THE issue of foodgrain management policy has assumed renewed importance with several reports in the media of large-scale wastage and diversion from the public distribution system (PDS). In a cogently-argued paper recently, Prof Kaushik Basu, a well-known economist and the chief economic adviser in the ministry of finance, has argued for foodgrain to be released in lots of much smaller size into the market, than is presently done by the...

But retail prices topped an eye-watering Rs. 85 a kg in Bangalore yesterday Speculative fever gripped the onion trade on Tuesday in Bangalore following a sharp decline in prices as a significant section of the buyers kept away, hoping that the slide will continue. However, retail markets in the city continued to remain buoyant, unmoved by the turmoil in the wholesale business. Trade sources speculated that the Union Government's order banning...

The Bengal government today pushed through a controversial bill that will empower the state panchayat department to create a parallel school education system with nearly 20,000 rural schools. The West Bengal Panchayat Board of Education Bill had fuelled widespread concern at its conception itself but the Left government bulldozed the legislation through the Assembly today in the face of a walkout by the combined Opposition. At the root of the overdrive appears...

In a major catch, District Supply officials and Food Cell police unearthed paddy and rice allegedly stashed in as many as 1,700 gunny bags in a godown of a private rice mill in Keerathurai Mahalipatti here on Sunday. Two workers of the rice mill were detained and a goods vehicle was impounded, officials said. Following complaints from consumers that some ration shops claimed shortage of Re.1-rice, Collector C. Kamaraj formed a special...

Many bee-keepers in danger of losing livelihood, warn industrialists The ban on export of honey has led to a massive crash in the prices of honey, which has hurt the bee-keepers of the state. Expressing concern about the state of affairs, Kashmir Apiaries Exports/ Little Bee Impex CMD Jagjit Singh Kapoor said, “As a result of this ban, honey prices in the country are likely to crash further and the vulnerable...