The implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has created controversy in West Bengal. The gram sabha, the basic unit in the process of forest rights recognition, has been replaced by the gram sansad, denoting the village level constituency under the panchayati raj system. This has been followed by contiguous arrangements as well as initiatives which are inconsistent with the Act....
More »SEARCH RESULT
Plan panel mulls cess on groundwater usage by Priyadarshi Siddhanta
In its action plan on water security, the Planning Commission will likely recommend a cess on the use of groundwater. The quantum of cess will be state-specific and will depend on the volume of water used by farmers. Mihir Shah, Member, Planning Commission, told The Indian Express that the proposed action plan would encompass creating a new legal and institutional framework with a clear focus on sustainability and equity. “It will...
More »Fund crunch hits rural road plans in Naxal dists by Ravish Tiwari
The fund crunch for the government’s rural roads programme appears all set to affect road construction efforts in the worst Naxal-affected districts where the government is contemplating to saturate road requirements — by connecting every habitation — beyond the rigid norms of Bharat Nirman and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The Rural Development Ministry, which administers the rural connectivity programme, is learnt to have apprised an empowered group of officers,...
More »Govt, UNDP aim to make job scheme effective by Ruhi Tewari
The government is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure that India’s flagship welfare programme leads to a tangible improvement in the human development index among the scheme’s beneficiaries. UNDP and the Union government have launched a pilot project aimed at making the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) more efficient and effective by coordinating it with other development programmes. “The idea is to leverage this massive...
More »Panchayats overhaul soon to smoothen rural schemes by Devesh Kumar
With a huge amount of funds riding on various rural development programmes, the Manmohan Singh government has now turned its sights on reforming and strengthening the panchayati raj system. And the task is going to start at the level of the gram panchayats, which are the vehicle for the implementation of most of the rural development projects. The Ministry of Rural Development and panchayati raj institutions is presently in the...
More »