1 Irrigation Plan Estimate Revised On I-Day Holiday.

An internal probe by the coal ministry into the allotment of blocks between 2006 and 2009 has found cases of obscure firms allegedly merging with other firms after getting their hands on the resour

New Delhi Between 2006 and 2009, for a number of relatively obscure firms, getting hold of a coal block was akin to stumbling on a goldmine.

The findings of an internal report conducted by the coal ministry on the allocation of resources to private players show that in order to bag a prized mine, applicants were willing to go to any extreme. Take the case of Shree Veerangana Steels, which was allocated three coal blocks in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra in 2005. This company simply does not exist any more.

MUMBAI: For 480-odd farmers of Virur village in Chandrapur district, it was a pleasant surprise and a big relief when Coal India Ltd hiked the compensation for land acquisition from Rs 44,000 to Rs

Over 10,000 villages and 15 of Maharashtra's 35 districts face a drought-like situation.

The Vidarbha region of Maharashtra which has gained notoriety for its farm suicides, is also reporting a high incidence of child deaths. Data compiled under the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows that in Yavatmal district alone 565 children below five died due to various causes between January and September 2011. In addition, the district reported 489 still births for the same period.

Yavatmal is second only to Amravati district which reported 910 child deaths between January and September 2011 and 516 still births. Bandu Sane, activist from the NGO KHOJ in Melghat, sought information on child deaths in Vidarbha under RTI.

Two tiger deaths were reported on Sunday taking the total big cat fatalities this year to seven — four in the current month alone.

Two days after it imposed planned load-shedding across the state, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board on Tuesday announced 16-hour power cuts for industries starting Wednesday.

Mandated to create industrial opportunities in the state, the MIDC or Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has been doing quite the opposite of late—winding up its own plans to set up Spe

Bibekhed village in Buldana district sparkles brightly against the bleak backdrop of Vidarbha known for its despairing farming community. Till about ten years ago, men here wouldn