-PTI   The Centre will soon initiate the consultation process with the state governments on the draft National Food Security Bill that aims to provide legal right on subsidised foodgrains to 68 per cent of India's population. "We will at the earliest start the consultation process with the states. The law ministry has already vetted the draft bill and the same has been communicated to the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee," Food Minister K...

DESPITE WHAT our reel-life heroes have shown us, perhaps it’s only possible to fight one villain at a time. Still, in his last few days on the job, Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde tried to battle two evils, with two reports that presented damning evidence of corruption in the BJP government. The first report, on illegal mining, had enough firepower to systematically dig holes in the state government. The second report,...

-The Hindu Business Line   Over 56 per cent of Indian farmers are not aware about the maximum retail prices (MRP) of fertilisers they buy, while 45 per cent fork out more than the MRP and 59 per cent face problems in getting their season's full requirement in time. These are the startling findings of a countrywide survey of 5,498 farmers conducted by field audit teams of the Comptroller and Auditor General...

-The Telegraph   The government may introduce dual rates for diesel — with the price of the fuel higher in cars and commercial power compared with the price for truckers and farmers — to prevent its misuse. During a parliamentary debate on the price rise, Opposition leaders asked finance minister Pranab Mukherjee if the government would withdraw subsidy benefits on diesel used by premium cars and commercial users such as telecom tower...

Plan to levy market rate on owners of luxury cars Faced with growing diesel consumption and rising under recoveries, the Union government on Thursday said it was working on “dual pricing of diesel” wherein luxury car owners could be asked to pay the market rate and subsidised diesel restricted to farmers and the transport sector. “These proposals are being considered by the Finance Ministry,” Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy...