IF you are expecting supply of dal, rice and edible oil through a friendly neighbourhood ration shop from May 1, as assured by the State Government earlier, you better forget it. The government will not be able to meet the pre-announced date for supply of essential commodities through the public distribution system as the tender worth Rs 600 crore to replenish the stocks has been scrapped following allegations of irregularities and favouritism.

Inflation continues unabated. In the last week of March it stopped at 7.14 per cent and swinging in April it reached up to 7.33 per cent. Government adopted several measures but it did not make any difference. Inflation lowered a little and again it started rising. Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday might take some steps in this direction. But only through mechanism it can not be checked. Because finding its root cause and effort to remove it necessary. Prices of daily consumable items are going up continuously and even after sufficient availability of food grains they are becoming dearer.

UN agencies and the World Bank pledged on Tuesday to set up a task force to tackle an unprecedented rise in global food prices that is threatening to spread social unrest. The international bodies called on countries not to restrict exports of food to secure supplies at home, warning that could make the problem worse.

Putting the party and administration on election mode, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has formally launched the revamped food security sheme ''Annapoorna Yojana'' with pomp and show involving chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states. Taking a firm stand not to reduce the number of families living Below Poverty Line, the BJP government preferred to accommodate all BPL families under the scheme by reducing the monthly foodgrain quota by 15 kg per family.

"Apparent improvement" in the diets of people in India and China and consequent food export caps is among the "four causes" that has led to the current global food crisis, feels US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. The US' top diplomat specifically pointed to exchange rate and the simple "inability" of getting food to the people as being responsible for the worrisome food scarcity.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday ordered a top level task force to take on the global crisis caused by rising food prices and urged key producer nations to end export bans. The UN chief said the immediate priority must be to "feed the hungry" and called for urgent funding for the World Food Programme. Ban said after a meeting of the heads of 27 key international agencies that the new task force would be led by the UN's top humanitarian official, deputy under-secretary John Holmes.