-The Assam Tribune   Impressed with last year’s success in implementation of NREGA in Tripura, the Centre has released Rs 414.44 crore as first instalment in the current fiscal, the highest among the seven north-eastern states, reports PTI. “Tripura has been given Rs 414.44 crore as first instalment of the total outlay of Rs 1149 crore which is highest among the seven north-eastern states,” Tripura Minister for Rural Development, Jitendra Chowdhury told reporters today. Claiming...

If access to information is the first step towards empowerment, then it is important to make Internet accessibility a human right because a lot of useful information, particularly relating to government schemes, is either unpublished or inaccessible by other means for most citizens The government’s approach towards universal Internet access is marred by dichotomy. While the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, calls Internet one of the most effective means of...

The Mamata Banerjee government is working on an amendment to the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 to enable the return of 400 acres in Singur to farmers who were “unwilling” to part with the land. The proposed Land Acquisition Act (Amendment) Bill 2011, which is likely to be placed in the Assembly after it convenes on June 24, will have three clauses under the head “Section 48A”. The first allows the government...

-The Hindu   The Uttar Pradesh government's new land acquisition policy, announced in the face of farmers' protests and impending elections, is a significant improvement over existing practices. It is sounder than the amendments to the central Act proposed by the UPA government, which have been awaiting enactment since 2007. Poor compensation calculated on rates based on the pre-development phase, a lack of consultation, and cumbersome procedures have marred the whole...

-The Business Standard   Five political parties stage protest against land acquisition Tension prevailed on Monday at the proposed Posco project site at Gobindpur village under Dhinkia panchayat as ten platoons of armed police conducted flag march ostensibly to create a fear psychosis among the local people ahead of the land acquisition process at trouble-torn Dhinkia panchayat. The situation is going to very critical at Gobindpur as the activists of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti...