New Delhi: In the backdrop of protests against land acquisitions and SEZs that have stalled various projects, the UPA Government has decided to get the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2007, and the Bill to amend the Land Acquisition Act cleared by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Aiming to check unemployment caused by the economic downturn, the government is planning to come out with an employment guarantee scheme for urban areas on the pattern of NREGS.

Officials of the labour ministry said some high-level discussions have already been convened over the proposed scheme and major outlines have already been drawn.

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Express News Service Posted: Jan 31, 2009 at 0038 hrs IST

Amritsar: The Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, K S Pannu has been selected by the Government of India for the Award for Excellence in National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (NREGA) administration. He would be conferred this award on February 2 at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in New Delhi.

SIVAGANGA: Sivaganga district has been selected as number one in the country in implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme.

While the second position has gone to Chithoor district in Andhra Pradesh, Ganjam district in Orissa has been selected for the third position.

CII wants government to reconsider land acquisition bill THE Confederation of Indian Industry (cii) has opposed the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2007 likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament. The cii in a press release said it wants the government to reconsider the bill that mandates industries to acquire land on their own from farmers. According to the bill, the

The NREGA is a piece of new-age legislation which invokes the framework of legal rights to provide employment in rural areas. The rights framework should, ideally, provide an antidote to government irresponsibility in the form of accountability under the law.

Nain Khurd (Patiala),

This village definitely shows the way to thousands of other Punjab villages which are still wanting on account of cleanliness and proper sanitation as they look towards the authorities for improvement of their lot.