-PTI   In an effort to keep the Land Acquisition issue alive, the Congress on Monday announced that it will celebrate Rahul Gandhi's birthday as farmers rights day across the country. While criticising the Mayawati government for the alleged police atrocities against protesting farmers in Bhatta-Parsaul villages in Gautam Budhha Nagar on May 7, UP Congress president Rita Bahaguna Joshi said the party general secretary's birthday on June 19 will be celebrated as...

-IANS   The West Bengal government Tuesday tabled a legislation in the state assembly in its bid to return a portion of the land acquired by the erstwhile Left Front regime from "unwilling owners" for setting up the now abandoned Tata Motors small car factory in Singur . The 'Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011' was placed in the house by Commerce and Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee. The bill seeks to scrap...

In his lifetime, Nigamanand, an ascetic fighting a lonely battle against quarrying activities in Uttarakhand, tried to draw the attention of the national media to an environmental disaster waiting to happen in the state. In his death, the 36-year-old Sadhu, who went into a coma and died on Wednesday following his four-month-long fast in the same hospital at Dehra Dun where Ramdev was admitted, has forced civil society, politicians and the...

For third straight day on Sunday, the standoff between protestors and the armed police at Dhinkia village the entry point to Posco project site continued without bloodshed though the Orissa government on Friday had declared the assembly as unlawful and hinted at action if the protesters continued to restrict the officials' movement. Land Acquisition officials backed by about 800 armed police have so far not been able to enter the...

-Express News Service   Reacting to Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh's concern over use of force against villagers opposing Land Acquisition in Orissa for the Posco steel project, a pressure group on Sunday said that the minister should withdraw the illegal clearance given to the company. Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) said: "The minister appealed to the Orissa government to respect 'democracy and dialogue' and refrain from coercion in taking over...