-Livemint.com The destruction of almost two-thirds of the state’s cotton crop by the whitefly has forced 15 farmers to commit suicide, pushed hundreds of others into debt An insect has ravaged the cotton crop across Punjab’s Malwa region. The destruction of almost two-thirds of the state’s cotton crop by the whitefly has forced as many as 15 farmers to commit suicide and pushed hundreds of others into debt. A Times of India report...

-PTI Bhubaneswar (Odisha):  A total 107 blocks spread across 12 districts of Odisha are facing drought-like situation and suffered crop loss of 33 per cent or more, state Revenue and Disaster Management minister Bijayshree Routray today said. "Eye estimation reports so far received by the agriculture department show crop loss to the extent of 33 per cent and more in 2,57,930 hectare of crop land in 12 districts," Mr Routray told reporters. The...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has constituted a special team to review allocations of at least 623 mines by the Rajasthan government in 2014-15. The report is expected to be finalized in three months. Though it is a regular audit process, the issue has assumed significance after Congress on Wednesday approached the central vigilance commission seeking a CBI probe alleging a Rs 45,000 crore scam in...

-Livemint.com Drought declaration can provide farmers relief through compensation for crop damage and restructuring of loans New Delhi: Even though the Monsoon ended with a 14% rainfall deficit, with nearly half the country’s districts facing a shortage of over 20%, states are delaying declaring a drought that could provide immediate relief to farmers by compensating for crop damage and restructuring farm loans. The June-September Monsoon, which irrigates over half the country’s farm...

-IANS Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Tuesday asked the state government to submit within four weeks a report over the alleged farmer suicides in the state. Hearing a petition over suicides of farmers due to crop loss in the state, OHRC's working chairman Justice B.K. Mishra directed the government to inquire into the claims and submit a report, said an OHRC official here. The secretaries of agriculture and revenue and...