-Down to Earth Power supply in villages still uncertain, they say Farmers in Bihar have questioned the state government’s decision December 21, 2020, to end subsidy to them for Diesel, which has been around for almost a decade, on the grounds that rural areas of the state are receiving sufficient power. Farmers in the state told this reporter that the reasons given by the government for rescinding the subsidy did not make sense....

-The Hindu The document argued that the Diesel cost had been raised tremendously by the present government. The Left- affiliated All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) on Sunday released a document countering the claims of the Modi government on the three contentious farm laws, saying that the government’s arguments for not repealing the legislations were “deceptive” and “untruthful”. It also accused the government of propagating “falsehood” to claim that the laws would help...

-Down to Earth Creation of unregulated private points of sale will only ensure that the produce continues to be sold as before — at below MSP and without any government support More than 86 per cent farmers in India own or cultivate on less than two acres of land and have little surplus to sell. They are the victims of middlemen (arthiya) at the mandis (local exchange markets) and are forced, by...

-The Indian Express Each of the poverty alleviation programmes seems to have a recurring theme — being funded by the poor themselves. The rodomontade about heralding a new epoch of prosperity six years ago is gradually evaporating. It appears the PM is in the dark about the delivery of his government’s policies, just as the Congress leadership seems clueless about issues on the ground. Four specific pain points unmask the gap between...

-Hindustan Times Diesel-run generators used for irrigation not only burnt a hole in their pockets but were also an environmental concern Chandigarh: Solar-powered water pumps have come as a ray of hope for tribal farmers of the remote Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh that otherwise offers limited livelihood options due to the harsh climate and inhospitable terrain. The cultivated fields in the valley are situated along nullahs and the Spiti river and many...