Don`t romanticise the village
Business Standard survey, which shows that rural markets are growing faster than urban markets in certain product categories, has triggered much debate. To infer from its findings that the rural economy is surging ahead would be simplistic and inadequate. Rural India presents a baffling dichotomy of images
Remove illegal squatters in Safdarjung: HC
The Delhi High Court today asked New Delhi Municipal Council and the police to remove all illegal squatters in and around Safdarjung Hospital here within a week and said the Assistant Commissioners of the two agencies responsible for the area shall be held liable for non-compliance of the order.A Division …
Damodar Valley to undertake dam project in Jharkhand
After nearly half a century, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) is all set to undertake a Rs 400-crore multipurpose dam project at Balpahari in Jharkhand. Though proposed some years ago, the project was delayed as Jharkhand Government withheld approval, demanding an increase in the catchment area of the Dam in the …
Hydro roadblock
Damodar Valley Corporation's (DVC) initiative to take a relook at the hydroelectric power generation potential in its designated catchment area spreading over West Bengal and Jharkhand has hit a roadblock. According to sources in DVC, even after two years of approaching the Central Water Commission (CWC) for conducting a comprehensive …
Delhi roads in private hands
: In the quest to achieve the "international" looks and standards to coincide with the Commonwealth Games 2010, the Delhi government after vacillating for over two years will be opening 81 kilometre stretch of the Ring Road in the capital to the private players for construction and maintenance. The tenders …
NHAI restructure begins
The government has started the process of restructuring the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Last week, a high-level brainstorming session was held by NHAI officials where consultants and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the road sector made their presentations on the methodology of the whole process. Since most of the …
Master Plan for Delhi`s failure
Delhi is fortunate to have a legislative instrument called the Master Plan, which determines the quality of its collective urban future; but it is unfortunate that the authority to frame that vision rests solely with the DDA, which has the dubious distinction of being one of the most corrupt and …
Post-1995 slums may be regularised after HC order
Slums which came up in Mumbai between 1995 to 2000 will be regularised immediately if the High Court gives its nod to the Maharashtra government's request for extending the deadline for encroachments in Mumbai, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told a slumdwellers' delegation led by activist Medha Patkar. The HC is …
GQ project will miss deadline: Baalu
The golden quadrilateral project, launched by the previous NDA regime, would not be completed by the year-end as scheduled in view of "non-cooperation" by some state governments, Union surface transport minister TR Baalu said on Friday. Denying BJP's charge that the project, unveiled by former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, had …
544 houses to be built under pilot project
Major irrigation Minister Ponnala Laxmaiah has launched the 'Rajiv Gruha Kalpa' pilot project at Lakshmiguda in Rajendranagar Municipality, Hyderabad today. The pilot project envisages construction of 544 houses in 17 blocks, as part of the one lakh houses sanctioned by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, during rajiv Nagarbata Programme …
MAF appeals to CM to build Badarpur flyover
There seems a generation of a new hope among the industrial community here after the change of government in Haryana. The industrialists and entrepreneurs have now started taking up various issues concerning the speedy growth of the industry and allied activities. Besides meeting with the Chief Minister, they have now …
PM unveils big plan for rural infrastructure
On the eve of its one year in office, the UPA government approved the Rs 174,000 crore Bharat Nirman proposal for development of rural infrastructure over a period of four years. Described as the
Vision 2025: A Ladakh roadmap
On the shores of picturesque Dal Lake, a host of intellectuals, bureaucrats and policy-makers have converged to discuss future of a beautiful but far-flung and underdeveloped region-Ladakh. They released a vision document-Ladakh 2025-a framework for the inhabitants of this cold desert, which has remained isolated from rest of the world …
Water-starved residents lock up panchayat office
Having not received water supply for the past 16 days, angry residents picketed and locked up the Gurupura panchayat office on Mangalore city's outskirts. Residents of Chilimbi, Nadugudde, Kottarigudde and Jalligudde who have not received water supply from the local Gurupura panchayat said they resorted to picketing the gram panchayat …
Heat, fluoride makes life miserable
Life in Gulbarga district in Karnataka has become unbearable in the scorching summer heat and drinking water contaminated with fluoride. More than 322 villages in the district are supplied water with a high flouride content. This is the only source of water for more than 25 per cent villages in …
MCD wades into urban village maze, plans to frame bylaws for 25
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has decided to draw up building bylaws for 25 out of the 180 urban villages in the Capital, a process that will look at how illegal constructions in these areas can be curbed. A meeting of Commissioner Rakesh Mehta and the task force drawing up …
Kishanganga over our bodies, say J-K tribals
At a time when India and Pakistan are ironing out differences over the Kishanganga project, 25,000 Dard Shin tribals of Gurez valley, fearing displacement, have pledged they will resist attempts to destroy their homeland and identity.
J-K seeks compensation over Indus water treaty losses
Being a loser due to the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, J-K has demanded compensation from the Centre for the Rs. 1,200 crore recurring losses suffered by the state due to the accord which defines distribution of river waters between India and Pakistan. The state complains that development of the state, …
Rs 250-cr multi-utility infrastructure project coming up near Kolkata
Bengal Peerless Housing Development Co. Ltd, a joint sector company of the West Bengal Housing Board and the Peerless General Finance & Investment Co Ltd, today rolled out a Rs 250-crore, multi-utility infrastructure project at New Town, Rajarhat, on the outskirts of Kolkata. To be implemented in the phased manner, …
