-The Times of India CHANDRAGIRI (RAYAGADA): Tribals from Rayagada's Kashipur block have vowed to stopUtkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL) from mining at Baphlimali hills alleging that the company has backtracked on its promises. "The company promised to bring about all round development of the affected villages and started construction work six years ago. We believed it and stopped our agitation against the company. But there has been no noticeable change in the...

-The Business Standard The Odisha government has decided to resume the land acquisition process for South African steelmaker Posco’s project, which was stalled indefinitely in June last year following protests by villagers and Left leaders. The decision was taken in a meeting convened by Chief Secretary B K Patnaik on 16 August, where officials of the Central Revenue Division Commissioner, Posco-India, Jagatsinghpur district administration and Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha (Idco)...

-DNA While all scarcity-affected districts are working toward implementing their contingency plans, the government has indicated that most of the relief work will be carried out under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). Also, officials said the number of scarcity-hit talukas is likely to be reduced with the skies finally opening up. Talukas that get more than 150mm average rainfall will be taken off the scarcity-hit list. “Nearly 70% scarcity-related relief...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: Jharkhand High Court today granted three weeks to the state government to resolve the deadlock over land for building campuses in Nagri for three national academic institutions that are presently working out of temporary accommodations in the state capital. A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Tatia and Justice Jaya Roy, while hearing a petition filed by Bar Association seeking a law university in Jharkhand, allowed the state government...

-The Telegraph In the desert-like barrenness of brown around him, Suresh Mangsuli is growing grapes. As the rest of his drought-hit village thirsts for drinking water, he splashes his three acres of vines with over 10,000 litres a day. His huge farm pond is brimming, insured against seepage by a black polythene sheet stretched across its floor. Its water is pumped out to irrigate the vineyard through a network of drip pipes. Growing grapes...