The tribal people of Chhattisgarh are in an extremely dangerous situation, caught as they are between the state forces and the Maoists. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Soni Sori, an Adivasi schoolteacher from Chhattisgarh, was arrested in Delhi on October 4 on charges of acting as a conduit between the Essar group and the Maoists, the former accused of giving “protection money” to the latter. On October 7, she moved the Delhi High Court to...
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Pattas for Saranda villagers by month-end by Pheroze L Vincent
Jharkhand and the Centre today gave final shape to a plan that aims to improve the lives of 36,000 people living in Saranda forest. At a high-level meeting in Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh’s office, chief minister Arjun Munda discussed a time-bound strategy to implement the Saranda Action Plan. Ramesh said by November 10, Jharkhand would start appointing rozgar sevaks (employment facilitators) for each of the 56 villages in the area....
More »Jairam: CAG will audit rural development expenditure by Sushanta Talukdar
The report will be made available to all States Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said his Ministry would make available to States the details of audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General into rural development expenditure. “There was some ambiguity on this. I do not want any ambiguity whatsoever. All rural development expenditures of the Central government will be subjected to CAG audit in all States. I have had three...
More »Shortages in a labour-surplus economy by N Chandra Mohan
Although India is a labour-surplus economy – with an unlimited number of workers willing to work at a subsistence wage – a paradoxical feature of the labour market is the rising incidence of scarcity or shortages amid a situation of potential plenty. No doubt, this pertains to skilled labour. But when 15 per cent of Indian trucks are idle owing to a shortage of drivers or India Inc is worried...
More »Playgrounds for tribal youth planned by K Balchand
Gram panchayats to provide land and create the grounds The Ministry of Rural Development has decided to bring sports back into the lives of the tribal boys and girls in the 60 left-wing extremist-affected districts where the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) has been implemented. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has cleared the proposal to construct one playground in each village, falling under the 60 IAP districts under the Mahatma Gandhi...
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