-The Telegraph   The proposed food security law may not succeed unless the government revamps the public distribution system (PDS) and creates back-up infrastructure, Sharad Pawar said today about the bill seen as a Sonia Gandhi pet project. “I will be failing in my duty if I do not emphasise the food security act will never succeed in achieving its goals in letter and spirit if we try to push the same through...

-PTI Faced with subdued revenue mop-up and rising fiscal deficit, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said he is "losing sleep" over mounting subsidy bill, which may cross Budget estimate by Rs 1 lakh crore in 2011-12. "As Finance Minister when I think of enormity of the subsidies to be provided, I lose my sleep. There is no doubt," said Mukherjee, who is engaged in the process of firming the Budget for 2012-13...

-The Deccan Herald   Agri Minister doubts existing mechanism enough for roll out Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday reiterated that augmenting grain production and overhaul of the Public Distribution System were critical to implementation of the Congress-led UPA Government’s ambitious National Food Security Bill. “I will be failing in my duty if I do not emphasise the fact that the Food Security Act will never succeed in achieving its goal in letter and...

The fertiliser ministry may seek more funds from the finance ministry to meet its subsidy obligations as it needs more than the allocated amount to take care of the rising subsidy bill, a top official said.  "We have already received 17,700 crore in addition to the budgetary allocation of around 50,000 crore. But we still need more funds, and the amount will be finalised in consultation with the finance ministry," said...

Agrarian crisis continued in Bengal with farmers continuing to commit suicide after failing to sell their crops. The latest such incident was reported from Malda district in North Bengal, police said. Dayal Chandra Burman a middle-aged peasant committed suicide on Sunday morning at Gajole block in Malda district after he failed to repay Rs 30,000 taken as loan from moneylenders for paddy cultivation. He failed to sell his crops for the...