Petrol, diesel prices rise in some states, fall in some after adjustment in surcharge

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reworked the surcharge paid towards various state levies. This has led to prices of petroleum products increasing in states such as Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal and declining in others such as Gujarat and Karnataka. Oil companies maintain this is a revenue-neutral exercise, aimed at adjusting the changes in state taxes.

The Union ministry of food has recommended continuing the subsidy for edible oil distribution, given the rising trend in prices and anticipated shortfall in final production in the kharif season.

The subsidy scheme under the public distribution system involves distributing edible oil at Rs 15 per kg to individual states. The scheme is to end in September.

Agartala: The Central government has provided additional quota of rice at a subsidized rate for the poor living in 12 backward districts in the Northeast, a State government official said here on Monday.

“The union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on the direction of the Supreme Court has allocated additional quota of food grain to identified 174 districts in 27 States, which include 12 districts in Northeast region,” said Tripura Principal Secretary (food department) BK Roy.

The government has in principle decided to expand the coverage of population under the proposed Food Security Bill to include almost 70 per cent of Indians, who will have the legal right to cheap food, against the earlier proposal of 64 per cent of the same.

It will also end the below and above poverty line (BPL and APL) demarcation, prevailing in the current public distribution system (PDS). However, entitlements under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (for the poorest of the poor) would continue as in the current structure.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting tomorrow to discuss an alternative plan for the National Food Security Bill, the ruling coalition’s most ambitious social security programme.

Also termed ‘Plan B’, it seeks to widen the numbers covered under the programme to about 68 per cent of the entire population from the 64 per cent in the pending Bill. It was first floated by a section of activists on the issue. The original Bill, as cleared by the cabinet last year, is currently being vetted by a standing committee of Parliament.

KOLKATA, 10 JULY: The state government distributed only 12.7 per cent of the food grain "specially" allotted by the Centre for the 10 backward districts in the state in the last fiscal year, said M

National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and several activists, including Jean Dreze, Annieraja and Harsh Mander, have appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reverse the Cabinet Committee o

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)has set up a Rs 20,000 crore project to reach broadband connectivity to an estimated 2,50,000 villages.

As monsoon steadily progresses across the country, the government on Thursday said that about 6.6 million tonnes of freshly procured wheat — worth about Rs 12,000 crore — spread across Punjab, Hary