Think India Foundation

Maharashtra home to 2 crore poor people

Mumbai : The state government may have set an ambitious target of doubling its per capital income from Rs 47,051 to Rs 1,00,000 in the next five years to boast its economic growth. But what is clearly being overlooked is the alarming growth in poverty in Maharashtra.

The Suresh Tendulkar Committee report has pegged the statistics of both rural and urban poverty in the state above 40%. However, statistics provided by the revenue and food & civil supplies departments shows that total number of individuals covered under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) works out to be 2 crore. People whose annual income is less than Rs 1 lakh a year falls in these categories. Of these, almost 40% have earnings less than Rs 3,000 a year. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Kerala turns capital of coronary heart ailments

Kerala has become the capital of heart diseases in India and 110 people die of the disease every day, according to studies conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), World Health Organisation (WHO) and Cardiological Society of India’s Kerala Chapter.

Cardiologists say lifestyle diseases have already replaced communicable diseases as mass killers and it’s not just an urban problem in Kerala anymore. Of the total deaths, 32.8% are due to heart ailments whereas it’s 25% in India nationally. Read more

Source : gulf-times.com

 

India to roll out world’s largest non-communicable diseases drive

NEW DELHI: As many as 26 "mini interventions" will make up the world's largest programme to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that will be launched by India soon.

The "New Delhi Call for Action on combating NCDs in India" initiative will be against specific diseases, and some will exclusively address major risk factors like obesity, junk food and tobacco consumption. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New WHO Report: 1.34 million premature deaths from urban air pollution worldwide

1.34 million urban dwellers face premature deaths every year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). According to an AP report in Forbes and elsewhere, cities in Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia top the list of the world’s most polluted cities.

The WHO report is based on country-reported measurements of airborne particulate matter (PM10, or particles smaller than 10 micrograms per cubic meter). This pollution triggers asthma emergencies, bronchitis, cancer, emphysema and heart disease, in addition to premature deaths. Read more

Source : switchboard.nrdc.org

Govt asks industry to help curb non-communicable diseases

New Delhi (IBNS) : The corporate sector should collaborate with the government in reversing the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as businesses are uniquely placed to mobilise awareness on prevention and control measures, union minister for health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Wednesday.

“They can play a key role in advocacy, capacity building and filling gaps in service provision,” he said while inaugurating the International Heart Protection Summit organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Read more

Source : washingtonbanglaradio.com

Obesity scare: Delhiites are prone to diabetes, heart disease, says study

Over half of the urban population in North India may be obese and at risk of diabetes and heart disease, scientists have concluded based on a study conducted in the Capital.

The study measured obesity based on BMI(body mass index) - body weight divided by the square of height. If obesity is measured as percentage body fat,close to 85 per cent of the population would qualify as obese,according to the study carried out by scientists from India and the US. The study involved 459 people-217 men and242 women-with an average age of 42 years. Read more

Source : indiatoday.intoday.in

Centrally-sponsored schemes flawed in JK: Planning Commission

Srinagar : At least half a dozen reports by the Planning Commission of India have pointed out to ‘interference’ of local legislators in Jammu and Kashmir in selection of beneficiaries for different centrally-sponsored schemes allotted to the state from time to time in the past one decade or so.

As per the reports, which carry data about various schemes from the year 2000 to 2007 and beyond, have pointed to discrepancies in implementation of the centrally-sponsored schemes, including Indra Awas Yojna [IAY], Integrated Child Development Scheme [ICDS], Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana [SGRY] and Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana [SGSY]. Read more

Source : greaterkashmir.com

French help for Bhopal heritage conservation

Bhopal : Some heritage sites of this ‘City of Lakes’ will be conserved on the line of France’s Rheims city, a minister said Wednesday.

The French government has shown interest in conserving the ancient heritages in two cities of Madhya Pradesh — Bhopal and Maheshwar, Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur said in a statement. Read more

Source : inewsone.com

World economy to bear the brunt of climate change

The risks posed by climate change are global and quiet difficult to reverse quickly. The warming of the planet will be gradual, but the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as intense storms, heat waves, droughts and floods could be abrupt and the consequences will be dramatically felt. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), eighteen heat-waves were reported in India between 1980 and 1998. A heat-wave in 1988 caused 1300 deaths, while another one in 2003 caused more than 3033 deaths.

Heat-waves in South-East Asia cause high mortality among the elderly population of rural areas and outdoor workers of urban areas. Examples are the reported cases of heat-stroke among metal workers as well as the outdoor worker like rickshaw-pullers in Bangladesh and India. Read more

Source : thefinancialexpress-bd.com

Govt draft on Urban Regulatory Authority ready

Nath also said that the government should be considering more houses for the weaker sections and also Low Income Group Houses. "I have set a target for Delhi. One Lakh houses for the economically weaker sections. This is one issue we will have to confront otherwise we will see more slums," he said.It is not just the slums of the past but also of the future that need to be addressed, Nath said. One is to rehabilitate those living in the slums from the past and the second task is to create enough houses for the economically weaker sections "in abundance" for the future, the minister told a gathering. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Addressing rural power shortage problems innovatively

Electricity is generated using an old bicycle and bullock cart

Power shortage is nothing new to India.

“Though our country claims to have developed in terms of science and technology, erratic power supply or complete breakdown for hours together has almost become routine today,” says Mr. Chandrakant Pathak, inventor and manufacturer of non conventional energy equipment in Pune. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

HC notice to Guj Health minister over PIL on civil hospital

The PIL that was filed on Friday last by city-based Gandhian and activists Prakash Shah and Ila Pathak. They have claimed that due to the unhygienic and pathetic conditions at the city civil hospital, one of the doctors working there, had died. In the PIL, the petitioners have annexed photographs of civil hospital published in local newspapers to corroborate their claim that condition of civil hospital was inhuman, and because of which, the doctors there have gone on a strike last week and was later called back after assurance from the health minister. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Targeted policies key to empowerment of Muslims, says Sachar member

Hyderabad: Contrary to the general belief, majority of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh, live in urban areas, but the policy makers didn’t take this very important aspect into account while formulating any policy for the minority community, said Abusaleh Shariff, Chief Economist at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).

Dr. Abusaleh Shariff (extreme R) presenting his study

Shariff said that like wise, the per capita income of Muslims in Telengana region was less, relative better in Rayalseema region and higher in Coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh. Muslims are around 10 per cent of the total population of the state. Read more

Source : twocircles.net

APREDA says realty market shows signs of improvement

Hyderabad : The Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Developers Association (APREDA), the apex body of real estate companies in Andhra Pradesh, today said that the market sentiment is better now compared to few quarters ago with genuine buyers back in the hunt for properties and speculative buying totally missing.

The focus of several of the large real estate developers has also been to take up affordable housing projects along with their respective existing projects. This has created excitement and opportunity for buyers as the prices have been quite stable after hitting their lows, according to Mr Bhawarlal Jain, Executive Vice President of APREDA. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Development authority office land shrinking in Nagaland

Dimapur : The land allotted to the Development Authority of Nagaland (DAN) Dimapur originally measuring 110B-02K-10Ls as per  Government notification issued on July 5, 1979 demarcating the boundaries on all sides has now been reduced to only 105B-04K-19Ls (141793 Sq.mts). The land gradually shrunk following allotment of land by the Government to other parties.

As the land began to shrink steadily, the DAN, in 2006, obtained its Patta from the Administration vide order no. Rev.-10/2001-D/1518-22 dated Dimapur May 17, 2006 coming under Block no. 2 in Dag no. 2&3, Dimapur measuring 09B-00K-07Ls as Road Reservation and 108B-00K-04Ls area under DAN’s occupation measuring to total 117B-00K-11Ls. It was found that the DAN has lost land measuring approximately 2Bighas to encroachment. Read more

Source : morungexpress.com

Governance and growth

While much is made of the lack of policy reforms, the key issues are improving governance and accountability

In his speech before the United Nations last week, the Prime Minister​ spoke of the balancing role India’s growth (8%, he said) may play in helping a slowing global economy. The fact is that Indian growth has slowed for five successive quarters, and may well fall further. The Index of Industrial Production remains soft: indeed, it may fall further as corporate

Jayachandran/Mint                                                                                                                          investment growth continues to fall (Reserve Bank of India study), as, for environmental reasons, ore and coal mines are ordered closed affecting steel and power output and exports have shown a large jump, but the veracity and sustainability of the numbers is questionable. Read more

Source : livemint.com

We might have enough water to survive the 21st century after all

There's been a lot of talk recently about a coming water crisis, in which there both won't be enough water to go around and what water there is will be dangerously polluted. Well, there might be some good news.

While pollution is absolutely still a major concern, scarcity might not be as big a problem as some have feared. That's the finding of new research from the Challenge Program on Water and Food, or CPWF, which is a subset of the UN-supported CGIAR (which originally stood for Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The researchers argue that there's plenty of freshwater to go around in the world's river basins, including the Niles, Ganges, Yellow, and Volta. Read more

Source : io9.com

Recession-hit tourists, floods affect business at Varanasi

VARANASI: Tourism has always been a major source of foreign exchange and brings buyers for small-scale enterprises like clay and wooden toys, artifacts, terracotta works, jute and handicrafts, Banarasi saris.

However, the traders of Varanasi are worried over low profits these days. According to Shashi Kant Srivastava, a sari merchant at Pandey Haveli, ''there was a time, some 20 years back, when tourists arrived even in off-season. Though the number of tourists has considerably increased since then. However, the number of buyers has dwindled in the past years as the main buyers are from continents of Europe and America, which are going through an economic crisis. Thus, the tourists don't spend much while on their India visit''. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Develop multi-speciality health city in Bangalore to tap medical tourism: Assocham

BANGALORE: Industry body Assocham today called for developing multi-speciality health city here, based on a public-private-partnership model, to tap into medical tourism potential in the state.

The proposal envisages various super-speciality hospitals for patients seeking treatment of international standards by highly trained, English-speaking healthcare professionals at affordable prices, Assocham said in a statement. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Corporates should not depend on govt to acquire land: Partha

Kolkata : The West Bengal Commerce and Industries Minister, Mr Partha Chatterjee, on Wednesday urged industry chiefs to shed the perception that it was difficult to set up industry without help from the government in land acquisition.

“There is no reason for industrialists to believe that industry cannot come up in a place where the State government is not acquiring land,” he said at the 110th annual session of Merchants' Chamber of Commerce (MCC) here today. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Gujarat lags behind in e-commerce, slips in rank

Mumbai/Ahmedabad : Logistical constraints and lack of broadband connectivity in non-urban areas of Gujarat seems to have caused a decline in the state's ranking as a top e-commerce hub in the country.

According to the census report by e-commerce major, eBay, Gujarat's rank has slipped from fourth in 2010 to seventh in 2011 after Rajasthan, which stood sixth gaining from 13th position in 2010. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Bangalore civic body to form committee to study water contamination

Bangalore : BWSSB minister S Suresh Kumar has said on Tuesday that a high-level committee will be formed to study water contamination at the Thippagondanahalli reservoir.

He was speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, where BWSSB chairman PB Ramamurthy and other department officers were present. It has been alleged that the BWSSB is supplying contaminated water from the reservoir. Mahalakshmipuram MLA NL Narendra Babu, along with other officials, held a meeting, on Monday, to discuss the matter. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

IBM Launches City Parking Analytics System

IBM has launched a system designed to help cities ease parking congestion and collect more parking fees, the company announced Wednesday. The service could also help motorists find parking spaces more easily in crowded urban areas.

"The existing parking systems are pretty inefficient [in terms] of how cities manage them," said Vinodh Swaminathan, IBM's director of intelligent transportation systems. "Think of a parking spot as a revenue-producing asset. With the ability to instrument these assets, we can manage them far more efficiently," he said. Read more

Source : pcworld.com

More women join agriculture courses

BANGALORE: Traditionally, women have always been Man Friday to their menfolk on the fields, tilling the soil and harvesting alongside. Now, they are going to college to study the profession. For the first time in its 47-year history, the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) this year had more women walking down its corridors than men.

Woman power is not restricted to just politics and business now: when the curtains fell on admissions for the academic year 2011-12, the total number of women joining agriculture courses outnumbered men. It was a close call, with 50.4% women on campus as against 49.6% men. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A step to stop suicides?

CHENNAI: Several months ago, when Thenmozhi (name changed), a resident of Royapettah, consumed poison after a quarrel with her husband, her life was fortunately saved by her relatives who rushed her to a nearby hospital. However, days later, the police came knocking on her doors for questioning as her attempt to commit suicide was a criminal act and a case had to be filed. On the same night, she killed herself by hanging as she was allegedly humiliated by her neighbours in the apartment following the visit of the police.

Cases, such as those of Thenmozhi, demonstrate why activists in the city are overjoyed by the decision of the Union Government to decriminalise suicide attempts by amending section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Experts and activists in the city unanimously believe that the move could pave the way for a drastic decrease in the number of suicides across the country. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Aid for urban poor to procure LPG connections in Bangalore

BANGALORE: Even as the Union Government is struggling to devise various means to minimise subsidies on LPG cylinders and regulate the network which distributes cylinders for domestic consumption, the State Government is planning to provide subsidies and aid urban poor to procure LPG connections and stoves.

Principal Secretary of Social Welfare Department E Venkataiah said, “The poor are finding it difficult to afford fuel to cook as it is becoming more difficult to get fire wood and kerosene in the urban areas. At times, they cook with unsafe fuel like the waste oil that emit harmful fumes. Therefore, the department is in the process of providing aid to such people to buy gas stoves and help them to get LPG connections by providing them the deposit money.” Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Metro bonanza comes with a rider in Bangalore

With the BMRCL not installing sliding screen doors at platforms, passengers run the risk of falling onto the powered tracks and getting electrocuted in the process

The Bangalore Metro will be operational anytime before Diwali, but the happy news comes with a rider for commuters. Read more

Source : mid-day.com

Greater Chennai still has miles to go

CHENNAI : For R. Anbazhagan, a resident of Mowlivakkam, who has never seen a bus shelter at his boarding point in 22 years, or Urvi Pradhan, an IT employee who regularly spends over two hours commuting to work, the imminent expansion of the city limits holds great promise. An improvement in road infrastructure, greater access to public transport and a fillip to their quality of life are some of the aspirations.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has already made preliminary plans to extend some of its existing routes by adding a few stages. But the experience of similar urban conglomerations such as greater Bangalore or greater Hyderabad, along the lines of which greater Chennai is being modelled, shows that the city has a lot of catching up to do. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital extends to Rajarhat in West Bengal

Kolkata (IBNS) :The West Bengal government will come up with a medical institute in Kalyani and another unit of Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital at Rajarhat, said state Health and Family Welfare Minister Sudip Bandhopadhyay here on Wednesday.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized its 6th edition of Healthcare East – A National Conference on Affordable Healthcare: Focus West Bengal on Wednesday in Kolkata. urce Read more

Source : washingtonbanglaradio.com

Eco park gets heritage tag at Bangalore

BBMP wanted to convert the urban park, home to a number of rare medicinal plants, into landscaped garden, but HC came in way

It’s a park which is home to rare medicinal plants, but if the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had had its way, it would have destroyed this natural carbon sink and turned it into one garnished with brick and mortar. But in a rare move, the state bio-diversity board has decided to give this park in Padmanabhanagar the tag of a heritage site. The move comes on the back of an order from the High Court of Karnataka, directing the Karnataka Bio-diversity Board to take control of the park.

The court’s order came in response to a PIL filed by 93-year-old musician Gana Kalanidhi P Sundareshan and others, mostly members of Sri Lakshmikanthaswamy Temple Trust. The trust had developed and maintained the park since the eighties, but the BBMP had wanted to turn it into a landscaped garden, complete with tiled pathways and hi-tech lighting. This would have spoilt the delicate natural setting of the park and would have destroyed the medicinal plants. Miffed, members of the trust took their fight to court. Read more

Source : bangaloremirror.com

Bengal seeks RITES help to upgrade tourism infra

Kolkata : The West Bengal government has sought the expertise of RITES to upgrade infrastructure for promoting tourism in the city, Darjeeling Hills and the sea resort town of Digha.

“We have approached the RITES, a Central agency engaged in providing engineering consultancy, for a comprehensive and sustainable tourism project. We are waiting for their response,” Tourism Minister, Mr Rachpal Singh said. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline work to begin next October

New Delhi : AFTER inordinate delay, Gail (India) has decided to lay Rs 7,600 crore pipeline from Jagdishpur to Haldia starting October next year.

As per targets, the 2,050 km pipeline will have to be completed by March 2014. Read more

Source : mydigitalfc.com

Sikkim earthquake casts shadow on hydro projects

Experts from IIT asked to analyse seismic data, assess quake impact on hydropower projects of state-run companies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uphill task: Disaster management officials at a collapsed building in Gangtok

New Delhi: India’s power ministry has asked seismic experts from the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee (IIT-R) to conduct earthquake impact studies at the dam sites of state-owned NHPC Ltd and North Eastern Electric Power Corp. Ltd (Neepco).

The Sikkim earthquake has raised questions on the future of India’s hydropower development. The 18 September 6.8 magnitude earthquake on the Sikkim-Nepal border has wreaked havoc in the Himalayan country and the Indian state, and scientists say the likelihood of a much greater earthquake in north India remains. At least 118 people have been killed in Sikkim, West Bengal and Bihar in the quake. Read more

Source : livemint.com

More coordination among forces needed to tackle ultras

Midnapore (WB) (PTI) : In a high-level meeting to review law and order situation, security forces today laid emphasis on more coordination among the agencies in the three districts of Maoist-affected Jungle Mahal region to tackle the ultras.

West Bengal Home Secretary G D Gautama said the meeting held here resolved to have better coordination among forces of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura so that Maoists do not flee from a district to another after committing crimes. Read more

Source : news.in.msn.com

You could face trouble logging in from today at Bangalore

Of the 25,000-km optical fibre cable network running under the ground, only 5,000 km is ‘authorised’. BBMP threatens to start disconnecting all illegal connections from Wednesday

The info-tech capital of India might be logged out from Wednesday, literally. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) says that of the 25,000-km-long optical fibre cables (OFC) — the city’s ‘lifeline’ running in a subterranean maze — only 5,000 km is ‘authorised’. With the civic body scheduled to begin its drive to disconnect unauthorised OFC connectivities across the city on Wednesday, brace for an online nightmare. Did you know you go surfing through city’s sewage lines?

The BBMP move comes in the wake of an ongoing tussle between it and various Internet service providers over non-payment of rent for OFCs laid underneath roads and pavements. Following a recent high-level meeting between the service providers and civic officials that failed to cut ice, the BBMP has decided to go on the disconnection spree from Wednesday. Read more

Source : bangaloremirror.com

Team Anna to take up fight against bad roads

MUMBAI: All those who thought that the India against Corruption (IAC) campaign will sink into oblivion after activist Anna Hazare broke his fast, think again. Come Tuesday, two major campaigns will be flagged off by Team Anna in Mumbai to ensure accountability of agencies that come in contact with citizen's everyday lives.

For starters, IAC plans to take up the long pending and unresolved issue of bad roads. "Bad roads s affect everybody and it remain an unresolved issue. The menace affects the poor, the rich and the middle-class alike right from Amitabh Bachchan to a slum-dweller. Hence, we decided to take it up,"said Piyush Bhatia, co-ordinator, IAC, Mumbai. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

INDIA IN TRANSITION: The rights of street vendors

The policy envisages zoning laws, issue of licences and social security for vendors, but works on a principle of exclusion.

Street vendors occupying public spaces such as pavements, parks, and thoroughfares, and thereby appearing to deny access to their “rightful” users has been a highly contentious issue in major cities across the globe. Recently, in India, the street vendors' question has received enthusiastic public attention with the Central Government's publication of the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, 2009, supported by a Bill to be converted into Acts through the state legislatures.

Based on the recommendations made on the 2004 policy draft, the 2009 draft of the National Policy was created and published. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

UIDAI tests pilot project at IIT-B

If the pilot is successful, the cashless transactions at IIT-B could foreshadow the norm for all banking transactions in the country

New Delhi/Mumbai: Late in December, or in early January, the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) at Powai will go entirely cashless. All transactions will be electronic, using micro-ATMs with a fingerprint reader.

Behind the cashless movement at Powai, first reported by the Hindustan Times on 24 September, is the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues unique IDs, or Aadhaar numbers, and which will be testing its authentication services at the IIT. Read more

Source : livemint.com

Government to introduce stringent anti-corruption measures: Narayanswamy

New Delhi (ANI): Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V Narayanswamy today said that the government was working towards developing a mechanism that would enable them to curb the rampant corruption prevailing in the country.

Addressing the 16th steering group meeting of the anti-corruption initiative for Asia and the Pacific here, Narayanswamy said various initiatives were being taken to provide effective governance, enhance transparency and accountability in the system. Read more

Source : newstrackindia.com

PCL to pay consumers in case of power cuts

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh is all set to join the league of states compensating its power consumers facing prolonged electricity outages. The UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) is likely to issue an order to this effect in a couple of days.

Once in place, a power consumer will get a compensation of Rs 50 if power outage prolongs for a period of six hours and more. The compensation will rise further to Rs 100 and Rs 150 if the power tripping is not restored back within 10 to 13 hours. Accordingly, the compensation will be adjusted in the monthly bill of a consumer. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Credit Guarantee Fund for urban poor on the anvil

Mumbai : Amid constraints over the availability of funds from banks and other financial institutions, the Centre plans to soon launch a scheme to trigger credit markets for the urban poor.

The Credit Guarantee Fund (CGF) will cover the risks of the bank’s lending to the urban poor, who would be covered in the Centre’s ambitious slum-free India scheme. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

‘Slum-free Mumbai key to slum-free India’

Mumbai : A Slum-free Mumbai is necessary to fulfill the dream of a slum-free India, said Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja on Tuesday. But the financial capital could just be the biggest hurdle in achieving the grand vision of the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY). While the just-launched RAY envisions 50 per cent assistance from the Centre for slum rehabilitation programmes for selected cities, its basket of options for slumdwellers does not include free rehousing, which has been implemented in Mumbai since the 1990s.

Though a politically thorny issue, New Delhi expects the Maharashtra government to, over time, roll back its free housing scheme for slumdwellers, officials said. “We have communicated to the state government that they will have to move away from the free housing scheme,” said Joint Secretary (Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India) Aruna Sundararajan. “A rethink of the free housing scheme is definitely recommended. What we instead hope to create is a basket of options — dormitory-type shelters, land rights, lease-purchase options in which slumdwellers gradually buy rented property, an option where some could be charged some more if they do not fall in the BPL bracket, etc.” Read more

Source : expressindia.com

Ludhiana most polluted, Amritsar least in India

Mumbai : Ludhiana has got another tag: Most polluted city in the country. With 251 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter (PM) 10, the city’s bad air has pitch-forked it into the top most national rank.

Following Ludhiana with 209 micrograms per cubic meter is Kanpur, while Delhi ranks third with 198 and Lucknow and Indore with 186 and 174 micrograms per cubic meter PM10, respectively, round off the top five list. Read more

Source : expressindia.com

The great washout at Millennium City

Gurgaon : Roads in the Millennium City have been known for potholes and bumpy rides, but their condition has only worsened in the monsoon. Both Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) and Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), despite being rich agencies, have failed to overhaul problem stretches.

Though officials claim that the repair work on roads has started, it seems restricted to a select few. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Slums on MbPT land to go soon

Mumbai: The Union Ministry of Shipping has reportedly expressed willingness to give up some of its land in Mumbai currently occupied by slums for their rehousing under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. This means shanty colonies on Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) land, including some considered a security hazard as they are located close to jetties, could finally be rehabilitated.

Joint Secretary (Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India) Aruna Sundararajan told Newsline that the shipping ministry has agreed to participate in the project, but will expect to be compensated for the land it gives up. She added that the 50 per cent Central assistance for projects under RAY could be channelised to meet this demand. Read moreSource : indianexpress.com

 

CII urges states to replicate land reforms initiated by Punjab and Rajasthan

New Delhi: CII has been a strong advocate for legalizing the leasing of agricultural land on long tenure basis through legislation. CII proposal is :

 a. The legislation should ensure that the landowner is not dispossessed of his land in the process of leasing and that the lessee has no tenancy rights. Read more

Source : orissadiary.com

Building sustainable future

The green projects have grown considerably in India over the past eight years, thanks to initiatives undertaken by developers as well as state and central governments.

More number of developers are getting into green building development in India

Green buildings are basically the ones which use fewer resources and have a lesser negative impact on the environment. Such buildings use less water, optimise energy efficiency, conserve natural resources and generate less waste. Read more

Source : constructionweekonline.in

Cops water down fight against quacks

The fight against quacks has been watered down by the deputy inspector general of police, superintendents of police and the district medical and health officers who are turning deaf ear to the complaints filed by the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council. No action was taken against 23 "doctors" whom the medical council has filed complaints. These "doctors" were found practicing allopathic medicine either with fake degrees, or without any qualification.

In a recent case, a complaint was lodged against one D.V. Revathi, who was allegedly a practicing gynaecologist with fake certificates at Bhaisna in Adilabad district. A complaint was filed with the Adilabad police and the information was passed on to the DIG, Karimnagar, and the SP of Adilabad. However, there is no information on the action taken against her. Similarly, a complaint was lodged against 14 persons practising medicine without qualifications and the complaints were forwarded to the Ranga Reddy DMHO. Three reminders later, there is still no response from the DMHO. Read more

Source : deccanchronicle.com

Cities will account for over 70% of India's GDP by 2030

Kumari Selja while inaugurating conclave on Urban Poverty Alleviation and Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) in Mumbai

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is contemplating a “National Urban Livelihoods Mission”. This was announced by the Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture Kumari Selja while inaugurating conclave on Urban Poverty Alleviation and Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) in Mumbai today. Read more

Source : indiainfoline.com

Finally, BJP, Cong agree to regularise illegal buildings in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: The state assembly on Monday unanimously passed The Gujarat Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Bill, 2011, which would pave the way for regularising over 15 lakh illegal constructions in the state.

The bill was cleared during the budget session of the assembly in March too, but it was returned by Governor Dr Kamla with about ten suggestions. Sources indicated that about five suggestions have been inculcated in the amended Bill which was passed on Monday. The good news is that the Opposition Congress welcomed the amendments in the Bill. If initial indications are anything to go by, the Governor may now clear the Bill. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com