The small farmer might be the solution to the ongoing crisis in the farming sector in India. Policies need to be geared towards helping small farmers perform agricultural operations and marketing their products with greater efficiency. Instead, current policies are hoping to dispossess farmers of their livelihood and push them …
India has been excluded from a high-profile meeting of the European Union, the US and Brazil that is attempting to hammer out an agreement on the Doha trade negotiations in London, trade diplomats said. The two-day senior officials' meeting began on Monday at an unknown destination in London to address …
The Rajasthan Government is planning to expand its ambitious "Akshay Kaleva' scheme for providing cooked food to the poor at subsidised prices at public places in Jaipur by seeking charitable contributions from private donors on their personal and family occasions. State Local Self Government Secretary Manjeet Singh said at a …
There were no gasps of surprise when Palaniappan Chidambaram, Indian finance minister, unveiled a populist budget aimed at boosting the chances of the Congress-led governing alliance in the general election due by May 2009. Even so, the details announced on Friday were disappointing for economists concerned about inflation and alarming …
On February 29 when Finance Minister P. Chidambaram takes guard, his batting average is going to look almost Bradmanesque. Three consecutive years of 9-plus per cent growth, income tax growing at an unprecedented 40 per cent per annum, customs duty collection growing despite lower tariffs, agriculture credit doubling in three …
Cash-rich Haryana has earmarked Rs 2,800 crore for power subsidy to farm sector for the year 2008-09, surpassing even Andhra Pradesh, which has earmarked Rs 2,385 crore for free power supply to the farmers in its 2008-09 Budget presented this month. From Rs 400 crore six years back, it is …
Jan Kerosene Pariyojana was launched to revamp the subsidised kerosene distribution measure in the country. Initial impact analysis leads us to believe that the scheme has the potential to realise the intended reforms. Feb 23-29, 2008
In September 2003, the government of Gujarat introduced the Jyotirgram Yojana to improve rural power supply. Two major changes have since taken place: (a) villages get 24 hour three-phase power supply for domestic use, in schools, hospitals, village industries, all subject to metered tariff; and (b) tubewell owners get eight …
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 11: The UPA Government's proposed shift to a nutrient-based fertilisers subsidy from a product-based regime will be a gradual one in the 2008 -09 financial year. According to sources, since the new subsidy regime may lead to price revision of the fertiliser products, the "implementation of the …
Moves are afoot to ring in reforms in the fertiliser sector. A Group of Ministers (GoM) on fertilisers headed by the agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, has given its in-principle nod to the Department of Fertilisers' proposal to have an independent regulator for the sector. J. Sreedhara Sarma, Secretary, Ministry of …
