-The Hindustan Times The Cabinet on Wednesday finally approved an ordinance to launch the ruling Congress's showpiece welfare legislation, the National Food Security Bill, after a four-year political roller-coaster ride. The decision on the ordinance was unanimous, food minister KV Thomas said, adding that it was being sent to the president for his approval. An ordinance allows laws to be enacted when Parliament is not in session, although it needs to be...

-Outlook The government today approved Planning Commission's proposal to merge the 147 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and bring it down to 66 across various sectors for effective implementation and monitoring of the 12th Five Year Plan. "The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to merge CCS", Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters after the meeting. Last month, a Group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, had approved merging of...

-PTI Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said he was not opposed to the National Food Security Bill and that he would prefer it to be approved by Parliament after a debate. "I am in favour of approving the food bill through discussion in Parliament, which is the highest forum," he told reporters. Mr Pawar, who had earlier voiced apprehension that huge concessions on foodgrains could endanger food security and harm the interests...

-PTI MUMBAI: Severely hit by drought since the past few years, the Maharashtra government has outlined a Rs 60,000 crore programme which includes creating decentralised water storage to make the state drought free in three years. "Maharashtra is reeling under severe drought crisis. We have outlined an investment of Rs 60,000 crore over the next three years to ensure that Maharashtra is drought free," Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said at the 177th...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The implementation of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) has resulted in an increase in food grain production by 42 million tonne as against the target of 20 million tonne set for the Eleventh Plan. Agriculture and Food Processing Industries minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday informed members of parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry that various interventions under NFSM have resulted in the distribution of almost...