-The Telegraph Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh will try to persuade the Centre not to allow any more private mining companies to operate in the mineral-rich saranda forests, a former Maoist stronghold that is now the focus of a massive rejuvenation plan. If the minister, who toured the West Singhbhum forests yesterday, has his way, at least 20 companies, including steel behemoths like ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Limited...

-The Telegraph The Jharkhand government is uneasy, a bit tense even, about tomorrow’s visit to saranda by Union minister Jairam Ramesh who has time and again made public his displeasure at the slow implementation of his development initiative in the former Naxalite hub of West Singhbhum. In his latest missive, sent to chief minister Arjun Munda on June 18, the architect of the saranda Development Plan highlighted a number of “worrying” issues,...

-The Hindu Almost a year after saranda was wrested out of Maoist control by security forces, large numbers of tribal families living in the dense forests of the Jharkhand district have found themselves left out in the cold when it comes to government assistance. “We discovered that just about 3,000 of the 7,000-odd forest dwelling tribal families in saranda are on the BPL [below poverty line] list,” says Rural Development Minister Jairam...

-The Times of India Sitamarhi (Bihar): The Sitamarhi district administration on Sunday prevailed upon Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and persuaded him not to venture into Naxal-dominated areas.  The minister wanted to visit a village for verification of rural development work there.  Led by the SP, the district administration asked the minister not to go to Giddha gram panchayat under Runnisaidpur block, 35km from the district headquarters. "We have received reports that...

-Live Mint   Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh is advocating a new approach to fighting the Maoist insurgency that has gripped 78 districts so far. Apart from development and security, the approach involves politics and justice, he said. In an interview, Ramesh warned that in the rush to attain high growth rates, India was placing the interests of tribals below that of mining firms. The minister suggested the setting up of a...