Since the Uttar Pradesh government stayed away from the meeting held at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday to discuss development of Bundelkhand through NREGS, the Centre has decided to hold a separate meeting for UP after the by-elections in November. The Congress, at the same time, accused UP of obstructing development in the region.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to boycott a high-level meeting called by the Centre on Tuesday to discuss the development of Bundelkhand through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Drought, suicides and no relief. Will things ever change for Bundelkhand

Lucknow: The ambitious Saryu Canal Project (SCP) launched in 1977-78 has been able to meet barely 18 per cent of its targeted irrigation potential while there has been a 743 per cent increase in the cost of the project. This is the finding of the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha recently.

The school in the hamlet of Bagraha in Chitrakoot district has three rooms, but these are built only in name. There is dried mud in place of a floor, the walls are unplastered, and there are no windowpanes. A fan hangs in one room and some electrical fittings were put in place about a year ago. But the electricity line never came to Bagraha.

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Mayawati has requested prime minister Manmohan Singh to classify Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Mirzapur revenue divisions as special category divisions under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) for ensuring rapid development of backwards areas like Bundelkhand and Vindhyachal.

Nathu Ram has studied up to Class 5, owns two acres of non-irrigated land, and looks much older than his 48 years. This year, Nathu Ram got work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) for 28 days. He received the third instalment of his wages at the end of last month.

LUCKNOW: Expressing concern over the reports that poverty stricken people in drought-hit Bundelkhand region were ALLEGEDLY mortgaging their women, the UP Congress Committee (UPCC) would send a three-member team to the area on Tuesday.

At the sleepy office of the Bundelkhand Vikas Nigam in Jhansi, senior assistant O P Gupta, lone member of the staff apart from a chaprasi and the newly appointed chairman, is clearly unaccustomed to visitors. He recalls the time when the Nigam

Mahim Pratap Singh

CHHATTARPUR/TIKAMGARH (MADHYA PRADESH): Bundelkhand is reeling under agrarian crisis. Farmers in Chhattarpur and Tikamgarh districts who took heavy loans for the kharif crop are in a dilemma