The late Rajiv Gandhi famously, or infamously, once claimed that only 15 per cent of the funds allocated to welfare programmes ever reached the intended beneficiaries. The rest leaked enroute, entering the pockets of an assortment of intermediaries. This is a thought that the Union finance minister must always remember, especially when he sits down to allocate funds for an assortment of subsidies and some of the high-profile spending programme...
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Poverty without Borders by Andrea Lunt
It's the land of freedom, of bright lights and burgers, where daring entrepreneurs arrive from across the planet in search of fame and fortune. The United States of America - the world's melting pot - has been a symbol of hope for centuries, but behind this vision of wealth and wonder is a tale often untold. Food security, lack of water rights and unemployment might sound like the type of problems...
More »Global food prices rise to new highs, not expected to fall in coming months – UN
Food prices around the world surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today, adding that the prices are not likely to decline in the months ahead. According to the FAO, its latest Food Price Index, a commodity basket that tracks monthly changes in global food prices, averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 per...
More »Rural work scheme cuts spend, wants more cash by Sreelatha Menon
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the United Progressive Alliance government’s flagship programme, has so far spent just 56 per cent of its Budget allocation of Rs 40,000 crore. It has also recorded a fall in the average number of workdays per household this financial year. Government managers are asking for a 60 per cent rise in allocation for the scheme in the next financial year. Rs 20,854...
More »Prime Minister, Sonia promise more MGNREGS reforms by K Balchand
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi have promised to usher in more reforms in the scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and increase the number of days of job guaranteed to Below the Poverty Line households. Speaking at a function here to mark the completion of the fifth year of MGNREGS, Dr. Singh promised to reform the delivery mechanism for the...
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