Bottlenecks at every stage in the implementation of MGNREGA in Atra village in Chhattisgarh are making the villagers disillusioned. “If payment is unreliable, the poorest and the most vulnerable opt out of the system...” On a rainy day in September, Bir Singh Malekar, 45, rues his decision to stay back in Atra village in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district this summer, instead of leaving in search of work. “I usually go to Chennai between...
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Mayawati hikes sugarcane prices by Rs.40 per quintal by Atiq Khan
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday announced an increase of Rs.40 per quintal in the State Advised Price (SAP) of sugarcane for the 2010-11crushing season, which normally begins in November. Describing the move as historic, Ms. Mayawati said such a hefty increase in the procurement price of the three varieties of sugarcane was the maximum, as none of the State governments had given so much raise. The decision to raise the...
More »Big concerns over small loans by Bindu Ananth and Nachiket Mor
Microfinance is an effective tool for financial inclusion. Here are some elements of the recently embattled sector The recent controversy surrounding the microfinance sector has entirely eclipsed the fact that it is the first effort in India to have delivered financial services to remote corners of the country in a self-sustaining manner. The stakes are high for India’s poor, and we have to pave the way for orderly growth in the...
More »Food will never become cheaper as expenses rise by Nidhi Nath Srinivas
Never mind wishful thinking by the government and RBI. Food will never be cheaper than what it is today. Not this year. Or in future. The reason is simple. Growing food in India has become extremely expensive. Crops are pricier even before they reach the market and face the pulls and tugs of rising local demand and exports. The farmer’s single biggest cost now is labour. Farm labour wages have doubled...
More »Steady rise in TPDS allocation because of higher production: FCI
While the National Advisory Council (NAC), Planning Commission and the Prime Minister Office are grappling over the proposed National Food Security Bill, the government has been steadily increasing allocation under the Targetted Public Distribution System (TPDS) during last many years. According to Siraj Hussain, chairman and managing director, Food Corporation of India (FCI), with the rise in procurement of wheat and rice by the corporation during last few years, more and...
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