July 13: After successfully revitalising the agriculture sector in the state in his first term, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, is now planning a

East Singhbhum has adopted the Unicef-sponsored Integrated Village Planning Process (IVPP) plan and has set up district planning and monitoring units (DPMU) for smooth implementation of the programme.

The district was among 17 regions in the country where the programme was started by Unicef in 2005 with the aim to facilitate NGOs, the community and government agencies in a convergent manner.

The government's flagship job security scheme - the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (nrega) -is set to undergo major changes by opening its doors to skilled labour and laying emphasis on creation of 'permanent' or 'viewable' assets.

Residents of Semartoli and Lupungtoli can now hope to light up their homes and have easy access to precious drops of water.

To tap the growing potential in insurance sector, India Post is now giving much more importance to rural populace. Although India Post has been providing insurance schemes for the rural sector for long, it has now pulled up its socks to achieve significant targets this year.

An externally aided $150 million project for the North East region is in the pipeline for improving the standard of living of the people of the rural areas of the region and if the project comes through, the Department for Development of North East Region (DoNER) will be the implementing agency.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The draft annual plan of the district panchayat has decided to give due importance to the monitoring of the projects implemented from this year.

Monitoring committees will be formed under the guidance of working groups, as laid out in the guidelines of the State Government.

The Prime Minister

The stepped-up budgetary allocation for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has said that he will take a leaf out of Switzerland to develop the countryside of the picturesque hill State.