BHUBANESWAR: As noted social activist B D Sharma visited Posco's proposed steel site in Jagatsinghpur district on Monday to lend his support to the project's opponents, top executives of the South Korean company requested senior government officers in the state capital to resume land acquisition work at the earliest.

Official sources said deputy managing director of Posco-India H C Ryu met officials at the chief minister's office (CMO) and exhorted them to revive the land takeover activities, which were stalled last week in the face of stiff resistance from the anti-industry brigade and local villagers.

ALLAHABAD: Head of Jai Ram Ashram, Haridwar, BrahmaswaroopBrahmachari inaugurated the camp of YashKrishiTaknikiEvamVigyan Kendra in Sector 1 of KumbhMela. Many saints, scholars and social activists were present at the inauguration.

Swami Brahmaswaroop said, "Protection of environment and conservation of the Ganga should be the first duty of every Indian. Institutions working in the field of science and technology should undertake efforts to preserve the natural resources and protect the environment from pollution."

The survey covered 97.78 per cent of the population

In a one-of-its-kind census conducted by Punjab’s Health & Family Welfare Ministry in coordination with the World Health Organisation, major medical institutions, non-government organisations and social activists it has been revealed that while 33,318 people died of cancer in the past five years, another 23,874 are still afflicted with the disease. The details of the “State-wide cancer awareness and symptom-based early detection door-to-door campaign” were released by Punjab Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal here on Monday.

The ban on the sale of gutkha, pan masala and other chewing tobacco-based products in Uttarakhand came into effect from Tuesday.

“This is a comprehensive ban on the sale, stocking and production of gutkha and all other tobacco chewing products in Uttarakhand,” a top government official said. Most of the shopkeepers and vendors in Dehradun city, said they were not selling gutkha or any other tobbaco-based products anymore. Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi said the government would strictly enforce the ban on the sale of gutkha and similar products in the state.

Planning Commission remained in news this year for wrong reasons like fixing poverty line at Rs 28.65 per capita daily in urban areas, spending Rs 35 lakh on refurbishing toilets and slashing average economic growth rate for the 12th Plan to 8 per cent.

It all began in March with the Planning Commission coming out with poverty numbers based on the Tendulkar Committee methodology which raised many eyebrows and drew flak from all corners.

The ongoing agitation seeking swift relief and rehabilitation package for the hundreds of endosulfan victims has taken a curious turn with the victims and their families in the district sending letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking its intervention.

While several affected family members residing in remote villages sent the letters to the NHRC in their respective post offices, quite a few families under the aegis of Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnai staged a march to the General Post Office here on Human Rights Day on Monday and sent individual letters to the NHRC.

The Kerala-Kudankulam march led by writers and social activists on Sunday to express solidarity with the anti-nuclear protests in Kudankulam was blocked by the police near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Inchivila.

Kerala Anti-Nuclear Support Group, which organised the march, then tried to bus the activists to the protest site. But this attempt was also derailed when the bus was stopped and asked to return by TN police before Kudankulam.

PANJIM: Activists across the board have scoffed at the Government decision to halt all mining activity till action is taken against all, saying that the decision to shut mining, but allowing transportation of ore in transit was encouraging illegal mining.

Leading the war cries Ramesh Gauns, punched holes in Parrikar’s decision and said that the Government should seize the collected ore and auction it as part of measures to recover the money.

Social activists have urged the State government to order a detailed investigation into the “vanishing hills and hillocks and pristine waterbodies” of Salem district, which fall prey to mindless and illegal mining for commercial purposes.

Saying that the loss to the State exchequer would run to Rs.1000 crore, members of ‘Speak Out Salem,’ a forum that highlights public interest issues, has blamed the contractors and subcontractors of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for “swallowing up” many a hillock that once dotted the district’s skyline and for destroying its lakes, the livelihood resources of farmers and villagers.

Among major projects stalled awaiting new legislation are Posco, ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel and Coal India

More than a century after it was drawn up by British colonial rulers, India's land acquisition law is finally set for a revamp that promises to breathe life into scores of frozen industrial and infrastructure projects and help lift the sagging economy.