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.

Rangarajan Panel recommendations on decontrol of sugar industry discussed

Union Food & Consumer Affairs Minister K.V. Thomas met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday and sought a review of the open-ended foodgrains procurement policy. He also discussed the Rangarajan Panel recommendations on decontrol of sugar industry, the National Food Security Bill, which has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, and the proposed panel within the Consumer Affairs Department on FDI in multi-brand retail.

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.

Agartala: Left-ruled Tripura on Thursday strongly opposed the central government’s proposal to provide direct transfer of food subsidy in cash to people, currently accessible through the public distribution system (PDS).

To check the leakage and diversions, an alternate model of direct transfer of food subsidy in cash to the consumers has been proposed by the Congress-led central government. Suggestions of state governments and the union territories on the alternate models have been invited on the issue.

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

Ahead of its next big ticket social programme - the Food Security Bill - which it plans to implement before the 2014 general elections, the UPA government is busy sprucing up logistics and infrastr