-PTI Government today told Parliament that prosecution agencies will have to obtain authorisation from it before attachment of properties of corrupt retired public servants. "An official memorandum dated May 13, 2009 was issued laying down procedure for obtaining authorisation of the central government under section 3 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1944 for attachment of the money or property procured by corrupt means. "Further, clarifications were issued vide office memorandum dated January...

-The Business Standard The first agriculture survey, tabled in Parliament on Monday, called for more private participation to boost farm sector investments, rather than heavy doses of subsidies. “There is always a trade-off between allocating money through subsidies or by increasing investments. The investment option is much better than subsidies for sustaining long-term growth in agricultural production and also to reduce poverty faster,” said the survey, State of Indian Agriculture 2011-2012. It...

-PTI Amid reports that potato and onion farmers were dumping their produce due to fall in prices, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today assured Parliament that a scheme is in place to share the loss incurred by the growers.  The Agriculture Ministry implements a Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), after it receives proposals from state government on the need for procurement of agricultural and horticultural crops, Pawar said in a reply to a query...

-The Economic Times The government may be forced to trim its legislative agenda - including pushing through long-pending bills on pensions, insurance and banking - following Congress' debacle in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab assembly elections.  Pension, insurance and banking sector reforms are part of the legislative agenda of the UPA government but BJP leaders told finance minister Pranab Mukherjee at an outreach session that the government should first set its House in...

The government proposes to convert the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) into a National Health Mission to provide health care to the urban poor also, in the course of the 12th Plan. Universal access to free generic essential medicines in public health institutions in a phased and time-bound manner will be ensured. Announcing major initiatives to provide universal healthcare, President Pratibha Patil on Monday said the government would endeavour to increase both...