FAO forecast of generally tight situation for most crops and commodities over next 18 months. Consumers are unlikely to get relief from high food prices till December 2012, despite a modest increase in global foodgrain production. High and volatile agricultural commodity prices are likely to prevail for the rest of this year and into 2012, says a report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. The next few months...

-PTI   The government plans to provide an additional 5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to above poverty line (APL) families at subsidised rates through ration shops, food minister KV Thomas said on Wednesday. The additional allocation, which would be over-and-above the normal Quota under the Public Distribution System (PDS), would provide relief to the common man and also help the government in clearing godowns for storage of new crops. The government...

In its wisdom, the state giveth and the state taketh away. When it acquires farmlands claiming eminent domain, there is blood on the streets. However, when it quietly bestows largesse on chosen ones, it is barely noticed. At worst there is a lawsuit. There were a dozen lengthy judgments from the Supreme Court in the past two months on land acquisition disputes — a mark of the times. But the biased...

-The Times of India   Delhi high court has sought a reply from the Delhi government and the education director on a physically challenged person's plea seeking amendment in the RTE Act to include a Quota for the children of such people. HC issued notices to the authorities concerned on a petition filed by one Hilal Haider praying that there were deficiencies in the RTE Act that needed clarification. On his...

-The Times of India   The ministry of petroleum and natural gas on Saturday said that kerosene allocation to Gujarat has been reduced, keeping in view the substantial LPG penetration in the state. Gujarat's monthly Quota of kerosene for distribution under the public distribution system (PDS) has been slashed by 32.19% from 76,712 kilolitres (KL) in 2010-11 to 52,020 KL in 2011-12, effective from June 1. The state government had raised...