-Outlook Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir government said 329 new habitations have been provided road connectivity in the state under Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). "134 schemes, constructing 695 kms road length, covering 329 habitations have been completed under PMGSY till date," Minister for Roads and Buildings and Mechanical Engineering Abdul Majid Wani said while replying to the discussion on the demand of grants for his department in Legislative Assembly last evening. He...

-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation) As per the poverty estimates released by the Planning Commission, the percentage of population below poverty line in urban areas has declined from 25.5% in 2004-05 to 13.7% in 2011-12. This was stated by Dr. (Ms.) Girija Vyas, Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. Dr Vyas stated that the...

-The Hindu Increased rebel activity made it impossible for anyone to commute outside Jagargunda unless they left permanently, as the original inhabitants and the new entrants were marked as Salwa Judum supporters, and overtly boycotted by the Maoist-controlled villages surrounding the enclave. In Jagargunda, a large village in south Chhattisgarh, the villagers have been waiting for their winter rations for more than two months. Ordinarily, this would not be news but Jagargunda...

-Outlook Following are the highlights of interim budget 2014-15: Income tax rates kept unchanged 10 pc surcharge on 'super-rich' having annual income above Rs 1 crore to continue 10 pc surcharge on domestic corporates with income of Rs 10 crore Foodgrain production estimated at 263 million tonnes in 2013-14 Fiscal deficit at 4.6 pc in 2013-14...

-DNA The government's lack of focus on agriculture shows its lopsided priorities. In the coming months, about 1.5 crore farmers who quit agriculture in the past seven years, are likely to trudge back into the villages. In normal circumstances such a massive reverse migration - from the cities back to the villages - would have been a sign of inclusive growth. But economists are taking this U-turn as a sign of...