-The Hindu Business Line Not satisfied with CM Fadnavis’ promises, ryots to renew protest, walk from Nashik to Mumbai starting tomorrow Over one lakh farmers across Maharashtra would march from Nashik to Mumbai from Wednesday in a repeat of their much-talked-about ‘Long March’ last year as the talks between farmer leaders and state government officials remained inconclusive on Sunday. The farmers, who would cover nearly 165 kilometres over eight days to reach Mumbai...

-Business Standard Congress president's letters to chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan asks them to 'review the implementation' of the Land Acquisition Act. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has asked the party’s chief ministers in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to undo changes that previous BJP governments made to the land acquisition law and related regulations. Gandhi has written letters asking the chief ministers to ensure that the rights of tribals and forest-dwellers...

  How is it possible that we get different figures on area brought under micro-irrigation pertaining to the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)-Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)--a scheme which is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare? The dashboard (https://pmksy.gov.in/mis/frmDashboard.aspx) of PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop clearly shows that 11.25 lakh hectare was brought under micro-irrigation in the financial year 2017-18. Please check chart-1. Chart 1: Physical target versus achievement --...

-The Hindu Strengthening the MGNREGA would be more prudent than a targeted cash transfer plan like PM-KISAN Rural distress has hit unprecedented levels. According to news reports, unemployment is the highest in 45 years. To allay some misgivings of the distress, one of the announcements in the Budget speech was that “vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land up to 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of...

-The Hindu Ill fares the land where wealth accumulates, and the social and natural environment suffer As the general elections approach, it would be politic to take stock of the progress made by the incumbent party and look out for the areas that call for particular attention by the one that gains power. Without anticipating complete agreement on the indicators that ought to be used, I look at the changes since 2014...