Considered a potent weapon for combating Naxalism, the distribution of land titles to tribals and forest workers under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, is not moving at a satisfactory pace in UP in comparison to other states. This, despite chief minister Mayawati's repeated orders to expedite the process. The Naxals mislead tribals living in abject poverty. The latter are also exploited by forest officials and police. The FRA recognises...
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Action Plan for 60 Naxal-hit districts by Vinay Kumar
Each to be given a block grant of Rs. 25 crore With the aim of giving a fillip to development schemes in tribal and backward regions, mostly affected by Naxal violence, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday approved the commencement of an Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in 60 selected districts. The IAP would be an additional central assistance scheme on a 100 per cent grant basis. It is aimed...
More »Forest panel rejects Posco clearance
In the latest setback to Posco's Rs. 54,000-crore integrated steel plant in Orissa, an Environment Ministry panel has recommended that its forest clearance be rejected. After dithering for almost four weeks after discussing the Posco proposal at its October 25 meeting, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has finally made up its mind to reject the clearance due to violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), listed by the Mena Gupta and...
More »The Posco question by Praful Bidwai
The government must stop dilly-dallying over the project and apply the law regardless of the fact that it is India's single largest foreign investment proposal. TWO giant metallurgical projects, both in Orissa. Both promoted by big multinational corporations with tremendous influence. Both opposed by environmental and tribal rights activists because they would displace vulnerable people and destroy fragile ecosystems. Both backed strongly by State-level and national lobbies that claim they...
More »Posco's chances dim as another panel says no by Nitin Sethi
The deck's being stacked against Posco. In the biggest blow yet to the South Korean giant's Rs 54,000-crore project in Orissa, a key committee of the environment ministry has recommended the withdrawal of forest clearance to the multinational's plan to build an integrated steel plant. If accepted by environment minister Jairam Ramesh, the recommendation of the forest advisory committee (FAC) could sound the death-knell for the country's biggest FDI project....
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