New Delhi, 18 MAY: Finding faults with the MGNREGA scheme, a Parliamentary Panel has said that there was confusion over its definition of the term 'households' which was being twisted to suit male heads of families which should be corrected. In its report, the Committee on empowerment of Women in Rural areas said that due to this confusion the scheme was not reaching its targeted beneficiaries.

After patting on the back by announcing that he would give one per cent of the annual budget of the ministry for rural development (`99,000 crores) to the ministry of panchayati raj, Union minister Jairam Ramesh is faced with reality check — that it is not he who can do so, but Parliament only.

A few weeks ago, Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh announced that one per cent of his ministry’s annual budget, which would come to about `990 crores, would be given to the panchayati raj ministry.

New Delhi: Union govt has ranked the sikkim state as best state in the country in the category of smaller states for its outstanding performance in strengthening and developing the panchayati raj institutions in the state Union Rural Development Minister Sh Jai Ram Ramesh and Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Tribal Development Sh V.Kishore Chandra Deo on Tuesday presented ( Panchayat empowernment and incentivising schemen award) PEAIS 2011-12 award to Sh C.B.Karki Sikkim Rural Management and Development Department Minister during national conference to celebrate the national panchayat raj day function in vigyan bhawan new delhi on Tuesday .

NEW DELHI: Sikkim has won the 'best state' award for strengthening its panchayati raj institutions. Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and Union minister of panchayati raj and tribal development V Kishore Chandra Deo presented the 2011-12 Panchayat Empowerment & Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) award to Sikkim's rural management and development minister CB Karki on a Panchayat Raj Day function, said a statement by the state government.

Bhubaneswar: Alleging large scale irregularities in the implementation of the Centre’s flagship programme, Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the state, the Opposition on Wednesday demanded that the Odisha government should extend the ongoing CBI probe to all the remaining 26 districts.

BHUBANESWAR: Opposition members on Wednesday staged a walkout demanding extension of the CBI probe into large-scale irregularities in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) to all the 30 districts. The issue cropped up during discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment motion notice given by the Congress and BJP members. Making a statement, Panchayati Raj Minister Maheshwar Mohanty said there was no problem in agreeing to CBI probe in all the 30 districts if the Supreme Court wants it so.

GUWAHATI, Feb 12 – The Union Ministry for Rural Development will put more emphasis on Pure Drinking Water and Total Sanitation Programme so that the vision and objective of Nirmal Gram can truly be achieved in Assam. This was stated by Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh in his speech on the occasion of Gramonnayan Sammelan, organised by the Ministry of Panchayat and Rural Development, Assam, at Gauhati Medical College Auditorium.

For the first time in the history of panchayati raj in India, the government is planning to bring statutory provisions to mandate videography of gram sabha meetings and scheduling of these meetings at predetermined dates, to be communicated to villagers in advance. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj in seeking legal advice to see how these provisions can be brought into the statute and made mandatory for states to implement. The government said it could also go for a constitutional amendment to realise these goals.

The United Progressive Alliance government on Friday unveiled its second draft Bill addressing the burning issues of land acquisition as well as rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R).

Amid the furore over misappropriation of funds meant for development, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has proposed bringing all rural development programmes worth about Rs 90,000 crore under the ambit of the government auditor.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh welcomed the proposition after he met CAG today to discuss the social audit of the government's flagship National Rura