Termed first of its kind in the country, it will make available Rs.50,000 in three instalments to the poor

Rajasthan has launched a special housing scheme for rehabilitation of both urban and rural poor affected by natural and manmade calamities. Termed first of its kind in the country the special housing scheme, named Rajasthan Vishesh Awas Yojna, comes in the wake of Congress president Sonia Gandhi suggesting permanent measures to rehabilitate the victims of recent spell of excess rains in Rajasthan during her visit the previous day.

Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission Scheme (TNSRLM), a programme to alleviate poverty in rural areas by improving the income of the households, is to be implemented in 266 panchayats in Nagapattinam and Ariyalur district.

In Nagapattinam district, this programme would be implemented in 199 panchayats in the blocks of Semmanarkoil, Kollidam, Vedaranyam, Sirkazhi and Keezhayur during the current financial year, and in Nagapattinam and Thalainayar panchayat unions during 2013-14.

In a finding that could help predict drought, farm scientists have noticed that deficit rainfall and drought follow a chronological pattern, repeating every 2.5 years in Telangana and Rayalaseema,

A three-day orientation workshop on new livelihood projects in Rajasthan ended here on Thursday with the resolve to extend the benefits to the deserving people among the poor. The Rajasthan Gramin Ajeevika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP) announced that it would spend Rs.35 crore on implementation of the Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Project (RRLP) this year.

RGAVP State Mission Director P.C. Kishan said the project would gather full speed and vigour this year and prepare a robust ground for providing sustainable livelihood to the poor. He affirmed that nearly 80,000 people in the State would stand to benefit from RRLP this year.

The average household in rural India spends just 43 rupees (77 US cents) per head a day, with their urban equivalents consuming almost double, according to new government data.

The latest study from the National Sample Survey Office, a huge undertaking every two years, shows that average monthly per capita expenditure for a rural household was just 1,281 rupees compared with 2,401 rupees in cities.

The Planning Commission on Monday approved a Rs.8,200-crore Annual Plan for Uttarakhand for 2012-13 which is Rs.400 crore more than last year.

“The Commission is fully aware of the infrastructure deficit in the State and its constraint in meeting the cost of infrastructure development…We will try to give Uttarakhand all help and assistance to ensure its overall growth and development,” said Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia after meeting Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna.

According to United Nations statistics, the majority of the BPL in India are illiterate and lack drinking water. In the rural areas, there is a lack of toilets and the rural populace are subjected to unsanitary work conditions.

“We are more divided than ever before,” Dr Kashyap said while claiming that even Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has expressed his sorrow and is deeply worried about the future of the Parliamentary democracy in India.