-The Hindustan Times In the face of public outrage over a series of unpopular fiscal steps such as hike in diesel prices and cap on LPG, the government plans to come out with two feel-good initiatives — the food security bill and health cover for all. The UPA’s flagship National Food Security Bill would give 67% of the population (nearly 800 million people) a legal right to foodgrains at less than half the...
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It's their world too -Gautam Bhan
-The Hindustan Times The recent regularisation of around 900 colonies in Delhi is an inevitable and welcome move. No city can allow a majority of its residents to live in conditions of illegality, particularly when that illegality is a direct outcome of its own history of urban planning. However, why are moves to regularise unauthorised colonies not being followed by similar moves to regularise bastis (often reductively called 'slums') that house...
More »Good roads pose fresh threat to Taj Mahal -Kapil Datta
-The Hindustan Times The Yamuna Expressway may well turn out to be yet another worry for the Taj Mahal, already battling pollution and signs of decay. The expressway — opened on August 9 — has almost doubled the weekend visitors to the Taj, pushing the Archaeological Survey of India into asking the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) to conduct an environment-impact study pending since 2006. Earlier, around 15,000 to 20,000 people...
More »N-plant protests spread, 250 arrested in Tuticorin -Ramesh Babu
-The Hindustan Times The fragile peace at Kudankulam lasted through Sunday, but elsewhere in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala, it was a day of protests and arrests. In Tuticorin, around 250 protesters on way to Kudankulam were arrested. They included Periyar Dravida Kazhagam leader Kolathur Mani and leaders of Naan Thamilar Iyakkam and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. In Kerala's Parassala, police stopped a "solidarity march" by cultural leaders to Kudankulam. For Tamil...
More »Mining scam: MoEF to set up committee of experts -Chetan Chauhan
-The Hindustan Times Environment ministry will set up an expert committee to find out the mining companies, including in coal sector, who have failed to start mining despite getting environment clearances and to strengthen the ministry's monitoring process. The ministry has given environment clearance to 530 million tonnes to coal but operations to mine only 200 million has started. Many companies have failed to start mining despite getting the clearance years ago. There is...
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