New Delhi: Direct transfer of benefits in cash to targeted beneficiaries of food and fertilizer subsidies could save an estimated Rs 60,000 crore and help trim the fiscal deficit which, in turn, may calm stubbornly high food inflation, a study by a government wing has shown.

The study showed that policies to rein in food inflation would require winding down of the fiscal deficit, which has gone above 8% of GDP for Centre and states combined and way beyond the guidelines laid out in FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) Act, 2003.

Work on underpasses to create long-term assets

The UPA government's flagship social sector programme — the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) — will now be able to create permanent infrastructure assets, giving the seven-year-old scheme providing livelihood to almost 5 crore families annually an altogether new direction. The rural development ministry has decided to include building railway underpasses under the ambit of NREGS. An official announcement is expected shortly.

The government in its Budget has largely maintained its social sector spending at the same level.

Notwithstanding marginal growth in employment, there were as many as 28 million unemployed persons in the country in 2009-10, according to the Economic Survey 2012-13.

“Despite negligible employment growth, the unemployment rate as per the current daily status (CDS method) fell from 8.2 per cent in 2004-5 to 6.6 per cent in 2009-10,” the Survey tabled in the Lok Sabha today by Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.

Madam Speaker, I rise to present before this august House the Revised Estimates for 2012-13 and a statement of estimated receipts and expenditure for 2013-14.

BAHRAICH:As many as 63,000 toilets would be constructed under BharatNirmalAbhiyan in Devipatan division.

Jharkhand has ranked third among all states in implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and delivery of services and monitoring.

The govt will take steps to reduce its shortcomings through the tools of modern communication and information, says Sonia Gandhi

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today strongly pitched for utilising MNREGA to increase agricultural production, saying the flagship scheme can play a big role to usher in second green revolution in India. "I am of the belief that MNREGA has tremendous potential to increase agriculture production, which we have not been able to tap fully till date. There are many possibilities not only for creating community assets in villages but also providing irrigation facilities to small and marginalised farmers, developing land and promoting farming.