-PTI   Patna: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday said the central government was working on a new crop insurance scheme to help farmers tackle flood, drought and plant diseases in a better manner. He said it will be launched soon across the country, as the existing scheme has not proved to be beneficial to the farmers. Details will be unveiled during the Budget session of the Parliament, he added. Singh also...

-The Telegraph Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav has wrapped up his free laptop scheme and instead pledged funds for building toilets and upgrading the police force in the state Budget unveiled today. "We have kept our poll promise and distributed laptops in the first phase of our programme. The stress in this Budget is infrastructure and rural development," said the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, under pressure after his party slipped from 21 seats in...

-The Hindustan Times The government\'s first Budget is likely to signal the new administration\'s intention of reforming India\'s fuel pricing regime with monthly hikes of Rs. 10 per cylinder of cooking gas (LPG). Each household will, however, continue to be entitled to 12 subsidised cylinders a year. Currently, a subsidised LPG cylinder costs Rs. 414 in Delhi while the market price - which consumers pay for any demand beyond the quota -...

-The Hindustan Times Jaipur: The state government amended the Wind Power Policy 2012 with an aim of attracting more investors and giving boost to renewable energy in the state. The government wants to ensure easy process for allocation of land and other formalities for setting up wind power projects in the state, said parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore. This and many more decisions were taken at the cabinet meeting held here...

-The Hindu   Kolkata (West Bengal): Of the 341 blocks in the State, 81 blocks have water with more arsenic than the permissible limit and 49 blocks with more fluoride than the standard value. North 24 Parganas district, where about 20 blocks are affected with arsenic contamination, is the worst affected and is followed by Nadia, where 17 blocks and Murshidabad with 14 blocks where arsenic in groundwater is higher than the limit. Certain...