Sirgamau (Uttar Pradesh), Mar 3 : The people of Sirgamau in Uttar Pradesh said their lives have changed for good after the introduction of various schemes by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The village is situated around 68 kilometers from the state capital Lucknow.

The villagers are happy after initiatives like `Grameen Rojgar Guarantee Yojna', which gave them regular employment and payments.

"We are happy. Lot of women labourers have also joined the scheme. We are getting payments on time. What more can anyone need," said Angnu, a labourer.

Lucknow, Mar. 2 : With the announcement of election dates, all the political parties are now in the election mode.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati met BSP Members of Parliament and the Members of the Legislative Assembly to discuss political strategy for the election.

Senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon received a rousing welcome from BJP workers in Lucknow, the seat that he will be contesting.

Faizabad (UP), Mar 2: The Central Government has opened various Anganwadis (women volunteers) in Uttar Pradesh''s Faizabad district for the welfare of rural women and children.

In one of the Anganwadis at Patupur village of Faizabad district, small children come for their pre-school education. The volunteers bring these children to this centre.

Seema Devi, the Child Development Project Officer of the village, visits the centre every month to monitor whether the women, pregnant women and the small children are getting their daily nutrition and education or not.

Amethi, Mar 1 : Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and her brother, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on March 3.

During her visit, Priyanka is expected to interact with party workers and meet Congress representatives of Sonia Gandhi''s constituency Rae Bareli.

Priyanka had earlier campaigned for Sonia in the 2004 and 1999 parliamentary elections.

Earlier on February 2, Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a rail coach factory in Rae Bareli.

New Delhi  - At least 11 people were killed and 16 injured when a train rammed into a bus at an unmanned railway crossing in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, police said Sunday.

The accident occurred in the Budaun district, 260 kilometres north of state capital Lucknow, on Saturday evening.

"Nobody in the train was injured. Four bus passengers were killed on the scene while others succumbed to the injuries later at nearby hospitals," local police chief Durgesh Mishra said over telephone.

Varanasi, Feb 28 : Pinky Sonkar, the protagonist of Oscar winning documentary `Smile Pinky', got a rousing welcome at her native village here on Saturday.

`Smile Pinky' is the story of a child with a lip deformity which won the award for best short documentary at the famed Academy Awards.

Pinki's neighbours and relatives gathered at the Varanasi airport and greeted her with garlands.

The shy little girl was accompanied by her father and Dr. Subodh Singh, the surgeon who gave Pinki the smile that ushered her into the Hollywood's Red Carpet.