Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has admitted that price rise was a major problem confronting the United Progressive Alliance government in its second term. In a book brought out by the Congress with Mr. Mukherjee as its chief editor, he has said: “Inflation based on high prices of foodgrains continues to be a challenge.” The book Congress and the Making of the Indian Nation was released at the just-concluded party plenary marking...
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Plan to link NREGA wages to inflation hits CP Joshi wall by Priyadarshi Siddhanta
Rural Development Minister CP Joshi has refused to move on a proposal by the Planning Commission to link wages under the national job guarantee scheme to the consumer price index. In fact, the Plan panel’s proposal was echoed by the National Advisory Council chaired by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.In a presentation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, the Planning Commission made a strong case for aligning the wage levels to...
More »2010: Watershed year for Indian agriculture
In more ways than one the calendar year 2010 would go down the memory lane as a watershed year for the food and agriculture front in the country which recorded unprecedented growth rate of 4.4 per cent in July-September quarter but by December unprecedented price hike of essential food items especially left consumers in tears. As the year comes to an end, an embattled government and the Union agriculture ministry stood...
More »Jagan continues 48-hour fast for farmers
Former Congress parliament member Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Wednesday continued his 48-hour hunger strike, demanding the Andhra Pradesh government to come to the rescue of farmers who lost their crops in the recent unseasonal rains. For the second day, the son of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy remained seated with his supporters on the huge dais on the bank of Krishna river. Thousands of farmers and his supporters have joined in the...
More »Litmus test for govt as NAC gets specific on forest rights by Nitin Sethi
It has been the most contentious of UPA's flagship schemes for the aam admi. The government has never been sure if it wants the Forest Rights Act to really work, and Congress can't make up its mind on whether it will gain anything from the act meant to return forestlands taken away illegally from tribals and others by the government. It has been a handy tool to make some pro-tribal...
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