New Delhi: In a bid to bolster infrastructure growth, investment in road construction in rural areas saw a ten-fold jump under the UPA regime, according to the report card unveiled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the fourth anniversary of UPA-II. The government rolled out more than 20,100 all-weather roads across the nation in 2012, the report said projecting a rosy picture of sector, battling with scores of problems like equity crunch, delays in clearances and land acquisition besides major players abandoning projects mid-way.
"Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, during the year 2012-13, more than 20,100 km all-weather roads have been constructed/upgraded and an expenditure of over Rs 6,450 crore has been incurred. Further, new connectivity has been provided to about 6,000 habitations during the year," the report card said. Connectivity in rural areas has helped small farmers in carrying their agricultural goods to markets where they get improved return for their products, it said. It projected a "better infrastructure in every village as a result of Bharat Nirman" while claiming that Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Mission "is transforming our urban spaces equipping them with better infrastructure."
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01:45 AM, May 23, 2013
Kozhikode: Kerala and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday announced they will strengthen implementation of their rural development projects by sharing information about feasible models and best practices. Ministers and senior government officials from the two Congress-ruled states met here to discuss ongoing projects and ways to enhance cooperation. Kerala's Panchayats and Social Welfare Minister MK Muneer gave details about local self governance in the state, community farming and the Kudumbashree programme...
05:04 AM, May 19, 2013
In spite of the liberalisation of the Indian economy which has opened up so many avenues of quality employment, an IAS berth still appeals to a large number of young Indians. For a select few like Manjunath, it becomes the be all and end all of their lives. Is there need for greater sensitisation of IAS aspirants? Can counselling play a role? IAS officer Dr Raja Sekhar Vundru joined IBNLive...
05:33 PM, May 15, 2013
New Delhi: After better than expected industrial production numbers, which came at 2.5 per cent for the month of March, inflation has also hit a 13-month low. Consumer Price Index for the month of April is at 9.39 per cent against 10.39 per cent in March. Rural inflation was also seen going down at 9.16 per cent as compared to 10.41 per cent in March. Food prices for consumers rose...
12:40 PM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: Women's self help groups in the country would be provided bank loans at an interest rate of seven per cent from now on, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday. The scheme would be initially started as a pilot project in 150 districts and in rest of the states, 75 per cent of the cost would be borne by the central government and 25 per cent by...
05:06 AM, May 07, 2013
Bangalore: Voters in Bangalore slightly improved their record on Sunday with a higher turnout at the booths to cast their ballots in the Assembly election but still remained the lowest in the state. Bangalore urban district recorded 52.83 per cent voting, the state election authorities said while the state average was around 70 per cent of the over 40 million voters. In the last assembly polls in 2008, the turnout...
09:29 AM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: India expects total monsoon rainfall to be average in 2013, a minister said on Friday, strengthening prospects for one of the world's biggest grains producers to avoid widespread drought for a fourth straight year. India's first official forecast confirms a call by global experts last week, and points to bumper grain supplies that would swell huge current stockpiles and hold down world food prices. "Most likely this year's...
04:59 PM, Apr 26, 2013
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has tabled its report on the Rural Employment Guarantee Act or NREGA, as it was utilised across India. CNN-IBN has accessed the report which says only 30 per cent of 129 lakh works worth over Rs 1.26 lakh crore approved in 14 states were completed. ...
11:49 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: Downplaying CAG's report on the Rural Employment Guarantee Act or NREGA, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said that it is a performance and not a financial audit. Ramesh said, "It is CAG's job to find shortcomings and if they don't show, it means they are not doing their job." Ramesh further said that the audit was conducted only after the government requested for it. The clarification comes after...
03:50 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has tabled its report on the Rural Employment Guarantee Act or NREGA, as it was utilised across India. CNN-IBN has accessed the report which says only 30 per cent of 129 lakh works worth over Rs 1.26 lakh crore approved in 14 states were completed. Barely 30 per cent of NREGA works completed, while Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh used only 20...
12:37 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday presented to Sikkim an award for "extraordinary and innovative" work done by the state's Rural Management and Development Department. The prime minister presented a medal, a scroll and cash award of Rs 5 lakh to DR Nepal, secretary, Rural Management and Development Department, Sikkim, for exemplary performance of civil servants in the organizational category for year 2011-12, said a statement issued by...
06:04 AM, Apr 22, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday blamed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi for playing "sheer politics" by not yet releasing its share of the funds for the rural job scheme. Bengal's spending on the 100 days of jobs provided under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was the country's highest at Rs.4,408.70 crore, as against a total fund availability of...
05:29 AM, Apr 21, 2013
Jaipur: The Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on Friday said that work to dispense speedy and fair justice to common man through the 'Gram Nyayalaya' (rural court) is in the process of being implemented. Justice Kabir, who was in Sirohi district to inaugurate a 'Gram Nyayalaya' building, told reporters in Jaipur that "these courts are created to mitigate legal problems of poor who found it difficult to travel to...
03:28 AM, Apr 20, 2013
Mohali: The gap between urban and rural should be bridged for overall development of the country, former President and 'Missile Man of India' APJ Abdul Kalam said on Thursday. Addressing engineering students of Chandigarh University during a convocation ceremony at Landran near here, Kalam said development of rural areas was the need of the hour as the real power of the country lies in its villages. Sharing his vision of...
12:58 AM, Apr 19, 2013
Bangalore: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D Subbarao sparked a controversy when he said rise in rural incomes was fuelling food inflation in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left and even the Congress party have condemned his remark saying it is an insult to the poor. Subbarao on Saturday said in Bangalore that the poor segments of the population were seeing an increase in income,...
08:28 PM, Apr 07, 2013
West Bengal's opposition Congress on Tuesday said it has asked the union government to initiate a probe into the improper utilisation of rural employment guarantee funds in the state. ...
09:38 PM, Mar 26, 2013
West Bengal panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee announced the poll dates in the state in two phases, with three Congress bastions singled out for the second phase in April. The Congress, Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have slammed the move as political and biased. ...
07:45 AM, Mar 25, 2013
The ministry of Rural Development was allocated just Rs 5000 crore more than the Rs 74,000 crore in 2012. However, the big story in the rural development ministry is the inability to spend the allocated amount. ...
06:28 PM, Mar 02, 2013
The railway ministry has asked the rural development ministry to bring its projects in far-off and rural areas under the rural job guarantee scheme. ...
12:49 AM, Feb 13, 2013
In a shocking case, most of the 100 women in a semi-conscious state who underwent ligation procedure at a sterilisation camp at a rural health centre in Malda district were abandoned in an open field adjacent to the facility. ...
07:05 PM, Feb 10, 2013
