Differences within the ruling government alliance over food management came to the fore on Tuesday with home minister P Chidambaram questioning agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's pitch for resuming export of sugar. A meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss measures to calm soaring food prices saw sugar become a key focus area with Pawar plumping for freeing its export, citing an expected bumper crop this year. As soon...

Export of sugar, hike in Above Poverty Line price under Public Distribution System put on hold A meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to discuss inflation and ways to tackle it, particularly the zooming prices of onion, Vegetables, fruits, eggs and milk, remained “inconclusive,” official sources said. The Ministers concerned will meet Dr. Singh again in a day or two to come up with measures to tackle food...

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has held a cabinet meeting to tackle spiralling food prices. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar were among those at the talks in Delhi. The soaring price of Vegetables, milk and other eatables in the past month have taken food inflation to 18.32% - the highest in more than a year. The agriculture minister has said the crisis is...

The government is planning to launch a dedicated horticulture rail transport system by March with an investment of over Rs 18 crore that will link the wholesale markets of the country. The aim is to reduce the wastage of surplus fruits and Vegetables informed a senior official . "We have sent a proposal to the agriculture ministry for approval and are expecting to launch the trial run in two months, sometime...

13 more people died due to the biting cold in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, taking this season's toll to 81. Lucknow recorded a minimum of 3.4 degrees celsius. Bareilly was at 3.2, Allahabad and Gorakhpur were marginally warmer. The national capital Delhi shivered at 5 degrees as icy winds lashed the city. Schools in both states remain closed for another week. Further north, farmers in Punjab are among the hardest hit...