Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy on Saturday distributed Rs. 22.36 lakh as compensation to 834 farmers whose crops were damaged by wild elephants. The farmers who got the compensation cheques are from Krishnagiri, Hosur, Royakottai, Jawalagiri and Denkanikottai ranges. Four hundred and ninety nine farmers in Denkanikottai forest range, who were the worst affected, got Rs. 11,12,300. In Jawalagiri forest range 239 farmers received Rs. 7,65,950 as...

Sonia Gandhi has told the Congress it is the party’s duty to ensure that all welfare schemes introduced by the government are “fully implemented” on the ground. In a letter published in the latest issue of party mouthpiece Congress Sandesh, Sonia wrote: “The UPA has worked hard to fulfil the strong mandate to govern it received from the people in 2009. Since then, the synergy between the government and the party...

Roadblocks Ahead     * The MIDC has been winding up its plans to set up SEZs     * As many as 28 SEZ proposals, in the government and private sector, were withdrawn or projects denotified in the last six months     * Farmer protests, land acquisition problems, economic downturn and non-feasible tax regimes are cited as reasons for developers backing out. CM Prithviraj Chavan too exercises great caution. *** Mandated to create industrial opportunities in...

After two weeks of smooth land acquisition for Posco’s 12-million tonne steel plant in Jagatsinghpur, the district administration faced massive protests at Dhinkia, the epicentre of anti-Posco protests, as hundreds of children and women prostrated, preventing the entry of police and land acquisition officials. The land acquisition drive started on May 18 and so far, the district administration has acquired about 1,300 acres in Nuagaon and Gadakujang grampanchayats. But the district...

-The Hindu   The Union government on Thursday allowed an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 80 per quintal for paddy during the current kharif season, but it is said to be way below the hike recommended by both the Union Ministry of Agriculture and the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The government said the objective was to boost production during the current kharif season and meet...