Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla has said due to drought in 2009 more than 50 per cent loss was suffered to kharif crops in 18 districts, including Kathua and Samba.

New Delhi: Though finance minister Pranab Mukherjee blamed poor delivery as a key factor for the rise in food prices, the Union Budget has actually slashed funds allocated to strengthening the public distribution system after last year

Acting tough on 283 sugar mills and 22 groups of sugar mills, which did not sell their prescribed quota of sugar in the market during the month of December, the government has converted a total of 3.6 lakh tonnes of sugar from these mills into levy quota that it will sell through its ration shops.

Facing flak from the Congress for his failure to control prices of essential commodities, Consumer Affairs Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday came under fresh pressure from the ruling party, which demanded that ban on futures trading in wheat be restored.

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Sharad Pawar today advised the State Government to take steps to stop production of parboiled rice from next year as it is not beneficial to Orissa.