Very soon, finger prints would become the key to foodgrains at the public distribution system (PDS) outlets in Jharkhand. Having given its nod to induct about 12 lakh new families in the list of people below the poverty line (BPL), the Jharkhand Government has decided to go in for high-tech mechanism for distribution of foodgrains to the beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS) across the state. In keeping with the modules...

Noted social activist Anna Hazare has decided to launch a 'jail bharo' agitation against the 'illegal decision of the state government to condone irregularities' in the Lavasa lake city project coming up near Pune. "The state government's decision to regularise irregularities in Lavasa project is akin to daylight robbery of tribals whose lands have been illegally acquired for the project," Hazare said. "As per law, land of tribals cannot be transferred. But...

Himachal Pradesh has expressed reservation over the provision of ‘minimum five hectares of land for granting mining lease’ under the proposed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill that has already got the nod of Group of Ministers. The existing Act, which will be replaced, did not have any such regulation. The government has already represented to the Centre that such large tracts of land for mining activities in Himachal, where...

State Bank of India, the country’s largest bank, plans to scale up its rural book in keeping with its objective to increase financial inclusion. The bank plans to increase its rural lending book by 25% and its deposit base by about 28%,’’ said Jayanta K Sinha chief general manager, rural business, SBI. The bank is also in the process of teaming up with corporates, who would be Business Correspondents(BC). “In keeping...

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which has revitalised the rural landscape across the country, stands diminished in the land of its birth, Rajasthan, hijacked and held to ransom by vested interests and stripped of its backbone of an open social audit. As the Andhra experience has shown, there is one ingredient that can bring back its vitality: institutionalising citizen audits. But, is the Rajasthan government up to...