When it came to power in May 2009, some ministers in the UPA government had set themselves a deadline of 100 days to show results. But one year and nine-odd months later, the report card of its flagship programmes in nine states hit by Maoism is dismal. Much of the money allocated has gone unspent, according to the “performance study” the Planning Commission conducted in these states and submitted to...

Justice Samudrala Govinda Rajulu of AP high court on Monday refused to quash the case of sedition registered against a Koya tribal fighting against the construction of Polavaram irrigation project. Polavaram Police of West Godavari district registered a crime case against Savalam Benerji, a Koya tribal and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for their alleged activity in trying to stall the Polavaram project. The tribals of...

Vikasa organisation, a wing under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), has taken up a special drive to identify child labourers, in tribal and fishermen areas, and in areas where SCs and weaker section population lives in East Godavari. The identified children in age group of 7 to 14 years (both boys and girls) would be admitted to bridge schools run by NCLP, to equip them to join normal schools. The...

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DISREGARDS FINDINGS OF HIS OWN REVIEW AND STATUTORY CLEARANCES COMMITTEES The following is the statement issued to the press by Abhay Sahoo, President of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), and Prashant Paikeay, the PPSS spokesperson, on January 31, 2010. The decision of Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to give a comprehensive okay to the POSCO India Steel Power Production-Captive Port project, based on some additional conditions, is nothing short of...

In a major victory for tribals of Lakhimpur Kheri living in 46 villages in and around the Dudhwa forest range, the state government has allowed them to collect forest produce required for their survival. It has also approved in principle the proposal to convert two forest villages -- Surma and Golbojhi situated in Dudhwa range into revenue villages. The tribals were fighting to get right on the forest produce since long,...