The implementation of the ‘100 days work' scheme in West Bengal had become a poll issue during the last parliamentary and assembly elections as had some other Centrally-funded rural development projects. But despite a change in government in the State, little seems to have changed on that front ultimately leading to a somewhat hurried shunting out of a Minister from his Department. The decision taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to...

-The Deccan Chronicle Adult education authorities are going to take up a literacy drive to benefit 29,500 illiterate tribals in the Agency areas in both East and West Godavari districts from January. The Central scheme called Sakshara Bharat meant to promote literacy mainly among women in 18 districts is already launc-hed and the three districts of East and West Godavari and Krishna were excluded from the programme as the literacy rate...

Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, in an article on left-wing extremism (“From Tirupati to Pashupati?” The Hindu , October 14, 2011), observed candidly: “It is not the naxals who have created the ground conditions ripe for their ideology — it is the singular failure of successive governments both in the States and the Centre.” There lay the main cause of the festering sore of naxalism, often characterised as left-wing...

-The Times of India   Non-payment of wages in time under MGNREGA, rampant corruption at different levels, effectiveness of e-Shakti project, assistance for development from Finance Commission, non-issuance of identity cards to the PRI's elected representatives, formation of sub-committees in panchayats and use of Right to Information were some of the issues that cropped up during the five-day training programme for the office bearers of the three-tier panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) held...

-The Deccan Chronicle   In a bid to help villagers find work, especially in drought-hit mandals, the authorities are taking up several works under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Godavari districts. In a bid to help villagers find work, especially in drought-hit mandals, the authorities are taking up several works under the National Rural Employ-ment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Godavari districts. The government has declared 14 mandals in East Godavari and...