Even as the issue of price rise takes centrestage in Parliament, the government’s attempt to offload wheat in the open market has found few takers among small traders. The reason: the price of wheat fixed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for small traders is higher than the prevailing wholesale prices at major centres across the country. In June, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab...
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'Why not abolish PDS for APL families?' by Dhananjay Mahapatra
In what could put the government on a politically difficult turf, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to answer within two weeks why cheap ration under public distribution system (PDS) to above poverty line card holders should not be abolished and the BPL category enlarged. Under the targetted PDS (TPDS), wheat and rice are available at cheap rates to one crore poorest of the poor families (Antyoday Anna...
More »Food Security In Crisis Soon by Rashme Seghal
Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan has warned that India’s food security is being steadily imperilled by the sharp decline in agricultural growth. Speaking on the Ministry of Earth Sciences Foundation Day Lecture 2010, Dr Swaminathan warned that in 2005-6, the agricultural growth was 5.2 per cent of GDP but according to Planning Commission statistics, it has dipped to 0.2 per cent in 2009-10. This would decline with a projected two degree temperature rise...
More »More grain for APL beneficiaries by Gargi Parsai
The Centre has decided to enhance the allocation of foodgrains sold to the Above Poverty Line (APL) population to 15 kg per family per month for six months with immediate effect. There will be no enhancement of the Central issue price at which wheat or rice is provided to the APL. The Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries will continue to get 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month. This decision, taken...
More »Conflicting signals on inclusion of non-poor in PDS by Gargi Parsai
The Supreme Court's observation that the above the poverty line (APL) population should be kept out of the purview of the Public Distribution System (PDS) is in direct conflict with the National Advisory Council's (NAC) recent decision for universalisation of the system beginning with 150 yet-to-be-identified districts. At present APL beneficiaries are getting up to 12 kg of foodgrains per family. The quantum was revised to 15 kg just this...
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