Amid reports that Maoists are against according bamboo rights to Adivasis in Gadchiroli, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Chief Ministers of six Naxal-hit States to emulate the success of Mendha Lekha village in that Maharashtra district.

Mendha Lekha became the first village with Community Forest Rights (CFR) to be given transit passbooks to harvest and sell bamboo in April 2011. Since then other villages in Gadchiroli have applied for and got transit passbooks. Mendha Lekha collected Rs. 93.31 lakh in bamboo sales and has been putting the funds into community development.

A movement promoting self-rule in villages and community rights to forests has come under attack from Naxals in the region where it was pioneered.

Of the deceased, seven were boys and six girls. “The clinical presentation of the cases suggest that these are cases of Chandipura virus. Encephalitis syndrome, sudden fever with convulsions and the affected age group of 1-15 years are strong indicators of Chandipura virus,” Assistant Director (Malaria), Health Services, V R Zare told The Indian Express. “Of course, we have sent about 75 serums for test to the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the results are expected soon,” he added.

State government transfers all rights of minor forest produce and major timber to forest management committees

Aiming to spur progress and development in the worst Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district, the Maharashtra government has taken up construction of strategic inter-state river bridges and expanding t

Communities can conserve forests and make a living out of it. Then why is the government playing spoilsport?

MALKANGIRI: The Odisha Government must follow the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area (PESA) Act and the decision of the Palli Sabha regarding setting up of any industry in the scheduled area sho

The entire Vidarbha region in Maharashtra is facing a drought-like situation following huge water scarcity due to drying of lakes and wells in most of the villages due to intense heat wave conditio

Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday stated that the Centre is planning to set up 10,000 solar-based water systems in 78 districts, which are affected by Maoist violence.

The plan is in a bid to solve the drinking water woes of people in the Left-Wing Effected (LWE) districts, which are administered through Integrated Action Plan (IAP).

Days after Naxalites ambushed CRPF personnel in Gadchiroli, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh in a letter to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has sought empowering gram sabhas in the district with rights to market forest produce, including lucrative bamboo used in making paper. Mr Ramesh said that war against Maoists can not be won by battalions alone and, hence, gram sabhas should be strengthened to win local support against Naxals.