New Delhi Differences have cropped up between the Planning Commission and food ministry on the issue of creation of two million tonne capacity silos through the public- private partnership (PPP) mode.

Sources say while Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency to implement the project, has been insisting on making 'railway siding' mandatory for silos, the Planning Commission believes that the construction of railways siding would increase the cost of project which would be unattractive to the private players.

New Delhi In a bid to check diversion of foodgrains to the open market, the food ministry is planning to launch a cash transfer system for poor families. The plan, a first, will be done under the public distribution system (PDS) in six union territories in the next three months.

Officials sources told FE the cash transfer plan under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) would be launched for the first time in Chandigarh, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

New Delhi The Centre’s plan to introduce the National Food Security Bill, which envisages distribution of subsidised foodgrains to more than 63% of the population, in the upcoming winter season of

Food losses and waste amount to roughly $680 billion in industrialised countries and $310 billion in developing countries

The total food wasted every year globally is enough to feed 500 million people without any extra burden on natural resources, a top official of United Nation's body Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said. "Around one third of all the food produced in the world is lost or wasted every year," FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva said, adding the elimination of this wastage is an important step in achieving zero hunger.

New Delhi The government is unlikely to take up the National Food Security Bill in the winter season of Parliament as the panel examining the proposed law had to be reconstituted as its tenure had lapsed.

The National Food Security Bill, 2011, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha by food minister KV Thomas in the winter session last year, was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee chaired by Vilas Muttemwar for approval.

New Delhi in Dismal figures belie hopes of successful implementation of food security law

As the Centre braces for an expanded distribution of grain among the poor under the national food security law, here’s a sobering thought. According to the latest official data, various state governments have failed to utilise even the grain allocated under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). During the last three fiscal years, states have not been able to take the full delivery of grain — mostly rice and wheat — allocated under TPDS, which targets 6.52 crore Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Each BPL family is entitled to 35kg each of rice and wheat every month at subsidised rates.

The food ministry has submitted a ‘Plan B’ for the proposed Food Security Bill to the parliamentary standing committee for consideration after getting clearance from the prime minister, a source in

Centre Announces Subsidy On Diesel, Seeds For Farmers

The Union ministry of food has recommended continuing the subsidy for edible oil distribution, given the rising trend in prices and anticipated shortfall in final production in the kharif season.

The subsidy scheme under the public distribution system involves distributing edible oil at Rs 15 per kg to individual states. The scheme is to end in September.

Agartala: The Central government has provided additional quota of rice at a subsidized rate for the poor living in 12 backward districts in the Northeast, a State government official said here on Monday.

“The union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on the direction of the Supreme Court has allocated additional quota of food grain to identified 174 districts in 27 States, which include 12 districts in Northeast region,” said Tripura Principal Secretary (food department) BK Roy.