCO in Odisha were killed by crude bombs on Saturday, police said. Police said those killed in the village of Patna in Odisha were probably making the bombs themselves, but a protest group spokesman said the dead activists were victims of an attack by supporters of the steel project. “We strongly condemn this barbaric and...

-Outlook Rural Development Ministry could spend only Rs 55,000 crore out of the budget estimate of Rs 75,000 crore for its various flagship programmes in the current fiscal and Minister Jairam Ramesh says he owns responsibility for it. Despite the poor spending, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today allocated Rs 80,000 crore to the key social sector Ministry in this year's budget. Ramesh blamed "serious administrative weaknesses in the poorest states of India"-- Bihar,...

-PTI BHUBANESHWAR: Giving full opportunity to mine lessees to express their views on shady activities in iron ore and manganese mining in Odisha, Justice M B Shah Commission today said illegal mining activities exist in the state. "Unless there is illegal mining, there is no inquiry," Chairman of the Commission Justice M B Shah said on the second day of hearing here. Noting that the commission was giving full opportunities to mine owners...