-The Hindu Sukma: He completed the work allotted to him under MGNREGA last year, but Boteram Yadav from Sonakukanar village is still waiting for his pay. “I was assured Rs. 157 per day for helping construct a road, but I haven’t been paid yet,” he said. “But I want to work under MGNREGA again. Some villagers received their wages within a few months of working.” Sonadhar, another villager, is one such...

-The Hindu The Modi government is determined to dismantle the two-pronged welfare paradigm. It is now an established fact that one area where the Narendra Modi administration has acted with a sense of purpose, urgency and resolve is in slashing social expenditure. Be it education, health, agriculture, livelihood security, food security, panchayati raj institutions, drinking water or the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes sub-plan, central government funds earmarked for social protection have been cut. The...

-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa State Pollution Control Board on Sunday decided to seal 60 hotels in Puri for allegedly violating pollution norms laid down by the National Green Tribunal. OSPCB regional officer (Bhubaneswar) Hadibandhu panigrahi said the board was asked by the NGT to slap closure notice on the hotels on May 5. "Despite repeated reminders, the hotels have not applied for the mandatory 'consent to operate' (CTO)," he...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The PMO not disclosing information about expenses incurred on foreign visits of the Prime Minister notwithstanding, a CIC-constituted committee has recommended not only putting out such details proactively by all ministries but regular updating as well. The committee of former Chief Information Commissioner A N Tiwari and Information Commissioner M M Ansari, constituted by the CIC gave its report on "Transparency Audit: Towards An Open and Accountable Government". It referred...

-PTI The Prime Minister-led selection committees could not arrive at a decision on the appointment of chiefs of Central Information Commission (CIC) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) at a meeting held on Saturday. There will be another meeting on the issue shortly, official sources said. The meeting was convened at the Prime Minister’s residence and was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha...