Rae Bareli/ New Delhi/ Lucknow, Oct 13: With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati cancelling the land allotment for a rail coach factory project at Lalganj in Rae Bareli, which was proposed by Congress president and Lok Sabha MP in her constituency, farmers here are a dejected lot. They feel the project could have provided a number of jobs and ensured the overall development of the region.

"We also want that we get jobs at this rail coach factory apart from farming. We would be able to earn money and will eke out living for our family that way," said Shivshankar Vajpayee, a farmer.

The Uttar Pradesh Government had yesterday cancelled the allotment of 189.25 hectares of land for a new state-run railway coach factory in Rae Bareli district.

New Delhi, Oct 13: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will chair the 14th meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) here today.

Prevention of extremism, promotion of communal harmony and security among minorities, and equitable development are some of the important items on the agenda of the meeting.

Promotion of education among minorities, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes; elements contributing to national integration; and removal of regional imbalances, caste and identity divisions will also be discussed in the day-long meeting.

New Delhi, Oct 13: The Bureau of the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) will meet here today.

The meeting will be chaired by Iranian Housing and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Saeedi, who is currently the Chairperson of the APMCHUD.

The meeting will focus on concretizing the Action Plan for Regional Cooperation on promoting Sustainable Urban Development among Asia-Pacific countries as adopted during the Tehran Conference of APMCHUD in May 2008.

The APMCHUD was established in December 2006, subsequently to the first Asia Pacific Conference held at New Delhi under the aegis of Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation and UN-HABITAT.

Pune, Oct 12: President Pratibha Patil today described terrorist incidents as attacks on our national ethos and that the country cannot allow misguided elements to pursue their divisive agenda.

The Parliamentary Committee has now been given more time to submit its report. The committee, which is trying hard to break the deadlock over the Women’s Reservation Bill can submit their report till 21st November. 

The bill aims at providing 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Earlier, the panel was suppose to present its report on 8th August, and has already been given two extensions, since the political parties stay rigid on their stand regarding the Bill.