Italian national Paolo Bosusco was freed by the Naxals on Thursday, after nearly a month of captivity bringing some relief to the state government.

Naxals release Italian hostage, BJD MLA still in custody 

Business Standard

A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who ended its five-day long fact-finding visit to the state on Thursday, has raised objections about a private company buying land for Posco rehabilitation colony near the proposed plant site in Paradip.

NHRC objects to private company buying land for Posco rehab colony

Six members of rights body Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) were arrested on Thursday for trying to take out a procession without police permission in the metropolis, police sources said.

Six APDR members held

Press Trust of India

A designated court here on Thursday awarded life sentence to 18 people and handed out seven-year jail terms to five others in connection with the massacre of 23 people in Gujarat's Ode village during the 2002 post-Godhra communal riots.

Life imprisonment to 18 in 2002 Ode massacre case

The government needs to take &ldquo;hard decisions&rdquo; to create an environment for industry to grow, Prime Minister&rsquo;s Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan said here on Thursday.

'Hard decisions needed to boost sentiment'

The Supreme Court has appointed a high-level expert committee to study the issues involved in allowing the Chennai Port Trust to handle coal and iron ore.

SC appoints panel to review iron ore, coal handling at Chennai port

&lsquo;Sakala&rsquo;, the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act 2011, which came into effect recently, is doing well in Mysore district.

Citizens respond well to seek govt services in Mysore

The government would set up a committee to examine the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and look into ways to &ldquo;tighten&rdquo; various sources of data collection, Prime Minister&rsquo;s Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan said on Thursday.

'Govt to set up committee to examine IIP'

At a strategic meet held between officials from union textile ministry and Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) it was decided to procure one million bales (170 kg each) of cotton from the state, mainly from Saurashtra region. Textile ministry has decided to create a buffer stock for country's textile industry and mandated CCI to procure cotton at the rate of Rs  900 per maund (20 kg) for top quality cotton.

CCI to procure one million bales of cotton from poll bound Gujarat

The Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) have not helped farmers in gaining a higher level of incomes, Chairman of Prime Minister&rsquo;s Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan said here on Friday. &ldquo;The marketing arrangements with respect to agricultural products remain very archaic,&rdquo; he said, delivering the convocation address at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

'Marketing arrangements for agri products archaic'

Karnataka has sought Rs 2,600 crore from the Centre towards drought-relief works and an all-party delegation would be taken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to press him for the release of the funds early. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar, who chaired a meeting of district-level task force here on Friday, said the state government has already submitted a proposal to the Union Rs 2,600 crore for drought-relief works in the affected villages.

Rs 2,600 cr sought for drought-relief

Karnataka state on Friday approved 43 projects with an investment of over Rs 35,785 crore with an empl-oyment potential for 483,021 persons. Briefing reporters after the 27th State High Level Commit-tee Meeting chaired by Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani said the state has cleared the proposal of JSW Steel Ltd to set up "Cold Rolled Annealed &amp; Skin Passed Coils" in Sandur taluk, Bellary district with an investment of Rs 4190.40 crore.

State approves investments worth Rs 35,785 cr

Odisha expects to garner additional revenue of Rs 100-Rs 150 crore following revision of coal royalty approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

Odisha slams coal royalty revision

Yoga guru Ramdev is all set to hold a one-day dharna on June 3 in Delhi, to mark the first anniversary of the midnight crackdown by security personnel against his indefinite fast at Ramlila ground.

Ramdev to stage dharna  in Delhi

The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 100 crore for relaying roads using plastic waste, as part of its plastic waste management programmes, which also include promoting usage of plastic waste in cement kilns.

TN allocates Rs 100cr for relaying roads using plastic waste

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) is looking at collaborating with institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, to set up a technology demonstration centre as part of monitoring source emissions and ambient air quality on a real time basis.

Pollution board to tie up with IIT-Madras

After heavy industrialisation, Uttarakhand has started thinking big in terms of infrastructure development and mulling to create a separate infrastructure fund.

State to focus on infrastructure

A consistent rise in input cost, mainly that of plant and machinery, has prompted the Union government to notify a new capex limit for units eligible under its credit-linked subsidy programme called the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

Soon, capex limit for units elligible for credit-linked subsidy to be Rs 50L

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) has strongly come out in support of a government-backed health insurance policy, which is in the works with an aim to provide health cover to a large population.

Irda for govt-backed health insurance scheme

With more than 200 RML (renewal of mining lease) applications pending at different levels, the state government is keen on disposing such cases at the earliest.

Mine lease renewal cases to go under scanner

The Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) has insured IPL matches to be played at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on April 22 and May 1, 2012 for Rs 20 crore.

IPL matches at Barabati insured for Rs 20 cr

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