Sitamarhi, June 16: The Union rural development ministry has approved construction of 6,000km road in Bihar under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) during the current financial year at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore. Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh made this announcement after a review meeting with officers at Sitamarhi circuit house today. The minister, who is on a two-day visit to the state, told reporters that the ministry...

-The Telegraph An “urban-rural divide” seemed to unfold within the government today as rural development minister Jairam Ramesh appeared to take on his urban development counterpart Kamal Nath after the Centre included Chhindwara under the Integrated Action Plan for Maoist-affected areas. According to the home ministry, Chhindwara, Kamal Nath’s constituency in Madhya Pradesh, is not under Maoist influence. Ramesh said some districts not affected by the Maoist menace had been brought under the...

-The Hindustan Times The Union Cabinet has deferred the decision to raise the income ceiling to avail of OBC quota benefits in jobs and education. The ministry of social justice and empowerment's proposal to increase the ceiling from present Rs. 4.5 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh could not be approved due to demand from a section of ministers to further raise the limit. According to sources, a few OBC ministers opined the...

Araria, Patna: The Bihar government today suspended Raniganj (Araria) Circle Officer Ramvilas Jha, who is facing a probe for engaging middlemen and his relatives to purchase land plots at Kajra and Bistoria from farmers at dirt cheap rates and selling the same to the government at three to four times the price for its Mahadalit land scheme. Revenue and land reform department joint secretary Vijay Kumar Singh said the vigilance department...

-The Times of India With the development of cyclonic circulation over east central Arabian Sea on Tuesday, the southwest monsoon finally showed promise of progressing further into the country. In the next three days, the system which had so far stalled over coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu shortly after its onset on June 5 will become stronger over the west coast and Konkan.  "Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation, the southwest...