Farmers in Chhattisgarh will now get over 10 times more compensation for giving away their land for industrial and commercial projects in the state.

In a crucial decision taken by the state government, the compensation price for the land taken away from the farmers for various projects has been increased by about 10 to 12 times as compared to the existing rate. The move is aimed at providing adequate compensation to the farmers.

A Maoist guerrilla carrying a reward of Rs.150,000 on his head was arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the state's police chief said Thursday.

A police team nabbed Madhu Markam, 25, from a thickly forested stretch in Kanker district late Wednesday, Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan told IANS.

He said that Markam, who hails from Bijapur in Bastar, was involved in several deadly attacks on police and civilians.

Police recovered explosives and Maoist literature from Markam, who was a deputy commander of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist.

The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of three Chinese technocrats who were sent to jail in connection with the collapse of under-construction chimney that killed 41 workers in Korba, Chhattisgarh last September.

Raipur, Mar 11: Just when the Maoists are yet to recover from the arrest of its top commander and close aide of Kishanji, Telugu Deepak, another Maoist with a reward
of Rs 150,000 on his head was held in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the state's police chief said Thursday.

Confirming the arrest, Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan said in a news agency report that Madhu Markam was nabbed from a thickly forested stretch in Kanker district late Wednesday, Mar 9.

He added that Markam was involved in various deadly attacks on police and civilians.

NMDC, India`s largest iron-ore producer, on Wednesday denied media reports which quoted that the company has plans to set up conventional and non conventional power projects and fertilizer plant. The company does operate in non conventional power through 7 wind mill towers with an aggregate capacity of 10.5 MW, it clarified.

The company`s focus is on acquiring overseas properties especially in the field of iron ore, coal, manganese and fertilizer minerals through international investment division called NMDC Global, it said whiling explaining its operations related to fertilizer segment.

Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) has encroached about 650 acres of government land at Korba town in Chhattisgarh, the state assembly was informed Wednesday.

'BALCO has illegally encroached about 650 acres of government land but Chhattisgarh High Court had recently given its rulings in favour of the BALCO. The state government is yet to take a view whether it should move the Supreme Court or not,' Revenue Minister Amar Agrawal told the assembly in reply to a question by Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey.

Raipur, March 9 (IANS) As many as 20 girl students suffered a sun stroke and fell unconscious Tuesday at a government school near Chhattisgarh’s capital city, officials said. They have been hospitalised.
The incident took place at a school in Urkura village on the outskirts of state capital Raipur.

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday announced that he along with his Cabinet ministers and the legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will declare their assets in the state Assembly.

Not wanting to be left behind, Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey also said he and the members of Congress party in the legislative assembly would disclose details of their properties.

The announcement made by the Chhattisgarh chief minister is in line with the decision taken by his Madhya Pradesh counter-part Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

RAIPUR: As many as 22 coal blocks have been allotted to private companies in mineral-rich Chhattisgarh in the last 10 years.

"Twenty-eight coal blocks have been identified for private firms. Till date 22 have been allotted," a mining department official told IANS here. Of the 22 blocks, mining has begun in just six.

The state government has signed 71 agreements with power companies in the last 10 years to set up thermal plants. Tw companies - Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) and Lanco Amarkantak Power Pvt Ltd - have commissioned their plants, the official said.

Over 600 poor people from Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district alone have been kept as bonded labourers in others states, a minister told the state assembly Tuesday.

'Hundreds of people from Chhattisgarh have been kept as bonded labourers in various states and the government is doing its best to free them and bring them back to their home state,' Labour and Agriculture Minister Chandrasekhar Sahu informed the assembly in reply to a question from Congress member Mahant Ramsundar Das.