Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has charged the Centre with formulating economic policies which had allegedly widened the divide between poor and rich. “In the last ten years, the poor became poorer and rich became richer due to the liberal economic policy of the UPA government. The women are the worst affected as they suffer from malnutrition and anaemia,” she said. While addressing Ganatantrik Nari Samiti, the...

The Centre was not releasing Rs 1,700 crore in NREGA funds to West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee claimed today. "Despite placing full account for expenditure under the NREGA scheme in the state, the central government is yet to give Rs 1,700 crore," Bhattacharjee told a panchayat workers' rally here. "They are giving Rs 100 crore or Rs 150 crore in phases, but have withheld the main amount," he said. Ministers of state...

Mayawati's quick reflexes after the setback over land acquisition in Aligarh has put Congress in a spot, with the Centre fearing it may be dubbed the villain for farmers' woes if it does not prevail upon Trinamool Congress to relent on the bills for Land Acquisition amendment and R&R. After Uttar Pradesh brought its liberal Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy to win over farmers riled by "low land rates" for Yamuna...

With Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking annuity benefits for displaced farmers who surrender their land, the Centre has begun tweaking the resettlement and rehabilitation bill. Ms Gandhi had, on Thursday, said justifiable compensation — on the lines of the Haryana package — be provided to farmers. Senior officials told ET that the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill and the accompanying legislation on resettlement and rehabilitation were ready, and rechristened as the...

The Supreme Court's directive to the Union government to distribute rotting grain to the poor free of cost was an “order” and the Bihar government must demand free grain from the Centre to alleviate the plight of the drought-hit people in the State, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Thursday. Despite the Prime Minister's reservations, the Centre must comply with the court order of August...