-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 Economic Times The government has made key changes to the proposed legislation for land acquisition, making it more attractive for industry by easing some of the stringent conditions, a person privy to the draft told ET. The rural development ministry has proposed to not implement the legislation with retrospective effect, besides relaxing the requirements of consent from landowners, and tightening the definition of market value. The amended Bill has been rechristened 'The...

-The Economic Times The latest consumption figures from the National Sample Survey Organisation show that rural consumption grew 18% in the two years to 2011-12.  Poverty fell by roughly 7% in villages and 1% in towns. The town-country gap in incomes narrowed. This is welcome but needs to be qualified. 2009-10 was a drought year, depressing consumption and thereby exaggerating the improvement registered two years later.  Over a longer seven-year period, between 2004-05...

-The Hindu Fifty-two more local body representatives have resigned protesting ‘police atrocities and lack of development of the region,’ in the Korchi tehsil of Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The total number of resignations now stands at 218 in Korchi. “The list includes 27 sarpanchs, 27 deputy sarpanchs, 31 police patils and 133 gram panchayat members,” Nandkishor Vairagade, secretary of the Sarpanch Union of Korchi told The Hindu . “On June 29 Baiju Hidami,...

-The Economic Times The positive impact on agricultural wages and distress migration from rural areas not withstanding, the government's flagship rural employment scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, leaves a lot to be desired for. This is evident from the rural development ministry's compendium of more than 100 major research papers on the programme, MGNREGA Sameeksha. The slim 120-odd page volume, which is to be released by the Prime Minister...