Spurred by the need to look at impact of climate change on water resources, the Centre is formulating a revised National Water Policy in consultation with the States and other stakeholders to ensure basin-level management strategies to deal with variability in rainfall and river flows due to climate change. Ecology over industry? The government is also looking at amendment to the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, and the River Boards Act for time-bound...

Supreme Court questions the norms and method adopted by Centre to identify such families The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the norms and method adopted by the Centre in identifying below the poverty line (BPL) families, as the figures furnished by it and the States were at variance and the State governments had complained of inadequate supply of foodgrains. Earlier, senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the People's Union for Civil Liberties,...

It has not included the clause on price regulation of seeds The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved additional amendments to the Seeds Bill. 2004. The amendments however did not include the clause on price regulation of seeds that is being demanded by members of Parliament who have moved amendments to the Bill that may be introduced in this session. They wanted a regulatory mechanism on pricing of seeds so that seeds were available...

Ensure proper Distribution to targeted PDS beneficiaries The Supreme Court on Monday wanted the Centre to ensure that there was no further wastage of foodgrains and that there was proper Distribution to the targeted beneficiaries. Justice Dalveer Bhandari, hearing a Public Interest Litigation petition on streamlining the Public Distribution System, told Additional Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran, who said the wastage was 7,000 tonnes and not 70,000 tonnes: “Enough is enough. We don't want...

A Prolonged conflict between the Centre and state governments to identify “eligible” Below Poverty Line (BPL) families has made food Distribution largely ineffective, leading to tons of food grains rotting at government storage houses, the Centre has admitted in the Supreme Court. Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran, appearing for the Union Food Ministry, said both the Centre and the states agreed on the principle to supply food grains to BPL families...