-IANS   A central team that reviewed fund management under the National Rural Health Mission in Uttar Pradesh found ‘irregularity’ in award of contracts for procuring emergency medical transport services and poor quality of drugs, the Rajya Sabha was informed Tuesday. In a written reply, Minister of State Sudip Bandyopadhyay said Uttar Pradesh has ‘primary responsibility’ for implementing NRHM that aims to provide quality healthcare to people living in remote areas. The central health...

The Posco Pratirodhaka Sangram Samiti (PPSS) president slammed BJD Rajya Sabha member Baishnab Parida on Saturday for commenting in the Parliament on Friday that large numbers of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were hand-in-glove with anti-land acquisition leaders to oppose the proposed steel plant construction in the seaside villages of Jagatsinghpur district. "Not a single Bangladeshi is residing in three gram panchayats of Dhinkia, Gadakujang and Nuagaon areas," said PPSS president...

-PTI   The Lokpal Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha last week, has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for in-depth scrutiny. The bill has been sent by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Law and Justice which has been given three months to submit its report, a Parliament source said. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, who is a senior advocate, was only recently...

-Press Information Bureau   A Study conducted by the Central government reveals that works given under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, MGNREGS have led to increase in crop yields, besides substantial enhancement of market wage rates of agricultural and non-agricultural labourers. The positive impact of the scheme was also noticed in the considerable increase in the forest area and the decline in incidents of out-migration. The information was given by...

-The Pioneer   The elected from two major political dispensations on Friday converged on the need for the presence of civil society groups but cautioned them against usurping the role and responsibilities of the constitutionally mandated institutions like Parliament. Similar opinion also emerged from the two leading editors and other participants on a seminar on civil society in the national Capital on Friday. While Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Leader...