The monthly farmers' grievance meeting held here at the district collectorate on Friday Witnessed a slew of demands from farmers ranging from early desilting of PWD channels to release of crop loans to opposition of proposed power projects. There was a collective demand for desilting of PWD channels before water was released from the Mettur Dam. Transparency in the number of channels listed for desilting, along with works cost involved for...

Drought impacted agricultural production but not farm incomes.  The year 2009-10 was supposedly a bad year for Indian agriculture, given the worst ever monsoon since 1972. This is partly reflected in the 0.2 per cent growth registered by the farm sector (inclusive of forestry and fishing) in real terms, as per the Central Statistical Organisation's latest revised estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for last fiscal. The virtual stagnation in agricultural output...

While the focus remains on the recent spate of Maoist attacks, statistics show that Naxals have been killing three persons in every two days for the past five years. The Left-wing extremists have killed about 2,670 people -- about 1,680 civilians and nearly 990 security personnel -- since 2005, equalling three deaths every two days. About 1,440 Maoists have also lost their lives in the past five years, which translates...

Gujarat's business acumen and entrepreneurial zest is passé; the State's leap-frogging with 11 per cent agricultural growth, praised by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) last year, is old hat too. What is new is this: Gujarat may now export more ‘kesar', the famous mango variety of the State, to West Asia than Maharashtra sells alphonso; the State has entered Goa market with cashew nut; and an Ahmedabad-based part-time...

For two decades the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) has taken the Right to Information Act to the grassroots. KAVERI GILL was Witness to a mela that celebrated its 20th anniversary at Bhim, Rajasthan.  The occasion was no political party rally, nor was there any promise of handouts by the state, dangling a carrot or wielding a stick to elicit attendance On Labour Day, a maidan in Bhim, District Rajsamand,...