Page 5 - Sreelatha Menon

Naxals don't mind food subsidy

In Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected districts, thousands of people applied for new BPL cards this year

Sonia promises special livelihood package for North East, hill states

As general elections draw close, United Progressive Alliance considering rolling out a host of packages

Packets of relief

Rural poverty, not Naxalism, is wasting lives in Chhattisgarh villages as the govt tries to fight it with sops

Who killed Namdeo?

The latest suicide in Vidarbha underlines the need for flexible loan repayment norms for farmers

M-learning solutions

The MILLEE project and MGurujee mark the arrival of mobile phones as learning devices for the poor

'Many using MGNREGS labour for their land shifting to horticulture'

42% households that sought employment under MGNREGA and on whose land work was undertaken, did not come back to work on MGNREGA

Free labour for govt

The government earns Rs 70,000 cr off its six million social workforce by flouting labour laws

Central scheme funds not to bypass state treasury from next year

This would be under a change in policy being planned by the Finance Ministry, Rural Dev Min Jairam Ramesh

EPFO doesn't have birth record of 95% members

Has initiated efforts to get full details only now

PF pension scheme's huge dark hole

Admits it's clueless about birth date of 95% of members; efforts on to get full details only now

Pension floor: Panel fails to decide on financing

The panel discussed options proposed by the labour ministry in a cabinet note on raising of funds for the purpose

Pension scheme an accounting mess, says valuer

Cabinet approves low cost loans for women self help groups

Move enables women to avail loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at 7% interest compared to 11.5-14% currently

When govt doubles as NGO

The MGNREGS social audit in Andhra Pradesh is receiving both praise and brickbats

Labour meet to discuss proposal to exempt SMEs from labour laws

ILC organised by Labour Ministry will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Independent agency to police rural development schemes soon

The regulator is on the lines of independent monitor which funding agencies like ADB have to monitor how their funds are being utilised

Govt opens talks with unions

Main demands of the unions centre around unorganised sector workers, minimum pension, minimum wages and a social security fund

Public consultation should precede all law-making, suggests NAC

NAC member N C Saxena says these are only guidelines meant to formalise existing practices of consultation

Tamarind water for the SC/ST

A new law in Andhra Pradesh will ensure that funds meant for the SC/STs are spent on them

NAC okays pre-legislative norms

Draft will be put on NAC website for public comments, following which it will be finalized & sent to government for further action