MUMBAI: In view of the growing number of mobile towers in villages, Maharashtra government will formulate guidelines for rural areas after studying effects of radiation. The urban development department has prepared a set of guidelines for which views and opinions of rural development, public health, medical education department were sought.

There have been complaints that people living in the vicinity of radio magnetic waves generated from the mobile towers are facing health hazards.

Bangalore: Power struggle, politicking and blame game are keeping state BJP leaders busy. And there is no one to pay attention to the problems faced by drought-hit people in the districts. The chief minister, his colleagues and party legislators should have been helping out people of 123 drought-affected taluks. Instead, they have camped in New Delhi and Bangalore and are happily engaged in mudslinging and power-grabbing.

The State Level Evaluation Committee (SLEC) constituted by the government to inspect schemes taken up under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Project (PMRP) has found many loopholes in utilisation of funds by the Rural Development Department (RDD) in execution of the model villages project in the state.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on Friday said it had plans to support development activities requiring financial commitment of Rs.5,320 crore in the State during the current financial year.

In a press release, NABARD said the bank's Chief General Manager for Kerala Region R. Amalorpavanathan and General Manager K.R. Rao met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and communicated these plans to him.

Dumka, April 29: Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh today frowned upon the state government and demanded greater reliability on the question of funds use after enduring a bumpy ride to a Dumka village, which to his surprise lacked road connectivity. Ramesh, who arrived in Dumka from Calcutta this morning, met self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in tussar silk production at Dhaka village, 30km from the district headquarters, in rebel-hit Shikaripara block.

NEW DELHI, 29 APRIL: The Union rural development ministry has claimed that the West Bengal government has “not submitted a single project” under the integrated watershed programme in the last three years while a few states have not spent a single penny on the programme in the last financial year.
According to sources, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, has written to the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha for reportedly not spending any funds under the Integrated Watershed Management (IWMP) programme for the financial year 2011-12.