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In a state such as Odisha in which Dalit and tribal groups comprise about 40 per cent of the total population, the issue of ‘access’ to land and resources has apparently been central to all conflicts. For traditional communities, ‘access’ is directly linked to civilizational paradigms and cultural ethos, which rather decide their ‘economics’, and not the other way round that may be true for modern, techno-centric civilizations. Most mainstream discourses of history have, however, tried to locate the crisis in the ‘absence of state interventions’.

Realising that the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) needs a boost to bridge the development deficit in Naxalite-infested districts of the country, the government has decided to formulate a package for all tribal-dominated areas spanning across seven states.

As a result, the Planning Commission has finalised the contours of a Central India Tribal Development Plan, which will be executed from April 2

Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed today said it had been her decision to include human rights activist Binayak Sen in the steering committee for health for the 12th Plan. Hameed heads the committee.

In response to requests received from various state governments, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Planning Commission, the MoE&F has decided to permit state governments to clear projects of upto 50 hectares of forest land for critical public utility infrastructure projects in 60 left-wing extremist affected districts without reference to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

JHILIMILI (Bankura), 4 MAY:

Making further concessions for creating public infrastructure in Naxalite areas, the government on Thursday ordered that projects like building of roads, schools or hospitals on forest land would not require clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 as long as the total forest land to be diverted is not more than five hectares.

In such cases, the state governments themselves would be au

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa's literacy rate might have grown exponentially in the last decade to touch 73.45 per cent, almost on par with the National average of 74.04, but the Naxal hotbeds of the State continue to wallow in illiteracy.

Literacy rate in the Maoist-infested districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur still hover below 50 per cent while Rayagada and Gajapati districts have just man

Chhattisgarh’s community news service on mobile phone helps tribal people find voice.

The Orissa government today conceded eight of the 14 demands made by Maoists to release Malkangiri district Collector Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, whom they have held hostage since February 17.

Government representatives held discussions with three interlocutors designated by the Maoists, but there were indications that a final deal might be struck only tomorrow, possibly i

BHUBANESWAR: As several bail petitions were filed in different courts of Orissa on Monday for the release of suspected Maoists in the wake of the demands made by the Maoists for release of abducted Malkangiri Collector R.

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