World Bank team visits M.P. villages
A World Bank team that visited several villages in Shivpuri, Guna and Rajgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh has evinced keen interest in various income generating activities of the Common Interest Groups constituted under the District Poverty Initiative Project.
World Bank down S Asia growth rate to 4.6%
World Bank has downgraded the overall economic growth prospect of India and other South Asian countries to a mere 4.6% in 2002 from the global economic prospects 2002 forecast of 5.3% GDP growth. In a report on global economic prospects and the developing countries in 2002, the World Bank said …
'Pro-people globalisation key to development'
The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation will strive for a people-friendly globalisation, a globalisation which is inclusive in more ways than one. To achieve this end, the Commission, set up by the International Labour Organisation in February this year, has planned a series of dialogue in 18 …
Globalisation should benefit people: Nayyar
"Globalisation is neither a juggernaut nor a train which one has to board or be left out. It is a process', said Delhi University vice-chancellor Deepak Nayyar, "which has to be used for the benefit of people.' Briefing newsmen about the National Dialogue, organised under the aegis of the World …
Dhananjaya inaugurates drinking water project sans water!
Former union minister V Dhananjaya Kumar, MP, who has earned a reputation as a 'very peculiar politician', has dedicated a useless project at Kuttaru-Vaidyanath Nagar for the benefit of the people!A drinking water project was set up at Kuttaru Vaidyanath Nagar near Deralakatte, by spending Rs 21 lakh from the …
ADB okays $0.68 million for Punjab resource development plan
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a technical assistance (TA) grant of $ 0.68 million to Pakistan for enhancing the capacity for resource management and poverty reduction in Punjab. The TA will provide input to the proposed Punjab Resource Management Programme, which is in ADB's loan pipeline for 2003. …
Most Favoured Naidu is now sulking
The NDA Government at the Centre could have trouble on its hands with TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu sulking. The latest fracas is due to the delay on behalf of Finance Ministry in giving a recommendation to the World Bank, owing to which Andhra Pradesh may have to forego World Bank …
Guidelines on easy funds for projects in northeast
In an effort to ensure speedy development of infrastructure in the northeast, the department for development of northeastern region has issued new guidelines to liberalise fund flows to projects in the region. 'The department has also stepped up monitoring of the sanctioned projects to ensure timely completion of projects and …
Panchayat chiefs seek funds for development
Panchayat presidents of various villages in Tamil Nadu to discuss the agenda for a state level conference of the Panchayat Presidents Federation to be held in March/April next year. The representatives came up with a set of demands which would be presented to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa soon. State president …
WB team visits 10 villages
A World Bank team visited over 10 villages of Shivpuri, Guna and Rajgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh and took stock of various income generating activities of the 'Common Interest Groups' constituted under the "District Poverty Initiative Project ". Later, the team members on return to the state capital held discussions …
Satpura dam is safe: MPSEB
The Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board (MPSEB) on Tuesday said that the dam of Satpura Thermal Power Station at Sarni in Betul district was safe and that there was no threat to the dam.
Central funds for 546 projects in North-east
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 3,103.61 crore under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of resources to take up 546 projects in the North-east since 1998-99. According to official sources, of the said amount Rs 1,868.66 crore had been released so far till March 31 this year. Manipur's sanctioned quota was Rs …
Rajasthan shows the way in building roads
Rajasthan is leading all states in the country in the implementation of the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana that seeks to connect all villages with a population of over 500 with roads by 2003 and those with a population of over 1,000 by 2007. As many as 535 works …
Anti-poverty schemes a farce in Orissa
Contrary to the claims made by the Naveen Patnaik-led Orissa government, few people in the state's rural areas have benefited from the welfare schemes targeting the poor. Most of the funds meant for the schemes have been siphoned off, says N C Saxena, appointed as commissioner by the Supreme Court …
Tamil Nadu betters national average in GDI too
In its first effort at producing a Human Development Report for Tamil Nadu, the State Planning Commission has managed to construct a Human Development Index for all 29 districts, using the UNDP methodology.
Peoples role in development works must increase: B S Patil
Chief Secretary B S Patil favoured increased people's participation in development works carried out by the government. Some programmes of the government already have contributions from the public but that has to increase to at least 25 per cent, Mr Patil said, while speaking at a workshop on "Sustaining Community …
Initiate fiscal reforms, Plan panel tells Assam
The Assam Development Report of the Planning Commission has unequivocally urged the State Government to initiate fiscal governance and public enterprise reforms to restore fiscal sustainability, improve governance and get over the low growth groove to which the State had sunk over the years. The report of the Plan panel, …
'UN goal of 15% rate of poverty is realised'
The UN millennium development goal of achieving the 15% poverty rate by 2015 has already been realised, a former World Bank official has claimed even as the bank pointed out that the world was a long way from the target and more economic growth was needed.
Mumbai most expensive, Delhi 40% cheaper
The jury's out. Mumbai's made it to the top of the charts yet again. According to the annual Cost of Living Survey for the country's top eight metros, Mumbai's the costliest city. And the gap between the country's financial capital and Delhi seems to be getting only wider the latter …
Norms for bottled water notified
The health ministry has notified the amendments that the Bureau of Indian Standards made to the pesticide residue norms for bottled and packaged water. The new norms will be statutory from January 1, 2004, as stipulated in the notification. After the norms get effective, it will become mandatory for packaged …
