-PTI New Delhi: Under fire from the Opposition on the Land ordinance, government today said it is considering a number of representations from stakeholders expressing concerns on the interests of the farmers on the provisions of the law. Defending the ordinance to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told Lok Sabha that many state governments and...

-Hindustan Times Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday his government would not stop the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as it was a "living reminder" of the previous UPA government's "failures". Replying to the motion of thanks on the president's address in the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said: "Sometimes people ask whether MGNREGA would be discontinued." Modi quipped though the Opposition might say he does not understand some issues, they...

-Economic and Political Weekly   The stage is all set for the resumption of iron ore mining in Goa after it was suspended in the state in 2012, to curb its indiscriminate and illegal mining. The Goa government's decision to renew the mining leases comes at a time when the economics of iron ore mining have changed and environmental concerns have gained more prominence. Pamela D'Mello (dmello.pamela@gmail.com) is a Goa-based journalist. The state government...

-The Hindu Government acccuses Opposition of creating confusion The Modi government sent out conflicting signals on whether it would blink on the land ordinance, even as ally Lok Janshakti Party joined two other NDA partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena, to oppose it in its present form. With a united opposition rejecting the controversial draft legislation, and perception having gained ground that the government's proposed changes are anti-poor, pro-rich, harried...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Centre has tabled a land acquisition bill with provisions identical to that of a controversial ordinance, taking a calculated gamble and testing the nerves of the Opposition that is hoping to build a campaign anchored on farmers. Tabled in the Lok Sabha this morning, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill is based entirely on the ordinance the Union cabinet...