-The Telegraph The Narendra Modi government's decision to abolish the National Development Council is a further blow against the federal structure of our republic. True, the NDC did not have a constitutional status, and differed in this respect from the Inter-State Council, whose activation was often demanded by the Left, precisely because it was a constitutional body, for deciding inter alia on the composition and terms of reference of finance commissions....
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Bigger rural outlay to power Growth: FM
-The Hindu Business Line 10 years on, MGNREGA to get more funds New Delhi: Barely three weeks ahead of Budget 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley indicated that the government could increase budgetary allocations for rural and social schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The allocation may be even higher than the ₹35,000 crore allocated in 2015-16. “One engine to grow further, despite the global slowdown that has also impacted our exports, can...
More »Nabard thinks Mumbai needs 50% of agri loans -Alok Deshpande
-The Hindu The fact that a megapolis, and not the drought-affected areas of Maharashtra, is the biggest beneficiary, has angered many Bristling with glass towers and commercial districts, Mumbai is unquestionably the financial capital of India. The most greenery an average Mumbaikar can hope to grow is a few herbs in window flower-pots. Which is why it seems strange that the city will be the biggest beneficiary of agriculture loans, as projected by...
More »Warm winter worry for rabi produce -Dev Raj
-The Telegraph Patna: The warm winter that took Bihar by surprise could hit the rabi crop hard with experts estimating an over 13 per cent drop in agriculture production during the season. The fall in production, the experts fear, could lead to distress among farmers and also contribute to inflation in food grain, pulses and oilseeds. "We are estimating production of around 52 lakh tonnes of wheat this rabi season in the state....
More »Where have all the women gone? -Charan Singh
-The Hindu Business Line The government must open up conventional and unconventional avenues for women to find their way into the workforce Officials in the finance ministry are busy with budgetary consultations. At the outset, it needs to be recognised that the Union Budget is more than a mere accounting exercise as it lays out the vision of the government and provides a strategy to implement it during the course of that year. In...
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