It has been a challenge guiding the Editors Guild of India over two years, in what are difficult times for the Indian media. Two years ago, when I was asked to become the President of the Editors Guild of India, I did so with some trepidation. The Guild had a formidable reputation of having been at the forefront of editorial integrity and independence. Set up in the Emergency years, it emerged...
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Land to be acquired only with the consent of farmers in Gujarat by Manas Dasgupta
In a bid to encourage farmers to part with their land for industrial development, the Gujarat government has formulated a new land acquisition policy to make them partners in the development. Announcing this, Minister of State for Industries Saurabh Patel said the State-owned Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) henceforth would acquire land only with the “consent” of the concerned farmers, pay them at the prevailing market price, and give them a...
More »Increasing cases of irregularities in MGNREGS
The Ministry received 153 complaints of irregularities in the implementation of MGNREGA up to 2007-08; 645 complaints in 2008-09; 528 complaints in 2009-10 and 272 complaints in 2010-11 so far. With a view to make the scheme more accountable, the following steps have been taken by the Ministry:(i) States have been asked to deploy adequate number of dedicated staff with the implementing authorities. Administrative expenses, out of which salary of such...
More »New loan sharks by S Nagesh Kumar
The rural poor in Andhra Pradesh, a State showcased as a model for SHG-bank linkage, are caught in the vortex of microfinance. WITHIN a decade of their coming into operation, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have dealt a serious blow to the economy and the well-being of thousands of families in rural Andhra Pradesh. Harassment by their collection agents has allegedly driven at least 60 borrowers to death, and the number is...
More »Food will never become cheaper as expenses rise by Nidhi Nath Srinivas
Never mind wishful thinking by the government and RBI. Food will never be cheaper than what it is today. Not this year. Or in future. The reason is simple. Growing food in India has become extremely expensive. Crops are pricier even before they reach the market and face the pulls and tugs of rising local demand and exports. The farmer’s single biggest cost now is labour. Farm labour wages have doubled...
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