-Business Standard/ India Spend Delays in wage payment have been a constant throughout MGNREGS implementation Bachcha Lal’s shirt hung loosely over his frail body, exposing his sunken collarbones, as he stood outside his straw-thatched home in central Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Bundelkhand region. “They all rely on me,” he said, pointing towards his tubercular son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter. Illiterate and a landless labourer, 65-year-old Lal makes about Rs 175 a day when he...

-The New Indian Express At Rs. 80 per crate of 15kg, tomato is threatening to bring tears in the eyes in this poll season for the farmers in this drought prone district. KOLAR: Waiting for his truck load of tomatoes unloaded at the Kolar Agricutlure Produce Market Committee(APMC) yard, one of the largest in ASIa, is worried despite harvesting a bumper crop. As the price for the day is announced disappointment is...

-News18.com In an interview with News18’s Rupashree Nanda, Dreze, who was a member of Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council and an architect of the National Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), says that there have been no major initiatives in the social field in the last four years, with the partial exception of Swachh Bharat. Government data reveal that the Indian economy is growing at a robust rate but noted economist Jean Dreze believes...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Dalit and tribal groups observed "national resistance day" on Tuesday to demand restoration of key provisions of a protective law that has allegedly been diluted by a Supreme Court judgment. Over a dozen organisations representing Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes held the protest in 70 cities across the country to demand a reversal of the judgment that stopped immediate arrest of offenders under the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities)...

-Press Statement by NREGA Watch Today, International Workers Day or “Mazdoor Diwas” was celebrated across Jharkhand by collectives of individuals and organisations, culminating a week long series of intensive activities. Thousands of workers gathered in over twenty five blocks across Jharkhand including Kisko (Lohardaga), Chattarpur (Palamu), Manika and Mahuadandh (Latehar), Raidih and BASIa (Gumla), Topchanchi (Dhanbad) and Janiamore (Bokaro). ASIde from workers, pensioners and other rural residents, these events were...