Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan made the plea following farmers' protest Go-ahead for export of 3 non-basmati varieties Onion prices as low as Rs. 4-5 a kg in Maharashtra Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on Friday said the government was actively considering a request from Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to lift the ban on export of onions whose prices crashed last week triggering farmers' protest. In a related development, the government...

Buoyed by bumper production estimates this year, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today favoured export of certain commodities like non-basmati rice, sugar and onion to protect the interests of the farming community. “Generally we feel, we should take a total liberalised approach on export of certain items...Farmers are raising concern that prices of some commodities are going down,” Pawar told Reporters here. Citing onion case as an example, Pawar said farmers, who were...

Faced with the unfinished agenda - half way achievements under the Bharat Nirman mission projects like rural roads and houses and MDG goals staring in face - the government is preparing an army of 40 lakh volunteers to connect planning in New Delhi and implementation at the village level. TULIP (Total Unity for Livelihood, Innovation and Production), as 'the Bharat Nirman Volunteer' is christened would serve an anchor to spearhead programmes in...

Highlighting the strength of the agriculture sector in India, Union Food Minister K.V. Thomas has said that the national food production was high despite drought and floods which have affected about 100 districts of the nation. Briefing Reporters on the sidelines of a meeting, Thomas maintained food production was going according to the expectations of the Central Government. "100 districts in the country are under severe drought. There is flood in Orissa,...

The Planning Commission has said that states will have to bear the additional burden if the minimum wages notified by them are higher than that fixed by the Centre for work under the employment guarantee Act. In the case of rich "states that can afford very high minimum wages, the central government reimbursement will be limited", Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told Reporters. For a state where minimum wages are...