The World Bank has cleared a $975-million (Rs 4,387 crore) loan for a pet rail project of Mamata Banerjee, the funds signal flashing at a time Bengal is on the lookout for affordable funds. The loan is meant for the first phase (Ludhiana-Mughal Sarai) of a dedicated high-speed freight corridor that will eventually link Calcutta and Delhi. But those familiar with the World Bank’s operations suggested that the approval could be more...

The state government is introducing a slew of reforms in the rural development sector to ensure that centrally sponsored schemes are implemented in a more transparent, corruption-free and people-friendly manner. Talking to The Telegraph today, state rural development minister Rockybul Hussain said the reforms would include introduction of smart cards for registered job-card holders, streamlining of the social audit system at the grassroots level and initiation of tough steps against rural...

The World Bank has approved $1 billion as credit and loan to support India's efforts to clean up the Ganga river. The sprawling river basin accounts for a fourth of the country's water resources and is home to more than 400 million people. The $1.556 billion National Ganga River Basin Project with $1 billion in financing from the World Bank group, including $199 million interest-free credit and $801 million low-interest loan, was...

The concept of “a ubiquitous magic plastic” that bring out the unique in a living person has caught the fascination of most of us. An unpopular government sees in it the ability of cutting a long red tape short to correctly identify the genuine citizens in need. The agonised cops of India see in it a great ally to apprehend the much-wanted terrorists, whose biometric data could now be verified...

Civil society members of the joint committee on the drafting of the Lokpal Bill have invited the government representatives for a public debate on the six contentious issues they could not resolve at Monday's meeting of the panel. In a letter, committee co-chairman and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan has invited Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the committee, to participate in a national debate, which the civil society members intend...