Even as speculation that Communist Party of India (Maoist) Polit Bureau member Koteswara Rao, alias Kishenji, was killed in a fake encounter refuses to die down, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attempted to clear the air on Friday. “Kishenji's death was not something that we did knowingly. It was an incident that occurred,” Ms. Banerjee told journalists at the State Secretariat. Speaking to journalists after the surrender of leading Maoist leader Suchitra...
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A scam in pulses import? CAG estimates Rs 1,200 crore loss on import of subsidised pulses by Tejinder Narang
In December 2011, CAG tabled a well-analysed audit report in Parliament claiming a loss of 1,200 crore, or $250 million, on the import of subsidised pulses through 2006-11 under the supervision of department of consumer affairs (DCA) of the food ministry. The government's intention to introduce such a scheme cannot be faulted: during 2005-08, seven million tonnes of wheat was imported at high prices, chana (chickpeas) values spiked from 21...
More »How Fukushima is relevant to Kudankulam by TN Srinivasan, TS Gopi Rethinaraj and Surya Sethi
The disaster in Japan revealed many risks that were earlier unknown; it is important to assess the risks in India in a transparent manner and explain which are worth taking. The nuclear plant accident at Fukushima, Japan, in March 2011 exemplifies the prescient remark of nuclear reactor pioneer, the late Alvin Weinberg, that “a nuclear accident somewhere is a nuclear accident everywhere.” After Fukushima, many countries initiated a reconsideration of the...
More »Mamata shuns Centre on Food Bill by Anirban Bhaumik
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again cold-shouldered the Centre’s overtures to win the Trinamool Congress’ support for the National Food Security Bill. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, K V Thomas, visited Kolkata on Friday, but returned without meeting Banerjee. Though Thomas’ office had written to Banerjee to propose the meeting to allay concerns of the Bengal government over the bill, it...
More »No Guarantee of Food Security in Children’s Incredible India by Razia Ismail
India’s decision-makers seem to find it difficult to see that there are children in the country. Being unable to see them, they are unable to perceive that they are hungry. In an age when we are able to use euphemisms like ‘under-nutrition’, this is perhaps not surprising. But it is disgraceful none the less. This country has a large population of children. Fortyone per cent of its total numbers. The national...
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