IT’S NOW “look east’’ policy for the Krishi Bhawan as well. Keen to extend the green revolution to the eastern states, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will be holding a day-long conclave with top-level representatives from six states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal — at Kolkata on July 10. On the discussion table will be ways to augment agricultural productivity in this region so as to...

Driven by spiralling prices of essential items, inflation surged into double digits at 10.16 per cent in May, the highest in the last 19 months, adding to the woes of the common man. Soaring inflation, according to analysts, may prompt the Reserve Bank to tighten liquidity at its quarterly monetary policy review scheduled next month. The essential items which have become expensive, directly hitting the pocket of the common man, include pulses,...

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the decision on free power to the farm sector will be discussed in the cabinet but rejected the Planning Commission's contention that it was responsible for the alarming depletion of groundwater in the state. "The farmers of Punjab have been using ground water for the crops and the state has helped whole country to overcome food crises many times," Badal said, reacting to...

Haryana to hold judicial inquiry into Dalit attack    Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Thursday said a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the incident of arson attack on the houses of Dalit (Balmiki) community in Hisar district's Mirchpur village. The Dalits of Mirchpur were targets of violence by the dominant upper caste members April 21. As many as 150 Dalit families were driven out of the village after an...

The fight against Naxalites and development activity in rebel-affected areas are set to get a much-needed impetus over the next two years. Authorities in 11 rebel-affected districts of Jharkhand, which are among 33 across the country, have been told by the Planning Commission to prepare development plans to the tune of Rs 100 crore each for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscals. Since the beginning of the month, deputy commissioners of...