The agriculture ministry is preparing a contingency plan to prevent food shortage----------

For the first time in 30 years, India stares at the probability of a drought, which threatens to worsen the already precarious food demand-supply balance and plunge the country into a deeper food security crisis.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed Food Security Act is against the interests of the State, Food and Civil Supplies Minister C.Divakaran said on Sunday.

New Delhi: Ahead of finalising the proposed National Food Security Act (NFSA), the government is struggling first to enumerate the actual number of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the country and to identify agencies both at the Centre and the states to take the legal responsibility for implementing the Act.

The government's coal policy should not provide for coal export and open-mining method, experts and environmentalists said yesterday.

The policy should be drawn up in consultation with experts and others concerned, they added.

The suggestions came at a press conference on an 'environment-friendly, pro-people' coal policy at the Jatiya Press Club in the city.

New Delhi: The country received 45% less than normal rain in June, a development that can hinder the prospect of economic recovery and dent the UPA

The National Food Security Act, a high point of the Budget due to be presented by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, is giving the government plenty to chew on. The crux of the debate is whether government can bite the bullet and deroster APL (above poverty line) beneficiaries to re-target food subsidies.

Even as the Agriculture Ministry is working round the clock to bring on table the Food Security Act to fulfil the Congress-led UPA government

THE government will take a call on the new rice export policy only after September when the new season begins and the stock position is known. The food and commerce ministries are also in favour of the move as the impact of monsoon on the rice crop will be known by then. The new policy proposes around 2 million tonnes of rice for export.

THE COUNTRY NEEDS A DEDICATED & COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL PROGRAMME TO

The government has began an agriculture rehabilitation programme for more than four lakh small, poor and marginal farmers at a cost of nearly Taka 32 crore with the aim of getting over the losses caused by the devastating cyclone Aila last month.