-Live Mint   Finally, a serious roadblock in the country’s march to industrialization may be removed soon. The Union ministry of rural development has unveiLED a draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill. Once a law, LARR could potentially end arbitrary land acquisitions under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894. Any well-functioning market gives clear signals and prices are market-driven. The 1894 law with its ill-defined “public purpose” clause...

-IANS   The present version of the Lokpal bill is useless as it will cause confusion and discourage the common man from complaining against corruption, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said Thursday opposing its tabling in parliament. 'The present Lokpal bill is not drafted to deal with corruption at all. In fact, it will deter people who want to complain against corruption,' Bhushan told reporters. Bhushan is a member of the civil society group LED...

-The Telegraph   Smaller parties today accused the government and the Opposition BJP of striking a face-saver deal on price rise, overshadowing the debate on the crucial issue in the Lok Sabha. LED by the Left, parties like the BSP and the RJD lashed out at the alleged pact the government was said to have struck with the BJP for drafting the language of the motion in such a way that the...

The Mamata Banerjee ministry will not accept government role in land acquisition for the private sector even under the private-public partnership model, except in “specific and limited situations”, sources said after a cabinet meeting this evening. A “final decision” on the state government’s position on the draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill is still to be taken. Mamata asked the group of ministers LED by Partha Chatterjee entrusted with...

-The Times of India   The Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 were supposed to celebrate sport while showcasing the capital city of a rising nation. But the mega-event's legacy isn't shining. As investigations into the organising of the Games continue, the corruption taint is spreading. In a performance audit report, the Comptroller and Auditor General indicts the Sheila Dikshit-LED Delhi government for serious lapses and irregularities in the procurement of Games-related items. The...