-PTI   Centre released an additional Rs 200 crore to Kerala under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a central scheme for building rural roads. "I am happy to inform you that my Ministry has released an amount of Rs 200 crore to your state towards part payment of first installment of Phase VII under PMGSY pending audit report and final utilisation certificate for the year 2010-2011, maintenance certificate etc," Ramesh said in...

U.P.'s GDP grew at 7.28 per cent in the past five years, but the State ranks low in virtually every area of socio-economic development. IF statistics on gross domestic product (GDP) are the only criteria to evaluate the performance of a government, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government in Uttar Pradesh will have to be rated as one with highly impressive credentials. For, India's most populous State has recorded a...

Perennially hungry Chotanagra panchayat, 120km from district headquarters Chaibasa, may be forgiven for rubbing its eyes today in disbelief at the sight of a piping hot lunch. Amid the flurry of goodies — from land to tube well repair kits to tricycles — distributed by Union minister Jairam Ramesh, chief minister Arjun Munda and his deputies, what starving villagers relished most were steamed rice, mashed vegetables and eggs, courtesy the Central...

-The Economic Times   Stepping up Kerala's demand for a new dam at Mullaperiyar, chief minister Oommen Chandy said he will meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, even as the opposition leader VS Achuthanandan decided to go on a fast on December 7 on the issue.  In an attempt to find a solution to the vexing issue, Chandy would write to his counter part in Tamil Nadu about...

-IANS Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday met Congress MPs after calling on party president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the standoff over the decision to allow foreign equity in retail.  The government's known troubleshooter held a brief meeting with Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence before meeting party MPs to allay their apprehensions on the decision to allow 51 percent foreign direct investment ( FDI) in multi-brand retail and 100 percent in...