-First Post Sonia Gandhi wants the chief ministers of fourteen states in which the Congress party is in power to role out the food security scheme in letter and spirit, and in quick time. Some media reports suggest that the scheme will be rolled out on August 20, which also happens to be the birth anniversary of Sonia's late husband Rajiv Gandhi. While there seems to be a great hurry to launch...
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Grain stocking policy needs prompt overhaul
-The Economic Times It is scandalous that inflation in cereals remains above 17 per cent even as food grain stocks with the Centre are close to 80 million tonnes. The Committee on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) paper estimates that the buffer stocking requirement would go up, thanks to the Food Security law, but not higher than 41.5 million as of July 1. The rest is excess. The government must sell off...
More »Much ado about little-TN Ninan
-The Business Standard Many myths surround the new 'food security' law Back in the 1980s, the government distributed an average of nearly 16 million tonnes of foodgrain each year through the public distribution system (PDS). The 1990s saw an increase in the PDS throughput to just over 17 million tonnes. The striking change came in the decade of the "noughties", which saw the annual figure climbing to around 20 million tonnes, then...
More »Record production of foodgrains likely in Kharif season: Sharad Pawar
-PTI NEW DELHI: India is likely to achieve record production of foodgrains and other crops in Kharif season of 2013-14 because of good monsoon that has led to the doubling of sowing area, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today. "All kharif crops put together, acreage has reached 401.69 lakh hectares as on July 5, as against 215.6 lakh hectares in the same period last year. This is a very very good picture....
More »Food ordinance has controversial force majeure clause-Sanjeeb Mukherjee
-The Business Standard Clause empowers both Central and state govts from their obligation to provide subsidised food in the event of war, flood, drought, fire, cyclone or earthquake The government included much-debated 'force majeure' clause in the Food Security Ordinance, despite opposition from civil socieity and a Parliamentary standing committee. However, the clause can now only be invoked if the Central government in consultation with the Planning Commission decides as to whether such...
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