-The New Indian Express   RAICHUR: The rains have let down the farmers of the district who are unable to start ploughing or sowing, particularly in rain-fed areas. Of the three lakh hectares of cultivable area, sowing has not started in even a single hectare. Of the 1,64,950 hectares of rain-fed areas, 1,42,150 hectares are irrigated by Tungabhadra left bank canal (Tungabhadra river) and Narayanpur right bank canal (Krishna river), but thanks to the...

-Outlook   Electricity distribution to the end consumer in India needs reform in order to achieve the target of electricity to all by 2019, says the World Bank. "Power distribution in India needs sweeping reforms if it is to BRIng back the country to a high growth trajectory and meet its goal of expanding access to electricity to all by 2019', the Bank report released today said. Today, India's annual per capita power sector...

-The Business Standard   Assessment note says panel acts as control commission, especially in fund allocations to states An assessment of the Planning Commission by the Independent Evaluation Office has found the panel exceeds the scope of its authority by acting as a "control commission", particularly with regard to the allocation of funds to state governments. This is despite the fact that the commission was set up as a recommending body, through a...

-The Business Standard   Regulator studying pricing models in various nations; draft legislation likely by end of March Pharmaceutical companies might be up for stricter price regulations. The government is planning to BRIng in a legislation that would take into consideration pricing models across the US, European Union (EU), China and 14 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which regulates prices of medicines in the market,...

-The Hindu 20-litre mineral water cans to be supplied at Rs.2 to each household Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh): The Cabinet sub-committee on NTR Sujala Sravanthi scheme to provide packaged drinking water to every habitation in Andhra Pradesh has tentatively decided to launch the first phase of the scheme from October. Of 47,190 habitations in the State, about 5,200 villages were identified for supply in the first phase where at present the drinking water supply...