-The Indian Express They are on the roads and in the fields. Farmers are worried, as are MLAs. 13 years after its anti-cow slaughter Act, Madhya Pradesh struggles with stray cows Nestled along a rocky hillock in Tikamgarh, this small village of about a thousand residents follows a fixed ritual at twilight. Before retiring for the day, the men of Dumbar herd cows wandering in the village’s lanes into a makeshift enclosure,...
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The People Are Watching -Rakshita Swamy
-The Indian Express Government has an opportunity to enhance use of social audit to monitor schemes In contrast to its rhetoric, the current government’s record on transparency, accountability, and citizen participation has been uninspiring. Even essential laws such as the Lok Pal and the Whistle Blower Protection Act are yet to be operationalised. However, recent developments on social audits, the conduct of which actually finds a place in the BJP’s 2014...
More »Illegal transfers: Adivasis in Chhattisgarh plan to criminally prosecute firms that hold their land -Raksha Kumar
-Scroll.in According to the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, land owned by Adivasis cannot be transferred to non-Adivasis. It was 2009. Arjun Singh Manjhi of Bhengari village in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh wanted some money to fix his leaking roof. Since he had small plots of land in different parts of the village, he decided to sell one of them to meet his expenses. He sold one acre to...
More »Is the RTI law in danger of losing its might? -Poulomi Banerjee
-Hindustan Times The RTI Act of 2005 made the government more accountable. But a new set of proposed rules may weaken the law and make it difficult and risky for people to access information In 2015, activist Lokesh Batra filed a Right To Information (RTI) application with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) seeking details about the appointment of the next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). But the DoPT refused to...
More »How farmers in 3 Marathwada villages created an oasis in the suicide-prone region
-IANS Dubbed the Kadwanchi model, the watershed project has given farmers year-round access to water. Jalna: When massive crop failure and farmers’ suicide afflicted the Marathwada region in Maharashtra during the 2012-16 drought, farmers in three villages of Jalna district were not much concerned about the lack of rainfall. A watershed project had obviated their need to look at the heavens every season. Enough water was available in the 1,888 hectares area comprising...
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