Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh is likely to appoint a panel, comprising members of Parliament, to examine the implementation of the Rs 7,266-crore Bundelkhand package, allocated to drought-hit districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi is perpetually in the grip of a water crisis with the shortage plummeting to 150 million litres a day. In Mumbai water scarcity is reported to be a cause of social discord and stress. A drinking water crisis is lurking in Godawari district of Karnataka as also in Bundelkhand.

New Delhi: Congress has sought to raise the political temperature in oppositionruled states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh by demanding that the Centre appoint a panel to monitor spendings by the two state governments on projects in the backward Bundelkhand region.

NEW DELHI: NTPC has dumped the proposed 4,000 MW mega power project in Bundelkhand in Uttar Pardesh and instead has opted to put up the plant in Madhya Pradesh due to reported refusal of the Uttar Pradesh Government to cooperate in setting up the plant.

Driving down the parched Bundelkhand areas in the scorching heat of June, one sees nothing but dark brown land devoid of greenery with people struggling for water everywhere. The long rows of coloured jerry cans near hand pumps testify how scarce water is here and the pains people take in getting it.

LUCKNOW: The Planning Commission after having detailed discussion with a team of senior officers of UP, led by chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta in New Delhi on Tuesday, approved Rs 42,000 crore annual plan for the state for the year 2010-2011.

The Planning Commission has approved the annual plan of Rs 42000 crore for the Uttar Pradesh for the year 2010-11. However this could not satisfy the state government as it has alleged that in comparison with the other states the Central Government was not providing expected share to Uttar Pradesh in centrally aided schemes and projects.

AMIT AGNIHOTRI
NEW DELHI

Now the Samajwa di Party has joined the race to show concern for the backward Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh.

Sources said this was an attempt by the SP to pick up an issue with both the Congress and the BSP, who are already locked in a tussle over the development of Bundelkhand areas falling under UP.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh might lose on NTPC's proposed 4,000 mw ultra mega power project to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh due to problems in acquiring land and water for the project. The proposed project was to be set up by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in the Bundelkhand region of UP at an investment of Rs 24,000 crore.