Kalam's kaleidoscope
President A P J Abdul Kalam recently suggested to prime minister Manmohan Singh that 'mental' jobs like plumbing be included under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). In a letter to the prime minister, the president said that NREGA should be used to enhance the intellectual capacity of rural people instead of creating only a few structures through manual works.
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Jharkhand pays for not having panchayats
Jharkhand has lost Rs 1,800 crore in rural development assistance from the Union government in the last six years, as it does not have panchayats.
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Rs 1,58,310 crore deficit in rural infrastructure
The National Council for Applied Economic Research's recently released India Rural Infrastructure Report has estimated that rural India has a deficit of Rs 1,58,310 crore in the telecommunications, power, roads and transport, and water and sanitation sectors.
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Panchayats to have say in GM crop trials
The Centre has decided that from now on, companies will need the consent of panchayats and village councils before taking up trials of genetically modified (GM) crops.
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In 2007, 22 crore people will be below poverty line
The Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation’s monograph on urban poverty and slums estimates that in 2007 the number of people living below the poverty line category will rise to 22.01 crore.
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Karnataka to fight its own land grabbing
Karnataka's agriculture department has revived its State Land Use Board to fight the industry department's aggressive land acquisition drive.
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States sign MoU on cooperative societies
Eleven states have accepted the Centre's revival package for short-term cooperative credit structure. This move will make farmers debt free and raise their capital base.
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Assam Hill Land and Ecological Sites Bill passed
The state legislative assembly has passed the Assam Hill Land and Ecological Sites (Protection and Management) Bill, 2006. This will prevent indiscriminate cutting of hills and filling up of water bodies in urban areas.
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Tamil Nadu's new panchayat scheme
Tamil Nadu has announced a new rural development scheme, which will be implemented through panchayats.
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National federation of panchayats formed
Panchayat bodies from various states have come together to form a registered society called the Association of Local Governance in India.
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Local bodies to have greater role in anti-poverty programmes
To make panchayati raj institutions function more effectively, the Centre will downsize its vast kitty of poverty alleviation programmes known as centrally sponsored schemes. A high powered committee constituted by the Planning Commission has recommended that the central government's 214-odd schemes be 'substantially converged into a few focused schemes'.
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Lac farming to come under NREGA purview
Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh has said that lac farming will be given a boost in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh with the support of the Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council.
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National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: Watershed Works Manual
The Watershed Works Manual designed by the Baba Amte Centre for People's Empowerment is meant for those individuals and organisations, which will be involved in planning, implementing and/or monitoring the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). These can be panchayat representatives, grassroots NGOs or government officials engaged with this process at different levels.

For a copy e-mail: core@samprag.org, samprag@gmail.com