-The Business Standard MSP hikes will stoke food inflation The government’s new kharif pricing policy, suggesting a steep 16 to 53 per cent increase in the minimum support prices (MSPs) of various crops, is unlikely to fully satisfy farmers even as it will stoke food inflation and swell the food subsidy bill. Approval of the new prices by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) came on the day that inflation numbers...

-The Times of India It was meant to showcase the government's new-found resolve to push the reforms agenda in order to stanch the declining growth rate and to repulse the perception of governance freeze. Instead, it ended up publicizing yet again the government's vulnerability as well as its reluctance to speed up decision making at the cost of angering allies on the eve of presidential poll.  The UPA on Thursday withdrew its...

-The Times of India State-run fuel retailers on Saturday reduced petrol price by Rs 1.68 per litre, excluding state taxes. This means consumers in Delhi would pay Rs 2 less per litre at pumps from midnight and will see an additional 92 paise reduction next week after the local government notifies a reduction in the value added tax (VAT). In other states, the extent of decline would vary by a few paise...

State-run fuel retailers don't tire of flashing their "autonomy" to justify raising petrol price. But when it came to a reduction on Thursday, they suddenly appeared to have developed political bones: the three oil marketers firms hastily pulled back plans to cut price by Rs 1.60 or so, excluding taxes, to prevent the opposition from taking credit. The retailers had raised petrol price by Rs 6.28, excluding taxes, on May 23....

-PTI With key UPA ally Trinamool Congress averse to FDI in retail, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the Centre is trying to build a consensus on it and other contentious issues. "We are working to build a policy consensus on a number of pending issues such as introduction of Goods and Services Tax, further liberalisation of FDI, including in retail, and deepening and strengthening of financial markets for long term investments,"...