A three-member committee, formed by rural development ministry to probe allegations that Gujarat government was diverting NREGA funds for other projects, will visit the state next week for the inquiry. “It has been alleged in a report that Gujarat government diverted NREGA funds to facilitate making of Anicuts in the state and the work was not approved by the Gram Sabha. If allegations are true, it is clear violation of...
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Panel set up to look into fudging of Muster Rolls in NREGA
NREGA, the UPA’s flagship employment scheme for which the Government has spent over Rs. 90,000 crore, is facing complaints of fudging of attendance registers, prompting the Union Rural Development Ministry to constitute a Working Group to look into it. The Ministry has already set up six such panels to deal with different issues relating to implementation of the programme like planning and execution of works, transparency and accountability and timely payment...
More »Prabhash Joshi and the RTI Movement by Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh
TRIBUTE On May 5 it will be six months since Prabhat Joshi left us. Remembering that towering figure in the field of journalism on this occasion, we are carrying the following tribute which brings out yet another facet of his personality. It was written quite sometime ago but could not be published earlier due to unavoidable reasons. Prabhash Joshi was one of the most important journalists and thinkers of our times. He...
More »Backward Bihar goes for the smartest cards by SA Aiyar
India has launched its first high-tech census. Citizens will be photographed and will give 10 fingerprints each. The resultant database will be used to issue identity cards, and later smart cards, to all. All Indians will welcome high-tech smart cards. Yet the technological lead has been taken not by the census commissioner but, astonishingly, by Bihar. This state has just completed a pilot project for smart cards in Patna district,...
More »Workers at Commonwealth Games sites an exploited lot: Panel by Abhinav Garg
In a big embarrassment to the Centre and Delhi government ahead of the Commonwealth Games, a committee appointed by the Delhi High Court has said that workers at Games-related construction sites were not being paid minimum wages and were being made to work overtime for no extra money. The four-member committee was set up to inquire into allegations levelled in a PIL which said conditions of workers at construction sites...
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