It was the end of a long, tiring and humid day. Sitting near the bamboo gate of his 'precious' betel vineyard, 70-year-old Narayan Mandal said despondently, "I don't want to migrate, once again." Mandal, a resident of Gobindpur village in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district, is one of the many opposing the state government's ambitious $12 billion Posco steel project. For the last six years, three gram panchayats - Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Gada...
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Dreze urges PM to keep Cash out of food security Bill by Sreelatha Menon
A study on the Public Distribution System by a team led by National Advisory Council member and economist Jean Dreze found only 18 per cent of respondents in a survey, of 1,227 below-poverty line households over 106 villages in nine states, wanted Cash in place of food under the system. The demand for Cash transfers was highest in Bihar at 54 per cent, followed by 34 per cent in Uttar Pradesh...
More »NAC, Govt differ over Food Bill by Sreelatha Menon
In the wake of Dreze quitting NAC, Mander vows to fight for changes. Differences between the National Advisory Council (NAC) and the government have come out in the open over the Food Security Bill, which was approved by a Group of Ministers this month. While Jean Dreze, who had earlier quit the working group on food security after recommendations by the members were diluted by the NAC itself, chose to quit the...
More »Harsh Mander interviewed by Outlook
The National Advisory Council (NAC) member spoke on why the government’s food security bill is a "disappointment" National Advisory Council (NAC) member Harsh Mander spoke to Outlook on why the government’s food security bill is a “disappointment”. Excerpts: Did you expect the NAC’s draft of the food security bill to be accepted by the government? There is a huge difference between what we suggested and what has been incorporated in the government...
More »Extension Of Woes by Lola Nayar
The Noida-Greater Noida imbroglio will be instructive for the draft land acquisition bill In The Works... * Government to acquire land, “public purpose” to be redefined * Land acquisition only after getting written consent of 80 per cent of landowners * Monitoring authority to be set up at the Centre and states to ensure compliance * Payment component split into part-Cash-down and remaining in annuity for 33 years * Post...
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