Small and medium farmers in the State will get energy efficient motors for their pumpsets free of cost to replace the existing inefficient high energy consuming motors, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced on Sunday. “In the case of other farmers, motors will be given at 50 per cent subsidy. This move will save 20 per cent of electricity,” the Chief Minister said in his Independence Day address from Fort St George. He...
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Key States yet to respond on ‘honour' killings draft Bill by Smita Gupta
With the key States — Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan — yet to respond to the Centre's letter asking for their comments and suggestions on the draft Bill on honour killings, the Group of Ministers, which met on Thursday, was unable to progress beyond a decision to send the States a reminder. Emerging from the less than hour-long meeting here, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram told journalists that he hoped...
More »panchayats overhaul soon to smoothen rural schemes by Devesh Kumar
With a huge amount of funds riding on various rural development programmes, the Manmohan Singh government has now turned its sights on reforming and strengthening the panchayati raj system. And the task is going to start at the level of the gram panchayats, which are the vehicle for the implementation of most of the rural development projects. The ministry of rural development and panchayati raj institutions is presently in the...
More »MHNREGA beats the odds, succeeds in DK by Stanley G Pinto
There was a perception that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MHNREGA) will not work in this district. But a year down the line, many families are seeing it as a godsend opportunity to improve their livelihood by developing their small land holdings through this scheme, said DK District NREGA ombudsman Sheena Shetty. Taking charge as the ombudsman on Thursday at the zilla panchayat office here, Shetty told...
More »Seven lakh bogus jobs under NREGS
The backward Hyderabad Karnatak region is proving to be a fertile ground for the bogus cards racket under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Lakhs of families are carrying the cards that make them eligible for employment although they are not qualified for benefits under the scheme. In fact, almost half the bogus cards that have been dug out under the scheme have been found in the districts here. The fraud...
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