-The Business Standard Interview with Director General, Independent Evaluation Office, Planning Commission The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) was created at the Planning Commission in August 2013 to monitor the outcome and effectiveness of various social sector initiatives taken by the UPA government. It began with an evaluation of the Public Distribution System (PDS). Ajay Chhibber, Director General of the IEO, a former assistant secretary general of the UN Development Programme, tells Sanjeeb...

-The Hindu ‘Fair price shops will do business from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for first the 10 days of the month' Koar (Karnataka): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the ‘Padithara Khatri' scheme would be launched on Saturday to ensure proper supply of Foodgrains to ration cardholders. Fair price shops should be kept open from the first to the 10th of every month from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provide...

-The Business Standard To kick-start the ambitious National Food Security Act, the food ministry has urged all state governments to open more Foodgrain purchasing centres, as the Act will require about 10 million tonnes of more wheat and rice than the average procurement of last five years. According to an official statement, a meeting of state food secretaries has also been called in the second week of February by the Centre to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the country's food grain production is likely to reach an all-time high level this year as bumper crops are expected in wheat, rice and pulses on the back of good monsoon rain last year. He said wheat production is likely to cross 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2013-14, surpassing the previous record of 94.88 million tonnes...

-The Week Telangana leader claims he is making astronomical profits from capsicum farming Telangana: Not many politicians who own land are farmers. But Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrasekhara Rao is different. While he ensures Telangana remains a burning issue, Rao is also busy growing capsicum, potato, bitter gourd, and bottle gourd. The capsicum crop itself, he claims, will fetch him Rs.10 crore. His claim of huge returns and promise of land...