P. Sainath The farmers contesting the Jadcherla seat helped to defeat the sitting MLA. The Jadcherla 13, of whom eight are seen in the picture, succeeded in lowering the votes of the main parties. They made history by standing as 13 independent candidates fighting the same Assembly seat but contesting for, not against, one another. They did it again on Sunday

Panther scare still haunts officials in the ONGC base complex and the general public in the city. The forest officials trap-ped a panther on May 31 on the base complex after trailing it for nearly five days when it was spotted for the first time on May 27 and released it in Maredumilli forests. Some people reportedly noticed the pug marks of a panther and a cub near children's park at Kendriya Vidyala in the ONGC base complex and alerted the ONGC security staff who in turn informed the forest authorities about the development.

To give a boost to the mechanisation of agriculture and to overcome the shortage of farm labourers, the state government proposed to give transplanters and harvesters at 50 per cent subsidy to either farmers or women's groups for the ensuing kharif for agricultural operations.

The state government is under pressure to increase the project cost of metro rail from the present Rs 9,696 crore. The bidders, who were short-listed after technical scrutiny, made it clear that the project cost was financially unviable. Accordingly, the government is believed to have decided to extend the deadline of June 20 for submission of financial bids for a rethink on the project cost. There were also apprehension over the quality of infrastructure and mechanical components, including rolling stock and coaches, to be used in the project.

The brokering of deals between international carbon trading brokers and Indian government bodies to reduce energy consumption and earn carbon credits has gained momentum in recent weeks. Not many people noticed the surprise, albeit non-political, move sprung by Mayawati's Uttar Pradesh government late last month through its electricity body, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL).

P. Sainath The NREGA is having multiple and layered effects. With better wages, the bargaining power of the weakest has gone up a notch. Lakshmamma hopes the NREG work will continue. But she's up against a powerful combine of forces entrenched in the countryside and ensconced in Delhi's power elite. "Why can't they keep the schools open during summer,' asks P. Somamma in Mosangi. A strange question, with the mercury blazing past 43 Celsius in the Nalgonda village and all of us cowering in the little shade we can find.

As many as 1,056 houses with 3,987 people in 16 villages, are likely to vanish due to the Vodarevu and Nizampatnam port infrastructure corridor (Vanpic) project in Prakasam district which will be set up at Rs 16,000 crore. A special collector had been appointed for acquiring 9,314 acres for the Vanpic project. But Communist leaders warned that they would never accept the project.

The time is ripe for a south Asian electricity market