NEW DELHI: The soaring prices of essential commodities will start coming down in 8-10 days, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday,adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called a meeting of the chief ministers here on Jan 27 to discuss the issue.
"With the measures we have taken, the prices of essential commodities are expected to start coming down in eight to 10 days," he told reporters here after a meeting of the cabinet committee on prices chaired by Manmohan Singh.
Pawar said the prime minister would also discuss the implementation of the Essential Commodities Act with the chief ministers.
Pawar also said that state governments were not lifting the wheat and rice stocks made available to them by the central government.
"We have made sizeable allocations of wheat and rice to the states but sufficient ammounts have not been lifted," he pointed out, adding that of the two million tonnes of wheat that had been allocated, only 159,000 tonnes had been lifted, while only 209,000 tonnes of the one million tonnes of rice that had been allocated had been lifted.
"After assessing the situation, the prime minister felt there should be a meeting with the chief ministers where he would appeal to them to lift the stocks that had been allocated," Pawar said.
He added that states had been told to take stern action against hoarders of food. "This will also be reviewed in the conference of chief ministers."
Additionally, steps will be taken to check smuggling of sugarcane and sugar from India to Nepal, he said.
Pawar also announced a major relaxation of norms for the import of raw sugar, saying it could be refined anywhere in the country and not only by the mill that had imported it.
"To expedite the refining of raw sugar and improve availability in the market, the government has relaxed the central excise rules to enable its processing in mills in any state," he said.
"Today, the import (of raw sugar) at zero duty is done under the name of a particular mill. It is supposed to be processed only in that mill. If it is processed elsewhere, then duty has to be paid. This measure has been waived," Pawar said.
He said the waiver had been granted as "a number of sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh had imported raw sugar for processing. However, the bulk of the sugar is still lying in Kandla and Mundra ports in view of restrictions by the Uttar Pradesh government on the movement of raw sugar.
"We have repeatedly requested the state government to lift the restrictions but to no avail," Pawar pointed out.
The government has already permitted the import of raw sugar at zero duty up to Dec 31, 2010. This facility has now been extended for the import of refined sugar.
"In order to ensure continuous availability of sugar in the market, refined sugar will be allowed to be imported at zero duty up to Dec 31, 2010. There will be no quantitative cap on imports," Pawar said.
Hockey crisis resolved, players to resume practice
Pune: The crisis in Indian hockey was on Wednesday resolved with Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi brokering a compromise deal between the game's administrators and the striking players, who have been promised an immediate disbursement of Rs one crore.
"Hockey has been our national game. It can never be a national shame. It will be our national pride. The players all feel that they want to bring up Indian hockey. I assured them of full support," Kalmadi told a press conference after his meeting with the players.
Kalmadi, who is also Chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said that the Rs one crore given by sponsors Sahara India will be disbursed among the players within a week and all other issues would be settled in due course of time.
The settlement of the crisis, which has dogged Indian hockey for the last five days, paves the way for the players to rejoin the World Cup preparatory camp from tomorrow.
Kalmadi also said that a Players' Welfare Development Fund will be created and former Indian captain Dhanraj Pillay who also played a key role in resolving the crisis has been put in charge.
Kalmadi also made it clear that no player will be targeted in future for boycotting the camp. "No player will be targeted. They have done it within the decorum. I will also tell the next HI president to agree to the players' demand."
CBI files chargesheet against Buta's son and three others
Mumbai:CBI on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against Sarabjot Singh, son of National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Buta Singh, and three others in a case of alleged corruption.
The 31-page chargesheet was filed against Sarabjot alias Sweety, Anup Begi, Madan Solanki and Dhoop Singh Chauhan in a designated CBI court here, official sources said.
While Sarabjot and Begi have been booked for corruption and hatching the criminal conspiracy, the two others face charges under money laundering act for being allegedly involved in Hawala racket, they said.
However, there was no mention of the statement of Buta Singh in the chargesheet for which the agency had fought a prolonged legal battle to record his statement. The sources said that they were not relying on his statement.
Buta had moved the Delhi High Court challenging CBI's move to question him but withdrew the petition later when the agency informed that he was being summoned only as a witness.
Sarabjot was arrested on July 31 last year for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs one crore from Nashik-based contractor Ramrao Patil for closing a case pending against him before the Scheduled Castes panel headed by his father.
Though Solanki and Chauhan have been named as accused in the case, they can later turn approver if the court allows, the sources said.
The chargesheet includes telephonic interceptions involving Sarabjot, Patil and other accused bargaining for the bribe amount.
I'll smile even more in adversity, learnt it from Nehru: Rathore
CHANDIGARH: Taking the media head on, disgraced ex-Haryana DGP SPS Rathore on Wednesday taunted newsmen telling them he will smile more if they succeed in doing more "harm" to him and said he has learnt from Jawaharlal Nehru to smile when one is facing adversity. ( Watch Video )
Chiding the media for "talking too much about his smile" after the smirk on his face on getting a lighter six-month sentence in the Ruchika molestation case drew the ire of various groups, the 67-year-old former Haryana top cop also said he will not "destroy" the judicial system like the way the "media was doing."
Hounded by newsmen for his reaction as he walked out of the District and Sessions Court to his car after getting bail in the molestation case, Rathore did not hide his apparent dislike for the media in the wake of his submissions in open court that he was being subjected to a media trial.
"I will not speak anything about the subject of inquiry but certainly if you want I can speak about the smile you have been talking too much...I learnt from Prime Minister His Excellency Jawaharlal Nehru to smile when you are in adversity. I will smile more. If you succeed to harm me more I will still smile more," Rathore said.
Rathore did not take any questions with regards to the ongoing case, saying the matter was sub judice. "I will not speak anything on this subject," he added.
Before reporters could ask him further questions, he went on to explain the reasons behind the "secret of his smile" and added he had learnt to smile when one was faced with testing times.
Pictures and video footage of a "smiling Rathore" last month after the trial court verdict on December 21 last had drawn widespread criticism from different quarters.
Claiming it to be a mockery of not only the too little punishment awarded to him but also modesty of the deceased, several feminist groups had publicly condemned the act.
"We were shocked to see no remorse on his face for having forced a young girl to take such a step. It was this gesture that made me more determined to get him his due punishment," Anand Prakash, who fought the case, had said.
Rathore had avoided all questions from the media after his previous court appearances except for one occasion when he mocked at newsmen saying, "The day you can satisfy me that you are a constitutional power on judicial matters, I will speak to you."
No change in LAC with China: Antony
New Delhi: Downplaying reports of India losing territory to China in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said there was "no change" in the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Antony said the issue was raised at a meeting he had with J&K government officials and Army officers in Jammu yesterday, where the Army Corps Commander for Ladakh had categorically reported that there was not much change in the situation along the LAC.
"Yesterday, in the meeting, this subject was also raised. In the meeting, the Corps Commander (of Ladakh) reported that as far as they are concerned, there is no change in the Line of Control. There is not much change in the situation," he told reporters here.
However, he said there were troop movements "here and there" because of the differing perceptions (of the LAC).
"Because of differing perceptions, our people are going there, their people are coming here. Generally there is no change in the atmosphere and no change in the LAC. This was explained by the Army commander. I told them to further study this in detail," he said.
An official report had recently stated that the area along the LAC with China had "shrunk" over a period of time and India had lost "substantial" amount of land in the last two decades.
Indian Business News
Prices to come down by Jan-end: Montek
New Delhi: Describing the food inflation a "temporary phenomenon", the Planning Commission has said that the prices of various food items will decline towards the month-end and that the economic growth during the year would exceed 7 per cent.
With the coming of the rabi (winter) crop, he added, "you will see a drop in cereal inflation compared to what it is now ... wait for the end of January... on the foodgrain front there will be ample available".
Driven by rising prices of pulses, potato, onion and other vegetables, the food inflation soared to decade's high of about 20 per cent in December before sliding marginally.
About the country's economic growth prospects in the current fiscal, Ahluwalia said it "would definitely be 7 per cent or a little more is quite likely".
The Commission, which had projected a growth rate of 6.5 per cent for 2009-10, he said, would revise it upwards, especially in view of the robust 7.9 per cent GDP recorded in the second quarter (July-September). Economy grew by 6.7 per cent in 2008-09.
Govt allows duty free sugar imports till Dec end
New Delhi: The government allowed import of refined sugar at zero duty up to December 31 this year in the wake of sweetener prices nearing Rs 50 a kg in the retail market.
The Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP) also decided to permit UP mills to process imported raw sugar outside the state due to restrictions there.
Two-three million tonnes of wheat would be released in the open market in the next two months to check prices, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said after the meeting.
Import of white sugar was allowed till March 31 this year earlier.
Expecting states to play more active role in containing rising food prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review the situation with the Chief Ministers later this month.
Food inflation has reached near 20 per cent while sugar is inching near Rs 50 a kg in the retail market.
The Prime Minister would also review the implementation of the Essential Commodities Act for reining in the food prices, Pawar said.
The Mayawati government does not allow the mills to process the imported raw sugar in Uttar Pradesh despite repeated requests from the Centre.
Indian Sports News
Mirpur: Suresh Raina smashed a brilliant 106 as he single-handedly lifted India to 245 all out after a top-order collapse in the cricket tri-series final against Sri Lanka here on Wednesday.
The left-hander, who struck 10 fours and a six in 115 balls for his third ODI hundred in 87th match, shared a 106-run sixth wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (38) to revive the innings which eventually folded in 48.2 overs.
The Indian innings ended without a final flourish after Raina was out in the 46th over with Harbhajan Singh (11), Zaheer Khan (16) and S Sreesanth (4) returning in quick succession as the tail failed to wag.
For Sri Lanka, pacers Nuwan Kulasekara and Chanaka Welegedara, who damaged the Indian top-order, took four and three wickets respectively. Coming at the fall of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni when his side was tottering at 47 for four in the ninth over, Raina kept one end intact grafting for runs initially before opening up later.
Jadeja also did the right thing, staying put at the crease and giving company to Raina for 23.4 overs. While their illustrious colleagues, with the exception of Sehwag (42), fell cheaply to loose shots, the duo played the balls on merit and waited for a final flourish at the slog overs which though did not come. Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh were out for ducks while Dhoni and Kohli could contribute 14 and two respectively.
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