-The Financial Express Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the proposed Food Security Act should target only needy sections of society for nutritional cover, citing an adverse impact on economy in case its ambit is widened — a stance contrary to the draft bill approved by the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) in July. The draft bill provides for the supply of subsidised coarse cereals for nutrional food security to the...
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‘Food security bill falls foul of SC ruling’ by Nitin Sethi
The Supreme Court commissioners in the food case have warned the Union government that their draft National Food Security Act falls foul of apex court orders on providing food and nutrition to the needy. In a letter to the government, the principal adviser to the office of commissioners, Biraj Patnaik, noted that the draft violated several existing orders of the Supreme Court. He said the apex court explicitly banned the role...
More »Subsidy Bill will damage govt’s finances: Sharad Pawar
-The Economic Times The increase in India's food subsidy bill after the introduction of the Food Security Act, which will guarantee subsidised grains to a large section of population, could damage the country's financial health, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said here on Wednesday. The situation is worrying even now, the minister said at the Economic Editors Conference here. "The issue price of grains for ration shops has not been changed for last...
More »Food price swings threaten to push millions more people into hunger, UN warns
-The United Nations The United Nations and international figures marked World Food Day today with calls for immediate aid and longer-term solutions, and warnings of factors that keep hundreds of millions mired in hunger, such as price swings and gender discrimination. In a message delivered to a ceremony at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that there is more than enough food on the...
More »Farmers' union threatens six-month farming holiday by Gargi Parsai
The members of Bhartiya Kisan Union on Tuesday threatened to take a six-month holiday every year for 10 years from framing if the government fails to take note of the hardship faced by farmers over rising prices and acquisition of farm land for commercial activity. Rakesh Tikait of Uttar Pradesh said with increasing input costs, farmers were finding it difficult to cultivate round the year. “If the government does not pay...
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