-The Indian Express A little over 11 years ago, when the Congress defeated the Asom Gana Parishad and Tarun Gogoi took over as chief minister of Assam, people had their doubts. Would this man who had spent most of his political career since 1971 as a Lok Sabha member be able to run this state? The state, with its unique tangle of ethnicity and politics, has, after all, always been a...
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Left to observe September 12 as Food Security Day-Aarti Dhar
-The Hindu The Left parties have decided to observe September 12 as Food Security Day across the country and their general secretaries will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding amendments to the Food Security Bill. This was decided on the concluding day of the parties’ sit-in in support of a comprehensive Food Security Bill here on Friday. The the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the All...
More »Geared up to face drought situation, says Centre
-The Indian Express The government on Friday said the spectre of drought over a few states and the likelihood of a lower rainfall pattern this year should not be a concern for a “panicky situation” as it is geared up to face the situation with enough stocks of foodgrains and sugar. Last year the production of both foodgrains and sugar had overshot the estimate leaving the government with adequate resources for the...
More »KV Thomas, Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution interviewed by Nitin Sethi
Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution KV Thomas tells Nitin Sethi that it makes better sense to distribute stocked foodgrain to people of the country than subsidise exports. Possible spread of drought that the government is looking at... At the moment, monsoon rainfall is 23% below the long term average. But we have to wait another 15 days to know the full situation. We had discussion in the presence...
More »Unfair Tax: Mandi tax on grain procurement offers some states a double privilege
-The Economic Times State levies on grain purchase by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will reportedly push up the Centre's food subsidy bill by Rs 10,000 crore this fiscal year. This is absurd and untenable. High taxes and commissions - 14.5% in Punjab and 10.5% in Haryana - on the minimum support price (MSP) of grain jack up the costs of procurement, drive private trade out of these markets, and set...
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