Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is the foremost problem of Orissa and the most daunting challenge for CM Naveen Patnaik, whose 12-year tenure has witnessed a rapid rise in intensity and spread of Maoist insurgency in the state. Twentyfour of the 30 districts are now affected. Orissa has become a refuge for Maoist cadres who freely migrate to neighbouring regions. In many of the troubled territories, especially in south-western parts of the state,...
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Nine months on, police camps sole development in Saranda Plan-Aman Sethi
Scheme meant for the tribals has been hijacked by mining firms, claim activists The construction of 24 fortified police bases in the midst of Saranda, an 800-sq. km. patch of forested hills veined with a quarter of India's iron ore reserves, has sparked concerns among political activists who believe that a development plan intended for tribals in Jharkhand has been hijacked by mining corporations. In October last year, Union Minister for Rural...
More »Petrol price down Rs 2 a litre, another Re 0.92 cut next week
-The Times of India State-run fuel retailers on Saturday reduced petrol price by Rs 1.68 per litre, excluding state taxes. This means consumers in Delhi would pay Rs 2 less per litre at pumps from midnight and will see an additional 92 paise reduction next week after the local government notifies a reduction in the value added tax (VAT). In other states, the extent of decline would vary by a few paise...
More »'Predicting poll results in India is tough'-Allan J Lichtman
-The Economic Times Allan J Lichtman's answers are brief and to the point. But by force of habit, he seems to love questions - he answers them animatedly, like professors who are used to keen listeners. This energetic American University professor of history is the one who has predicted correctly the results of all US presidential polls since 1984. "I have always been anxious," says he of the mood in the run-up...
More »Ranvir Sena chief murder poses challenge to Nitish Kumar-Smita Gupta
Friday's murder of Brahmeshwar Singh, chief of the outlawed Ranvir Sena (a private army owing allegiance to the powerful upper caste Bhumihars) in Bhojpur, 71 km from Patna, could become a major test for the seven-year-old Nitish Kumar government's continued ability to maintain social harmony in Bihar. Within hours of the killing in the early hours, Singh's supporters went on the rampage, upsetting the delicate caste equilibrium in south Bihar,...
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