Mothers of endosulfan victims and other protesters blocked the National Highway near the new bus station here on Monday, intensifying an agitation demanding the implementation of a rehabilitation p

New Delhi: The UPA government is likely to reintroduce the Land Acquisition Bill with a mammoth 157 amendments in the budget session of Parliament.

The 26 ‘substantive’ measures the government plans to push through include a provision that in case of acquisition for urbanization purposes, 20% of the developed land would be reserved and offered to the original owners at a price equal to the cost of acquisition and development.

With mothers of endosulfan-affected people joining a fast here on Monday, the protest demanding the quick implementation of a rehabilitation package for the victims is expected to intensify. The agitators plan to block the National Highway.

As the fast entered the seventh day on Sunday, two activists became critically ill. Doctors advised the leaders to shift them to hospital. The Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani, a people’s front for the victims, is leading the protest.

The Centre has raised several objections in the Supreme Court against Haryana’s plan to construct the Gurgaon-Manesar urban complex (GMUC) for a projected population of 37 lakhs in 2021, contending

Kochi: Steps have been taken to provide compensation to endosulfan victims as recommended by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the state government has informed the high court. The government’s submission was in response to a November 28, 2012, directive of the high court.

The state said in an affidavit that it was not against implementing all the recommendations of the NHRC on the compensation issue. The government’s priority has been the health and security of the people, which led to the decision to ban endosulfan, N Nandakumar, secretary of health and family welfare department, said in the affidavit.

The second phase of the indefinite hunger strike launched in Kasaragod seeking comprehensive rehabilitation package for hundreds of Endosulfan victims in the district entered the third day on Wednesday.

Subhash Cheemeni and P. Krishnan, ‘Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani’ activists, are on indefinite hunger strike from February 18. Veteran journalist B. R. P. Bhaskar inaugurated the agitation on Monday.

“Steel and allied industries facing shortage of iron ore”

Taking into account the acute shortage of iron ore, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has recommended to the Supreme Court to consider permitting resumption of operations in all “Category-A” mining leases in Karnataka where mining has been suspended. The CEC also said the Court “may consider permitting resumption of mining in ‘Category-B’ leases subject to the conditions as applicable for resumption of operations in the ‘Category-A’ leases and compliance with certain additional conditions.”

The R&R Plans have been prepared and approved by CEC for 51 mining leases comprising of 28 Category A and 23 Category B mining leases

The ore-starved steel mills in Karnataka have some sweet news to cheer as the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), has recommended the resumption of mining in all Category A mining leases. The CEC has also recommended that the court may consider permitting the resumption of mining operations in Category B mining leases subject to fulfillment of certain conditions.

Iron ore mining is set to resume on a full scale in Karnataka with the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommending that all lessees under A and B categories be permitted to restart mining operations.

The panel, in its recommendations to the apex court, has said that all the leases under category A can be permitted to excavate ore. The apex court, on September 3, 2012, had permitted resumption of mining for 18 of the 45 leases in category A. With CEC’s latest recommendations, the remaining 27 will resume operations.

As primitive tribes continue to be in a state of acute poverty, ‘schedule area’ status for settlements of evicted tribals from Nagarahole National Park will favour their development.

The status will also solve the problem of representation of tribals in political institutions, which will help them benefit from the welfare programmes aimed at them, said Muzaffar Assadi, Chairman of the High Court-appointed Committee on Tribal Issues of Rajiv Gandhi National Park.