TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu today launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding that the state and the central governments immediately provide succour to hapless farmers and artisans who faced the brunt of nature's fury in the last one year. The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister expressed serious displeasure over the relief announced by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and demanded higher compensation as the loss was enormous. Naidu, the Leader...

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu today launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding that the state and the central governments immediately provide succour to hapless farmers and artisans who faced the brunt of nature's fury in the last one year. The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister expressed serious displeasure over the relief announced by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and demanded higher compensation as the loss was enormous. Naidu, the Leader of the...

This week’s good news on food price inflation was evened out by the bad news on fuel prices hike. But, both were along expected lines. Thanks to the so-called “base effect” — the fact that last year this time food prices were rising sharply and since last year’s prices become the denominator in this year’s price ratio, the rate of inflation would be expected to moderate — and to an...

Differences between the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, and the government over the food security Bill have begun to narrow, but a suggestion by the agriculture ministry to offer cash to poor consumers in case sufficient foodgrain isn’t available remains a contentious issue.“We do not have any serious objections to the recommendations of the NAC. But the ministry wants to have the provision for...

From the time a farmer in India harvests his produce to the time it lands on your plate, farm products go through several layers of middlemen, wholesalers, cold chains and other intermediaries, which push its price up by many notches. The end result: growers get paid less and consumers pay more. The stranglehold that the government has over agriculture produce marketing in India has given rise to abject inefficiencies, lack...